The Dividing Line: VENGEANCE (Book 2)

| 06 | (BWWM)

FLASHBACK TO ANGEL'S LIFE BEFORE SHE MET COLE (CONTINUED)

After the first day, she could no longer handle being away from him without a word. Angel got out of the hospital bed and threw on another hospital gown to make sure she was appropriately covered. Though she had a few bruises, muscle pains, and some scrapes, she was relatively okay. Wearing a seatbelt saved her from being ejected or sustaining greater damage in the accident.

She called KB's cell phone. The first couple of times, it just rang and went to voicemail. Her imagination went haywire. Why wasn't he answering his phone? Angel became agitated and frantic. The phone was ringing for the third time and still no answer. When she was preparing to go off on someone, she was saved by the voice on the other end of the line.

"Angel are you okay?" She dropped down to her knees. Every terrible thought raced through her mind in a matter of seconds. Upon hearing his voice, she felt her nerves, as well as her sanity, began to fall apart. Tears streamed down her face.

"Where are you?" The words were muffled under tears and the thought of losing the love of her life.

"I'm in room 1426C." His voice was weak and did nothing to relieve her anxiety.

"Ok, I'm on my way." Angel stopped and asked a nurse to show her where his room was located. The lady attempted to convince her that she needed to rest since she was just in a major car accident.

"Look, lady. This man is my fiancé. Just take me to his DAMN ROOM!" She yelled frantically.

He looked somewhat smaller in the hospital bed. The distant look on his face changed the moment he saw her walk into the room.

"Do you know how scared I was? I went off on a nurse because I was so worried about you." Angel walked over to his bedside and lavished him with kisses. KB reached for her and pulled her on top of him. The hug was lung-crushing as he held her close. The sound resonating from his body cut deeper into her soul than anything that happened since the accident.

"Baby, I have something to tell you." Why did his voice sound like he was in deep mourning? Though he tried to retain the appearance of someone who had everything under control, the emotions behind his words betrayed him.

"KB... Kyle, what's going on?" A look of uncertainty lingered on her face. She wasn't sure why he looked so remorseful. The tone of his voice was serious and distant. There was a definite resolution in his words and his posture. Angel wasn't ready for what he had to say, but what could she do?

"I need you to lie down next to me for a moment. There's something I need to tell you." She respected his wishes by climbing into the small hospital bed with his large form. Her arm wrapped around his waist as she listened for whatever would come next.

"I was worried you would leave me if I told you the truth, but now I have no choice but to tell you." The cryptic words painted the most vividly awful pictures in her mind. What the hell was he talking about? Why was he being so vague? Angel's mind was struggling to maintain itself as he continued sharing his secret with her.

"The many articles about my dating models and all that other publicity stuff was just to create an illusion. Since I was born, I was very ill. Money can buy you a long or extended life. My parents took me to the best surgeons in the world to provide me with a better healthier life." As he spoke, he fixed his eyes on the ceiling. He could not look at her and reveal the sad truth about himself.

"For quite some time, my response to many surgeries was encouraging. I was no longer a frail sickly baby. I was relatively healthy. I was able to engage in some physical activity. Through my late teens and mid to late 30s, I became consumed with my health, eating right, and exercising. I was too busy crafting my image and the image of my company to really care about relationships." KB continued his story.

"I've had sex with very few women. The scars on my body have always brought too many questions which I have no desire to answer. Even you once asked me about my scars and I just blew it off. I was impressed that you didn't make it an issue. I knew you were concerned because you would always touch or kiss them. No one ever showed real concern for what could've happened to me. They only cared about my money." He spoke as if he were reliving the many occasions Angel lavished the big ugly scars with kisses and then she would always hold him as if to say, "Everything will be okay".

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KB was lost in thought for a moment.

He remembered the times in school when he was bullied because he was tiny and frail. He was bullied when people saw the scars on his chest. For years, he refused to take off his clothes in front of anyone, including his family members. It was inevitable that someone would see the permanent reminders that he was defective.

Spending hours exercising and trying to build up his weak body was his answer to the years of suffering he endured for something that was completely beyond his control. Even though he came from a wealthy family, he wasn't shielded from bullies. Wealthy people bully other wealthy people. It's kind of the whole circle of life thing. The strong survive and the weak become prey.

Over the years, he transformed himself from a weakling to the leader of the pack in many aspects. KB was a brilliantly shrewd businessman. His ability to seize a lucrative opportunity and expand on it was legendary. The one thing he couldn't do was expose his weaknesses. He went out with beautiful women to fit the persona of who he was perceived to be by others.

Most of his sexual experiences were with women who were already close enough to know his medical history and didn't care one way or another. Only one other woman, besides Angel, ever saw his scars. She was a decent person who never talked about their relationship with anyone. KB had so few sexual partners, that most people would never believe him if he told the truth.

As he lay in the bed recalling his life and his history, he reached for Angel and pulled her closer. She was the exception to all his rules. Before he saw her defend herself against the women who attempted to bully her on the job, she came into his radar but never made an impression.

Because she refused to allow him to spend more than a hundred on a date with her, he never really took his fascination for her seriously. Before she insisted they enjoy quality time together, he only saw her as another pretty girl. When he realized she was avoiding situations that could lead to sex, his desire for her ramped up to the point of overpowering his normally steady thoughts. The day she finally gave in, he was literally out of his mind for her.

Angel was more than just a woman with whom he enjoyed spending time. She was his friend. She was his confidant. She was his lover. She was his soothing balm against a stressful ugly world. Angel was his heart and soul. He realized how fucked up it would be not to be able to grow old with her.

Warm tears coursed down his beautiful face. He chuckled briefly as some of the tears found their way to his lips and he finally understood the meaning of someone being or feeling "Salty". At that very moment, the realization of how limiting his condition was on his life made him feel "Salty" as hell. His baby was in his arms and he needed more time with her. He was 'salty' because that may not be in his future.

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