Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
R upert
I’d thought since I’d gone to her flat and apologised, things between us would go back to normal, but that day when I’d brought her a new phone, she’d told me I had to leave because she needed to be somewhere else. I knew something felt off, but I didn’t question it. I felt like maybe I was pushing it too hard. She obviously wasn’t ready for a relationship, especially since she was still booked up with clients in the club. She obviously knew my stance on her working at the club and her being with me. The two would not intermingle whatsoever.
We had a great time together, we got on well, but she was pulling back, and I couldn’t fucking figure out what that was about. Sure, things were new and dicey—she wasn’t one to trust easily—but the attraction between us was undeniable. I knew I was going to see her on the weekend because she had a client to escort, and as much as I hated seeing her with other men, I couldn’t stop her from working. My partnership with Matthews would be in jeopardy, so I had to find a way to get her to quit on her own.
Deep down, I hoped Katharina would hurry up and give the contract to Veronica, but these things took time. Katharina didn’t make decisions in a rush, so I had to sit tight and be patient, no matter how hard this was for me. I had tried to schedule an appointment with Spencer all week, too, but he’d been busy, so I hoped to see him on the weekend. We needed to discuss the upcoming summer holidays. Spencer had mentioned that he wanted me to go with him and Maja to Sicily as he was taking a whole six weeks off. I didn’t think this was a bad idea, although I was reluctant to leave Veronica.Something wasn’t quite right, yet I couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe she was just panicking about having to replace all her cards. That was a headache in itself to deal with.
Matthews was out of the office most of that day, so that gave me an opportunity to mess around with Veronica’s schedule. I personally called every fucking client she had and made sure that she only escorted the ones who weren’t expecting to fuck her at the end of the evening. It was a tedious task, and I had to remind myself a few times that maybe I was stepping over the line with her.Then, I reminded myself that she was fucking mine. I would do anything to ensure that she would stay mine, even if that meant calling half of Britian to ensure that I was the only man fucking her.
This need of always being in control burned through me. It was one of my flaws that I’d been trying hard to break, but so far, I’d failed. I needed to go to therapy, but I was reluctant, still pushing through my shadow self. Veronica was mine though, and I was willing to fight for her. I was just frustrated that things weren’t moving as smoothly as I’d hoped, let alone how quickly I wanted.
On Saturday, I got a phone call from one of my partners who looked after the land I’d recently purchased in North London. He always sent me all the CCTV recordings, and I only had a chance to glance through them that afternoon. There was a lot of footage to go through, so I hoped I could get James to review it, but he was still away in Europe. When he was working, he hardly ever picked up his phone. I could wait, but still, that land had cost me a small fortune and I wanted to utilise it the best way I could, but lately there had been many odd activities going on in that area. I didn’t want to get the police involved just yet. They would slow things down.They always do.
By the time I arrived at the club on Sunday night, I was pretty exhausted. I spent most of my Saturdays in meetings, negotiating new deals and building relationships with a few new investors. I’d built my small empire on solid relationships and still followed the same route as when I’d first started out in the business. I didn’t do it as often as before, because that required a lot of energy on my part. These types of meetings were very draining, hence why I felt completely wiped out on Sunday morning.
I headed upstairs to see Matthews. Apparently, he was planning to work late tonight as we had an influx of new clients and each one needed to be vetted. I was ready to enter his office when someone walked into me. I glanced up- Veronica. She must have not seen me approaching, and when I saw her face, I could see she’d been crying.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” I managed to steady her up.
“Oh, hey, Rupert. Don’t worry about it. Just some family stuff.” She tried to wiggle out of my arms.
She didn't want to meet my gaze, so I lifted her chin, wanting to know why she was so upset. Veronica had avoided me all this past week for some reason, so we needed to catch up.
“Come on, sunshine. Let’s go downstairs so you can tell me all about it,” I said, ready to fucking kill the twat who’d upset her.
She was reluctant, but eventually she went with me, and we sat by the bar. She was so cute, her incredible body hugged by a flowing blue dress in all the right places, but I reminded myself not to get distracted by her beauty. She needed someone to listen, and probably solve, whatever was bothering her.
“It’s my mother. She passed out at work. One of her friends called me from the hospital, so I’m trying to book the train to Gloucester, but it seems that the rail is going through another strike.” She wipedher nose with a tissue.
“I see,” I said, already pulling out my phone to call Chris. “My driver is in the area, so we could leave now. Do you have your bag packed and do you know which hospital your mother's in?”
“Rupert, seriously, you don’t have to do any of that—”
“I apologise if that came out as a question,” I cut her off with a smile. “You need a ride, and I have one. Besides, my driver is already on the move. I’ll let Matthews know, and then we can leave. Have you got your bag packed?”
“No, I got the phone call only twenty minutes ago, so I came here to tell Matthews that I might be gone next week,” she explained, instantly looking relieved. I knew that she just needed a little help in solving whatever problem was at hand. “Thank you so much. I wasn’t sure what to do since I don’t drive, but now I wish I did, even though parking is always a nightmare in London.”
“It’s good that I decided to pop into the club today. We should be in Gloucester in around two hours if the road is good. Let’s get outside so you can take some stuff from your place."
Ten minutes later, Chris arrived and he handed me the car keys. Soon we were driving through London traffic. We headed to head to Veronica’s flat first. She went quickly to pack her bag while I waited for her downstairs. Only then did I realise that I didn’t really know much about her, apart from the fact that she’d grown up on a council estate and struggled in the past. I had no clue about her relationship with her mother because she didn’t talk about her past much—but I should have asked. We were now more than just acquaintances.
Soon, we were back on the road. Veronica seemed a little flustered.
“What about your stuff, Rupert? We don’t even know how long we are going for?” she asked.
I wrapped my arm around her briefly.
“It's fine. I can always pick up a few things there,” I said. “So, you were born in Gloucester then?”
“I lived on the outskirts of Gloucester. It’s a very small village. My mother and I moved there when I was about eleven… We should stop in the supermarket so you could get everything you need for later,” she suggested.
"Don't worry about me. We should head straight to the hospital so you can figure out how your mum is doing while I get us somewhere to stay for the night,” I said.
“You’re right. Mum has only a one-bed flat and it’s probably a mess,” she said despondently.
I asked her for the name of the village and then I called my assistant to searched for some good hotels on Airbnb. I wasn’t entirely sure how long we were going to stay, but Matthews had enough cover for this week. After working for a while in the club, I suspected Veronica was able to take a few days off. Then, maybe later this week, the deal with the brand would come through so she wouldn’t have to work in the club at all. It was going to be a win-win for me.
I told myself to ease off a little. We went out for one official date, and here I was, ready to set her up with a new life. This was nuts, but when I couldn’t control the situation, I felt like I was failing. I’m the one who’s nuts…
“We will find something there. I’ve got everything under control, sunshine,” I assured her, although I felt anxious and worried the moment she mentioned going to the hospital.
In the past, I’d gone through several panic attacks when I was near any hospital or clinic, and that was before I’d even walked through the door of one. Veronica had no idea—but although this was a huge trigger for me, I didn’t want to add to her stress because she was worried enough about her mother already.
At some point, Veronica drifted off. She must have been exhausted while I was telling myself to stay calm. Only my family and closest friends knew about my hate for hospitals. I usually kept my emotions boiled up until I hit the gym. Working out was my way of pushing through my past traumas. Today was going to be challenging because there was no way for me to do this, but I had to move past my issues. Veronica needed me, and I didn’t want to disappoint her.
It took us just over two hours to drive to Gloucester. When I pulled up outside the main hospital entrance and my stomach tightened with unease. Still, I was ready to take another step. Luckily, the breath work had helped, and I was no longer in panic mode, which was huge progress.
“What’s happening?” she asked while she rubbed her eyes, looking through the window.
“We have arrived at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Come on, let’s get inside so we can find out what is going on with your mum,” I told her.
We both got out of the car. Despite it being summer, it was colder today, and the dark, heavy clouds hung above us. I’d lived in London most of my life, and somehow, I’d never been in this part of the country. It was surprisingly calmer than I’d imagined.
“You really don’t have to go with me, and I suspect you probably don’t like hospitals,” Veronica said, placing her hand on my arm when we started walking.
For some reason, her unexpected touch felt reassuring and instantly made me calmer about this whole situation. The gripping anxiety I’d felt earlier, the worries and frustration, disappeared. Veronica’s energy was unmatchable.
“This isn't about me, sunshine. I’ll go wherever you go. We’re talking about your mother here, and I’d never leave you alone,” I said after I’d cleared my throat. There was no way I could let her go inside on her own.
She nodded towards me, so I took her hand, and we headed towards the entrance. If Veronica minded me holding her hand, then she didn’t say anything. My heartbeat was steady for a change, and I knew that with her I could walk inside without any issues.
As we entered, I instinctively tightened my grip around her hand. Beads of sweat tingled my brow as my heartbeat quickened, an immediate response to the sight of the sickly figures surrounding us, and the unmistakable scent that hung in the air—metallic, with a subtle sweetness, permeating every breath I took. Suddenly, being in that space, seeing doctors and nurses around, brought all the memories from the past back. I told myself to breathe through my nose as we continued walking. I had to be strong for Veronica.
“Let me find out where they’re keeping her,” Veronica said.
I nodded, although I didn’t want her to leave me alone. She approached the reception desk, and I stood there, overcome by panic once more. Sweat dripped down my back, and my hands trembled as I couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen into my lungs. I kept seeing flashbacks from my childhood, the pain and the needles. I didn’t know how long I stood there, thinking that I might lose my mind, until eventually Veronica came back.
“She’s in cardiology. That’s all they could tell me,” she explained.
I nodded, forcing a tight smile.
“Are you sure you are okay, Rupert?”Veronica queried me, looking worried.
“No, I’m not okay. I’m sorry but I can’t seem to move,” I confessed, hating that I was so weak. Breathing didn’t come easy.
Then, Veronica took a step closer and placed her hands on both sides of my face, then brought her forehead to mine.
“Breathe. I know this must be difficult for you, but trust me on this, just breathe through this panic right with me. I’m here for you and I’m not going anywhere,” she reassured me.
I closed my eyes and focused on steadying my breath and being present right in this moment. It took a long while, but finally my heart rate slowly went back to normal, and the gripping panic faded. I relaxed my muscles one by one, then opened my eyes and stared at her beautiful face. Did she have freckles? It was hard to tell because she always wore makeup, but I could see a few on her nose. Veronica’s eyes were closed for a few more seconds, so I took this opportunity to really look at her while the people around us probably noticed this intimate exchange between us. I fed on her healing energy that radiated through me. Then the voices, the flashbacks, all went away within seconds, and I felt like I could function again. It was a fucking miracle.
“And? How was that?”she quizzed me, giving a subtle, gentle smile.
She pulled back, and I smiled at her. If anyone noticed us, we didn’t say anything.
“It helped. Thank you, sunshine. I feel much more in control now. I should have told you that visiting a hospital would trigger me, but I thought that today I could do it because of you,” I admitted, but it was the truth because I’d just faced my biggest fear right with her.
Veronica smiled at me, then she kissed my cheek tenderly.
“Good, so now let’s go and find out what is wrong with Mum. I swear to God, I am going to tell her off if she hasn’t been taking care of herself. She is such a workaholic,” she said.
We headed to the third floor still holding hands, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I’d finally regained control of my body. It was a huge step forward, and I’d only managed it because she was with me the whole time.