His Rose. Her Distraction

CHAPTER 2

**Isabella**

The pictures were gone as fast as they came and I was rewarded with a sharp headache. “Arrhh!!” I cried and grabbed my head and sank deeper into my bed.

That was definitely blood I saw. It wasn’t mine. Whose blood were those and why did I have them on my hands?

A sharp pain hit my head and there was screeching noises of car tyres against a road. “Mother!” I cried.

“..Isabella!? Isabella?”

I wished I could talk to her but I couldn’t, the pain was too much; unbearable this time around. I tried opening my eyes but the room spun. A deafening scream escaped my lips and I was certain my head will explode, never knew a headache as as this existed.

“Isabella??” I felt Camila’s warm hands on my shoulder buy they couldn’t calm me. “Isabella? Doctor, do something!” she cried.

A needle punctured my skin and everything went blank!

.…..

The beeping sound of an electrocardiographic machine, the cooling of an air conditioner, the smell of freshly cut flowers and that pungent smell of antiseptic.

My eyes fluttered open and took in blurry images of familiar room, I shut them, reopening them when I heard her voice.

“You are awake!” she said and my gaze fell on her. Camila straightened on the chair and reached for my hand on the bed.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Four hours,” she replied and my gaze left her briefly and studied the room. Across the open windows, dusk encompassed the horizon. And my gaze was back on Camila.

“Where is everyone?” I asked. I wondered what happened after I passed out.

Camila smiled. “Doctor Charles has retired to his office, the nurses too. As for your father, he just stepped out to take a call, he’ll be back shortly.”

“My father?”

“Yes, he is your father,” she replied and then reached for something on her lap. It caught my attention.

“What is that?” I asked, straining my neck a little.

She placed the book on her chest and smiled. “This is your photo album,” she said, “It contains photos of you from when you were born till, well, when you graduated college,” she finished and placed the book on her laps. I became more curious.

“Do you mind?” Every fibre in me was curious to see and learn about my past, the memories I lost from the accident. I was already stretching my hand.

A grin parted Camila’s lips and she nodded. “Sure, with pleasure.” She stood up and crossed over to me. Carefully, she lifted me to a sitting position on the bed and then propped several pillows at my back. “Go ahead,” she said and then placed the book on my lap.

Taking a deep breath, I gathered courage and flipped to the first page of the book. My eyes settled on a vintage photo of a baby in an icu. “Is that me?”

“Yes,” Camila nodded. She was leaning by the side of my bed. “You were born pre-term at 33weeks,” she said and my gaze wandered back to the photo. I immediately felt a connection with the baby in the photo.

Hungrily, my hands flipped to the second page and there was a photo of a very young and beautiful Camila cuddling a baby in her arms. She looked lively and very happy.

“That was the day you were discharged from the hospital,” she supplied and I glanced at her. My gaze was back to the photos. There were more photos of Camila and me; of us in the hospital. And then joined the man she’d introduced earlier as my father, just like Camila he was much younger and appeared less stern than he was today.

I continued, gently flipping the pages of the album and my gaze feasted on more photos of the newborn; me, as she transitioned into a chubby cute toddler.

“Did I mention that you loved chocolates?!” She notified and I found myself grinning especially at the next photo; the toddler had chocolate smeared all over her face as she devoured a piece of chocolate cake right from her hands.

“Clearly.” I chuckled.

Gently, I flipped the pages again and my gaze feasted on this little baby sprawled on the floor before a large chocolate cake, her eyes were fixed on a candle burning ontop the cake. “Let me guess, my first birthday?”

“Yes,” Camila nodded.

“Who is this?” I was staring at another photo.

“This was the day you started pre-school and that was your pre-school teacher, Mrs. Hans.”

She was an asiatic with blue eyes and wore a big smile as she posed with me in-front of a n empty classroom. “And that was your class,” Camila added.

We exchanged smiles and I flipped to the next page. It was a photo of Camila and me on a hospital bed but she was cuddling a newborn in her arms while I watched on with curiosity.

“That was the day your sister was born.”

“I have a sister?” I glanced up from the album and my gaze met with my mother’s.

“Yes, and you two are inseparable,” she replied. Was it the way she said it that made me suddenly feel a strong connection with the baby in the photo? I let my fingers run on her beautiful frame in the photo. “What’s her name?” I asked.

“Her name is Louisa and she’s currently 22 years old.”

My gaze met with my mother’s.

“Are there any current photos of her?” I asked.

“Sure.” Camila reached forward and collected the photo album from me. I watched in curiosity as she flipped to the last pages of the book and then returned it on my laps. “That is Louisa and you on the day of your graduation from the prestigious Harvard University. You made us proud that day, Isa, did I mention you gave the valedictory speech of your class? Oh, and the standing ovation was marvelous, after that your dad and I…” she continued but I paid her no more attention.

My gaze feasted on the photo before me, at the brunette hugging me tightly from behind in the photo. We were both laughing. I was wearing a graduation gown and cap, and carried a bouquet of flowers while she wore a red dress.

Louisa and I are both brunettes and had matching brown eyes. We could easily be mistaken for twins but I was taller and slimmer.

“Where is she?” I interrupted my mother and looked up.

Camila stopped and exhaled. “She should be here anytime soon. I don’t know why it’s taking her so long to freshen up and get her troublesome as$ here.” Camila chuckled.

“Where did she go?”

“Home,” Camila supplied. “Don’t worry, she’ll soon be here,” she replied and footsteps echoed towards the door.

Is it Louisa? Excitement coursed through me and I lowered the photo album on the bed. But the door slides open and a man with mustache walks into the room in the company of my father. He waltzed to me and pulls me unexpectedly into his arms. “Oh, baby you’re wake!” he cried. “I thought I’ve lost you, I’m so glad to have you back.”

The shock of it all, a part of me wanted to push him away but I figured if my parents trusted him enough to let him walk in here and hug me, maybe I should trust him too. I maintained my cool and even forced a smile when he stepped back and presented to me a bouquet of flowers.

“F-for me?” I asked. He nodded and smiled.

Exhaling, I collected the flowers and as tradition demands, smelled them. “Thank you. I like them,” I said. He smiled even more.

“You’re welcome,” he replied and exchanged glances with my parents. I couldn’t help it, I needed to know.

“And who exactly are you?” I asked.

“I’m Lorenzo.” He leaned close, and with what I’ll call a creepy smile he added, “Your fiancé.”