BXBX NOVEL Chapter 345 - Friends
On the day of the funeral, John was dressed up in black, as dark as his mood in the last days. Roselyn and the kids walked beside him, the relatives who were invited turned around to look at John for some instants, probably wondering if they had to say they were sorry for their loss or not.
Some of them limited themselves to offer a shy smile to him which he inevitably didn\'t return, while some others walked to him and said as sorry they were, then they recommended him to ask him if he needed anything.
The typic things people say when they wanted to be kind enough and well mannered but in the end, they would never respect their words, that\'s the reason why John only forced a smile and didn\'t answer to them.
He didn\'t owe a thing to people who always judged and criticized him for their entire life and now only because he was grieving they would pretend they were good people and their mistakes would be canceled.
Roselyn held his hand as they walked toward the coffin, Roselyn could see all John\'s muscles contracted to hold back the tears.
Sebastian was right beside John, next to Elijah and Felicity who quietly looked down at the floor and prayed just like their mother told them to.
The priest cleared his voice and then started to talk, John didn\'t hear a word of what he said but he didn\'t care, he knew that none of the words he said would bring his father back to life.
However, although he tried his thoughts were too loud to let him hear anything.
It was time for John to talk about his father, he hated moments like that because he knew if there was something to say he already said that to his father.
But he went there anyway, everyone\'s gaze set on him, holding their breaths waiting for John to talk.
He cleared his voice and set his gaze blankly at the empty center of the room.
He slipped out a paper from his pocket, probably the paper he had written down some notes for the speech but as soon as his eyes skimmed through it he shook his head.
John crumbled it and put his back in his pocket.
"Hello father, I don\'t know if you\'re hearing me now but I know everything I would say now you already know. You know how much I love you and how much you mean to me, saying in front of a crowd of people won\'t make this more valuable." John said, his gaze traveling through the coffin, he turned around to start at that piece of wood that trapped his father and he sighed.
"I wish I could give you some air to breathe, some heartbeats to make you live longer, I wish I could give my entire life to you as you did with me decades ago. I also wish words could have more meaning to explain to you how much I am glad and how much I love you, not because you\'re my father but because you were there for me physically and mentally every time I failed, every time my anger took control on me. You always took my side and offered me your helping hand."
John caressed the coffin, he then turned around to slip out a rose from the bouquet and placed it on the coffin, "Your heart was so kind that you never had a bad word to say about anyone, not even about me when I did awful things all fathers would be disappointed for. You always looked at the positive side in me and gave me all the effect and love in the world even when I didn\'t deserve it." John\'s voice broke, he looked up to the sky not to allow his tears to fall and then darted his gaze to his family, he looked at Rose and smiled from there, then his gaze paused staring at his two sons.
"I hope I will be a father as good as you even if I know your level is unreachable. Rest in peace father, I love you so much more than words can never explain."
John walked slowly back to his place next to Roselyn and while he walked by Victor he caressed his shoulder gently.
When the funeral was over John invited all the relatives to the castle to eat altogether even if he wanted to remain alone he did that for his father and because he knew his father would want that.
The lunch lasted for a few hours, John didn\'t talk to his relatives, he only talked to his family and Victor. All of a sudden he heard the noise of the door opening and footsteps walk in.
For a second his heart dropped in his chest as he hoped in a miracle and to see his father there, but then when he realized that wasn\'t going to happen he sighed and peeked his head to see through the relative\'s heads who were coming in.
To his surprise Jake walked in with the rest of the crew, a genuine smile appeared on his lips as he smiled at them, all the relatives turned to look at them, probably recognizing they were vampires just like John and the silence fell in the room.
"We wanted to be here to be near you on such a terrible day. We attended the funeral by faraway." Jale spoke, John stood up and hugged him tightly.
Then he thanked them all and ordered the guests to make room for them at the table.
Jake set his gaze on Elijah, he rubbed his hair and leaned closer, "you\'re a vampire just like your dad! I can say you\'re strong from the aura you emit."
Elijah was joyfully hearing the compliment Jake did to him, then his gaze set on John. "How are you?" he asked, the answer was obvious, Jake was one of John\'s closest friends so he knew how hard it was for him to accept and move on to his father\'s death.
John hinted a forced smile, "I am better now, it means a lot to me you came." He smiled at each one of his friends. They broke their deal to leave behind anyone who dared to leave the family only because they wanted to be there for John, they put their pride to the side and focused only on the unconditional love they had for John.
When the lunch was over, every relative left after saying to John one more time how sorry they were. Each one of them talked about William as if they were so close to him while deep down they barely visited him after they saw he always defended John.
When they left and in the castle remained only John, his family, Victor\'s family, and Jake with his group John finally gave a breath of relief.
Sebastian helped the maids to remove the food from the table and then he helped to wash and dry dishes, Elijah and Felicity helped him as well, and only when they were done did they walk altogether into Sebastian\'s room to play together.
Roselyn left John alone to talk to his friends and have some privacy so she walked into the room she usually was in before they moved to Kratez.
"I am sorry if you feel sad or disappointed but I fell in love with Roselyn and so many things I went through. I wish things would have been different and we were still close." John said demoralized and sorry for having lost his friends.
Jake gazed at all his group and when they all gave him a nod he continued, "we also did a mistake by not asking how you were and not visiting you. We shall have behaved as a true family."
John smiled to them, "it\'s fine, you\'re here now that I needed you the most and that\'s the only thing that matters." John said, he spoke with sincerity, he didn\'t have resent in his friends\' regards, he knew how their mentality was and that they always hated when a boy put a girl over their friends. Maybe to them, John did the same when he married Roselyn and formed a family with her and never visited his friends.
"John..." Jake took a step forward, "we knew about the rebellion and creatures\' displease and concern about Roselyn." He said.
John\'s eyes narrowed as he was reminded of the terrible situation he was in, he was too busy suffering for his father\'s death that he forgot how much in danger Roselyn still was.
"We have to ask you something..." Jake continued, his friends set his gaze on the floor almost as if they were sorry and sad.
"We can accept you back in our family and gather our friendship back, we miss you a lot."
John\'s smile lightened his face and his eyes lit up hearing their friend\'s saying.
"But you have to leave Roselyn, maybe if you do so Kratez\'s creature will spare her thinking she is not so strong to be feared if you left her.." Jake\'s continued, John dropped his jaw in disbelief.