‘You’ve had a nasty bump on the head. You have concussion but you’ll be fine. You also have a few cuts and bruises from the glass.’ The nurse wrote something on a pad. Her thick accent made it hard for me to understand but I got the general gist.
‘How long will she have to be in here?’ Derek asked.
Glancing at my bodyguard, I was shocked to see that his hair was messed up. He ran his hand through it, pulling at the ends as he eyed the bandage on my head. The nurse looked at him too, giving him a lovely smile.
‘Don’t worry about your friend. These things happen. It wasn’t your fault that an animal ran out in the road,’ she said, handing me a glass of water so I could take a sip. ‘She’ll have to stay for a day or two. We want to make sure everything is okay.’
My phone started to ring. The nurse left us as Matt handed it to me.
‘Cancer, I can’t believe this happened,’ my father murmured down the phone.
Closing my eyes, I smiled to myself. Although our parents had always taken care of us, they had never been any good at showing their emotion. It was nice, in a weird sort of way, to hear that he was worried.
‘Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,’ I said, lifting my hand to my head and prodding the bandage wrapped around it.
Derek and Matt still hovered by the bed. Their breathing was the loudest sound in the room.
‘Derek said someone was following you. Are you a hundred percent sure that it was one of Nick’s men?’
Father must have been in his office. It was far too quiet in the background. I was used to hearing my siblings making lots of noise whenever I was on the phone to one of them. My eyes started to sting as I thought about home. My brothers and sisters would be gathered around the kitchen table. Laughing and joking or just taking the mickey out of each other.
‘No, I’m not hundred percent sure it was one of Nick’s men. Maybe I was just being paranoid.’ I opened my eyes and glanced at Derek. He shook his head quickly, disagreeing with my conclusion.
‘Derek told me that he was quite sure because the car started to speed up. I’m worried about you, Cancer. Worried about both of you,’ Father said.
It all became too much. Tears fell from my eyes as I tried to swallow them. Matt rubbed my arm but I pulled away. Wiping my cheeks, I sniffled and wished that my father was there.
‘Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Derek is going to hire a new car, and when you’re ready, you can go home to your new villa. Until then, get some rest and recover.’ Father sounded like our mother. The thought of the woman who had brought us up made me cry even more. Although she had abandoned us, and been on Nick’s side for a while, she was now back within the fold of the family.
Biting my lip, I opened my eyes to look at Matt. Could I build a life with him? Or would it be easier to let him go?
‘Can I have a moment, please?’ I asked the two men in the hospital room.
Matt rubbed his neck but nodded quickly. Derek didn’t even glance at me as he turned and walked away. When they were both out of the room, I let my emotions break free. Father was silent on the end of the phone as I sobbed.
I slowly started to feel better as I allowed my fear to come out of me.
‘You don’t have to do this. You can come home whenever you like. We’ll face this together.’ Father’s reassuring tone made me long to go to him.
Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth to speak. ‘I don’t want to risk Matt’s life. I wish I was there, with you and everyone else. I miss the Zodiacs. Even if they are annoying most of the time.’ I giggled when father laughed.
It was true. My siblings were annoying but I could also be as bad as them. And that’s why we loved each other so much.
‘Take your time. Derek is a very good bodyguard. No matter what happens, his only goal is to keep you both safe. Bear in mind that Matt also knows a thing or two. He worked with Nick, after all.’
My father’s words calmed me. He was right, as always. Matt had worked for Nick. He would know how he worked. In fact, he would know better than most people, including Derek.
‘We’ll be fine. I know we will. There is one problem…I’ve only just found out about the divorce. I wish you had told me that it hadn’t finalised,’ I said, grabbing a tissue from the box on the bedside table and wiping my nose.
‘I didn’t feel that it was my place to say anything, dear.’
It wasn’t unusual for my father to give us pet names, but it had been a long time since he had used them.
‘I’m glad he’s told you. I advised him to make sure he was clear with you at all times. There’s nothing like honesty in a relationship. Remember that.’
Starting to nod, I stopped when my headache increased. I kept forgetting that I had bumped it pretty hard. ‘I know. That’s exactly why I’m pleased he told me. It took him long enough. Although, I wish it wasn’t the case. I really did think the divorce had already gone through. A part of me wishes that I had known before I had come out here. I’m not sure I would have made this commitment. Especially now he has to come back next week anyway.’
A sigh escaped my father. ‘He’s coming back?’
He had to. As much as I didn’t want Matt to be at risk when it came to Nick, I couldn’t try and build a life with him if he was still married to his wife.
The heat that rushed over my skin made me bite my tongue. For the first time since knowing him, I was jealous of the woman he had married. In the past, I had managed to put it out of my head, because nothing had actually happened between us. But things were about to change.
‘It’s up to him what he does. I can’t be with him the whole time he’s married, though.’
Opening my eyes, I smiled when I caught sight of Matt and Derek looking through the glass window in the door. They were both impatient to find out what Father had to say. They would have to wait. I hadn’t finished talking to him yet. He was my dad. I needed him first.
‘That’s very commendable. I’m not sure everyone would be so worried about it, considering they’re not together. I’m pleased,’ he said.
Ignoring the gazes of the men at the window, I stared at the white ceiling above my head. ‘I’ve been very tempted. Not that you need to know that, sorry.’
He chuckled again. The familiar noise made my heart soothe. It was easy to talk to him, unlike my mother. She wasn’t a judgmental person but she would give it to you straight. It was either black or white with her, whereas Father understood the grey.
‘Don’t worry, dear, I’ve seen it all before. Remember that I’m not actually your father, I’m your guardian. I know your soul, Cancer. I know who you are better than any of you know yourselves. Watching Pisces go through her transformation helped me. I’m also watching and planning for the rest of you. This is your time, own it. Only you can make the changes needed in order for this to work.’
The longing that squeezed my chest made me clench my hands. My father’s wise words reminded me of home.
‘Why is it so hard? Why is everything we do met with such resistance? Not just with Nick but with my own bloody emotions. It goes round and round in my head when I don’t feel secure. I want to…come and see you all again. Even though I only left you yesterday.’ I reached for my cup of water and took a sip.
‘Then do that. Do what your heart tells you, not what others tell you. You know I wasn’t happy that you left. I had no choice but to let you go. You’re in your early twenties now, all grown up. Still a young person but your souls are older than most people on this planet. We can’t fail this time. We have to achieve our goal and complete our mission. I can’t say much more, Cancer, but I will say this: stop resisting everything and surrender completely. That is the only way you’ll be able to be with the man you’re supposed to be with.’
A sense of peace settled over me as my chest relaxed. I rubbed my stomach as it started to unclench.
‘Thanks, Dad,’ I said, swallowing hard.
‘Always.’ He didn’t need to say an
y more.
I said my goodbye and pressed the end button on the phone.
Life was completely unknown. I couldn’t see ahead. I couldn’t see anywhere. The only thing I could do was to be in the moment. And every moment counted.
Chapter Ten
‘Okay, now we’re finally here, I can do what I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.’
Matt moved forward and wrapped his arms around me. I leant my head against his chest and took a deep breath.
‘When are you going to take me out on a date?’ I pulled back and looked up at him.
He raised his eyebrows, his lips pursing together instead of smiling like I thought he would.
‘It’s not that easy, is it?’
I shook my head, refusing to let him bring me down.
We had just walked through the door of our new home. Derek was banging around in the kitchen. The villa was beautiful. I expected nothing less from my father. The pool glittered in the afternoon sun. The bandage around my head had been taken off.
‘I refuse to live in fear,’ I said.
Matt brought his hand up and stroked the ends of my hair. His lips descended onto my forehead. I tilted my head backwards, bringing my lips to his. The kiss was gentle at first.
I gasped as his hands started to roam over my body. We had never been intimate before. As his tongue pushed his way into my mouth, I wrapped myself around him. My heart skipped over and over. My palms started to sweat. He reached between us and undid his jeans. I was about to pull away from him, not ready for that.
‘Are you coming swimming?’ Derek called from the kitchen.
I giggled as we fell apart. Matt growled in the general direction of the door. He wasn’t impressed by our interruption. I was fine with it, though. I didn’t want it to move too fast. Especially as he was still a married man.
‘It’s okay,’ I said. ‘We’ve got plenty of time for that.’
Matt frowned, and for the first time ever, rolled his eyes at me. Keeping my face straight, I walked out of the room. I wasn’t sure how our moment of pleasure had turned into something that felt wrong.
The kitchen and living area was open plan. Derek stood by the French windows, staring longingly out at the sparkling water. I smiled at him when he glanced at me. He grinned back when he took in my dishevelled state. We had only kissed.
‘Sorry, did I interrupt something?’
I punched him playfully on the arm. He might be an idiot but he always made me smile.
‘Are you going swimming?’ I pulled the door open and stepped out onto the patio.
The warm sun caressed my bare arms. Although winter was approaching in London, it was a lot milder in Greece.
I closed my eyes and revelled in the warmth. It was good to be free.
A huge splash resounded around me. Drops of water splattered my whole body. Opening my eyes, I laughed. Derek resurfaced in the pool, grinning in my direction.
‘You could have warned me.’
He shook his head as he swam towards the deep end. Drops flew around him in a halo. ‘Where’s the fun in that?’
Smiling, I turned to go back in the house.
‘Where are you going?’ he called.
I paused as I watched him swim to the edge and hang on to the side of the pool. ‘Unlike you,’ I said, pointing at his pile of clothes by the door, ‘I aim to actually wear a bathing suit.’
He chuckled and waved his hand in the air. ‘You don’t need to worry about that.’
My mouth dropped open. He had never flirted with me. Not that he would succeed. He wouldn’t see me without my bathing suit, cheeky man. ‘Now that, Derek, is something that you’ll have to dream about.’
I left him chuckling to himself. I shouldn’t encourage him but I couldn’t help it. At least he wasn’t sulking, like Matt.
Making my way to my new bedroom, I closed the door behind me and leant against it. The room was cold which was quite common for Mediterranean villas.
The double bed was covered with a white duvet. The bedside table held a clock and a lamp. The built-in wardrobe looked spacious from where I stood. It was a shame I didn’t have any clothes to go in it.
As I closed my eyes, I realised how tired I was. It had been a long couple of days, even though I had been in bed for most of the time. I was fully recovered but I wasn’t sure how emotionally stable I was. Matt’s presence in the house put me on edge. There was still so much to sort out before we could be together.
Taking a step forward, I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes. I would rest for a moment. Literally only a second. I had stuff to do. The first thing I had to sort out, before having a swim, would be my wardrobe. I was being serious with Derek, I needed a swimsuit before I got in the pool.
*
I ducked down low under the kitchen table. The siren outside penetrated through the windows and into my ears. The war was starting to get on my nerves. Every day I would get out of bed and try to go about my normal routine. However, it wasn’t easy to keep going when bombs were exploding around you. Especially when you knew that they were aimed at your home.
Making the very same type of ammunition that was killing, not only my friends but neighbours and many others, was not my idea of helping. The money was good, though.
The whistle of something falling from the sky sounded too close to comfort. I covered my ears as I looked out from under my hiding space. My gaze ran over the tea set that sat in the cupboard behind the glass. The clock on the wall ticked gently as time slowed down. The sound grew louder. I gazed at the photo on the window ledge. My family. My mother and father smiled at me from the picture. It was as if they knew what was about to happen.
I screamed as the house exploded around me. The noise was so loud I couldn’t hear myself. Everything shook, including my bones. Bricks tumbled all around me. The crumbling noise of rubble made me clench my eyes shut. The dust entered my lungs, making me cough. They would never find me, even if I didn’t get crushed.
Bricks started to build up around me. The table managed to stay standing, which surprised me, considering how old it was. I stayed completely still as the debris piled up, blocking me in.
It seemed like it took forever for the building to finish collapsing. As suddenly as the roar had started, it stopped. The shuddering around me went completely still. I could see nothing. The darkness enveloped me and there was nothing I could do.
My parents were at work. I was supposed to be on the way to my job. I had decided to spend longer on my hair that morning. How had I survived?
I kept my eyes closed, suddenly afraid of the dark. I had never been scared of it before. Being petrified made adrenaline pulse through me. My heartbeat thumped in my head.
All I could smell was the dust that tried to climb into my mouth and choke me. I coughed to clear it. Unclasping my hands, I ran them over my face. There was no point in my action but I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit there.
Through the ringing in my ears, I felt a throb in my foot. I had been sitting on my knees with my feet under me. Shifting slightly, I winced. My foot had been sticking out. Searching with my hands, I gasped when I touched the brick that lay on top of my foot. I had been so scared, I didn’t even notice it had been crushed.
Knocking it away, I flexed my toes. My teeth gritted when pain shot up my leg. They were crushed. Great, now I wouldn’t be able to wear my high heels to work. I couldn’t help the giggle that came from my mouth. My mother would berate me if she knew that my first thought after I had broken my foot was to worry about shoes.
Shouting in the distance made me put my hands on my chest. The rescuers were outside. I burst out crying, relief flooding through me. The tears ran down my face. I tried to suck them back in. A lady should be a grown-up according to my mother. It didn’t work. The shouting became clearer; my rescuers were nearby.
‘Is there anyone in there?’ someone shouted from outside.
I opened my mouth to call back but the dust got stuck in m
y throat. My tears didn’t help either. Coughing as hard as I could, I tried again. ‘Help me!’
I had no idea how much of the house had fallen. Was I completely covered? Or were we one of the lucky ones that had only lost a part of the house?
‘Hello?’
It didn’t seem as if he had heard me. Licking my lips, I cringed when I tasted the sand from the concrete. I tried to spit it out. Wiping my mouth, instead of using my tongue, I whistled as loud as I could.
My heart beat faster when I heard a return whistle. They heard me. I sighed, coughing when I sucked in air. It didn’t go all the way to my lungs. They would have to hurry, otherwise I would suffocate from lack of oxygen.
I whistled again, just to make sure. When someone whistled back, I couldn’t help the fresh burst of tears that fell from my sore eyes. The water dropped onto my hands. It was still too dark to see anything. I hoped they would hurry up.
‘Can you hear me?’
The man must have been quite close. Although he sounded muffled, I could make out his words. Hopefully that meant he wasn’t far away. It also meant that the house was probably partly intact.
‘I can hear you,’ I shouted as loud as I could.
My foot throbbed painfully. My body had been pumping adrenaline since the bricks had started to fall. The reality of my situation was starting to set in. I closed my eyes and slowed my breath to try and save as much air as possible.
‘We’re working to get you out. It won’t be long.’
I choked on a mouthful of dust as I inhaled deeply. My heartbeat started to slow as I tried to think of anything other than being trapped. Would my mother and father be angry at me? Was my bedroom ruined? And what about my clothes and shoes? It had taken forever to get such good wardrobe.
‘Can you whistle for me, please?’ the muffled voice shouted.
I wiped my mouth and tried again. They were obviously trying to locate my exact position under the rubble.
‘She’s down here,’ the man shouted.
Cancer: Book 5 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) Page 7