Chapter 42 Missing Him
“Can you take me to meet my dad?” Kate asked to the driver while sniffing and wiping tears with the back of her hands. She was completely exhausted and they were only minutes away from reaching the mansion. But she was longing to see her father and make sure with her eyes that he was doing okay.
“I’m sorry ma’am; I only have orders to drop you home” the driver replied politely before taking a turn that led towards her mansion.
“Okay...” she sighed and looked outside the window.
Her body became warm again, but she didn’t let go of his black jacket. Throughout the ride, her fingers brushed against its sides causing a heavy feeling to settle in her chest.
Ten minutes later they reached the destination and the car came to a stop.
“Ma’am we are here” the driver informed her when she sat there absentmindedly, without making a move to get out.
At the sound of his words, she came out of her trance and reached for the door handle. But before she could touch it, the door was opened by one of the three maids who had been waiting there to receive her. They helped her step out of the car and gave her support with the injured leg.
Kate was deeply touched by the concern in their features and was more than grateful for their help because every inch of her body hurt like hell.
With their assistance, she managed to limp her way towards the inside of the mansion.
“I’ll take that...” a maid said and extended her hands to pull off the jacket.
“No that’s okay. I’d like to keep it” Kate smiled back to the maid and tightened her hold on the cloth.
As she walked in through the mansion, she saw Quisito’s men along with her father’s men, fixing the damages caused by the unexpected attack. She prayed for the brave eleven men who lost their lives in the incident while she walked towards her room.
“Ma’am, we have prepared a hot bath for you. So please freshen up. After that, the doctor will treat your wound” a maid informed Kate after leading her inside the room.
A long warm bath felt like the best option, because she was covered in dust from head to toe. She stripped away all dirty clothes from her body and stepped into the bathroom. But before diving into the hot tub, she called out to the servants who were about to take away her discarded clothes.
“Please don’t take the jacket...”
After taking a relaxing bath that cleansed every speck of dirt from her body, she came out of the bathroom and put on an oversized white T-shirt and a loose black pant that reached her knees. The entire time she dressed up, her eyes were zeroed on his jacket that was perched upon the cushion.
Kate put away the towel that she was using to dry her hair and slowly walked towards the couch, on which the jacket was placed. She let her fingers trace the gunshot hole that was still damp with blood.
His blood...
From the bullet he took for her...
Unknowingly, a tear slipped from her eye, slid across her rosy cheek and shattered by hitting the floor below. If she had thought that her eyes were devoid of anymore tears, then she was wrong.
Both her eyes were blood shot with puffed up eyelids. Her nose had turned pink. The wound on her leg throbbed a little but thank fully, the blood had already clotted. But something inside her was bleeding out heavily.
Her little heart.
Fifteen minutes later, a female doctor arrived to clean and dress her wound. They sat on the bed and she extended the injured leg after bunching up her pant to expose the wound. Unlike her nature, she didn’t cry or make a single sound of pain when the antiseptic was touched to the injury, because her mind was preoccupied with the image of Quisito’s face, right after she shoved those words of hatred at him.
“The cut is not deep enough to need stiches. Although, it will need dressing at least two times a day. And be careful not to wet it” the doctor instructed before getting up and leaving her room. The ropes have also given her a few scratches that had swollen up, but they just required the healing touch of ointment.
With a soft sigh, she turned her head towards her study table. Doing college work and catching up with the lost classes were the last thing in her mind, but she decided to do it anyway. Only because it would keep her a little distracted from the pain in her heart.
After eating a bit for lunch, she slept till dinner time. She was awakened by a horrible nightmare. It portrayed Quisito, lying dead in a pool of his own blood.
“J-just a dream...It was just a dream...” Kate mumbled to herself as she jumped out of bed and paced the room while breathing heavily. Her whole body was covered in sweat because of the nightmare.
“Proshchay”
His last word swirled in her mind until a knock sounded on her door. Inexplicable amount of happiness blossomed inside her because she thought Quisito was on the other side. But her joy disappeared into thin air when she recalled the fact that he never knocked. He always used to barge in like he owned the place.
“Dinner is ready. Can I bring it in?” a maid asked from outside the door.
“Yes...” Kate responded in a sad voice. Dinner soon reached her table and the appetizing aroma filled the room. When the warm smell tickled her nostrils, she let herself forget everything and sat down to eat. She couldn’t remember the last time she had any proper food that day. She didn’t eat breakfast and was too tired to eat more than three bites for lunch. It was a miracle that she hasn’t fainted yet.
While washing her hands after eating the food, she thought of going out to the lonely bench in the garden outside to stare at the night sky. It was where he had first asked her to sleep with him. Since she knew that going there would awaken painful memories, she decided to stay inside her room itself.
Cool night breeze brushed against her cheeks like a bold lover’s caress, when she stood near the window and gazed up at the night sky, peppered with a thousand stars and her beloved moon.
“Is he okay?...” she whispered a question to the moon and looked at it intently, like she would get a reply. Quisito wasn’t home yet and her worries only grew large with every hour that passed. Sadly, other than staring back at her, the moon did not provide her an answer that can put her mind at ease.