WINGS OF CHANGE√ (Sample Chapters Only)

20

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Frank woke up and realized he was sleeping in the comfort of his king size bed but had no recollection on how he got there.

He was still clothed in his white inner long sleeve while his suit jacket hung on the cushion across his bed. His shoes carefully lined out beside the bed from the other end.

He gave a loud yawn and a full body stretch on the bed before pulling himself into a seating position.

His brain was still fuzzy as he kept trying to recall what happened. The last thing he remembered was someone struggling a glass of whiskey from his grabs after which he was led out into the parking lot and even got into his car before darkness totally engulfed him .

Now that he remembered part of it, he was sure, Aria was responsible for getting him home in one piece.

She was pretty pissed at him last night as she kept trying to get him to stop drinking himself to stupor without any success.

Gosh

How could he listen to any voice of reasoning when drinking was his only way out of his misery.

Everything hurt less with each taste of that burning liquid. He'd promised to never let himself fall back on that destructive path again but one look at her was all it took to reopen old wound and send him down the dark isle_ seeking refuge yet again in the arm of his dear old whisky bottle.

She was doing perfectly fine without him. Heck! She was happy with another man while he on the other hand was still struggling to get over her. Six years hasn't been enough to heal the pain she has caused him.

She was his doom.

He had his head thrown back on the bed rest while rubbing little circle on the throbbing pain in his forehead .

That's the thing with drinking that he totally hate.

Having to wake up with a splitting headache and that same emptiness in your chest that would always be a reminder that your problems hasn't being solved.

He only drinks to forget even if it was only temporarily. It was enough to have him breathing without feeling like he was stuck in a tight corner with less air to live on.

He rubbed his eyes slightly with a loud  yawn then wrinkled his nose sideways_ his breath sting of alcohol.

Yaks!

If he was safe and sound in his house then he owed that solely to Aria but damn, he was sure, he must have given her another reason to hate him even more.

He pulled off the duvet he was nicely tucked into before swinging his leg over to the other side of his bed. He noticed a glass of water and a hand written note seating by his lamp stand and reached for it.

A smile coiled up the corner of his lip when he realized whose hand writing those were. He picked it up on one hand while reaching for the water as well. He was already debating within himself on how to go down and grab water from the kitchen.

He has been saved the stress no doubt.

He quickly downed the glass of water as he scanned through the note with one eye.

It simply read.

*I made you something to eat in case you wake up hungry*

Aria.

Yup.

That's definitely her. There is no doubt she is the one capable of such but breakfast? She made him breakfast? isnt she supposed to be angry and threatening to beat him with her pretty six inches heels after everything he put her through last night?

He couldn't remember it all but he sure as hell knew how much of a handful he can be when he is as high as a kite.

Frank was somehow worried about Aria's kind gesture.

Maybe he has spilled more than he should have in his moment of vulnerability last night. Why else would she take it upon herself to make him breakfast even after everything? Wait! that would also mean she slept over as well?

Where exactly did she lay.

On the bed with him or at the guest room? But knowing Aria too well_it's possible she slept on the couch.

He quickly rushed over to the living room but she wasn't there. He got to the kitchen and found that the food she has made for him was still warm which could also mean, it was made not quite long ago.

He found his cellphone lying beside his car keys and grabbed it in an attempt to call her only to realized he doesn't have her new number.

Damn.

He went back to his plate of food to survey what she has made. Boiled yam and egg sauce was waiting for him right there.

He couldn't help but wonder how she knew what his favorite meal was.

But whatever be the case scenario, he knew he has to apologize to her but first he needed to eat something because he was starving.

.

.

.
Meanwhile....

It was already mid afternoon and Aria was still snoring peacefully in her bed.

The sun was up but she was still face down.

Rays of sunlight was beginning to creep in through the window but she was far away in dream land to even care or worry about it.

Life has currently placed her on a rollercoaster and she was taking her moment to sleep it out.

All she wanted last night was to get home to her bed and rest but instead she ended up driving a drunk Frank Okoji back to the same house she ran out of months ago.

She couldn't dare to leave him at that bar even if she wanted to. The least she could do was get him home before he got worst and drove himself into a pole.

God forbid!

She has never seen him so broken and vulnerable before. His cold and stoic facade faded away in a single moment and all she could see was a man broken beyond doubt.

The manner at which he spoke that woman name over and over again, only reminded her why he was so broken in the first place.

He loved her.

Heck! he still loves her and with each sip of that dreadful liquid, he was giving her the power to destroy him more.

Never in Aria's wildest dreams has she thought him out to be capable of such love and vulnerability.

There was no pretense or sham. She saw the real him. Alcohol got him spilling his gut without a second thought and without holding back.

It hurt her to see him that way.

Hell, he even made her realized how much she has misjudged him on countless occasions. Accusing him of not having a heart all those years without knowing the real him hasn't been the best conclusion on her part.

At least she knew that now.

The fact that they slept together once wasn't helping either. She felt obliged to help him out even though she still want nothing to do with him.

Like never ever! Especially not in a romantic way!

Thirty minutes later_a sharp little knock was heard from outside her door causing her to stir a little bit but not enough to wake her up completely.

Another hard resounding knock came within the span of another minute as she turned and stirred in her sleep yet again with a slight frown forming on her forehead.  she rolled over towards the edge of her bed unknowingly and continued sleeping still.

She was hoping the knock on her door was just a fragment of her own imagination as she kept wishing whoever it was away while she unconsciously found herself a comfortable spot and snuggled closer.

Another knock sounded again, jolting her completely awake. Aria got up with a grumpy face and put on her flops before dragging herself towards the door.

Whoever that was should better be worth the stress.