AFTER THE ENGAGEMENT

Twenty Four

Denzel rushed to the pool as soon as one of the maids screamed and rushed into the house with eyes as wide as saucers.

He panicked as soon as her body floated on the surface of the pool. The thought of the fact that she could be dead gave him shivers. Bad shivers, such that he dived in for her.

At the sight of her body being pulled out with him, one of the maids fainted. Two of her friends tried to hold her up as well as resucitate her.

Denzel had no choice but to give Janelle mouth to mouth, while screaming her name to come back. He knew he couldn't afford to lose her now. Or ever. Not even like this. Why hadn't he come earlier? He felt uncomfortable leaving her alone at the house that night, but she had refused to go with him to see James.

And as soon as he came into the house, she was nowhere around. Her body was still warm to touch and he moved right into action.

After trying several times to resucitate her, not planning on giving up anytime soon, She coughed, spilling water all over her. He sat back, giving a breath of relief as well as the other maids and servants.

Somehow, the fainting maid had revived and was taken into the quarters. It was then, he realized that he had been crying all along.

Thank God, he thought. Pulling her to himself, he whispered, "Thank God, you're okay. I don't want to lose you, I swear."

°°°

She was rushed to the hospital as soon as possible. He had insisted she saw a doctor due to the hard impact of the object on her head. And her left temple was bleeding.

The doctor had insisted on carrying out cray on her to be sure there were no internal injuries. Other than that, she was good to go home any moment.

Denzel looked up at her as soon as they were left alone in the room, his hands covering hers and his forehead resting on their joined hands.

"I thought I was going to lose you tonight." He muttered. But she heard it. He shook his head as if to shake off the thought of losing her. Or the image of her floating on the surface of the pool.

Her fingers snaked through his hair, causing him to look into at her. They held their gazes for a brief second. "But you didn't." She whsipered.

He lowered his gaze. "I don't want to lose you, Jay. I might not have you but I won't lose you to death. I can't stand it."
He shook his head.

Janelle leaned lower, tilted his head to look up at her. "Thank you, Dee."

"You're not even safe with me." He seemed like he was talking to himself and scoffed. "You're not safe with me." He repeated. "You have to go back to your parents' place, Jay." He said, looking up at her.

Janelle began to shake her head, until he said, "I already called your mum and Nana. They should be here by now."

Janelle's hands felt back to the bed as she stared at him in disbelief. "No! How could you. . ."

"Calm down, Jay." He cut in, like he was soothing a crying child. "You will hurt yourself more than you already are."

"But how could you call them without telling me first? I told you, I don't want to. . ."

"Jay, come on. You will have to. They're your family. And if you could get attacked at my place, then whomever it is, knows that you are with me. It is not safe there." He said and shook his head.

Janelle hesitated.

"You have to. We won't argue over this again. Talk to them, Jay. They worry about you ever time and yet you want to keep pushing them away?"