Chapter 22

NATE

I sighed and hugged Shy tightly. She told me about Mike. I felt so frustrated that we have to put on hold our plan about telling Mike about us.

“Just when I thought everything is going well this thing came up,” she complained and whined tighten our hug.

“Sometimes there’s something unpredictable happen and there’s nothing we can do about it,” I said softly kissing her temple.  

“Yeah, I know,” she sighed, “But it’s so frustrated.”

“I feel it too, babe, but what can we do? We’ll go there and see how it goes”, I tried to soothe her but actually fact I’m actually soothing myself. Trying to make myself believed that everything will goes well. God, I’m so scared. I just have bad feeling about this. What if when she saw Mike laying hopelessly, her felt sorry and get back to him? God, what if it really happens? I’m really going to lose her forever and I don’t think I could live with that.

“I love you,” she said making me looked at her.

“I know,” trying to sound convincing but I think my face showed her how I truly felt.

“No matter what happen over there, I’m not changing my mind about you, I promised,” she assured me looking directly into my eyes.

I smiled and pulled her into a long kissed and said, “I love you baby. I know you won’t.” I hugged her but why does my heart still don’t feel so convincing?

I couldn’t sleep at all even though Shy is sleeping in my arms right now. We have been sleeping together ever since that day. I slowly removed my arms around her. I kissed her shoulder when she stirred softly.

I got up and took my phone with me and went to the other room and started to call my brother. He’s the only one who I could tell about how I felt right now. He has always been the one who I could depend on and whom I always talk to when I have a problem.

“You don’t have to worry, Nate. She’ll definite choose you. I could hear how happy she was when she told me about you guys.” Neil tried to convince me.

I sighed, ' I don't know Neil. I'm worried. What if when she looked at him and felt pity towards him?”

“Nate, if you really love her you have to trust her. By the way, you'll be there with her right?” he asked and I nodded forgetting he can't see me, “You'll be with her all time so make sure she didn't change her mind.”

“Yeah, I guess you're right,” I softly answered him.

*****

SHY

I have to tell my parent about Mike and my relationship with Nate. Mom was so ecstatic when I told her about Nate and me. She told me that both she and Aunt Gina have been hoping that we both would fall in love.  Well it was their plans to ask me to stay with Nate so that I would fall for him. Hmm, clever plan I would say. She was glad that I’m going to visit Mike with Nate and kept reminding me that whatever happened never ever let Nate get away from me.

Mom was never happy when I was with Mike but I won’t say she didn’t approved because she told me all that all she ever wanted was for me to be happy and at that times I thought I will be happy with Mike even though I knew he had cheated on me before. Come to think about it I am a stupid fool. I don’t know why I could easily forgive him for all those things he’s done to me.

Well this time I’m going to make sure that I would not back off on my promised to Nate. I’m so very sure I love Nate more that I do with Mike. I never felt so much love when I’m with Mike. Nate would always say he word “I love you” to me, during and after our passionate love making or whenever he feels like it, but it was never that way with Mike. I’m the one who would always say those words to him and he would just nod.

All through the flight, Nate has remained very quiet. When I ask him what’s bothering him, he just shook his head, kissing my forehead and told me that he loves me. From his face I could see he’s worrying about something. It is about our relationship? I knew he can’t sleep and last night he woke up middle of the night and called Neil but I couldn’t quite catch what were they discussing. I didn’t call Neil and ask because I don’t want Nate to think I didn’t trust him.

We're finally on arrived in London in the morning but I decided to rest at the hotel first before us both to the hospital to see Mike.

“Are you sure?” asked Nate.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” nodding my head, “I wanted to rest and I’m sure you are tired as hell like me.” He smile and kissing my temple when I leaned my head on his chest.

We’ve booked a room in a nearby hotel which was near to Oxford. We have booked it in advance before we knew about Mike accident. That’s the reason why our hotel near Oxford and fortunately the hospital was only like 7 km away from Oxford. Once our bags were brought up to our room I immediately slump my body on the bed. Nate laughed at me and walked towards the balcony looking at the view.

“Hmm, it beautiful here,” he praised making me got up from the bed and joined him.

“Yeah,” I said softly, “You’re right. Maybe we could go for a walk and shopping later,” wrapping my arms around him and yawned. 

He smiled, “Sure. You better rest, you look tired.”

“Come to bed with me,” I said softly giving him a seductive smile pulling him to bed with me.

He pulled into a kiss after saying, “You really know how to make man do whatever you asked.” I chuckled and give him full kiss.

**

NATE

We both went to the hospital that evening after we had a real good rest. We were at the receptions counter asking for Mike’s room when suddenly someone yelled Shy’s name.

“Shiloh,” we turned towards the voice and a woman in mid-forty came towards us and hugged Shy, “I’m so glad you’re finally here. You just arrived is it? You must be very tired?”

Shy awkwardly pulled away from the woman, “No Mrs Sullivan, we have arrived this morning but we’re so tired and took a rest before we came her,” explained Shy.

“We?” she asked and then looked at me.

“Ah yes,” smiled Shy and grabbed my hand, “I want you to meet Nathaniel Smiths. Nate, this is Mrs Sullivan, Mike’s mother,” introduced Shy.  I extended my hand for a hand shake but instead received a glare from the woman.

“Who is this guy?” she exasperatedly asked, “You new boyfriend?”

“Yes,” Shy proudly replied and I wrapped my hands around her. The woman gave us deathly glared and sighed heavily.

“YOU CAN’T GO IN THERE WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND, SHILOH!” she agitatedly said. “HOW COULD YOU BRING YOUR BOYFRIEND AT A TIME LIKE THIS?! YOU KNOW MIKE HAD AN ACCIDENT. HE’S STILL WEAK AND HE ONLY REMEMBERED YOU!!” Tears started to run down her plastic face.

“I’m sorry Mrs Sullivan,” apologised Shy softly. “I don’t want to give a false hope to Mike that I’m still his girlfriend. I’ve been trying to tell him before the accident, but he never answered my calls. I can’t pretend I’m still his girlfriend.”

She looked at Shy sadly, “I know I’ve treated you badly when you’re with Mike, Shiloh but please don’t introduce your boyfriend to him now. He’s still weak and he remembers you as his girlfriend. Mike will be heart broken if he knew you have new boyfriend. Please I beg both of you please don’t say a word about this until he fully recovered. Please try to understand me, pleased,” she begged with tears in her eyes looking sadly at both of us.

Both Shy and I looked at each other.  I sighed. I’m weak when I see a woman cry especially older woman. I pulled Shy to the other side and said, “I think she’s right. You go in alone. I wait for you here.”

“Are you sure?” asked Shy hesitated to go in without me.

“Yeah,” I nodded, “I’ll be here when you come out.” I assured her.

Shy sighed and we kissed, “I won’t be long,” she promised. I smiled and nodded.

Shy went to her and the woman turned looking at me smiling, “Thanks a lot for being so understanding,” she said softly to me before pulling Shy with her to her son’s room. 

***

SHY

I followed Mike mother to his room and there I saw Mike laying on the bed with bandage on his head, left leg and left arm. He turned his head when he heard us coming. He smiled, “Shy, you come at last.”

I walked over and stood besides his bed, “Hey, Mike,” I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“Horrible,” pouting his lips while trying to get up at the same time. Nate would look cute if the pout his lips like that, I said to myself.

I pushed him back to the bed when I saw him wincing in pain, “No don’t wake up. You need to lie down. You need a rest,” I told him.

“I’ll think we leave you two alone to catch up,” his mother smiling at us and kissed Mike on the forehead. Pulling his dad along with her out of the room and leaving me feeling awkward being along with Mike.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he said kissing my hand and I gave him a weak smile. He pulled me closer making me bending my head down to him. “I missed you,” he whispered, “I’ve missed you so much,” pressed his lips on mine. We kissed but his kissed was way much different from Nate. Nate kissed was tender and whenever he kissed me, I would depend our kiss as if I couldn’t get enough. Mike kissed was rough and when I felt he literally pushing his tongue into my throat I pull away. He looked at me in shock.

“How does it happen?” I asked instead.

“I can’t remember,” He sighed, “I just remember waking up and I was in the hospital,” he explained. “They said I had a coma for a week,” he added putting his hand on his head. “I couldn’t remember a thing Shy. All I can remember is you. I don’t even recognise my own parents,” he sighed sadly.

I hugged him feeling sorry for him looking this fragile and lost, “You will remember Mike,” I assured him, “I’ll be here to help you.”

“You promised?” he asked looking at me with hope.

“Yeah, I promise,” I smiled at him and give him a peck on the lips.