Jenalyn: Disconnected (#5) [Complete]

Chapter 70: Hayden

Fri. 2/20/09 • 10:57 P.M. PST

The party was fun, but I couldn't shake the pain in my chest even after Mama G allowed me a birthday shot with Harper. Part of me was hoping that at some point during the party, I'd get a call or text from Russell explaining that he'd gotten caught up at work but... it never came. 

I just pretended to be okay all night while feeling my mind start to crumble with anger and confusion fueling the demolition. 

I force yet another smile and wave goodbye to Ivan, thanking him for driving me home as I approach my front door. All of the emotions I'd held in all night for the sake of the party spill out the moment I make it into my vestibule and click the front door shut. I kick off my silver Louboutin Galerietta heels and let out a frustrated sigh as I pull my phone from my purse and toss it on the floor beside them.

I find myself checking for any contact from Russ yet while I open the second door to my house, not even bothering to shut it before I slowly make my way inside. I'm barely surprised to find that he still hasn't reached out. Just as I'm about to send another text, the sound of Evelyn talking to someone immediately pulls my attention from my screen. 

I look up just in time to see her standing in my dark livingroom with a figure I can't see at first due to the dark. I can only tell it's Russell by his silhouette against the kitchen light a bit behind them.

What... the fuck...

Both Evelyn and Russell rush to speak the moment they see me, Evelyn overpowering him at first. "J- Jena! Russell showed up asking for you so I let him in!" she exclaims, her wide eyes visible even through the dark of my livingroom. 

Russell disregards Evelyn completely and makes his way over to where I still stand, stunned. "I am so sorry, Hayden!" he exclaims. "Something happened, and I- I broke my phone! I'm so so sorry, I got here as soon as I could!"

What... the... fuck.

Why are these two standing alone in the fucking dark, is the first question to flood my mind. And for how long? Nobody could let me know he was here? My mind instantly moves on to the next set of questions though. Something happened with Russell, and he couldn't find a single way to let me know? What happened that he couldn't even text me this morning? This sounds like a bullshit excuse to me.

What kind of games is this guy playing? 

I let out a frustrated sigh, trying to sort my mind as I stride back to the wall beside the vestibule to turn on the livingroom light. I turn back around to face Russell and give him a piece of my mind, but my jaw falls agape the moment my eyes land on him and instead, I find myself temporarily speechless. 

His left eye is swollen and bruised, a deep gash splitting the eyebrow above it. The bridge of his nose is busted, and there is dried blood still plastered to the corner of his mouth. Russell looks embarrassed, shoving his hands in his pockets before adverting his gaze from me. 

"What the fuck happened to you?" I rush over to him screaming, panic quickly rising in my chest as I rip a throw from the sofa beside me and immediately begin to wipe the excess blood from his nose. 

Russel tries to turn his head away from me. "I'm fine!" he tries to say, but I cut him off with a frantic glare and turn toward Evelyn to toss her my phone. 

"Ev, call an ambulance!" I yell before turning back to him. I can feel my heart pounding through my chest as I examine his wounds closer; Whatever happened was not pretty. "You- you need medical attention! What happened, Russell?!"

"I- I got mugged in the city! It's nothing!" Russell immediately responds, once again trying to turn away from me in embarrassment. "Evelyn, don't call anybody! It's not a big deal!" He tries to gently push me away, but I easily maneuver around his attempts and continue. 

"Nothing?!" I yell, my jaw dropped in disbelief that he's trying to be so nonchalant about this. I grab his hand and start pulling him toward the closest bathroom so I can start cleaning his wounds. "-Not a big deal?! Look at you! Did you call the police already? What did they take?! Evelyn! Call the fucking-"

Russell inturrupts me, shaking his head in exasperation as I pull him down the hall. "No no!" he exclaims, his tone frustrated though pleading. "Just leave it alone! Please! It was a couple of young thugs in the city, okay? They got a wrist watch and two hundred dollars; Pocket change! Don't even bother bringing police into this, beautiful, please! I'm- I'm okay!" 

My jaw falls open again. Is he fucking stupid? He needs to report something like that! "You can't just-" I try to say, but Russ inturrupts me again. 

"Please!" he yells, his eyes on fire before he takes a moment to calm himself down. He let's out a long sigh and brushes his hand through his hair before focusing his glare on me. "I just... I wanted to come apologize, okay? That's it. I don't want to deal with a night of filing reports, and reliving that shit... Can we- can we just go upstairs and talk? I want to make this up to you..."

Everything inside of me is telling me to take further action, but Russell is pleading with me to leave it alone. I take a deep breath, my nerves causing my body to tremble. 

I've spent most of the day, and all night slowly trying to convince myself I hated this man because I was sure he was standing me up at a time that could mean big things for our relationship. I thought he played me, and I was so hurt and angry that I was ready to tear him up if I got a chance to see him again. 

He didn't stand me up though... I should have known he wouldn't do that to me!

"... Do you promise you're okay?" I ask after a few moments, worry apparent in my voice as the anxiety fills my eyes with tears. I'm not going to make him go to the hospital if he doesn't want to, but we do have to get those wounds cleaned up. 

Russell smiles the best he can given his face injuries. "I'm okay," he reassures me with a soft graze across my cheek. "I'm okay."