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1612 Words
Three days. Only three days left until I can come out of this place. It feels like I’ve been in the hospital for months instead of four days. Since dad knew that I knew that he’s my dad he acted a whole lot differently. He smiled more. His eyes didn’t look so strict and miserable anymore. He also spent more time with me. He even went with me to go see Stephen, who’s still in a coma. Who’s still lying helplessly on the hospital bed. I hated to see him like that and I hated the intense feeling of missing him. I feel homesick and like a complete wreck. As if a zombie has taken over my body.
“Hey.” Lisa appears in my room making me frown. She looks tired and messy.
“Hi.” I say through a forced smile and sit up on my bed.
“Sorry to intrude.” She says through a breathy voice, “I just wanted to come see how you’re doing.”
“I’m doing well, thanks.”
She sits next to me with a concerned look on her face.
“Seriously, how are you doing?”
“Fine.”
“The memories?”
“I’m processing it.” I lift my shoulders speaking the truth. I am processing it. Slowly.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“If you want to talk about anything, I’m right here.” She slaps her hands over her legs and sighs. I sigh with her.
“Did they get you too?” I ask, not being able to help my curiosity.
She swallows and a tear drops from her eyes, She shakes her head, “I’m so sorry. I know it’s all my fault.” She looks up, trying to stop her tears.
“It’s not your fault.” It isn’t her fault. It’s my own fault. I wish I didn’t do what I did.
“No it is. You went after me.”
“I did it for Stephen, cause I know how much he loves you.”
She nods. “He hates me now.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
She starts to whine uncontrollably as she puts her face on her knees. I hesitatntly pat my hand on her back, not knowing exactly what to do.
“I messed up. I messed your whole life up. And Stephen,” she looks at me through her teary gaze,”he loves you so much, it killed him. It killed him to see you not even knowing him.”
After she said that I started to cry trying to feel the way Stephen must have felt. The way mom and dad must have felt. The way everybody else must have felt, knowing that I have forgotten them If it was me, my heart would’ve ached in pain.
“It’s not your fault.” I say again trying to assure her and get her out of her emotional state.
“But it is.”
She puts her arms around me as if to support us both.
I remember the time she was in my dad’s stud, breaking the disk with her name on it. “What about that disk?”
“What disk?” she frowns.
“The disk that you broke in my dad’s,” I clear my throat, “I mean that man’s study.”
I feel nausea, thinking that I was in an unknown man’s house all this time
“Oh.” her head falls down as if she’s busy embracing some trauma’s in her head, “It was not the same as your disk.” she assures.
“What was it then?” I don’t want to push things but I want to know.
“Don’t worry about it.”
I lick my lips, feeling an emptiness in the pit of my stomach. I stay quiet as Lisa wipes at her face aggressively.
“The last thing Stephen told me,” she starts again and I spits my ears, “was that you’re his life and that he loves you.”
I suck in a pained breath.
“Lisa?” I ask, about to ask her a question I suffered with since I found my memories, “Why did it seem that you were flirting at school with Stephen?”
She smiles lightly, “I was trying to get a reaction out of you.”
And it did. I remember the jealousy I felt towards Lisa when I thought that she and Stephen were becoming something.
“But I have to go.” Lisa stands and I feel somewhat relieved. She gives me a tight hug before she walks off.
I gulp down some painkillers dad said I can use when the pain gets too bad. Feeling disgusting I go lay down on my bed feeling exhausted and worn out.
“Hey honey.” dad pokes his head in my room and I give him a pursed smile, “How’re you feeling?”
“Fine.” I say with a small cough escaping my mouth.
“You remember anything?”
“No why? Is there anything specifics you want me to remember?”
He shakes his head before he opens his mouth to speak, “Actually,” he clears his throat, “I want to know who manufacture those drugs you were on.” Hate crosses his eye, making me swallow.
“And then?”
“And then I’m going to destroy them.”
“Mom, dad.” I remember saying, my nervousness increasing with each second, “I met someone.”
I could see dad’s vibe falling from a chilled one to an angry one.
“Where did you meet him, Riley?” Was dad’s first question.
I swallowed and my face flushed red, “At work.”
“At work?” dad spitted.
Mom kept glancing from me to dad with big eyes.
“Yes at work.”
Having a strict overprotective dad is hard. Sometimes it gets too much and it makes me struggle to live my own life.
“Who is he, Riley?” I hated the way dad said my name so much.
“He’s my boss.” I said nervously and watched how mom and dad’s mouth fell open.
“You boss?”
I nodded, trying to keep it casual. With each of dad’s long and hard breathing, made me angrier, until I couldn’t hold it back anymore.
“What’s the problem?”
“He’s your boss, Riley.”
“Yeah, and?”
“How old is he?” This time it’s mom speaking but I knew it was to prevent dad from lashing out.
“Twenty three.”
“You’re lying.” Dad says and it’s amost as if he’s starting to suffocate in his own anger.
“I’m not.”
Dad shakes his head with dissapointment in his eyes.
“You’re really unfair.” I start, not going to walk away like I always do, “It’s my life. You don’t have a reason to be angry. You can’t tell me who I’m allowed to love.”
It seemed as if dad were swallowing bricks and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
I looked down, “Well that’s part of life dad, we can’t live in fear.”
It looks like I broke his faucade as he bites his lips and walks off. Mom stands and play with my ponytale.
“Do you really like him?”
“Yes mom.” I remember how sure I was and how I had no doubts in him.
“What’s his name?”
“Stephen.” I swooned when I said his name, everything about him all over my head.
“Well we should organise a dinner then.”
I nodded enthuastically, knowing that mom and dad would love him.
“Hi Stephen, it’s nice to meet you.” Mom kissed Stephen on the cheek and she eyed me as if to say he’s handsome. Dad was still in his study busy with work but I felt heavily nervous.
We all walked towards the dining table, decorated perfectly as mo and Stephen did some small talk.
When dad appeared I made my move to make things less awkward.
“Dad, this is Stephen.”
Stephen held out his hand and they shook hands with tight grips.
“So, what are you intentions with my daughter son?” dad asked with a light smile and I could see that Stephen’s first impression did good. Dad already like him.
“Well, she’s the woman I’m going to marry, so love her is the fisrt thing.”
Even I were surprised at Stephen’s words. I didn’t think he lokked so far into the future.
“I just want to love her.” His eyes became dreamy and a uncontrollable smile appeared on my face. It seemed as if mom wanted to cry and dad’s face was emotionless.
“How long you’ve kown each other?”
“Eight months.”
I look down in guilt, feeling ashamed that I haven’t told mom and dad about Stephen sooner.
Stephen looked at me witha smile and my heart melted. At thatmoment I wished that we were alone where i just could cuddle and kiss him.
“You seem like a nice guy Stephen.” Dad continues, “I can see it in your eyes. But break my daughter’s heart, it’ll be me and you.”
“I will never break her heart.” Stephen assured.
I start to cry. Stephen never broke my heart. But I broke his.
- Writer
