LOVING THE REJECTED BILLIONAIRE

“Tania!”

I turn around to the voice of Rita behind me, her husband beside her. They are shocked at my state. “Ambrose. Please find doctor Shannia and ask her to take you to where Andy is taking a bath. ” I say, and he turns around on his long strands.

I hope he arrives in time to find Andy still in the bathroom. Otherwise, it would be impossible to get him back there again.

“How are you, my friend?” Tania speaks before I can forget that there is someone around me.

I need comfort. I need a friend, and she has been always the only one.

I fall into her arms, and she hugs me tight, the weight of what I have been carrying for the last couple of hours coming out in drops of tears. I rest in her chest until I realize I am almost soaking her top wet with my tears.

I pull away. “I am so afraid, Rita.” I mutter, keeping my sobs at bay and drying some of my tears.

“Everything will be fine, Tania.” She consoles.

“When, Rita? Every time we think this is about to be over, something happens. See where this has left us.””This is the end, Tania. Maria is out of your life now. Damian might still be on the loose but he has no chance of escaping. He is a wanted man and his face is in all the media and news. He will be caught sooner or later. This is the beginning of your happy ever after, Tania.”I would love to smile at that, even chuckle, but I don’t know. It’s too soon to celebrate. “Even so, Rita. There is still so much at stake as long as Damian is roaming around.” That slipped out like a whisper because I was just thinking to myself.

“Why, Tania? Is there something else we don’t know? I don’t think Damian has any reason to come after you. The jerk can’t even show his face anywhere. What exactly is worrying you?”I was about to cook up some lie, because if ever I will let out this secret, it will be first to Andy and not to any other person, but Angel’s room opened, making me swirl around.

Here are the four doctors who have been attending to Angel. Behind me, I hear some heavy footsteps of someone running towards us, and before I can turn around, Andy stands right beside me, her arm gripping tightly around my waist.

“Doc, how is my daughter? Is she safe now? Is she out of danger? Can I see her? Is she…” He asks non-stop, and the doctor had to stop him.

“Take it easy, Mr Ashton. We have managed to get the bullet out of her body. She is out of great danger at the moment, but she needs a blood transfusion as she has lost quite a lot. We need to do that before we can confidently say that she is out of danger completely.” The surgeon explains.

“We can do that right away, doc. I will donate. I am her father.” Andy says, and I feel a very cold shiver of adrenaline cut through my heart and flesh!

It’s about to happen. My greatest fear!

“Her blood type is the rare A+, can you get another match just in case?” The doctor says.

“What?!” Andy speaks, Confusion written on his face, managing to get everyone in the mood of confusion except me. It might have hit him that he doesn’t share the same blood group as her daughter, and the news doesn’t sit well with him.

“Didn’t you know, Mr Ashton?” The doctor asks.

He is in a state of utter shock, perhaps beating himself over the fact that he can not help his daughter at a time of dire need. I doubt he heard the doc.

“Doc, how much time do we have to gather the donors?” I ask, to break this moment of awkwardness.

“I would say up to 48hours maximum.” He responds nicely albeit still in dismay. His eyes are on Andy even as he speaks.

“Okay. Just give us some moment doc. We will just discuss it with my husband.””Okay. I’ll be in my office. Please do not go in for the time being.”I nod my head, and they leave us.

“Aah… Rita, Ambrose, please, leave us for a moment.” I mumble.

With shocked faces and heavy legs, they drag themselves from us albeit unwillingly. I pull Andy to the bench, but he refuses to seat.

“I know you have something to say so just let it out, Ania.” He softly groans, running his hands through his already messes up hair. The pain is clearly detectable in her voice.

“Don’t you want to seat?”

“My daughter needs me to find someone to give her blood as soon as possible because I can’t, Ania! And you expect me to sit? Come on!”I gather my courage, hoping that I say this to him in the most nicest way that will not break him. As if there is any.

“I’m sorry for what about you say, Andy. Believe me when I say that it hurts me as much as it will do you.””Okay? What is it?” He stands straight, his eyes on me.

“Angel… Angel is not your biological daughter, Andy!” I close my eyes because I do not want to see the look on his face.

“What are you saying?” His voice is cold, husky, broken, and almost inaudible, making me open my eyes.

He looks so calm for my liking – calm and pale.

“She is Maria’s and Damian’s child. They lied to you. I’m so…”He plops to the couch before I can finish, running his palms from his jaws up to his face and his hair, his breathing so rapid.

A minute passes, turning to a couple of minutes without him talking and I am dying of this silence. I hate how he closes his pains to himself. This is what I didn’t want.

I recline beside him, tilting his head to look at me. I hate the pain in his eyes. It’s so evident that everyone would notice it. He is not crying but I know he is bleeding badly inside. He is shuttered.

Completely torn!

“Please, Andy, say something.”

He shakes his head slightly. “What am I supposed to say, Ania? That I hate the fact that it’s not my blood running through her veins? That I detest how foolish and dumb I feel for those two to have fooled me this way? I don’t even know how I feel?””It’s alright to feel all that, Andy. But you’ve raised her. You adore her. She knows no one as her daddy but you. And she needs you now more than ever.””But I am not her father, Ania. Do you know how that hurts?” He is trying so hard to suppress the tears in his eyes from falling. “I feel empty. Like a piece of me is being ripped off me.””I know the feeling, Andy, but no one is taking her away from you. She is your daughter.”He shakes his head and bows down, avoiding my gaze and I don’t know if that is a good thing.

Another moment of silence passes, but this time, it’s he who breaks the silence.

“You and Maria are related. You can donate to her. At least you can do something for her, unlike me.”Double shit! I don’t know if it’s the fact that he sees himself worthless in this situation that hurts more, or is it the fact that I am sailing in the same boat with him? Better still, the fact that I am about to drop another secret.

My hands fall from his jaws, and they rest on his thighs. I begin fidgeting, avoiding his eyes like a plaque.

“Another secret?” He queries, making me look at him, unable to deny or concur. “Come one, spare me! Spill them all, Ania! I won’t die.” He says, fixing his eyes on mine.

“I also can’t donate to her.” I whisper, a bile forming in my throat that I badly have to clear if I want to keep breathing.

“Why?” He asks.

Ahem! Ahem!

“Because… I…” I shut my mouth.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Jeez! This is definitely not how I anticipated breaking the news of the first fruit of our love to him. In a hospital, amidst all these chaos, with our other child lying on a hospital bed.

“Ania, speak up, please. What is it? You are adding to my worries and disparities. Please?” He pleads.

“We are pregnant!” I whimper.

“Excuse me?” Raised eyebrows. Gloomy face.

“I am pregnant, Andy!”

His jaw drops to the floor, and my eyes drop to collect it for him because I need another reaction aside from this shock.