The SECRET- Destiny 18+only

Chapter 5

Sam

"Sir, I hear Mr. Xavier has left for somewhere without security?" Rashid's voice was tight with tension."Yes, he did, and it is fine." I answered, used to Xavier's unpredictability by now.

"No one knows where he is. Don't worry, he will be back." I tried to lessen his concern.

"You don't understand,It's not safe, and I am responsible. Where is he?"

Rashid nervously clutched his temples. He spun on his heel, frantically searching for a way to locate the missing man.

I knew Xavier had to take these days off, to reign in the demons that he had been fighting all his life. His erratic and unpredictable behavior made it hard for us to keep track of him, and I knew he had to be up to something.

Though I had plenty of reasons to worry, I knew that Xavier was capable of taking care of himself. However it did not stop my heart from sinking.

He was doing what he felt was right, he had been patient with me when Samantha died, and this was my way of respecting his boundaries.

I sighed heavily, knowing I had no way to get out of this situation but one - wait for Xavier to come back and hope for the best. No matter what he had been through, his spirit and stubbornness remained strong and resilient.

I took a deep breath and stepped out, feeling the crisp air ease some of my troubles as I watched the sky transform into a blanket of oranges, yellows and pinks. My lips upturned, feeling contentment and reassurance that I could make it through anything if I just kept believing.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, my phone blared to life with an unfamiliar voice on the other end. Numbness flooded my body as I heard the words: "Mr. Samuel Frost? We are calling from Nainor Memorial Hospital regarding Mr. Xavier Frost, who was admitted due to an accident this morning..."

A chill of dread rose from the bottom of my spine. My heart stopped beating for a second before resuming, faster and more erratic than before. The rehearsed voice spoke, seemingly unperturbed by my silence that had just made the air dense.

"You are listed as his emergency contact on his health insurance card and have been notified for the same. He is currently in our emergency room and we are waiting for him to be moved to the private room. We just wanted to inform you that he is safe. It would be best for you to come to the hospital for the necessary paperwork."

The world around me seemed suddenly detached; clouds passing by in slow motion, leaves rustling in the wind but all sound being muffled, as if it was all coming from far away. The news had thrown me into a state of shock, disbelief still heavy on my chest as I was filled with fear of what might have happened to Xavier. The weight of guilt pressing on my chest threatened to asphyxiate me.

I had failed him yet again.

********My palms felt slick with sweat as we drove speedily towards Nainor. I felt like I was in the depths of darkness with no understanding of what had happened to cause Xavier to be brought to the hospital.

Was he okay? How did it happen? I was suffocating in a never-ending cycle of fright and helplessness. I tried to shake off the paranoia that threatened to overwhelm me, telling myself I had to stay strong. A heavy, choking feeling filled me as we got closer, and I could no longer hold my emotions back.

Robert fidgeted in his seat beside me, a nervous energy spilling across the car as we both grappled with the trauma of the situation. With no further information from the hospital, I gritted my teeth and pushed on, determined to be there for Xavier no matter what.