2. Heavy Heart.
2942 Words
"To heal a wound, you need to stop touching it." - Pinterest.
CHAPTER-2.
RYDEN PARKER'S POV:
Just because it looks like I'm always doing well doesn't mean I am. But even if it seems like everything in my life is utterly perfect, chances are it's not. Usually, the better it seems, the harder I am working to hide something. Something, which I struggle to control. It's like I'm holding a thousand oceans of tears inside me and I cannot let it out, just because it's against me. It would simply succeed to label me as a weak and someone who is clearly vulnerable.
It's rather hard for people to believe that I'm not doing that well with my life so far. Carrying a Parker tag along with me all the time doesn't really help. The reputation demands full authority, concentration, and power, and I just cannot present my own exposure. Can I?
The car came to a halt bringing me back to reality. Even the outside view wasn't much pleasing as it was one foggy dark night. The clouds covered the big moon and the shiny stars and I believe, it would rain after a while.
My life is dark, just like this pitchy night, leaving an only difference that there will be a bright ray of hope when the sun would shine the coming morning but in my case, I guess I could only hope for the glittering light, which seemed difficult at this point of time.
Keeping my turmoil aside and brushing away the negative thoughts, I stepped out of my car.
"You can leave, Alfred. I would be there tomorrow morning at the mansion." I dictated as he stepped out too with me.
"But Mrs. Parker warned me, not to let you stay here and bring you back in a little while." He informed as I sighed.
Mom! Mothers are bound to get anxious for their children. But sometimes, they don't recognize the fact that, we need to do what we want to do. She cannot just deprive me of something that I like to do.
"I will ring her later. You don't worry about that. You can leave now." I retorted giving him a slight nod.
"I could wait...." he tried but I cut him off.
"Alfred, please. I am no longer a kid. Leave me alone and you are not going to lose your job. I will take care of that okay. Now I will see you the coming morning, yeah?" I insisted as he gave me a concerned stare. "You need to be with your family. Merry Christmas." I tapped on his shoulder as he slowly smiled. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Parker."
"Ryden sounds fine." I nodded. With a slight nod, he drove away.
Instantly turning around, I walked inside the hospital, taking long strides as I pressed the button for the elevator. Entering in, I impatiently pressed the floor I had to reach and the elevator doors connected. The moment it stopped, I hurriedly took my steps, my legs pounding against the floor. I can't believe how rapid I would turn as I impatiently kill the distance between her room and me. There would be this hope all over again and my lips curl up, into a small hoping smile.
Upon reaching outside her door, my heart raced against my chest. Only with shaky hands, I twisted the doorknob and opened the door ajar, only with the anticipation of her being wide awake, sitting on the hospital bed, waiting, waving and smiling at me.
However, to my complete disappointment, she was still sleeping. The ventilator and IV support system making her still breathing but not sparkling and alive. She could listen to me but cannot respond. What kind of a situation is this for me? It's like a daily schedule for me to check on her, hoping her to wake up and telling me how badly she missed me these past 3 years.
Shirley.
Placing the red flowers aside on the bedside table, I kissed on her forehead.
"Merry Christmas, love," I whispered against her ear as I again came across the same deafening silence and witnessed no movement from her sleeping figure. "It's Christmas, love. Wake up." my voice cracks us a bit as I maintain to smile anyway, only to get the same silence.
Sighing, I settled myself on the couch as I connected my laptop. I can't afford to be careless about my work. Although, it's the holiday time, yet, there are a few things that need to figure out. I don't want to break down all the expectations Dad had on me. My life might be screwed up right now but I can't ignore the fact that I carry a brand name, Parker at the end of my name. It came with a bunch of responsibilities and so many people's life relied upon me.
A sole owner to Parker group of companies.
I worked hard and studied hard for this position and now I'm the owner of it. I need to complete this report. I'm just not the son of the tycoon, Ryan Parker but also, I do deserve this position. For me, it's a constant thing; hearing from people; saying that I was born with the silver spoon. Being a Parker, I have been provided with things effortlessly. I don't deny the fact either, but everything couldn't be obtained easily.
The heaviness around my eyes made me realize how exhausted and sleep I was. But my work is not yet done. There were certain wrong steps in cross-cultural marketing methods. Also, the debts given under the supervision of Dad were partially ignored. A couple of agencies were not sticking to the clearly planned terms and I certainly cannot avoid it. The moment everyone gets back to the office I would clear these things first.
My eyes involuntarily stopped by Shirley and a particular memory hit my mind. She is a distraction, but I can't help with it. Looking at her gives me a reason to smile, yet it's hurtful. Her condition never fails to remind me of the dreadful day, that could have been avoided, if only I had been more cautious.
"How come you ever managed to notice a girl like me?" She inquired about pouring us a cup of coffee.
"What do you mean?" I questioned back as she visibly rolled her eyes.
"Stop rolling your eyes on me, babe," I complained. It's something she always does. She handed me my cup and I dragged her arm placing her on my lap.
She giggled when I nuzzled leaning in and my breath tickled her skin into her neck.
"I mean you are rich, good looking and charming." And her reply only made my forehead crease into a deep frown, "Why did you go for a girl like me? I mean look at me!" She pointed at herself continuing, "There were so many girls fighting for your attention. You are so popular. I just admired you from far." I chuckled as she continued giving me a puzzled look.
"You attract me and yes, I always look at you and guess what, I can't keep my eyes and hands off you," I replied as she tilted her head slightly to look at me and I curled my arm encircling her stomach. I dropped a chaste kiss against her lips as she let out a smile, blushed a little.
"That was so distracting answer." She chuckled as I pecked her lips again.
"Well, that was totally meant to be," I responded as we again enjoyed being with each other.
It was so fun to be with her. She brought out the real me. I am me when I am with her. And I loved being with her. Now, I miss her. I miss her talks and I miss when I don't get the response I needed whenever I kiss her.
Again, I found myself thinking about us all over again. I guess it was a bad idea to work here, in front of her, irrespective of the fact that she can't see me and she can't hear me. I'm the only one suffering here.
I watched the time and it was late at midnight and then peeked at my laptop. It wasn't ready and I need a complete concentration to do that. Getting up from the beige sofa, I stopped near Shirley's bed. I learned in dropping a light kiss on her forehead and pale lips.
"I will come to visit tomorrow. Sleep well, darling." I whispered against her skin, "Wait for me." I completed in a low tone, stroking her hair and summoning up a small faint smile.
Kissing her cheek for the last time and saying my goodbye with the hope of again seeing her wake up the next day, I reached the door. I spared a last glance at my silent angel and then finally found the heart to leave her alone.
°°°°°
"Do I look good today?" Shirley questioned as I manage to stare at her.
"You do; as always," I replied with a peck on her cheek as she grinned looking my way and soon shifting her eyes towards the road at her front. My hands reached out as I ran it over her silky waves, "Gotta claim you, babe, and make sure everyone knows you're mine."
"What if I don't and let them believe?" She raised her brow in question, slight smirk curved around her lips as I playfully glared at her.
Shirley pinched my cheeks as she held my hand and kisses my knuckles. "I will remind them--"
My heart skipped a beat as I notice a huge truck loader at the side of the street the moment Shirley turned left at an intersection.
"Watch, Shirley--"
Everything happened too quickly. Shirley turned around the wheel, the car speeding over right and the next thing I ever felt was my body being jerked around followed by a deafening sound and then Shirley screaming something.
Then, everything went quiet. I couldn't breathe and the seatbelt that cut through my will did not help either. My vision started giving up on me and reaching out for her seemed so hard to do. I was helpless and hopeless. My legs gave up as well.
I blinked fervently, my vision slowly giving up and only the red around her head could be seen. Shirley's smile disappeared, replacing a cut around her lips and blood oozing out from everywhere. She was completely still and all I could do was just look at her condition helplessly.
The windows were broken and the door was nowhere to be seen around the vehicle. The front part was totally out of shape. A deep panic rose within my body as my breathing turned so damn heavy. "Sweetheart, Shirley. Can you hear me? Look at me, love." I gasped, trying harder to get my voice through her ear only to get ignored.
My tone was broken. I was broken and my throat hurting.
She didn't move. It felt like my entire world crumbled down.
"Shirley," I hissed as loud as I could, "Shirley, babe, get up. Can you understand?" I continued, although it came out barely as a whisper as I place my hand over her arm but I could not grip on it.
It hurt; the pain burning and ripping through my body making it harder to control the tears. But more painful was her silence, the dread of something happening to her was so intense.
Shirley's petite frame hunched over and that was the last thing I ever remembered from that terrible day.
I knew I have to fight back with everything that I had. I needed to make sure she was safe and alright. But I couldn't carry on further. My chest turned so tight, air lacking my system as I finally give up.
°°°°°
"Uh...what's that?" I groaned in displeasure as I shuffled my leg for the third time in a row. Feeling something sticky on my leg, I growled again, trying to contemplate whether is it real or my imagination. Apparently, it was a filthy reality as I felt the same tackiness again.
Slightly parting my eyes, I blinked several times. And there was the wetness again around my toes. Removing the pure white quilt off me, I peeked down at my foot to find that same creature.
Gross!
"Rachel..." I hollered getting up finally from my bed. f**k! When she would stop being this negligent. Damn, my head feels so heavy, am I having a whiplash?
"What got in your pants? Don't you seem crankier this morning?" Rachel showed up as she cried rubbing her palms over her eyes to get rid of the sleepiness.
"Get that thing out of my room!" I hissed as she followed the way to my hand, "I'm warning you for the hundredth time already, don't let it wander all over the mansion, don't you get that simple thing?" I yelled at her as she rolled her eyes and that only made my temper rise.
She moved closer my way as she folded her arms, "Firstly it's not anything okay! We call him Casper. Get that straight into your head." She warned and turned to carry her dog in her arms like it was the last adorable thing left in the world. The tenderness she had while she looked at it was gone as soon as she averted her eyes my way, "And don't you dare hurt him. He's my first love." She averted her gaze towards her so-called pet as she rocked his back admiring him.
"Then marry him and keep it with you all the time. But please don't let it come to my room. I woke up when that dog of yours decided to lick my leg." I let out a harsh scowl at her dog feeling repugnant all over again.
He replied by barking for a couple of times and then taking in and out his tongue. I grimaced only to make Rachel giggle looking my way.
"Now get out of my room." I hissed again as she passed me a spiteful look before walking out of my room.
How does she handle it?
"Son, you're still here? Everyone's waiting for you at the board meeting!" My father, Ryan Parker, said rather demanded a reasonable answer while I was about to exit the mansion.
I closed my eyes making myself ready to experience his outburst.
"Look, son," his voice turned softer leaving me quite fazed. It's new and dazing. He's immediately temperamental otherwise, ever since I can ever remember. He tends to get angry easily at topics that include my exposure regarding Shirley. He believes being hard is the necessarily must for people like us.
I could feel his footsteps moving closer, "We can't control a few things in life. All we can do is accept the actuality and move on." He stopped as he stood to face me. He observed for a while as he stared at my blank expressions.
With a silent sigh, he started again, "If you want to experience true success and become extraordinary, then you certainly have to let go of a few things." He placed his hand on my shoulder, not finding any type of expressions as he sighed. "You do understand my point here, right?" He added assuredly as I let out a weak nod.
I understand the meaning behind his words and I do realize the fact that he is worried about me. But I can''t help it. He wants me to move on whilst my heart doesn't want to forget about her. It's like I see her everywhere. It's not like I am in this fantasy world, but every day I wake up, I expect the doctors say about her waking up finally, but that never came; not yet.
I am living for that day.
"Now let's go, son," he suddenly sounded so casual and free, "We are going to have fun." He grinned making me give him an unbelievable look.
"What!" He shrugged, "I mean at least I know its Christmas time sonny," he mocked wryly making me turn on to my back and started walking away.
"Ryden, Come back. Your mom wants to see you." He yelled as I waved off.
"Tell her I love her." I twisted a little as he frowned
"What about me?" He questioned as I shrugged, "I'm sure you do too. She is such a sweetheart." I smirked as he let out a playful glare.
"Expressing sometimes makes your life easy and possible son. Take your big man's advice." He jogged as he joined me out.
"Not really happening, Mr. Parker," I disapproved as he frowned. I continued, "My old man advised to stay tough and hard. It's necessarily important for a businessman like me." I smirked turning my body towards my car as I opened the door for myself.
"Ah...smooth," he intently looks at me as he added again, "I'm letting my son win now. I am thrilled more to play the father part right now." He wryly smiled.
"You sure do, Mr. Parker," I smirked wearing my shades on as I sit in.
"Don't forget to show up tonight. I don't want your Mom being cheerless over you. You haven't shown your face to her for three days." He complained as I twisted my brows.
"Will do; now let me go old man."
"Hey, you are not privileged to use that term all the time big guy. I still have women swooning over my looks." He smirked and I shook driving away.
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- Writer
