Copyright © 2021 by Loudest Thoughts
No part of this work is to be copied or distributed without the prior written permission of the author.
CHAPTER 7
“Ginger,” Jewel screamed and rushed to her sister on the floor.
James quickly joined her, checking her pulse.
“She’s got a pulse.”
“Is that good?”
“I believe so, but if she’s your sister like you mentioned, I’d need you to call your dad.”
“No, she wouldn’t want that, James.” “Let me call 911.”
“Look, she’s not about to die on my watch, so give me a hand and call your dad now.” James ordered.
Jewel raised herself from the floor and kept mumbling, “She got shot.”
“Follow me and keep trying, your dad.” James ignored her and carried Ginger to the door.
Jewel couldn’t stop trembling.
“Put yourself together and get the door for me.”
They managed to carry her unconscious body down to Jewel’s car, and James drove off to the nearest hospital.
Ginger woke up in pain and was looking around the room when she spotted her sister sleeping it off.
“Did I not tell you, no hospitals?” Ginger, who was up, grabbed her sister by the hair.
“Stop it, you are going to hurt yourself.”
“You took me to the hospital….” She was talking when Knox walked in.
“What’s the scuffle about?” He thundered across the room.
“Wait a minute, you called Knox?” Ginger whispered to Jewel.
Knox stood in the middle of the room, avoiding her daughter’s gaze.
“I asked a question, and no one has yet responded.” He growls this time.
The whole room went quiet all of a sudden, and the two sisters were staring at each other.
Ginger then curled up and turned her back to them instantly.
Jewel straightened her wig and muttered, “It was my fault, so don’t make a scene here, dad.”
Ginger, who was unconscious for five hours, didn’t know her dad was around. That was the first time she had seen her dad in twenty years.
“Dad, can you leave us for now?” “I need to talk to my sister alone.”
Knox hesitated for a while, then walked out.
She walked to her sister and tapped her to turn around.
“I’m sorry, I disobeyed you, but you scared us and I didn’t know what to do.”
“Us?” Ginger, suddenly found her strength.
“James and I brought you here.”
“And the gunshot wound…” Ginger retreated.
“Don’t worry, Dad spoke to the doctor.”
“Why would you do this to me?” She sniffed as if she were on something.
“Your life was in danger, Ginger.”
“So now the whole family knows I’m back.”
“It’s going to be fine.”
“No, it won’t, because no one wants me here.”
Jewel reached out for her hand, then heaved a sigh of frustration. “You mean Mom?” She’d have to go through me this time around.
“I don’t want to cause trouble for you, Jewel.”
“I know, but if you leave again, I’ll follow you.”
******************
Ginger stared at her for a minute and cleared her throat.
“What?” She knew there was a sarcastic discussion coming up.
“James!” Ginger exclaimed.
“Relax, I didn’t tell him you were in prison, and besides, Mom and Dad made sure we erased you from our lives, so he had no idea I had a sister until today.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, that’s the one thing I never told him, and I’m happy I don’t need to sneak around to see you anymore.”
She winced in pain and said, “Tell me how you two met.”
“Shouldn’t you be focusing on getting better?”
“Spill it, I’ve had worse.”
She tapped the bed for a few seconds. “You do realise I never forgot about you, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“I started looking for you after my twenty-first birthday.” “Everyone managed to avoid talking about you or the incident, so I decided to check the Connecticut public records.”
“You know my records were sealed, right?”
“Yeah, I found out after I met James there and he mentioned it.”
“What exactly did he tell you?”
“Remind me why we are talking about him again.”
“Is that a crime?” Ginger raised her eyebrows.
Jewel kept looking at her and suddenly smiled.
“Okay, he only said that if people don’t want to be found, their records are sealed, and unless I know someone in a high position, those records remain sealed.”
“That explains sleeping with Manuel the commissioner so you could find me.”
But it worked. “I got your location and started visiting you.”
“Emmm, are you sure that was all you two spoke about?”
“You mean James?”
“Ahuh.”
“Of course, he didn’t know who I was looking for.” I think I told him for some school project. “But we met later on at the supermarket near our old house.”
Ginger kept staring at her sister and shrugging off her thoughts.
“You guys moved?” “You never mentioned it.”
“It didn’t come up during my visits, but it was mom who insisted we move out.”
“I understand. You get rid of the black sheep and the memories.”
“Don’t say that.” “I would have done the same, and besides, I wasn’t well after the incident, and I had to stay in the hospital for seven months.”
“You mentioned that.”
“I…” Jewel was saying when James came in.
“I brought some soup.”
“Soup won’t make me forgive you.” She stared with a frown on her face.
“I know that, but it’s not for you.” He shot back at her with a grin.
“Hey, I’m the invalid here.” Ginger chipped in.
“Glad you are doing good.”
“Thanks for helping out, and nice to meet you.”
“Anything for my sister-in-law.” He glared at Jewel.
James walked around the bed to drop the bowl while trying so hard to avoid Ginger’s glance.
“Your dad is just outside talking to the police.”
“Police?” Ginger raised herself up.
“Relax, sis, you were the victim here, and I told Dad everything earlier.”
She heaved a sigh of relief and laid back on her bed.
“I’ve got to go.” “My dad needs me.” James said while scrolling through his text messages.
“Thanks for coming.” Jewel mumbled.
“We’d talk, right?” He asked, still avoiding Ginger’s gaze.
“I’d see about that.”
Ginger hit her sister gently, and she smiled.
“Okay, I’ll call you in the evening.” Jewel recanted.
“I was thinking I’d come over.”
“Okay. Love you.” Jewel replied, and he smiled on his way out.
Ginger shook her head.
“Was I too hard on him?”
“I don’t know the kind of relationship you two have, but he wasn’t right to follow you.”
“Thank you, sis.” She hit her hand on the bed like it was her first time getting acknowledged by someone.
Then they heard voices not far from their door, and they both looked in that direction.
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