Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 154: When She’s Ready

Alex sat on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced together as he stared at the floor.

His mind was a tangled mess, his heart heavy with worry. Seeing Claire like this again—locked away, shutting them out—it scared him. Just was almost the way it had been twenty nine years ago and what scared him the most was the fact that their father was no longer alive.

He had been the one who talked Claire out of her room when it happened so now, who was going to talk her out? When would she step out? Would she he okay? He mused, his heart heavy with worry.

Emma sat beside him, watching him closely. His tense shoulders, the way he exhaled sharply like he was trying to push away emotions he couldn't quite control. She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

"Alex," she said softly. "Was she also this way twenty nine years ago? What exactly happened? And who was the person that was murdered? What connection did this person have with Chris's aunt?"

Alex closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. When he opened them, they were filled with something Emma rarely saw—pain. It had only been there when she had been in danger.

"It happened twenty-nine years ago," he said, his voice quiet but weighed down by the past. "I was just a kid, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Claire... she went to prom that night with this Mathew guy and then she was gone."

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Emma frowned. "Gone?" Emma asked in confusion.

Alex nodded. "She disappeared. For three days, nobody knew where she was. The only place they had seen her was at prom with the guy. We searched everywhere, asked everyone... It was like she vanished into thin air. Even the guy was also missing so we had thought they were probably kidnapped or something." His voice wavered, and he ran a hand through his hair before continuing. "And then, on the third day, we got news."

Emma's grip on his arm tightened. "What news?"

Alex swallowed, his throat feeling tight. "That she was found... in a forgotten building."

Emma's heart pounded. "Was she okay?" she asked, not sure if she was ready to hear what Alex had to say about it.

Alex let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "No, Em. Nothing was okay." He lifted his eyes to hers, and Emma saw the turmoil in them. "When they found her, Claire was curled up in a corner of that building, half naked. And the guy who took her to prom... he was lying dead a few feet away."

Emma's breath hitched when she heard that, her mind struggling to process it.

"What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Alex nodded slowly. "That's all we know. Claire has never spoken about what happened. Not once. And our father... he used his influence to cover it up. No one knows Claire was there that night."

Emma felt chills run down her spine. "But... how did he die?"

Alex exhaled deeply. "That's the thing, Emma. We don't know. Although the autopsy report showed that it was a bit to the head, we don't know what truly happened. Claire won't tell us. She won't tell anyone. We don't know if it was an accident, if he was murdered, or if..." His voice trailed off, the unspoken words thick in the air.

If Claire had killed him.

Emma shivered hearing the story. She shook her head. "No. That can't be. Claire wouldn't— Something else must've happened. I mean, they were both missing so why is anyone sure it was Claire? Didn't you bother investigating what happened at any point?" she asked and he shook his head.

"No. I didn't. Neither of us thought something like this would arise any day. I know I don't believe whatever Chris's aunt says..." Alex said, his voice firm. "But what we believe doesn't matter. What matters is that Claire has lived with this for twenty-nine years. And now... it's coming back to haunt her and it's going to hurt her badly if she doesn't open up now."

Emma let out a shaky breath, trying to put herself in Claire's shoes. To be found in such a horrifying situation, to have no one know the truth but be judged for it anyway.

To live in fear of her past resurfacing. It was no wonder Claire had locked herself away from love for so long. No wonder she was breaking now. That prom date must be involved in all this one way or the other.

Emma looked back at Alex, who had gone quiet, staring blankly at the wall. She could see how much this was tearing him apart.

She squeezed his hand gently. "Alex... we have to stay."

He turned to her, his brows furrowed. "What?"

"Here. We should stay here, in this house," Emma clarified. "She may not want to talk now, but when she's ready... we need to be here for her. She shouldn't be alone."

Alex hesitated for a moment, then exhaled and nodded. "Yeah. You're right." His voice was softer now, filled with exhaustion. "She needs us and I'm not leaving. Although I didn't want to impose it on, I also wanted you to stay. Thanks for bringing it up in your own."

Emma shook her head. "Then Don't thank me, Alex. She needs us, both," Emma said and Alex nodded.

They both sat there in silence, knowing that they couldn't fix what had happened in the past—but they could be there for Claire now.

And for now, that was enough. They would be here until Claire was ready to let the world know the truth.

Later that night, the house was silent, except for the muffled sound of Claire's crying from behind the door.

Alex sat on the cold wooden floor, his back resting against Claire's bedroom door, knees bent, arms resting loosely on them.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed, listening to his sister cry like this. It had been years—decades—since he had last heard Claire sob this way. And hearing it now, knowing the kind of pain she must be feeling, was unbearable even for him.

Emma sat beside him, her hands wrapped around her legs, chin resting on her knees. She hated this—hated hearing Claire break down and not being able to do anything about it.

Claire wasn't just Alex's sister. She was her sister-in-law and her friend. And right now, she was hurting more than Emma had ever seen her hurt before.

"Claire," Alex whispered, pressing his palm gently against the door. "Please... talk to us. Talk to me, would you?"

As though being triggered by that, the muffled sobs increased, tearing at Alex's heart.

Emma felt a lump in her throat. She wished she could break down the door and hug Claire, but she knew Claire wasn't ready for that. She wasn't even ready to face them.

"Claire, I know you're hurting," Emma said softly, her voice filled with warmth. "But you don't have to go through this alone. We're here for you. We're not going anywhere."

There was a pause in Claire's crying. A long silence. One that was long enough to make them hope.

Alex's heart leaped with hope. Maybe she would open the door. Maybe she would finally let them in and let them comfort her.

But then, a shaky breath, followed and then, more tears, breaking every ounce of hope Alex had thought he had.

Alex swallowed the lump in his throat, closing his eyes briefly. "Claire, I don't know what you're feeling right now, but I do know one thing," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "You're not alone. I know you think no one will understand, but Emma and I... we don't need to understand everything to love you. And we do. We love you, Claire. I love you, sis."

Emma nodded, tears gathering in her own eyes. "You've been strong for so long, Claire. But you don't always have to be." She sniffed. "It's okay to let people in."

Claire pressed a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the sobs shaking her body. She wanted to open the door. She wanted to fall into their arms, to let them hold her, to tell her everything would be okay.

But how could she? How could they love her if they knew the truth? If they knew what had really happened that night? Would they really still see her the same way if they knew the truth?

She curled herself tighter on the bed, her body trembling, her heart aching, knowing she wanted to share the truth but she couldn't.

On the other side of the door, Alex ran a hand through his hair, frustration and sorrow battling inside him. He hated this feeling—this helplessness. He wanted to fix this. To make Claire feel better. But how?

Emma reached for his hand, squeezing it gently.

"She'll come out when she's ready," she whispered. "We just have to be here when she does."

Alex sighed heavily, leaning his head back against the door. He wasn't sure how long that would take, but he knew one thing.

No matter how long it took, he wasn't leaving Claire's side.