Where Is Your Heart

Hallie tries to contact Christian to thank him, is unable to and eventually finds out what happened to Derek. She also finds out that Christian has been missing, and everything else in her life gets put aside.

Where is your heart?


Instead of going out to celebrate, both Hallie and David were exhausted, and returned back to the condo to crash out. Waking up at the a*s crack of dawn to prepare for the cooking competition had been brutal, and all either of them wanted to do was go back to sleep. They both lay side by side on the enormous brand new King size bed they purchased for the place, and as David quickly fell into sleep as he always did, Hallie�s eyes remained open as she gazed at the yellow diamond ring on her finger. If Julia were there she knew she would have given her honest opinion in saying how f*****g ugly it was, but Hallie tried not to think of that. Instead she thought about �Hot Chicks That Can Cook�, and how awesome it would be to cook on live television to showcase what she was most passionate about. For now she wouldn�t let it get to her head, but it was unbelievable to think about. She didn�t win the cooking contest but she won a lot more in her opinion, and she knew it was thanks to Christian.

Hallie eyed her pink cell phone staring relentlessly out of her Kate Spade tote, beckoning for a certain boys number to be dialed. How could she call him at a time like this? Right after David forced her to promise she wouldn�t be a w***e anymore, how could she just pick up the phone and dial up the guy who she cheated with? All she wanted to do was thank Christian and apologize, but she knew it was too late for that. Every time she apologized it turned into them kissing, making love, and losing her damn mind for days. Plus he really was gone like he promised. Derek and him lived in New York now, completely unreachable. Except she still had Derek�s cell phone number, maybe she could just speak with Derek, and tell him to tell Christian that she was sorry. She knew it wouldn�t make up for anything, but she just wanted him to know how thankful she was towards him.

Deciding that would be safe enough, she inched off her bed quietly so as not to wake David, took her purse, and went outside to call Derek. As she dialed the number she took the elevator three floors down to the entryway of the condominiums, where she decided to sit and enjoy the entryway�s replica of the Trevi fountain.

Immediately after dialing the number, the robotic voice informed her that the number had been disconnected which seemed strange to her. She knew that Derek moved too, but why would he change his cell phone number? She figured he probably just got a new one, but something didn�t seem right.

Hallie remembered the address of Derek�s grandparents in East L.A. but she certainly didn�t know the phone number. She figured she could go look it up in the phone book, but they had been so nice to her last time that she almost wanted to go see them again. She knew it was rude to just show up at someone�s house without calling first, but she wanted to explain in person that she was sorry about Christian, and to please pass the message along.

Yes, doing in person would have a greater impact, if she did it over the phone his grandparents might forget or disregard it. Maybe it would just be easier to ask what Derek�s new phone number was, and then she could call him up herself. David would be sleeping for hours, she could just drive there real quick and come back. Before she left, she went back inside to get her grey Valentino wool coat that she bought on a whim for six thousand dollars, pairing it with her thousand dollar Christian Louboutin sequin pumps. If she was going to be a huge television star she was going to have to get used to dressing up to go out, incase the paparazzi were hiding in her bushes. Hey you just never knew.

After the long forty five minute drive to East L.A. Hallie finally found 5890 � and parked on the street. She walked up the staircase not feeling the least bit self conscious about showing up at Derek�s grandparents place. Why should she? She was going to be on a nation-wide television show that they would probably watch, and say that they knew her once. Maybe she should offer them an autograph before it all got too crazy. No, not letting fame get to her head at all.

She made sure she had the right place then rang the doorbell, and patiently waited for someone to answer. After a few minutes of no answer she knocked on the door. God his grandparents hadn�t moved too had they? Everyone was f*****g moving these days, well including her.

The door suddenly loudly unlocked startling Hallie, and it opened to reveal the short heavyset women Hallie saw on Thanksgiving. She looked so different, so unwelcoming this time, and Hallie didn�t remember a thick screen door blocking the entry, she remembered just being let in right away.

�What do you want?� Derek�s grandmother demanded.

�Um, my name is Hallie Harris. I came by Thanksgiving looking for Christian remember? I�m so sorry to---�

�He isn�t here,� she interrupted still not opening the door.

�I know, he moved to New York, I just---�

�Who knows where he is. Probably ruining some other families lives, that�s what he likes to do. Maybe his body is in a dump somewhere, maybe he�s in the morgue, I couldn�t care less!�

Hallie shook her head in disbelief. Her feeling was right before about there being something wrong. Very wrong. Why was Derek�s grandma, who was normally a sweet little old lady going off about Christian as if he did something wrong? The thing that plagued her most was how she was implying that maybe Christian was dead.

�What the hell happened? Explain it to me now!� Hallie screamed without restraint.

�My grandson is dead, Derek is dead. He was shot in the apartment Christian and him moved into, and since the funeral Christian has been missing for days. I told him good riddance. The police notified me that he was missing, but I told them not to bother me about it. Christian is probably the one who got Derek killed being involved with all those drug dealers.�

Hallie nearly fell to the ground with the devastating news. Derek was dead? Christian must have been in such a state of torture, suffering yet another loss. Hallie wondered if he witnessed the murder himself, and remembered the severe shock he fell into during the murder of his parents. And here Derek�s grandmother was, blaming Christian for everything when he probably needed family the most. No wonder he had gone off missing. Christian was like Derek�s older brother, he was probably going insane with all the guilt he was feeling. Hallie knew it wasn�t Christian�s fault Derek died, and she knew it wasn�t right to go blaming him about it. Suddenly Hallie�s panic turned into rage.

�You�re his only family! How could you say that to him? He loved Derek, he protected him. Where is your f*****g heart? You probably drove him to want to kill himself over this!�

�Like I said, good riddance! And good riddance to you, now get out of here and don�t bother me anymore!� with that she slammed the door in Hallie�s face.

Hallie punched the screen door as hard as she could causing it to loudly rattle, and ran back down the steps back to her car. She screamed in anger and pain startling someone walking their dog outside even though her door was shut.

Her face turned beat red thinking about all the possible things that could have happened to Christian. And then she thought of the one possibility that took her out of her rage, and back into some rationality. Maybe he was still alive. The police told Derek�s grandma that he was missing, but missing didn�t mean he was dead.

She quickly whipped out her cell phone dialing information, and then asked to be connected to the New York City Police Department.

When the phone finally picked up Hallie didn�t wait for anyone to greet her, and demanded to speak to someone about the murder of Derek Serrano. When she finally got connected to that person, they told her the case was still being resolved.

�What about his roommate Christian West? Someone told me he�s missing, have you found him yet?�

�No, we�ve been looking for nearly a week now. We�ll keep looking till we find him, although the Serrano�s told us not to bother.�

�Well I�m telling you to keep looking! You better keep looking!� Hallie threatened, not caring that it was the police.

�Calm down lady, we are doing the best we can.�

�What was the address where they were living?�

�It was Crown Heights Apartments in Brooklyn, but its all cautioned off right now.�

�Do you have my phone number in your system?�

�Yes�and we�ll call-�

�Good,� Hallie said hanging up the phone. She began fuming again with how little information there was. They didn�t know who shot Derek, they couldn�t find Christian, a 6�4 two hundred and twenty pound guy that made heads turn wherever he went. Maybe he really was dead. Hallie held back her tears rejecting the thought from her mind the best she could, and sped away in her car. Usually when she drove off in a hurry she never knew where she was headed, but this time she knew exactly where she was going. David would just have to wait, and if he wanted to dump her for just leaving out of the blue then so be it, but right now David was the last thing that was on her mind.

Reviews

[Tuff Stuff]

Okay. you have me even more hooked.
And I'm gonna have to say that this chapter had a very good ending.
You left a cliff hanger, yet you left it properly.
The reader wants to know more, and also feels that the chapter has ended.
Very good.
I think you already have all of these chapters written considering your putting on one chapter after another in a matter of minutes.
No harm in that. (I don't like waiting for chapters) ;)
Keep up the good work!

T.S.

[Mysteral - Night Prowle..]

I was trying to work out how long she'd had the "I promise to be faithful" ring. Must be all of two hours... I hope she's not going to drive to New York still wearing it. Sorry not got time to write much of a review, I want to see what happens next.

[thecoolone52]

i like it cus... last chapter she was all happy now shes freaking out again.......... so its kinda like real life where you have major ups and major downs....... nice chapter intriguing

[ShadowWolf]

A very good chapter!