THE REJECTED OMEGA: MARKED BY THE CURSED ALPHA.

THE FIRST FEW HOURS.

Chapter 06.

THE FIRST FEW HOURS!

Kara's POV.

The door creaked as I pushed it open. I took a step in, and then stopped. Just then, the lights came on as my dad flicked the switch. Pardon me, but for a moment I'd forgotten that I'd company in my dad. If anything, I thought that I was alone.

The darkness that enveloped the room, and the silence that filled it, not to mention the thought of my mother's absence made me hesitate for a few seconds. I'd only taken that first step in because I just had to.

“Aren't you coming in?” my dad asked, moving the window curtains. “You can't just stand there. You've been standing for minutes. You need to get some rest.”

As I opened my mouth to speak, my phone began to ring. I brought it out from my side pocket, and glanced at the screen. It was a call from Sophie. I sighed. I knew why she was calling.

Words must have spread about my mother's demise. I'd had enough words for the day. I didn't think I wanted to get consoled by anyone anymore. If anything, my dad had done well to console me the best he could, and that was enough for the night.

“Aren't you going to answer it?” he asked, in a curious tone. “I am sure it's important.”

“No, it's not.” I replied, returning the phone to my pocket. “Besides, I need a moment to clear my head. I just lost my mother. The last thing I want is a call which obviously isn't going to bring her back.”

There was an edge to my voice.

For some weird reasons, I was angry with him. It just seemed like he was the cause of her death, even though I knew that he wasn't.

“Who was that?” he asked, raising a brow.

“Whoever it is doesn't matter.” I said, walking towards my room.

“Hey,” he gripped my arm, and held me back. “I know that I've been saying this for some time now, but I need you to understand that I know how you feel.”

“You think you do, but you don't.” I said, shaking my head as tears began to form in my eyes. “You have no idea how I feel right now.”

“Of course, I do.” he said in a soft voice. “I am your dad, so I know how you feel. I won't blame you if you refuse to pick up your phone. Take a look at this.”

He brought out his phone from his pocket, and turned the screen to me.

“You see that?” he asked. “Its been blowing up ever since we left the hospital. I have no idea how they got to know about what happened, but they know. And there's nothing I can do about it. So, I understand if you don't want to answer your phone.”

He put his phone back in his pocket. While driving us back home in his car earlier, I'd seen him a few times pick up his phone, stare at the screen, and then drop it. I guess those calls he refused to pick were from his colleagues.

“However, you don't have to be angry with yourself.” he added, shaking his head. “The truth is, there is nothing you could have done to stop what happened. No matter how hard you might have tried, you couldn't have stopped it.”

“Perhaps, I could.” I shrugged a shoulder.

“No, you couldn't.”

“You can't be so sure.” my voice was as hard as my gaze. “I know what I'm saying; I could have stopped it from happening. It's all my fault.”

“No, it's not.” he said, looking into my eyes as he shook his head. “If there's anyone to blame, then blame me.”

“Why should I?” I asked, in a broken voice. “You did nothing.”

“I shouldn't have allowed her take up that job.” he said, his voice heavy with regrets. “Perhaps, if I'd just worked a little harder, then she wouldn't have had to take up that job that has cost her her life now.”

Perhaps, if he had worked a little harder like he said, then things would have been different. But I doubt it. Knowing exactly the kind of person my mom was, she didn't want to sit at home all day.

She wanted something doing — a job. And that was why she'd to take up that job in the first place. So even if he was able to give her the world, I doubt it if she would have agreed to sit at home just like he wanted her to.

In the meantime, I dropped my head. I wasn't angry with him. Truth is, I was angry with myself. I shouldn't have allowed Nathaniel put that mark on my forehead. If he hadn't, then she wouldn't have died.

“My Sunshine,” he called me as he swept a tumbling hair off my forehead. “I might have lost her, but each time I look at you, I still see her. So, she's still alive to me.”

“I guess so.” I said, barely breathing the words as I lifted my head.

“I am sure it was one of your friends who called earlier.” he mentioned. “And I am sure whoever it was meant you more good, than harm. So, perhaps, you might want to answer it the next time it rings. You don't have to bottle up your emotions; talk to your friends. Let them know how you feel.”

“I will try to.” I said, forcing a smile. “I just need to get some rest now.”

“Have you had anything to eat all day?” he asked. “If you haven't, what would you like to eat? Just tell me, I'll make it for you.”

“Thanks, but I'm not hungry.” I said, shaking my head. “I just need to get some rest.”

It wasn't even up to five seconds that I said those words, my stomach grumbled.

“Damn it.” I bit down my bottom lip, and sighed, while closing my eyes.

“Well, I guess your stomach begs to differ.” he said. “You can get some rest while I fix dinner. I'll let you know when it's ready.”

If I had my way, I would rather sleep on an empty stomach, but I knew he wouldn't allow me to do so. Especially after my stomach made that sound earlier.

But if you ask, I really didn't see any need to fix dinner. I knew that he was just trying to get his mind off the fact that he'd just lost my mother, but I think a good sleep would have been better.

The last time I ate without my mom present in the dining room was when she travelled to attend to some business seminar in a different state.

The very reason why she attended that seminar was to begin her own business which failed only a few months after.

Meanwhile, aside that, she was always in the dining when it was time to eat. However, thinking that her chair would be empty after my dad must have finished fixing dinner made my skin crawl.

“Hey,” his voice broke in on my thoughts as he lowered his head to look at my face. “You should go in and get some rest.”

“Alright.” I nodded my head, and walked into my room.

The door latch clicked as I shut the door. I took my hands off the doorknob, closed my eyes and sighed as I turned around, and leaned my back against the door.

Hitting the back of my head against the door, I formed my hands into a fist as a tear trickled down the side of my nose. Sometimes, she didn't need to say any word. Her smile was more than enough to assure me that things would get better when it seemed like it was about to get worse. That was what I loved the most about her.

In the meantime, I stopped hitting my head against the door as I opened my eyes. My gaze fell upon her picture frame on my bedside table.

Actually, the picture in the frame featured the both of us. With my eyes on the frame, I walked towards the bedside table, and then picked up the frame. Staring at her image, I rubbed my thumb against the protective glass sheet, and then smiled.

“Mom,” I called in a broken voice as tears filled my eyes. “It is only a few hours but I'm already missing you so much. How do I live without you?”

As I glanced at her image, a tear from my eyes dropped on the glass sheet. Just then, the door creaked open. I turned back. It was my dad.

“I, uh.” he rubbed the base of his neck and sighed. “If you don't mind, I'd like for you to step out for a minute.”