COMPLICATED – Episode 18

COMPLICATED

 

Written by Princess Juliet

 

Episode 18

 

Her feelings

 

Atarah’s eyes slowly fluttered open. Weariness settled on her brow as she rubbed her eyes and glanced towards the window.

 

The sun had risen brightly and its slanting rays casted a rosy hue across the morning sky. Another day had dawned, bringing with it new hopes and aspirations.

 

She stretched her languid body and sat up, reaching for her phone which was at the head of the bed. But when she switched it on, disappointment flashed across her face.

 

After sobbing herself to sleep, Jayden had still not returned her calls nor responded to her text messages. ‘But why?’ She became increasingly worried, ‘is he angry with me? Did I offend him in any way? Or wait!’ Her heart skipped a beat and then began to pound in her ears, ‘has his brother already told him about the kiss? Oh no!’ A sinking feeling of panic swept over her, a temporary paralyzing fear and with great difficulty, she climbed out of bed and slowly walked into the bathroom.

 

What was wrong with her? She couldn’t tell.

Her chest felt so heavy and her mind was so confused. ‘Oh God, please save me!’ Taking off her nighties, she brushed her teeth and staggered to the shower, letting the ice-cold water start her day anew.

 

She returned to the room feeling rested and refreshed and hurriedly changed into jeans, a light shirt and black boots. She then stood before the mirror and tied her hair up in a messy bun and applied light-coloured lipstick, to sum up her looks.

 

Satisfied, she picked up her handbag along with her phone and dashed out of the room.

 

“Good morning mum,” She greeted her mother who was in the kitchen and her mother paused cleaning to peek through the curtain.

 

“Morning child,” She chuckled lightly seeing the way her daughter was dressed, “You are on your way to school right?”She then asked an obvious question.

 

“Yes ma,” Atarah avoided turning around. She stepped out of the house and stopped short, surprised.

 

Jayden’s black sports car was coming towards her house, slowly approaching her. ‘Is this for real?’ She had to pinch herself to make sure she was not dreaming and yes, his car was now in full view, parked right in front of her.

 

“Dr Jayden.” A strange feeling of excitement filled her as she watched him alight and all her sadness and fears disappeared.

Without thinking, she jumped and threw her arms around him with enough force to drive him back a step.

 

Jayden chuckled throatily and held her close to him rather too tightly, but she didn’t mind one bit. She wanted to lose herself in his warmth and inhale all of his sweet masculine scents. “How are you, princess?” His voice had a soothing hypnotic effect and she gazed up at him, her dark brown eyes round and huge

 

“You didn’t return my calls, why?” She faked a frown and playfully glared at him.

 

Jayden met her gaze and his eyes warmed, his lips giving into a smile. “I was busy princess………”

 

“……Busy getting drunk……”His subconscious mind completed and he cringed inwardly remembering how he’d nearly drank himself to death, how he’d locked himself up in his room and cried his eyes out and how he’d fallen into a restless sleep that was disturbed long before dawn.

 

“Is that it?” Atarah was disappointed at his response and he couldn’t help but smile seeing her funny facial expression. He brought his face to her ear and whispered. “You’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady.”

 

“Me?” A puzzled look came across Atarah’s face and she just stared blankly into his eyes. ‘What is he talking about?’ She had no idea what he meant and didn’t understand him either.

 

“Thanks for not leaving me princess, thanks so much for returning to me.”He gently brushed a strand of hair out of her eye and Atarah could only blink at him. She was completely lost and confused.

 

“I miss you, Tarah.”

 

“I miss you more.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and she turned her eyes away from him, her heart pounding wildly against her chest as she blushed hard.

 

Jayden lifted her chin tenderly, forcing her to look back into his eyes and then he softly kissed her forehead. His thumbs caressed the edge of her jaw, the light rasps of calluses causing goosebumps to rise everywhere. Staring into her eyes, he wanted to claim her lips and lightly slid his tongue into her mouth, but then he noticed her mum was watching them through the window. “I’m coming, princess,” He whispered and walked past her into the house, leaving her in a daze, her brain struggling to register all that’d just happened.

 

 

He met her mum in the same position, close to the window and she was looking so drawn, her thin face pale.

 

“Good morning ma,” He greeted her with cordiality, but she gave him no response and just stared back at him with a blank expression.

 

“I’m sorry for the way I acted yesterday,” He went on without minding her cold stare, “I’m truly sorry for yelling at you. My anger took over my heart that moment and I later realised it was my misunderstanding and my mistake.”He apologized and he meant it.

 

Atarah’s mum was silent for a long time and then she finally spoke. “What exactly do you want from my daughter?” She was shooting him with her eyes, bullet-piercing eyes and Jayden didn’t fail to notice the genuine uneasiness in her voice, she was definitely hiding something.

 

“You were the one who took her out of the hospital that fateful day, right?” He decided to be blunt with her and she froze in place, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

 

“What…What….are you talking about?”She tried to feign ignorance by acting dumb, but the evident fear in her eyes betrayed her true feelings, she was scared, so d*mn scared and Jayden noticed this.

 

A slow smile worked its way across his face and into his eyes. “I know who Atarah is,” He whispered, “I know she is the sick girl from twelve years……”

 

“Stop please, stop,” Atarah’s mum panicked. She looked toward the door to make sure her daughter wasn’t eavesdropping then turned back to him with pleading eyes, “Don’t tell her about this, please. My daughter is innocent, I don’t want her to be stuck with the past……,” Hot, big tears rolled down her face and Jayden averted his gaze from her immediately, ‘what a selfish woman!’ He almost spat out in disgust.

 

“I don’t want to see her get hurt, please.”

 

“Hurt you say!” He scoffed disdainfully, “What then about those you hurt? the doctor who was publicly disgraced and the little boy who’d almost died donating his blood to her?” He half shouted, suddenly furious and shock snapped her eyes wide open and froze her breath.

 

‘A little boy saved my daughter’s life? But why….where…..how come I never knew anything about it?’ She felt so numb, ‘why didn’t that stupid b*tchy woman tell me about……..’ She let her thoughts trail off the moment she saw the tears forming in Jayden’s eyes and the realisation hit her deep down. It bounced around her head, first in disbelief, then in shock, and finally, in surprise. ‘He is the little boy who saved my daughter’s life? Oh no!!!’

 

 

“Why did you sneak her out of the hospital?”Jayden demanded, he so badly wanted to know, but Atarah’s mum wasn’t ready to answer that.

 

She shook her head so hard that it throbbed. She couldn’t tell him the reason, she couldn’t tell anyone the reason. No! No! No! It was a secret that she’d sworn to take to her grave, a secret that’d forever hunt her conscience.

 

“Please Jayden,” She took his hand in both of hers and cried silently, “Keep this away from Tarah, please. Telling her will only re-open old wounds.”She begged him profusely and Jayden had no choice other than to agree. He shook his hand free from her grip and let out a defeated sigh.

 

“Then let her carry on working with me, don’t force her to quit.”He made a deal and Atarah’s mum jumped at the chance.

 

“I promise,” She nodded her head vigorously and Jayden smiled inwardly.

 

“Alright then, I’ll take your word for it.” With that, he flounced out of the house in a huff and to his car where he found Atarah. With her back to him, she was giggling to herself and looking in the car’s rear mirror, completely oblivious to what was going on around her.

 

“Hey, princess.” He lowered his head until his hot breath tickled her ear. Atarah screamed with laughter and turned around to look at him.

 

“Did my mum listen to you?”She gazed intently into his eyes and Jayden raised an eyebrow at her in a questioning way.

 

“You said you’ll talk to her after the party, remember?” She reminded and he nodded his head slowly, finally remembering the promise he’d made to her.

 

“Of course, I talked to her.”He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her so close that their faces were only an inch apart. “And she agreed.” He whispered these words.

 

“Like seriously!” Atarah was more than excited to hear that. She jumped up and down like a giddy child and gave him a quick kiss before climbing into the passenger seat.

 

Jayden licked his lips and ran a hand through his hair as he walked around his car. He was acutely aware of the fact that her mum was watching them and with a light smile plastered on his face, he slid into the driver’s seat slamming the door behind him and jammed his foot on the accelerator and sped up the road, heading to her college.

 

~~~~~~

By the time they arrived at the school, it was nine, banged on the dot.

The mid-morning sun was directly overhead and its warm rays shone gaily and brightly upon the large open field that serves as a second parking lot.

 

Briskly, Jayden alighted from the car, and then walked around to the other side and held the door open for Atarah.

 

“Thanks.”She teetered when she stepped out of the car and he nodded his head absentmindedly and closed the door behind her.

 

“So,” He cleared his throat and asked, “will you be coming to the office today?”

 

“Yeah, sure.” Atarah nodded her head sharply, “I’m your P. A remember?” She laughed, a contagious sound and Jayden tweaked her nose gently.

 

“I want us to be more than that.” His voice was soft, almost a whisper and Atarah’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “What?”

 

“Be my girlfriend, will you?” He asked, his eager eyes not leaving her face for once and this made Atarah so nervous. But before she could respond, her eyes caught sight of Greg standing in the parking space before them and she flinched in shock.

 

“What’s wrong?” Jayden asked, alarmed but she didn’t respond and just kept her gaze behind him.

 

Out of curiosity, he turned around and saw that Greg was leaning against his car and was talking in an unfriendly way to someone on the phone, Nancy obviously. He chuckled lightly at this, ‘Greg will never change!’

 

 

“Hi, Greg,’ He greeted him waving his hand and only then did Greg notice them. For a moment he looked surprised and then he smiled faintly.

 

“Hi bro.” He waved back at Jayden and gave Atarah an expressionless blank stare before looking away.

 

Atarah bowed her head shamefully and her guilt returned with a full force threatening to swallow her up. Kissing two brothers, she felt like a two-timer and a god-d*mned betrayer.

 

“Erm…I need to get to class now.”She mumbled her words and to Jayden’s surprise, began to walk away in the opposite direction.

 

“Wait, Tarah,” He wanted to go after her but then she stopped walking and ran back to him, her mind a jumbled-up mess of confusion.

 

“I’m sorry Jayden, really sorry.”She hugged him tightly, breaking down in his chest and that was when it dawned on her. She loves him–Jayden was the one that she loves.

 

 

 

TBC