Chapter 8
I have my head on my hands and my elbows on my knees.
Guess what I've been doing for the past half an hour as I wait for Elle to get here?
Crying. Yes, I know. I know it's stupid. And even I have no idea why I am crying.
A tap on my shoulder breaks me out from my half-trance and heavy breathing as I bawled my eyes out.
I look up and wipe my eyes to get a better look at the gorgeous girl in front of me. Raven-black hair with some strands dyed ash to match the colour of her stormy-grey eyes, Elle looks nothing less than a goddess.
I sit stunned for a moment. The last time I saw this girl, she was 18, worrying about boys and somehow topping the school board. Now I look at her and see a full grown woman ready to conquer the world.
"Drea. Oh god!" She exclaims as she drags my hand to stand me up and hugs me tightly.
So tightly that I can't even breathe. She has become stronger too.
"Elle," I laugh, my voice wheezing out somehow out of the pressure. I let her hug me a little longer since I can feel how much she missed me. And moreover, it's not like I am not enjoying the hug as well.
"I can't breath, lil monkey," I finally let out, and she lets out a short breathy laugh before releasing me.
"Oh god, why are you here?" She asks, then her eyes widen when she realises something. "That's why you called from Damon's phone! He's here, isn't he?"
I nod to her question, dragging a hand over my face to wipe out any stray tears.
"The doc said he had a flashback of some sort. He started shaking and breathing and I don't know, muttering things and whatnot," I say, hiccuping through the tears that have started flowing through my eyes yet again.
"Oh gosh, Drea, calm down!" Elle demands as she grips my upper arms and slowly lays my head on her shoulder.
"I didn't know what to do!" I mutter, my voice quieting down a little.
"How did you come across him?" Elle asks in curiosity as she slowly pats her hand through my dark-brown hair.
I raise my head from her shoulder and sit her down beside me and we both turn to face each other.
"I am his personal assistant now. We were going to a meeting in his car. I didn't want to get it. You know how terrible of a driver your brother was 6 years ago. He got frustrated and crossed over to grab my arms. I looked at him and I don't know what happened but he seemed to have lost focus. Then he started breathing heavily and shaking like he was having a panic attack. Someone helped me get him in the car and I drove us here," I finish, calming down and again wiping my eyes.
"Oh. He's remembering things now. Thank the lord! I thought it would never happen at all," Elle says, her face relaxing in one of relief. "You coming here and becoming his personal assistant was probably the best thing that ever happened to him in the last 6 years."
"What do you mean he's remembering things now?" I ask, my mind stuck on that first sentence.
"You know, his a-" she starts saying when Elle and I notice someone rushing towards the reception and yelling Damon's name.
"Kyle," Elle draws out, her voice a strange tone in them.
"Call him here. He looks like he is about to kill the poor receptionist," I say, the look on my face clearly displaying that I am horrified.
Elle snaps out of her trance and nods at me before yelling his name to catch his attention.
"Kyle!"
"Oh sweet lord, Elle!" Kyle yells as soon as he notices me and Elle sitting down in the waiting area. He rushes towards us and plops down on a seat beside Elle.
"Hey hello. I am here too, blind Kyle," I say, waving a hand on his face since his whole focus seems to be on Elle.
I could laugh out at these two lovebirds' behaviour around each other right now and they won't even notice I exist.
"Andy?" Kyle asks, confusion masking his entire face.
"Yes. Me," I say, rolling my eyes. I hate being alone in hospitals. Probably the reason I started crying.
'Yeah, right. As if it holds even an ounce of truth.' My inner self thinks rolling her eyes at me.
'Why else would I cry?' I think, of course, trying not to accept the real reason.
'You care about him. You were scared for him. You la la la love him,' My inner self sings, most probably dancing to a sweet melody.
Of course she would be happy. I am still hung up over the same guy who dumped me 6 years ago, after impregnating me. I still love his egoistic, narcissistic, stupid, sweet self.
I can imagine myself scoffing, not ready to accept the truth yet, and stomping around an empty room, being stubborn about the 'No!'
"Drea?" Elle's voice snaps me out of my trance and I look at them to see both of them trying to hold back a chuckle.
"Alright, alright. I am here," I say, running both my hands over my face to slap myself awake. We all laugh a little at my crazy antiques.
"Kyle, what time is it?" I ask, after we all have calmed down a little and are more in control of ourselves.
"Just a little after 5," he says, checking his watch.
Oh shit. The kids and Hunter must be blowing up my phone with texts and calls.
"Can I borrow your phone, Elle?" I ask.
"Sure. Here you go," Elle says handing me her phone after opening it with face-lock.
"Thanks," I say, smiling appreciatively at her.
"You're absolutely welcome," she says, smiling back at me.
Kyle makes background 'aww' sounds for us and Elle and I both slap a hand on his back, together.
I dial Hunter's number as I stand up and walk a small distance away from Kyle and Elle.
"Hello?" Hunter asks, he sounds like he is talking with a mouthful of food, which is, I know, just the case.
"Hunt?" I ask, stifling back a laugh.
"Andy!" Hunt yells, most probably quickly trying to swallow all the food in his mouth.
"Yes. Where are the kids?" I ask since, Hunt's background seems eerily quiet.
"They're sleeping. They got tired of playing around and waiting for you to come home," he says, chuckling softly.
"Oh. Aww my babies," I say, sighing and rubbing my forehead.
"When are you coming home anyway?"
"Damon is in the hospital and I don't know, like, this day by far has been the most crazy day of my life. I'll brief you about it when I come home, alright?"
"Okay, then. Be safe and come quick. You and I still have to go to Megan and Tristan's for the night," Hunt says, reminding me about Megan's words before she rushed out of the café.
"Yeah, I'll be there," I say and hang up.
As I am walking back to Kyle and Elle, I take a moment to observe the two.
Even when Elle was in high-school and Kyle was in college with us, they both used to act so much like girlfriend and boyfriend that sometimes I would have to drag Damon out of the same room as them so that he doesn't say something stupid to them.
They still have the same chemistry and yet I know that either none of them realised it or just mildly ignored it.
'I ship them,' my inner self thinks, aww-ing at them.
I look around a little and just when I start walking back towards Kyle and Elle again, life decides to throw me off balance. Again.
Directly. Literally.
I crash on a wall, and am about to fall, when a pair of strong arms hold me upright so I don't fall face-first on the floor due to my clumsiness.
I grip the phone tightly in my hand and with the person-I-crashed-into's help, I stand upright again.
After muttering a thank you, I look up to see a guy, probably in his thirties, a couple years older than me, with striking blue-grey eyes, that makes you feel like you are looking at a lightning-storm, paired with a handsome face and the most beautiful shade dark brown hair I have ever laid my eyes on.
As soon I realise that he is analysing me the same way I am, I blush a deep red. I move a little back away from him once I have gained control of my footing.
"Uh, thank you. And I am really sorry for crashing into you. I didn't notice where I was going," I say, tucking a hair behind my left ear, suddenly feeling nervous and shy.
"It's alright. I am sorry too. I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings as well," he says, his voice sounding sheepish.
"Oh. Uh, I didn't introduce myself. Hi, I am Andrea Harper," I say, holding my hand out for a shake.
He looks amusingly at my hand that is stretched out towards him and smiles a little before grabbing on to it.
"Hello, Andrea. I am Marcus Gray," he says, his eyes holding a curious glint. "I am assuming you've never heard of me. Is that right?"
"I can't say I have," I say, as he turns my hand and slowly kisses the top of it.
"Well then, I am sure we are going to see a lot of each other in the future," he says and with a strange smile on his face he turns and heads towards the opposite direction.