Three Thousand Miles (11 page)

“Alanna, how are you today?” Nurse Melissa says, as she enters. I quickly smile at her as I continue to wander around t
he room. The pain from my wound
is not that bad anymore. Although I wish, I could say the same, about the ache in my heart.

“I feel great today,” I say ecsta
tically. Melissa smiles at me
,

“Alanna, I feel that you are pushing yourself very hard, to try and prove that you are able to leave. However, I need you to know that, we will not discharge you a minute to
o
soon.” I roll my eyes slightly and
I
force out a smile.

“I understand, but really I do feel fine.” Melissa briefly presses a smile form her lips as she walks over to my bedside, lifts out my file and begins to write down something. I worry of what she could be saying on my file. I dread to think that, perhaps whatever she says on there may hinder my chances of getting out of this hospital anytime soon. I walk back over the bed and climb in. I slide over the table and again I check my phone. I glance to a message, but my heart skinks when it is just a message from Sophie.

Alanna, I will be over later,
see
you soon, Sophie.

I quickly reply to her,

Okay, see you later. 

I again check my emails, but as before, there is none from Adrian. I place my phone down onto the table a little too roughly. Melissa jumps up from the page she is writing on and I can see that she is shocked by my actions.

“Wow, what d
id that phone ever do to you?” S
he says in a sarcastic tone. I force myself to be nice and not to say what really is on my mind.

“I am sorry, I am a little
distracted.” Melissa exhales,

“H
e called today, again,” I am stunned that she has brought up Adrian. However, I want to know more.

“Really, did you talk to him?” She slides my file back into its casing and moves closer to me.

“Yes, I spoke to him today.” I gasp,

“What did he say?”

“Not much, just the usual.”

“And that is?”

“He loves you, but something is stopping him from being here.” I sigh,

“I know, but he will not answer my calls, what am I supposed to do?” I say desperately.

“I really have no idea,”
S
he says
as she flashes me a sympathetic look
. I shake my head at my thoughts of Adrian. I hate him for the way he is acting. I wish that he would be different about this. I wish that
he
would just give in to his feelings and not let the past always be a factor in his life. If only he could move on from what happened. Then I know that, he and I could have a happy, normal, loving relationship, I long to make him understand that I am all right. The danger that
I was in, is no longer an issue
. Adrian was punished and I have paid the price. I feel that I am missing the best thing that has ever happened to me. I need Adrian in my life and I know that he needs me to
o
.

“Did he give you any clue as to where he is?” I say to Melissa, I know it is a long shot even to think that she knows where Adrian is. However, I have to ask.

“No, I have no idea where he is, but Alanna, you know him and you should have an idea of where he could be.” I sit upright in the bed and Melissa is right. If anyone would know where he is, then it would be me. My mind begins to spin and I think back to every conversation I have ever had with Adrian. I scowl my forehead as I think. My eyes blink rapidly and then, I remember. France, he loves it over there and if he is not in London, then I am sure that the only other place he could be is in, St Tropez. I sit even further up in the bed, and now I am staring deeply at Melissa.

“I know where he is,” I say firmly as Melissa gazes at me, and the look she has upon her face, is wonder. 

“Adrian
loves
France
. He practically lives over there.” I say. Before I give Melissa a chance to reply, I begin again. “He owns
a
mansion and a
yacht,
he stays half the week over there, there is nowhere else he can be.” Melissa smiles weakly at me, her eyes are wide and her cheeks are starting to flush.

“Alanna, I never told you exactly what Adrian said to me today.” I am astounded, why would she hold back information about Adrian?

“Melissa, I suggest that you tell me what he said.” She leans back and takes the seat that sits at my bedside. She folds her arms, and her feet begin to tap rapidly against the cool white floor.

“Okay, but I don’t want you to get mad with me.” My heart begins to race, and I cannot breath. However, I pull myself together and I give her look of, agreement.

“I won’t get mad, please, if you know something, then I really need to know.” She exhales and begins to say,

“When, Mr Black calls, he usually just talks to whoever comes to the phone. However, today when he called he asked for me personally. I have no idea how he knew my name, but he did.” I gasp slightly and I want her to tell me more.

“He called me Melissa, and that really surprised me.”

“If he asked for you, then why where you surprised that he knew your name?”

“It wasn’t the fact
that
he knew my name that I was entirely surprised about. He knew about me.” I am finding it hard to keep up with what she is saying. I also hope that there is a point to all this and that it is just taking her a while to get to it.

“What did he know?”

“Everything, he knew how old I was, he knew what colour hair I have, and he also knew my boyfriend’s name.” I am confused, why would Adrian care about the nurse in this way?

“I don’t understand, what are you saying?” Her face looks confused and I see her shift a million things around in her mind. She breaks her silence,

“I am really confused by him. I do not know how he knows so much about me and I cannot understand why he would care. Alanna, do you have any idea, as to why?” I shift nervously; I do not really know why Adrian would care so much about Melissa. However, I know him and there will me some reason for his actions.

“Melissa, Adrian is very complicated. He has different ways to us.” I say smiling at her.

“Even so, there is something strange about his behaviour. Normal people do not act in the way he has.”

“I know that, but he has had a very difficult time as child.”

“I kind of thought that.” She agrees.

“Did you question him on his actions?”

“Yes, I asked him how he knew so much about me.”

“And what did he say?”

“He just said he has connections, and that type of thing is not hard to find out.” Her words sting my mind. That is exactly what he said to me, when he first revealed himself as the mystery man, in my life.

“You have to tell me everything he has said to you.”

“Okay, he was very interested in you. He wanted me to update him on your recovery and he was glad to hear that you were almost back to normal. He also demanded to know, how many visitors you have had. He wondered if his stepbrother had been to see you and when I told him that he had not, he did seem surprised by that.” Melissa concludes. I search for word
s
to respond with but I have n
one. I look to her.

“It is clear to see that
the
guy still loves you. However, I feel that he is not only in love with you, but he is obsessed with you. That type of behaviour is alarming to me.”

“He is not obsessed, he just is a little bit overprotective and he tends to overstate things. I know that he is intense, but that makes him even more special to me, and I love him.”  I say proudly.

“There is no doubting that, but can you trust a guy like him? He ran out on you when you really needed him. That type of action is unacceptable and if it were me, I would not want anything to
do
with him.” Melissa says harshly. I look at
her in surprise, who does she think she is? She cannot judge Adrian; she does not even know him. I bet that she has not even seen him. I gaze icily at her.

“I can trust him. He is not here because he is scared. It has nothing to with the fact that he doesn’t care.”

“I never said that he doesn’t care about you. I am just saying that, he has made a wrong choice by not being here with you.” Melissa rises up from the chair; she walks over to the door. I feel annoyed with her and I was not aware that our conversation was over.

“Melissa, wait, I am sorry if I was harsh with you. But you have to understand how I feel about this guy.” She looks over at me sympathetically.

“I understand, but you cannot deny that he has hurt you by not being here.” I cave at her words; I know that they are true. My heart is racing at the very thought of him.

“He has hurt me but I cannot stop loving him.” I say in a very weak voice. Nurse Melissa, briefly smiles at me. She opens the solid oak door and walks briskly away. I thro
w
myself back into the bed. I lean my head firmly against the pillow as I try my hardest to fight back tears. Adrian flashes in my mind, his dark navy pinstriped suit, his full lips, his silky hair and those glowing green eyes. Why was he punishing me by staying away? I do not believe that he really thinks that I am better off without him. How could I be? I am a total mess at the very thought of life without him. Another thing that is plaguing my mind is that, why would he care so much about Melissa? Why has Adrian gone to the trouble of having, her checked out? What was his reason for doubting her? Does he think that she may have another agenda? So many possibilities are rushing around in my head. With one fluid motion, I rise up and grab my phone. I firmly grasp it in my hand, and I dial Adrian’s number once again. I listen as it rings and with no answer, I hang up and immediately try again. I ring his phone around thirty times, and still with no answer. I am hoping that if I am persistent enough
then
he will cave in and answer my calls. Five calls later and still no answer, I slam my phone very hardly down onto the table. It makes a rather loud bang, and the frustration is beginning to show. My teeth are clenched and my palms are sweating, my breathing is heavy and I need a sip of
water. I reach over and grab my small plastic glass. I fill it with water and then I hear my phone ring. I immediately let go of the glass and it falls to floor, spilling the water as it does. I shift back over to the table in a painful motion. I lift the phone that is now ringing even louder and the in
cessant
buzzing is
tingling
my hand. I look to the name that appears on the screen, and it is who I have been longing to talk to you, it is Adrian. I quickly accept the call,

“H
ello, Adrian,
are
you there?” The phone is silent. “Hello!” I say again, this time in a much firmer tone.

“H
ello,” a calm British voice replies,

“Adrian, is that really you?” I say with desperation in my words.

“Yes Alanna, it is me.” I am elated by his voice. Finally, my Adrian is talking to me.

“Oh Adrian, I have missed you so much. I have been out of my mind with worry about you.”

“Alanna, how are you feeling?” He says rather sharply.

“Wonderful, now that I am talking to you.”

“I am glad to hear that you are recovering. However, this is not a social call.” I am confused by
his
sharpness and by his words.

“What?”

“I am just calling you to tell you, to stop harassing me.” I am stunned, is he really saying this?

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me Alanna, stop calling me, and stop the emails and the texts.” I am hurt my him. I never expected him to act in this way. He sounds very assertive in his words.

“Adrian, I love you.”

“I don’t care, I do not love you.” Tears pour from my eyes at the sound of his words. 

“You do not mean that.”

“Yes, I mean every word that I am saying, get the picture Alanna, I do not love you, I never have and I never will.” I am now sobbing, down the phone to Adrian. My heart is pounding and I cannot breathe. I swallow hard and force out words.

“Adrian, please don’t do this. I love you more than life. I need you, please take back what you said.”

“I will not, you were just a distraction. I do not need you anymore; please do not contact me again.” He hangs up and the
phone again is silent, I throw
the phone to floor, and slide under the covers. The hotness, of my tears and panting i
n my breath forces me to throw
them back from my face.

“You look awful.” I hear in a very sarcastic voice. I wipe away the water from eyes, and focus on this voice. I slide up the bed and
I
lean forward. I see a very tall guy, with thick black hair. I rub my eyes and I see Michael stand before me.

“What is going on with you?” He says smirking at me. I creep up into the bed, I sit up straight and I look at Michael. His eyes are still as piercing as ever, his hair is shorter than before. He stands coolly wearing dark blue jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. He is gorgeous and I am reminded of how stunning he is. I gaze at him for what seems like hours. I am far too upset about what Adrian
has
said to me, to try to force out words. He says he never loved me. I am plagued by thoughts of his kisses, and I feel that cannot be true. I have a lump in my throat at the thought of him. If what he says is true, then was everything we had just a lie?