I got back to my room quite late, effectively wasted and miles away from reality. You see, the problem about people like me being drunk, a fact I got to realise after being shit-faced just once, was that, I was a drunk texter. I’d woken up to a splitting headache and looking very deranged. I was still in last night’s clothes, my hair was a mess and I reeked of alcohol. Ashley arrived just as I woke, a slight smirk at my obvious misery. “Someone had fun last night.” She pinched her nose in disgust and went to her side of the room, after eyeing me as many times as possible. I had no energy for her so instead, I went to have my bath after taking advill. I was looking through my texts when one caught my eye. “Fr sllmepne so smartt, you are awfuly done.. no dumb.. about hw to tweat a lady.” A very high pitch but quick scream left my lips. “Is there a problem?” She eyed me and the phone in my hand. I quickly looked at the sender. I’d drunk texted a very incoherent message to Jared at h
Our exams were starting in a few weeks and I was far behind. I’d spent more time trying to sort out my life than live it. Most weeks, I was confused or just plainly out of it. Some of my notes had gaps in them and that meant I’d have to work extra hard to try and fill them.“You’ll be fine.” Alyssa rubbed my back as I exhaled loudly on my way to class. We’d met at the admin parking lot. She paused on her way to her office and knocked on Jared’s door. There was no reply.“Strange.” Her brows furrowed in confusion.“He’s usually around by this time.” I nodded in agreement. Maybe he was just late. I still had his class later in the afternoon and he was supposed to give us a much needed revision for our exams.“Well, I gotta head to class. See you later.” I offered her a brief class and walked in the opposite direction of her office.“See ya!”The class was in disarray as usual. However, what I’d found unusual was the quiet as they set their eyes on me. This was one of my departmental cla
He was in a cocoon of blankets but his eyes weren’t open. I knelt down beside him where he lay half-way on the bed.“You’re burning up.” I said after feeling his forehead. I tried to pull off the blanket but he wouldn’t let me.“You’re going to die if you remain wrapped up like this.” I begged until he let go. I noticed some tablets of drug.“Have you even eaten something?” I pulled the hair away from his forehead and peered at him. His face contorted in pain as he shook his head no.I wasn’t sure he even knew what was going on or that I was the one speaking to him.I cursed under my breath and ran towards where I thought would be the kitchen. I opened the fridge for ingredients for soup. It was the easiest and quickest thing to do. Thankfully, he had what I needed.I cut up the vegetables as I let the broth simmer.People who had high fever needed to cool down so I grabbed a rag and a bowl of water, leaving the food on low heat.I didn’t need to add burning a house down to the list o
Even though I’d accepted our fates, it felt relieving to know that we’d both felt the same way despite the futility. Now that I knew he felt something for me, I couldn’t help but look out for signs or any telling. Jared was good at keeping his emotions hidden. “I apologise for missing our class. Something came up…” At that moment, our eyes locked. God, his stare had me melting. I felt my cheeks warm and placed my hands over them to cover my blush up. His eyes narrowed at the action and I felt a smile grow behind my palm. How could I handle how hot he was? Somewhere else warmed this time. ‘Get a hold of yourself.’ I muttered to myself. The person beside me shot me a dirty look for distracting them. “Sorry.” I whispered. The entire class was spent admiring his looks. I wondered what shower gel he used that kept his hair curly or he didn’t have to use anything. His shirt strained as he stretched to write on the board. I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped my mouth. Thankfully, no on
“Who is she?” I had no clue but I couldn't take my eyes off the couple. The lady was stunning in her red ball gown. Her hair was swept to the left side of her neck elongating her features. Her lips were painted a deep red, reminding me of deep blue sea sirens from cartoons. My yellow gown seemed so pale and ugly in comparison to hers. “Let’s go.” Becka pulled me along with her as we left that area. I was grateful she had as I was almost sure I would’ve embarrassed myself doing something stupid. “Leah?” An unsure voice sounded and I turned my eyes to the direction to the sound. “Mrs Hamilton.” The shock in my voice was so apparent. I wasn’t expecting to see her at a school function. “Mr Hamilton.” I greeted and shot Becka a questioning look but she wasn’t looking at me. There was mischief in her eyes and I feared what would happen. “I thought I told you to call me David.” I chuckled nervously and apologised. They offered us seats and I realised we were in the dining area. People ha
I woke up to the jerk of my body.“Leah!”“Leah wake up. You can’t pass out.”“Hmm?” My head felt a little light. We were still in front of the building.“Here, just apply pressure.” He handed me his suit jacket.“Get in.”“I’m not going to the hospital.”“Just get in.” He gritted out. I rolled my eyes at him and wondering why the fuck he was pissed. If anyone had the right to be pissed, it was me.I heard a sudden sound and turned around but there was no one or thing in sight. I shrugged it of and closed the door.The drive was silent with Jared checking on me every once or twice. I was tired of him looking at me every damn second like I was going to die from some cut.“Can you please face the road so I don’t actually die?” I scowled at him. His sudden care after icing me out wasn’t even placating my mood, especially after seeing him with her. I was pissed as fuck.His fist turned white on the steering wheel as he clenched his jaw tight, not saying a word even when we finally reached
I opened my eyes when his lips never came, wondering what went wrong. Our closeness gave me a jumpscare and I traced where his eyes had fallen. There was a very small scar on my chest, one that no one ever noticed. They’d made a small incision, a chest tube thoracostomy, there when they realised I had a collapsed lung from the accident.Jared’s fingers traced the small scar with questions in his eyes, causing my breath to quicken.“I had an accident about four years ago.” I inhaled sharply. I never liked to talk about it, not even with Becka. Becka… a pained expression filled my face as I remembered the details of the night. My mood was ruined so I moved away from Jared and found my way to the living room.He followed after me and sat beside me.“I was in a coma for two years.” A humourless smile stretched my lips and there was evident shock on Jared’s face when I glanced at him briefly, his lips parted, unsure of what to say.“Yeah. We uhm…” I swallowed a huge lump of saliva and he p
I’d woken up to an empty room. Jared hadn’t slept in the same room for my comfort even though that wasn’t what I wanted but I understood what he meant. I was in his actual room upstairs. He had such a large space that it was possible to get lost in it.My arm no longer hurt and I wondered what kind of magical touch Jared had. Maybe it hadn’t been that bad and the events had just made it seem like it was something so terrible.I picked up my phone to check the time. It was 10am. I’d slept the whole night. Something I hadn’t been able to achieve in months.Becka hadn’t texted either making what had happened last night almost feel like a dream.I went to the bathroom to wash up. Thank goodness for a mouth wash.I usually spent Saturdays at home, just looking at the ceiling. It was weird that I was in someone else’s house.Jared had left a change of clothes for me and I had to roll them up so I wouldn’t trip from their bagginess.“Hey.” The smell of breakfast wafted towards my nose and my
Jared and Leah did become friends again but their interests lay somewhere else. They realised they were made for bigger things and they would do that outside the cave they once existed as lovers and even if something were to happen between them, it would take more time than expected for it to happen. Aly, Aarav, Jared, Jack and Leah remained friends but things would change over time. Work, family, life and ambition would force that circle to expand to others too. You may imagine that Leah and Jared ended up together or not. You are the author of that story, a work of fiction is a work of fiction. Author’s Note (I hope this doesn’t come off as offensive): I’ve seen some comments about therapy seeming like a bad thing. Therapy is not weakness, it is an admittance that you need help you may not be able to provide yourself. Mental health issues are not a joke and deserve audience. Some of us have been through traumatic experiences, loss of loved ones, accidents, bullying, harassmen
THIRD PERSON'S POVLeah looked different. There was something about her, like a light that surrounded her and her eyes looked burdenless. Maybe it was the Norway air, but she seemed ... better. Both she and Jared did."Mr Deric?" The secretary had her head cocked to the side, wondering why her guest was awe-struck, standing in the doorway."Sorry." Jared shook his head and walked in. Leah had a smile on her face as she watched him walk in. She recognised that air of confidence that usually surrounded him and couldn't stop watching him.Her attention was called by the men that surrounded her, as she spoke, she seemed to put everyone in a trance. Jared didn't hear a word she said, only observing how comfortable and right at home she felt."I have called this meeting here today because of a different kind of alliance about to be brokered between Norway and the US. Miss Leah Thomas has come as a financial representative of the BridgeStone Foundation, a company spearheaded by the governmen
Jared’s POVLetting Leah go was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do but I did it for her and myself. I was wrong to assume she’d come running back to my arms because I saved her. I smiled wryly to myself.I hadn’t seen her in quite a long while and our paths never crossed again. Aly was beyond pissed that she tried to leave without telling her but she quickly forgave her when she saw her condition. They talked all the time too and that was why I knew what she was up to most of the time.“Do you regret it?” I looked at the lady before me, she was seated behind her desk, peering down at me with curiosity. “What?” I’d zoned out for a minute and didn’t hear her.“Do you regret it? Letting her go.” I inhaled sharply. I’d been coming here for months. When Aarav asked me why I thought I needed a therapist, my reply was ‘who doesn’t?’“Not really. It was her decision but I got to understand much later. It would have been selfish of me to ask her to stay when she needed to go.” I f
I waited for him to clear his bed and offer me a seat before I sat. I shook my head internally. How did it get to this? I asked myself.‘You did it.’ I exhaled loudly and watched him perch himself on his work chair. He turned to me and rose his brows as if to say ‘what did you want to talk about?’ I cleared my throat and rubbed my clammy hands against my gown. I’d resorted to wearing gowns due to the fact that it was less constricting than most and easier to pull off, I just had to undo the zip and let the dress fall to my legs.“Yeah… uhm…” He continued looking at me and I couldn’t bear it anymore, so I found interest in the bedsheet. It was a fine looking colour, regal and plush looking. It felt so soft to touch, almost like you’d sink into it and be enveloped in a word of threads and fabrics.“Leah?” I hitched a breath when I heard his voice. No matter how many years I’d known him, no matter how many times he called me, I’d always feel the fluttering in my stomach whenever my name l
“I injured my spleen, not my legs. I can walk for myself.” I smacked Jack’s hands away from me. “It’s so you don’t try to run away again.” I rolled my eyes at him even though I felt a stabbing pain in my chest.“Pretty sure I can’t move past this house without falling over.” I’d been recuperating for the past week and Jack was coming over once in a while to check on me. Let’s just say he is more overbearing than most, and I thought Jared was worse.Speaking of Jared, he’d been avoiding me. The only reason I was sure he was even around the house was the fact that food and my pills were always made available. The pills I took made me drowsy for most of the day, so I spent most of it sleeping.“Have you seen Jared today?” I asked Jack as I swallowed my pills and washed them down with water.“Nope.” Jack said and turned the T.V on. If I was being honest, I feared speaking to him. No doubt, my accident had changed the dynamics of our relationship and I wasn’t sure if it had become worse o
Most of the time, situations arise, things happen and we are inclined to judge of the situation. It is easier that way because, sometimes, it makes us feel better about ourselves.When the tides turn and we become recipients of judgment, we understand the situation better. It takes a human to realise his mistake, but it takes a humble human to admit it. How many times have we judged a situation wrongly and admitted our error?We’re all guilty of hurting someone, friend, foe, lover… not intentionally but we seek forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t just feeling sorry, it’s also a way of cleansing our souls, freeing ourselves from the guilt.Jared never told Leah that he forgave her and she couldn’t forgive herself, she couldn't free herself from the guilt.***JARED’S POV “What’s going on?” I asked the doctor who’d just come out of the operating room Leah had been moved to. 14 hours was the longest time I’d had to wait for a report from a doctor and the expression on his face wasn’t looking
I ran my fingers through my hair, walking to and fro like a sojourner who had lost his compass, I’d probably lost mine. The ambulance had arrived shortly after but the Leah was already… I shook my head. ‘No, she can’t be.’ I couldn’t focus on any other thing than the fact that there were many doctors running with Leah’s gurney, one was on top of her, doing chest compressions. The sweat beaded on the doctor’s face told me they’d been doing it since she was in the ambulance.I was slowly losing my mind and Aarav wasn’t here. He was busy trying to sort everything out while I went with Leah. I didn’t want to leave her side, if only I could have followed her into the OR.“She has lost too much blood, especially with the damage to her spleen and hypothermia already seeped in…” I didn’t want to know all the negatives, I didn’t want to know what was wrong.“Can someone tell me, is she going to be okay?” I yelled at the people who had brought Leah in, who seemed to be conversing with a doctor
JARED’S POV“What are you going to do?” I flipped the documents that Leah had sent. I hadn’t had the chance to look at it because I didn’t want to, not initially. Anything involving her work place kind of pissed me off but when I finally did, I could stop the fear that ran through my bones that Leah could be in danger because of it and I needed to act fast.I looked up at Aarav whose facial expression mirrored mine. He too was very conflicted and while he trusted Leah, it would be a big move to change banks, disastrous if it was the wrong move. We had been using Marque and Co. for so long and the previous leadership had proved capable of handling our assets.This new guy, this Ryan Fisher, from the moment I first saw him, I knew something wasn’t right with him. What Leah had sent hadn’t pointed to him as the culprit but with just enough evidence to let us know that something shady was going on and we needed to act fast or we’d lose more than just money.“We should involve the cops.” I
I felt a kick to my head and I groaned, my head feeling like it was split open. I blinked my eyes to get accustomed to the light before trying to sit up, something I found difficult and almost impossible to do.I tried to move my body and realised I was bound hand and feet. This slowly entered my consciousness and my drug-induced haze cleared up, I was face to face with a horrid looking mask and I scrambled backwards, bumping into something that felt horribly cold to my skin, metal.The person in front of me moved back, giving me room to at least breathe.“What the hell is going on?” I looked around to see not one, like I had imagined, but four people, armed with guns. My heart started to beat faster than normal at gauging my situation and my throat felt dry. It was dark outside and I realised I must’ve been asleep for hours.I was going to miss my flight, if I even made it out alive in the first place. No one replied me and I couldn’t even make out anything with the ridiculous outfit