Chapter 148 CHAPTER 148
Michael's POV
I picked up the phone and pressed it against my ear out of habit. The past few weeks had been painful and slow.
“Hello?” I said into the speaker.
“Alpha Michael.”
I sat up. I recognised the voice of the caller. I hoped it was her, at the same time, I was scared that it was her.
“Evelyn?”
“You are really alive and you didn't bother to check up on me?” She asked.
My chest stabbed with guilt. For weeks I'd avoided the hospital even though I kept ears there to inform me whenever she woke up.
“I'm so glad you're back, Evelyn,” I said, pain and joy mixing in my chest.
“And you're not here? Why? You married her? Why did you do it? Is it worth abandoning our love and proving those against us right?”
“I'll explain…”
“Come to the hospital and explain it to me.”
The line went dead.
I sat in my chair for a while, motionless. A lot of things had changed in four weeks. I looked at the empty spot on my finger where our wedding band used to sit. I am married to Rosaleen now. On paper. And it had all started from that evening when we heard her scream coming from my mother's room.
___
We rushed into the room and found Rosaleen backed to a corner with my mother pinning her against the wall. The security men were trying to pry her fingers away from her neck. I stood in shock, unable to act.
Rosaleen was gasping for breath and also trying to fight her off. I didn't know what could have caused the situation. There was a long ugly gash across her face that was bleeding.
I realised I was wrong to have asked her not to be sedated.
I stepped forward. “Mum, she's here. Your daughter is here.”
She didn't budge. Alpha Raymond held me back as I tried to step forward.
“She doesn't know you,” he said.
I shook my head. She did. She had called my name.
I turned to one of the nurses. “There's a lady in the waiting area. Anna. Get her here immediately.”
She turned around and fled.
When Anna arrived minutes later, she stood at the door, frightened.
"Who is she?” She asked.
I walked up to her. “That is our mother,” I said, offering the first nice words to her. I didn't like her but there was no denying that she was my sister.
“What do you want me to do?” She asked again, more irritated.
I placed my hand on her shoulder. “She wants to see you.”
She backed away. “Why? She looks crazy.”
I felt a pang of anger. “She's your mother!”
“Hell no. I don't know her.”
I tugged at her arm and pointed at Rosaleen who was gasping for air. “If you don't move, your friend might get more hurt. Do it for her.”
She sagged her shoulders, then stepped forward. She looked back at me and I urged her on.
“I'm here,” she called out.
“Call her mum,” I whispered.
“Mum. I'm here.”
She turned around, her eyes still burning with rage. Anna screamed and ran away. The security men made use of the window of confusion to pull Rosaleen away. The nurse pushed the sedative in her arm and before she could make sense of what was going on, she collapsed.
The room seemed to sigh in relief as the commotion died. Rosaleen went into a violent cough and she was placed on the sofa. I knew she must have done something to make Philly act that way.
“What happened?” I asked as soon as she finished taking a glass of water.
She fired a glance at me. “She attacked me!”
“Why?”
She scoffed. “Why?” she pointed at the wound on her face that had been covered up. “You think I wanted an ugly scar on my face for fun?”
“Did you speak to her?”
She crossed her hands over her chest. Tears gathered on her eyes. “I said nothing to her. She attacked me. I'm ugly for life.”
“Is she really my mother?”Anna asked, looking at the woman in bed.
I looked at her and I made the decision there. I would do anything to protect her. And to protect her, I had to make sure no one knows the truth about her. Even if it takes marrying Rosaleen to shut her up.
___
I got up from the chair and buttoned my shirt. I had to go and see Evelyn. I needed to find a way to beg her to forgive me. It was the least I could do.
What I did to her was cruel, but maybe she'd understand and perhaps I could understand it too.
I walked down the corridor of the hospital, my feet taking me to her room by memory. I found the room I had visited for daily and stood infront of it like a stranger.
I knocked twice.
The door handle turned and she stood in front of me. I couldn't read the emotions I felt because I was trying to read hers. I saw anger, relief, frustration.
“Evelyn…” her name dropped out of my lips like a confession.
She pushed the door wide open and pulled me into the room. I didn't fight her. I wanted her hands just where they were.
“Evelyn,” I murmured again, my hands wrapping around her.
It was like magic. Like moths drawn to light. We were drawn to each other and nothing could pull us apart. Not reason. Not after promising that I'd come to make her see the reason why I did what I did.
I kissed her before I could stop myself and I wanted more and more of her. My fingers raked in her hair as her hands worked their way to my chest, undoing my buttons. I edged her gently to the wall and pinned her against it.
“I missed you,” I confessed. “So much.”
That was all that mattered in that moment.