To my surprise, I enjoyed the creation process immensely. I was adding the final touches right before sunset. The paint may not completely dry in time but as long as Hayden doesnât touch it, it should be completely fine. I took a few steps back to admire the painting from various angles. Itâs passable.
Nothing fancy but definitely passable given the time constraint. With a nod of my head, I told myself that I would be satisfied with this for now and promised to do better next time.
Fortunately, I had some time to spare before Hayden got back and the maids came in to set up the dinner table. That meant that I could wash up all the sweat and paint on me. After a relaxing shower, I got dressed and sat at the dining table while I waited for Hayden to arrive. He should be here anytime nowâ¦
After Auntie and the maids left the room after setting up the dining table for us, I was all alone in the room again and it was drearily quiet. I couldnât stop glancing over at the door because I knew that Hayden could walk in any moment now. The clock ticked by as I waited and then waited some more.
Half an hour went by, and the food had gotten cold. I didnât mind though because I wasnât hungry, and it wasnât eating the food that I was looking forward to.
Where is Hayden? Heâs running a little later today.
It was funny, he was late when I was eagerly looking forward to seeing him. While on days when I didnât want to see him which was every day except for today, he always turned up to dinner on time. I wondered if the paint has dried up by now.
An hour passed by and then anotherâ¦and then anotherâ¦
I let out a depressing sigh. By that time, I was very convinced that Hayden wouldnât come to see me tonight. Maybe he had to work. Maybe he had dinner somewhere else with someone else already.
Maybeâ¦
I glanced up at the sound of someone knocking on the door. My heart sunk because Hayden never knocked on my door like that.
âWho is it?â I called out loudly as I got out of my seat and headed for the door.
At this time of night, I wasnât sure who I was expecting. Usually no one would pay me a visit at night except for Hayden.
âItâs me, Luka,â Luka replied through the door.
I walked closer to the door until I was standing right in front of it so that I could hear him better. It was unusual for Luka to come see me and he came quite late. Suddenly, I felt extremely fearful of what he was going to say.
âIs thereâ¦something you need to talk to me about?â I asked.
âI just came to tell you that Hayden isnât coming to see you tonight, so you donât need to wait up for him,â Luka replied.
I felt slightly relieved that it wasnât some bad news. Of course, I was disappointed that Hayden couldnât come see me tonight, but it was no big deal. I had already figured that he probably wouldnât turn up tonight.
âOhâ¦I see. Thank you for coming to tell me that,â I thanked him politely.
Hayden came to have dinner with me every day and before I knew it, I guess I had gotten used to seeing him at the end of the day. The slight feeling of disappointment made me realize that I had unknowingly been looking forward to seeing him. It was especially unfortunate that he couldnât make it today. I even painted something to show him, and Iâve spent hours preparing what I wanted to say to him.
It wasnât like this couldnât wait for another day or anything butâ¦
âMake sure you eat your dinner properly and just rest for tonight,â Luka said, and I knew that he was about to leave.
âWait! Will Hayden be here tomorrow?â I quickly asked before Luka could leave.
âIâm not sure about thatâ¦â Luka replied solemnly.
That was when I started to catch some worry and concern in his tone of voice. Did somethingâ¦
happen?
âLukaâ¦did somethingâ¦happen?â I asked hesitantly.
It was hard to explain but suddenly, I started feeling very scared.
Luka was silent for a while, and I knew that something must have happened. Something bad. The old man heaved a loud sigh that could be heard on my side of the door.
âIâm not supposed to tell you this butâ¦Hayden got into a car accident on his way back hereâ¦â Luka said hesitantly.
âWhat?! Is he, ok? Where is he right now?!â I screamed loudly in my shock.
Why didnât he tell me this sooner? Was he trying to keep it from me?
âLet me out! Luka!â I cried out as my hands desperately beat on the door.
âCalm down, Malissa. Hayden is fine. It was nothing majorâ¦â Luka said firmly.
Ohâ¦
I closed my eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief. That was so bad for my heart.
âWhere is he, right now?â I asked softly.
Although I knew that he was fine, I didnât know what âfineâ meant. However, from personal experience, I knew that the mafiaâs definition of âfineâ was very different from mine. Tears fell from my eyes before I knew it. I was crying like a baby from a mix of shock and relief.
âHeâs in the hospital. The boss forced him to get some checkupsâ¦just to be safeâ¦â Luka replied.
âCan I go see him?â I asked.
âSorry. Youâll have to stay here under his orders,â Luka replied sympathetically.
âI wonât run! I promise! Iâll just see him and come straight back here. Please!â I pleaded desperately.
I tired turning the doorknob frantically, but it wouldnât open.
âI know that you wonât run, missy, and even if you did, you wouldnât succeed in escaping. That being said, I cannot let you out of this room. I am very sorry, Malissa,â Luka said regretfully.
--To be continuedâ¦