Brave Enough To Love Again

Chapter 69

Eden

Keane explained how the whole working abroad thing happened. It was his father's doing. A request, an order, a task, or whatever one want to call it. I completely understood why he was made to leave. His newly acquired role in the family business was important. And he didn't want to let his father down, given how delicate the relationship was between him and his father. They expected all the buzz surrounding us in the media to die down in his absence. All of those points were reasonable, however, that didn't mean that I was happy, or even okay with the whole situation.

We said our goodbyes pretty much after his explanation. And after several kisses and tight hugs, he left for another country, on the other side of the globe. A driver was already waiting for him in front of the building with all his luggage to drive him to the airport.

And just like that, he was gone.

I was forlorn.

Lonely.

Abandoned.

I was being dramatic, and I knew it, but I couldn't stop the feeling of emptiness that seemed to swallow me up. I didn't know how a long distant relationship worked. And I certainly never thought I would ever be in one.

*

Whoever may have claimed that a long-distant relationship wasn't so bad, was a big, fat liar.

I knew it would be challenging to get used to his absence but, the void he left me with was driving me crazy, especially in the first few days. It wasn't as easy as one would think to get in touch with him given the time difference. He was busy at work when I was free and vice versa. So, more often than not we missed each other's calls and would just leave a voice messages or write a short texts.

Going to sleep without him was bearable but unpleasant. It was remarkable how I had already gotten used to his warmth next to me in bed, and now that he wasn't around I tried to work as many night shifts as I could.

However, in addition to my loneliness, there was another thing that was making my life miserable. It was a big nuisance in the name of Vic the dick. I met him in front of the hospital on the day he was released soon after Keane had left. Of course I tried to get out of his way, given how our last encounter ended, and the words he had said. But he saw me and immediately approached me.

"Can I talk to you?" There was no animosity in his face or voice, and none of the aggression he had during our last meeting after he was examined and treated. Despite all that, I didn't want to talk to him. I had nothing left to say to him. Our last sit-down I had agreed to led to a physical altercation between him and Keane. That consequently forced my current boyfriend to leave the country to fix an important business deal that was affected by the scandal.

So, no. Even more than before, I didn't want anything to do with him. I just tried to ignore his words and walk past him.

"Please," he begged as he kept up with my steps and walked beside me, "It's important." With those last words he grabbed my left wrist before I could enter the hospital premises. I was more annoyed than afraid because I knew he wouldn't dare do anything to me as there were many people around us. He let go of my hand once he saw the look in my face.

Indifference.

I didn't even need to say a word. All it took for him to stop was just one shake of my head to tell him that I didn't want to talk and that I didn't want to hear whatever he had to say. He didn't stop me when I turned my back to him and entered the hospital.

Work was good for me. It kept me busy. My mind was occupied during and my body was exhausted after work. I doubled my efforts to distract myself and not wallow in my loneliness during my days off. I talked to Megan as often as she has time. But that didn't keep me distracted for long as she was busy with work too in another country. We comforted each other because we shared the same fate of being in a long distance relationship. We could relate to each other's misery.

After a while I realized that I was trying to avoid my apartment, and even the whole building because it reminded me too much of Keane. Suddenly there was plenty of time for my hobby, dancing. I met up with Levi whenever he had some time. Living with all of those arrangements was making my life more bearable.

However, the issue with Vic the dick was far from over.

Others would have already taken the hint during our last meeting in front of the hospital, but, no, not Mr. Vic the dick.

He was relentless.

One morning on my day off, I left my apartment to do some grocery shopping. And right outside my door stood Vic, waiting with a bouquet of flowers.

Roses again.

My heart began racing. Vic saw my facial expression, which was fear. "I won't hurt you," he looked visibly saddened by my reaction, "I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I was a monster for what I put you through. I know that now. There is no excuse for what I did, but I am different now. I am better now. I was in a dark place back then, but now, I'm better. Please, believe me."

He handed me the flowers, but I didn't take them. I turned my back to him, locked my front door and started towards the elevator, but then I reconsidered, as I didn't want to be alone inside a lift with Vic.

On my way down, Vic was keeping up with me and was only a step behind me at the stairs. "Stop it, Vic. I don't want to hear it. Just leave me alone."

I finally reached the ground floor and the main entrance to the building. Vic hurried ahead of me and blocked my way. We were already outside in public, so there was nothing for me to worry about.

"I'm also sorry for what I said to you that night." I looked at him intensely. What did he want from me? He continued, "It was just, I mean." I waited for his next words. "I never really had the intention of suing him. I was just," he obviously didn't want to talk about his anger issues.

"Angry, furious?" I offered, "which word were you looking for?"

"I'm really sorry," he grabbed my hand and put the flowers in my palm, "I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't going to sue him and that I don't want to cause you any more trouble."

He turned around and left. I stood there with the bouquet of roses in my hands, "I hate roses." I threw away the flowers in the nearest garbage bin on my way to go grocery shopping.

When I talked to Keane that day I didn't talk about Vic because I didn't want to worry him. The encounters were not even worth mentioning. Vic had said that he didn't want to cause any more trouble. So for me, that was it. No more Vic drama. Therefore, I had no reason to bother Keane with my ex issues.

*

Oh, how wrong I was in thinking that the problem with Vic would just go away that simply.

*

I was just leaving the dancing studio a week later when Vic approached me again with a bouquet of flowers. This time he didn't bring more roses. "I heard you saying that you didn't like roses the last time," Vic uttered as he put the flowers in my hand before turning around and leave.

What the heck was going on? Was he giving me other flowers because I didn't like the roses he gave me last week when he apologized about threatening to sue Keane?

That must be it.

*

Wrong again.

****

Dear readers!

I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you for reading! I am very grateful.

What do you think about what Vic the dick is doing?

How would you have dealt with Vic?

Who is freaked out by Vic?

I hope to hear from you! Leave a comment or more! Tell me what you think!

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This chapter has not been proofread yet, so please forgive my errors.

Yours,
Callie