I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU
115. Returnees

Time continued to pass in silence until Charlie arrived at the beach. He widened his eyes when he saw what was in front of him.

The woman he didn't know, Jesica, Bram, Joel, and,,, Ariel who was in Joel's arms, drooped motionless.

His face was extremely pale, his body felt cold as Charlie approached them and touched Ariel's hand.

Ken, who heard what Jesica said, followed Charlie for fear of falling on the sand when he saw it.

"B-Where could,,,," Charlie's voice choked, unable to continue his sentence.

"Ask the two of them" Bram replied pointing at Jesica and Christina.

Charlie approached Jesica and Christina, asking them the same question, but none of them answered the question.

"You may be my best friend, Jes, but I'll still be fair to the exclusion of that" Charlie said.

"You even accuse me, from your eyes I know you think I'm the one who did it. Then just do your job" Jesica replied flatly.

Charlie let out a long sigh, setting his gaze back on the figure of Joel that he had never seen before. His hand pulled out a cell phone to contact his co-workers and asked for an investigation team and an ambulance to be sent.

They simultaneously approach Joel, intending to persuade Joel to release Ariel. But Joel is reluctant to release Ariel from his embrace.

"Joel, please, please, at least her body needs to be cleaned" Charlie said.

"I can understand how you feel, but you also know what to do with Ariel, right?" continued.

Joel just flinching, he just tightened his embrace. He held his girlfriend whom he knew he would never hear again. Until Joel felt Ariel's cold body temperature slightly reduced.

Slowly he let go of his embrace, hoping that what he felt was right, hoping that it was not a dream and just wanting to make himself feel good even if it was for a moment. The man who no longer wore the glasses looked at Ariel's face expectantly. He laid Ariel back, and gave her breath through her mouth.

"Please,,," Joel said, pressing Ariel's chest several times.

"Joel, please stop!" stop Charlie from touching Joel's shoulder.

"No, no, her body's back, warm," said Joel, pressing down on Ariel's chest. "I,, feel it" he added.

What Joel said made them widen their eyes, setting their sights on Ariel expectantly. Joel repeated his breathing. Keep pressing Ariel's chest.

"Breathe,," Joel hoped without stopping his movement.

"Come on,, breathe,,,,"

Up,,,,

"UHUKKk,, uhuk,,,,,"

Ariel coughed out water from her mouth, and slowly began to open her eyes. Before Ariel managed to digest what had just happened, Joel stroked Ariel's face gently and slowly pulled Ariel's body into his arms with a sigh of relief.

"Thank you god," said Joel.

"Thank you," whispered Joel in Ariel's ear.

"Thank you for coming back" said Joel.

Ariel blinked her eyes, seeing her friends now surrounding herself with a clear relief on their faces. He moves to escape from Joel, but fails to feel the weakness all over his body. As if his strength had been drained away, he could not even hold his own body in an upright position.

"Uhuk, A-A-What's t-happening?" ariel was confused.

His throat felt like he had just swallowed too much water to the point of no longer being able to swallow.

"You have succeeded in scaring everyone" Bram replied in an annoyed voice.

Bram said in an annoyed tone, but Ariel could clearly see the anxiety and relief at the same time on her face. Even on the faces of everyone who was surrounding him.

Joel let go of his embrace, and kept propping up Ariel's body to keep leaning on her. Ariel's forehead wrinkle appears as she looks up and sees Joel's eyes.

"Ehh,, you, you, crying?" ariel asked in a weak voice.

"Like a kid who lost candy" Bram said.

"Shut up,!" welcome Joel to turn his face away.

They laughed briefly, revealing relief on their faces making Ariel smile while shaking her head.

"Ariel, I don't mean to ruin the mood, but tell me who did it?" ask Charlie carefully.

Ariel looked at the two restless looking people where she stood and was reluctant to return her gaze.

"Jessi,,,,"

Ariel's weak voice managed to get all eyes on her, including Christina. He looked at Jesica and Ariel alternately with a look of disbelief.

Everyone who was there gave the same intimidating look to Jesica. Bram will only open his voice when Jesica first speaks.

"Curtain, everything is annoying" Jesica said.

Jesica returned Ariel's gaze, slowly a gentle smile growing on Ariel's lips, making Jesica flinch.

"I did it, then ken_,,,"

"Thank you," cut Ariel.

Jesica fell to her feet, and slowly her tears rolled down her cheeks. While they (Joel, Bram, Charlie, Ken) stared at Ariel with a confused look,

"Sucks," said Jesica.

"The perception of your feelings is terrible, are you aware of that?" said Jesica.

"Isn't that what you're doing?" reply Ariel.

Jesica smiled wryly, then turned her face away.

"When did you realize it?" ask Jesica.

"Since I have called you by the name I use only for you" replied Ariel.

"The fact that I am the cause of you like this remains, Ariel" Jesica said.

"The fact that you were worried when I fell is also not to be ignored, and we both know your ability in the water is not enough to save anyone" Ariel replied.

"How is it possible that people who are worried about me will harm me? in fact, you're using a crazy way just to make sure I don't get much worse,"

"Can you stop pretending to hate me? And stop making me misunderstand you and judge you to betray our friendship when you don't?"

"You're still my best friend, Jessi" Ariel said. "And I miss my old best friend right now" he added.

"Because it's also what makes me believe you have a reason for what you've been doing all this time" said Ariel

After a long time, Jesica finally gave a sincere smile on her face. Many questions filled their minds, but they did not have time to ask any further when the team that Charlie had contacted arrived there.

"Can we just assume this was an accident?" hope Ariel.

"WHAT,,,?" yell Charlie

"You crazy?" jesica spray.

"No way" replied Joel.

"Impossible," said Bram.

They give different answers simultaneously.

"Please,," Ariel looked at her friends one by one..

"Give it to Charlie" replied Joel. "For you, you better rest" he added.

"I agree, for business here, just leave it to me. I just need the two of them as witnesses" Charlie said.

"And I'll see you if it's necessary" he added.

"But I don't want_,,,"

"I didn't take you to the hospital, because I knew you didn't like it" Joel said.

"But, you take a break at my house, I'll ask my assistant to send medical supplies here" Joel explained.

"So, can we go first?" ask Joel.

"Well, go, go" replied Charlie.

"Wait a minute" stop Ariel.

"Go rest! I don't want any mentolelir" Charlie insisted, leaving Ariel speechless.

Joel lifted Ariel's body, then carried her towards the house. Bram, Jesica, Ken, and Charlie remained there to discuss what happened.

Christina as a suspect. Ever since Ariel fell off the cliff, Christina did not open her voice even though Charlie asked her. He just stayed with his head down.

'Joel looked at me with much greater hatred. Then what's the point now? And that woman named Jesica was Ariel's best friend? That's beyond my estimation. I know who he is, and how his family is. I won't be able to win against her, Christina's inner self.

"I had to call his family, but he didn't want to open his voice at all" Charlie complained.

"I think Joel knows something, whether it's a house or something useful. It's just, we can't ask now," said Bram.

"I know all the information about him, he's one of the people who move around a lot. For his new address in town, I haven't got it yet" he continued.

"Sister," call Ken to interrupt their conversation while pulling Charlie's sleeve.

"What's? I'm on duty," welcome Charlie.

"That, that woman, that, I now remember, she put Afriodisiac in Ariel's drink and gave me the rest that you found in my room at the time" Ken said.

Charlie turned his head quickly towards his sister, staring fixedly at her eyes to find out if there was a lie. However, Ken actually returned the gaze of the brother to show himself seriously.

"What did you say?"

Bram and Jesica asked Ken. Both of their eyes were emitting anger.

"You,," hissed Jesica angrily looking at Christina.

"I know I'm not entirely clear of mistakes, but, Aphrodisiac? Are you crazy?" snapped Jesica.

"I only heard some of what you said to her, and one of them was kidnapping, what does that mean?" ask Jesica.

"Attempted?" repeat Ken widens his eyes.

"It happened when Ariel's sister was sick" Ken explained.

"We went to Ariel's apartment and saw that someone was going to take her" Ken said.

"Violence, drugs and now killing?"

"Wow,, that's amazing. I'll make sure you don't live quietly" Jesica said.

"Maybe you can escape the law, but you can't get away from me" he continued.

Charlie let out a long sigh, looking at Jesica who changed from the figure he knew before. The protective side he first saw from a Jesica.

...>>>>>>>--<<<<<<<...

Otherside.

Joel lowered Ariel on the bed, the next second he looked at Ariel with a confused look while scratching his head.

"Uhm,,, that,,, is,,,"

"That,,, what, can you change your own clothes?" joel asked in shame.

As if he had just regained consciousness, Ariel looked at herself. His body was wrapped in a jacket. I don't know where the clothes he was wearing before Ariel didn't want to ask any further. He only knew it was happening just to save his own drowning self.

"I can ask Charlie to come over for a while to help you" Joel said.

"No," Ariel shook her head. "I can do it" greeted Ariel.

"You sure?" ask Joel.

Ariel nodded.

"Replace here, no need to go to the bathroom," said Joel.

"While using this first, do you mind?" joel asked carefully while giving her sweeter.

"Thank you," welcome Ariel to the sweeter Joel gave her.

Joel exits the room to give Ariel time to change her clothes. At first Ariel felt bad if she had to wear clothes in a dirty state because of the sea water, so she decided to go to the bathroom just to clean her legs and hands.

'DUG,,,!!!'

Ariel fell down while feeling her legs as if she lost her strength to be unable to support her own body. Causing the door to open.

.....

....

.

. To be Continued...