Our Hearts Beat For Anne

Two weeks later

Vincent

I shot through the traffic, dodging vehicles and people, jumping over obstacles in my way.

My mind was reeling, my heart pounding against my ribs which were hardly from this mad dash but the thought of my brother.

Thoughts of our childhood days kept flashing in my head. Flashes of him running towards me with his little arms spread out and a huge smile on his face after I fought off bullies that were pestering him, flashes of me pushing him on a swing while he giggled in delight, flashes of him hiding behind my back after stealing a cookie from the kitchen.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I gritted my teeth due to the painful clench in my heart.

Looking ahead, I could see the crowd gathered around the accident. Police cars and two ambulances were already at the scene, moving people away to get to the victims.

On reaching there, I pushed roughly against people to get to my brother earning myself angry grunts from people, their voices echoing distantly in my head.

One of the police officers restraining people saw my face when I reached him. He didn't hesitate to move aside. I didn't know what he saw, I didn't care either.

My heart pounded dangerously against my c.h.e.s.t making me dizzy. I staggered a little from the faintly feeling and blurry vision.

Ahead of me was a silver Mercedes with its frontier smashed and mangled pieces of metal attached clumsily to its front.

I gasped, freezing at the spot. Coldness washed over me as I stared at the pieces of metal that looked so out of place stuck in front of the silver car. That was Andrew's bike.

I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. My whole body went rigid. I could feel the life draining out of me. I needed to find my brother before I died.

My eyes, being the only part of my body that could move followed the paramedics rushing to a figure farther away from the crash.

I wielded the last remaining willpower left in me to move my legs slowly towards the figure, but, before I could get there, the figure had been placed on the trolley, inside a body bag and zipped up.

I frantically rushed to them, grabbing at one of the paramedics.

"Who's in there," I choked out.

The paramedic started confused, then when the realization that I could be a relative hit him, his face turned to that of pity and sympathy. He mutely slid open the body bag, exposing the face of the corpse.

I knew if it was my brother lying there, I would've died instantly on seeing him because the fear and guilt I felt at that moment was lethal.

I saw the battered and bloodied face of a man in his early forties lying lifelessly.

Unfortunately, seeing that it wasn't my brother did little to calm me. If this man whom I assumed to be the owner of the silver Mercedes could be found in this state, what was the fate of my brother?

I turned to the paramedic who was gauging my reaction towards the dead body and inquired about other victims of the accident. He pointed at the ambulance and I ran off, dropping a quick thank you to the paramedic.

I saw him.

I saw my brother lying unconscious on the stretcher. Both eyes were reddened and swollen shut, his lips cracked up and bloody. His clothes were shredded and also covered in blood, his left ankle was in an unnatural twist, a huge hemorrhagic patch on his stomach. Tubes and machines were connected to his body.

I almost passed out from the sight, yet, relief surged through my entire body. He was in a really bad state but, he was breathing, that mattered at that moment.

I made known to the paramedic inside the ambulance that I was a brother to the victim. She allowed me into the vehicle and we drove off.

***

My brother has been in surgery for ruptured lungs, broken ribs, and twisted ankle for the past three hours. I had desperately wanted to enter but wasn't allowed leaving me pacing up and down the hospital hallway.

Mum and Dad were on a trip to Hawaii, I didn't know how to inform them about Andrew.

I felt horrible, guilty, terrified. It was all my fault, I did this to my brother. If only I stopped him. If only I stopped everything. My knees gave up on me crumbling me to the ground. I felt dejected, tired, and dizzy.

****

Earlier that day

Anne

He never failed to call me every single night since that night we kissed.

His work schedule had gotten tight, he even had to travel out for two weeks with other doctors to Liberia where there was an outbreak of a minor virus in a rural area. Their main attention was the poor and homeless who couldn't get the necessary treatment for the virus. Yet, after every rigorous work, stress, even when he was exhausted and on the brink of sleep, he called to say hi.

Jane and Pamela were shocked when they found out Vincent and I were dating, they were certain I would click with Andrew.

Deep down, I felt Jane wasn't happy about it. After getting over their shock, Pamela had squealed with delight and was already planning our wedding but Jane, after a humorless laugh, has been quiet and distant.

Of course, I asked her about her mood but she shrugged it off as stress from school. I knew better.

When Vincent came back, my heart kept thumping loudly. I was so nervous. Even after our night calls, our closeness over the weeks, I still felt anxious. But, when I saw him with that beautiful smile on his face, I went into full-blown panic.

'Haha. You thought I would feel better.'

He took the morning flight and was back early afternoon, after a quick detour to the hospital, he planned to go home, freshen up and come see me but I beat him to it.

I had abandoned the rest of my classes for that day, left my hostel early when he told me he's plane had landed. I wanted to surprise him by waiting for him at his house which I did.

He slid out of the cab that drove him into the compound, picked his luggage from the trunk, thanked the cabman, and made his way towards his front door when he saw me.

He stopped on his track, stared at my fidgeting self on the stairs, then, without a heads up gave me one of his beautiful smiles that got me all panic mode.

He dropped his load and strode the rest the way towards me, encasing me in a tight, sensual hug. I'd wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a peck on his cheek.

When we'd separated, he kissed my forehead, then reached into his pocket and handed me the key to the house while he went back to collect his luggage.

I unlocked the door and waited for him to enter. I walked in behind him and was about to close the door when he suddenly twirled and pinned me to the door which slammed shut behind me.

"I've missed you clumsy," he said pinching my nose with his right hand.

"I'm not that clumsy," I defended, swatting his hand away.

He chuckled, c.a.r.e.s.sing my cheek, then slowly placed his forehead against mine.

He was about placing his lips on mine when the doorbell rang, driving us out of our reverie.

He pulled me behind him and opened the door.

Jane and Pamela were standing there. Jane, who was putting on a low cleavage, tight hugging knee-length gown sauntered in and hugged Vincent, holding on to him. Pamela walked in behind her, smiling awkwardly.

I stood there shocked, with my mouth agape.

Vincent managed to untie himself from Jane's grip, glancing at me over his shoulders with a confused look.

I was confused too, and furious. I knew something was wrong with Jane but I didn't realize how bad it was.

I stood there stared daggers at Jane, who avoided my eye.

"We..eh..came around to say hi," Pamela stuttered laughing nervously. I understood immediately that Jane had somehow managed to drag her into this.

"You should take us all out," Jane announced with the sweetest voice she could muster still avoiding my eye.

Vincent had been observing me all the while but I was too focused on burning holes into Jane's forehead to notice till he came over to me and whispered.

"Are you okay?"

My head snapped up at him. Concern was written all over his face.

My heart warmed. I'd wanted to scream that I wasn't okay with Jane and whatever demon that has possessed her but I couldn't at that moment. I just nodded, gritting my teeth to stop myself from actually yelling.

He wasn't convinced but he didn't push it either.

On our drive to the Cinema, Jane, from behind the seat, where she sat with Pamela, kept making conversations, all directed to Vincent who was driving.

Vincent struggled to keep up with her unending chattering. He was tolerating her cause of me. Normal Vincent would have told her to keep quiet by now.

He never left my side, from the Cinema, where we saw three movies that lasted four hours, sarcastic thanks to Jane to the restaurant where we went to get food after. Sometimes, he even held my hand unbeknownst to him which i found cute. Each time he did, I'll find Jane staring daggers at our joined hand. I didn't even need to do anything but Jane was going to hear from me later. She went too far.

It was already six pm by the time we came back to the hostel. Jane and Pamela had already gone inside the hostel. Jane being dragged more or less subtly.

"So your friend's hitting on me?" He said with a smirk on his handsome face.

My cheeks heated up. It was obvious enough.

"Yep," I replied cliply.

He dragged me close to him where he was leaning on his car.

"I love you."

He didn't even let my heart skip completely before seizing my lips.

I melted into his c.h.e.s.t, kissing him back.

I still laid on his c.h.e.s.t after the kiss with him rubbing circles on my back.

"I had wanted to spend the whole day with you," He whispered softly.

"Me too." I whispered back. " But right now, you need all the rest you can get, it's been a long day." I said patting his c.h.e.s.t.

He nodded, placed a kiss on my forehead and then a quick one on my lips. I moved away from him.

I turned and walked towards the gate but then remembered.

"Hey, Andrew will be shocked when he returns tomorrow," I said with a smile as I turned. Though we hadn't been in constant contact with Andrew cause of his tight schedule, he told us days ago when he would be coming back.

There and then, I saw the bright smile on his face vanish, replaced with a clouded, worried look.

'Was it something I said?"

He forced out a smile and yelled out.

"Go on in, I'll call you!"

I nodded, turned and entered my hostel. But I was bothered by the change in his deamanor.

Reaching my room, Pamela told me that Jane had left to a friends house and wouldn't be back for a few days.

'Coward.'

That was the last thing on my mind. Vincent was bothered and it had something to do with his brother.

That night, I never got a call from him. I tried convincing myself that he was so tired and had slept off but deep down, I felt something was off. To top it all, that same feeling I had at thee airport reared it's ugly head.

Around 12midnight, as I tossed and turned on my bed, my phone rang. It wasn't Vincent like I hoped but a call that changed everything.