MY PLACE
RUEN
"Pin..." Wiping the tears from her cheek, I gave her a weak smile. "If you cry like that, John's gonna think the worst." I took the phone from her and put it on speaker.
"I'm sorr-ry." She sniffed. "Just relieved that you finally woke up."
"Thank god, you're ok." He held back a sob. "You scared me. You scared us."
I'm sure somewhere, in between the scuffle, I must have been afraid too.
"Sorry. You're my man, John." I took a deep breath, thankful that the medication was at work, or else the simple act of breathing would have been laboriously painful.
"As long as you're ok, Rue."
I yawned. The medication's starting to make me sleepy again. Pin retrieved her phone from me now that she's seemed to calm down.
"You have to rest now, Ruen."
"I'm not tired." I must talk to John. Today, Amelia's due back in the country. I wanted to know where she was.
Is she here?
Will she still be coming back to me?
"You can barely keep your eyes open."
"Work?" Though unable to focus, I gazed at Pin. It's already way past office hours but she still hasn't left. I think her watch reads: 3:30 in the afternoon.
"The perks of being the boss, Rue." She touched my cheek with the back of her hand. I leaned into the comforting hand and sighed.
"Sleep, babe," John said through the line.
"Talk?" I slowly opened my eyes trying my luck in beating the sandman.
"I'll be the first person you'll see the next time you're up." He promised.
I want Amelia.
"She's drifting, John." Still caressing my cheeks, Pin tried to be as quiet as possible when she addressed the man.
"Is she in pain?"
"The painkiller's easing it for her."
I can only listen in. My damn eyes won't open.
"What did the doctor say?"
"Three broken ribs. The trauma also caused small pneumothorax."
"Small pneumothorax?"
"Partially punctured lung. It's confined to a small area."
"Shit! Is Miranda, there?"
"She was but Ruen said something to her that made her walk out of here with a scary determined face."
Sorry for putting you on the spot, Mim.
"Is she gonna be ok?"
"The doctor said the bones will heal on its own in a few weeks. However, the punctured lung is a tricky matter." She drew circles on my palm. "If left unmonitored, though it's small, it may progress and cause serious cardiovascular impairment."
I could hear the weariness in her voice. She's been here with me since last night. She needs to take some time out.
I slowly opened my eyes.
"Pin... tired?" I said through the fog in my brain. "Rest too."
"I'm good, Ruen."
"Been here up... all night." My eyes start drooping again. "Not... good."
"You don't want me here?" She asked, obviously hurt.
I shook my head no. "... not... fair... you."
It's not fair, Pin.
I don't want you to hope for something I'm not ready to give.
It's not right to just take.
The phone forgotten; she clasped my hands. Gazing at me with gentle eyes, I knew she understood what I meant.
"My choice, Rue." A lone tear fell. "As I said, this time, I'm choosing you."
Finally...
I could no longer keep my eyes on her. Succumbing into the darkness, I felt relieved somehow.
Someone wants me.
Just me.
However, am I being too much for wishing it to be someone else?
Wish it was you.
* * *
AMELIA
"Lia, wait!" Rach said as she and John came to a stop beside me.
Quietly holding my tongue while John and that woman, Penelope, and Ruen talked earlier, I was patient even when I was already out of my mind with worry.
While I was away enjoying what I thought was my freedom from being forced into an arrangement, Ruen was out enduring things I knew nothing of. All because I totally cut her out in the guise of finding myself when I was away.
I saw a temporary way out and I ran away as fast as I could.
After finally knowing everything from John, I told him to drive us here.
"That's her room," I said. It wasn't a question.
Two burly men were standing just outside the door. Continuing to walk as quickly as I could, I reached it in no time.
I was about to enter when I noticed Ria and Sabrina huddled on the bench behind the man. They stood up when they saw me but I ignored them. Right now, I wanted to see Ruen.
Holding on to the handle, I was stopped by the man before I could slide it open.
"You can't go inside, ma'am."
Not wanting to create a scene, I pinned the man with a hard stare and addressed him with a low clipped voice.
"You dare stand in between me seeing my wife?"
The man fidgeted.
"Mom, Simon, and Ruen are talking inside, Lia," Sabrina said.
I don't care.
I want to be with her now.
"Is Miranda or Penelope with Ruen too?" John asked.
Penelope...
'My choice, Rue.'
'As I said, this time, I'm choosing you.'
She said the words Ruen needed and wanted to hear.
That was my place.
It should have been me!
But I didn't have the courage to take the stand.
Stupid, Lia!
"No." The younger woman said. "They took off as Ruen requested."
Hearing that, John said to me. "Get in there. She's alone."
The men moved to block the door. A move that angered me more.
"Rach, call my security service, and have them come here within minutes." Rachel unhooked her phone and did as I asked.
"They're the best. Grandfather hired them." Sabrina said.
I kept on ignoring her and glared at the men before me. "You're relieved."
"Lia," Ria finally talked. "They're here to keep her safe."
"By keeping me from seeing my wife?"
"Just only after they're done talking."
"I want to see her now!" John and Rachel flanked me as I pushed the men aside. "Move!"
Sliding the door open, I stepped inside and locked it before they could take me out. All eyes turned to me as I approached Ruen. Locking on the only pair of eyes that mattered, I walked to her side.
Propped up on an elevated bed and IV drip at her side, her upper body was leaning comfortably. The red-purple bruise on the right side of her cheek was visible.
"Where else do you hurt?" She smiled at me when I cupped the other cheek. I also noted a busted lip.
"All better now." She licked her dry lips and cringed when it made contact with the wound.
I bent down and kissed her gently.
"I'm sorry, Ruen." Whispering, I rested my forehead on hers. "I messed up."
"You're here." I heard her say.
"If you'll still have me." She gasped as if in pain. I pulled back. "Should I call a doctor in?"
Unable to say a word, she shook her head no.
"Ruen," Sarah spoke up.
I looked at her and Simon who were still in the room.
"The man who did this?" I asked Sarah. "Who was it?"
"Amelia..." Ruen called to me.
"David," Simon said.
I stiffened when I heard the name.
Turning back to face Ruen, I touched her again to make sure she's real.
Please, not him...
"Stouffer. David Stouffer."
My fingers trembled.
Not Ruen.
Rumors about Stouffer being a sexual predator was known in the showbiz circle. And, if everyone wasn't so scared of him and his money, it would have been a publicly known fact.
Numerous talents who started out claimed to have been assaulted by him but chose to hide out in fear.
I remembered him towering over Ruen the night I first saw her perform.
Please, not her.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, she held my hand against hers. "Nothing like that happened."
Struggling against the lump in my throat, I kissed her again.
"I'll get him for this," I promised. "There's a whole lot of hell he's bound to pay."
"Please, let it go, Lia," Sarah said.
Let it go?
I whipped back and incredulously stared at the woman. "Let it go?"
"Ms. Evans, it is..."
I didn't let him finish. "Why was he there, Simon."
He fell silent.
"You banned him from the premises." I straightened up but did not leave the bedside. "How did he get in?"
"I said let it go!" Sarah exclaimed. "No one's going after him."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You're just going to let it slide?" I screamed at her. "He assaulted Ruen!"
"I know." Lowering her head, I could see her jaw set as her fingers curled in anger. "I was there, Lia."
"Then how could—" I was stopped by Ruen's hand on my arm. She shook her head as if to tell me to stop.
"No one's pressing charges, Sarah."
Jaw hanging slack, I said. "Yes, we are."
"Amelia, please."
I took a steadying breath and though it killed me to acquiesce to her request. Looking at the ceiling corner, I finally relented.
"Rest assured, Sarah." I heard Ruen say.
"That request goes for you as well, Ruen." The woman said. "Don't do anything you'll end up regretting. Think of Ria."
Ruen's grip tightened on my arm.
"In case you failed to notice, Sarah." Ruen did a breathing exercise before continuing. "The pain that will course on my body for the next few weeks is more than I could handle. At this moment, I can only concentrate on how to breathe through it and nothing more."
That does it!
They're leaving!
I removed Ruen's hand and kissed her head. I moved to Sarah and Simon and pushed them to the door.
Unlocking the door, Sarah turned to Ruen. "Ria's outside."
"I don't want her in here," Ruen said. "Seeing me like this would do her and me no good. Just keep her away."
Sarah nodded, resigned.
When they left, I pulled a chair and placed it beside her. I could see her brows furrowed in pain.
"Do I call for someone?" I don't know what to do.
"It's ok."
I saw the patient-controlled analgesia button beside her. Taking it in my hands, I tried to press it. Ruen stopped me.
"I still want to talk to you." She said, "The medication makes me loopy and tired."
"I want that too but you're in pain." Pulling her hand away, I pressed it and waited until the pain in her features eased.
"See..." Unable to keep her gaze on me. "Sleepy... again..."
She sighed constantly when I gave her a lingering kiss on the lips.
"I'll be here, Ruen."
I am not running anywhere this time.
"It will be alright. I'll keep you safe."
"Missed... you." I watched as fatigue claimed her and her eyes closed.
Even after everything...