Eyes Like Ice - Radia Al Rashid (novels in english .TXT) 📗

words keep echoing in my ears like a poisonous wave of sounds, “She is not going to be able to process any information for approximately 6 months. She’s awake alright, but her brain will function like a new born for a limited period of time. Not to worry! She’s not completely brain-dead which is a good sign.”

Really! A good sign? My eyes start aching while a drop of tear fights its way down my face. My heart is burning, eyes are throbbing intensely, my head is swimming with thoughts yet I am unable to draw any connection among them. Once I used to believe being emotional to be a bad thing. Now I can understand how necessary it is to let out the griefs by letting down stream of tears. I’ve been a total crying-machine throughout my life and I was disappointed in myself for not having the power to control tearing up in public. But now? I JUST WANT TO CRY SEVERAL HOURS AT STRECTH FOR ONCE... ONLY ONCE FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE!

“Eve? You okay? Ain’t you happy now that Jules is awake?” Kate’s voice slaps me back into reality.

“She can’t fathom us, Kate! She is... she is just lying over there like an object. Is there any possible thing to be happy about?” I keep staring down at my feet.

“Don’t say that Evelyn! At least she’s awake now. She will be alright in less than 6 months, mark my words.” She sounds a little mad. Maybe she has the right to be mad at me right now. Maybe, I am actually being irrational and ungrateful. Still isn’t it pretty normal for a broken girl who just lost her parents less than three months back, to react in such a way when her sister wakes up from coma to only be a mere object? God knows why nothing is going right.

“I don’t know!” I can’t say anything more before moving out of the hospital. I don’t even wait for Kate to join me while I begin walking to catch the bus.

“Evelyn, wait!” Kate yelps from behind.

I halt without turning to her. I don’t know why am I letting out my anger on her? She didn’t do anything wrong here, nor does she have the control over Jules’ physical condition. I really am not quite sure whether I’m angry or just too frustrated of my life. Sometimes all we can do is, to be irrationally mad at near ones to minimize the excruciatingly unknown feeling that haunts us down.

“Eve, what are you doing? You’re literally running into moving cars. Why are you being so cold at this point? You’re angry because you’re not gonna have the opportunity to share your long-awaited events with her. I understand, why it is feeling so bad not being able to do so, don’t you wanna think about Jules’ condition? Do you think she’s feeling better by being almost brain-dead and doing it on purpose to devastate you? Evelyn, please, try to realize the intensity of the matter on her side. It’s already worse; just don’t be inconsiderate to make it the worst.” The pitch of her voice seems to cut through my core. I stand there for another couple of minutes.

“Right! I’m sorry. Let’s go back and ask the doc when can we take her home.” I utter calmly.

Kate’s eyes soften as she reaches out to hug me. My brain keeps throbbing inside the skull reminding me of the stab-myself-anytime-unwittingly incident. I take a deep breath while picturing all kinds of positive events in my head. I recently figured no imagined happy or, glamorous moments can flip my bleak state of mind but a flicker of Mr. Mysterious neighbor can. This absolutely is beyond just I’m-so-smitten-by-him thing, I feel some weird yet blissful feeling whenever he crosses me in person as well as inside my stupid head.

“Eve? EVELYN?” Kate’s sharp voice slaps me back in the hospital..

“Hu?” I blush a little seeing the doctor looking suspiciously toward my way.

Shoot! He must be thinking of me as a psychopath or something, did I say anything out loud?

“What’s up with the neighbor? What were you murmuring about, honey?” Kate looks anxious.

“Um... nothing, it’s just I-I ran into Mr. Miller this morning, and um... and he told that he would like to visit Jules.” I cannot make anything out of my own words.

“Really? That’s amazing! He’s such an incredible person, isn’t he?” her voice sounds a bit louder mingled with excitement. I forcedly stop myself from rolling my eyes at her not-so-hidden interest in Mr. Miller AKA 1000 years old Alchemist AKA only guy who makes my heart stop.

O boy! Isn’t she planning to begin dating him! It would be freaking messed up.

“So, darling, Doc just told that Jules can go home within a week.” Her eyes shine.

“Oh really! How could I miss it? Must be my sinking-in-thinking-ocean nature. I am happy, Kate!” I grin.

“I know you are. Trust me, everything will be just alright.” She squeezes my shoulder.

Kate pulls her minivan into the parking lot.

“You okay?” she eyes me.

“Yeah, course! Why do you ask?”

“Nothing, just checking in.” her lips quirk up into a grin.

“Hold on, are you guys somehow thinking I’m insane?” I blurt out.

“What? No, no, no! honey, we’re just making sure nothing goes wrong with you anymore after what you’ve been through already.” She glares at me.

“Oh! Thanks a lot Kate, but it makes me a little uncomfortable when you guys treat me... well a bit more specially.” I wring my hands.

“Sure, sweetie. Whatever you like. So, any plan for tonight?”

“Tonight? No, why?” I open the car door.

“I was thinking about going out for dinner, what do you say?”

“I don’t know! Serena must’ve finished cooking by now.” I look at my watch.

“It’s fine, she can come with us too and the foods can be good in the fridge until tomorrow.” She quirks up a brow at me.

“Sounds pretty cool, then. Dinner outside!” I grin and start walking towards the house.

She winks at me and hops out of the car.

“O hey, Mr. Miller! What a pleasant surprise!” I halt at Kate’s high-pitched voice.

Seriously! She’s seriously into him. Rolling my eyes, I continue walking without turning back to find some stupid flirtation.

“Miss Smith? Good to see you, how are you doing?” that voice again weakens my knees. I quicken my paces. O wow! He even remembers her surname. Maybe they already exchanged numbers and chat on daily basis. Awesome! I cannot keep myself from frowning.

“I’m doing great, actually! What about you? How’s life?” her over friendly mode has been activated.

“Yeah, I-I’m good, thank you for asking. Um... Miss Lawrence? Is that you?” his voice weakens my knees further as well as freezes my body at this point. I feel like straightly walking to the house and not look back but at the same time, my heart begins to pump gallons of blood which successfully stops me from moving any forward.

“Ah yeah, she is my niece, Evelyn. Eve? Mr. Miller is calling you.” Kate calls out to me.

Wait, he is back to calling me Miss Lawrence! Wow! I made such a stupid out of myself telling him the other day to call me Evelyn. Argh! I Slowly spin around and try to smile, “Hi! I didn’t see you.” Course I’m being the dumbest in the history of dumbness.

“Obviously you could not, Miss Lawrence. You were facing the other way and I’m afraid you, like any normal human being, cannot turn your head in 180-degree angle.” A ghost of a smile quirks up his lips a bit.

“I-I meant, I know, I just was going...” I start mumbling like an idiot.

Kate snickers, “Wow! Quite a sense of humor, ha?” her flirtatious look is not to be mistaken. To add salt to the wound, Ted gives her that marvelous smile. I feel so sad and ashamed simultaneously.

Course he likes Kate. She is funny, smart, witty, knows where to say what and no doubt, drop dead gorgeous. They’re meant to date and marry and have whole bunch of beautiful children and whatnot. I am such a disappointment. Or you know what, Eve? You are better off without him. What if he turns out to be somebody dangerous? You better start avoiding him from now on.

“So, how’s your sister, Miss Lawrence?”

Holy Moly! I’m not avoiding him. He’s too much to avoid.

“She’s good, I mean, she is out of coma now, which is greattt! And she’s gonna be home within a week, isn’t it wonderful?” I manage to let out an entire sentence without umming, pretty impressive on my end.

“This is indeed, a wonderful news, Miss Lawrence. I’m very happy to hear that and I hope she will be totally healed in no time.” His voice calm and collected as usual.

“Yeah, I hope so too.” I sigh.

“Well, ladies, I’ll have to attend a meeting after a while, hope to meet you again.” He nods at Kate, implying that whatever he just said is entirely intended for her, not me.

“Sure, Mr. Miller, and it’ll be great if you call me just Kate.” her eyes flush.

“I’m sure, with time, it’ll get easier to call you by your first name, Ma’am! Goodbye.” He smiles at her AGAIN.

“Bye, Miss Lawrence.” His chivalry does not allow him to not say goodbye to me. This time, no smile, no FUCKING SMILE.

“Bye!” I cut it short before pacing towards the house.

Chapter Seven

It’s been almost two and half months I haven’t gone out of the house after Jules came back from hospital. All day and night I try to stay close to her. She cannot speak, she hardly moves her limbs but deep down inside, I feel satisfied, I feel a ting of relief getting her back to life. it feels like she’s there watching me, listening to me and secretly smiling at my crazy babblings. Meanwhile, Kate has gone out several times with the excuse of meeting up with friends. Well, I easily understood the undercurrent going on between Kate and Mr. Ted Bundy. I’m pretty sure they’re already dating which has bothered me a lot lately but I think remaining close to Jules matters to me more now. And one more thing I should remember is, that Greek God slash Rich businessman is not even a bit interested in me, so it’s next to useless to grieve over him.

“Evelyn, did you see my tab?” Kate flips over the pillow on the sofa next to Jules.

“No, how would I?” I try not to be mean towards her as my mind starts battering me as soon as Kate comes into my view.

“Oh! That’s weird. I think I left it here somewhere.” She chews on her lower lip.

“well, maybe you took it upstairs and forgot.” I shrug.

“I don’t know, maybe!” she quirks up her lips. “Anyway, how is she doing now?” her eyes soften with the words.

“She’s doing good, look at her face.” I smile at Jules.

“I know right? We missed this face so much.” She brushes her fingers through Jules’ hair.

“So, having dinner with us tonight, or?” I steady my glance on her sparky blue eyes.

“Ye-yeah, course, why?” she seems surprised.

“Nah, you have been having dinner out lately. Just thought to check in.” I wave my hands.

“Ow, yeah, so many outdoors in a week! I’m sorry