Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
He looks sullen. “Because I knew if it got bad and they were going to lose him they would have asked you to leave and you wouldn’t have had a say in anything. Joshua would want you with him more than anybody else. I did it for him, not for you.”
I give him a weak smile. “Sorry, Cam. I haven’t dealt with this shit very well, have I?”
He shakes his head. “No, you haven’t and neither has he, he’s been a total nightmare.”
Adrian must have sensed Cameron’s underlying anger at how I’ve treated Joshua and he butts in. “She’s here now and everything is going to be fine. Isn’t it, Tash?” He puts his arm reassuringly around me.
I smile and turn to Adrian as he wraps his arms around me. “Thank you for looking after him for me. I appreciate you guys being such good friends to Joshua. God, if anything happened to him.” I shiver in horror I can’t even bear to think of the consequences. My tears start again. “I’m such an idiot. How could I have treated him so terribly? I just left him and told him I never wanted to see him again, after all we had been through to be together.” Guilt fills me, I don’t deserve him, but to be fair I could never have predicted what the future was going to hold. I was totally blinded by grief. A nurse re-enters the room and injects something into his drip. “What are you giving him?” I ask.
“Diazepam, this will keep him sedated to keep his body temperature down and even.”
“Tash, our mum and dad are on their way with our brothers.
Prepare yourself, she’s going to be fuming mad and I’m pretty sure it will be aimed at you” Cameron sighs.
“She came to Sydney to see me and asked me to come to Joshua. She was worried about him and it seems she had a good reason to be,” I whisper. “This is all my fault.”
Cameron and Adrian exchange glances. “She asked you to come to Joshua?” Cameron frowns.
“Ripley’s believe it or not.” I do wide eyes at him. “What’s Amelie’s problem?” I ask Adrian.
Adrian’s eyes drop to Joshua and he hunches his shoulders. “You, I expect. It’s no secret she’s in love with Joshua.”
”Adrian.” Cameron snaps. “Stay out of it.”
I narrow my eyes. “It’s ok. I already know, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that. He loves her as well.”
Cameron and Adrian frown. “No, he doesn’t. He loves you, Tash,” Cameron stammers. My eyes drop to my beautiful unconscious man before me. “I know he loves me, it’s ok, boys. I’m ok, I can’t blame her for loving him … loving him is easy. It’s the walking away from him that’s hard.”
They both give me a sad smile and nod. “We will give you some privacy.” And with that they disappear out of the room.
2
Natasha
I lie on my fold up bed next to my so-called husband. I only wish that he was. A nurse comes and checks on him every thirty minutes. His breathing is regulated, and the monitor’s constant beeping is strangely comforting. I know his heart is still beating and he’s still with me.
It’s late at night and the hospital is silent. Thank heavens for Cameron’s quick thinking with the wife thing or I would have been ushered out with the others at ten pm. Cameron is in the hospital somewhere, refusing to go home in case I need him.
My mind wanders back to the night I met his friends at his house when there was a tray of cocaine on the coffee table. Is this Joshua’s normal? Is he a cocaine addict? His out-of-control partying and stripper days are a constant reminder of his unruly past but just how deep that runs I have no idea. I know that a lot of wealthy socialites start out taking it to party but because there is no money restraint it very quickly turns into a very real problem in their daily life. Has my beautiful man got an ugly habit that I am unaware of? I troll my brain for any evidence. I knew his friends took cocaine, but I honestly would never have known he would have anything to do with it. He’s a fitness fanatic.… mmm, maybe that’s why he’s a fitness fanatic, to keep him on the straight and narrow, to keep himself on track. He is excessive with it, like.… over dedicated. Why do I have to look for a reason behind everything? Stop thinking like a psychologist, Natasha, don’t do it to yourself.
I stand up and lean over him and I smile. He’s beautiful, nothing has changed. I lean and gently kiss his lips. “Wake up, sleeping beauty,” I whisper. “I want to talk to you. I don’t like you being asleep so long.” No answer.… why won’t he wake up? I gently run my fingers through his facial hair and over the top of his head. I gently pull the sheets back to look at him and I frown at the sight. He is bruised on his torso, quite badly actually. What is that from? Hmm, fighting, he’s been cage fighting again. I hate that sport or whatever you call it. I frown as I notice he has a bruise in the shape of a shoe print on his hip bone, as if he has been stomped on or kicked when down. This is no cage-fight bruising, this is real-fight bruising. My heart drops, Baby, what in the hell have you been doing? I trace my name on his side with my finger and he flinches. My eyes shoot to his face. He frowns and I hold my breath.