**** DAMON'S POV
I woke up in a sweat and sat up on the bed, panting heavily, trying to get my breath even.
The nightmare again.
"Fuck." I muttered in anger as my breath stabilized.
I looked around me and everything sucked. I felt like crap. My life and everything that had to do with it.
I could still feel the lingering effect of the nightmare. The fear, the smell of blood mixed with sweat. The endless night. I shivered as I tried my all to remove my mind from it. I can't afford to dwell on that.
The bedside clock was telling a few minutes past 7 am. I was only able to get 2 hours of sleep. Great! Today was gonna be just like other days.
It's been ages since I had a decent sleep. For the past 14 years, the most I've slept was 4 hours and that was when my mother slept with me. Which is why I miss her so much.
I stood up and went to the kitchen and prepared myself a cup of coffee. I always like it black and strong. I inhaled the steam from the cup and I felt a little sense of calmness.
My phone rang from the room. I dropped the cup and strolled to the room to pick it up from the side table, it was my grandma's call.
"Grandma." I greeted her, immediately I picked up the call.
"How much did you drink last night?" Her cool voice came over the phone.
"Not much grandma." I could picture her sitting on her favorite chair, while one hand was holding the phone to her ear, the other holding her glasses or perhaps, tickling the cat sitting on her lap, as she rocks back and forth.
"Good. I want to see you back home in an hour." And she ended the call.
"Damn." I groaned as I turned to go back to the kitchen, but felt a sharp pain. My head hurts. I drank a lot last night. I chuckled as I held my throbbing head.
I opened the drawer and took out a sachet of Aspirin. I took the water on the bedside table and drank straight from the bottle, taking two tablets of Aspirin.
I closed my eyes for a few minutes in order to allow the drugs to take effect, and in a couple of minutes, I was okay.
I stood up and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. I was flossing when my phone rang. It was a strange number again. I figured it was Jordan and I picked the call.
***** Hela POV
"It's okay mum. You being there for Lincoln makes up for all other things. I love you mum." I assured her as I ended the call.
Our calls always ended this way. I can't blame my mother for not standing up for me. Aside the fact that she has to dedicate her time to take care of Lincoln, she was making up for her past misjudgements by being silent and taking everything in it's stride.
Nora gave me a comforting smile and squeezed my hands. I smiled at her back.
"Go on, eat." She picked up the spoon and gave it to me.
"How is it?"
"Wow. It tastes heavenly. How did you get the recipe for this?"
"Remember the guy I told you of last week?"
"Yes, the heavily muscled guy wearing glasses. Which by the way is awesome." I stated, mouthful.
"Yes. He's a chef!!!" She announced proudly.
"O my gosh! That's unexpected."
"I tell you."
"This is the best chicken broth I've ever tasted. You have to share, okay?"
"You bet. I made a lot."
"Are you not eating also? Let's share a bowl and take more later."
"Of course I am." She declared as she brought out a spoon from her apron and we both laughed as we chatted.
~
I stood in front of my parents house and heaved a sigh heavily as I knocked on the door.
The door was flung open before I could knock and my father's stern face, eyes me like a piece of what he does not need, but he has no option.
"Are you gonna stand there forever?" His voice bellowed.
He moved back inside and headed straight to his study. My mother and Lincoln were standing, but I could only follow my father.
I glanced briefly at Lincoln. He had lost more weight since the last time I saw him and this broke my heart. I smiled and waved at him.
"What was the arrant nonsense you were spewing on the call last night?" I had barely closed the door, before my father's booming voice rang out.
I squared my shoulders as I turned and looked him straight in the eyes. Of course I could not remember all I said, but far be it from me to cower before him just because I could not remember.
"I'm not going ahead with the marriage." I declared. I came here for one thing and I'm going to make sure I express myself fully before taking my leave.
"You've always being thoughtless and selfish, but at least I believed you cared enough for your brother to do this one thing for his benefit. Do you realise how tough it is to take care of him and his medical bills?" He's playing the brother card again
"You refused to work for the company even after your mother and I spent so much to send you to college; at least that could have been the least of what you could have done to repay us.
And now, that we have this great proposal from the largest company in all of New York, you're going to throw that away also?" He bellowed and stood up from his chair, towering over me.
Before he could say anything further, I interjected, "You lost all right to order me to do anything the day you declared that you've disowned me."
I opened my bag and brought a document. I laid it on his table, "I've signed my part. Please, append your signature and mail it to me."
"And what is this?"
"It's a letter of disowning. I disown you as my father, Mr. Michael Kent."