48 The end of the line

***POV – Melaena

For the last romantic touch, I put the vase with fresh flowers in the middle of the table. I stand back and look at my hard work with a satisfied smile. I’ve laid the table, Jackson helped me to light the fireplace and the food I prepared is being kept warm in the oven. I’ve showered and are dressed comfortably but sexy. Then I hear the key turning and my heart almost stops. He’s back!

Damion left for Europe the day after the incident where he almost fell to his death and although he contacted me twice a day, I could sense something was wrong. Lots of those calls were made while he was intoxicated. And the photos splattered on the net of his drunk ass, as well as every fight he got himself into (and it was quite a lot), emphasize my suspicions.

He also didn’t finish his race because he fell on the second lap, but he assured me that he was fine, only hurt his leg.

And now he’s here at last, but I don’t know what to expect. My insecurities and disbelieves are pulling me down, but I’m trying my best to maintain some faith in our love for each other.

I stand in front of the door, my body shaking like a dog’s tail, partly because I’m anxious that he’s gonna crush my heart, but mainly because I’m excited to see him. Damion is the cause of my pain, but he’s also the cure and I never knew that I could care this much about another person.

The door opens, as if in slow motion, and then the holder of my heart is standing right there, in full flesh and blood, his BEAST-smirk on his perfect face, and my heart skips a beat. I feel as if I’m gonna faint and tears of happiness flood my cheeks.

I’m going to admit to being seriously wigged out right now and I want to hold onto this moment. He drops his bag and grabs me, squashing me against his hard body … but I don’t mind, no, I don’t mind at all. I breathe in his scent, my nose buried in the curve of his neck.

“Fuck, I missed you!” He takes some deep breaths, not slacking his grip and I feel my stupid fears subsiding like mist in the sun. Things are going to be okay. The problems were only in my head.

Without letting me go he carries me to the kitchen, lifting me onto the counter. His mouth finds mine and I eagerly reciprocate the passionate kiss, bathing in the feelings that it sends through my body. I let myself enjoy every erotic moment he creates in every fiber of my being. Damn, I missed this man. Then I push him back and he gives a soft groan, his eyes flashing naughtily.

“Ug, Mel, you can at least pretend to be happy to see me. I’ve traveled on a plane for hours just to get here, so the least you could do is offer me a drink … or sex …” I turn my head away so he can’t see the smile on my face. Oh boy, some things never change.

“Look mister, you’re all sweaty so you’re gonna take a shower while I make some coffee. I think you had your quota of alcoholic beverages during your trip.” I jump from the counter and put on the coffeemaker.

“Just so you know, I drank because I missed you.”

“Okay, got it, now get going.” I push him to start moving and he just rolls his eyes. He takes his phone from his pocket and places it on the table.

“A guy can’t even get some love in his own house,” he mumbles walking up the stairs.

I pour some coffee into a cup, and add milk, before jumping to sit on the counter again, waiting patiently for Damion to finish. I smile, dreaming about the wonderful night I’ve planned for us. I take a sip from my cup, but then my face automatically scrunches up. Yack, the coffee tastes really bad … maybe the milk expired. I pour the cup down the drain and check on the food.

I want to go see what’s keeping Damion, but I know I’ll just be dragged into his bed and the whole night wouldn’t go as planned, so I start walking up and down the kitchen impatiently. His phone pings and without thinking, or maybe because of boredom, I pick it up and look at the screen.

It’s a WhatsApp from Chloe. I frown, immediately feeling frustrated and highly jealous. I know curiosity killed the cat, but I just can’t help it, so I open it.

I gasp and the phone drops to the ground. I stand there frozen, my heart halts, and the pain breaking from it causes me to fall to my knees. I clutch my hands to my chest, trying to stop the suffering, but it doesn’t help. I slowly pick up the phone and stare at the photo again.

A naked Chloe is smiling seductively at me, her one hand behind her head, the other covering her pubic area. I scroll up, looking at all the previous messages, going along the same line – how much she misses him, how cold her bed is without him, each photo could be the centerfold of a porn magazine.

It’s as if I’m in a bad dream, my mind can’t focus and I don’t know what I’m doing. But somehow I grabbed my bag and rushed through the door and down the road – one foot at a time. I knew the walls would eventually come crumbling down, but right now the whole freaking building collapsed on top of me all at once, leaving me struggling for breath. My heart hurting as if somebody ripped it solidly from my body while it was still beating.

Beep! Beep!

I stop walking and look with hazed teary eyes at the car, not even registering what exactly I’m looking at.

“Are you crazy or something?” A woman shouts, but I just stare into the distance.

“Girl, are you okay? You’re bleeding. Can I phone someone to come and fetch you?” The woman grabs my arm and I slowly turn my head to look at her hand. I blink a few times, trying to focus my watery orbs. Then I fall down onto my knees and just sit like that for who knows how long, my hands gripping my shirt at my chest. The lady is speaking to me but it’s as if her voice is an unrecognizable wave of sound traveling through the air and my brain can’t register anything she says.

I feel the lady’s hands clasping around my shoulders, pulling me up and I walk like a double-dead zombie with her helping me to her car. I sit in silence, feeling dead inside, waiting for my suffering heart to give in and let me go into the far beyond. I don’t want to live anymore, not like this. My eyes notice lights moving past and I wonder why I’m suddenly flying.

“Bring a stretcher!” Someone shouts close to my ear and then hands pick me up and put me on a bed. I close my eyes.

“Can you tell me your name?” Someone asks, and I shake my head, not in the mood to talk right now.

“Look in her purse for identification,” the same voice says and then a new voice reads, “Melaena Blackburn, age 19.”

Another voice joins the conversation, “Do you think she’s related to Dr. Ilkay?”

“I don’t know, call and ask.”

“Right, take her to room five.” I jump up, feeling sick to my stomach, I lean to the side and throw up on the floor. Then we move again and enter a room.

Someone helps me into a real bed. They push a needle into my arm and tells me to rest, and that the medicine would calm me down. Then they leave the room.

“What the fuck happened?” A very familiar voice makes its way into my muddled brain and I open my eyes, just to see my brother rushing into the room, followed by some startled nurses.

“Ilkay!” I shout needing his strength right now and then the dam walls break and tears stream down my cheeks like the Victoria Falls. My brother takes me into his arms and I cry two and a quarter liters soaking his doctor’s jacket, while he strokes my hair to calm me down. I pull apart against his brotherly chest, sobbing in pain.

“Mel, I’m going to leave you for a minute, they need to clean you up, okay, baby. I’ll be right here with you, okay,” he says, his voice soft and calm. I nod.

A nurse cleans all the cuts on my bare feet and the scrapes on my hands. I wonder when and how I got hurt like that. Ilkay is standing close to my bed, talking on the phone.

As soon as they’re finished bandaging me up, he takes me into his arms again.

“What happened?” he asks softly, leaning his head on top of mine.

“Damion … Damion … cheated …” I stop cause it’s too difficult to say it out loud, but he got the message. I push my brother away and lean forward just in time to miss the bed while throwing up on the floor again. Ilkay stands there with a frown, just looking at me with his usual worried face. A nurse comes to clean the floor and she puts a bowl next to my bed. I apologize and close my eyes, laying against the pillow.

I slowly open my eyes, I must have fallen asleep. I shut them tight and open them again, trying to focus more clearly. Somebody is holding onto my hand and I turn my head to see who it is. My head hurts, but not as much as my heart.

“Hi, pumpkin, how are you feeling?” Hayley squeezes my hand lightly and I give her a faint smile, the best I can muster up right at this moment.

“I’ll survive.”

“Don’t take this wrong, pumpkin, but you don’t look well.” Hayley smiles at me as just a mother can and I’m glad she’s here. The queasy feeling in my tummy makes me grab the container next to my bed and I vomit a few times until there’s nothing left but water.

Kiara pops her head around the door with a big ass smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“I come bearing gifts,” she says cheerfully holding up a bag with the Inferno logo on – I just know it’s food, and my tummy rumbles. She also drops a bag with clean clothes on the table.

“Please tell me it’s burgers?” I ask weakly and she nods. She takes out a burger, fries, and milkshake for each of us and my mood seems to lift a little.

“So, care to tell me what made you sprint barefoot down the road in the dark?” She takes a bite and looks sternly at me as if I’m to blame for the state I’m in.

I put the food on my lap and tears well in my eyes, my body feeling cold, while I explain to them about the pornographic photos and erotic texts from Chloe. They both stare at me as if I just told them that I saw a pig with wings. I sniff and wipe away my tears.

“I was so stupid. I knew what kind of guy he is, but I still fell in love with him.” I don’t care that I’m talking about Hayley’s son, I mean, she should know that she raised the devil.

Ilkay comes in and gives me some or other injection and I feel my eyes droop, swaying me to dreamland.