"She looks so peaceful." Renee said. They were all in Heather's room, all being she, Danica and Shelby. Only one person was permitted to come in at a time but she was able to pull some strings. "Kind of like she wouldn't mind not waking up."
"Since I'm in the dark." Shelby pointed to the bandage wrapped around her eyes. "I hope she looks as good as you say, and you're lucky I can't see or I'll deck you for saying she shouldn't wake up."
"Thank God you can't see." Renee danced in front of Shelby, making Danica shake her head at her antics.
"Stop harassing the girl Renee, it's been a hell of a month for everybody."
"Tell me about it." Renee agreed.
Exactly one month ago- two months actually, after Shelby walked into a wall and passed out, Renee and Danica were the ones left in charge of situation report on both of them. Heather went into cardiac arrest twice in that period of time, and they had both agreed Shelby didn't need to know, she was battling a traumatic life changing experience of her own.
According to the doctor, his rule couldn't stop the destructive path her eyes had taken, at this point they didn't know if she'd ever see again. 'It's a natural course now' he said.
Shelby's life quickly materialized into one of despair. When her eyesight had gone to hell after the infection, she didn't feel a thing, not once did she think about losing her vision forever. It'd never dawned on her, so she accepted her blurry vision and moved on with her life but this- this was a new level of different.
Spending time with Heather helped her sanity, some days she felt like ripping the bandages off just to feel her face, on other days she felt crazy, it felt like she was lost inside herself drowning in the never ending sea of darkness, which was enough to make anyone crazy. Shelby didn't tell that to her therapist who she met every Thursday, going blind was enough, if they locked her up somewhere, she might actually lose her mind.
Bran and Tracy were in charge of handling the ranch until Shelby came back, not like there was much she could do now that she was blind; her therapist urged her to always think positively, there wasn't really anything positive going on but she didn't tell her that either. There were several options open to help her settle into her new life without difficulty, there was the option for a care giver which was definitely out of the question, a walking stick was one thing she couldn't say no to and lastly a service dog. Shelby wasn't a fan of dogs but she'd prefer that to an actual person.
Since she was still in the hospital, she was helped around by nurses but mostly Renee to get to Heather's room and back, she even knew what turns to take off by heart, it didn't matter that she couldn't go on her own, it mattered that her sense of direction wasn't entirely lost. Heather hadn't shown any sign of waking up but her vitals were fine, now all they had to do was wait, Shelby didn't know how much she hated waiting until a month ago, it was basically all she did, day in- day out, she waited for something- anything!
It wasn't like watching movies were at the top of her li- positive thinking.
°°°
Renee dropped Shelby off in front of her room, this had become their daily ritual. Renee would come check on her every morning after her bath, they'd banter for a few minutes then she'd guide her to Heather's room where they'd spend the rest of the day in silence or in casual banter with Danica acting as their neutral ground. They weren't best of friends, they just offered each other a kind of comfort they'd invented themselves.
"When did the doctor say I should get the hell out of this hospital?" Shelby asked while Renee laughed. "What? It's not like he'll say it out loud but he wants me gone."
"I totally understand, you're kind of a nuisance." Renee grinned when Shelby grabbed a pillow. "I doubt you even know what direction you need to throw that in."
"You're right." Shelby tossed the pillow back on the bed and sighed. "Where am I going to stay?"
"You can stay with me or Danica until she wakes up."
"I asked like I have anywhere else." Shelby laughed dryly. "This is torture."
"I know."
"You don't. I don't blame you for not knowing but you honestly don't." Shelby scratched at the edge of the bandage on the bridge of her nose. "Some days I feel like just ripping this thing off my face, I can't breathe sometimes when I wake up or the fact that I'm awake and can't even tell, everything looks like night in here."
"That bandage is still on because the doctors said we could try surgery or a transplant." Renee rubbed her hands together, she wasn't one to offer sympathy, and she doubted Shelby wanted it.
"What if it doesn't work?" Shelby finally voiced her fears. "What then?"
"Then we'll find another way."
"I don't want her to see me like this." Shelby held her hands in front of her face, knowing no amount of hope was going to make her see through her bandages. "She's going to need someone by her side when she's recovering, someone to hold her hand or tell her how well she's doing, someone to cheer for her on her bad days. How can I do that if I can't even see? If I can't even tell what she's feeling because now I literally have to take things at face value. What if she learns how to hide the pain in her voice because she knows I won't be able to see it only hear it?"
"All of these are valid concerns that we'll get the answers to when she wakes up." Renee felt helpless, she wasn't built for comfort. "I know Heather and you know her too. She'll be more concerned for you than herself. You know that."
Shelby's shoulders slumped. "I know, I just feel helpless and lost. I have literally nothing to do but think, I'm thinking about everything and nothing."
"That's also valid, you're going through a lot right now and you need a beacon; a shining light to somewhat drown all these doubts and fears."
"Would be the best time for Heather to wake up huh?" Shelby smiled. "That would be the brightest light in my dark world right now."
"I have never seen anyone love the way the both of you do." Renee said, hating the tiny pang in her chest, which reminded her that her heart was still hopeful for a feeling like this, a feeling she wanted to forget.
"I never knew love felt like this." Shelby shrugged, "I was just a simple girl- unhappy simple girl with my horses until Heather arrived in my ranch, I didn't even like her but that ass-" Renee whistled. "Watch it!"
Renee raised her hands then remembered Shelby couldn't actually see, wincing at that sad reality she apologized instead. "Sorry, I was just thrown back in time."
"Well this is my story now, try to keep up." Shelby smiled. "I most definitely did not want to see her the next day or the day after that or a month later and then she had to kiss me. I swear I didn't know my body could light up in so many different ways, I've never felt so-"
"Complete." Renee whispered. Guess feelings die when they want to.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't be talking to you about her like that." Shelby waved her hands around, "I'll just shut up now, thank you for walking me."
"You can talk about her with me, I'm the next best person to talk to anyway." Renee assured her. "I don't love her if that's what you think, I mean I love her but not in that way, I just love her as someone who was in my corner and always will be when I need her and likewise for me, that love boat sailed so many years ago; it's ancient history now."
Shelby let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh thank God- I mean not thank God thank God, just thank God- Oh my God!"
"Take a breath." Renee laughed, "How can you be clumsy with words? Weirdo."
"You're a lawyer, you don't get a say in this. What I meant to say was I didn't want us to be that awkward set of people who walked around this topic since we both have a person of interest that we love and adore."
"More you than me." Renee rolled her shoulders. "I didn't plan to extend my stay this long, Heather will pay with her life once she wakes up."
"You're so damn lucky I can't see." Shelby tsked.
"Luckily I can." Renee hit Shelby with a pillow.
"Are you kidding me?! What the hell? That's abuse, how can you hit a blind woman?" Shelby shielded her body with one arm and kept one outstretched.
"You're definitely dying first in a horror movie." Renee tiptoed towards the door, once she got there she tossed the pillow at Shelby who yelped and turned her back to the door. "Yep you're definitely dying first."
"Fuck you!"
°°°
Maxwell eyed his reflection in the mirror. He'd grown a beard, an unkempt one but the bigger the better, it helped with blending in. He was in a rundown hotel, had been there for two weeks now, his face was all over the news, he couldn't afford to stay in one place for too long.
Demian Wren's body had been found a little sooner than he'd liked by his secretary, this was the reason he stabbed Heather's assistant, those little ass lickers were too nosey and rosy, always smiling and ready to help, thankfully he didn't have anyone else to dispose of.
All his business partners had deserted him like an incurable disease after he made the news, his accounts were still frozen pending his arrest, he loved watching jail stories on tv not getting locked up in one. His offshore accounts were still an option, apparently saving for rainy days was actually a thing.
Once he cleaned up his mess, he'd call his lawyer and they'd find a way past this madness, he was a proper businessman who'd overpaid his taxes and helped orphaned children, surely when they presented his case to the court, they'd see his side of the story.
Everyone was against him, only a psychopath would shoot his own daughter, and he wasn't a psychopath; he was just angry when she didn't do as he said, he'd put her in his position in hopes that she'd finally understand him a bit more, but she failed just like he knew she would. She was weak.
In what world did love overpower common sense, love didn't overpower his ability to make life changing decisions, not when he really needed to do it, there was no such thing as sentimentality in real life. It was a jungle that ran on- life or death situations- sadly the newer generations were getting swept away with fiction and a sense of romance- pathetic.
His burner phone beeped, only one person had access to him so he picked on the first ring. "Bruno, what news do you have for me?"
"She's awake boss." A deep scratchy voice said on the other end.
"My daughter just doesn't know when to die." Maxwell scratched his beard. "Take care of it, I can't get my hands dirty anymore, I'm working on clearing my name- make it quick and natural, I don't want much investigation into it."
"And the other girl?" Bruno asked. "She's making too much noise, I have to beat her down most times or chain her up. Shall I dispose of her too?"
"She's the precious key to my puzzle, I'm very sure she has questions that I'll give her answers to in due time. She's the real heir to the ranch anyway, it's just a pity she came out a few seconds earlier than her sister."
"Alright boss. I'm walking into the hospital now."
"Oh and Bruno-" Maxwell voice went cold. "Make the other bitch disappear. Her sister will fill her shoes nicely."
"Done boss."
°°°
I am back. There will definitely be a book two!!! I hope you guys don't hate me too much after this.
Shelby has a twin sister!!!!!!
This journey has been beautiful because of you all, the second book will be a standalone but understandable when you read this one.
Thank you all so much. Please go ahead to check out my new book "Unrequited love", I'd really love to have you all there with me.
To unicorngggoooo
Finally completed it 😌😌