Stranger In The Elevator

part 10

After what seems like an eternity, I calm down.

"Can I have some painkillers? My head aches." I ask quietly,my voice taking up a more humble tone.
Kai,who is seated at my side and cradling me gets up. It's been an hour,the house is silent and the TV was shut off a long time ago.
Kai's body retreats up a stairwell and a few minutes later comes back with some water and two pills in his hands.
Receiving them greatfully,I pop the pills into my mouth and drink up the water.
Quietly,Kai settles besides me. Observing me.
Genuinely he seems worried. I don't understand why that is.
Is this why he told the help not to come in today?  So that we could talk? So that he could tell me who he is?

"Do you want to talk now?"

He asks,his voice set in a soft timbre. It's calming really. I always found deep voices attractive. God,what am I thinking?

Clearing my thoughts,I respond "just give me a few minutes to gather my wits."

"Okay." He says. I steal a quick glance at him and I am met with his profile. A worry line has formed between his brows and his lips are set into a serious line.

He looks..older.

I realise now that the situation must be extremely exhausting and stressful for him too. Am assuming he's known about me for a long time. Definitely all the way back from the accident.

At this,I suck my breath in harshly. Quickly,I take a sip of water again.

He must have been bottling up so much emotion,being so close to his families murderer.

The headache begins to ease away and I find I can think clearer.

"For how long have you known about me?" I ask knowingly. I guess during such moments,alot of us women break the ice with a question whose answer we already know. For example,a married woman asking her cheating husband who the woman or worse man is. When she knows it's probably her best friend or sister or cousin or that woman across the drive. I guess it's just in us.

"A week after the accident happened. That's when I slipped out of my comma."

"Where you around during the court proceedings?" Another knowing question..

"Not physically but yes."

This Time I turn to look at him,I want to see all of his emotion and as if sensing my thoughts,he turns to me too.

"How did you fake your own death?" This one I actually didn't know,kind of like when the married woman being cheated on asks why his cheating when she gives him her all. Because she genuinely doesn't know.

Sighing I realize that the two situations are completely different. So much for thinking clearer.

"Before the accident,my full name was Michael Malakai Lundgren. I just dropped Michael because a part of me died when they died,I carried on as Malakai fairly easily. People understood the situation I guess." At this he shrugs.
A brief moment of silence starts but he quickly breaks it.

"Besides..I only faked my death to you. Paid the judge and a handful of people to not talk and that was it."

Kind of makes sense. I guess it was easy for him to do it because there wasn't much publicity surrounding the accident.

We sit quietly,both of us deep in thought. Eventually I ask the question that was nagging me.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

He looks into my eyes and I see the sincerity and.. adoration?

"Because..I forgave you..."

I can tell he wants to continue so I let him.

"For so long I moved around with this hate in my heart. Just waiting for the right moment to strike you. After that court ruling,I was so angry I was ready to kill the judge. I will never know why he let you go. I guess the ruling was fair anyway. But the hateful part of me didn't want to hear logic. All I wanted was for you to suffer terribly.
This hate,it turned me into something I never wanted to be.."
He plops his back into the comfortable cushy chair as if to show his frustration.
..."I missed out so many opportunities to be happy. I denied myself the chance of moving on and just letting things go. I was a poison to myself and everyone around me. I thought only with my emotions and I was no longer logical. I just turned.. inhuman."

He gets quiet for a few seconds and his face that was marred with so much emotion slowly turns into a calm, some what resigned look.

"So after so long,after our second accident I started to feel different. But I still wanted to hold on to my anger. I felt if I let it go,I would be betraying them. I still felt like I owed them your suffering..." At that he shudders,as if to say I was so wrong for that.

"And yet,I could never leave your side,I couldn't stop caring for you." He chuckles quietly.

Am seated silently, observing the fleeting emotions on his face. The constant confusion and calmness taking over him in spontaneous bouts. Some how,I know he won't hurt me. I know he means every word.

"One day when I did leave your side,after much deliberation of course,I decided to go see your old shrink. I demanded to see your sessions together and she gave them to me.."

Geez it's like anyone can be bought these days..

"...when I saw you broken, something in me clicked. I knew then I couldn't go back to hating you. Not after seeing you so..so hurt and in pain.."

It was a terrible phase in my life.

"...so that day when I came back home,I knew I had to change."

"What did you do then?" I asked after being quiet for so long.

"I didn't do anything just then because I was trying to gather myself to eventually let go. So two weeks later,I came to your bedside and I forgave you and myself. It needed to be done."

Suddenly,he grabs my hands and a much more serious look overtakes his features.

"It needs to be done again now that you are awake and aware.."

My heart rate picks up in excitement.

"Sammy..I forgive you with every fiber of my being. I know I hurt you and I can only hope in due time you may forgive me too. I now realize that the accident was never your fault and I only hope that you don't beat yourself up about it. I forgive you and in turn ask for your forgiveness."

His eyes are expectant. My own are about to begin to shade tears. I am so greatfull for this moment. Some people never get to face there past in a positive way,I would be a fool to not live in this moment.

"Of course I forgive you! I only ever hopped for you to do the same. I forgive your actions because I understand them."
At this moment,he pulls me into a warm embrace and we both bathe in the moment. Just enjoying each other's company.

He pulls away eventually and reluctantly. A sated look in his eyes until they cloud over in worry..

"What's wrong?" I ask, hoping his mind has not been changed.

"I want you to tell me the truth Samantha."

I look at him in confusion and he clears it for me.

"What kind of relationship do you have with May?"

Welp!! So much for living in a happy moment.