One day you're gonna wake up next to the love of your life, and everything that happened in your life before, won't matter anymore, because you'll find the happiness that you were looking for...
Shannon
I arrived later on that afternoon only to realize that Jared still hasn't moved from her side in three days. He had a big stubble going on, and huge bags under his eyes. I started wondering how he could still function properly.
Jared spent every spare second that he had at the hospital. He was torn between work and Anka. If it wasn't him at the hospital it was either me or Ella or our mother. But he mostly spent time there. Now that Anka was pulled out of her induced coma, it was a matter of days or even weeks until she woke up. And Jared wanted to make sure he wasn't going to miss that.
I've seen Jared loving women. A lot of beautiful women, models, actresses, but I've never seen him being in love. In love with a simple girl. A girl who had nothing to do with Hollywood or fame. I had no idea when Jared slept, or when he was able to eat, but he was nearly always by her side.
The doctors put her in an induced coma, because they were well aware that she could go any second into cardiac arrest if she woke up too soon. The amount of drugs she ingested could make any drug user look like an amateur comparing to her.
If it wasn't for the tragedy itself, it would've been a funny situation. Jared being in love. Being in love with someone nearly half his age. Nearly a month has passed and Christmas was just around the corner. Jared took the liberty of decorating her salon and even bringing a little Christmas tree for her to see when she woke up.
"The doctors said she is getting better as each day passes. That it's just a matter of time until she wakes up. Do you think she will like it? The tree and everything? She never told me if she liked Christmas.", said Jared filled with hope.
"I think you have nothing to worry about.", I replied reassuringly.
"Do you think she loves me?", I heard him ask.
"I think she does. I mean, she left her home to move to Los Angeles with you. That must count for something. By the way, you never told me how the two of you met.", I said.
He looked at me and sighed. I had a feeling he didn't want to talk about it. I had a feeling that everyone knew their history but me. I wasn't far from the truth.
"We met in Tokyo. I saw her at a coffee house and I went to talk to her. She knew who I was, I was taken aback by how natural she acted. She wasn't crazed or anything by me. So naturally, I asked her out. She joked around, telling me she'd bring me nothing but trouble...", started Jared.
"Well, she was right in a way.", I pointed out.
"No, this...this is the least of my troubles...she was an escort Shannon. And I saved her life. I took her away from her pimp. I bought her freedom.", continued Jared.
I looked at Jared not knowing if he was joking or not. In my eyes Anka had no erotic bone, but then again it's the quiet ones that surprise you in the end.
"No, seriously, it's true. I bought her freedom off for a million dollars.", said Jared unfazed.
"I knew we are crazy, but you took crazy to a next level. Sorry to break it to you.", I replied in return.
"You wanna know the funny thing? We didn't have sex for the first six months. Whenever I bought her an expensive gift or took her to that gala, she would just have a sad look on her face. Whenever I would get her a cheap thing from a shop she would be excited about it. She isn't in it for the money Shan. She isn't."
"Does mum know what she was up to? When she met you?", I asked.
"Yes. And she never judged her. Mum really likes her, because she took care of me. Whenever I came back home I would find dinner and believe me Anka is a bad ass cook. She loved the fact that I had a constant in my life.", explained Jared.
"Jared this situation is messed up. Really messed up.", I started.
"I know...Wait, Ella is calling me. Hold on.", he said pulling out his phone.
I never knew that things were so twisted between them. I felt that Jared was in a situation that was out of his hands. He never got himself involved too much in relationships, he never let himself fall in love. But now Anka made him feel things he denied for so long, that it was overwhelming him.
"What's up? Everything okay?", I asked him as he came back.
"Ella called. She redirected a call to me from Ireland. Apparently Anka hired a stock market investor to manage her savings. And that guy invested a big part of her savings in some stocks. Those stocks are worth about ten million euros. Well that changes everything...", he said raising his eyebrows.
"So? She's rich. Don't think that changes anything. What does that have to do with you?", I replied, not seeing the change he was seeing.
"The thing is that her lawyer called me. She drafted some papers when she was back in Romania. Just in case that everything goes well with the stocks. And...In the eventuality that something happens to her or her stocks, I am the one who gets everything.", he explained.
"What do you mean?"
"I get everything. Her apartment in Ireland everything. Everything penny and possessions that Anka has."
"Why? It's not like you two are married. Why would she do that?", I asked.
"I think she wants to pay me back the thing...the debt...The thing is that I don't want any money. I never wanted any money. The other problem is that I have to fly to Ireland. I'm the only person that can manage all the accounts.", added Jared.
"Does it have to be now?", I asked.
"Well, yes. She declined every right to her fortune. For me. There are a lot of papers that need to be filled and a lot of formalities. I don't know everything but I can't leave her like that Shan. I can't leave her with nothing Shan. She struggled too much...Look, I already talked to Ella. She booked me a flight for tonight. And I asked her to talk with Tomo and he said he can handle everything until I get back. I will be back in two days. Please take care of her. And call me if she wakes up.", he said softly.
He went inside her ward and took her hand in his.
"Baby girl, if you can hear me now, I want you to know that I will do right by you. You wanted to pay me back, and I respect you for that, but I love you with or without paying me back. Imma go to Ireland and imma make you proud baby. And I want you to be okay. You get that? I want you to get well and I want us to start all over. Because you make me happy.", he told her with tears drowning his eyes.
He kissed her goodbye and left.
"Please take care of her. And let me know if something changes.", he said hugging me and leaving.
I went back into Anka's ward and sat on a plastic chair. She was still sleeping, still not giving any sign that she would wake up. I looked at the photos Jared scattered around the place and started to smile. She was beautiful, not that beauty taken to extreme, but a more subtle kind of beautiful. Her eyes were very expressive and I could see by the way she was smiling from the photos that she loved Jared a lot. With an inner strength that I didn't see in anyone else that Jared has dated before.
Clearly Anka was special. She was more than Jared would've bargained and would've hoped for.
I could not however understand how she was forced into choosing to do what she did for a living. I also decided to stop judging, mainly because we all did our crazy things when we were young.
The day passed without any incidents or changes from her side. I got back the next morning to the hospital and I went straight to Anka's ward with a fresh bouquet of roses, just like Jared asked. Her eyes were wide open and she was crying slowly.
"Hey, you're awake! That's great news! I have to call Jared. Hey don't cry! It's gonna be okay!", I said leaving the roses on a table and hugging her.
"You don't get it. It's not gonna be okay. I'm so ashamed....", she murmured through tears.
"Hey, hey, Anka, it could've happen to anyone. You broke down, you couldn't handle it anymore."
"It wasn't supposed to happen to me. It just wasn't...Please Shannon, don't call Jared. I will ask when I will be discarded so I can be out of his hair. I wanted to end things. I couldn't help myself...I let some drugs take over me...and ruin everything."
"But he went to Ireland to sort everything out. He wants to make it work between you two. He loves you. And from what I can see you only did a minor screw up...", I said taking her hand in mine.
"He loves me? Look at me? I'm damaged. Who would want to love someone like me?", she asked through sniffles.
"Jared does. He loves you, he really does. I don't know why, he never told me why, but he loves you. And he loves you so much..."
Just then we heard a knock in the door. It was mum. She came inside, holding a tray of juice and food.
"Can I have a moment with Anka, Shan?", she said smiling.
"Yes sure. I'll let you two talk."
"No, you can stay Shan, don't worry. We have nothing to hide. Anka, I've overheard your discussion and what Shan is trying to say is that you have all our support. I know as a mother, who raised Jay and Shan that things will get tough. They were big troublemakers. Both of them. But I never stopped believing in them. Jared, he is the toughest, because you never know how he will react to things. But I knew how he reacted towards you. And believe me, I never seen him so loving and caring towards anyone. I've also never seen him so patient. So if you want to leave, you can leave. He will never force you into something you don't want, but I do know you love him just as much as he loves you. So if that doesn't matter to you, then no one will keep you here against your will.", she said calmly, gently holding her hand.
"But I don't know if I fit in Constance. I did what I did. You never judged me because of that. But I don't know if I can be the woman Jay wants me to be. I don't know if I can do parties or events or public appearances. I don't want them. I never did. I wanted him, just him."
"Well if you want him and you really love him,then you have to accept everything. No one said it's gonna be easy, but do you wanna try that? Are you willing to try that?"
She nodded with tears in her eyes. Mum hugged her tightly and she decided to call Jared. He needed to hear the good news. He deserved good news.
The second he heard her voice over the phone , he FaceTimed her. Me and my mum went out of the ward to give them some privacy. Her eyes sparkled with tears and she held her hand to her mouth.
"She loves him. She doesn't know that yet.", said mum, hugging me.
"Guess who likes Anka a lot.", I said giving her a nudge.
"I do...She reminds me a lot of myself when I was a teen."
"Insecure and with drug problems?"
"Just insecure. Trying to figure out who I was.", she replied softly.
"Do you think she will find out?"
"I'm thinking she will. She just needs bit of a push."