Chapter 6: He's Not Letting Go

Everything went silent around me, I panicked, fidgeting with my fingers, I stood there for a full minute, then I suddenly remembered I wasn't going to see him again. “Why are you panicking, Elena?” I asked myself laughing weirdly. I breathed in and out, stood straight and walked to the office. I submitted and signed the necessary documents not wanting to waste a minute there. 

After a full day of lecture, I went to the hospital to pick my Dad, it was his last stay in the hospital. 

“Why are you here again,” papa asked looking disgusted as I walked in.

“You're getting discharged today,” I packed the few clothes into a bag.

“I don't want to go back to that stinky house with you, I like being here,” he frowned.

I made a surprise expression. “Well you must surely have the money to pay for extra time and by the way you kept yelling and complaining about everything here so why the sudden change of heart?” I asked sarcastically. 

“You paid the bills once and you're feeling like a god.” He hissed.

I was not going to banter words with him, I picked up the bag I arranged the clothes in. “I'm going to sign your discharge papers, you can stay if you have the money to pay for an extra time here but if you don't, it would be best for you to follow me home, to avoid embarrassment,” I said walking out of the ward to the reception not waiting to get a reply.

The doctor walked towards me as i finished signing the papers. “You should take care of him and don't allow him smoke or drink,” the doctor cautioned.

“I would try my best,” I gave him a small smile.

He nodded and left.

I turned back to see Papa at my back frowning.

“Oh, I thought you wanted to stay,” I mocked him. He opened his mouth to say something but didn't. 

The little extra left from the money Damien gave me, I used it to book a cab home, even though papa frustrated me most of the times, I still cared about his health.

“Back to this box,” he looked at the house like it was the most irritating thing he had ever seen.

“You stayed in the hospital for some weeks does not mean you should forget you live here,” I reminded him. 

He looked at me like he was ready to strangle me. I was only telling him the bitter truth.

“I made food before leaving for school, it's on the table, I'm going to the diner for my shift,” I said dropping the bag filled with his cloth on the worn out couch.

“You want me to eat stale food?” He asked shocked. 

I rolled my eyes at his silly act. “You can choose not to eat anything too,” I said slamming the door shut.

I sighed, ready to walk to the diner when my neighbour approached me. “I knew you would end up like your father, or even worse, you now follow men driving expensive cars, that come to pick u up,” she accused me. I'm sure she was talking about Damien’s driver thar picked me up the other day.

“That was some few weeks back, old news, look for something new to way,” I replied nonchalantly and walked out. I wasn't going to keep letting them step on me, and just stay quiet. But deep down I felt a little guilty, was I really turning into a slut?. No, it was just once and it wouldn't happen again, nothing to worry about. 

The walk to the diner was quiet, no Marcus in sight, after I cut ties with him, I stopped seeing him around, he didn't even bother asking how my dad was, well it was for the best. Friendships like that weren't healthy. It took me for forty five minutes to get to the diner. I didn't waste any time and picked up my ⁶uniform.

“How are you, Elena?” Sofia asked, coming to hug me. She had become my closest friend this past few weeks and I was slowly opening up to her.

“I'm… coping,” I answered, voice low. “Papa got discharged today.” I added.

“That's great news,” she seemed happy.

“Yeah,” I whispere, remembering the acts he put up at the hospital. 

“Everything will be fine,” she noticed I wasn't thrilled. 

“Something happened, Sofia,” I took her to a corner of the diner.

“Spill,” she said eagerly.

“You know when I said Damien looked familiar…” I paused. “...He's the owner of the school I attend,” I looked anywhere but her.

“What the hell?” She screamed then covered her mouth.

“Does he know this?” She asked concerned.

“No, I found out after we did it,” I explained. 

“Do you think…,” I didn't let her finish the statement. 

“There is nothing between us, and he confirmed he doesn't fuck same woman twice,” I repeated his words. 

“If you say so,” she shrugged, picking up the napkin on the table.

I shaked my head at her, she always found a way to make me overthink a situation. Even if he liked someone, it would definitely not be me, I'm not his type. I convinced myself and went back to working.

It was almost time for my shift to end, I didn't know if I should be excited going back home to face Victor’s complains.

“What's got you thinking?” Sofia asked concerned. 

“Nothing much, just Papa's normal behavior,” I sighed.

“We could get coffee and talk a little before you head home,” she suggested. 

“I would love that,” I smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while.

We walked to a nearby cafe, ordered two cup of coffee. Sofia told me about herself, we never talked much at work.

“I live alone, my both parents died in a car accident and I have just been surviving ever since,” she explained briefly.

“I'm sorry, I didn't know you were going through all that,” I sympathized with her. 

“They've been dead for a while, you don't need to feel bad,” she patted my shoulder. 

A notification popped up on my phone. It was from the sugar app.

“Can I have you to myself tomorrow?” A question from Damien. I thought he didn't fuck same woman twice. 

“Hell no,” I screamed internally.