Chapter 53
Daniel
I drove off in anger, not sure how I made it to my place, but I did and I’m raging inside.
I take the bottle of whisky and start gulping it, I need something to numb my pain.
How could she have let him touch her. I look at the pictures again and rage fills me as I toss my phone and knock the glass and everything off the table, but the pain doesn’t subside, images of him having sex with her plays vividly in my mind, how could this have happened.
I trusted her and she did this. I sit on the chair and can’t help but scream.
I drink more but the pain doesn’t go away.
Are you done with her?
Am I? Can I ever be done with her? I can’t imagine not talking to her or not sleeping next to her? She’s, my anchor. I love her, I’m in love with her.
Then forgive her. The words are so loud in my head, they are impossible to ignore.
I drink more, till the bottle is empty and I can’t stand and lay on my sofa. I see a small stain of the night I made love to her on this sofa. The thought of Teni doing the same shot pain through me.
Forgive her or you must let her go.
I can’t let her go.
Then forgive her. I let out a painful groan. My whole being shudders at the pain I released.
I know I need to forgive her but I’m going to mess Teni up big time.
I call Zack.
“Yes Boss”
“Please come to my unit and get me. I’m drunk and I need to go back home.”
“I’m on my way.”
Zack comes in and help me to the car, he drives and I’m out of it. He had to call Patrick for the code to the building and helped me to the unit.
Anu isn’t home. I laid on the sofa and slept off waiting for her.
When my phone rings in the morning, I slowly get up and go to her room. She’s not there. Probably spent the night at Nkem’s or Jordan’s. I take pills for my hangover and shower. Work is the only thing that can block my pain till evening when we are both back.
My phone rings and I looked to see Andrea calling. I answer it right away.
“Hey.”
“Daniel…” Her voice is shaky. “You told me you’d always be there for her.” Her words make my heart race. Something is wrong.
“What’s wrong, Andrea?” I can almost feel the bomb blast before she drops it on me.
“MAK is in the hospital; she was rushed in about an hour ago. Before she was sedated, she told me not to call you. She said you guys broke up.”
“We didn’t break up. We had a fight, that’s all. Why didn’t I see her red on the app?”
“She didn’t push the app. Her friend Nkem was with her. She called the ambulance for her. On their way to the hospital, MAK asked her to call Jordan.”
“I’m on my way. Is it the hospital by the house?”
“Yes. And Daniel, if you are going to hurt her more than she already is, please stay away.” I’m already on my way out of the office, heading to the elevator.
“Andrea, I didn’t break up with her. We had a fight, and I left to cool off at my apartment. I came back and she wasn’t there. I thought she went to Nkem’s to cool off as well.”
“She was a mess, and I think it triggered her crisis. Anyway, she’s sedated now, and we hope she’ll be okay soon.”
“I’m on my way.” I hang up and call Zack to bring the car around.
He pulls up a few minutes after I get out, jumping in.
I tell him to drive to the hospital by the house.
My mind is a mess. How the fuck did I let this happen?
I should have been next to her. I let anger cloud my judgment, now I’ve sent her to the hospital.
My chest grips like I’m about to have a heart attack, but I know it’s only the pain I feel from causing Anu pain.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter as Zack weaves through traffic. I’m out of the car as we pull up at the hospital. At the front desk, before I can ask about Anu, Andrea shows up. I immediately follow her.
The sight before me shatters my being. Anu is sedated, with machines monitoring her.
“What’s he doing here?” Jordan’s angry voice attacks my mind.
I turn to see Andrea pushing his chest, trying to control him.
“He needs to be with her, Jordan,” she snaps at him.
“No, he doesn’t. She doesn’t want him here,” he growls. His anger towards me is menacing. I ignore him because my focus is on my Anu.
“Yes, she does. Jordan, please, trust me on this. She wants him here,” Andrea sternly states. I move past him and get closer to Anu, pulling a seat. I take her hand in mine, kissing it. I turn to Andrea, ignoring Jordan’s scowling face.
“How long do they plan on keeping her?”
“Her pain was excruciating. They had to sedate her and let the medicine work on her, and for the blood transfusion to work. The doctor said she should be good by the time she wakes up.”
“Thank you.” I turn back to Anu.
“I’m going to take Jordan home. I don’t want him to end up next to MAK.”
I nod.
“Okay. Thanks, Andrea.”
Jordan walks out without talking to me. Right now, he’s the least of my worries.
I get comfortable in my chair with my hands locked with Anu’s.
The beeps are all I hear, all that tells me she’s okay.
The nurses come in and out to check on her, but she’s not moving.
I asked to speak to a doctor. My phone vibrates in my pocket. I take it out and answer it.
“Hey,” I say, answering Declan.
“Are you available to meet?”
“Can’t, I’m in the Hospital. Anu is sedated. She was in crisis, and I wasn’t there.” I choke up.
“Is she going to be okay?”
“They said she will be, if she wakes up…” I force down the lump of fear in my throat.
“I’m sure she will wake up.”
“I’m scared, Dec. I shouted at her and told her we were done.”
“I’m sure you didn’t mean that.”
“I didn’t, but I told her that I did, Dec. I told her I would get my things later and went to my place. The moment I entered my unit, I knew I’d messed up. When I returned, she wasn’t there.” I say going into details about my movement.
“You are there now. Do you need me to come over?”
“Not now. I’ll call if I need you guys.”
“Okay. I’ll check on you again in a few hours.”
“Thanks, Dec.”
I hang up with him. I turn and Anu is still the same. Andrea said it could take hours or days. I text Patrick to visit my unit and get me comfortable clothes that I can change into. I sit and wait on Anu to wake up. So, I can tell her that I’m sorry and I forgive her. I just wanted the truth.
What if she was telling the truth is why she didn’t ask for forgiveness?
I can’t think about that, right now, she just needs to wake up.
Patrick brings the change of clothes. I change into them and inform him to pass everything to Aaron but don’t tell him where I am. He leaves and I sit next to Anu, whispering, 'please wake up'. About an hour later, Nkem shows up and stops in her tracks when she sees me.
“She said you broke up with her,” are her first words to me.
“We had a fight; we didn’t break up,” I retort.
“Well, you are still on my shit list. She spent the day crying over you. She didn’t eat and refused to take her meds when the pain started.
I had to call the ambulance against her wishes.
” Her glassy eyes fighting the pain which I’m certain she’s reliving in her mind.
“Do you know how hard it was to watch her in that much pain and do nothing? She was trying to die, and I will never ever forgive you if she dies,” she sternly states in my face, wiping the tear that dropped.
“I’ll never forgive myself either if she dies,” I reply.
“No one gives a shit about you,” she snaps, stressing a hiss at me.
I nod, understanding her anger towards me. It explains Jordan’s anger as well. All I can think is she has to wake up, so I can make this right.
The Doctor walks in.
“Is she going to be okay?” I immediately ask.
“Who are you?”
“I’m her boyfriend.”
“Where’s Mr. Jordan?” he asks, looking outside for Jordan.“He had to leave, but I’m here. Is she going to be okay?”
“Yes, all her tests came back fine. No stroke, which was a major concern. The meds are working, but she needs to rest, and the only way was to sedate her. She should be good when she wakes up.”
“How long will that be?”
“At least eight to ten hours or longer. You can go and return. The nurses will check on her from time to time, and I’ll be back later.”
“Thank you, doctor,” I say.
He leaves but I’m not leaving.
I turn to see Nkem’s eyes throwing daggers at me. It’s best I ignore her scorching eyes. I decide to read through my emails.
“What did you guys fight about?” she asks, her tone calm with underlying venom.
“Teni,” I answer.
She scoffs.
“Of course, it had to be that asshole that would cause a rift between you guys. You do know she would never date him again, as in ever.” She chides
I can’t hide my confusion.
“So, what happened?” Nkem continues. “Because she didn’t tell me, she was just crying nonstop.” Her voice tense
I exhale the anger I feel at the pain I caused her.
“I received several pictures on my phone of her and Teni in bed from your trip to Canada.”
“What pictures?” Her scowl is immediate.
Instead of answering, I unlock my phone and share the pictures with her. I’d deleted the most compromising ones. She has the same shock on her face as Anu did when I showed her the pictures.
“That conniving bastard! I can’t believe he would do this, but obviously he did.” She pushes my phone away and turns to me. “You know she’s in love with you, right, and she wouldn’t ever date Teni again.” All I heard was she’s in love with me, and I have screwed that up.
“He wasn’t good to her. He lowered her self-esteem and treated her like he was doing her a favor by dating her. When she broke up with him, I was very happy for her, and angry with her when she started allowing all the Xbox nonsense, he was pulling on her.”
I’m brewing inside as she talks.