27

"Mom?" I tried to sit up but I couldn't do so, thanks to the hospital equipments that had me clipped to the bed. My eyes went wide, how could she have seen Nikki? This was doom for us. What was the point if everything? How could Mikki have been so careless.

She heaved a sigh, "I know it was her. I met her gaze as soon as I walked into the building and as if she was trying to confirm my suspicions, she ran off without wasting any more time." She paused to look at me for a while, Chad, why would you lie to me?" She didn't sound as angry as I expected her to be. I knew there was no point in attempting to hide the truth from her anymore.

I hadn't thought anyone would be able to recognize Nikki if they saw her without the expensive makeup from that day. She looked nothing like the same person in ny opinion and the mere fact that my mother of all people noticed the woman, was everything. She wasn't that pretty, was she?

"Mom, I have a lot of explaning to do." I knew it was the best thing to confess to her and just let everything go.

"You bet you do." She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Enough with the chit chat, you need to take a rest and that is exactly what you're going to do." She held my hand in a gentle grip. "I'm just so glad you're doing well and that you're alive. A lot of people lost their lives during this accident but grace found you." She sighed into my hand and I could tell she was about to cry at any minute.

I put my free hand up to my forehead and shook my head. "Mom it's okay, I'm doing fine." I assured her, "look, I just need to rest." I wanted to dismiss her presence and bury myself in thoughts of how busted we were.

"Fine. I'll go meet with Rebecca outside and fix getting you home. You still have a lot of explaining to do, like, why the hell you aren't at work by this time." She rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

"Hm." I simply mumbled and put an end to the discussion we were having. She didn't want to know I got involved in an accident while I was driving to Nikki's.

I wondered if Nikki was aware of the situation or what she would say of she was. It all automatically rendered our efforts powerless.

This was a terrible idea to begin with.

I decided to take the rest I deserved and work on things later.

Rebecca

I kept my eyes widened after Chad's mother walked out of the ward room. She froze in place when she saw me standing still.

"Becca dear, you're still here?" She wondered aloud. I could read the fear in her tone.

"What do you mean by his secretary looks like Mandy?" I wanted to know.

"I don't understand what you mean." She chuckled nervously, trying to act innocent.

"Don't try pretend to me!" I stamped a foot against the floor, speaking through gritted teeth, trying my best to be calm so no else would hear my voice. "I heard what you said and you better start talking if you don't want me to go back in there and ask your son myself!" I threatened her.

"Okay." She began, "Mandy is..."

*

Nikki

I got home and threw myself on my couch, sweating as if the breeze had seized on my way and panting like there was no tomorrow. I was never doing this in my life.

"What's going on over here?" I looked at the television. It was still turned on. My phone rang beside me where it sat on the couch, tired as well. I looked at Tom's name, closed my eyes and took a deep breath in to relieve myself of the stressful breathing pattern. Once that was done, I exhaled and let it out.

"Hi." I called into the phone without bothering much.

"Hey Nik, I was just calling to let you know my mom will be discharged soon so..." he began.

"Aww!" I cut him off, hoping to end things as soon as I possibly could. "That means she is better now, thank goodness, I was so worried about her."

"Why do you sound like you're having hardcore sex right now?" He sounded suspicious.

"Look, Tom honey, I'm tired right now. I'll come check on you and your mother as soon as I can but in the mean time, I'm going to get some rest okay?" I said to him, sounding as dismissive as possible.

"Oh okay." I loved how he didn't argue with me. "I'll talk to you later then, please take good care of yourself." He said, sounding a little disappointed.

"I'll try to, I'll talk to you later." I responded and hung up on him.

I tossed my phone aside, wincing at the sound of it crashing against the floor. I could only hope it didn't cause too much damage.

My hands were raised and extended on my couch and my lower limbs spread on the floor. I cleaned my head backwards and leaned against the couch.

Soon enough, I closed my eyes and dozed off in my position.

*

I woke up to the sound of crickets. How could I have slept so long? I opened my eyes and realized the cricket sounds were just from the new ringtone I had set recently.

I picked my phone from the floor it was and sucked my growling stomach in.

If the phone call was from Tom, I could only wonder if he would ever leave me alone.

I squinted my eyes when I saw who the caller was. It was an unknown ID. With furrowed eyebrows, I answered the phone call and brought the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?" I called at the mysterious phone number.