“Hello dear,” Jack said as he planted a light kiss on Rainn’s cheek. She felt a wave of disappointment rush over her again as her fears were confirmed. His breath reeked of alcohol and from the swish of his left hand she could tell that he was still drinking.
“Started earlier than usual today,” Rainn commented and listened to him as he sat next to her at the balcony.
“Well,” he answered and did not bother to add anything else to his short statement.
Rainn did not feel like getting into a fight with him but she could feel the anger within her boiling.
“I don’t like it” she said, getting to her feet to prove her point.
“Well you had better get used to it,” Jack said and he too got up, walking over to where Rainn was. They stood face to face before Rainn could feel the strange new scent on him.
“What is that?” Rainn asked curiously and leaned closer to him to get a stronger feel of it.
“Come on, Rainn! You have smelled the liquor on me before!” Jack complained.
“No, there is something else other than the liquor”, Rainn insisted and moved even closer to him. She could feel it even more now, a strange scent unknown to her.
“What is it?” Rainn insisted.
“Ok, I may have smoked some meth earlier on,” Jack confessed and did not seem to care after his confession.
“Where did you get it from?” Rainn demanded in an irritated voice.
“What do you mean, where did I get it from”, Jack said sarcastically “Like I would tell you where I got meth from, I’m not insane.”
Rainn felt his words hit hard on her heart like a sledge hammer but chose to remain silent. She knew that he was only acting this way because of the dig but was still very hurt nevertheless. She turned on her heel and started heading back into the house from the balcony but was pulled back by Jack who held on to her left wrist.
“Where are you going?” Jack barked.
“As far away from you as I possibly can get, I cannot be around you when you are like this” she wailed and turned again, trying to get away from him.
“Don’t go!” he both pleaded and commanded, still with a firm grip on her.
“Let go of me!” she shouted at the top of her voice.
“You are not going anywhere,” Jack snarled.
Rainn stopped struggling and turned to face him, she could feel his warm breath close to her and she did not like how his scent was overpowering her and weakening her knees. She mastered all the courage she could and spoke to him.
“You need help Jack, you need to stop doing this to yourself!” Rainn shouted. From the way his breathing changed, she could tell that he was really mad.
“I don’t need any help!” Jack shouted back “And you will not tell me what I need or do not need.”
“I will tell you what I don’t need,” she barked “I do not need you in my life anymore. I cannot build a future with someone who does not love himself enough to admit that he needs help at a point of addiction!”
Rainn did not know where she had gotten all that courage from, but she knew that it had been a long time coming.
“You are leaving me?” he shouted back angrily, before throwing the bottle that he had in his hand. It landed on the ground floor straight from the balcony making a loud crashing sound.
Rainn felt a fear rise from the pit of her stomach to the end of her fingers and toes. She could taste blood in her mouth and a cold sweat broke on her forehead. Her first instinct after this explosion was to run and run she did. She ran back into the house and knocked on a few things before landing face flat on the ground.
Jack was of course hot on her trail and he let out a wicked laugh that made Rainn shiver to the very core of her being. She wondered why no one could hear all the noise that was coming from them and decided to scream and shout for help. She let out an ear splitting, thundering scream that made her throat sore. She did not stop at that and was just about to let out another when Jack sat by her side and placed a hand over her mouth.
“No one can hear you from all the way over here” he said. He still had the wicked demeanor which made Rainn even more nervous.
“I sent the staff away, remember?” he asked.
“Why are you doing this to me? I thought you loved me?” Rainn asked and fought back a few tears.
“I love you so much that I cannot stand to let you go,” Jack said. He reached into his pocket and took out a strip of cocaine that had been rolled into a joint.
He then held up her nose and let the powder ran through her nostrils.
Rainn immediately sneezed it out and felt her head spin around the room. She felt weak for a moment and her blood froze in her veins. She felt a slight high before a cold shiver ran up her spine and she hugged herself tightly.
“That’s a good girl.” Jack said before lifting her chin up and adding more cocaine into her other nostrils.
Rainn felt the same reaction as before; now struggling with a foreign headache and dizziness. She could feel her surroundings fade away and relaxed into Jack’s embrace. Her body was suddenly as heavy as lead and everything sounded distant.
Jack held on to her for a minute longer before dipping his hand in the same pocket and pulled out a similar drug. He sniffed the cocaine through both his nostrils just as he had made Rainn do but chased down the drink with his usual gin poison.
“If I can’t have you, no one will,” he let out and moved closer to Rainn. He made her heavy body lie on his chest and smiled when he thought of the Romeo and Juliet scene that he would give the homicide people once they walked in on them. He let the effects of the drugs take over him as he thought of what the afterlife might feel like. He felt encouraged that he would be with Rainn on the other side and hoped that she would not be blind in the other world. The effect on him was faster as he had taken a series of drugs prior and he was soon lying unconscious on the floor. He did not hear Rainn sit up; neither did he hear her crawl away from him on her stomach.
Rainn felt restless, her body was partly paper weight and partly stone like. She fumbled through the room as she tried to make a recollection of having a phone perched somewhere in the vicinity. Her hand finally grabbed at a receiver and hope was rekindled in her when she placed it over her ear and heard that it was working. She punched in Yvonne’s number that she knew by heart and waited for it to connect. The long unanswered beeping sounds were tormenting her and she said a silent prayer that Yvonne would pick up the phone. Her head was feeling lighter and she could feel herself drift away into nothingness.
“Hello?” Yvonne’s voice sounded over the receiver and Rainn felt relief by the sound of her voice.
“It’s Rai…i…i..nnn” she managed to mouth before she realized that her speech was blurry and she could not really make out the words that were coming out of her mouth.
“Rainn? Is that you?” Yvonne asked almost immediately with a concern in her voice. Rainn tried to speak up again, she tried to make the words come out of her mouth but it was an uphill task. Everything in her body seemed to be displaced, misplaced and rearranged.
“Rainn? Rainn? Rainn? Are you there?” Yvonne asked again. Rainn could tell that she was talking to someone else in the room but it was a distant and strange voice to her.
“I think there is something wrong with her, I can’t really reach her!” Yvonne spoke put loud to whoever she was with, in the room.
“He… help me pl… please” Rainn managed to finally say after a lot of effort. Her body slumped to the floor and the phone fell from her hand as well. It rolled out to God knows where and Rainn could feel all the strength in her body slowly succumb to the drugs. She let her head face her lover’s direction and could feel a fresh pool of tears well up in her eyes at the thought of his limp, almost lifeless, body lying on the floor a few feet from her.
She tried to search in her heart for any hateful word that she could utter out to him in these desperate moments. But even at that point, at that moment in her lif
e when Rainn was staring despair right in the face, she could not find it in her to hate Jack.
“You were my drug, Jack.” she thought to herself “You didn’t need to add any other.”
Her eyes were slightly shutting and her lips could not move any more, all distant movement around her slowly came to her halt. Rainn could only imagine Jack’s face smiling down at her just as she had always imagined it. The image warmed her heart and she let out a slight smile before saying.
“I love you Jack, I always will, in this world or the next”.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Is she ok? Can she hear us?”
Rainn slowly stirred, hearing frantic whispers and murmurings. Her body and mind were slowly coming round after the overdose Jack had forced upon her. Jack! What had happened to him, she wondered. Where was he?
“Hello?” Rainn uttered weakly, head pounding. “Where am I? What happened?”
“She’s awake! She’s awake!” Yvonne and Margaret’s voiced chimed in unison.
“Where am I?” Rainn repeated, looking confused. Her surroundings smelt very sterile; Rainn could detect the scent of strong bleach. She also smelt the cloying scent of lilies.
“You’re in hospital, Rainn” Margaret explained, “You were in a terrible way when Stewart found you. God knows what would have happened if he wasn’t there! We might have lost you!” Margaret wailed, as she broke down, sobbing heavily as Yvonne took over.
“Stewart returned after being sent away with all the other staff. He had a gift for you as a surprise and wanted to hand deliver it. Stewart had heard Jack talking of a walking stick and thought it might make your life easier, especially in an unfamiliar place. He saved you.”
Rainn frowned as she listened to Yvonne’s version of the story, impatient to hear what else had happened. Where was Jack? She could kill him!
“Stewart walked in to see you both unconscious.” Yvonne continued, “You had a phone near you, obviously calling for help. Jack had a small pool of blood near his head. Stewart checked you were ok first and then rang for an ambulance. He looked at the call history and contacted us shortly after.”
At news of Jack, Rainn tried sitting up. A sharp pain in her head prevented her from moving too rapidly. Easing herself gently into an upright position, Rainn began to speak. “Blood? What happened? Is he alive? Where is he?”
Margaret regained her composure and began to make soothing sounds, trying to calm Rainn. “Hush, Rainn. Don’t work yourself up, Jack is alive. The important thing is that you get better. You were very ill, we’re so glad you’re going to make a full recovery. ”
“Where is Jack?” Rainn demanded angrily.
Margaret and Yvonne shared a look, both secretly glad Rainn could not see. Suddenly, they were saved from Rainn’s questioning by the sound of the door opening. All three women turned their heads in the direction of the disruption, Margaret and Yvonne visibly relaxing. Rainn still looked puzzled and angry. From the sound of the slow, steady footsteps, she guessed it was a man. She smelt cinnamon and coffee. The air did not smell of wood or gin; it was not Jack. Rainn was silently pleased she would not have to confront her demons so soon.
“Rainn! I’m so glad you’re awake, I’ve been terribly worried. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you came round.”
Through Rainn’s muddled head, she recognized Stewart’s voice. She felt both happy and strangely shy as she greeted the man who saved her life.
“Stewart, thank you so much for rescuing me, however can I repay you? What must you have thought?” Rainn despaired.
“It sure was a shock seeing you and Mr. Bradley like that” Stewart admitted. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I should have been there to protect you.” Stewart bit his lip, worried he’d said too much.
Rainn sensed his discomfort, politely ignoring his embarrassment. “Stewart, would you please do one more thing for me? Would you please tell me what happened? I’ll be an old woman before I get the truth out of these two.” Rainn gestured to Margaret and Yvonne, both giggling, thrilled that Rainn had not lost her sense of humor.
“Of course I’ll tell you, Rainn. But before I begin, I don’t want to upset you. Are you sure you want to hear this?” Stewart asked.
Rainn thought for a moment and then nodded. “Hearing it cannot be as bad as experiencing it,” she reasoned “I need to know what happened before I can move on. I will not let these events define me.”
Stewart acquiesced, making himself comfortable in an armchair before beginning. “Well, I came by the house with a walking stick. I knew you were against the idea, but I just wanted to help you. It was my grandmother’s. I hoped you might like to run your fingers over the wooden carvings; it has elephants carved into the handle, my grandmother was a great animal lover. I hoped you could use the stick as I moved furniture with your supervision, to make you more comfortable. It would be easier for you to get your bearing that way. I’d hate for you to get hurt again, like that day with the vase.”
Rainn was touched at the thoughtfulness of this man; Jack had never considered moving the furniture; he was too attached to his expensive antiques and relished having them on display. She also noted the adoring tone with which he spoke of his grandmother; family values were important to Rainn and she found Stewart more intriguing as he continued.
“I walked in and the house was deadly silent. I thought you may have been out for lunch, so I went to the balcony to leave the gift. I know you love to spend time there because you can feel the warmth of the sun and smell the beautiful flowers. I walked into the room and thought I entered a horror scene! You and Mr. Bradley were both unconscious and the room stank of liquor and blood. I ran over to check if you were okay. You were breathing but your pulse was very faint. I called for an ambulance on my cellphone. Then I noticed the phone by your hand. I checked the call history and got in touch with your sister and cousin.”
Yvonne and Margaret blushed at their mention in Stewart’s story and beckoned for him to continue, both inwardly delighted at his obvious adulation for Rainn.
“I went to check Mr. Bradley next. I felt guilty for not checking him first; he is my boss after all, but I was so worried about you. I’ve seen Mr. Bradley like that before; when he drinks and takes drugs, he’s not a good man. I checked his pulse too, his was stronger than yours. I sat next to you to wait. I kept talking to you, hoping you’d know who I was and that I was there for you. I hated the thought of you waking up alone and frightened so I held your hand. The ambulance arrived with the police. Mr. Bradley was taken away in a separate vehicle– ” Stewart broke off, looking uneasy, unsure of how to continue.
Rainn spoke softly, “You looked after me? Thank you so much. Please don’t be afraid to carry on. Jack, he got arrested, didn’t he?
Stewart stared at her, amazed at her perceptiveness and dazzled by her beauty. “Yes, for drug possession and forceful consumption; what he did to you. He confessed to everything when he came round. He had a fantasy you were like Romeo and Juliet; star crossed lovers, destined to live and die together. He is being charged soon. I’m sorry.”
Rainn, to everyone’s shock, smiled. She was glad to be free of Jack. She had not realized, until it was almost too late, how toxic their relationship was. She remembered the heartache he put her through all those months ago. Why had she taken him back? He was clearly mentally unstable. She didn’t need a bad boy to tame; she didn’t want to feel scared or small or intimidated. She wanted a good, honest man. Someone kind, who would want to take care of her and love her. Someone who did not drink or have irrational bursts of anger. She realized with a start, that she wanted someone like Stewart. Stewart had helped her when she fell. Stewart had never been unkind to her in any way. He had wanted to move the furniture to make her comfortable; even though it would have gotten him in trouble with Jack.
“Stewart…” Rainn began nervously. “How long have you been here?”
Stewart thought for a moment “Well, you’ve been here six days. T
he first two I slept on the floor beside you. But your wonderful family told me to get some rest. With Mr. Bradley in prison, I have no work to do, so I’ve been spending my days here with Yvonne and Margaret, just hoping you’d wake up.”
Rainn felt stirrings of butterflies in her stomach. She was so touched at the sweetness of Stewart. She loved listening to him speak, his deep velvety voice sending shivers down her spine. Rainn blushed as her adoring crowd watched. Thinking deeply about the dependable, gentle man before her, she plucked up the courage to ask:
“Stewart, when I am out of hospital, would you perhaps like to go for a coffee..?”
The End
Part IV
Beautiful Stranger
Romantic Comedy
Chapter Twenty-Nine
There really wasn't a whole lot that Clara had expectations for in life, and yet, she found herself still disappointed; she wanted a loving mother, not one who was obsessed with finding her a suitor of some sort, like this was the fourteenth century or something. She wanted her career to pan out, and yet, here she was, with a degree in Game Design and nothing more than unfinished prototypes to show for it. And, most of all, she wanted to be accepted by someone for who she was, not who she could be or what she could do for them. And yet...she gets one Daryl Marley, a man only a few years older that she, but no less pompous and cocksure in his own abilities and successes, like the world owes him for his greatness. What Clara doesn't realize, however, is that there is so much more to Mr. Marley, so much depth that he hides behind his words, that she might see, if only she would let him show her.
Housekeeping Page 45
