Afraid To Love – Episode 25

By Patience Ahworegba
 74

She took a deep breath. The pains she felt were really agonizing. It had spread from her head to the other parts of her body. Something had to be done. The need for her to feel her temperature surged through her entire being. She had to do it.

Her hand didn’t move. It was stuck. She tried again and that hurt her even more. She turned her neck to see why her hands refused to cooperate, it was then she realized that she – not just her arms – was fastened to the chair she sat on. Her hands were tied behind her with a rope – which caused her lots of pains. Her entire body was tied to the chair, so were her legs. That was why she ached all over. What was she doing? Jeremy had been the last person she saw till. . . . . . . .
“Oh, no,” she whispered.

Ernest fastened his eyes on her face. He’d been watching her every move. He noticed the shock on her face having realized that she was captured. Those expressions made her look prettier in his eyes. His desire and cravings for her intensified. This is the woman of my dreams, I’d do everything for her, he thought, silently. It hurt him to hurt her, but that was the only way he could make her his. “Sweet, welcome back.”

Purity raised her head to gaze at him. She was weak, exhausted. She yearned for a good rest, food and water. She couldn’t fathom why she was all tied up and how long she had been that way. She just wanted to be set free. “Please, untie me. I need to be released.”

He smirked and moved closer. “Of course darling, I’ll release you. But, under one condition.”

“Let me hear it.” The urge to rip that disgusting smirk off his face seeped into her blood. She so much wanted to have her revenge, it wasn’t the right time. She just had to act cool.

He was directly at her front. He dropped to his knees so as to see her eye to eye. “You have to call off the marriage with my precious cousin,” he snickered. “And you’ll be my wife.”

Purity coughed and spat on his face. “I’ll never choose you over Jeremy! You’re a stupid, arrogant demon! You’ll die waiting for me to ever become yours.” The energy she used in speaking to him, suddenly evoked her. He was being unreasonable. She’d never betray Jeremy that way.

He quickly mopped up the liquid from his face with a towel. “Melisa, you have done this before. I won’t take it from you this time around.”

In a blink, he stretched out his right arm and held her face tightly. He trusted his head forward and fiercely devoured her lips. He forced his way into her mouth, sucking her tongue and licking her lips. It was what he badly wanted and he had finally gotten it.

Purity didn’t know what he was thinking or what he was about to do when he violently took hold of her precious face. He kissed her demandingly. Ah, she hated this much more. She groaned, trying to free herself from his hungry kiss. She struggled with all her might, but it was all in vain. Her hands and legs were not active to help her out of the situation she was in. An idea struck her! She shook her entire body violently, with all her might, hoping to get his lips off hers. Her head was not an exception. She shook it too.

Her idea seemed to work. Ernest was very much preoccupied with tasting her lips. He didn’t give attention to anything else. As she had her way, she bit his upper lip, fiercely.

Ernest shrieked, painfully as he let go of her and staggered backwards. He touched his lip which Purity had bitten hard. It hurt but it didn’t bleed. He was thankful for that. He rubbed it. “Why did you do it?”

Purity grunted. If she had her way, she’d have bitten his entire lips off and made sure he wouldn’t force his revolting lips on any woman ever again. “This would be the very last time you’d kiss me again.”

He laughed. “You’re still full of energy, huh?”

She didn’t say a word to his taunt. Her angry eyes just stared into his – warning him.

“Oh, my dear Melisa,” he moved closer to her, “I sure kiss better than Jeremy. I think that’s why you had to stop yourself. You were going to fall for my very touch and me, only me clouded your mind.”

“He’s a better kisser!” she retorted.

Ernest chuckled. “Then, maybe I have to go and do some more practice. The next time, perhaps, we might end up tearing each other’s clothes. I’d make sure Jeremy hears of it.”

“When you have me tied up here? You’re sick Ernest! It’d only happen in your dreams. You’ll never have me.” She was visibly scared and shaking. Her effort to put up a brave front wasn’t easy. She was deeply terrified.

He laughed bitterly, “I have you now.” He caressed her face with his right palm.

75

“How did it go?” Darren questioned Jeremy with his hopes high. He was standing right in front of Jeremy.

Jeremy breezed past him and found himself a seat. He rested fully on it and let out a loud breath. “It was good,” he drawled.

“What exactly happened?” Darren was already seated beside Jeremy.

“It was really difficult for him to come to terms with the fact that his one daughter’s missing. I felt his frustrations and pains. I told him not to worry, things are gonna get better and we’d do it quick. Real fast,” he paused, reminiscising the event, “The good things is that he trusts me and is going to provide all I need to get his daughter back. I have his support.”

“You don’t really need a thing from him. You’re a billionaire.”

“Its the only way I can get him involved and to show I really value him as I do my father.” It took several pleadings and expressions of trust and secrecy for Jeremy to accept the help of Mr. Aaron Theodore.

“Have you told your dad?”

“What? Do you want him to die? I’m not revealing a single thing to him. He shouldn’t find out. Aaron Theodore swore never to mention it to him.”

Darren didn’t agree to that. “What if the information just pops up and he gets to hear of it? He has to know.”

“Oh, no brother,” Jeremy refused to be persuaded, “He’ll only get to hear of that when she’s found. I’m warning you.” Jeremy was firm and definite. He knew that Darren would want to involve his father and if possible, the whole world to save Purity. It was his kind of person – the more people that knew, the problem was getting solved. Jeremy was not going to accept that.

“Fine, if that’s what you want.” Darren accepted defeat. “What’s my mission here?”

Jeremy straightened up and cleared his throat. “I want this to be a private investigation. Involving you, Allan and I. You are a great detective and I could really use your help.”

“What do you and Allan know about detective jobs?” Darren jokingly asked.

Jeremy smiled. “That’s why you’re here. We should not alert the cops. I don’t want the abductors to know we’ve alerted them. They could harm my precious, do something horrid to her. And I need to catch them unawares.”

“Hmm.” Darren mused over Jeremy’s words, silently. “I see your point, I get what you’re driving at. But this is a dead end. We don’t even know where they are or who he is? How do we go about this?”

A pleasant smile creased Jeremy’s face. “I have two suspects and I’m sure of it.”

“Yeah?” Darren was loving this. “Who are they?”

Jeremy let out a breath. “My cousin – Ernest Turner and my ex – Tricia Cayson.”

“Cayson? David Cayson’s daughter?” That name rang a bell.

“Yeah. That’s right.”

Darren was dumbsruck beyond any doubts. David Cayson had once been his boss. What in the name of God was Jeremy talking about? The daughter of a superintendent? His suspect and ex girlfriend? “You don’t know what you’re talking about. That guy is in one of the forces. He’s a law man. How can you suspect his only child? He’ll rip your head off your body.”

“I didn’t know her father was a cop when I started dating her. It was later on she revealed that to me. She too is part of it, but not active yet.” Jeremy glanced at his friend, “What’s getting you jittery? No one’s above the law. She’s gonna pay for what she has done. One reason its better private.”

“Good point, Jeremy. But he was nice to me when he was my boss.” Darren was suddenly confused. He couldn’t conclude whether to chase the daughter of his ex boss or not.

“Show your appreciation by making the man realize who his daughter really is. She has been stalking me and stuck to me even after I made it clear to her that we’re over. She has this intense hatred for Purity. She warned me that she’ll never share me with anyone again and if she can’t have me, then no other woman would.”

“A jealous woman’s talk,” Darren remarked.

“I had thought so too. She’s not just jealous. She’s obsessed with me. And my cousin’s helping her ’cause he’s into Purity. They simply won’t let us be.” A look of disgust was clearly seen on Jeremy’s face.

Darren laughed. “Why don’t they just get together? They’re the same.”

“That’s the problem. They’re alike. They don’t attract eachother.”

 76

“Wisely said.” Darren studied his friend intently. “What’s up with you Jeremy? You have really changed. You actually never cared about women in the past or how they felt about you. Presently, you are even willing to risk your life for this one women. The one woman who made you take no from a lady. Has she enchanted you? Got you under her spell?”

He laughed. “What I feel for her just keeps growing as the day passes by. I can’t keep missing her. I want to see her a and know if the intense feelings will disappear.”

“Oh. And that’s when you’ll fall deeper into her charms.”

“I don’t know what to call it yet. I’ve never felt this way in my life.”

“Afraid to call it love? Afraid to love her? She has broken into pieces, the walls you built round your heart.”

Jeremy nodded solemnly. “Maybe.”
*
*
*
“Excuse me, miss,” Dr. Allan said to a lady snooping around the hospital for hours now, “How may we help you?”

The lady causing so much trouble spun around to face the owner of the familiar voice that had just spoken to her. She was ready to vent all her anger on him. “I am looking for a patient. He was admitted here two days ago. I need to see him!” she demanded.

Dr. Allan was shocked knowing it was Tricia that had been causing all the ruckus that morning. The previous day, she had said she’d come back. She really meant it? “Calm down, Miss Tricia. Who exactly are you looking for?” Allan was wearing a cool smile, knowing that would provoke her further.

“You know who it is I am searching for,” she snapped. “Its Jeremy Broderick!”

“Oh,” Allan said still smiling. “He was discharged this morning. He recovered quickly and his memory is back. Isn’t that a relief?”

He knew what he was doing. He was deliberately irritating her with his calm words and smile. He was having his way, she was already filled with anger, she was so mad at this d–n doctor! She so much wanted to smack that smile off his face. “What do you mean discharged? How is it possible he got his memory back so fast?” she rhetorically asked. “Maybe I should call a more qualified doctor to handle his case since you’ve proven that you’re incapable of handling it.” She was going to get back at him.

“Do you mind following me to my office to see for yourself the file that shows his recovery? He confided in me that he remembers everything.”

Jeremy. Jeremy. She didn’t know what to feel for him anymore – love or hate. “Why wasn’t I informed?”

“I’m sorry? Are you one of his relatives? Friends?”

“Idiot!” she spat at him, “I am his wife-to-be! Show some respect!” Yes, she deserved respect, respect from Jeremy’s so-called doctor.

Allan tried gulping down his laughter. He used his right palm to cover his mouth and her chuckled silently. He withheld himself strongly. This b—h was amusing, she’s really crazy, parading herself as the fiancee of his good friend. Now he understood why Jeremy was tired of her. “If you’re truly his fiancee, you should have been the first to know.” His palm was out of his mouth.

Tricia rolled her eyes, “He’ll definitely call me later.”

“I understand his girlfriend to be Purity Theodore. The woman of his dreams,” Allan never stopped smiling innocently. “She’s his only wife-to-be.”

Tricia was goaded to the point that she flung her right hand to give the doctor a slap.

Allan was fast enough, he caught her hand right before it got to his face. “I don’t take it easy with women who hit me. Neither am I good friends with women who pry into people’s lives. You don’t want to be my enemy.” Allan’s gaze was murderous, that smile had slowly turned into a frown.

“Let me go!” Tricia ordered, almost on top of her voice. She wasn’t going to be intimidated and insulted by this jerk of a doctor. She had to deal with him. She tried to get her hand from his grasp, but it wasn’t working. His grip was deadly. “Let go!”

“I understand she was recently kidnapped by you and a brat. I’m watching you. Purity’s watching you too. You won’t get away. Especially you.” He dropped her hand and walked out on her. Smiling to himself for putting fear into her. It was a good job. They’d be so proud of him.

Tricia stiffened, watching the doctor leave her alone. Blood drained from her body. She was indecisive at that moment. Terrified and much more confused

… To be continued