Chapter 128

Chapter 128
"You... what? You love me?" I whispered, my voice shaky as I tried to push myself up on the bed.
Donald quickly leaned forward, his warm hand pressing gently on my shoulder. "Hey... relax. Don't try to get up. You're still weak." His eyes softened, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Uh... yes. I do. Tricia loves you... and I love you... and you love me. Don't you love me?"
I just stared at him, my head tilting slightly, my brows knitting together in confusion. My heart beat faster, but not from weakness, there was something in the way he said it, like there was more behind his words.
"What... are you saying, Donald?" I asked, my voice a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head like he was trying to play it off. "What I'm saying is... I'm just glad you're okay. You gave us a scare, you know that?"
Guilt pricked at me. "I'm sorry..."
His hand lingered a little longer on mine. "No. You don't have to be. The doctor said your blood pressure dropped. You need to rest and take it slow." He started to stand. "I'll go get Tricia..."
"Yes... hold on, Donald." My fingers curled around his hand, stopping him. My voice trembled as I looked at him. "Thank you."
A small, almost shy smile broke on his face. "You're welcome," he said gently, before stepping away.
Donald stepped out of the ward, but the moment the door closed, his shoulders slumped and he exhaled deeply, almost like he'd been holding his breath for too long. "Wow... she almost caught on," he muttered under his breath.
"Who almost caught on?" Tricia's voice came from behind him, making him jump.
"My goodness..." He pressed his palm against his chest. "That startled me. No... it's nothing. Monalisa's awake. I came to find you and let you know."
"Really? That's good news." Her face lit up instantly. "I'll go see her. Come along."
"You go ahead. I'll be right behind you."
"Okay," she said, walking off.
About an hour later, Donald returned to the hospital carrying a bag in each hand. The smell of fresh food drifted into the room the moment he walked in.
"Ah, you're back," Tricia said with a smile, helping him set the bags down. "Thanks, Donald." She started unpacking the containers and placing them neatly on the tray table beside my bed.
"Here," she said suddenly, handing a spoon to Donald. "Feed Monalisa."
My eyes widened. "I can eat by myself, Tricia. I'm not paralyzed."
"I know," she said with a teasing smile. "But you're weak, and I think Donald won't mind. Go on, Donald."
Donald smirked, picking up the spoon. "I agree with Tricia. Besides, I've got no problem with this... arena." He grinned mischievously. "Say ah!"
I rolled my eyes. "Really? I'm not a kid."
"I know," he said softly, his eyes glinting. "But eat up, okay?"
"Ugh, Donald... I can't fight you, can I? Fine. Go ahead."
"That's my girl." He carefully fed me a spoonful, waiting for me to swallow before speaking again. "Uhmm... I've been meaning to ask. Who's the sender behind those videos and messages? The unknown number?"
"It's Cynthia," Tricia answered before I could speak.
Donald's head jerked toward her. "Cynthia? How do you know?"
"That's because Monalisa said so."
"For real? How on earth did she get your number? And what's even crazier is that she sent those videos straight to you! What were you thinking when you saw them? Did it freak you out? I mean...who does that? How did she even get your personal number?" His words tumbled out fast, his brows furrowed deeply.
"Wow, chill, bro," Tricia said, holding up her hands. "Monalisa did freak out, but you're right." She turned to me. "Monalisa, how did she manage to get your number and send those videos to you, anyway?"
"I... I don't know," I said honestly, my voice lowering. "But since you guys said so... I'm pretty scared. How...?" My chest tightened at the thought, my mind flashing back to the videos.
"Don't think about it," Donald said quickly, his tone firm yet warm. "Tricia and I got you."
"She's indeed a crazy woman," Tricia added. "We need to make sure you're safe."
"Thanks, guys," I murmured, my heart swelling at their protectiveness.
After dinner, Donald left to go be with Joshua, but his eyes lingered on me before walking out the door.
The next morning, the doctor came in and told me I was fit to be discharged. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, still feeling a bit lightheaded, when Donald walked in with Joshua.
Joshua rushed to hug me, nearly knocking me back onto the bed. "Careful," Donald chuckled, catching his son before he toppled us both.
The sunlight spilled into the room, the smell of fresh air mixing with the faint hospital scent. As I looked at the two of them, Donald holding Joshua close while keeping his other hand on me, i felt a strange warmth fill my chest. Something I couldn't quite name.
On our way home, the car felt quiet, but my mind was anything but.
The city lights flashed past the window, but I barely saw them. Every image in my head was of him...Jayden. His face. His eyes. His smirk that I used to trust. The way he could look at me and make my chest feel warm... and the way, lately, that same look made my stomach twist.
My fingers curled in my lap. My heart was heavy, restless.
I needed answers. Not tomorrow. Not someday. Now.
"I need to see Jayden," I told myself silently.
I needed to sit across from him, look into his eyes, and hear the truth, if he even knew how to tell it anymore. I needed to find out if that video was real or just another poisonous lie someone was trying to feed me.
And most of all... I needed to end this storm inside me before it destroyed me completely.
I reached into my bag, my hands trembling just a little. My phone was cold in my palm, almost as if it knew the weight of what I was about to do.
I stared at the screen for a moment, his name right there in my contacts, like it had always been-so familiar, yet so foreign now. My thumb hovered over it.
For a second, I almost put it away. I almost told myself to just forget it.
But I couldn't.
I typed quickly, each word pulling something out of me.
"Let's meet. Monday. Lunch break. At any restaurant of your choice."
My finger lingered on the send button. I felt my pulse race as though pressing it would change everything. And maybe it would.
I hit send.
The message left instantly, and the screen went blank again.
I let out a shaky breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
The hum of the engine filled the silence around me, but my thoughts were loud, echoing inside my chest.
Now, all I could do was wait.
Across the city, Jayden's phone buzzed. He was leaning back on the couch, a glass of whiskey in one hand, the TV on but ignored. His gaze lazily drifted to the screen, but the moment he saw my name, he straightened.
He opened the message and read it once. Then twice. His jaw tightened slightly, but there was something else in his eyes, something I couldn't see, something between curiosity and an ache he would never admit.
"Monday," he murmured to himself, rolling the word over in his mouth like it meant more than it should. He tossed back the last of his drink and placed the glass down, still staring at the phone as if my message had lit something inside him he thought was long dead.
His lips curled slowly into a faint smile. "Alright... let's see what you want, sweetheart."
Then my phone buzzed.
"Sounds great. See you on Monday then"
Monday... I will get all the answers to my question, including...his relationship status.
Melissa and Thomas were happy to have me back.
The way Melissa's eyes lit up when she saw me made my chest feel warm, and Thomas, usually so quiet, actually smiled and pulled me into a quick hug. It felt... nice. Different.
What really caught me off guard was watching the two of them in the kitchen. Normally, they couldn't spend more than ten minutes together without snapping or rolling their eyes at each other. But today? They moved in sync, like they'd been doing this for years. Thomas chopped vegetables while Melissa stirred the sauce, their voices calm, soft. They even smiled. And when I tasted what they were cooking, I understood why, because together, they had made the most lovely, delicious meal I'd had in a long time.
Tricia was outside helping Donald set up the table in the courtyard. I could hear them laughing over something from where I stood, the sound mixing with the faint rustle of the wind through the flowers.
I decided to change into something better, a soft dress that brushed against my skin when I moved and stepped out to join them. The air outside smelled faintly of grilled vegetables and warm bread.
We sat down together, the sun filtering through the leaves above, dappling the table in soft golden light. Conversation flowed easily. We talked, we laughed, and for a little while, I let myself relax. I let myself feel normal. Safe.
I was halfway through my drink when my phone buzzed on the table.
I glanced at it casually at first... then froze.
A message.
From an unknown number.
My pulse picked up as I unlocked the screen, my fingers suddenly cold despite the warm afternoon. The words glared back at me, sharp and suffocating.
"Do not meet with him. Do not meet with him. He's ready to deceive you."
The laughter around me faded into a dull hum. My chest tightened, the air suddenly heavy. My hand stayed on the phone, gripping it so tightly my knuckles ached.
"Everything okay?" Tricia's voice broke through the haze, her smile still bright, but her eyes studying me.
I forced a small smile and slid the phone face-down on the table. "Yeah... just a wrong number," I lied, my voice softer than I intended.
But my appetite was gone. I could still taste the sweetness of the juice in my mouth, but it felt like ash. The words on that screen wouldn't stop flashing in my mind, over and over.
Do not meet with him.
I didn't hear the rest of the conversation around the table. My thoughts were already elsewhere, already on Monday. Already on him.
I'll meet him, bitch" I muttered.
Nothing is going to stop me from seeing Jayden, not even that crazy bitch, Cynthia.