||Pretenders||☄️

(103).

"Scary"

       In the VIP hospital ward, Maxwell had his head next to the bed Alicia lay on. Doctors had attended to her and prescribed an IV drip for her. He was told her passing out was due to shock but he still couldn't get over the mere fact that someone was chasing her and wanted her death. He needed her to wake up and answer his questions.

      Weeks ago, all she did was ignore him as much as she can and avoided being in his space. He really thought that was what she needed. If he knew she was being threatened, he would've pursued to stick to her. They had talked for few minutes in school and they were all 'hey's, how you' and nothing serious. He thought she would notice his feelings for her never changed and that reason made him stop looking into her eyes. She had said she was okay numerous times when she came to class with a pale face and big dark round circles under her eyes.
Maxwell was too focused on regaining his lost friendship back that he didn't notice Alicia was in pains. Would she have even allowed him to help her out?

      When he saw her in the bush shaking and trembling in fear, he almost broke down in front of her but she needed him the most that time. She had clenched her eyes so hard and her shakes vibrated in his hands. He had never seen her that way before and that scared him. He punched a fist on the hospital bed, grunting in anger.

      Ryan put a hand on his shoulder and sighed. "Max, you should go home." He said.

      "I want to be here." He spoke lowly and put a fist on the bed again. "She's not safe anymore. I have to be here." He turned to Dawn and took a deep breath. "I want you to tell me every single thing that was going on with her. Don't leave any details out."

      Dawn nodded her head and brushed her palms together. This was her story to tell. "For the past weeks, Alicia has been having trouble sleeping and very panicky. She groans and cries in her sleep and most of the time, she calls out Theo's name. I had to wake her up like every night and she would tug on me like a baby and cry till daybreak. I also noticed her phone beeps like ten times in a day. She will just you know, freak out and corner herself in the room."

      "Was it serious?" Ryan asked.

      "It was just bad. I even suggested her seeing a psychiatrist and she declined. I don't know what was going on with her family as well to make her so mad. She didn't want to confide in me or anyone." Dawn sighed heavily and continued. "Uhm... Jake started seeing her again."

     "The fuck!" Max cussed. "She told me she hasn't seen him. Why the fuck will she.." he paused and looked at Alicia on the bed. He gritted his teeth and pulled on his hair. "She's been lying to me." He blurted out.

       "Why was Jake seeing her? Were they dating?" Ryan asked to clear the air.

       "It looked like it." Dawn said and looked at Max. "Anyway she kinda got better seeing Jake but it started again a day after we saw on the news that Theodore Miles had gone missing. I remember her like loosing her breath next to me. I thought it was a normal reaction to see your boyfriend on the news."

     "He wasn't her boyfriend!" Maxwell defended.

     "I'm sorry?" Dawn asked. "They were literally living together when you were gone. They went on dates and I remembered he gave her a ring so I'm sure she was his fiancée." She explained further and Maxwell growled.

      "Wait, you said she started seeing Jake?" Ryan asked and she nodded. "Then why will he want her dead?" Ryan asked looking at Maxwell.

     "We can be wrong." Dawn said.