Tears streamed down my face when I breathed, “Angel.”
He dropped his motorcycle helmet at the door with a loud bang, sat on my bed, and pulled me in for a tight hug. I felt him smell my hair and kiss my neck. I just sat there with my arms around his waist, tears streaming down my cheeks.
He let go of me and looked into my eyes. “Why the hell did you do that? Are you more insane than I thought?” But he didn’t look angry. He looked away from my eyes and began to caress my cheeks.
I just looked at him. “I couldn’t sit there and watch you die.”
“So you thought it was a brighter idea if you died? Don’t you know that you would have ruined everything? Do you even know how important you are?”
That felt like a low blow. I wasn’t expecting this. I removed his hands from my cheeks; more tears betrayed me and escaped my eyes. “Well, I’m sorry that I almost ruined your stupid mission by killing myself. Didn’t you think that he would have killed me anyways after killing you?”
He shook his head and smiled at me. “That is not what I meant. I would have died fifty times back there in Hell, but it wouldn’t matter because my goal was to keep you alive. And not because of my mission, but because that’s how much I cared about you by then. That’s how much I care about you now.”
He laid his head on my shoulder and closed his eyes. “From the moment we landed here from Europe, I came every single night, hoping to see your eyes again. I came every night and sat with you for hours and talked to you, even though I knew you couldn’t hear me. I felt empty inside without hearing you ranting and complaining.” He looked up at me and laughed, “I felt empty without feeling you next to me every night. I left Washington that very night, packed all my stuff, sent a resignation letter. I came to New York and began job searching for the FBI. I got the job within a week, but I knew that there was something missing. I didn’t know what it was, so I kept visiting you every night. I put my beginning date on hold. And they didn’t mind waiting for me to be ready to start. They were thrilled when they heard that I wanted to join their team.”
He kissed my forehead, and both of my hands. “I realized that it was you missing in my life when I came on the night of your birthday and your heart stopped beating right in front of my eyes. I didn’t know what to do. I was frozen. I could have starting performing CPR, but I thought I’d lost you forever. I just sat in the background looking shocked while they were trying to resuscitate you. “
He let everything sink in. He put his head on my shoulder and caressed my back at the same time. I thought about how difficult it would have been if I’d came back without Angel by my side. I’d already lost Hunter; losing Angel as well would have been heartbreaking.
“Have you seen my father since you came back?”
He lifted his eyes to me and they were dark, just like Annie’s. He looked extremely tired and his cheekbones were a little more noticeable. “The only time I saw him was when I received my medal in the White House.”
I ran my hand through his buzz, feeling shivers as I did. “What was that like?”
He got up suddenly. He walked towards the window and put his hands in his pockets. “Everything that guy said back in Egypt was true. Well, some stuff that I was able to find. But when I received my medal, the President gave me a look of resentment and anger, something that solidified all the doubts I had about our country. There is something definitely wrong going on. But I think that this was only the beginning.” He turned his head to the side and said, “I don’t want you to become involved in this mess.”
I lifted my hand and said, “Come here.” He took a deep breath and tuned back to walk towards me. Once he sat on the chair and held my hand I said, “I became involved when I was abducted. You were dragged into this whole mess because of me. You would have easily continued living your normal life if you’d never attempted my rescue. But I don’t want you to leave me. I’m not going to let that happen.”
He sighed, ran his hands over his face and kissed my forehead. “You got your wish, Samantha. It was impossible for me to be away from you. I chose New York to be close to you. It’s too late for me to try and stay away.”
He was frustrating me. He could never give me a straight answer. He was always the composed Angel who got on my nerves so I changed the subject. “You’re not eating well.” It wasn’t a question; it was a comment.
“It’s been a rough couple of months for me as well. When I’m not with you, I’m thinking about you. I commute from the city every night. Then I wake up after a few hours to go and dig up more stuff on our situation.”
I wanted to scream, but I didn’t want the nurses to think that I was becoming psychotic as well as depressed. “Will you come every night to see me?”
He sat back on the chair and folded his arms. “Believe me, I want to. But I need to handle a few things, some unfinished business back in D.C. I need some time for myself. I need to be alone. I can go in peace now that I know you’re okay.”
He pulled out a small box from his back pocket and handed it to me. “Happy birthday,” was all he said.
I looked at the deep blue box, caressed it with my fingers for a few seconds, and then opened it. My breath caught in my throat immediately. It was a silver oval locket charm with a red ruby on the center. I ran my fingers over the ruby when he said, “Open it.” And I did. I let a single tear escape my eyes. It was a picture of Hunter and me in Rome. It was the best picture we’d taken together.
I looked at him with teary eyes. “How did you get this picture?”
“Annie received the camera you guys used.”
I looked back at the locket and held it to my heart. “Thank you.”
He didn’t respond. He took the locket from my hands and fastened it on the charm bracelet already on my wrist. When he came back in front of me, he kissed me delicately on the lips, as if he was afraid he would break me like a china doll.
He let me go and breathed into my face. “Don’t leave me again, you hear?”
I nodded, because being so close was making me dizzy. He straightened up, pulled a card from his pocket and put it on my nightstand. “My office number and cell number are on it. “I’ll come by as soon as I get some things settled.”
He got up and I watched him go, sad that once again, he was leaving my side.
Chapter 14
I slept amazing last night. Angel had put a spell on me, letting me sleep soundlessly for over ten hours. Unwillingly, I opened my eyes to see my father sitting next to me.
“Daddy!” I threw myself into his arms, forgetting completely about what I’d discovered back in the Middle East. With all the time I had to think, I’d decided to ask him when I was finally home, resting peacefully. I needed to be alone with him. I didn’t want to be disturbed when I asked him about what I’d discovered in Afghanistan.
“Oh my little girl, you’re finally with us again.” I felt him wet my neck with tears. “You are the only thing I have left from your mother.”
I pulled back and wiped his tears away. “Dad, why did all this happen to us?”
He looked to the side and answered quickly. “They were just terrorists who wanted money. But honey, all this is behind us.” He looked back at my face with a cheerful smile. “I brought you some stuff from home.”
He pulled up a small suitcase with everything I needed to endure the boring hospital room; including my cell phone, laptop, magazines, books, and female necessities.
“Dad, I know well enough that you didn’t pack all this yourself.”
He laughed. “You’re right, Helen helped me with all this stuff. She was worried about you, you know.”
Curve ball. My monster stepmother-to-be. And I bet she didn’t come to visit even once. I quickly changed the conversation to something else, anything else. After about twenty minutes, he told me he had a meeting to attend and left. That was why I spent a lot of time alone. I registered for four online classes to keep me busy. I didn’t want to fall behind in school,
especially if this was my last year of college.
With the same routine day after day, I was becoming exhausted. Homework, online browsing, catching up with all the shows I’ve missed, doctors visiting me, psychiatrists evaluating my mental state, physical therapists getting me out of the bed and walking around. I was exhausted by it all.
After three days passed and no word from Angel, I finally gained the courage to call his cell. He answered after the second ring.
“Hello.”
My heart sank from hearing his voice. “Hi.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“Samantha, I’m sorry I’ve been busy.”
A tear escaped my eye. “I miss you.”
He was silent for a minute. “You don’t know how frustrating it is going days without hearing your voice.” I took a breath of reassurance. At least he’d been thinking about me too.
I closed my eyes with relief. “When am I going to see you again?”
He took a deep breath. “I don’t know, Sam.”
He sounded frustrated so I changed the subject. “I’m doing better and better every day. I walked with physical therapy and my body is recovering smoothly.”
“I’m happy to hear that. Listen, I need to call you back. Is that okay?”
“Sure.”
We said our goodbyes and he quickly hung up.
A few days later, I called him two other times and it was the same way. The same short sentence. After that, I gave up on trying to contact him. I went into a deep depression. Medically, I was cleared. But I was transferred to a different floor to treat my depression. I was there for weeks. I wouldn’t talk to anyone. My father, Annie, and Harold would come and visit me, but I wouldn’t talk. I was completely mute from the day Angel walked out of my life. I fell behind in my schoolwork as well, not logging into any of my classes.
I understood where he was coming from, I really did. He’d been visiting me every night for almost two months. He needed to get his life back together. He needed time for himself as well. But knowing that he wasn’t next to me hurt. It was as if he’d taken ninety percent of my heart with him and only left me with that tiny remainder. I knew that we were going to be together again when he was ready.
I didn’t want to seem like a foolish girl, but my heart was broken. The hospital didn’t have a cure for this. I was monitored 24/7 by someone. My father became deeply concerned. I could see it in his eyes. He seemed more affected by this than I thought. He looked years older than he really was. He’d lost weight as well; he wouldn’t talk to me, just stared with hollow eyes.
After being monitored for weeks, the doctors discharged me. They figured that I wasn’t going to commit suicide, but a psychiatrist was still going to visit me once a week at home to make sure I was mentally okay.
My father picked me up that morning, early because it was the day of his wedding, how inconsiderate of me. His eyes were red and he gave me a quick hug. He listened intently when the doctors were discussing the discharge instructions.
I declined the wheelchair. I grabbed my suitcase and we were on our way to my dad’s car, a sleek black BMW convertible. He opened the door for me and put the suitcase in the small trunk.
The forty-minute drive to our home was extremely quiet. The sky was overcast and it was about seventy degrees outside, perfect for an outdoor wedding. Leaving New Brunswick behind and entering Princeton was a blessing. Everything was as beautiful as I always remembered it. The trees were beginning to change colors but hadn’t lost their leaves yet. The homes were endearing here with their white picket fences and fresh cut grass. Many people knew my father as we drove down the rural streets. Many people pointed at the car and whispered, some honked their horns and waved.
Finally, we left the small town behind and drove up a long stretch of grass and trees until my home was visible. The long driveway was extremely busy with commercial vans parked everywhere. People were carrying tables, chairs, decorations, and center arrangements. The front of our home, a beautiful white three-story colonial home with black window panels, was decorated with white roses.
I didn’t look around. I got out of the car, got my suitcase, and entered. The inside was even more horrific. The wedding was going to be outdoors, since the sky was supposed to clear up by midday and it was warm enough to walk around without a sweater. But the entrance was beautiful. Everything was white, from the tile floor to the grand staircase. The chandelier came from Italy; hundreds of crystals surrounded the beautiful lighting above our heads.
There were waiters and helpers running around in every direction. None of them glanced at me twice. I looked back, but my dad must have gone around and parked the car in the garage. My new stepmother, Helen, emerged from my right side, wearing a leopard robe, rollers, and some sort of mask on her face.
“Samantha darling, come here, let me give you a kiss.” I walked towards her without a word. She brushed her collagen lips on my cheeks. “I want to cry, I really do, but I have a surprise that will make you feel better, trust me.”
She was beautiful, even before she’d had all the unnecessary surgeries. Extremely tall and lean with full lips and green eyes to die for, and long blonde hair.
She led me to what used to be my father’s study and I gasped. I was against this wedding, and I didn’t like Helen at all. But she led me into this room and I appreciated her a little more. What I needed right now was right in front of me. Helen had turned the study into a day spa. It was equipped with everything, including a tanning bed.
Now, on any other occasion, I would have killed her with hateful words, because she’s famous for spending every penny of my father’s that she could get her hands on. But this was perfect. I’m not a materialistic person, but try to go though months without shaving your legs or getting your hair done. I’m sure you would feel like this was Heaven as well.
Heaven. That reminded me of the person who had taken over my dreams every night. The last time I felt love sick like this was in high school, and that was nothing compared to the withdrawal I was going through now. The cure to all my pain was not at my side. And by the looks of it, he didn’t want to be. As soon as he saw that I was going to survive, he’d left me and never looked back. I knew that having his love would be too good to be true. I didn’t deserve someone like him. I was feeling depressed all over again, so I shook my head and entered the room.
Helen lightly kissed my forehead and said, “Go, because besides me, you are going to be the talk of the night. I want you to look like a goddess.” She shouted into the room, “Ladies! We need to be out the door in four hours. Let’s get moving!”
I mentally rolled my eyes and walked into the room. The women greeted me with wide smiles. A short beautiful Asian lady with almond shaped eyes approached me immediately. She began to undress me. At first I pushed her away and gave her a furious look. But then I reminded myself that I was home. This wasn’t the Middle East. I was away from it all.
“Sorry,” I whispered and I began to undress. This was the first time in two weeks that I’d spoken.
I felt like everyone’s eyes were on me, including my stepmother’s, from the moment all the clothes left my body and a towel was wrapped around. Everyone turned back to what they were doing, pretending like they didn’t see anything. She led me to the tanning bed where I baked for about ten minutes. I didn’t want to overdo it, I just wanted to remove a little of the paleness.
As soon as I was done, she led me into a small tub where I sank in with my towel and everything and closed my eyes as they worked on my fingers and toes. Next was the waxing. And I can tell you that I’d forgotten how much that hurts. She went for my hair next and began to highlight. I was going to protest, but just shrugged and let her do whatever, since Helen was yelling orders from across the room. I swear; that woman was going to grow a wrinkle by the end of the night.
Cutting, drying, and styling took most of the time and I was quickly getting bored and sleepy. But she soon spun me around and I did look amazing. My
eyes looked bright and excited. My lips were full and inviting. I looked over at Helen and she was already dressed in her expensive Vera Wang dress as if she was going to a runway instead of a wedding. She looked over at me and immediately began fanning her face to avoid crying.
“Okay, we’ve got twenty minutes. There’s a small rack of dresses I pulled out for you. I hope you find one that you like. You’re my only bridesmaid and my maid of honor.”
Maid of honor? That was the last thing I wanted to do with her. I didn’t want to share this special moment with her. But, I wasn’t up for arguing, especially since she’d made my self-esteem shoot up like a bullet with all this pampering. Whatever. My helper finished applying my makeup and I walked towards the rack. I pushed most of them aside since they weren’t my style, until I saw one that was perfect. I slipped it on and thanks to my weight loss; it fit perfectly, because I knew that Helen would get a dress too small for me. She is one of those who praises size zeros and ones. No, I wasn’t that small, but the dress was a one and it fit just right.
The girls put the final touches on us with jewelry and I turned to the full-length mirror. I gasped at the miracle that these women had managed. The deep blue dress was heart shaped at the bust and mermaid style until my thighs with a beautiful train. I had a simple manicure and pedicure. My makeup was done simply as well, just enough to bring out my teal eyes and pink lips. My hair looked marvelous. It was extremely dried out and damaged, but these ladies had brought it back to life with the heavenly highlights and soft curls midway down my back, since they’d cut a good amount off. The front was teased up while the back hung loosely. The jewelry was super blingy and extravagant, but I expected that from Helen.
“You look beautiful.” I looked over and Helen was standing right next to me. Her dress was covered with tiny crystals from head to toe. It was beautiful. Even though I thought she looked a little silly dressed in all white. “Let’s do this!” she squealed with excitement.
My Sweet Escape: A Touched by an Angel Novel Page 16