Love thy Enemies

Right My Wrongs

Head lines read that Jack Atlas has been shot.

Jack Atlas man down

Who shot Jack Atlas

I turn over in my bed. It's been a week since I've met Valentino and I must say he's not who the world says he is. I'm back home down south and it's nice to be by the Eastern Cape. My eyes scan the crystal blue ocean and trail deeper where the sky meets the ocean. I touch the ring that hangs around my neck by necklace. Valentino put it around my neck when I was leaving Italy for home. The phone on my side table rings and I turn over to my right to pick it up.

"Kyna, did you hear what happened?", Lu exclaims on the other end of the line.

"No. What's up? You sound distressed."

"Tune into channel 2! Girl I'm really sorry." she says breaking into a gentle sob. The news reporter stares at the screen before starting to deliver the worst news to me and the ones who care about Jack.

"At three am this morning, multi-billionaire Jack Nathaniel Atlas has been shot. Hospital officials have confirmed that he is in critical condition and is not taking any visits. The police have set out an investigation to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. We can only pray for the best for Jack Atlas."

I dropped the remote control in my hand. He's been shot, how? By who? I stand up straight. No this has to be a stunt. Just like the way he showed up at the baby shower and shoved Valentino off me as though he was saving me. This is just what he wants from me. He wants me to run to his side. And guess what? It worked because within minutes of hearing the news I went down there to the hospital. When I reached his ward the guards by the door just allowed me in whilst his own parents stood outside waiting for him to come out. Yes the bastard is an only child.

When I walked in I was greeted by a man who was paling in skin color. A man who made me cry and questioned my self worth. On my way to the hospital all I wanted was for this to be a prank. A joke. A big lie. One more lie so I can break him. Day by day he kept on looking sickly. So it's real and not a figment of my imagination. I sat beside him and he asked to hold my hand. I gave him my left hand as he's groomed me to and he felt around the fingers looking for something. Old habits die hard I guess. When he didn't find a ring on my left he sighed in relief. I closed my eyes. The pungent scent of hospital corridors and rooms is something I do not wish to get used to. The faint beeping of the heart monitor makes my ears ring. When I open my eyes I see him faintly smiling at me.

"Jack. When is this going to stop?" I whisper, as I feel it getting harder to breathe in the same room as a man who's trying to kill himself because of me. A man who's hurt me and is still hurting me. He shakes his head and tears spring out of his eyes.

"This wasn't me. And that wasn't you. I know countless times before I always ignored the fact that I'm not invisible. It hurt me all the time when you went out with those other guys, and I knew they were just friends but I don't know why I couldn't see past that. I was foolish and I was childish. I should have never ignored my feelings for you and I shouldn't have made you cry or feel hurt or upset and not appreciated. I shouldn't have made you pretend for me. I was wrong Kyna about everything, and I should have been honest with you from the start. I never lied about loving you. But I did lie to you unnecessarily about stupid things. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time but with the right one, and you always gave me another chance. You always saw good in me. You loved me and made me feel human. I put you through your trauma again and more and I should have been your peace and not your pain. So to right all the wrongs I've done, to rectify my errors I'm letting you go Kyna, so that you can be happy without me. I don't deserve you, I never did, and you don't deserve this that I am. I know you must have mixed feelings about seeing me again but Kyna I am sorry. I am so so sorry I dragged you into this, I'm not even worthy of you, your time, your love, your patience and even your forgiveness. I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I'm sorry I took you for granted. You always had faith in me." his voice breaks and he winces in pain.

"And all you ever asked of me is to reciprocate that. To be faithful to you and I couldn't. I was not man enough. I couldn't be a good man for you and yet all you ever were to me was the best woman. For what it's worth Kyna I am sorry for everything." he says and I'm shaken. He holds tightly onto my hand as the tears stream down his face. I reach my hands to wipe his tears and hold him for one last time. He winces at my touch and I back up.

"Jack, I -" he shakes his head.

"You don't need to thank me. An apology doesn't mean that I am worthy of your forgiveness." I nod my head and I back up a bit. He tells me he's going to get some help with his depression and he's willing to be there for me anytime I want. We spend some time in silence as he eats his lunch. After his lunch the nusre says he needs to rest and he'll be discharged in a week's time from now. I nod and I get my purse.

"Goodbye Jack." I say kissing his forehead. He grabs my hand and I turn around.

"Kyna I must warn you. The Versailles and Versace twins aren't who they say they are. Please. Be careful." he says, his eyes plead with me.

"Did they, did they do this to you.?" I ask and he nods softly.

"I- I gotta go Jack." I say rushing out of the hospital room. There's no way Valentino did this he's all the way in Italy with Antonio. Wait, Antonio can't be responsible for it, his last name is Vivaldi. But if he's Valentino's twin brother that means his last name isn't Vivaldi at all. In fact he blew their cover wide open the minute he mentioned it was his brother.

Can I even trust Valentino? Is Jack telling me the truth?

Who can I trust in a time like this?