Love Comes With Agony

Book II (chapter 5)

Chelsea's POV

It's been almost 2 weeks since my encounter with Axel... Things are going great lately.... Nicky told Emmanuel about her pregnancy.... He was on cloud nine.... They are now living together... He is planning about a proposal.... Claire wasn't there.... She has gone for a vacation with her friends... I was back to living alone in my big house.... Last weekend I had gone to visit dad.... He is not keeping well and I am really worried for him...

Flashback:-

It's been quite some time since I had gone to visit my dad... So this weekend I decided to do that.... I took my car and drove to his house... I knocked and Rosa his caretaker opened the door....
After mom's unexpected departure from our lives when I was 4 and Claire was 1 it took a toll on him... He raised us alone but lost his trust on the concept of love and "till death do us apart"... He never married again or looked at another woman... He kept himself busy with work.... He tried his best to be around.... But it didn't always worked out.... As we grew up he became distant.... He spoke less, he spent really less time with us... Dad loved Claire more than me and that was pretty evident... Although I never complained about it but it did kind of hurt me... He always tried to be there for her but not for me.... I mean I get that she was young and didn't really understand the ways of the world but so was I... For him she was everything... I was always a second choice... But I never said anything about it... As long as he was there I didn't really cared about anything... I have always loved dad more than anything in the world... For me he was everything... But for him I was just another daughter he had.... I remember he once told me that I was a mistake.... But I decided not to take it to heart.... But his words had hurt me more than anything in the world.... Mom left after Claire was born... So I still don't get it how I was a mistake.... But after all he was my dad.... So no grudge against him...
I went in and saw dad sitting on the chair and reading the newspaper...
"Good morning Dad... How are you...?" I asked happily...
"Good" he replied in a very short and precise way...
"Did you eat breakfast?" I asked sitting down from across him...
"No.." He said...
His short answers did hurt me but decided not to say anything...
"Dad how are you feeling? Did you take your medicines?" I asked again hoping to get some form of an answer....
"I am trying to do something... So can you keep shut for sometime..." He said not looking up from the newspaper...
I didn't say anything for the rest of the time I was there... I spoke to Rosa for the rest of the time.... Before leaving I told him and left... He didn't respond as usual.... So without anything I just left....
Rosa told me that dad wasn't keeping well... Although he was taking medicines an all but still he wasn't feeling really good.... I left with a concerned mind...

Flashback over:-

I was sitting on my couch when I saw my phone ringing....
"Hello.." I said picking up the phone...
"Hey it's me..." Axel spoke from the other side...
"Oh hey... Is this your new number? I asked...
"Uh yes... Actually it is... Uh I got a new phone so the first thing I did was call you..." He said nervously from the other side... I wasn't really sure why he was talking like that...
"Oh great then... Talk to you later..." And I don't know why I said that...
"Uh no...no... Wait... Actually there is something I need to ask..." He said before I could hang up...
"What is it?" I asked..
"Um are you free in the evening?" He asked....
"Yeah why?" I asked
"Uh... Um... Do you want to go for dinner maybe..."
"With whom...?" The moment the words came out of my mouth I face palmed myself.... I felt like the stupidest person in the whole world....
"Uh with me..." He said....
"No... I have an appointment with someone...." I lied...
"Uh... Okay... That's fine.... Have a good time... Bye... Talk to you later..." He said... Hurt evident in his voice.... I felt bad about lying... But why did I lie.... It's just dinner.... I mean that's all... What can possibly go wrong? After like 10 minutes I called him up again...
"Hey...." He said sounding tired...
"Ok I will go..." I said trying to sound serious...
"You will?" He said getting excited...
"Yes I will... When and where?" I asked...
"Yesss..." He yelled in the phone...
I couldn't help but smile... He yelled like a kid who has just received like $5 for behaving nicely and finishing his chores on time....
"I will come pick you up at 7..." He said again...
"Okay.... No.... Wait you tell me when and where... I will go on my own..." I replied getting serious again...
"Uh okay... How about 7 and meet me at our usual place..." He said... I know the place he was talking about but I tried to pretend dumb....
"Uh.. which place are you talking about?" I asked pretending as if I didn't know...
"You know Chelsea what I am talking about.." he said...
"No I don't...so tell me..." I replied...
"Uh okay meet me at fabbrica di cibo..." He said....
"Okay fine... See you later then..." I said and hung up... I was feeling really happy about this all of a sudden...
I was looking forward to Meeting him tonight...