Genre: Romance
Rating: NC 17
Disclaimer : Standard disclaimers apply. The characters belong to Shalz R.
Chapter 1: The Bitter End : Part 1
Ian kept looking out his window as the sun went down in the west. With the dying rays of the sun, he contemplated the past few days. For all the time Samantha had been in his life he had allowed himself to be dependant on her. And now that she was gone, he realized that he felt alone. Then he realized something he had never realized before.
Even when Samantha was in his life, he had been alone. She concerned herself with only his work life. Yes, that was all she was concerned about. It mattered to her. All the time she was in his house, it was the left she spent her time in. the office, the parties, the publicity.
She had known the Ian who worked on the left side of the house. She hadn’t even tried to know Ian who lived on right side of the house. It was his own fault that he allowed himself to believe that she was in any way concerned with him. She had never made any attempt to even know it. She probably wasn’t aware that it existed. She never loved him. Ian Maxwell was only a rich and powerful name. A check, like she put it. He had probably become the laughing stock for everybody’s entertainment. Thankfully he hadn’t sent out the invitations. Only Garrett knew and he could be explained. But for those people who had known that they were together and engaged for the past years it was difficult to explain. Everywhere he’d go, the same question popped up. He had stopped going anywhere.
She brought trouble in his sister’s and his best friend’s house, she changed his lil one’s attitude towards her family so much that Kevin’s brother was in trouble and she refused to co-operate; his parents did not find her comforting; even Adrian and Tyler found her attitude impossible. How did he like her? What did he like in her? And what a mess he had created. What would he do now? How could he tell Dee? She would spoil her house under Samantha’s influence. They were still “friends”! Adrian and Tyler had their own problems with their relationships!
He had never been religious, but now he just looked up and whispered in a tired voice,” I’m going to need a miracle to solve this mess! Send me an angel!”
* * *
Tyler and Adrian were in the family room. It was 10 in the night. While Adrian was sitting down on the floor deep in thought, Tyler was pacing up and down the floor. Ian had slept after his dinner.
“Today is 13th. If it wasn’t for that vixen, Ian would have been happy now!”
“Don’t be silly! If it had been for her, he would have cried all his life.”
“That he would still. And by the way things are looking like right now, it seems we can do nothing about it. Ian has built a fortress around him and he does not let anybody pass through. I wish Kevin could stay some more time; at least he talked to kids! I wish I could kill her. Why Ian of all people?
“You know him better and longer than me. You tell me who can get him through this mess?”
“He’s most attached to his Mom. But she’s there in N.Y.”
“We can’t ask her to come over!”
“I am here. What do you think, I’d leave my son alone?”
“Mrs. Maxwell! What took you two weeks?” then remembering that she had become unwell, “I’m sorry, how are you feeling now?”
“Good evening, Ma’am”
“How is he? Is he sleeping? Already!”
“He is very alone. He does not talk to any of us. Not even old Carlton there.
“Take me to his room.”
“But he’s sleeping!”
“Come with me, Ma’am”
All four of then walked to his room. Mrs. Maxwell seated herself on the foot of his bed. Her eyes moist as she watched her dear son sleeping. Even sleep did not bring peace to his troubled face. Carlton offered to bring her some dinner but she declined. She had barely lived all through the two weeks she had been away from him. The three men left her there. Adrian comforted Tyler and Carlton they went.
* * *
The morning came. And brought with it the usual birds, the usual cool breeze, the usual lovely painted sky. Ian stirred in his bed. He had had a dreamless sleep. He slightly opened his eyes and saw the vague figure sitting at the foot of his bed. Closed his eyes again probably feeling that he was still sleeping and it was a dream. Then realizing that the figure looked like his Mom. He again opened his eyes and barely whispered sleepily, “Mom? Is it you, Mom?”
“Ian” she whispered.
Then fully waking up, “Mom, it IS you!” his voice giving away as he leaped out towards her.
“Ian”, she cried her arms outstretched and tears rolling down her cheeks.
He quite fell into her arms and they hugged each other. She wept and Ian comforted her. No words were spoken for a long time. They understood each other’s feelings without having to say them. He recalled that she was unwell!
“Mom, when did you come? Why didn’t you wake me up? How are you now? You shouldn’t have come! You are not well!”
“I came last night, honey. I’m all right. Don’t worry. Now get up and I’ll get you some breakfast. Take a day off today, if you can.”
“Anything for you, Mom. I just have to go for half-an-hour. I’ll go after breakfast and come back as soon as I can.”
“Fine then.” She said trying a weak smile, “Up you get!”
He smiled too. Mrs. Maxwell herself got their breakfast up in his room, where they had it together and he told her about his current project. Both of them deliberately left out the Samantha topic.
He left for work with Adrian but Tyler stayed back to talk with Mrs. Maxwell.
* * *