I could not believe it. After everything she'd said to me, after she told me she loved me, it was nothing more than a lie. I shouldn't have trusted her. I just should not have.
Chapter 28 – Realization: It's Bad Luck to Lie
An hour out on the road, Rapunzel had been lulled to sleep by the drone of the car engine. In the back seat, two suitcases were full of her clothes, toiletries and few good pairs of shoes. She had not packed any of her art supplies, save for her sketchbook and drawing pencils
She had horrible dreams during the drive. A voice was whispering terrible lies to her as she tried to cross a river full of tears. She'd startled awake many times, only to be cooed back to sleep by her aunt.
During the ride at daylight, Rapunzel still dozed. She found her nightmares to be better company in her mind than the thoughts about Eugene and Mrs. King. When she was awake, she did think about him and how she could not believe that he would ever betray her. She thought he loved her, but people could think a lot of things.
Rapunzel also fretted about how she was going to tell her aunt about Eugene's baby. She was already a month in; she would start showing soon. She had wanted to keep it because it was Eugene's, but now she wasn't sure she wanted anything that would remind her of him. But could she terminate the fetus?
Rapunzel's mind went back to the day she and Eugene saw their child on the sonogram. He'd been so happy. How could he have faked that so well?
She drifted back asleep, wanting to be tortured by lying nightmares rather than true facts.
Rapunzel was being gently shaken awake by her aunt. Her eyes opened and she saw it was evening.
"Rapunzel, we're stopping here for the night. It's a hotel." They got out and checked in.
Before they'd left New Sonnenberg, Donna had taken them by her house, so she could pack her things.
They took their luggage to their room. Donna opened the door.
"It's not much right now, but when we get far enough away from that life, we'll have a life worth living together, flower."
"Right." Rapunzel looked at her aunt. "You keep calling me 'flower.' Why?" Donna flushed a bit.
"It's what your mother called you. You probably don't remember, but when you were just a little thing, your mother's pet name for you was flower. I just recently remembered it when I found this photo." Donna reached into her purse and pulled a glossy, dog-eared print out. Rapunzel took it. Her voice caught. It was a picture of her in her mother's arms as a newborn. They were at the hospital. On either said of her mother was her father and Donna. "She was so happy when she had you, Rapunzel. She loved you so much, and your father loved her so much. That's why he couldn't live in this world without her. But they're both watching out for you in heaven. They're probably still mad at me for how I treated you, but I'll make it right." Donna stroked Rapunzel's face. "I promise." Donna picked up her purse. "I'm going to get us something to eat. Do you want to come?" Rapunzel shook her head. "Well, do you feel like anything?" All day, Rapunzel's stomach had been churning. She didn't feel like eating anything.
"Just pick whatever sounds good."
"Okay. I'll be back. I love you." Rapunzel couldn't quite manage an 'I love you' back. Donna seemed to understand. "You'll get there, flower." Donna opened the door and left.
Rapunzel fell back on a bed and cried into a pillow. Her wounds were still fresh and she was just barely holding herself together. After a good cry, Rapunzel sat up. She decided to pull her phone out, and when she did, she saw that it was off.
"Huh, Aunt Donna must have turned it off." She pressed the power button, but it had actually died. She fished out her power cord and plugged it in. Her phone sang to life and immediately buzzed with messages. She scrolled through her inbox, confused. There were twelve calls from Eugene, seven from Max, ten from Pascal, and eight from Raven. She could understand the calls from Eugene and Pascal, but Max and Raven. Rapunzel's finger itched to call at least Pascal, to know how everything had gone down, with her leaving, but she decided against it. She'd left that life behind. Pascal was still her best friend, but she was going to wait to talk to him again. She didn't need him coming to find her.
Rapunzel needed to get her mind off her horrible, life shattering thoughts. She saw the remote for the TV and clicked it on. It was pre-set to a news station. She was going to change the channel when the story caught her attention. It was a special report out of New Sonnenburg.
"A man was found shot yesterday evening in downtown New Sonnenburg," said the anchor woman, cocking her eyebrow to look shocked, but interested. "The victim has been identified as Eugene Fitzherbert." A picture of Eugene flashed across the screen. Rapunzel knew the photo; it was the one where he was standing beside Mr. Hook by the piano. The picture stayed up and another one, just of Eugene went by as the reporter went on.
"Fitzherbert is the foster son of Nicolas and Isabelle King of Corona Enterprises. He was found in Music's Dream Music Store where he worked." The footage changed to the store front. It was night and red and blue lights could be seen flashing off the glass. The footage showed Eugene on the gurney, being wheeled to the ambulance. Mr. Hook was beside him. His mouth was moving, but of course, there were no words. "He was shot twice in the stomach, once through the arm, once in the chest, and once in the leg. Police believe that Fitzherbert was targeted specifically, because nothing was taken from the store. Police also believe Fitzherbert knew his attacker, but so far, they have no suspects. Fitzherbert's parents' had this to say." The footage jumped again to the Kings. They were standing at a podium, like they were at a press conference. Mr. King was the one addressing the press, while Mrs. King hid herself behind her husband as she cried.
"'We are more than confidante that Eugene will come through this." They both stood stoic as they could in the flash of cameras and array of microphones. "That he will not leave us, because he knows he has too much to live for. But we want answers. We want to know why the man we love, why the boy we call our son, was shot five times. Why did his attacker find it necessary to maliciously hurt him in this manner?'" Mr. King paused to collect himself. He took his wife's hand. "'Though we cannot hate the person who did this, we want them to do what's right and turn themselves in.'"
The anchor woman came back, as solemn as she could be.
"Eugene Fitzherbert remains in critical condition. In related news, the fiancé of Eugene Fitzherbert is missing." A picture of Rapunzel came up. She was happy and smiling with Eugene beside her. It had been taken at the party their friends had thrown for them just a week earlier. "Friends say that Rapunzel Moore would have had no reason to leave. She and Fitzherbert just discovered that she was pregnant and both were ecstatic about the news. Police are not yet sure if she left on her own, but evidence suggests she might have been persuaded to leave, possibly by Fitzherbert's attacker. The Kings and police are asking that if anyone has seen her, to please contact them or the Tips-hotline. Well, Todd, how about that weather today?"
"Well, Jen, it's going to be-"
Rapunzel didn't let Todd the weather man finish. She turned the television off. She was breathing hard; the wind had just been knocked out of her for the second time in a twenty-four hour time span.
She picked up her phone and scrolled down to Max's number.
