Where is your heart

Kind of important to read, just to catch up with the little changes in the book.

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 Girls 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 pass along the message to 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 let him know.

Yes, doing it 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 the 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---"

"Well he certainly isn't here," she interrupted still not opening the door.

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

"Who knows where he is, hopefully burning in hell. Derek, my grandson is dead because of him! He was shot in his own apartment, thanks to Christian doing all those drug deals."

"What?" Hallie exclaimed shaking her head in disbelief. Her feeling was right before about there being something wrong. Very wrong. Why was Derek's grandma, going off about Christian as if this was his fault? And why was she taking it out on Hallie?

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

"What is the matter with you? Just go away!" With that the door slammed abruptly.

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. 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?" Hallie screamed outside the door. "He loved Derek, he protected him. Where is your heart?"

A few seconds later the door swung open again, to reveal Derek's grim-faced grandfather.

"Please, just leave us alone. I know you are here to pay your respects, but it isn't necessary. My wife and I need to be alone."

"Pay my respects? I didn't even know about this! This is all so surreal to me. Is Christian going to be alright?" Hallie begged.

Derek's grandfather sighed and shook his head gravely, then eyed her as if he was trying to figure out why she was there. "You should really get the help you need dear, it's not right to live this way, without knowing everything."

"Well that's why I'm here! To find out everything. Where is Christian?" she shrieked, seeing neighbors coming out of their apartments to watch the commotion.

Before the man could respond Derek's grandmother ran up to the door behind her husband in enraged tears.

"Good riddance to you, now get out of here and don't bother us anymore!" Scared by the old woman's anger, Hallie took several steps back as the man looked apologetically at Hallie, and once again the door slammed in Hallie's face.

She punched the screen door as hard as she could causing it to loudly rattle, and ran back down the steps back into her car. She slammed her fists on the dashboard startling someone outside walking their dog even though the car door was shut.

Thinking fast she quickly whipped out her cell phone dialing the number to her fathers private airport, and then asked how soon she could get a flight to New York.

"Good," Hallie said hanging up the phone after finding out that they could leave immediately. She began fuming again with how little information Derek's grandparents had given her. They had been so brief with her, all she wanted to do was be there during Christian's time of loss, and help him in any way she could. 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.

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[Loribeth215]

Oooooohh... trouble trouble trouble... :)