Black Angel

Chapter Eleven

Zola

Was I really doing this? Moving in with Derrick? I guess I was.
While I was packing out completely, he opened the door which ringed. He really put so much effort into this situation. Wow. I needed to google 'how to not fall in love' but yeah.
It's been only a few hours since our decision that I'd move in, but I somehow already felt like I was where I was always supposed to be.
Derrick came into my room with a box in his hand. "For you." He said, handing me the box over.
"Thank you." I said, a little bit irritatedly. I didn't order anything. What could that be?
Opening the box, I found a black bathrobe with the initials Z.L. Looking up, I saw him smiling down at me with a questioning look in his eyes.
"You like it?" He asked and then it hit me. He got this for me. "Yes, it's beautiful. But why?"
"I thought you might need one, now that you're officially moving in." I put the robe on my bed and walked to him to hug him. "Thank you." He chuckled and hugged me back, tight.
I could stay like this forever.
But every good thing had to have an end. My phone rang and I detached myself from Derrick. I checked the caller ID and froze.
Dad.
The phone rang and rang and then – silence. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and looked up, staring into two gray and concerned eyes. "Who was it? You got pale."
"My dad. It's the first time since that day that he's rea-"
Another ring. I looked back to my phone and then to him again.
"Whatever you want to do, I'll be with you the whole time. I'll always be by your side. After what I heard and saw, you won't ever be alone again. I won't ever let them make you cry a single tear again."
I believed him. So, I looked back to the phone, took a deep breath and hit accept.
"Hello?" My voice came out hoarse.
"Why the hell didn't you pick up the first time I called?" He said. Was this panic in his voice?
"Why did you call?" I ignored his question. I was done playing around. Come to the point, dad dearest.
"Annabelle is in the hospital. She got involved in a car accident. You need to come, they need blood."
What the hell? And why the hell?
Especially how the hell could he think I'd still obey to his every command after what they've put me through? My. Entire. Life.
Do it. A voice in my head said. Be the mature one and go save her life. Even if they destroyed me? Yes. Especially because they destroyed you.
"Which hospital?"
He told me and I hung up without another word.
Turning to face Derrick again, I saw concern in his eyes.
"Mom." I filled him in and he offered to take me there.
Normally, I wouldn't accept. But I wasn't sure if I was strong enough not to break down when seeing my father again. It'd been only ten days since they threw me out, but still.
When we arrived at the hospital, we went directly to the reception.
"Annabelle Laston." I said. "Your relation to Mrs. Laston?" The bored receptionist asked. I froze for a brief moment. "She's my mother. My father called because they needed blood, and my blood type is the same as hers." We knew because she needed to give me blood too when I was younger, like six years old.
After the receptionist told us where to go, we went to the elevators and waited. Anxiety nibbled at my nerves while I nibbled at the inside of my mouth and played with my silver fidgeting ring.
"Hey, everything's going to be fine just like your mother will be. Don't forget that I'm with you. I won't let them hurt you again. Ever." Derrick noticed my irritation and directly went into comforting mode.
I don't know what I'd do without him right this second.
When the door to the elevator slid open, he placed his hand on my lower back and led me in, pressing the button 2. The warmth of his palm spread through my entire body, the tension vanishing immediately.
The doors slid close again and when I looked up, I saw him looking at me, concern lingering in his eyes.
I hugged his side and said "I'm fine, really."
And I guess I was.
The only thing averting my attention from this comforting embrace were the thoughts of my father seeing my boyfriend, as he had called him without knowing.
    His hand slid away from my lower back and curled around my arm to hug me back, his delicious scent filling my lungs.
    When the doors slid open and we stepped into the hallway, I could already feel the tension nesting back into my bones.
    Walking down the hall, we arrived in front of two huge doors. "Where is he?" I asked myself aloud and just as I was about to sit at one of the chairs, he came in sight.
    Hair tousled, coffee splashes on his shirt and the spots under his eyes: dark. How long was she in this condition that he was in this state?
    "Wha- Why do you look like this when the accident literally just happened today?" I asked, ignoring his gaze on Derrick. I couldn't tell what he thought about a stranger being here. But eventually, his gaze met mine and he settled on a chair next to where I stood. I didn't sit.
    "I lied to you. It wasn't a car accident that put her into this condition. She's ill. Really ill and it is bad. She was diagnosed with mastocarcinoma – breast cancer – a few months ago after we came here since she always complained about the pain she got. She was in stadium three that time but... It got worse obviously. I've never thought about the worse before we came here to check when I nudged her about the size being the cause of her pain. But... well.
    Then, while operation, they made a mistake-" He let out a huff and continued. "Now they need blood. 0 RH negative. Your blood type."
    Cancer. My mother.
    "Why didn't you tell me earlier? And didn't they have any of this blood type in their inventory? Since it's a hospital-" I couldn't continue.
    His hand reached out at was about to hit my face when another, much stronger, hand grasped its wrist and stopped it before he could slap me. He really had the audacity to try and hit me again.
    "Don't you dare touch her." Derrick said, his voice dangerously calm. Dad shot up to stand and look at him and, despite him being tall already, he looked like a minion next to Derrick.
    "Who the fuck do you think you are?" My father snapped, rage burning in his eyes. He was smaller than Derrick, yes, but still, I felt like I was the real minion here.
    "That's none of your business. What is your business: You won't ever lift this-" He built pressure on dad's wrist which caused him to grimace in pain, "Hand ever again towards Zola – or any other woman or child. If I ever see you hurting a single person again, especially if this is her-" He glanced over to me, "I will break this hand and make sure you won't ever be able to do anything on your own again."
    That being said, he released his wrist and kind of tossed it into his chest while I just stood there and watched like it was a movie.
    "You son of a-" I cut him short. „Dad, don't you dare! Just tell us where to go already. I want to get this done and leave as soon as possible."
    If a gaze could kill, I'd be dead. I was his baby daughter once. Now, the man in front of me, wasn't my father. He'd changed so much, it made my heart ache when I thought about the times when he taught me how to ride a bicycle or when he took me out to big parks in summer.
    "Daddy, I'll fall. I'm so scared, please don't let go of me!"
    "Thank you for taking me here, daddy. You're the best dad in the world!"
    "I love how you look at me, daddy. It feels like I'm your own little sun."
    That sun crashed right after the solar eclipse.
    "Go ask a nurse." He simply said.
    "If you want to be all sulky and act like a child by not telling me yourself, fine. But one thing before we leave, father: don't ever, and I man ever call me again unless one of you dies."
    My voice was so low and cold, I couldn't recognize it as mine. I don't remember being that furious. Ever. But it felt good standing up for something – someone – I cared about. I saw the fire of rage in his eyes growing until it exploded in three sentences.
    "From now on, right this second, you are not my daughter. As long as you don't change it, you'll only stay a Laston by law. Now get the fuck out of here."
    He disowned me.
    I did everything he wanted. Still, he disowned me.
    "Oh, believe me. That surname only will be a pain in my ass. I'll change it, don't worry."
    He opened his mouth, but I didn't bother wait and hear his reply. Did he think I was going to let myself be punished anymore by them? Did he really think his surname was this important? Like he could enter The White House with just mentioning it. Huhh, idiot.
    I walked towards the info-center on this floor, my eyes and throat burning but I refused to shed even a single tear for them again.
    "Hello, I was called in because my blood was needed for Annabelle Laston. I'm her daugh-... ter."
    The hesitation was brief, but it was there. That would be the last time I was calling myself her daughter and she didn't even know. But I'm sure, even if she did, she wouldn't care.
    The nurse nodded and led us into another room. I saw plenty of needles and tubes and I would lie if I said that sight didn't make my stomach churn.
    She told me to lay down and free my arm and so forth and so on.
    "Okay, we're done for now. Feel free to rest a bit more, I'd recommend it." She took the blood bags filled with my blood and left the room.
    "You okay?" Derrick asked from beside me.
    I knew he didn't really mean my health condition. He meant the fact what had happened right before we came here.
    I nodded. "Yeah. I think so."
    But I knew one more thing clear as glass: This night, there was no sleeping for me. Just pathetic crying.
    My father disowned me.