Chapter 35

Kylie's POV
"What happened?" Betty questioned the moment her and Luke arrived a minute after I rang them up in total panic.
"I have no idea. He just lost consciousness. I have checked his pulse its normal. Let's just take him to the car and drive off to the nearest hospital a couple of miles away," I advised my own heart beating so fast in my rib cage.
"Oh my God! Is he going to be okay?" Betty was already in hysterics.
"Luke, you'll have to drive with Betty in your car. Help me get Mark into the back of my car," I ordered trying not to sound or act too concerned.
Deep down I was a bunch of nerves my heart racing at an inexplicable speed. Not knowing what was wrong with Mark was messing up with my head. It was taking every ounce of the little willpower I had left to act rational.
"Because am the doctor here Betty. Knowing how much of an emotional being you are, it won't be good for Mark," every second we wasted talking was driving me to insanity.
"But why you? I should be with him. He is my fiancée!" Betty screamed at me.
"You think I haven't thought about that? It will take almost an hour for an ambulance to reach here. Just calm down and go with Luke,"
"Then let's call an ambulance!" she stated.
"Am afraid Kylie is right. Has this ever happened before?" he questioned and at that moment I could never have thanked him more.
She shook her head but the fear in her eyes mirrored the one in my heart. Getting rid of my heels I bent down placing his head on my palms.
"Make sure we hold him horizontally straight so that we don't cut off the blood supply to his head," I instructed as they nodded.
Luckily for us we had packed our cars just across the street. A few really long minutes later Mark was secured in the backseat of my car. I walked to the driver's seat securing my seat belt. A couple of breathes later I started the engine.
"Kylie," I turned to look at Betty.
"I trust you," I nodded feeling guilty a bit.
The hospital was around a forty minutes' drive from the showground. I kept sneaking glances at the peaceful state of Mark in my car. His breathing seemed normal and there was no hint of sickness.
"You sweet bastard," I muttered after ten minutes of driving.
"And a lucky one too," I heard his voice next to right ear as he nibbled it.
The car swerved to the right, almost going off the road but I pulled to an emergency stop in time breathing heavily.
"What the hell!" I cussed losing control of my driving.
"Really? Am I such a distraction to you?" he muttered.
"Are you crazy? You almost cost us our lives!" I snapped
"What?" I inquired noticing the smirk curling up the ends of his lips.
"You said us and I'm still surprised you managed to keep up your facade the entire time. It's a shame that you still acted composed even though I looked like I was going to die," the smirking did not cease just as realization dawned on me.
"You weren't unconscious all this time? "
"Of course not. I just needed your attention and I got it,"
"Are you nuts? Do you have any idea just how worried I was? I couldn't stop wondering what the fuck was wrong with you. Hell, I thought I had almost lost you," I ranted feeling my insides curled up in rage at the thought I was worried sick of someone who was just playing a prank on us.
"Thank you for worrying about me Kylie," his smirk deepened.
"Is everything okay?" Luke questioned peeking at my window with a worried Julia behind him.
"He is still unconscious,"
"Is Mark okay?" I was about to answer but Luke beat me to it.
Gasping inaudibly I angled my head to the back of the car and sure enough the bastard was fake fainting again.
"But don't worry. He has just fainted so we will just drive home instead of hospital,"
"Betty, I know what I'm talking about. Trust me on this. If by tomorrow he isn't okay then we will go to the hospital," I explained.
"But how can you be sure? What if there is something else wrong with him?" I felt sorry for Betty. If only she knew her concern was all for nothing.
"If anything happens to him I'll have you to blame," she said finally as she walked back to the car.
"Hope you know what you are talking about Kylie," Luke added walking after her.
We drove home but this time I was in no hurry. Luke suggested that Mark should take my room since my mattress was much more comfortable much to my aggravation. I took the last remaining room in the house after making sure Mark was well tucked in. Joy insisted on staying with him and well it was around two in the morning when I woke up realizing I was still wearing my dress from the concert. Thanks to Mark we didn't get to go the movies after the concert. Rubbing my eyes I walked into my room. Joy was dozing off in the coach beside the bed but upon my entrance her eyes flew open.
"You should probably get some sleep," I sympathized at the bugs already visible under her swollen eyes.
"But-"she began protesting.
"I can't Kylie. He needs me," she glanced at Mark's closed eyes.
"Am taking over the shift till"No buts Betty. If anything changes I will be sure to let you know no matter what time it is,"
"You promise?" I nodded with a small encouraging smile on my face.
She placed a kiss on Mark's forehead before walking to her room. I was just going to slip into my pajamas then go back to sleep. After all he wasn't sick. Shaking my head I opened my wardrobe and took out my light purple pajamas before walking into the bathroom. I was not going to risk changing in the room knowing Mark was fully awake. I was still mad at him for getting everyone all riled up for nothing. I got rid of my dress yawning instinctively as I placed it on top of the dry sink.
"Finally I have you all to myself …and naked," Mark whispered behind me. morning," I stated turning to look at him.
"Okay buddy. You are so angry right now. Who knows what will happen if I tell you who he is? Trust me I will tell you when you are calm enough. Just get back to your job in the city and call me when you are ready," I heard Mark say despite my distraught state.
Luje grunted sparing me one disgusted glance before striding out of the house rolling his suitcase after him. In just four days I had hooked up with my ex and lost the one man good enough for me. Mark's goodbyes to Luke were barely a whisper in the back of my mind as I watched the one man who had loved me with all his heart walk out of the door.
"You see, this is what happens when you don't keep your end of the bargain Pearl," Mark smirked.
I clicked my tongue at his obvious show of no regret at my misfortune. What did I expect anyway from him? He was Mark after all. Always rejoicing in the pain of others. I rushed up the stairs tears blinding my sight making me almost trip on the stairs.
"Kylie? Are you okay?" Of course Betty just had to step in front of me right at that moment.
"You should ask your fiancée that," I stormed into my bedroom closing the door behind me with the heel of my shoe.
Sliding down on the floor I cried uncontrollably for the next God knows how many minutes. I never went out of my room the whole day. I left a bunch of voicemails to Luke hoping by some miracle he would just answer them but I waited for the whole day in vain. That was worst night of my life and so were the next few days going to be. I had let my lust for Mark get in the way of my better judgment and Luke had ended up being hurt. The pain in his voice and eyes was something that haunted me the whole night as I tossed in bed. Maybe this would all get better with time but three days later and all I could still think of was Luke.
"Kylie, you need to talk to me," Betty had been trying to get me out of my room but had failed miserably.
The only time I was out of the room was probably to grab an apple or a drink to satiate my hunger. I ignored her as I always did sinking deeper into my bed, throwing the duvet over my form.
"Look I'm sorry about what happened. I just want you to know I'm really worried about you and if you need someone to talk to please I'm always here for you," I heard her heels clicking as she probably walked away.
An hour later feeling tired and hungry I forced my body down the stairs into the kitchen. Grabbing a can of coke from the fridge I unscrewed the lead drinking deep from it. The cold sweetness of the liquid ran down my throat as I shivered from it.
"Now guess who decided to get out of her rat hole?" I closed the fridge turning to face a smirking Mark.
"I'm sorry, were you that worried about me?" his presence was driving
"Kylie you know how much I care about you," only a fool would believe that and unfortunately for him I could clearly see through his whole facade.
"Do you? I mean, is that why you were spearheading the end of my relationship?"
"Come on, It was bound to end eventually. I just did the poor man a favor of ending it sooner," he shrugged.
"You are unbelievable Mark. For once you should probably take a step back in your life and start treating people like they are actually human instead of animals. People have feelings and they deserve to be treated with the respect they deserve," I snapped angrily but as usual he seemed unaffected by my little speech.
"You are so funny Kylie. All this talk about feelings and yet you don't care about how I feel. Luke would never have been hurt if you had let him just go instead of acting so clingy about him," as his words took form in my mind I couldn't control the anger I suddenly felt rushing through my system.
"Luke wasn't just called back to work, you spearheaded that too," I muttered.
"Took you time to figure that out,"
"You jerk!" I slapped his right cheek in rage.
"This is exactly what I hate Kylie. Every time you act all defensive about Luke it pisses me off. But do you know what I hate even more? It's your pretense. You act like aI'm the last person you want to see and yet I evoke reactions in you that nobody ever has. You know that very well and trust me I don't care how many more people I have to hurt just to get you back," he stopped, breathing immensely.
I was about to retort when voices caught my attention just outside the door. One was Betty's and the other was undoubtedly my mother's. What was my mum doing here?
"Am really glad that you came. Kylie has hardly come out of her room and since you her mother I figured maybe she will talk to you," I was still standing frozen when I had the click of the door opening.
"She is my daughter Betty and I'm actually happy you called. It's a good thing you are here with her," I heard my mother answer.
"It's my mother," it was too late to do anything now as I watched my mother walk in rolling a small suitcase with her.
"Oh no!" I muttered softly.
"What?" Mark questioned as his gaze turned towards the entrance.
Her entrance seemed to be taped in slow motion as a shocked expression rent her face. She halted as anger suddenly rent her entire face but right now I was tenser than I have ever been in my entire life.
"Mark?" it came out more of a question than a statement as she dropped her suitcase striding towards a shocked Mark. me to an edge.