My heart beats hard against my chest as I step in, the silence so loud and heavy on me while I await for just about anything to happen, yet nothing does.
Closing the door quietly, I step in further, only to stop in my tracks at the sight of him laying soundly . Why am I here?
As if in immediate answer, my feet move on their own, leading me to him where I get a better look. He doesn't look too good, he's sweating.
Natural instinct takes over and I reach to the nightstand, grabbing an already wet cloth and placing it on his forehead as I sit on his side, being careful to not wake him.
" Kea." I think he murmurs but I'm not sure.
Leaning close to hear, like I thought, he is calling my name.
" I'm here." I whisper out, cooling his face with the wet cloth, not wanting his temperature to increase.
Without another word, I attend to his needs, letting my heart take over and be there for him.
" Kea." I hear someone call me, but I'm too comfortable to move.
" Akiandra!" I jerk awake and sit upright way too fast that I hurt my neck in the process.
" Ow!" I groan out, rubbing at it, to smooth the sore spot.
" Are you okay?" My eyes snap forward to Keith's bed, where a now awake Keith lays.
" Yes I'm fine." I say slowly, rising to my feet and carefully walking over to stand just a few feet from his bed.
"How are you feeling?" At my question, he starts to cough." Not good I suppose." I mutter, nervously rubbing at my arm.
" Uh can I get you anything - Oh my, what are you doing?" I rush forward, to push him to lay back down.
This crazy man tried to get up, in his condition."I'm trying to get ready for work." He answers, sitting up and against the headboard.
"No and no, you Mister are on bed rest, you aren't well."
" I'm fine." He argues, frowning at me.
" Look here Keith Salvatore, you may be a boss at work or a big shot out there but not here. You are sick and a patient, and me? Well I am the boss now, so stay in bed and be a good patient!" I whisper yell, my chest moving up and down as I try catch my breath.
Looking at him, I see him watching me stunned, eyes blinking in surprise. My own widen and I clamp my hand against my mouth, not believing what just happened.
We stay like this for a few seconds before I slowly remove my hand and swallow hard." I'll be right out." I say, rushing out and not waiting for anything else to be said.
After closing the door, my back leans back against it, my hand on my mouth.
What just happened?
I push off the door and make way to the kitchen where Sarah and Maria are at, chatting over a cup of tea. Upon noticing me, they stop talking and Sarah rises up to her feet, rushing over to me where I'm engulfed in her arms.
" It's so good to have you back." She murmurs.
" I didn't come back, I'll be gone soon." I tell her, where she releases me and takes a step back to look at me." Oh." She can't hide her disappointment.
" Come dear, sit down and I'll make you something ." Maria waves me over to take a seat.
"Oh I can't, I need to make Keith some soup for his cold and then have him drink his meds before anything." I say, already moving around to start.
"Oh no worries dear, I've made him something, it'll get him up in no time. I used to make for him when he was young. " Maria says with a proud smile.
" Oh okay, thank you Mrs Maria, it'll save me time and I can get back to him quickly before he tries acting tough, wanting to go to work in his condition." I mumble the last part with a frown, actually imagining him doing it.
Maria takes it out of the microwave after heating it up, she places everything for me on the tray. I thank her and walk out , returning back to Keith's room, to find Keith on his laptop.
" What are you doing?" I ask, walking in further.
" I'm just checking my emails." He says, clicking away and not even sparing me a glance.
" You're on bed rest, " I tell him, placing the tray on the nightstand. He nods, not really paying attention to a word I've just said, but coughing. Oh but he does that.
" Which means, no work." I say, shutting his laptop closed before snatching it away from him before he can grab a hold of it.
" Akiandra." He warns off but I'm not shaken.
" Threaten me all you want, but I'm here for one reason and that's for you to get better." I take a seat beside him, taking the bowl of soup in hand and getting ready to feed him.
" Is that the only reason?" He asks, pausing my movements as our eyes meet.
I break eye contact and continue with what I've been doing." It's okay, I've got it." He tells me, trying to take the spoon from me but I give him a warning glare, earning a sigh from him and co-operation.
We remain like that, me feeding him and him letting me, until all is done.
About to rise up to my feet and take the dishes downstairs, a hand on my wrist stops my movements. I turn to look at him.
" Kea about yesterday - " I jump to my feet, forcing him to let go of my wrist.
" Drink your meds and just call if you need anything." I say before walking out.
I can't revisit yesterday, for his words still play in my mind and those events just might be the push for me to leave.
Silence is around us as I sit on his mini couch, legs under me and a book in hand, while he rests up.
I don't know how to actually feel about being in the same room with Keith. Well his room.
I peek at him from above the book. So boyish and cute he looks , laying there and seeming to be oblivious to the world. That's the Keith I wouldn't mind seeing and just being around.
" You're watching me." He tells me, eyes still closed.
How can he tell?
" I can feel it." He says answering me.
I don't say anything but just look at him, forcing him to open his eyes and look at me.
I break eye contact and continue reading my book, not that I'm successful in getting back to the mood of the book when the feel of his eyes is so distracting.
" Stop." I speak up with my eyes on the book.
" What?" He asks, but I can feel humour in his voice, I glance up at him." Stop doing that."
" Doing what?" Oh he's finding it hard to suppress a grin.
" That," I point at his face." The whole staring thing, it's creepy and distracting."
" You were doing it just now." He shoots back, his brow quirked up.
"That was different. " I say.
"How so?" He challenges, now sitting upright.
"Well I was thinking." I defend myself.
" Well so was I," he says, pointing at his chest.
We stare at each other for a minute before we laugh at each other. Whoa, we're actually laughing together, the thought alone brings an easy smile on my face.
" I like your laugh." All together, I stop laughing and my smile slips off my face.
He likes my laugh.
A knock on the door takes me out of my thoughts. Keith answers and in peeks Mrs Maria." Mam, dinner is ready."
" Oh, I'll be right there thank you." I tell Maria before she backs out of the door, leaving me once again with Keith.
" Well I guess I should bid you goodnight then." I tell him, avoiding eye contact.
" Akiandra." He calls me, stopping me in my tracks.
" Join me tonight. Stay." He says.
I stand there for a few seconds before walking out, having left my book on my spot.
" Akiandra Salvatore are you listening to me?" Theresa says on the other line." Yes I am." I tell her.I can't believe he actually invited me to eat with him tonight, that has only ever happened once before I knew he wanted to divorce me.A lump forms in my throat at the word divorce. Gosh I'm an emotional wreck these days, what's wrong with me?" You're not listening are you?" Theresa's voice breaks me out of my thoughts." I'm sorry Theresa, what were you saying?" I ask, now paying attention." Are you seriously moving back there?" She asks me." No, I'm just staying here for a few days until he's absolutely better."" And by better you mean until he goes back to yelling and ignoring you, as if you aren't his wife." My chest clenches at her words." Theresa I just want him to feel better and right after, I'll be gone
I've been avoiding him today, I remained locked in my room, I mean room. It's no more mine anymore. I couldn't face him after last night.I might have left him with parting words but a part of me feels bad, it isn't by choice that his heart chose someone else. I love him, I do but I can't force him to see me in a certain way or reciprocate my love, it wouldn't be fair to the both of us, because at the end of the day he'd be kept away from his true love and I'd be left heartbroken.A bigger part of me feels relieved that I voiced out something. I don't like when he shouts or yells at me, it hurts my feelings and makes me feel small. It hurts more when the person you love does something like that to you.I couldn't control my mouth and sure had to release something, it might have been a mistake but right now, I'll stand by what I said."Sweet girl, I was about to come up there and force feed you. Don't sc
" Akiandra. Kea come on, wake up. " I hear someone say from a distance as I'm shaken awake, but I don't want to." Kea, goddammit wake up!" Keith? Since when does he wake me up?" Kea?!" Again I'm shaken awake and this time I hear shuffling." Why's she not waking up?" Is that Maria sobbing, why's she crying?" Kea please." No this is all wrong, Keith wouldn't say please.The shaking continues , totally irritating me." S-stop," I murmur . Wanting the person to stop." Wait, Kea talk to me." Keith says close." S-stop, I want to sleep. " I try push the person away, only to push on air.Soon I hear a chuckle and a sigh." Oh thank God." Maria breathes out of relief, I detect." She's fine -she's okay." Keith says beside me and I feel hands touch my face, moving hair away from my face. Th
We stare at each other. That's what we've been doing as minutes passed by." Akiandra what is this?" He steps into the room, closing the door behind him." Just as you can see, I'm giving you, your life back. "I watch his head drop down, hands on his hips. He bites at his lips and nods his head before looking up at me again." We are still married.""Not for long" I quickly say, cutting him off." Is this about yesterday because I - " He stops short of his words.He can't do it." You don't have to strain yourself or force yourself even, to say it. You can't apologise, it's not you, it's not in you to do so and you know what? - I've made peace with that." I take a breath before turning away from him and taking my bag in hand." I've made peace with a lot of things, handled a lot of things and still I stood. But last night was a different
" Come on, you have to do it sometime today." I say, palm against my cheek." Urgh I can't." He throws his hand up in defeat, slumping against his chair and glaring at the piece of vanilla cake in front of him.I bet he wasn't exaggerating when he said, it makes him uncomfortable and takes him back to that time." You know you'll never conquer your fears if you don't try," I say." It's just staring at me." He shudders." You know what, I've got this." He suddenly perks up, taking the small plate in hand.I sit up straight, hoping that he's about to take at least a bite, only for him to change direction and throw the cake away." What are you doing?" I ask in disbelief." I couldn't do it, it had to go." He says, sighing in relief."O.kay, would you like chocolate cake then?" I pull out the piece of gooey chocolate cake out of the fridge, p
Right after Keith had left, I found my body moving on it's own. I was busting some serious moves and squealing with joy, a permanent smile remaining on my face till I laid in bed.How long I'd awaited an apology. The day had filled with a new norm for myself, only for things to take a turn when he just rocked up on my doorstep.What had caused a change of heart or even changed the way he viewed things. Such questions stay locked at the back of my head, not wanting anything to mess up the wonderful moment I feel.In the two years of my marriage , such an act of him on his knees, pleading for forgiveness and asking for my friendship has never happened.The moment those words left his lips, I swear my heart stopped. Giddy, that's how I feel, to have a much closer look at his life, being led into his thoughts, dreams and all. I don't even know what could be more worth it, then getting to k
I wait patiently for Keith to show up. We'd made plans to go watch a movie tonight and I must say , I'm looking forward to it.We'd texted back and forth in the afternoon, and he'd suggested that we go out for a movie tonight. Now here I am, still waiting for him. I know that he's a bit late and I have no doubt he might be tied up at work. I just hope he'll be able to make it because if hedoesn't, no doubt I'll be a little disappointed but I'll still understand. He is a busy man.A knock on the door has me jumping up and rushing to the door. My smile wavers a bit when Keith is not the one on my doorstep but it's Theresa." Theresa hey." I fix myself and a genuine smile makes it's way onto my face, though a bit disappointed but still happy to see my friend." I saw that, you were expecting someone else weren't you?" Right to the point.How does she do tha
I can't believe I'm doing this. Well I can't believe this is happening, I'm travelling with Keith.When he asked me to accompany him, I wasn't really thinking straight, I was still stunned about what happened with London. Everything after he left and I agreed to go with Keith, became a blur. Now I'm sitting beside Keith, who's busy on his laptop. Probably with work.We're going to the airport right now and I'm nervously excited to go to Aspen. I've never been to Aspen. To add to this excitement, I'm going with Keith. I know he might be busy with work and all but when he's not busy, I'll just have to drag him around and create a little fun for the both of us. You know, creating memories.My mom would be squealing with joy at watching me travel to places. She'd always known that I had a heart for travelling, experiencing new things, learning and storing memories of a life time.I watch curiously as we pas