The Contract of Desire

Chapter 4

Bianca’s POV

I immediately went to my messages and sure enough there were texts from his number.

‘Hello Miss Rowlene, call back immediately.’

‘Miss Bianca, call when you see this, treat it as urgent.’

My heart pounded as I read them, I was trying to call when I felt a quick wash of cool air from behind me.

I felt him before I saw him.

“You’ve been lost in your thoughts for thirty seconds. What’s going on?” Roman’s voice jolted me rather aggressively from my thought.

“Erm, it's nothing. I just need to use the bathroom,” I said and hurried into the bathroom he just came out from, I sat on the toilet seat and opened my phone, sure enough there was another message.

‘Hello, I’m Brian’s friend. Your brother has been severely injured and needs medical attention, he’s currently admitted.’

I felt my world shatter around me, if there was one thing that frightened me it was bad health.

I stared at my phone in horror and didn’t even pay attention to the door that closed in the other room.

My heart pounded violently and I had to will my heart to stop its unruly ramming.

My hands shook and I felt like my world was falling apart.

“I need to see my brother,” I repeated as I walked out of the bathroom controlled by my subconscious.

Brian was in the hospital.

I didn’t bother to understand what was going on around me but I knew Roman was not in the room.

It was still the fear in my body that led me to buy an E-ticket leading back to New York, I grabbed the closest purse to me and ran out like a mad woman.

I didn’t know how I left the inn premises without meeting Roman anywhere, it was getting brighter and from how the atmosphere was i suspected it was a little past 5AM.

I didn’t know anywhere in New Orleans but it won’t be hard to find the local airport.

I flagged down a taxi and sat still as he drove us to the Airport, even though I didn't even know how to pray, I was muttering all my wishes and desperately wishing he was alright.

The driver tried at a conversation but I was less than interested in any of the things he had to say.

“Have a safe flight!” He called out as I got down and rushed to the ticket booth. I gave them my boarding pass and they still allowed me to go through the useless security screenings.

I wasn't thinking, promises I made with my brother and plans we had kept on running through my head so much that I didn’t even notice that I was feeling a little sick.

I couldn’t even sleep all through the trip back, it didn’t last too long and I stared into space.

You never understand twin relationships unless you’re one and even then it’s not always that way for most.

We had gone through childhood traumas together and hoped for the best, our dreams had been just to be successful.

Successful together.

I began to feel guilty for the times I had spent away from him.

The announcer's voice brought me out of my thoughts and I waited for the plane to land. It was already a little close to noon and I was anxious.

“Thank you for flying with us…” the announcer was saying as I hurried past her and to the terminal.

New York was exactly how I left it, except somewhere out there my brother was probably fighting for his life.

I didn’t know where my phone was but it was fine because I didn’t hope to receive any call, I just wanted to see that my brother was okay.

The message had stated that he was admitted in St Patrick’s hospital and the taxi was headed there now.

“You look to be in a hurry dearie, you gotta breathe too,” the driver said and it sounded like he had been talking for some time.

I ignored his prattles and continued to hope for only the best, my heart was pounding like never before.

Barely 12 hours ago I was on a flight to New Orleans and now I was in a car driving to my brother in New York.

How fast did it take for someone’s life to fall apart?

“We’re here, hope your person is safe.” He called out and I hurried to the hospital.

I knew it like the back of my hands.

I ran in and a receptionist recognized me, she gave me a sympathetic smile and I held onto her for balance.

“Welcome Bianca, he is over in the ER, we need family consent before we perform surgery.” She said to me as she led me to the ER.

I was breathing hard. “Is it that serious?”

“He was involved in a knife fight, the cuts went in deeply and broken bottles were involved. It was really ghastly,” she said sympathetically and I didn’t want to imagine the state of my brother.

“Oh my Goodness Brian,” I muttered as fear gripped me.

“A group of brawny looking men had dropped him off, the doctor wanted us to stitch him up but there were shards of glass in his skin and a nasty burn. We're working to remove all of it but need your consent.” She helped me and I stared at her in horror.

“Of course you can go ahead!” I all but screeched.

“You can see him if you want, I just want you to know he’s in a miserable condition.”

We landed on the floor and I was shaking all through.

Millions of thoughts ran through my head, I wanted him to be alright. I wanted him to make snide comments about Roman, anything but unconscious.

The door opened and I stared at what was my brother on the bed, he was beaten and battered and there was blood.

A lot of blood on him.

“Oh no,” I managed to say before I saw black.