Watch Over You [short story, part #2]

Dear fellow bloggers, readers and writers. This post is in continuation of Watch Over You #1. To understand the characters and the plot properly, you need to read the previous part. Feel free to give me your feedback in the comment section below. Have a nice day!!

The car stopped and the windowpane rolled down on the passenger’s side. An old lady was on the driver’s seat.

“Are you okay, Miss?” old lady asked. “You don’t look well. Are you hurt?”

“No! No, everything’s fine,” Nora said to the old lady. “My car just crashed. Please, I need you to drop me at my home.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to hospital?” old lady asked with concern.

“I am fine, really,” Nora said. She was close to tears and didn’t want to cry in front of the old lady. “I really need to go home,” she said in a broken voice that was barely a whisper.

The old lady continued staring at her with disquiet. “Okay dear, get inside,” she said finally.

Nora didn’t waste a minute. She gave directions to the old lady and reached home. While walking towards the front door, she thanked the old lady over her shoulder and quickly made her way inside the house. Zayne was pacing in the living room with phone to his ear. He looked exhausted and his eyes were full of alarm. He was still in the clothes that he wore to work yesterday. When he saw Nora, he stopped and released his breath in relief that she didn’t know he was holding. He made his way to her in three long strides and engulfed her in a tight hug.

“Damn it Nora!!” he said, still holding her in his arms. “I just got home and didn’t find you here. I was worried sick! I was calling you but your phone was switched off. What happened?”

“Wait, what? What do you mean you just got home?” Nora asked him, forgetting about herself for a minute.

“I know I was supposed to be at home yesterday, but weather was really bad,” he said in a rush. “My car got stuck on the way home. The road was blocked by a fallen tree. And my phone also lost network. I couldn’t call you again while I was stuck there. But please tell me you are okay. I am still freaking out.” He began to examine her face, her clothes, as if to convince himself that she was okay. “What happened?” he asked again.

Nora thought about lying, about not making him worry more. But she knew she couldn’t. He would notice the missing car and had already noticed the mud on her clothes. “I got into an accident, but I am really fine. I am not hurt!” she said with urgency.

“WHAT? And you’re telling me this now? Oh My God! Tell me it wasn’t bad!! No. Leave it! We are going to hospital. You need to get checked for injuries,” he said and picked up his car keys from the coffee table in a haste.

Nora couldn’t stop her tears anymore. “Please! I am really fine. It wasn’t bad, Zayne. Look at me, I am fine. I am just exhausted,” she said. “Zayne, please, I know you’re tired too. I want to sleep. Let’s just go to sleep. Please!”

“Hey,” he said softly holding her face in his hands and wiped her tears with his thumbs. “If you are okay, why are you crying?”

“I thought I’ll never see you again,” she said, still crying.

“Don’t cry. I am right here,” he said in a pained voice, taking her in his arms again. “Still, you need to get checked Nora.”

“We’ll go,” she said drowsily. “But I am really tired. I need to sleep.”

“Okay,” Zayne said. “Get some sleep.”

* * * * * * *

Nora couldn’t sleep. She was feeling really drowsy before, but now she couldn’t understand what was happening to her. She wanted to rest so badly. Then why couldn’t she? It must be because of the accident. Was it wise? Not going to hospital?……TO BE CONTINUED

©sakshi~the escapist, 2017

Image: Pixabay