LOST WITHOUT YOU...

Hello lovelies,

This story is very close to my heart and I started writing many years ago .

I will be releasing one chapter a week.

I hope you enjoy reading this- please do leave your comments, reactions, reviews.

Love

HeraH❤️

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CHAPTER ONE

Two months had passed since the accident. Jayden had just been discharged from the hospital. He had gone into a coma after the huge pile up at the back road- a highly unusual place for an accident as it was virtually an unused road since the highway was constructed. They were returning from a business cocktail that was arranged by Jayden’s company.

He walked into the gates with the help of crutches that were handed to him to support his broken leg. He looked around the yard. It looked as though it were abandoned for two centuries rather than months. The trees looked bigger and out of shape. The grass was taller.

As he opened the front door, the familiar scent of the house entered his nostrils. Jayden closed the door behind him and looked around. Everything was perfectly placed. He stood there momentarily, expecting Ahana to rush into his arms from the kitchen or come down the stairs to hug him as she usually did when he returned from work.

To his disappointment, none of that happened. He reached for the couch and sat there facing a huge portrait of them in each other’s arms. He could almost see Ahana’s shining eyes. He wished for her arms to be around him. He could almost inhale her scent. He almost heard her laughter. Almost.

A tear trickled down his face from his deep green eyes that knew happiness only existed in Ahana. Jayden shut his eyes hoping for a moment’s peace and gently rested his head on the sofa. He drew in a deep breath hoping to invoke life into his body which he thought was of no use after Ahana.

He was lost in his thoughts when the yelling telephone disturbed him. He got up and reached for the phone.

“Hello?” Jayden received lifelessly

“Hi Jayden, came a female voice from the other end.

Jayden remained silent as he tried to remember whom the voice belonged to.

“It’s Lydia,” the voice then introduced.

Jayden frowned. Lydia was Ahana’s cousin but as far as Jayden knew, Ahana wasn’t very fond of her. “What do you want?”“

“How are you Jayden?” she asked

“Come to the point Lydia,” Jayden replied rather seriously not in the mood to talk to her. He eyed he clock on the wall. It was only eight.

“I …um…wanted to meet you Jayden,” she said in a voice that would have been seducing if Jayden had paid any attention.

“I am not interested in meeting anyone right now. Leave me alone Lydia,” he said and was about to hang up when she quickly spoke

“No Jayden, hear me out” she pleaded.

“What?” Jayden demanded.

“Jayden, now that you are back home and Ahana is gone, why don’t I …”

“Bye Lydia”. Jayden boomed and hung up.

Just as he turned to walk away, he pulled the wire out of the socket in case she decided to call back.

Jayden decided it was time to go to Ahana’s parents” house. He had many questions and a lot of blanks to fill in. He felt there was something missing that he needed to know. He needed to know whether Ahana was still alive after the accident. He needed to know whether she was brought into the hospital with him. He needed to know if she had died later or on the same day. He needed to know where she was buried.

He sat on the couch remembering the horrific night of the accident. The last he remembered was Ahana’s eyes. He closed his tear-clad eyes remembering how she looked at him while their car went flying into the wall of the bridge. She had clung onto his hand until the last moment when their vehicle plunged into the water. That was all that he could remember. What happened next was a mystery for him.

From that moment until this day Jayden had not seen Ahana. When he woke up suddenly one day he was told that he was in a coma for nearly two months and that the accident had claimed Ahana’s life.

Ahana’s mother, Florence Bentley had made her appearance three days following his recovery from coma at the hospital. She stated that Jayden need not worry about Ahana anymore and that she was better off than she could ever have been with him. She also made it quite clear that she was in no way related to him anymore and wished for his own good that he would leave that city as soon as he could. She made it clear that they had done everything they could for Ahana’s last farewell and also that he was not welcome at their residence any longer.

At that moment, Jayden thought it was her hatred for him that was speaking. Ahana’s mother never did like Jayden as he was only an average person with no real “status” in the society. Florence however had inherited an entire lifetime worth of fortune, property, status and fame from her late husband Brendon Bentley. So naturally she wanted Ahana to marry a man of her choice that would match their caliber. When Ahana broke the news that she was engaged to Jayden who was an ordinary graphic designer in an advertisement firm, Florence nearly had a heart attack.

There was war between them and on that dark rainy night Florence ordered Ahana out of the house and out of her will. Ahana left Bentley house with just the clothes on her back. When she reached Jayden’s house, she was soaking wet from rain and tears. She knew that her mother loved her status but never thought she would love it more than her daughter.

Ahana and Jayden were then married a week later and it was the best day of their lives. Jayden could see that Ahana was truly happy.He also realized that the day she stepped into his small unit was the day his luck began. He was promoted to Senior Manager of his department the day after.

Jayden tried talking Ahana into meeting her mother and talking things out because he felt he was the reason for rivalry between mother and daughter. Ahana simply refused and stayed firm on her grounds.

She replied “if mother can throw me out her life just because I love someone then I can do the same. If she thinks money and status are everything then that’s all she needs. She doesn’t need love or her daughter’s affection. She can survive with her money.”

Jayden’s world was full of Ahana’s laughter and her sparkling eyes. Everything he did was for her. He managed to purchase a bigger house and he enjoyed the way she decorated it and made it nothing short of a perfect warm and loving home. Jayden enjoyed every moment with her. He loved her little stories of what she did during the day. He often thought she might get lonely at home and she had the liberty to work if she pleased but she replied that she wanted to be there when he returned from work and she wanted to prepare his meals herself. She wanted to be free so they could roam the city hand in hand at night.

Simply put she wanted to be available when he was free. She didn’t want to work for anyone else and Jayden was satisfied with her explanation. Ahana met some of her friends while out shopping and invited them over to her house one day. They absolutely adored the set-up of the house and recommended that she complete her interior designing and decorating studies since she was great at it. She seemed pretty interested and Jayden was all for the idea.

Lydia somehow found out where they lived and would come by often. She asked many questions about their life. Ahana would answer them thinking that they would reach mother and she would be less worried and accept that her daughter was truly happy.

On the afternoon of the accident day, Lydia came by to invite Ahana and Jayden to a party that she was hosting. Jayden was putting on his socks in the lounge room and Ahana was making her way down the stairs when the doorbell rang.

Jayden got up to answer it but was so mesmerized by Ahana’s beauty that he just stood admiring her. She was wearing a body hugging shimmering black evening dress that matched her sparkling eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a chignon and strands of curls waved about her face. Diamond earrings glittered and reflected the glow in her face. Ahana smiled at her husband and he was dumbstruck. The raging doorbell brought him back to reality.

As he opened the door, Lydia started making her way in.

“Hi Jayden,” she said pointing one bony finger with bright red nail polish in his chest hoping to push him aside then grabbing his tie she eyed him and purred, “Looking hot”.From the corner of her eye she saw Ahana’s head tilt and stretch to see who it was.

Lydia flashed a seducing smile at Jayden then made her way in. She gave Ahana a fake hug and a peck on her check.

“Looks like you two are rushing of somewhere,” she laughed.

“Oh! We were just headed off to a cocktail party.” Ahana informed politely.

“Oh, where at?” Lydia quizzed. Jayden hated it when she tried to get information of their private time and their whereabouts.

“At the old town hall,” Jayden replied helping Ahana into her coat. “And we will be late if we don’t leave soon. Was there something you were after?” he asked his hand on Ahana’s shoulder pulling her close.

“Umm …No! no!,” Lydia said in a way that was dramatic. “Just wanted to say hi to you both and invite you to my party tomorrow night at the old Bentley race course” she said with big eyes.

“Thanks Lydia,” Ahana smiled. “Will mother be there?” she asked with her voice toned down with pain.

“Oh! Umm… No darling,” Lydia waved her hands in the air. “You see it’s only for the young people.Anyways I had better not hold you up. Hope to see you tomorrow”

“Thanks Lydia,” Ahana said as they passed through the door and Jayden locked it being them. “I can’t promise you anything but we’ll see how it is,” she clung to Jayden’s arm.

“Ok,” Lydia smiled not satisfied. “Bye.”

Ahana and Jayden waved as she got into her car and drove off.

Jayden remembered his eyes were on Ahana the whole night. She was breath taking gorgeous. Particularly when she flashed occasional smiles at him shyly. He also noticed that most of the men in the hall were eyeing her too as she stood chatting with a group of women. That’s probably why he jumped straight for her when the dance floor was announced open. He knew that all the men would be dying to hold her and would let that happen only over his dead body!

Once he had her in his arms that was it. He would not let anyone else have a dance with her. She laughed at his possessiveness. “You are not being a gentleman, you know,” she teased.“The tuxedo and the attitude don’t match!” she let out a giggle.

“Hmm,” he said as he pulled her closer. “I couldn’t be more bothered. I will not let anyone dance with you or even touch you. You are all mine” he said huskily in voice that made the hair on her neck stand. “Call it bad manners or whatever you may. It kills me to see so many men eyeing you like they could pounce on you any instant and starting gnawing,” his breath was warm against her cheek.

Ahana threw her head back and laughed softly.” You are impossible Mr. King,” she stated.Jayden chuckled and shrugged. She locked her arms around his neck and looked deep into his green eyes “That’s why I love you” she said before she kissed him.

“And I love you too,” he replied kissing her back.

“Really?” she tested eyeing him.

“Yes really, he said softly. “More than anything in the world”

“And you always will?” she smiled and asked as she put her arms around his waist and hugged him.

“Yes,” he said kissing her forehead hugging her back. “No matter what”

“Then I have news for you, Mr. King,” she said caressing his chin with her soft lips. She nibbled his ear and then whispered. “I am pregnant!”

“What?!, “ he exclaimed pulling apart from her holding her by the arms. “Really?” he almost screamed happily.

Her smiling face revealed it all. “Yes really!” she laughed out.

“Oh Ahana,” he said as he pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. “Just when I thought I couldn’t be any happier, you give me the best news there ever could be!”

Ahana looked up at her beaming husband. He was truly happy and she was happy to have made him happy. Jayden looked down at her shining eyes and kissed her again and again. “I think I will be mad with happiness Ahana,” he managed to say between the kisses. “I love you Ahana”

The rest of the night was spent dancing with joy in each other’s embrace and then they got into their car and drove homeward.

All Jayden remembered next was the crash and Ahana’s eyes and her grip on his hand. She had said something just before the car hit the water. “I love you and I always will”

“NO!” Jayden screamed as he woke with a shock and almost jumped off the couch. He was sweating and he realized he was in his house. His eyes frantically searched for Ahana and a few seconds later realization hit him. She wasn’t there. She was gone. Forever.

Jayden wasn’t ready to accept that fact. Why did she die? Why wasn’t it me? Why did I survive? How did I survive and Ahana didn’t. What really happened after that? There were too many questions that Jayden needed clearance on. He slowly limped up the stairs distant in these thoughts. Now that he could think a bit more clearly, he would search for the facts.

He walked into their room and put down his medicines that the doctor had carefully explained. He walked into the adjacent bathroom to freshen up. He looked at his face in the mirror. He hardly recognized that man looking back at him. His hair had grown. His beard had grown. There was a scar on his left eyebrow. He frowned and looked away. That wasn’t him. It was like he didn’t even know himself anymore.

He washed and had a long cold shower. Upon entering the room again, his thoughts trailed back to Ahana. How happy she was upon knowing that she was with child. How happy he was after knowing they were about to start a family of their own. The glow on her face, the smiles all night long, her warm and fragrant embrace, all told him that he was lost without her. He couldn’t find one single reason to live.

A quick look at the clock showed it was 3am. He needed to sleep. Although forcefully, he knew he had to rest. He wanted to be at Bentley house early in the morning before Florence went out. He would have to rest.

The night was very cold and Ahana couldn’t get any sleep. She was freezing and her stomach was churning with hunger. No one had brought any food since morning or maybe yesterday morning. She closed her eyes and a familiar face came into view. His eyes were green and worried and she was holding his hand. Everything was very fast. She said to him “I love you and I always will”. Tears rolled down her face as she struggled to remember who he was and what that recurring scene meant. The splitting headache had returned and forced her to keep her eyes shut.