An Arranged Affair

chapter 57

We lay there for what seemed life forever. Sweat covered both of us and all I could feel was his body on me, his lips as he kissed me softly  and stroking my body gently, and I lay there, arms around his beck and legs wrapped around him.

My body was sore, but I didn’t mind.

‘ are you ok?’  he asked and I nodded. It had been painful, yes, but it had been wonderful.

‘ did you mean what you said? That you love me?” he asked.

I was still painfully aware that he was still inside me but I looked at him.

‘”of course I mean it. I do love you, I think I have for a while but just could never say it.”

He opened his mouth to say something but my phone started to ring I didn’t move to get it.

Whatever it was it could wait.

I wanted to stay in this moment, this perfect moment.

Except my phone kept ringing, and ringing and ringing.

‘ I better get that.’ I said quietly. I didn’t want him to move and felt strange emptiness as he pulled out of me.

I winced as I got up out of the bed, my body felt battered and bruised and as I put on a robe I couldn’t help notice the bright red blood stain on the sheets.

My lips were tender from Philips kissing and my skin still tingled from where he had touched me, it had been so intense and I didn’t regret one second of it, if my phone hadn’t rung I’m sure we would have done it again.

My phone rang again and I answered, the only thing I could hear was the screaming sirens of the ambulance  and Mumma crying. I sank to my knees as she talked between her sobs.

Papa!

Papa had had another heart attack!

I raced to the wardrobe and changed into some jeans and a sweatshirt, the pain in my body forgotten. I had to get to the hospital. I put on some sneakers and looked for Phillips keys, my head spinning a little from the alcohol and I put my palm to my forehead trying to steady myself.

Phillip came up to me and grabbed me by the forearms, a little harder than I expected.

“ Tori babe, what is it? Where are you going? You’re not going anywhere like this!'

“ its papa! “ I cried out, panicked. ‘ he’s at the hospital! He’s had another heart attack.’ Tears formed in my eyes and made me blind, I wasn’t sure what I was doing ,all I knew was that I had to get to the hospital. It was going to be bad, we had been warned before, and I felt Philips arms around me , pulling me closer and holding me tight.

He waited until my tears stopped enough and I regained enough composure, he insisted on driving me to the hospital, good thing too as I was in no state to drive.

The ride seemed to take forever, each minute was agonizing. I prayed that I wasn’t to late, I needed to see Papa again, cursing myself that I hadn’t made more of an effort to see him since the wedding, realizing that all the anger I had held towards him was useless.

All the way there Phillip held my hand, occasionally lifting it to his lips and kissing it softly. The dynamics between us had certainly changed but I couldn’t help wonder – had I gained one happiness in my life only to lose another?

When we reached the hospital, I didn’t even wait for Phillip to park the car property, hurtling myself out of the passengers seat and straight to reception. It was early in the morning and there wasn’t a line, Papa was in the ICU and I ran all the way there. Mumma was sobbing into a hand towel when I saw her, she howled in pain as soon as she saw me, fresh tears falling from my eyes as well and I hugged her has hard as I could.