Chapter 20

" Akiandra. Kea come on, wake up. " I hear someone say from a distance as I'm shaken awake, but I don't want to.

" Kea, goddammit wake up!" Keith?

Since when does he wake me up?

" Kea?!" Again I'm shaken awake and this time I hear shuffling.

" Why's she not waking up?" Is that Maria sobbing, why's she crying?

" Kea please." No this is all wrong, Keith wouldn't say please.

The shaking continues , totally irritating me." S-stop," I murmur . Wanting the person to stop.

" Wait, Kea talk to me." Keith says close.

" S-stop, I want to sleep. " I try push the person away, only to push on air.

Soon I hear a chuckle and a sigh." Oh thank God." Maria breathes out of relief, I detect.

" She's fine -she's okay." Keith says beside me and I feel hands touch my face, moving hair away from my face.

That's the last I hear before drifting off into a deep slumber.

I can't help but moan in pain when I feel a headache forming as I come to consciousness.

" Kea." I hear and my eyes snap open.

The bed dips and Keith comes into view. His eyes look me over and all I can do is stare blankly at him, memories of last night coming back to me like a slide show.

Him insulting me, the anger, the shouting. My hot coco. I'll definitely not forget that. I love hot chocolate.

He called me, no I won't even say it in mind.

Taking a breath, I start to move, wanting to sit upright." Here, let me help you." He says, reaching out to touch me but he stops when I give him a glare.

I sit upright on my own, but of course he just has to have his way when he places a pillow behind me. Without a word, I lean back and try get out of bed only for him to block my way, preventing me from moving.

What is up with him?

A shot of pain strikes my head and I gasp, rubbing at my temples." Here, this will help." He tells me, holding out a glass of water and a pill.

I glance between what's on his hands and him, I take what's in his hands and I notice relief wash over his face, only to vanish when I place everything back on the side table."  Kea you need this, I want to-," pulling the covers off me, I move out of bed and once on my feet, I stagger a bit.

" Kea be careful." He says, his hands on my arms.

Our eyes connect." Talk to me, say something please." He says.

I shrug off his hands and walk away without a word and lock myself in the bathroom, taking the first big breath out loud, my back leaned against the door.

Things will never be the same again. I can't find it in me to talk to him after what he's done to me, he crossed the line and went way above. There's so much I could handle but not this, too much is too much and I won't stand to be insulted. No more.

I'm tired of hurting.

Taking a breath, I get into the shower, making sure to make it a little hotter then what I'm used to because I'm feeling so cold now.

Yeah that's what happens when you sleep with only a towel on. The night air is bound to catch up on you.  My consciousness says.

The feel of the hot water on my body is uncomfortably prickly and a bit painful, since being cold for how ever long I'd been but as time passes, I'm able to be comfortable and enjoy my time in there.

The time alone is good for me, I'm relieved and I can think. I try divert my mind from all things Keith and I can say it's near impossible, but I do. I think of my mom and her smile, her words of wisdom and encouragement, boosting my confidence and making me feel better.

She was my rock and still is, she might have gone but her words play a part, I stored them within my heart. That's why they pop in mind as I nearly gave into thinking of yesterday and those horrible insults from him.

My mind right now can't even call him by name, him is what I refer him.

The water starting to cool convinces me to step out and I wrap a towel around myself, before walking over to stand in front of the mirror.

I mentally talked myself into not doing so but here I am, looking into my light brown eyes, my coloured skin having gone a bit pale as my brown wet hair sticks to my face.

I don't like how I look, I look way too vulnerable and messed up, it's enough to convince anyone that I'd been through a rough night. A rough night of hurt , that's for sure.

I get out of the  bathroom and enter into my room. I stop in my tracks when I notice Keith still remained in my room but sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands.

I open my mouth to speak but immediately stop, I continue on and plop down on my dressing chair. I feel his eyes on my back, burning a certain spot and when looking up at the mirror, our eyes connect.

His eyes are saying something, trying to transfer a message but my heart refuses to receive it or guess what it is. I break the contact and start fidgeting, feeling quite awkward now.

" Kea." He calls me and I look up at him again through the mirror.

There's a knock on the door and before I can say anything, Keith walks over to open it, revealing Nia.

" Good morning um, breakfast is ready." She tells us.

" Thank you Nia." I offer a small smile.

" We'll be right down." Keith adds.

Right after she leaves, silence surrounds us and all I want to do is be anywhere but here.

" So is this how it's going to be, you not talking to me?" He speaks up.

I avoid his eyes and rise to my feet, walking over to the door, releasing a breath, while my back is to him." Kea I - " I don't give him a chance when I open the door and stand on the side , eyes on the floor.

I don't have the strength to look him in the eyes as I do this. Maybe I'm a coward,well so be it then.

I hear him sigh before his feet come in my line of view. I won't look at him, I refuse to. A tense moment of silence passes before his feet move and he's out the door. I close it after him and walk over to my nightstand.

Picking up my phone, a thought quickly comes into mind. Oh my gosh Keith has seen me in only my towel, twice or maybe more.

A blush warms my cheeks at the thought, I wonder what - no, it doesn't matter. He's already said what he thinks of me. I don't even understand how he can be in the same room as me when he thinks so low of me. He's surely a complicated man.

Shaking off my thoughts, I go into my contacts and press on one of the people I trust to do something for me, without question.

On the second ring, they pick up.

" Mrs Salvatore , How may I assist you?" He answers.

" Joey hello." I say.

A moment of silence passes.

" What do you need?" I sigh in relief at hearing that question.

" Right at this moment I need a friend, not my driver. " I tell him, biting at my bottom lip.

" Okay." He tells me before hanging up.

At the sound of a click, I sigh out in relief, before rising to my feet and walk over to my closet, where I pick out an outfit.

Minutes later I'm staring myself in the mirror, mentally talking to myself, taking in my mothers words and holding on to that last ounce of confidence , as I'm about to make the biggest decision of my life. I'm taking this step because I need to.

This is for me and nobody else. I need to feel in control for once in this marriage.

A knock sounds on the door.

" Come in."

The door opens, but I don't look away from the mirror.

" You're leaving?" That's the first thing I hear from Maria as she enters the room.

" Yes I am. It's time." I respond, turning away from the mirror to face her.

" Darling you don't need to leave just yet, stay, just for a few more days." She pleads, coming over to stand in front of me.

" No, it won't be possible. " I shake my head no.

She sighs in defeat, hanging her head and I feel sad, watching her but I stand by my decision.

" What happened last night after...." I trail off, not able to finish off my sentence.

" I came up to check on you and I saw you laying on your bed, in only a towel. I tried waking you up in the morning, because you were still laying in the same position, when you didn't wake up, I got so scared, I had to call Keith."

Oh so I wasn't dreaming the first time.

" He then tried waking you and he was so worried but had hope you'd wake up. I told him we should call the doctor, and that was when you came into consciousness. Lord I was so relieved, I couldn't imagine losing you, losing a daughter." I reach for her hands, squeezing them.

" It's okay, I'm okay ." I try reassure her.

She shakes her head, blinking back the tears." No you are not, in here," she points to her heart." You are not. "

Her palm rests against my cheek as her eyes meet mine. I try by all means to avoid her eyes.

She has hit the right spot.

" You're leaving again?" My head snaps to the door, where Keith stands.

Maria's hand slips off my face and she steps back, offering a small smile before walking out of my room, leaving Keith and I alone.

" No, I'm leaving. For good this time." I respond to his question, chin up and voice levelled. Ring off and in hand.