CHAPTER 6
2018 Words
CATHERINE :
I don't know how I managed to get to my room but I did. I went to the balcony and sat down and the tears I'm trying so hard to stop from spilling out of my eyes cascaded down my cheeks like a waterfall. How can my father hurt me like that? Why is he like that? Why doesn't he love me like before when Mum was alive? Why does he think that it's my fault that Mum died? I'm a kid at that time. I finally got up when it's dark outside and went inside. I took a shower and got under the covers. After a while when it's nearly midnight Edward entered the room silently thinking I'm sleeping. He took a shower without making any sound and got into bed beside me. He usually sleeps while hugging me. We became friends a few days after our talk a week ago. And we started sharing the bed as it is big enough for both of us. But I didn't want to sleep with him today. I know I will become weak and cry in front of him if he touched me or talked to me right now. I'm still too emotional after meeting my dad. I can't handle Edward and his questions right now. But before I could think of doing something he grabbed my waist and pulled me into his arms. My head landed on his chest and he hugged me tight and kept his face in my neck inhaling my scent. He always says that it calms him down. I couldn't control myself anymore and started crying silently. He tensed beneath me when his shirt got wet with my tears. He moved and pulled me back and looked at my face. He cupped my face in his hands and raised my head to look at my face properly.
"Cat, Are you alright?"
I took some time to reply him. I don't want to talk to him about it. I don't want to tell him how my dad doesn't love me anymore and is still blaming me for my mother's death. How it's been so many years since he talked to me without hurting me with his words.
"Yes, I'm fine."
I finally replied to him. I can see from his face that he didn't believe me. He cleaned my face of the tears pouring down my cheeks and kissed my forehead.
"What happened?"
"Nothing. What will happen? Everything is fine."
"Don't say that. I know something is wrong. You are behaving weird and I never saw you cry before even when I was rude and behaved like a caveman. Now tell me what happened?"
"It's really nothing Edward. I'm just being a cry baby."
My voice is shaking as I'm in so much pain. Why do I have to be so clumsy? Danny was right I can even trip on air and always fall down tripping even when there is nothing in front of me. I should have paid attention to where I was going but I was thinking about what my dad said to me that I didn't see the bureau in the room and fell hard on my hand. I think it's sprained as it's hurting like hell. My hand was already swelling by the time I finished my shower. I don't know how it is now but it hurts a lot. I was still deep in my thoughts on how to tell Edward about this when he grabbed my hand to get my attention. I let out a scream as he grabbed my injured hand. He immediately let go of it and looked at me.
"What happened? Why did you scream?"
"It's nothing."
"Yes, I can see that it's nothing. That's why you are crying and screaming when I grabbed you."
Well, I can't lie to that. I decided to tell him that I fell while walking.
"Fine. I didn't see and stumbled on the bureau. Now I think my hand is sprained."
He studied me for some time looking for any lies. I think he believed me at last because he sighed softly.
"Ok. Where?"
"Where what?"
"Where are you hurt?"
"In this room. Over there by that bureau. Who even have those in their rooms. Stupid thing. Do you really need it here. It hurt me. I want to hit it."
I started rambling. He kept his hand on my mouth and stopped me from talking.
"I'm serious."
I showed him my hand. It looks really bad now and it's an ugly black by now. It also looks all swollen. Well I will not be using my hand for a while then.
"You fell down and hurt yourself there? How the hell do you fall by tripping over a bureau? You do realize that it's really big? Do you have to get your eyes checked?"
He asked me quite seriously. Well when he put it like that I felt stupid. It really was big but I was thinking about my dad that I didn't see it until it's too late. I can't tell him that now can I?
"Yes, I feel and hurt my hand there. And no my eyes don't have any problem. You should ask Emily she will tell you that I trip on air too and get hurt."
I tried to joke. He looked at me angrily and gently lifted my hand. He rolled my sleeve up and turned my hand over to see the full extent of the bruising. He touched and poked it gently with his fingers and I shrieked in pain and started hitting him with my other hand. He left my hand and backed away from me.
"Sorry. I will call the doctor."
He took his mobile out but I quickly grabbed it from him.
"No."
"What? Why?"
"It's nearly midnight. No need to disturb the doctor at this time. I will keep some ice on it and we can get it checked tomorrow."
"Do you know who I am? I'm the prince of this country. If I want a doctor at midnight he will come and attend as it is his duty."
He told me arrogantly. Well, there he is. When I didn't see him for over a week I thought he changed but here he is, my arrogant prince who wants everything to go his way. I smiled a little.
"Why are you laughing?"
He demanded when he saw me smiling.
"I'm not laughing. I just... after so many days saw you getting all haughty and arrogant."
He looked at me like I'm crazy. Well when I'm in pain I behave like that only to take my mind off the pain.
"Now I'm calling the doctor. So stop talking."
He ordered me and took his mobile from my hand. I mimicked zipping my lips and saw him smile a little. He dialed the doctor's number and ordered him to come to his room saying that there is an emergency.
"It will take a while for the doctor to get here. He told me keep some ice on the bruise."
"Ok."
He got up from the bed and left the room. He came back with an ice pack and placed it on the bruise and I cried out in pain.
"It's ok. I'm sorry. I will be careful."
He lightly applied the ice to my hand for a while. There is a knock on the door after a while.
"Come in."
Edward called out and a man in his fifties came inside. He is wearing a robe over his night clothes. I couldn't help but smile a little looking at him. I think he left his house in a hurry when Edward called him.
"What happened, your highness?"
He asked Edward. Edward pointed to my hand. The doctor carefully took my hand and examined it. He carefully moved my wrist and poked at the bruise. I cringed and cried out in pain. Edward held my hand and hugged me.
"It looks like the wrist is sprained. I will wrap it up. Please keep ice on it from time to time."
"How long will it take to heal?"
Edward demanded as soon as the doctor finished wrapping my wrist.
"Her hand will be fine in two to three weeks. Take these painkillers for a few days. I will take your leave now."
Saying this he left the room. Edward took care of me the entire night by keeping ice on my wrist from time to time. He left the following morning as he has to attend a few meetings. He called me every two hours to check up on me. I stayed in the room that day but queen July came to visit me along with Ariella. And my best friends left that morning for sightseeing. I read the book I got from the library when I was not getting visitors. I had my lunch and dinner in the room and my friends visited me in the evening. But they left pretty quickly telling me to take rest and that they will talk to me tomorrow. Edward came late that night looking exhausted. After having a shower he got into bed with me. He started staring at me. I couldn't take it anymore.
"What happened? Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Why were you crying yesterday before you fell down?"
"What?"
How did he know that? He is looking quite serious. He will not sleep till he gets an answer now. I'm dreading this moment. I turned my head and looked at him. I'm trying but the words were stuck somewhere in my throat. How can I tell him that my dad blames me for my mother's death? That he hurts me with his words and stopped talking to me after her death. That he only talks to me only to insult me and show his anger on me. I opened and closed my mouth.
"My dad."
That's all I could get out of my mouth.
"Your dad is the reason you are crying yesterday?"
"Yes."
"Why? If you want he can stay here with us. You don't have to leave him."
He misunderstood the situation thinking that I'm crying because my dad was not staying with me. Well time to tell the truth. I hope he will not think less of me after listening to me.
"It's not about that."
"Then what is it?"
"I told you that my mom died in a car accident. But it's not the whole truth. I'm also in the car with her. It was my birthday the next week and she wanted to buy me a new dress. So we went shopping. When we were driving back a drunk driver crashed into our car and we hit a guard rail. My mom, when the car hit us, she. . . she covered me with her body protecting me. She died on the spot. The paramedics found us like that after a while. Dad was not the same after that. He lost the love of his life. They were high school sweethearts. He changed from this caring, loving father who used to love me into this uncaring, indifferent father. He started blaming me and hating me for what happened saying that if we didn't go shopping that day she would be alive. In the beginning when he used to get angry he would lock me in a dark room. But as I got older I avoided him as much as I can. But whenever he sees me he gets angry and starts blaming me. He can't look at me without thinking of mom as I look just like her."
By the time I finished Edward was shaking with anger. He calmed after a while looking at me.
"I'm sorry."
He hugged me tight and we slept like that. I felt like a huge weight lifted off me after talking to Edward. I slept peacefully for the first time after that accident without any nightmares. He became my own personal dream catcher that day.
- Writer
