Mated To My Stepbrother-Chapter 35

"Can you reach for my phone and send a message to Jaxon", I said to Timothy after a while, "tell him what has happened to me and my condition at the moment"

Timothy nodded affirmatively and proceeded to do as I had instructed him and I silently prayed that he would respond to me. When we finally arrived at the hospital, I was taken to a theatre and the last thing I remembered was the doctor putting some spirit on my broken nose.

I don’t know how long I was gone for but when I woke up, I saw that I had been transferred to a regular ward and that my regular clothes had been changed into an hospital gown. I attempted to open my eyes but a sharp pain shot through my forehead and I hurriedly closed them.

"You were asleep for six hours Aria" Timothy announced," don’t turn your head" he added as I attempted to turn to look in his direction, "it will affect the treatment made to your nose and don’t open your eyes"

"Has Jaxon replied my message yet?" I asked

"No," he answered slowly, "I sent your mother a text though"

"You mean Jaxon didn’t say anything to the text you sent? "

"No he didn’t"

"Didn’t you tell him I’m in the hospital?"

"I told you’ve gotten admitted but he is yet to say a word in response"

"Oh okay"

"Your mom asked me to text her when you’ve woken up. Should I do that now?"

"What did the doctor say about my health Tim, can I return home today?"

He took a deep breath and I felt the cloud of sadness as it descended onto the atmosphere. For the first seven months,Ifelt abandoned again, I felt alone and it began to rain in my sunny world again.

"You’re going to have to cut your hair Aria" he pronounced slowly, "the fire really damaged it. You were only lucky that scalp was not burnt otherwise you might remain bald forever. Your ribs are broken, same with your shoulder and two of your fingers. The girl’s really did a lot of damage and other than you mulling over Jaxon and his crazy behaviour I think we should focus on how to get justice for you"

"I’m not really interested in pressing charges against them"

"Why" he asked, "what do you mean you don’t want Maya and her gang arrested and tried for physical assault?"

I shrugged dismissively and adjusted my sleeping position. "You can’t understand Jaxon"

"I can’t understand that you’re brooding over someone who doesn’t care for you anymore, someone who never even loved you!"

"That’s a lie! Jaxon loves me and he will always love me"

If Jaxon saw through my façade he didn’t say anything, heignored the my tiny sob and rose to the window to light into the room. "We have to find a way to raise money for your shoulder surgery and to arrest Maya and her gang"

"I do not wish to press charges against them. They’re really dangerous and I’m afraid of them"

"We should leave that aside at the moment" he handed me my phone, "your mother is on the line"

Jaxon’s POV

Rebecca’s mansion was the biggest I’d ever seen in my entire life and her private lounge felt like a paradise. She had servants at her beck and call and as her father was never around, she had the freedom to do whatever she liked, including parties and travelling to numerous place.

"Why are you not eating your food Jaxon", she asked that afternoon as we sat by the poolside, "don’t you like it?"

"That’s not problem actually", I answered, slowly, forcing a smile. "I’m just not hungry and I think it’s a bad idea for you to keep abusing substances after what happened the last time"

"I don’t abuse substances anymore Jaxon. I’ve completed my rehabilitation course and I’ve started seeing a drug addiction counsellor"

"And you still do drugs?"

"Yes", she said with a shrug, "my therapist has apportioned a daily usage amount until I overcome the addiction totally. Are you worried babe?"

She raised her lips to kiss me and I tried my best to kiss her back. The threats she made after we left the police station were still fresh in my head and I’ve had to endure a lot of emotional strains because of it, including going places with her and staying with her.

"We’ll resume school together next week after my transfer has been approved. I just can’t wait to return to the old life we used to live"

Just then, my phone beeped and I hurriedly picked it up but when I saw that it was another message from Aria,I deleted the whole conversation and dropped the phone on the stool. I didn’t wish to talk with her and if care wasn’t taken I might be forced to blacklist her number as I’d become tired of her incessant calls and texts.

"Say there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you"

Rebecca’s voice broke into my thoughts and I reflexively raised my head to look at her

"Do you know Dane Chandler?"

"Of course I do" my eyes brightened up, "He’s the most popular college basketball player in the city"

"That’s nice" she muttered as she raised the glass of red wine to her lips

"Dane is actually one of my idols"

"Well he’s coming to town and I think I can devise a means for you to meet with him"

"What!"

"Yes Jaxon who knows he might get you connected and you might realize your dream of being a famous basketball player soon"

I couldn’t believe my ears, I couldn’t believe my mind! Me? Meeting with Dane Chandler? I just couldn’t believe it!

Unknown POV*

The plan was not to turn out to be this way. What was I even thinking? I should have just let it slide away. A myriad of emotions swept over me and before I knew it, I was struggling to breathe and the ground was sinking beneath me. I attempted to sit but I couldn’t, even as my wobbling legs threatened to send me crashing. My breathing stopped at my chest and my eyes kept dilating and spinning in their sockets.

"I don’t think we should talk about this now"

He was angry, disappointed in me again but what would change? Nothing and what would he do? Resign as always.

"I think you should wait in the car" he finally said, "I have something to attend to. Don’t drive!" He added sternly, as I stepped off the porch and headed to the driveway, "don’t even attempt it"

A wave of claustrophobia descended on me as I sank into the backseat of the car and I closed my eyes to blot the ghoulish haunting voices out of my mind. Just then, my phone beeped again and my frail heart began to palpitate in sync with my shaky fingers. What would I do now? Where would I turn to? Why this time?

When my phone beeped the third time I was forced to pick it up and when my dazed eyes landed on the words on the screen, covered welled up all over my body in effect

*You have 48 hours to send my money or else your father and the rest of the world would know you are a bastard*

Of course I was a bastard but I’d already given a lot to be accepted into the family, apart from that I didn’t have anywhere else to go!

*I don’t have your money now. Please be patient, I’ll send it you once I’m able to complete it* I began to search my mind for ways to raise the money when another message popped into my phone

*You didn’t ask me to be patient when you asked me to fake your DNA result for your father did you?*

*But I thought one payment lasted for six months* I practically screamed those words out as I typed them into my phone

*It’s changed now Ma’am*

I pictured his sly face twisting into a scorn as I read the message and fresh chill filled my body. The blackmailing bastard wasn’t one to make empty threats

*But I increased the money last week. Please Leon, just leave it at six months and I will find a way to gather the money before next week*

*I already have a photograph of the real result and I will be sending it soon. Send my money on Thursday or your secret is out"

After reading those words, I heaved a sigh and flung my phone beside me, placing my hands on my head as I rested it on my laps. My whole life was a mess and as each day goes by, the weight of my thoughts becomes too heavy for my shoulders. What was the solution? Certainly not a life where I wasn’t wanted or that of poverty and none of this was actually my fault!

My entire life was built on lies, even my existence is a testament of fallacy and would it still hurt if I continued to tell more lies until my aims were achieved? I’d answer no, call me avaricious but it’s a big, fat no.