Chapter Three: Hell-bound
I feel my headache, and my body tighten. I look up and see darkness. I look around and see a couple of flashing lights. I can't see anything but can tell I'm in bed. Before I can think any more, my body lifts, my brain darkens, and I fall asleep.
I sift through the bedspread, my body awakening once more. This time, it is light. The windows are open, the room is light-filled, and my brain isn't as confused. I can also see my surroundings better. I'm in a room. A hospital room. I have an I-V connected to my right hand and a pulse oximeter on my left pointer finger. There's also a heated blanket lying over me. While looking around, I see Dad lying on a miniature couch beside my bed. The hospital room is nice and larger. I'm in my own personalized bedroom with flowers and balloons. I have a large flatscreen television hanging above the wall across from me. The monitors are expensive as everything in the room is.
I'm obviously inside Everest Hospital. It's the nicest and the most expensive hospital in the city, let alone the state, and in most states. Probable hospitals in New York and Boston come up to par.
"Good. You're awake." He murmurs.
I shake my head, rubbing my fingers over my forehead. I feel something thick sticking onto my head. "A bandage." He explains. "You hit your head."
I furrow my brows and wince slightly. That hurt.
"What happened?" I whisper.
I find that my throat is dry. I lean over and grab the jug of water on the bedside table. I attempt to lift it but find that I'm too weak. I hear Dad shuffle and make his way over towards me. He grabs the jug from my hands and pours it into the glass cup beside it. He places the jug back onto the table and hands me the cup of water. My hands shake slightly. It's enough for Dad to grab the cup from my hands and hold it before my mouth. I take a tentative sip, moaning softly as I do.
I quickly choke on my water as my memories begin unfolding in my mind. I still, my heart thrumming irregularly. My hands fidget, and my breath slows. The memories of the other night begin to unravel. The thought of Shay on the floor, looking like she did. I shudder and shake, my body almost convulsing out of fear.
Dad drops the cup onto the floor and grabs me, holding me tightly in his arms. I grab a hold of him, my fingers digging into his arms. I hear the monitor alarm increase, and a couple of moments later, the nurse makes her way inside, as does the doctor. The nurse does something behind my back, and the doctor steps behind Dad. I'm too fearful of caring what they're doing. But I notice, a second later, that my body begins to calm. I feel my fingers relaxing around Dad's arm. I feel somewhat better, my heart settling to a more regular beat.
I softly let go as he leans me back down onto the bed. I look into his eyes, tears staining my face, and fall fast asleep.
Dad wakes me once more, soft and quiet. He wraps his arms around mine, looking deeply into my eyes, calm yet firm. I bite my quivering lip, and he shakes his head.
"No, sweetheart," He whispers.
I shake my head, crying softly. I can tell the meds are working because I'm still somewhat calm and tired as I cry.
"D-Dad," I cry out.
He nods and shushes me, rubbing the side of his thumb against my forehead. His warm hazel eyes are calm and soft. Caring and worried. I've never seen him so concerned. Maybe when I was in a crash, but it wasn't the same. He didn't know me then. His face now is just… heartbreaking.
Fuck! Seeing him like this makes me even sadder. My tears increase, and my crying intensifies. I can feel my internal organs screaming in agony. Seeing him this way hurts more than seeing Shay. I never want to see him like this. This is my worst nightmare.
"I know that you're struggling, and I'm sorry." He says, wiping my tears. "But I need you to know that you're okay, and so is Shayla." He says and smiles softly.
I stop for a second, somewhat regaining myself.
"R-Really? She's okay?" I ask, relieved.
He nods and smiles.
"Yes."
I begin crying anew, this time much happier tears. I chuckle softly, attempting to wipe my tears. I shake my head and bite my lip. I wipe my face with the nice, warm blanket lying on top of me. I sniffle, and Dad hands me a tissue. Actually, four tissues!
Dad rolls me down the hallway in my friendly wheelchair. I call it friendly because it has footrests, unlike some others. I don't know why they exist, but they do. It's odd! He turns the corner and stops in front of a closed door. He opens the door and pushes me through. The room is nice, somewhat small, unlike mine. I wouldn't be surprised if I had the largest room in the hospital. It's definitely one of the largest. I'm not surprised. As I said, Everest Hospital is the best hospital in Washington State.
He rolls me through and stops right at her bed. She's sleeping softly, her face bandaged. I feel my heart break once more. Dad leans down beside me and grabs a hold of my hand.
"I know this is hard, but I need you to see her." He says, kissing my head softly. "She's going to be okay."
I shake my head.
I know what he's saying, but she doesn't look like she will be okay. She looks absolutely awful!
I roll myself towards her and grab her hand. I massage her softly and give her a kiss. She has a breathing ventilator and all the same stuff that I had. All though, she has more monitors than I have. She looks absolutely terrible!
I shake my head and look up at Dad.
"Her boyfriend," he trails off.
I nod and cry.
God! When will the crying stop? Fuck!
We stay for another fifteen minutes before we make our way back to my room. Dad helps me to the bathroom before carrying me to my bed. We turn on the television and watch some Hulu. Thankfully, there are new episodes of Solar Opposites. It makes me laugh, which relieves me of any previous stress. Well—not everything. I'm still thinking about Shay.
I look down at my hands, feeling forlorn once again.
I feel as if I'll never feel better and that I'll be sad forever.
"You won't be sad forever," Dad says and wraps my hand in his. "She'll heal." He smiles and squeezes my hand. "Also, there's a party next Saturday. A gala."
I nod.
"For what?" I ask.
I haven't been to a gala before. He's taken me to parties, but I haven't been to an actual gala.
"You know, charity and stuff." He says nonchalantly.
I smile and laugh.
He donates but doesn't care who he gives his money to. It's worrisome and funny at the same time. He has so much money but doesn't care who he donates to. I guess that's good. If he were judgmental, that would be unfortunate.
I am working on my English Literature project for my last test for graduation. I've decided to write an erotic book for my project. One that I haven't written before. Everyone in my class knows that I am an established author. They all love me. Even though not all of them agree with erotica, they're still very supportive. They always have been. I've done small projects for the class since starting. I've done two years of this class and have written small pieces. My teacher loved all of them, which is funny because he doesn't think erotica is real literature. Which I don't blame him for thinking that. It isn't really. It's somewhat comical.
I make my way to class and turn in the second part of three parts of my project to my professor. I place it on his desk and make my way out of the room and down the hallway. As I walk down the hallway, I see Brandon going down the hall. I stop and still. He looks up and does the same. I feel tears begin to swell and fall. He shakes his head and quickly makes his way towards me. He wraps his arms around me, hugging me tightly. He rocks me back and forth as I continue to cry.
It's been three days since I was at the hospital, and I haven't seen Brandon at all. I was worried he had been angry about me going inside without him, but then again, he just left me there. What was he expecting? But then again, I couldn't even control my actions. Like I've said, I was on autopilot. There was no controlling me.
I honestly wish he had been there… to stop me. I wish I hadn't seen her like that. But I'm glad I wasn't alone. I would have been stuck with her for days.
I shudder and shake, my legs buckling. He catches me automatically and holds me, wrapping me up in his arms. He carries me to one of the benches outside of school and places me down on one. He wraps his arms around me as I cry.
I can sense people walking past us, staring worriedly. I can hear footsteps stop and make their way towards us. Brandon moves slightly before looking down at me and nodding behind me. I turn around and see Dad standing behind me. I forgot that he had brought me here. Neither of us felt comfortable with me driving myself to school today. I've also been staying at his house this past week. I haven't returned home, and Shay is still at the hospital. We contacted her mother and father, who flew from New York to visit her. She moved to Seattle at seventeen to start at WSU and decided to stay. She was going to move back a year before meeting me, but she got postponed when she met me.
I somewhat feel bad. I feel that if she hadn't stayed, then none of this would have happened. It's my fault that this happened. She's in the hospital because of me.
He picks me up and wraps me in his arms. He walks me down the road and into the backseat of the car and fastens my seatbelt. He makes his way in from the other side and leans me against him. Parker, our driver, drives us back home. I see him looking at me through the rearview mirror. He nods slightly and continues on his way.
The minute I get back, I run a bath and relax. I run the bubbles up and down my legs, tickling myself funnily. I smile and inhale the lovely, warm candle in the bathtub. I also have lit some incense. I wanted the room to be as calm as possible. So far, I've succeeded.
My thoughts begin to travel around in a look until his face enters my mind. His large, pale grey eyes are scorching and brewing with tension and toxic masculinity. His entire body envelops me. Making me whole. As I continue, my hands travel down south until they reach my sex. I rub softly, gasping immediately at the connection. I bite my lip and lean my head back. The smell of the incense only intensifies the sensation of my body, reveling in the satisfaction of my soft, wet fingers. The thought of the soap possibly entering me sends me over the edge. I quiver and shake, and it overwhelms me, leaving me breathless and sated.
Before getting out, I grab my tablet from the side table and look him up a bit longer. I take a sip of my wine and find the recent sensation of satisfaction still embedded within my mind, and as I find a photo of his face, I see it's also embedded within my body.
I've finished, happy and satiated. I wrap my towel around my waist and tiptoe back into my room. I put on a lingerie tank top and a pair of matching panties and make my way into my bed. I take my medication and continue browsing his beautiful fucking face.
After looking at his photos and watching his interviews, I'd decided that I've seen enough. I get under the covers, plug in my phone, and turn off my light. About thirty minutes later, I fall asleep, and as I do, I hear Dad making his way into my room. He makes his way into my bed and wraps his arm around me. I turn over and lean into him until I'm comfortable enough to go to sleep. Sleeping with Dad has always been a calming routine.
"Fuck! You're so tight!" I hear him say intensely.
He wraps his arms around my hips, thrusting harshly inside me. I feel him come hot and hard, and with that, I also come. I feel my entire body meld into his—my heart, soul, and body. Everything combined into one is connected to him.
"Shit," I cry and moan.
He grabs my head and kisses me fervently. I moan, bite his bottom lip softly, and fall back onto the bed. He leans over me before murmuring, "I love you."
"I love you, too, Markus!" I moan.
"Time's up!" Professor. Thomas mentions.
His alarm goes off a second later, officially ending my schooling. I hand in the third part of my project and make my way to Books and Café. Two hours in, I get a call from Dad, telling me he will pick me up. He's going to be here in fifteen minutes.
I call for Joey, the son of Joe's Beans, Coffee, and Café, and tell him I'm off. He smiles widely and makes his way to the desk.
I honestly don't understand why he came to visit me. We work across the street from one another, and his father doesn't know he comes to visit me. Since we're rivals and all, it's funny because he doesn't actually work at Joe's Beans, Coffee, and Café, only Atonia, but sometimes he does. He works small shifts when they're lacking in workers, and sometimes, he goes to visit, and sometimes I do, too. I like to visit Atonia. She hates working there. She always waits to see me during lunchtime, especially when I'm working at Books and Café during the afternoon.
"Will I get to see you tomorrow?" He asks, hopefully.
Honestly, he's a bit too hopeful for my liking. Joey has always liked me. Ever since I got the job. I literally just walked into the café and saw him, and he immediately gave me the job. That was three years ago. He liked me so much that he even enrolled in an English Literature course at WSU to see me. However, I never really see him in class.
Thankfully, he's cute. Otherwise, his actions would be incredibly creepy. But even now, I still don't have feelings for him.
"Maybe. We'll see." I try to sound hopeful, even though I'm anything but. I really don't want to go to work tomorrow. I don't have the motivation, especially not after finishing my schooling. I want to sleep and party the weekend away.
While going down the hallway, past eco sciences, I get a call from Dad. I answer, confused.
"I'm picking you up. I need to take you shopping for the gala." He explains.
I sigh and nod.
"Yeah. I had forgotten all about that." I murmur.
I attempt to stay quiet as a margin of people begins packing the large hallway. They make their way to their other classes or outside to leave. Either way, I should be doing the latter. I don't want to run into anyone else. I'm not in the mood right now to deal with the human population.
"H-How is she?" I whisper.
He goes silent for a moment, contemplating telling me. He knows I'll get emotional again. I tend to whenever I think of Shay. I don't like thinking about her, especially not in the state that she's in. I also haven't seen her since I was last in the hospital. I don't have the strength to see her. And Dad understands. That's one of the reasons he hasn't mentioned her. I've been doing my best not to think about her too much. I didn't want to cry in the middle of finals.
"She's fine. Healing." He says.
I nod.
"Can I see her?" I ask, knowing I really don't want to.
"No." He answers as a matter of fact.
I nod. Thanking him silently.
He knows I don't want to see her, but my curiosity overwhelms me, taking center stage.
Curiosity killed the cat…
Fuck!
I feel my emotions overwhelming me once more before I run to the nearest bathroom. I take a seat in the stall, slamming the door behind me, and begin to cry. Dad stays silent on the other end. I know that he's just indicated to Parker that he needs to go faster. Dad doesn't tend to talk when I get emotional. He stays quiet, protecting me.
As I continue to cry, I get a text from Elise. I wipe my eyes with the toilet paper and blow my runny nose.
"O-Okay, Dad. I think I'm going to be fine." I say, reassuring him.
"Good." He says quietly. "I'm here." He hangs up, leaving me gross and emotionally rung out.
I place my phone back into my purse and make my way out of the stall, and as I do, I still take in the environment around me. Two men are standing at the sink, washing their hands. I look around, confused, until I see the urinals. I gag and immediately run out, and as I do, I look up at the door, indicating that it is indeed the men's room. I whirl around and smack myself directly into someone.
"Watch it!" I speak.
As I look up at the stranger, I see that it's James. I sigh and quiet, running my hands through my tussled hair.
"What are you doing in there?" Says James.
I shake my head and bite my lip.
"I don't know. I just ran into the nearest bathroom." I whimper. "I didn't check the sign."
He nods and looks around us, watching the copious amount of people pass us. Some slightly gawk as they see our predicament.
"I have to go," I say and walk around him.
"Hey. Are you okay?" He asks, making his way toward my side.'
I nod.
"Yes. I'll be fine." I sigh tiredly and open the entrance doors. I immediately see Dad's car parked at the curb right in front of the building.
"Don't worry about me."
I take a step and find James stops me. He looks directly in front of us before letting me go. He sees my dad's car parked in front. He looks down at me, worry and concern in his eyes.
"I'm okay," I reassure him and walk down. This time, he lets me go, watching me as I descend.
Parker opens my door and shuts it behind me. He looks up at James before returning to the driver's side.
"We'll head back home and get the Escalade and grab your friends," Dad says, returning to work on his phone.
We make our way to La beaute pour vous and park the car. Dad opens the door for me, and we make our way inside. The entire place is gorgeously decorated, from the floor-to-ceiling windows to the black and gold wallpaper to the open floor plan with a black carpet and cold chairs. Even the glass table has a gold ring enveloping it. There was a large black marble fireplace with African black wood. Multiple large flat-screen televisions hang above the room. Beautiful tulips are lining the walls. Everything inside the store is gorgeous. I wouldn't have imagined a store like this existing. Especially one that I was able to go to.
Thankfully, Ceri Pierce, Elise Charmichael, and Atonia Benson are with me. They are my best friends, besides for... her. I decide not to think of her at the moment, especially while I was having such a fabulous time with my friends. I don't want to ruin the moment. Also, Elise is on a roll. She loves shopping. Anything to do with clothing, she'll participate. I do, however, want to visit Shay a bit later. I want them there in support, as well. I need their support. I need Dad's, too.
I find Dad sitting in one of the many chairs in the common area, typing on his phone. He'll probably be doing that for the remainder of our time here. That's all right. He's not really into shopping or clothing. He does his own thing. He does, however, like suits and anything related to his clothing. Nothing female-related. And as I've said, he's just here for the support.
I smile and look around the room. I make my way toward the gallant section of the room. Towards the longer, more glamorous clothing in the shop. As I look around, I see the price tags. Everything from three-thousand and upward. That seems about right, especially for a clothing store like this one. Upscale comes to mind.
I run my hand through my hair. I put my hair in a high bun through the clothing racks. The clothing brand ranges from Balenciaga to Gucci. Dulce and Gabbana to Versace. I decide on something quick and to the point. I pull out a black Monique Lhuillier Cowl Neck Sleeveless Satin Gown in my size and continue to walk down the aisle for a pair of heels. I run my fingers down the shoes, feeling the texture and wear. I decided on a pair of black Khloe Silk Faille Platforms.
I make my way back down the aisle and towards Dad. I place the dress and pair of shoes on the glass table before Dad and smile widely. He continues texting on his phone a few moments more before deciding to put down his phone and humor me. He arches a brow and picks up the dress. He stands up, looking it over, admiring the satin. He then looks towards me, looking me up and down.
"This is about your size." He says, somewhat surprised.
He continues to look back and forth between the dress and myself before making his way over towards me and lining the dress up to my form. He looks deep into my eyes, blatantly and callously. He tilts his head to the side before giving me a slight nod. He picks up the shoes and looks at the bottoms.
"However, you will need a larger pair of heels." He says, looking down at my feet. "You have fat, wide feet." He says, lightly mocking me.
I roll my eyes and nod.
"I know. I just thought they'd fit." I murmur, slightly embarrassed by my stupidity. I bite my lip and shake my head. "Sorry," I whisper.
He smiles and shakes his head.
"Let's find your size." He says and makes his way over towards the shoe sections. The shoes amass a large portion of the boutique. My dad finds his way rather quickly. I follow meekly behind him and stop when he does. He runs his finger over the shoes as I did and grabs a pair, looking underneath. I can see the shoe size on the label in front of them, tens. However, he still looks underneath.
In a store like this, the shoes are rarely scoured and in the incorrect place. He holds them to his eyes before turning towards me and bending a knee. He grabs my foot, taking off the shoe, leaving me with my small bare sock. He undoes the buckle and places my foot inside the heel. It slides in effortlessly. It fits perfectly! He buckles the shoe before backing up and looking at my foot from an angle. He stands up and orders me to walk. I turn around, stumbling into a semi-functioning formation, and walk down the aisle.
It would be much easier if I had both shoes on, and I think Dad agrees. He regrets it instantly, laughing softly to himself. I roll my eyes and giggle.
"Stop! It's not funny." I say, stumbling a bit more.
His laugh only intensifies, making me more chaotic in my comedy.
When we finally get our shit under control, he takes the shoe off my foot and returns towards the entrance. He hands me the dress and points towards the dressing rooms to the left. I meekly make my way, finding Elise and Atonia already changing. I write my name on the miniature whiteboard hanging on the door and change out of my clothing.
Thankfully, I wore something easy to change out of. A pair of black leggings, a black tank top, and a small jacket. It wasn't too cold inside the school, but I wasn't too sure about the weather today; I had to be careful.
I quickly change and slowly shimmy my way into the dress. I zip the zipper up in the back and look myself over in the mirror, analyzing the outfit. I take out my rubber hand, letting my hair fall, and run my hand through it, loosening the strands. I shake my head and allow the waves to move across my form. I'm unsure if I should have an updo or leave my hair down. I want it down, but it would look better up. I lift the tendrils of hair, cradling my hair in a makeshift fist. I tilt my head from side to side, smiling slightly.
My hair would definitely look better in an updo. Also, some long dangling earrings would add nicely to the look. It would really put the outfit together.
I take off the dress, folding it lightly. I put on my regular clothing and my shoes and walk out, dress in tow. I walk out and find Dad waiting at the checkout counter. I smile as I make my way towards him, nodding. I place the dress on the counter and make my way over to the jewelry. I look at the earrings and find a nice pair of 18K White Gold Linear Post Earrings with Diamonds. They cost about twenty-one thousand dollars.
Shit! That's a lot of money, even for me.
I've been with Dad for about three years now, going on twenty-four in July. He's shown me all there is to know about the lavish lifestyle of the rich and elite. He's bought me diamonds, gold, money, everything a girl could imagine he's given to me. I never thought that I'd be so lucky. Especially being from a small city like Des Moines. Compared to Seattle, it's a town. Some towns in Seattle are bigger than Des Moines. It somewhat amazes me.
I make my way to the bracelets, deciding I need more. I find something nice, quick, and accessible. A lovely 18k White Gold Tennis Bracelet with Diamonds by ZYDO. It's worth eight thousand dollars. It matches the look perfectly. I return to Dad and place my findings on the counter. He looks them over, eyeing me out of the corner of his eye. He then rolls them and takes out his black card.
"I wanted you to come out with the dress on." He murmurs.
I sigh and shake my head.
"I know. I thought you might, but I put it on, and it fits perfectly." I turn towards him and wink. "Don't worry."
He sighs and grabs his card from the teller. They place the dress in a large, black garment bag. He puts the shoes in their shoe box and places them inside a large black, custom shopping bag. The bag has the name of the store on it. It looks bougie. He does the same with the bracelets and earrings, placing them in their nice, black box. He puts them in another separate but smaller black bag. Dad signs the receipt, turns around, and hands the clothing to Parker, our driver. Parker then turns around and makes his way into the car. Elise makes her way towards us and places her findings on the counter. Not surprisingly, she has a lot more stuff than I do.
Elise, Bethany, and Atonia finish checking out. Of course, Dad pays for their stuff as well. We make our way out and to the car, and as I do, I see paparazzi making their way towards the store, the NICONS flashing maniacally. Through the flashing lights, I see a woman with long blonde hair, long legs, and a beautiful figure. She's wearing a nice pair of Burberry-Mixed Pattern Round Acetate & Plastic Sunglasses. She's wearing a perfectly fitted black peacoat and a pair of black Versace Medusa devices platform pumps.
She's stunning!
As she approaches the door, she removes her sunglasses and gazes towards me. She looks me up and down, rolls her eyes, and enters the building, her entourage following meekly behind her.
Later that night, Dad, Atonia, Bethany, Elise, and I sit at Dad's dining room table. One of the chefs makes their way towards Dad's side and pours him another glass of Cheval Blanc 1947 Saint-Emilion. It's one of the world's most expensive bottles of red wine. Dad has laid us a feast. We are given steak, mashed potatoes, greens, a side salad, clam chowder, and expensive wine.
My steak is medium rare, nice, and juicy, exactly my time. It cuts nice and smooth. I plop it into my mouth, chewing slowly, groaning inwardly as the taste serenades my tastebuds. I take a sip of my wine, washing it down. I usually have white wine, smooth and pleasant, but Dad wanted me to try something different. It's disgusting. I hate red wine. But I smile and nod as he watches.
The staff clear our plates and clean up the table. Dad immediately walks towards his office, leaving me and my friends full and confused.
"He's fucking weird," I say, stretching and leading them toward the elevator.
They grab their stuff and make their way inside. I push the button and stand behind the doors.
"I'll see you two tomorrow," I say, kissing them both on their cheeks.
The doors close, and I slowly walk up the stairs, my legs tired and weak. My belly is bloated and fed. I feel satisfied and sated. I get to my room and immediately change out of my clothing, taking to the bed completely naked and tired. The minute my head hits the pillow, I fall into a deep-seated sleep, dreamless and motionless until morning comes.