Warren Cabello
I was dreaming. I know that I was. I was dreaming of Diane and our child. She's breastfeeding Jay and this was a beautiful dream under the tree of the garden of my mansion. She looked so beautiful and so alive. But something is missing. Why these pieces don't seem right?
"Diane," I mutter and she looked at me.
"Warren, why do you look so confused?"
"Why am I here?"
"Because you wanted to? I don't know if it's either guilt or love. Or maybe because you are afraid to come back to her."
"Her?"
"Anna, you dummy." She giggles sounding so angelic.
"Anna?"
"Anna is in danger. I and Jay no longer exist in your life, my handsome one." I caress her face.
"I'm sorry."
"I understand." She caressed my jaw. "Now, go back to her because she's really worried."
I woke up to find screaming. Anna, it's Anna. I tried to turn my head but it aches a lot and I found her restrained from the man in doctor outfit and mask on the face. She was thrown on the wall. I tried hard to move but I couldn't. I couldn't even call her name.
Nurses and doctors are coming and take her. I saw a doctor who came to me and called me by my surname. I try to talk again calling Anna but I just couldn't. The sound was groaning and I could hear it.
"Mr. Cabello," the doctor calls.
After a few checkups, I couldn't even concentrate on what the doctor is saying. Anna, where's Anna? Then Zac came and talk to me. He adjusts the bed into recline and looks at me in the eye.
"You know me?"
"Zac," I mutter. He smiled. "I need to see Anna. She's badly hurt."
"She's in the other room. Travis is taking care of her."
"She's in danger Zac."
"I know. You also are in danger. You aren't careful enough."
"I need to see her now." I insisted.
"Now, now. Aren't you overprotective? Do you remember what you told me? That you guys—uhh—try to conceive."
"What day is it?"
"It's the fourth day after your accident."
"Are we still in Illinois?" he nodded. Damn, my whole body aches, mostly my head and my injured leg. "Anna, how is she?"
"She's fine. She's unconscious."
"I wanted to see her?"
"You are still in bed arrest." He pulled out a chair and sat down. "How are you feeling?"
"Do I look okay to you?" Zac chuckled.
"Damn man, you scared the hell out of me. Of course, you don't look okay. You look like someone who has been hit by a truck, but fewer injuries. Now, since you are in bed arrest, tell me the whole story about you and Anna." I frown at him. He is grinning from ear to ear. "So this is what Natalie and Maeve are nagging about. Are you in love?"
"Zac, I wanted to protect her. Let's pretend that nothing happens. Let's pretend that I got amnesia or something." He frowned at me. I know that it's a stupid idea. But that��s the only thing that I could come up with.
"What do you mean?"
"If I don't remember anything for like these past two months, it's possible that I and Anna will be less in danger. Anna would just ignore other things."
"That won't work." He shook his head. "No. I won't deceive the woman."
"I am. I have to. We should at least spread a few news about my selective amnesia." I mutter. "This is for all of our safety. Two months ago, I witness another thing. The CEO of California that you appointed is one of them. If you also know about it, your family will be threatened not just you."
"Okay!" I know that Zac would do anything to protect his family.
I had fallen asleep again. And then I felt her hand on me. Soft and so smooth like feather's touch.
"Warren, you said that you won't leave me, right? Now, wake up and get your ass at work. I don't know what to do if you won't wake up and you got me pregnant and all. I will hate you for that." I felt her lips pressed on my hand hard. I open my eyes and found her sleeping while sitting on the chair. I lifted my other arm and caress her face gently. Gentle enough not to wake her up.
I squeeze her hand and she lifted her head. She sat up and look at me.
"Warren." I wanted to embrace her so badly. She stands above me and smile. "You're awake."
"Who are you?" I mutter. It pains me just to see her in pain as well. She blinks and cleared her throat, pressing her lips not to cry.
"I'm your new assistant."
"Assistant?" she nodded.
"I'm Anna Valez. You hire me a week ago for your business trips since Marian can't be away from the country." I close my eyes hard. I don't want to see her in pain. I wanted to touch her badly. I wanted to kiss her badly and tell her sorry for how much I make her worry. But I couldn't do it right now. Now that I had started this lies just to protect her.
"Shall I call the doctor?" before I said anything, she left and the doctor came.
"I understand that you can't remember what happened. We will hold another CT-scan tomorrow and do check-up routines. I'll give you pain killers."
Zac came up with Travis and Travis seemed talking to Anna that she needed rest. Anna, my dear Anna looks so thin. She's pale as well. What have I done? I know that she's worried but she can't even take care of herself. She needed me.
"Miss, Valez, you should go back to your room. You are not well yet." The doctor seemed demanding her. She looked at me once the last look and she turned back. It pains me just seeing her like that.
"What's the last time you remember?"
"That today is January 12, 2018."
"Today is April 1, 2018, Easter Sunday." The doctor said calmly. "You lose track of three months. It might be because of the trauma. It will just come to you naturally. The memories, I mean."
The rest of the days, Travis and Zac left and I was left with Anna. She took care of everything, sponge baths me, and other things. I ask her about the schedules and she said that a next month is a big event in the Country Club Hills and I already ready the suits for each event. I wanted to see her in a gown and other designs that Erin make for her.
"I'll be discharged in a few weeks. We will re-settled few schedules." I check emails and other things since I could move half of my body. The band-aid on my head is gone that is replaced with a big gauze to cover the stitches.
"You aren't well yet." She told.
"It's alright, Miss Valez. I could do work while I am sitting."
"If that's what you want. Do you need anything else?"
"Pizza." I wanted to see her eat. She still looked so thin. It's been three days since I started the lie and I wanted to see her eat. "Order a big size of it. Any kind you wanted. I'm planning to watch a movie and relax for a bit while I am here in the hospital." She nodded and dialed something. After she's done with it, she continued on her work. "Anna," I called. She turn to me, suddenly feel lonely. "What happened?"
"Which one do you want to know?"
"Zac told me that something happened to us."
"Nothing happened. It's just, you got into a hit and run."
"That's not what I heard from Zac." She suddenly felt conscious about it. She cleared her throat.
"Whatever happened, you have no memory of it. So it's better if we stay on our formal relationship."
"So there is us." I rose my brows. "Did we slept together?" I wanted to see her expression. I wanted to see her body tensed in arousal. I wanted her badly.
"Do you usually sleep with your employee?" she asked back. This woman is very smart. I chuckled and shook my head.
"I don't sleep with employees. But as I watch you on your every movement, I feel aroused. I have never been attracted like this before to anyone." It's true. Not even from my deceased wife.
"Do you want to know?" I nodded. "Yes, we slept together. I get mad at you. In the morning you left to buy flowers and that's when I saw you getting hit by a car."
"Hmm, I never buy flowers to any woman before for like years. You must be so special."
"I never say that you bought it for me." It was for her.
"You said that you get mad at me. Why?" she sighed and shook her head.
"It's nonsense." She muttered and started typing on her computer.
"You know, I'm your boss and you should probably," I mumbled. She stared at me.
"After this, could you please assign me to someone else?" I scoff.
"No," I said it crisply. Nobody will ever have her but me. Thinking of her as Travis's assistant makes me mad or any jerks. "I won't ask you again."
"Thank you."