The morning light filtering through the window did very little to soothe Levi’s pounding headache, in fact, it sent a piercing pain through his eyes and into his skull. He sat up slowly, wincing at the sharp pain that shot through his temples. The remnants of the previous night’s heavy drinking clung to him like a shroud, a physical manifestation of the emotional turmoil that raged within him.
Chris sat across from him, his expression etched with concern. He had stayed with Levi throughout the night, ensuring that he did not do anything reckless or dangerous. He watched as Levi struggled to regain his bearings, his heart heavy with worry.
"How are you feeling?" Chris asked gently.
Levi rubbed his temples, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. "Like I’ve been hit by a truck," he mumbled. "But that’s nothing compared to..." He trailed off, his voice choked with emotion.
Chris knew what he was referring to. Lyse. Through Levi’s drunken blabbering through the entire night, he had been able to piece together what had happened to cause his friend’s breakdown.
Lyse sat sadly, the thought of Lyse, of her blank stare, of her inability to recognize him, was enough to send a fresh wave of a grief that surpassed the agony of his hangover crashing over Levi.
"I know that it’s hard for you, Levi," Chris said softly. "But you can’t keep doing this to yourself, you have to get up man."
Levi shook his head, his eyes filled with despair. "What is the point, Chris?" he repeated, his voice barely a whisper. "She’s gone. She is not my Lyse anymore. I’m sure that she is with Brandon right now."
Chris hesitated for a mont, then decided to tell him what he had learned. He had spoken to Joel who was still assigned to Lyse and had followed her from the hospital, a conversation he’d had while Levi was passed out.
Joel had inford him that Lyse was in her own apartnt, she had not gone ho with Brandon.
"Levi," Chris began, his voice gentle, "I spoke to one of the guards. Lyse isn’t with Brandon. She is at her apartnt and he left her last night."
A flicker of surprise crossed Levi’s face. "What?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion. "But... I thought..."
"I know what you thought," Chris interrupted. "But she’s at her own place. There is a chance that she will regain her mories."
A spark of hope ignited in Levi’s eyes. He stood up abruptly, his headache montarily forgotten. "I have to go see her," he said, his voice filled with a newfound urgency.
"Wait, Levi," Chris said, placing a hand on his arm. "There is sothing you need to understand."
Levi turned to him, his brow furrowed. "What is it?"
Chris hesitated, struggling to find the right words. He knew this was going to be difficult, but he had to be honest with Levi.
"She still doesn’t rember you, Levi," he said gently. "Going there now... it might not be the best thing for you or her."
Levi stared at him, his hope quickly fading. "What do you an?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"I an... she is still experiencing mory loss," Chris explained. "She doesn’t rember your marriage. She doesn’t rember... you, what are you going to tell her?"
Levi’s face crumpled, the brief spark of hope extinguished. He sank back onto the sofa, his eyes filled with a deep sadness.
"I know it’s hard," Chris said softly. "But give it ti, maybe... maybe it would be better if you went to work. Took your mind off things for a while. Let her settle in. We can figure out how to approach this later."
Levi shook his head, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I can’t," he mumbled. "I have to see her right now. I have to see for myself if she has rembered even a little thing."
He stood up again, his expression resolute. "I am going," he said, his voice firm.
Chris sighed, knowing he couldn’t stop him. He watched as Levi walked towards the door to the bathroom to freshen up, his heart heavy with worry. He knew this was going to be painful for Levi, a stark reminder of the devastating effects of Lyse’s amnesia.
When eventually Levi left, Chris was left alone with his thoughts. He knew he had to tell Levi about Brett’s possible involvent in all that was happening, he had a strong feeling that Brett was behind the leak about Brandon being Levi’s son. He also had to tell him about the pressure he was putting on Chris to alter the agreent. And most importantly, the possibility that Brandon was his son.
He knew it would be a devastating blow, adding another layer of pain to Levi’s already heavy burden. But he also knew he couldn’t keep it from him any longer. Levi deserved to know the truth, no matter how painful it might be. He just didn’t know how to break the news, how to tell his friend that he had been betrayed by his best friend, soone he had considered his own brother.
His thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. He glanced at the screen and saw that it was Joel.
"Hello." He answered.
"I just wanted to tell you that Mrs Van Doren’s mother and sister ca to the apartnt a little while ago and they are leaving with her." Joel said.
"Thank you, Joel." Chris said and ended the call.
He was glad for the new developnt, as that would an that Levi would relax. However, as he dialed Levi’s number to tell him, he heard the phone ringing on the nightstand.
It appeared that Levi had left his phone behind.
anwhile, Levi arrived at Lyse’s apartnt building. With his heart beating in his ears and his palms sweaty, he went up to her apartnt but when he got to the hallway, his footsteps faltered at the familiar face walking towards him.
Reviews
All reviews (0)