Apricus Through The Dark

CHAPTER - 4

I woke up to a cold bed. Damon was gone for quite some time. I wondered where he was. Usually, he would wake me up before leaving. This was unusual.

I lay there, staring at the ceiling. I have this feeling growing in the pit of my stomach that something is wrong. I just can't remember what. That happens a lot lately. Ever since The Incident, I have been prone to forget things, just like when I was 18.

I remember that year. It was one of the most horrible, and at the same time, the very best. Although I couldn't get into medical school, I got to do what I wanted. I got to live through both my dreams, English Honors and Law school. It was as wonderful as it was dreadful. Although I got called names, by my own family, no less, I was happy to finally be pursuing a career I always wanted.

I briefly went through a stage of depression and anxiety and panic attacks became my best friends, before my parents realized that I just can't be a doctor. I hate the damn profession for God's sake. I have ever since I discovered our family history with genetics and diseases.

I'm brought out of my trip down memory lane by the chaos taking place downstairs. I hurriedly put my robe on and went down to see what's wrong. What I see, brings back the memories from last night.

There, standing in my living room, were Alice and Matteo. They were grasping onto one another as if their life depended upon it. Another thing was that my best friend was crying, quite hysterically. Then it all came back to me. The kidnapping, the mafia. The pit in my stomach grew. The grief over losing my nephew and my best friend's pain was intensified. I knew I need to stop thinking or I'm going to enter another panic attack but I just couldn't get myself to calm my thoughts. My mind was running a hundred miles per minute. All sorts of scenarios coming to the forefront. My imagination was running wild with all that could be happening to Ethan right now. I was scared. Terrified even. What if we failed and he was sold in some Arabic country for labor work? Like in India. What if he was injured and died? I couldn't take it anymore, I screamed.

That got their attention and Matteo took one look at me before calling Damon. Within a minute, Damon was by my side, calming me down.  

After my momentary panic, Damon cooked everyone breakfast. I devoured my choc chip pancakes, hungry after my tryst with my imagination. After breakfast, we finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"Any advances?" I ask Damon. A look passes between him and Matteo, who ushers Alice up the stairs and into the guest bedroom to get ready. I look at Damon questioningly. He sighs and asks me to follow him.

In his study, he rounds the desk to sit in his chair and motions for me to sit in the chair in front of the desk. I take a seat and he pushes a manila folder towards me.

I open it to look what's inside. "There's information about the meeting tonight is in that folder. It's at half past midnight at The Grands. The Russians will be there as well as the kidnapper."

"You still don't know who he is?" I ask, bewildered. This is not like him, I expected him to know the identity of the kidnapper by now. "He's well trained in what he does. There was nothing in the surveillance footage and no one saw him either." This was troublesome."So what are we going to do? What's the plan?"

"That sweetheart, is not something for you to worry about. We are handling it just fine. There's no need for you to get involved in this." Matteo said from the doorway. Before I could even start to protest, he continued speaking.

"I know you are worried about Ethan, we all are. But I've just said the same thing to my wife and I'm going to say it to you too. We don't want both of you in danger alongside Ethan. We have enough on our plate with trying to save him and finding out his kidnapper's identity, we don't want to have to look out for you both at the same time. We need you both to be safe, at home so we can focus all our attention on Ethan and The Kidnapper."

Admittedly, it was a valid argument and I knew Alice needs someone for support with her, right now, so I agreed. Damon looked at me as if I had grown a second head. "What?" I asked, annoyed.

"It's just that you have never agreed with me so readily onto anything. I'm wondering if you are high or is there some course I could do to assure that you will listen to me for once when I say something." Now I was both annoyed and mad. The nerve of this man. He is as irritating as he was during Ethan's birthday party, given I don't remember much, seeing I was extremely drunk. In my defense, I had just had a run in with the one person I didn't want to see. 

Ceaser. The man who ruined my life over and over again. I was cracked when I met him and I was shattered in a million pieces when I left him. He broke me in ways, I never thought possible. He left when I needed him the most. He was never there for me in times of need. But out of all what he did or didn't do, what hurt the most was that he cheated on me.

Was I not good enough for him? Is sex really that important to guys? So what if I didn't want to have sex with him before marriage. Don't get me wrong, I was no prude, neither was I a virgin, but I just didn't want to.

Thinking about him made a bitter memory to pop up to the forefront of my mind.

"I'll ruin you. You'll beg me to take you back. I'll make sure you will regret breaking up with me. You think our relationship is toxic? Guess what, it's you who's toxic. Every relationship you had has always ended in ruins. You couldn't even maintain a proper relationship with your parents. A filthy piece of shit is what you are. And mark my words, I will have my revenge, and when I do, you'll be left with nothing but the scraps. Even your new boy toy won't be able to save you from my wrath."

And just like that, he left me, alone in our apartment. But his words stayed with me as a constant reminder of another ruined relationship.

That day, while buying a gift for Ethan, I came across him kissing another woman in the mall cafeteria. It wasn't even a week since we broke up and he was already dating someone else. I left before he could notice me. I was half drunk by the time the party rolled around. And low and behold, I fell right into this guy's arms while making my way through the crowd in my drunken haze. And cue his annoying smirk.

"Couldn't stay five minutes before touching me could ya?" he asked arrogantly. I was already on edge and this tipped me over. "Now don't get ahead of yourself Mr. boy toy. I'm not tipsy for you." With that said I made my way over to the bar. But is it possible for this guy to take a hint? No. off course not. He followed. And kept pestering me about how I fell for him and bla-bla-bla.

"Look here Mr. I-am-every-girl's-fantasy, I'm not interested. So stop trying so hard and do us both a favor, Get. Lost." I was so irritated but he did leave. Maybe he knew how stressed I am and had pity on me. who knows. I shrugged it off and kept drinking.

It was somewhere between drinking and dancing to bad country music that he approached me again. "You should give it a rest. Stop drinking. Come on, I'll take you home." With that he hauled me down from the table I was dancing upon and began dragging me out, towards his car.

"I don't have a home anymore." I say pouting. "What do you mean? What happened to your apartment?" he furrowed his brows, looking at me.

"Home is where are your loved ones. I don't have a home since last Friday. My boyfriend cheated on me and we broke up. I'm babbling aren't i? I know I am. It must be why he cheated. Or was it because I was withholding sex? But it wasn't like we didn't do other things. I just didn't want to go all the way yet. I am no virgin, but I wanted to save it for a big event. I'm babbling again, aren't i? Ugh.

"You're drunk. It's no big deal. Now relax, I'll take you back to your apartment." Nope I don't want to go there. He must have read my mind as he took me to his place instead.

He was very sweet to me after that. He removed my heels and gave me some aspirin before tucking me in.

I sighed bittersweetly at the memory, feeling stares upon me, I looked up to find them both looking at me strangely. "What?" I asked, looking between them.

"You were lost in your thoughts again love. By the way, Matteo and I are heading out. It's time for your medicine and nap. We'll be back before you wake." I nodded and went up stairs. After checking up on Alice, who was passed out, most likely exhausted from last night, I went to our room for my scheduled nap.