Chapter 4 - The Hospital
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I flicked my eyes open and looked around at my surroundings. I smelt the horrible smell that just screamed hospital to me. I scrunched up my nose and noticed Brandon sitting on the chair in the corner. He smiled when he noticed I was awake.
"You gave Mel quite the scare, Ashley. I was phoning you to see if you wanted to hang out again today but she responded and told me that you were here. She was very scared and worried about you." He said as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"What happened?" I asked my voice all scratchy because my throat was parched.
"You fainted in the car after a truck nearly hit Melanie's car." He said.
"Oh," I said and laid back down. I stared at the ceiling, unsure what to say to him.
"Are you still down for our date tonight?" Brandon asked me, after many moments of silence.
I shrugged, "Not too sure. I think I need to sleep this out. I feel like a damn zombie, I am so exhausted."
Brandon sighed, "I understand."
I could see that he felt disappointed. I didn't want to disappoint him. I was really starting to like him and I knew that he liked me. At night, I would think about him. Giggle about all the jokes and the memories we created together came rushing back to my mind.
"I was really looking forward to it though," I said with a grimace.
"Me too." He sighed, "But your health and safety come first."
"Oh my gosh! Ashley! Are you okay?" A frantic Melanie barged in through the door and I smiled at her.
"I'm fine," I said shrugging her off with a timid smile.
"Ash! I apologise I had to get you somewhere very fast and forgot you hated speed. Oh curse me i am so unintelligent sometimes!" She said face-palming herself.
I hated the fact that cars speeding scared me. It was difficult for me when all the girls in my class had gotten cars and driver's licenses yet I couldn't sit behind the wheel of the car without remembering the accident of my parents. 'Trauma' they said, 'It will fade with time' they said as well yet every time I think about them, I see those awful images of the accident flash before my eyes. Psychologists spent years trying to convince me that what happened wasn't my fault and that it was the ice on the road to blame but deep down I knew it was me. I had asked for speed and I had gotten what I wanted... speed. My parents didn't want to deprive me of anything, not even the thrill and the adrenaline rush I used to feel when cars sped and drifted on the road.
I wished they had let me cry and throw a tantrum without care. I wish they let me sulk and sob in the backseat. I wish they left me alone with my crocodile tears. Maybe then, they would still be here, with me.
"You mean stupid?" I said blinking away the thought of my parents.
Melanie glared at me with a huge frown gracing her face.
"No, unintelligent!" She insisted.
I shrugged, "That sounds like the same thing to me."
Melanie sighed, "I am so sorry Ash! The truck nearly hit us and I had to speed up otherwise we would have been crushed to a pulp. I am so sorry this had to happen."
"I will be fine. It was not your fault and I know that. So stop apologising to me, otherwise, I will tackle you or actually karate chop you. I have heard it hurts more," I replied to her and she smiled. At last. More of her natural colour was back, I mean when I saw her earlier she was as pale as a ghost.
"That is the Ashley Hayes I know, threatening people as always." She smiled.
She glanced at my wrists again, and then looked at me. Then pulled me closer and in a hushed voice, she said.
"I'm glad you have stopped." She said.
"Ahh sure," I said, I gulped and turned my wrists so that they were hidden.
"Cool, let's go home. Please. Make them discharge me, I don't want to stay here any longer!" I said and Melanie nodded.
"Maybe we should have them check her one more time!" Brandon said immediately.
"I don't think that is necessary." I said shaking my head, "I passed out. I didn't die."
"I am just worried about you," Brandon confessed and looked down at the floor.
"I will be fine. I promise." I said as I ushered him out of the ward door.
Melanie came back with the doctor. She performed all routine procedures before she happily signed all my discharge papers and ran off to administer to the needs of her other patients. Melanie and I walked silently towards the exit of the hospital.
When we walked out and through the glass sliding door, I noticed a very expensive car and two men. I recognised the car, it was the matte black sports car that Brandon loved to drive around in when we went on our date nights. Especially when we decided to eat snacks in the car and just drive around the city aimlessly.
"Ashley!" Brandon yelled when he spotted us leaving.
"How are you feeling? Did the doctor do more checkups on you before you were discharged?" He asked when we were right in front of him.
"I'm still okay. She did some small quick tests on me." I responded and he smiled.
"Good," Brandon stated.
"Wait! Did you tell her to do them?" I asked.
Brandon nodded, "Of course I did. I was not letting you leave without being a hundred percent sure that you are in good health."
"I told you I was."
"You like to suffer in silence, Ash. Let me take care of you." He pleaded as he grabbed both of my hands and held onto them as though his life depended on them. He was looking straight into my eyes and I could literally feel my insides melting at his sweet gaze.
"Enough sappiness you two!" A man who was standing next to Brandon said with a smirk, "I find it quite rude that you haven't found the time to introduce me to your very lovely friends."
Glancing at Mel from my peripheral vision, I saw her fidgeting with her hands a sign she was highly nervous. I even saw a tinge of red on her cheeks. I was certain that she had a crush on him. I had assumed that she had a thing for Louis but apparently not, she had the hots for this man standing right in front of us.
The man was tall, as tall as Brandon and he looked very fit. He had black hair and emerald green eyes. I knew that Mel had a strange weakness for men that harboured green eyes and curly black hair.
"Sorry!" Brandon said as he rolled his eyes, "Ash, Mel, this is my best friend Alessio Jackson."
"Lovely to meet you both." He said with a smile that would make Prince Charming jealous.
"Les, this is Ashley and Melanie." Brandon then said as he gestured to us both
"Nice to meet you!" Melanie and I said simultaneously as Alessio pulled us in and hugged us both tightly.
The scent of sandalwood radiated off of him. However, I personally do prefer Brandon's smell of lemon and mint. I would never let him know that, he would tease me for the rest of my life.
"Nice to meet you too." He drawled.
I smiled at him and I glanced at Melanie who looked like she had grown a whole tomato on her head. Her cheeks and forehead were all flaming red as she grinned.
"So are you ladies busy tomorrow?" Alessio asked us.
"Yes!"
"No!"
I said 'yes' as Melanie said 'no' and I glared at her. I was hoping to sleep and rest for the whole day just to get rid of the shock that happened today.
"What are you doing tomorrow?" Alessio asked giving me his full attention.
"Getting to know my bed better?" I said but it sounded more of a question.
"Hey, you said that to me!" Brandon said and I shrugged.
"She likes to sleep a lot!" Melanie piped in and I glared at her.
"Ah like Brandina over here!" Alessio said ruffling Brandon's hair while Brandon just glared at him, red rushing to his cheeks immediately. It was immensely cute.
"I. Told. You. Not. To. Call. Me. That!" Brandon says, making sure to pronounce every single syllable while Alessio just guffaws with laughter. It even got to the point where he clutched his stomach as tears rolled down his face.
"Sure, Brandina, and as for you Miss Hayes you are going to wake up early tomorrow, me and Brandon are taking you guys both for a picnic. Both of you. Be ready, we will fetch you at eight." Alessio said and I rolled my eyes.
"In the morning?" I asked in despair.
"She is a night owl!" Brandon said.
"Well, you can try to be a morning bird for one day," Alessio said with a smirk.
"Okay, we will see you tomorrow!" Melanie chirped incredibly cheerily.
"That's good, see you tomorrow Melanie, Ashley," Alessio said before he and Brandon got into the expensive sports car.
Brandon rolled down the window and poked his head out, "Text me when you get home safe. Don't forget!" He said.
"I won't! Bye Brandon."
"Bye Ash."
They both waved at us and Brandon sped out leaving us in the centre of the exit alone.
"Let's go home," I said and Melanie nodded.
"Let's." She said. We walked to where she parked the car. It was quite the distance away. I sat in the passenger seat and strapped the seatbelt. Mel pushed the key into the ignition and drove home at a moderate pace.
We reached our apartment a good thirty minutes later. I headed straight to the shower, I was in desperate need of some soap and warm water. I scrubbed myself clean before getting dressed in my warm pyjamas and headed straight to bed to sleep. Melanie made me miss out on a lot of sleep by waking me up early today.
I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling. All the lights were off. I couldn't sleep though. Brandon was on my mind, he was all I could think of at the moment.
I slept and dreamt of a wedding, I was the bride and Brandon was the groom. We all knew that the dream I had had was never going to be a reality, to me, it seemed like the biggest impossibility. I was a pauper and he was a royal Prince. Relationships like ours had too many struggles and hurdles coming up. My only hope was that Brandon was not playing with my feelings and that he was as genuine with me as I was being with him.
I woke with a start the next morning, I glanced at the little clock and saw it was only five in the morning. Quite early for someone like me.
Since I was up I decided to get ready for the plans that Alessio had practically forced us to accept and tag along. I showered and cleaned my hair and made sure to add a slight curl, to add volume and make it more bouncy. I did my make-up and made sure to spread some foundation across my wrists. I dressed in white short shorts and a black crop top. I slipped on my favourite pair of black sandals. I looked at the time and realised it was half-past seven and that Melanie hadn't come barging in to wake me up so I headed to her room and banged on the door rather harshly.
She didn't say anything so I slipped inside and saw she was still asleep and I shook her.
"Mel!"
"What?" She groaned.
"It's half-past seven. We are leaving at eight!" I said to her.
She got up with a start.
And the crazy running around started.
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Hey guys!
The fourth chapter is out! We see Melanie has forgotten to wake Ashley up! And we meet another hot C.E.O Alessio!
What do you think so far?
Brandon: I am upset that you Alessio called me Brandina!
Alessio: what can I say he loves me!
Melanie: *giggles*
Brandon: Oh hell no! I do not!
Alessio: yeah you do how could you throw away our bromance like that Brandina don't you care?
Brandon: no!
Ash: aww bromance!
Mel: yeah awww
Brandina: shut up!
Alessio: yeah shut up!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Consider leaving a vote and comment behind letting me know how you found the newly edited version!