A Bittersweet Life (1st draft)

Chapter 19

Ellis and I ate breakfast together out on the deck, enjoying every moment of the fiery sunrise. After taking a long shower last night, I was able to clear my head of all things Clarissa and Charles related. I had been able to convince myself nothing at all happened and it was just my imagination. The knife, the blood, all of it.

Randall refilled my glass with orange juice and I offered him a seat at the table, which he politely refused. I sipped my glass while Ellis squirted ketchup onto his eggs. We didn't have to talk to know we were both content with each other's presence. His phone vibrated on the table causing the glasses of juice to rattle.

"This is Ellis Banks... Benjamin, hello... I'm sorry, say that again." His brows furrowed, listening intently. His jaw clenched and skin turned pale. "Thank you." He placed the phone back onto the table and rubbed his moist forehead. "Clarissa is in the hospital." My orange juice glass slipped from my hand and spilled all over my lap.

"Shit!" I scrambled to wipe up the juice. That reaction was more for the fact that everything that happened last night was actually real. What happened to Charles? Hopefully jail for life for the attempted murder of his wife.

"Apparently she had an accident in the kitchen. Ended up cutting herself with a knife." Accident? That was no damn accident. My mouth went dry. "I think we should pay her a visit. Make sure she's well." I stopped wiping my thighs with napkins and looked at him. Did he really want to know if she was okay as his stylist? Or, as his lover? So many different scenarios swirled in my head and I felt faint once again. I grabbed the corners of the table, steadying my breathing.

"Yeah. We should visit her." The words exploded from my mouth. If I didn't agree to see her, what would that make me? I had to see her in order to please Ellis. We were doing so good these past few weeks with bonding, I couldn't fuck it up. Not now.

"Great." He stabbed his ketchup covered eggs and shoved them into his mouth. I, on the other hand, lost my appetite.

I'm happy to say I had only been to the hospital once. I was fifteen and came home late at night to find my mom passed out on the floor lying in a pool of her own vomit. Her lips were turning blue. I had no idea how long she had been like that when I called the police. For hours I sat in the hospital's waiting room, preparing myself for the doctor to come out and tell me my mother had died. But, he didn't. She had made a full recovery even though the odds were not in her favor. Everyone called it a miracle. I hoped that a miracle would tempt her to consider making some life changes, but it only made her think she had nine lives and continued drinking. However, I never found her like that again.

This hospital was a lot nicer than the ones in Oak Grove. Nurses walked around in matching red scrubs, beautiful beach landscape pictures lined the walls. This felt more like a museum than a hospital. We walked up to a desk and the girl directed us to Clarissa's room. Balloons and flowers filled her room.

"Ellis, Talia, hi." She sat up and greeted us with a warm smile. I forced a smile and walked over to a bouquet of pink and purple flowers. The card in the middle had Charles's name written on it.

"Ellis? Talia?" I turned and Charles walked into the room carrying a small stuffed bear. "What are you doing here?"

"Ben called me. He said Clarissa was in the hospital," Ellis looked at her, "I had to make sure my best stylist was okay."

"Look," Charles placed the bear on the edge of the bed. "I want to apologize for my behavior at the party last night. I was out of line. One too many drinks I suppose," he choked out a laugh.

"It's okay. We all have those moments sometimes." The two shook hands as though nothing had ever happened. My hands balled into a fist, attempting to keep myself calm.