Save Me From Myself

Chapter 4-Be Who You Want To Be

Half an hour later I was walking out of the shop holding a brand new phone in my hands. The same as Dan's but on white. All these kind gestures came out as natural to him. He wasn't owning me in any way, he was spoiling me to say the least. Since I wasn't used to this kind of manifestations I was in awe. Everything was new to me.

"Do you like it?"
"Apart from the fact that it's too much...I seriously do...although technology isn't my best asset.", I said placing the phone in my bag.
"Mine neither. I'm a complete Neanderthal when it comes to it, but this phone is quite easy to manage. This coming from a man who had flip phones half his life."
"Seriously? And you wanted me to change my flip phone."
"Well with this I can text you and video call you anytime you have Internet, it's quite fun."
"What is Fade Street Social?"
"It's a restaurant one of my friends has, the food is brilliant, the service is impeccable...what more to ask about? What did your friend say by the way?"
"She was concerned, and she will come there as quickly as possible.", I answered.
"We are almost there, if you spot her, just lemme know.", he added smiling.

In fairness Dan always smiled. A big, wide smile from one ear to the other. At a first glance his "always happy" attitude was weird, but at a closer look you realised he was just reassuring me. He understood the hell I've been through, even from the police statements, which he listened.

We entered the restaurant and I saw Karla at a table, playing with a spoon in her coffee. I quietly pointed out to Dan where she was and the two of us headed that way. Well, not before Dan said "hello" to the owner.  In fairness Karla wasn't surprised to see Dan in front of her. Maybe she didn't know who he was either... But when she saw him, she just smiled and called him by his name. I was behind him watching this scene unveil in front of me.

"Hiya Dan...Fancy seeing you here..."
"Karla?! Wow, nice to meet you here...how is hospital work?", asked Dan politely.

To make things clear Karla was a fellow nurse. We started out being colleagues and then the natural thing came. A strong bond between us. Even when I had to quit my job, she was still there for me...

"You know, as usual, we are waiting for Christmas to see you there. The girls already placed bets, thinking who you will going to ask out on a date."
"No one...you are waiting for Alexis right?"
"Yes, how did you know?! She got me worried sick..."
"I'm here...", I said getting out from behind Dan.
"Jesus Alexis, what happened?! Who did this to you?", asked Karla more and more worried after seeing a part of my mutilated face.
"Nicholas...Thank God Dan was there...he saved me...",I added as I sat down at the table.
"I told you a million times that man is a waste of space...ever since I met him I thought something off was about him...and when you quit your job because of him I knew something was wrong...I hope he will rot in jail!!! ", she said all knowingly.
"No need to worry about that Karla. He will.", said Dan seriously.
"Can you please explain to me how you guys know each other now?", I asked.
"Well, to cut things short Dan always comes on Christmas in the children's ward. And that's how I know him. Well, apart from the band...", smiled Karla.

How did I miss all these things? Wow, I knew my life was a big mess, but that big? I looked in my cup of tea with a sad look upon my face. Dan noticed that and he took my hand in his. Karla noticed it and raised her eyebrows.

"Am I missing something here?"
"Nothing, but I am thinking I missed a lot of things these past years, and now I feel like I don't know where to start.", I sighed.
"Well, Karla, there is something. Please convince Alexis she has nothing to worry about when it comes to me. She can trust me."
"I can't tell her that Dan, she just came out of the hell she has been living in...by the way don't tell me you are still staying in that apartment?"
"No...I...spent the last night at Dan...he looked after me...", I whispered.

A disapproving look in Karla's eyes. Too bad for her I wasn't planning on giving any explanations soon. She didn't want to let me go with Dan at first. But soon she realised I felt safe when I was with him, so she agreed on letting me go with him under the condition that I call her to meet up as soon as possible.

Dan showed me into a cab and we went back to his apartment. As soon as I saw the couch I just fell into a deep sleep, all curled up into a foetal position, with my shoes on and my head all covered in the scarf. I woke up a couple of hours later and realised I was alone in the apartment. With sleepy moves I took out the phone from my bag and saw a text from Dan. He said he went out to work in the studio and that he will call when he will be on his way home.

I took the liberty of just chilling around and watching television for a while, but then curiosity hit me. I wanted to find out more about him, now that I was living in his house. I changed myself into some sweatpants and a sweater Dan took the liberty to buy and I started looking around.

On a piece of paper were written a couple of words, doodles and scribbles. He was trying to write a song...

You read the books, watched the shows...and then I couldn't make out anything he was writing except for another couple of sentences. First you think the worst is a broken heart, what's gonna kill you is the second part, and the third is when your world splits down the middle...Wow, very deep, I said to myself.

I found myself in front of the door of a room which was shut. His bedroom. I opened it and saw a bed which was a complete mess with clothes thrown on top of it. The dresser's doors were wide open and its content was all messy as well. A notebook on the night stand again all filled with doodles and scribbles and a book right next to it. Astronomy...Never thought he would be into that.

I went out of his room and closed the door behind me. It wasn't me to snoop around, although his character was fascinating. He was truly an interesting man. In all ways possible. But I felt like there was more to him than he showed me. My phone woke me up from my thoughts. It was him, he was coming home.

I waited patiently for him just curled up the couch and watching television. He came in holding a bag of groceries and with a happy smile on his face.

"Hello sleepy head. You fell asleep instantly."
"Yes....I did...then I looked at what you were writing, hope you didn't mind..."
"No, not at all. What do you think?"
"That you were very sad when you wrote this, not trying to pry in any way...but...what happened?"
"A relationship that didn't work out...we weren't meant to be, no matter how much we loved each other...now in a happy note I'm going to cook tonight, would you like to help?"
"Sure, but why don't you let me cook?"
"Because, I enjoy cooking. You should be lucky I'm letting you help me.", he added laughing.
"You're just being a tease..."
"No seriously, I enjoy it. I'm not only an artist, I take cooking seriously. It's an art, just like music."
"Okay, so what are we cooking tonight Chef Dan?", I giggled.
"A giggle, I like that. Well I'm going to run and get changed and have a shower. I've been sweating like a pig in the studio and it's not my most flattering look...and we are cooking fish.",he added with a wink.

He was so natural at everything. Friendly, funny and most of all kind. I was amazed by his natural grace, his calm way of seeing things. I never considered myself a charity case. Because he never made me feel like one. He made me feel like everything that was going on was natural. I started unpacking the groceries and placing them on the kitchen counter.

He returned shortly with his hair all wet wiping it dry with a towel. He looked really nice like that, all messy, comparing to all time styled hair.
He noticed me staring at him and smiled.

"What do I have something on my face?"
"No, it suits you a lot better like this."
"Like what?"
"Your hair looking like this. Makes you look like a teenager."
"I'm no teenager, though. Now, let's cook.", he added throwing the towel on the sofa.
"How old are you?", I asked, starting to cut vegetables as he cleaned the fish.
"Thirty two, what about you?"
"Twenty eight this year..."
"Nice, now my turn to ask, he said stealing a piece of carrot and shoving it in his mouth, I know Karla is a nurse, what about you?"
"Used to be a nurse too until my ex decided that wasn't working out with his jealousy. So I was forced to quit and now...I'm unemployed."
"Do you like being a nurse?"
"I did...I...No one asked me this before...It's hard because, being a nurse isn't what I am anymore..."
"I see. Nothing to panic, you will figure it out..."
"I will...", I said continuing to think of what Dan just said.