My Unfolding Story

14. The present 🎁

Andrew realized that he was still holding me and soon he loosened his grip making me fall. 'Aaah', I said in pain. I wanted to punch him but I can't. Slowly I stood up making a face behind his back as he opened the door. I sat on the couch, leaning my head against it and started staring at the ceiling as tears rolled down my cheeks once again. When I heard Andrew coming to the kitchen, I wiped my tears quickly and went inside the room to change.

After I did, I came back and lied on the couch. I hadn't eaten anything the whole day. I felt weak and I scrolling through my phone. I stared at the picture of the sunset I took in my phone when I wandered the whole city the whole day. I posted it in my IG page and I wrote a caption which read:

Sometimes it's not your enemies but your loved ones who hurt you the most.

I wrote my pain in the form of words. Then I slept leaving my phone on the tea table near the couch. Andrew went to the room when he received a notification. As he saw the picture with the caption that related to his situation the most, he cried and fell asleep.

In the morning, before Andrew left to work, Danny came to visit him. He greeted me and waited in the hall while Andrew was getting ready. "Thanks for the pillow and the blanket", I said which made him wonder what was I talking about. "It's not me. It's Andrew", he said which made me remember that Danny left before I slept. "Ohh!", I said thinking about Andrew doing it. "Bye", he said making me come out of the trance. "Why am I even imagining him doing that", I said to myself.

I looked at Andrew who was now leaving for his job. He glared at me and said, "Don't touch anything here". I folded my arms and glared at him back. I ordered something which arrived at the time while they were leaving. I was so hungry that I didn't even care about anything and I finished the whole burger.

I was so bored and I walked around Andrew's house. Then I entered his room which he left open because there was only one toilet in the house. At least he was thoughtful of that. I entered his room and on seeing the bed, without a thought, I jumped on it and felt it's coziness. I miss my bed. Sleeping in the couch is making my back ache. After lying down for a while, I saw a small flower pot kept by the bedside table. I took it and carefully placed it by the window for it to get some sunlight. I remembered his words not to touch anything but I told myself that I would keep it back before he came back.

I passed most of the time lying on the couch. I ordered something for lunch and had it. Time went slowly. It was nearing 6 p.m. in the evening. I was still on the couch when I suddenly had a sound from the room like something being broken. I rushed to the room and I covered my mouth in shock as I saw the flower pot on the ground but now in pieces. Someone has tried to enter the room and in that attempt to do so, the pot fell and broke. I also saw the person jumping down from the window. I realized that I left the window open. I forgot to take the plant back to its place. I gasped for air as I was scared. The main door opened suddenly which made me startled. Andrew came into the room and seeing the pot on the ground, his blood boiled. "I told you not to touch my things", he shouted at me. "I saw....there is someone", I tried to tell him but his rage made him not to listen to my words. From the way he reacted, I knew it was from someone close to his heart. I couldn't even bring myself to apologize as I was shaking thinking about someone coming into the house. But how did the person know this place. I am sure that it was him, the same hoodie. He is following me...I mean stalking me. I was frozen for a while as all these thoughts ran through my mind.

Andrew came closer to me and he shook me by holding my shoulders. "Why did you come into my life? I wish I had never seen you", his words hurt me but he wasn't wrong. I shouldn't have come into his life. Everyone is suffering because of me. I ran out of his room wiping my tears as I am in a state that I can't explain to anyone. I couldn't sleep as I kept on thinking about everything happening around me. "Am I seeing things or is the person real? Am I hallucinating? Am I insane?"

I slept after a long time but I saw him again. The fear in me made me have the same dream again. I was shouting at the person, "what do you want from me? What did I do? Why do you keep following me?" The answer I got was a complete silence. I shouted and screamed at him and I became restless when suddenly I was calmed down by someone as they wrapped me in their arms. I didn't know who it was but I eventually slept feeling safe having them around.

Andrew's POV

I was very angry after seeing the flower pot being broken. It was presented by Jen. I didn't realize that I sat there for a long time caressing the plant which was now on the ground. But the longer I looked at it, the more I remembered the heart break she gave me. So I cleaned the spot and I decided not to keep it. I took out the trash but I didn't want to throw away the plant. So I decided to plant it in the compound garden.

When I came back, I saw Lexi getting restless in her sleep. I wanted to ignore her but it seemed serious. I went near her and I saw her forehead covered in sweat. I walked away from her but I couldn't. So I sat beside the couch trying to calm her down. But it wasn't working. She was continuously telling something which I didn't understand. So I wrapped my arms around her finally calming her down. She was still asleep. I made her lie on the couch again but she didn't leave my hand. I felt bad for behaving like that earlier but I was still angry on her. I was not this kind of person but the circumstances have changed me. After sitting there for an hour, I removed my hand slowly and went into my room closing the door behind me.

Lexi's POV

I woke up in the morning to find that Andrew had already left for work. I got ready and went outside to buy something. I had a quick brunch and when I wandered around the street, I saw a plant shop with lots of beautiful plants. I entered inside and came out with a beautiful white rose plant in a cute little pot. I smelled it and I felt happy. I took it home and I waited for him to come back. I heard the door code being pressed. When he entered inside, I went to him and handed him the plant pot as I said, "sorry. I shouldn't have touched it. I just wanted it to get some sunlight as it has started withering.I am really sorry". But he didn't say a word and he went into his room slamming the door which made me flinch. "Don't worry my beautiful plant! He failed to see your beauty. Let me take care of you", I said as I placed them by the kitchen counter.