"So lemme get this straight? Rebecca breached her restraining order?" Layla says as she ticks each one from her fingers. "She's dyed her hair brown" she ticks another finger off with a shocked expression. "Did not see that comin" she mutters shaking her head. I snort laugh, but I end up choke—coughing.
Shite, I hate being sick...
"You okay? Do you need your inhaler?" She asks reaching for my inhaler.
I shake my head. no
She grimaces but doesn't question me. "Okay, so what else, what else—oh yeah, the identical clothing and perfume to yours" she says knocking the rest of them off her fingers. "I don't fucking blame you for being paranoid babe, that shit sounds fucking freaky to me" she says shaking her head looking at the clock her eyes widen. "Shit, I better get going—otherwise am gonna be late for work, this is all your fault this, with all your juicy goss" she points at me with mock accusation. "I'll pass the sick note on to Chelle for you and let them know how you are too" she says getting her coat back on.
"Thanks, babe," I say with a sneeze.
"Bless you, awwww—feel better soon babe, love you," she says as she turns to leave the apartment.
"Love you too" I shout after her and sneeze again.
fucking hell, I'm surprised I've still got a fucking nose the amount of sneezing I've done...
Just then I get a text, reaching over I pick up my phone to see who it's from— it's from Craig.
My Babe: Don't forget to take your meds baby, I shouldn't be too long here— get some rest and I'll see you soon, I love you Xx
I reply I love you too to his message and take my morning antibiotics with some paracetamol for my temperature, lying down on the couch I suddenly feel sleepy as my eyes close and I drift off to sleep.
Sometime later, I start to come round from my sleep hearing a familiar voice near me. "What's she doin here? She shouldn't be here, she shouldn't be here at all— I should be here, Craig's mine—she took him from me" she hisses angrily, she's silent for a beat until she speaks again. "No, I couldn't do that— yes, you're right, she's taken everything from me" she says her voice laced with hatred.
Rebecca, Fucking hell, she really has lost the plot—
I stay silent not wanting to fuel the fire, especially when she's obviously not well... I need to tell Craig.
I feel a hand on my head, stroking my hair and I force myself not to move. "Yes, when the time is right— I'll be the one here, not her" she giggles. "I know I'll be the one to make him happy—In the end, I'll be Mrs Catherine Berkeley— you're on borrowed time, Catherine, enjoy it while it lasts" she laughs evilly patting my head lightly and then she's gone, I wait till I hear the soft click of our door before I leap up reaching for my phone and dial Craig up...
Holy shit— she wants to kill me...
He answers on the second ring. "Hey baby, how are you feeling? Did you take your meds?" He says happily and my heart soars at the sound of his voice.
"Craig" I sob, my voice cracks.
"Kitty Cat? What's wrong?" He asks frantically as I hear his footsteps quicken.
"She was here, Rebecca was here—in our home, she's gonna kill me Craig— " I cry.
"What?" He growls angrily
"Rebecca, she plans on killing me and saying shit like taking my place—Craig, I don't think she's well, mentally i mean, she was talking to someone, but no one else spoke—just her, she want's you Craig and she's not gonna stop until she does" I say, my hands are shaking, my heart is breaking at the fact that me being with Craig is doing this.
"She won't fucking touch you" he hisses.
I lose it then. "But she did Craig, she did fucking touch me—she got into our building, into our home and touched me, she fucking stroked my hair whilst I was pretending to be asleep as she was telling me to enjoy the time I had with you, saying that I was on borrowed time" I scream hoarsely down the phone whilst tears cascade down my face.
My cough gets worse then, as I struggle to breathe, dropping the phone I reach for my inhaler and I can hear Craig's voice shouting down the phone, I take two puffs of my inhaler breathing each puff in slowly and try to calm my breathing, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
shit am I having an asthma attack? Fuck, I haven't had one in years...
I don't know how long it's been, but I hear Craig's booming voice before I see him. "Catherine? Baby?" He shouts as he enters the apartment, he sees me and his eyes widen and reaches for me taking me in his arms. "Shit baby, are you okay? Lemme call an ambulance" he says getting his phone out to call for an ambulance. "How... did.. you... get... here...so...fast?" I pant breathlessly, and I start coughing again.
"Ssh, baby, I was already on my way home when you called me," he says, as he listens on the phone. "Hey, yes, ambulance please, Thanks," He says hugging me closer. "Yes, I need an ambulance for my fiancée—I think she's having an asthma attack," He tells the operator.
fiancée?
My heart soars, yet panics at the word, his thumb circles on the skin of my hip, his touch distracting me as he gives our information to the operator.
"Have you had your inhaler at all baby?" He asks keeping the phone to his ear.
I nod, holding one finger up, hopefully, he'll take that sign for I've had it once—breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth slowly.
"She's has it once," He says through the phone still looking at me. "I think she needs oxygen, she's struggling to breathe" He adds, his voice is frantic now.
I reach up stroking his cheek, trying to soothe him. "It's okay baby, the ambulance is on its way" he tells me. "Listen, mate, I'm just gonna put you on speakerphone okay? Cos I need to hold my girl" He tells him as he puts the operator on speakerphone and puts his phone down.
"Mr Berkeley, the paramedics need access to your home— can you possibly ring down to your doormen to notify them coming?" He asks Craig.
"Fuck" Craig mutters under his breath and looks to me apologetically. "I'm sorry baby, just one minute while I ring down to Clive—I'll be right back, okay?" He tells me kissing my forehead, he rings down to Clive informing him that there is an ambulance on the way and to let the paramedics up.
"I'm here baby, are you okay?" he asks as he takes me in his arms again.
"Catherine?" the operator says loud enough for me to hear him. "Can you take your inhaler again?" He asks, I nod to Craig and he reaches for my inhaler, and puts the inhaler in my mouth, holding it there, he pushes two puffs—one after the other, into me as I breathe them in.
"Good, baby" Craig praises, as I breathe them in—I cough taking in the last puff, and just then there is a knock on the door.
"Hello? Did somebody call an ambulance? It's the paramedics" A male voice shouts.
"Come in, mate" Craig shouts as I cough.
"Mr Berkeley, Mrs Berkeley" The operator on the phone shouts. "I shall leave you in the capable hands of the paramedics now, I do hope you get better Catherine, Goodbye" and hangs up the phone as two paramedics, a male and a female, walk in with their medic bags.
"Right, can you tell me what's happening here?" the female paramedic asks Craig as she puts her bag down.
"My fiancée, Catherine, hasn't been well, she suffers from asthma, it's been under control until lately, it only gets worse when she's ill," He tells her,
"Right, So do you think you've had an asthma attack then Catherine? When was the last attack you had?" She asks me.
"Years," I say breathlessly "I don't get sick that often" I add.
"Okay, lets set you up with some oxygen and we'll go from there, okay?" She smiles warmly at me.
"I'll call your mum and dad, baby," Craig says softly kissing my forehead and gets his phone out.
I look to the female paramedic and she's looking longingly at Craig, she sees me looking at her, I raise my eyebrows at her as she looks away sheepishly. "So, you're engaged to Craig Berkeley, Eh?" She asks me. "Lucky Girl," She grins as she puts the oxygen mask over my face.
"Mine," I say to her, even with the mask I know she can understand me. She puts her hands up in surrender and starts filling out the necessary paperwork.
Craig comes over again. "Your mum and dad are meeting us at the hospital, they're dropping Holly off at Eva's first," he says as he sits next to me kissing my forehead. I nod, closing my eyes getting lost in his touch.
The male paramedic comes over. "Right Catherine, I'm gonna need to do some obs on you if that's okay? Just a quick check of your blood pressure, heart rate and temperature, then we'll be good to go" He smiles warmly, I nod and he gets to work.
Ten minutes later, he's taking the blood pressure cuff from my arm. "Right Catherine, your BP is a little on the high side, your heart rate too— your temperature is 39.8C but that's a given considering you being unwell. You're on the oxygen mask so, I'm not too concerned with that." He says. "So, that's all done, shall we get you down to the ambulance?" He asks me. "We've bought a wheelchair to take you down in the elevator, where is that Mandy? Bring it over here please" He says to the female paramedic who I now know is known as Mandy...
Well as long as Mandy, keeps her eyes and hands off my man, I don't care what she does. Mandy walks over to the wheelchair, and wheels it over to me. The male paramedic goes to lift me, when....
"I'm carrying her" Craig announces, I smile behind my oxygen mask.
"What?" The paramedic asks.
"I said, I'm carrying her, there's no need for the wheelchair or you carrying her" He growls.
"Fine mate, whatever" The paramedic scowls at Craig.
Craig lifts me in his arms effortlessly, kissing my forehead. I look to Mandy to see her grimacing at the display of affection from my man. I let out a little giggle of triumph.
"What're you giggling at baby?" He grins.
"Oh, Nothing, I love you" I say my voice muffled by the oxygen mask.
"I love you too baby, let's get you to the hospital, Eh?" He kisses my forehead again and walks out apartment with the paramedics in tow.
Then I remember, Rebecca—