Leaving Behind a Piece – Part ll

"Onyx?" She called for him but received no response, and as she began to look around screaming his name, the bright blue sky was obscured by dark clouds. Ophelia frowned at the sudden change in weather and moved closer to the tree line that surrounded the open field.
When lightning struck, she scurried towards the trees. Ophelia's heart thumped against her ribcage when a calloused hand grabbed her ankle. She fearfully looked down and huffed with relief when she saw it was Onyx. But terror consumed her whole when his beautiful blues changed to an ugly shade of yellow and the ground beneath her feet started to melt into a puddle of water. Onyx started sinking pulling her with him into the water. Ophelia screamed as he pulled her deeper into the water and she struggled to breathe. Suddenly everything slowly faded away and the last thing she saw was those eyes.

Though Ophelia's eyes were now open she couldn't think of anything; her heart was pounding, her mind was empty. It's as if an adrenaline hypodermic had been inserted into her carotid artery. She strained into the complete darkness, her breathing rate slowed down.

Every thought she had when she awoke was in high definition. Her eyes took in every ray of light, and she was certain she had slept too long.
Her gaze darted around the room, and she briefly wondered where she was.
There are flowers, lovely paintings, leather chairs, and soothing music. A plasma screen was mounted on the wall, and the bed she was lying in was extremely comfortable. There was everything one needed to be comfortable, but it felt empty for some reason. Her gaze was drawn to the door when it was pushed open and her father walked in. Ophelia was a little disappointed to see her father instead of the man she had hoped to see. But her disappointment vanished when she saw her father's eyes well up and he rushed to take her in his arms. Ophelia's body felt heavy as she struggled to keep herself upright. Her body was completely exhausted, and everything ached excruciatingly.
"I was terrified, sweetheart!" Mason's voice cracked and she knew he was holding himself up.
"I'm fine, Dad. I'm sorry if I scared you." Her throat was dry, and her voice was hoarse. Mason pulled away from the hug and offered her a glass of water. She drank the water, and Mason took the glass away from her. Her attending doctor soon arrived, and after performing a thorough examination and walking her through her condition, the doctor left. Mason, who had been standing by the bed, approached her once more.
"How did this happen?" Mason inquired softly, and Ophelia sighed. Mason helped her in lying down again, and Ophelia spoke, "I went back to the suite, and after dinner, I watched a movie. I went to the bathroom, and when I came out, Onyx- " Her brows knitted together as she paused.
"Ophelia?" When she looked up, she noticed her father looking at her with questioning eyes.
"-my feet were wet, and I slipped." Mason nodded as she spoke. There was a short silence and Ophelia abruptly asked,
"Where is Onyx, Dad?" At her question, Mason frowned, "Isn't he out of the country on business?"
Ophelia looked down as hazy memories of the day flashed through her mind.

Mason fed Ophelia her breakfast, and after a few hours, Ophelia forced him to leave to finish his work. Ophelia twisted and turned in her hospital bed for hours after her father had left.
He was there the day before to see her. He had surprised her, and they had returned to the suite. They were watching a movie after dinner when Ophelia left for the bathroom to change into the lingerie she had purchased. Ophelia frowned as she looked down at her hospital gown-clad body. What had happened after she had walked out of the bathroom! She pondered. But, no matter how hard she tried, the memories of that moment were hazy, and she could not compensate anything.

After several agonising hours, the evening arrived. Mason had brought her flowers and food. They chatted after he fed her and placed the flowers on the table to add some colour to the room. Ophelia eventually became tired, and Mason left, leaving her to rest. Her eyes were deprived of sleep despite the fact that her body was exhausted. Ophelia lay in her hospital bed, wide awake, staring at the porcelain ceiling. She went through her phone which her father had brought along. She hoped to see a missed call or at the very least a message, but her heart sank when she discovered the inbox was empty. She looked through the call log but couldn't find his name. Ophelia frowned. Onyx's name should have been on the list, but it wasn't. Ophelia decided to call him, after several minutes of her finger hovering over the call option, she locked her phone and tucked it away in the side table drawer. As the hazy memories played through her mind, a lone tear escaped her eyes, and she eventually fell asleep.

The next day strolled in and just like the day before her father came to see her. After breakfast, a doctor's check-up and a few tests she forced her father to leave for work. Ophelia layed in her bed for excruciatingly long hours with her phone in hand in anticipation of a call. Just one call from him. The call, however, never came. She longed she could call him, but she couldn't. She wanted him to call her and explain. Explain why he didn't visit her even after the accident. She was aware that he was aware of the situation, but he made no attempt to contact her or check on her to see if she was okay. 'Or maybe he doesn't care at all!'
She felt as if a dagger had been thrust into her heart. Ophelia's hand gripped her chest as she stared ahead, her eyes blank. Her eyes welled up as she reflected on Onyx not caring enough to check in on her and all the moments they spent together. When the door to Ophelia's room was softly pushed open and a bulky tall figure walked inside, her stance was broken. She couldn't see clearly due to her hazy vision, but she smiled when she saw his outline. Ophelia wiped away her tears, and her smile faded. It wasn't him.
"How are you doing, Ophelia?" Gerbert inquired as he stood near the bed.
"Better now. Thank you." Gerbert nodded as she replied with a kind small smile. He drew up a chair and sat.
"How- um how did this happen?" Gerbert inquired, his voice hesitant.
"I slipped and fell." Gerbert looked up at Ophelia before looking down at his lap as she responded with a slight frown.
For a few moments, they sat in silence. Ophelia stared at the man in front of her and noticed the shadow of guilt and
guilt that hung over him. The silence was too much for her, so she finally asked.
"Where is Onyx, Mr Reighs?" Gerbert raised his head in response to her question, and his face turned cold.
"He isn't here."
"So, where is he?" She inquired, her voice a little desperate.
"His out on business, Ophelia." Gerbert had responded coldly.
Gerbert had walked away after a few moments. And Ophelia was left alone once more. She twisted and turned in the hospital bed with her phone in hand. Her fingers lingered for a long time over the call button. She eventually gathered her courage, set aside her pride, and dialled his number. But her heart sank when his phone was unreachable. She tried several times but her calls didn't reach him.

She had to go through rehabilitation for the next few days. The injury had affected her mentally but not more than Onyx. She had tried and tried, but none of her calls had been answered or reached him. She tried to reach Lilian, Elio and Glenn but it was as if though they had vanished into thin air. All of this was bothering her and gradually breaking her heart.
"-and you are free to go Ms Jade."
When her name was mentioned, Ophelia looked up and looked at the doctor who standing there with a tab in his hand. It was the final check-up and as far as she heard the doctor, she was free to leave.
"Thank you very much, Doctor." Mason smiled and shook hands with the attending doctor. The doctor and his assistant left, and Mason approached Ophelia. He smiled as he sat on the bed.
"Now that you've been released from the hospital, we can go home." In a soft voice, he stated.
"Home?" She inquired, and Mason nodded.
"My work here is done and now we can go back home," Mason responded with a warm smile, and Ophelia's muddled eyes looked up at him. She nodded and smiled weakly.
Mason had taken Ophelia to his hotel room after she was discharged. Ophelia dressed after taking a shower and eating something to satisfy her hungry stomach. There was not even an ounce of joy in the fact that she was returning home. And the void in her heart grew larger with each passing second. The ache had become more perceptible. She was leaving the city filled with memories. From the first memories of the arrogant man to the very last. As the car drove her to the airport in the cold pitch black night, the astounding glimmering memories of their time together slashed her heart. She had never been sad about flying before, but today she was. The grief and burden were too much for her, and the emptiness only grew. She felt as though she was leaving a piece of herself behind with each step towards the aeroplane. And by the time she was up in the sky, she was slowly crying herself to sleep.
Gerbert walked down the dimly lit corridor, his heavy footsteps pounding against the stone floor. The darkness, coldness, and agonising silence didn't bother him as he walked towards where he needed to be. Gerbert came to a halt in front of an old, heavy wooden door. He inhaled deeply and pushed open the heavy doors. The old doors squeaked open, and the smell of damp air filled his nostrils.
"Aśs si fort?" A voice inquired. (Is she gone?)
"Jo,"
(Yes)