20. Stella goes home with Sam
1309 Words
Drake pondered a life with Stella. He could make her happy.
He thought about taking care of her. Telling Sam that he wanted her back.
He looked at his swollen lip. His bruised eye. Sam loved her. He could say those words that he himself could not.
When another person's happiness is more important than your own, you will know that you are in love.
He thought about her words to him.
She needed to be happy.
He knew that he would have to let her fall in love with his dumb cousin.....
Sam was watching Stella, waiting for her to open her eyes. He sat next to her and held her fingers.
The nurse had put her engagement ring in an envelope for safe keeping. She gave it to Sam.
He tried to put it on her swollen finger.
It wouldn't go on.
He put it back into his pocket.
Stella didn't wake up.
The next day...
Leslie and Baron Miller came to town. Leslie rushed in to see her only daughter.
Baron stood back, away from this girl that ruined his marraige.
Leslie said to Stella,"I'm here, mom is here now."
Stella did not respond.
The brothers and the others all left to get some food and rest.
Drake had come back in from his car, he stayed with her, he could not leave her side.
He stood next to Baron.
" How are you son?" He asked Drake.
" I myself am just fine." He said.
Baron nodded. " You f*** her, then dumped her?"
He asked Drake, " Why would you do that to her, she is ....delicate." He said like a real father might do.
Drake frowned. "I seduced her, she loved me." He was not proud of how he had pushed her away for her own good.
Baron looked at him. " With so many beautiful woman a man like you could choose from, you chose tom boy Stella?"
Drake felt hurt for Stella. This man didn't love his daughter at all. He could hear the disdain in his words..tom boy Stella.
Drake said," She's not a tom boy anymore. She has a very big heart, she is like finding a rare pearl when you were just shucking oysters all your life."
Baron saw that this man loved his daughter.
" Then why didn't you keep her, instead of throwing her out like a rotten oyster? I mean if what you say is true."
Drake ran his hand through his hair.
" Why don't you love her?" He asked Baron.
" She's not mine to love. Her father....he was my brother, Levin. Stella never knew this. I...can't see her without seeing him.
He died afterward, a car crash. My wife was a bit too distraught. She later told me about the affair."
He looked sad.
" So we both have reason not to love her." said Drake.
Baron looked sideways at Drake. "Son, your reasons are purely selfish womanizing reasons. Fixable. Mine are much more painful. She almost ruined my marraige."
Drake said," You are wrong. She is innocent. She knows you both set her aside.
She has been lonely her whole life. Being a tom boy made her feel...like she could belong to you...like all the D named boys do."
Baron said," I hate her, I can't be around her."
Leslie gasped. She heard his stone cold words.
She saw Sam had come in, he was listening behind the talking men.
" Hmm...that's what my cousin did to her as well, two peas in one pod you too are. Both of you, kindly get the f*ck out of my fiancés life!" Sam was upset.
The two turned and left. Sam was right. They had both hurt her badly.
Leslie was torn between Baron and Stella. Sam saw her looking back at the door.
" Go Leslie, I got her now, she knows that you chose your marriage, she told me herself.
Go before she sees you here and sees you chose your husband over her, again, and again."
Sam sat with her, protecting her from them all. He was going to keep her heart safe.
He wished that they had already gotten married.
Drake left then for good. He had to. He was just like every other man that had disappointed her over the years.
Sam would be a better husband to her anyway.
Drake kept remembering Stella touching his heart with her trembling hand.
When another person's happiness is more important than your own, you will know that you are in love.
After hearing Stella's father coldly reject her, hate her even, Drake knew that her happiness was more important than his own.
Drake drove home and put his house on the market.
He was moving to an apartment closer to his work. He would concentrate all his time on his education and his job in the family insurance business.
Sam took some time off work. He would take her to his own home.
Stella finally woke up after four days.
Teddy was reading the paper. Watching over her.
" Hello pops." She said to him.
He was the closest thing to a father she had.
He liked it. " Hey kiddo, I missed your smiling face."
She said," Hold my hand please."
He took her frail hand.
Sam saw them like this, he smiled.
" Stella, thank God!" He hugged her.
She blinked. " I was having weird dreams, I dreamed that my parents both came to visit me, were they called?"
Sam nodded. " They came, but had to go back to Egypt."
She nodded. " Daddy hates me."
He knew that was true, he didn't believe her before, he thought she was being dramatic, but it was true.
" Mom chose him, she always did." she said matter of factly.
Sam placed her ring on her finger.
" Sam I can't marry you. I love Drake still, don't I?" She asked.
" Where is my fiancé?" She asked.
Sam said," He left. He's taking over at the company for me, so I can take care of you, besides he dumped you, remember?"
She did now. " I am so stupid. He was always out of my league." She said.
He shook his head. " You are in a league of your own dear."
She grinned. "You are the charming one, the nice one. I like you Sammy, you make me feel...adored."
Later that week....
Sam took Stella home. She wanted to go to the summer house to see her horse.
He promised her they would once she could travel.
The physical therapist worked with her, she knew the drill.
" Stella, this leg...it may never be 100 percent again. You won't be able to walk on it I'm affraid."Johnathon the PT told her.
" Don't be sorry Jon, people will be amazed when I come running by them and fool them all!" She said.
David and Darrel arrived to take her out to lunch. She wore a pretty blue dress with flowers on it.
Darrel pushed her wheel chair to her.
" Nope, I'm walking in." She said.
He smiled. " Okay twerp...I mean Stella Bella."
She was spending all sorts of time with her brothers, they were taking turns with her.
She stood up and took a few steps. " My chair please David, my leg is mad at me today."
David knew she would need the chair, Darrel smiled at him over her head.
Once they got inside the busy resturaunt, they ordered their food.
Stella was laughing at David's story about college shenanigans.
She saw Drake sitting at the counter, eating alone.
She tried to ignore him. She excused herself to the bathroom.
He saw her wheeling her chair past him.
He stared at her.
Stella got stuck in the stall. Her chair wouldn't fit.
- Writer
