Chapter 31 - A shock for the heart.

"Amelia! Amelia! Where are you running to?"

Boston asked as Amelia rushed back into her own apartment. She had to be in California to see Xavier and she had to leave as soon as possible. She was going to try as much as possible to travel light. Everything else she needed could be sent later. All she had to do was book a flight.
She turned to Boston who was silently waiting for an explanation next to her.
"I'm so sorry Boston. Something bad happened. I really have to be on my way."

Amelia begged as she picked up her laptop, she wanted to see if there were any flights she could take as fast as she could. If all went well, she could be in California in the next six hours.

"Are you okay?"

"Is something wrong? Anyway I can help?"

Amelia shook her head as she turned to look at Boston.

"I'm sorry you, there's nothing you can do. It's about my family."

"I know! Maybe there's a way I can help? Do you need something?"

Amelia shook her head impatiently.

"No! Right now, all I need is to book a flight to California. I need to be there as fast as I can."

"Woahhh! What's the rush, late flights cost about three times more!"

Boston said as he tried to talk sense into Amelia but she wasn't listening. She had picked up a duffel bag and it looked like she was randomly throwing things in.

"Listen Amelia, I'm sure whatever it is can wait."

Finally, Amelia had enough, she turned to Boston with a deadly glare.

"My Husband's Nana possibly just died. And I have to be with him. He didn't sound so good on the phone and I'm scared he's taking it badly. I have to go and be with him. If you had someone you loved I'm sure you'd understand that."

Amelia replied with dangerously calm and went back to her packing. Boston slowly retreated after her statement and he quietly left her apartment.

From then on, it was a race against time for Amelia. She had packed light, taking only the essentials as she started loading up to leave. She had about an hour and a half before the flight she booked took off.

In the plane she was restless, she had tried calling Xavier and his phone was switched off. What could have happened? She knew it had something to do with Nana.

Could Nana be dead?

No! It wasn't possible, Amelia thought in shock as she closed her eyes and wished that it wasn't true.

But she was supposed to be fine, Amelia thought as she remembered when Xavier told her that he was taking her for a checkup. Although Xavier had expressed his worries about Nana's health, Amelia had to admit she didn't know it was that serious. His Grandma seemed fine before she left and Amelia and her nurse had ensured she was doing everything in compliance with her treatments.

She arrived in California five hours later. Xavier's number was still unavailable and nobody in the house was picking up the phone.
She would have to take a cab and leave herself, she thought as she started walking towards the cab line. Suddenly she was feeling very stuffy in her jacket and her sweater and she proceeded to take it off. She had forgotten to wear something lighter on her trip and in the plane she had been too worried to remember to take it off.

The ride home took an hour and a few minutes, Amelia was relieved when the taxi finally stopped in front of their house and she rushed into the front of the house. She pressed the doorbell several times and tried Xavier's number before finally being let in by the housekeeper.

The housekeeper looked flustered as she let Amelia in.

"Mrs Black! What a surprise?"

"How is he?"

Amelia asked as she walked in, dropping her small duffel bag on the marble floor. It was the only thing she had been able to pack.

"And why was no one picking up the phone? It's fucking here!"

Amelia snapped as she pointed at the phone. The housekeeper looked nervous as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"Mrs Black, have you heard the news?"

"Yes, I wouldn't be here if I didn't. Is Xavier inside?"

There was a long uncomfortable silence as the housekeeper looked around nervously.

"Millie? What's wrong?"

Amelia asked as concern washed over her features, she noticed that the housekeeper looked a little shaken up. It was probably because of what happened.

"I'm sorry if I sound a bit insensitive. It's just that Xavier sounded so bad on the phone. I don't want him to hurt himself." Amelia said softly and the housekeeper nodded.

"He's in the Masters bedroom. But I'm not sure you should see him."

"Why?"

There was another long pause and Amelia finally got tired of Millie's mysteriousness. She was going to see Xavier. She knew he was grieving a lot and she only wished that her presence could offer a little comfort.

There was an eery silence in the house as Amelia approached the hallway leading to the Masters Bedroom.
It was late and dark. She had left New York City around one in the afternoon and her flight had taken roughly five hours, it was after seven in the evening and it was already late. She hoped that Xavier was sleeping, he must have spent hours and hours alone. Amelia thought as she placed her hand on the handle and took in deep breaths.

She didn't know if words would ever be enough to comfort Xavier, she didn't even know if her presence would be enough. She hoped that he would at least let her try.

The door opened slowly with a slight creek at the hinges and what Amelia saw made her jaw dropped.
She felt an instant jab of pain to her chest and she staggered a bit. Her hands flew to her mouth as she watched the horror unfolding before her eyes.

There was Xavier and there was Daphne, and a tangling of limbs that was left uncovered by the sheets that did little to cover their nakedness. Xavier was half awake, she could see him struggling to open his eyes and Daphne was wide awake and smiling, her naked body pressed on to Xavier.

It was almost as if nothing happened.
Xavier finally opened his eyes, he was delusional as he stared right in front of the door and watched Amelia. He feebly struggled to get up from the bed but Daphne pulled him down.

"Enjoying the view?"

Daphne taunted as she chuckled slowly.

Amelia took several steps back, wishing she could forget the disgusting sight. Hoping it was all a nightmare.
She felt sick to her stomach. So sick she could see the bile rising up her throat. She shoved it back down and blinked away tears. She would not shed a tear. Not even one.

The pain crushed her, till she felt weak in the bones. Still, the tears wouldn't roll down, and the screams wouldn't escape past her quivering lips.
Disgusting shivers ran down her spine. The pain, made her want to shatter everything in vision, because she couldn't stand seeing everything so normal near her broken soul.

"Amelia..." Xavier's broken voice called out and it was the final straw for her.

It was complete agony and in a flash, just as she had came, she was gone.




Xavier roused deep from his sleep and tried to push away Daphne. He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating but Amelia had come to see him and she had left as quickly as she came. He felt sick to the bones. All he could remember was drinking a glass of whisky and then he felt insanely tired.

He felt tired, his hands were cold and they were shivering and as he tried to fight the severe tiredness and utter lack of coordination, Daphne forced herself on him. At first he couldn't see, his vision was blurry and was dotted with heavy spots and his brain felt like it was reacting too slow to all the events unfolding before him. 

He had the vague sense of his clothes being torn off his body as he felt the chilly air bite at his skin.

"What the hell are you doing?" He remembered mumbling, the words feeling slow and incoherent to his ears.

"Relax Xavier. Relax." Daphne's sultry voice had echoed in his hair and the one thought that came to his mind was to push her away.

His hands were weak and wobbly and every feeble defense was met with a strong opposition. Although he was in a terrible state where he couldn't understand what was happening to his body, he knew it had something to do with the Whisky.

Whatever she gave him in his drink, it was weakening him, it was making him him practically useless as Daphne climbed on top of him.
That was when he blacked out.

"What the fuck did you do to me?"

He shouted feebly, out of breath and tired with a nagging headache.

He struggled to get on his feet but his legs were wobbly.
So wobbly that he had to hold on to the bedside drawer to steady himself. Daphne was still lying in the sheets unbothered and stark naked.

"Come back to bed Xavier. You need some rest."

She murmured and it only made him push away from her.

"What the fuck did you put in my drink Daphne?!!"

He bellowed out, feeling exhausted from the physical strength he used to stand up.

"i didn't do anything! We had a good time that was all." She said with a sly smile.

Xavier didn't believe a word of the nonsense she was saying. And his feet was so wobbly that he kept knocking things over, his vision was also tricking him.

"Xavier, come back to bed. You'll hurt yourself." Daphne said as she slowly stood up from the bed with the sheets around her. The effects of the drug should have worn out by now, she thought nervously as she watched Xavier with growing anxiety.

He appeared worse and he was heading straight for a wall. He should be fine. He should feel better now. She kept telling herself as she slowly walked to Xavier.

But she was wrong. The drug had taken a toll for the worse in Xavier's body. He was not only reacting to it, it was going to worsen as long as the drug remained in his system.

Xavier blacked out again.