Eric goes on, explaining how Nora was attacked in her office by Isabella, reckless and likely under the influence. Nora’s shoulder was dislocated, and she lost consciousness from the pain. The muscles and ligaments around her shoulder were damaged, but there were no full tears. She hit her head and sustained several abrasions. She’ll need some observation in the hospital and, eventually, physical therapy for her shoulder. Everything should heal fully, but for now, she’ll need time. Eric tries to reassure me that everything will be fine, but all I feel is the blood on my hands.
I never should have brought Nora into my world. I knew the risks, and I did it anyway. I can’t stand myself right now. My nerves are fraying as I near her room. Eric stays behind in the hall. I push open the door and rush inside. I need to see her, even though I know facing her like this will be excruciating.
I stop abruptly halfway to her bed. There she is, pale and battered, lying still.
“Nora,” I whisper.
An angel fallen from heaven, cast into my personal hell. I draw a shaky breath through my teeth, surprised I can even keep my jaw from clenching.
“Andreas, you’re here!” She looks at me and lights up.
This is going to be hard.
“Nora, I’m so sorry.”
I’m so angry that she has to endure this pain. I take her in from head to toe. She looks so fragile and beautiful at the same time. Her hair is tangled, her red, swollen lips contrast against her pale skin. Her hospital gown is nothing more than a thin layer, barely concealing her beautiful legs and round breasts. The fact that I’m even thinking of that—an image of us together in this hospital bed flashes unbidden through my mind—just shows how twisted I am.
“Why? None of this is your fault. Come here, come to me.”
I do as she asks, sitting on the edge of her bed and brushing a tender kiss to her forehead. I inhale her scent, wanting to etch every detail into my memory. I long to hold her tightly, but I know I need to keep my distance.
“It’s my fault, Nora,” I say quietly, struggling to look her in the eyes.
“What do you mean? What are you talking about?” she asks, confused.
I want to formulate an answer, but I don’t know where to start. How can I tell her everything?
“Andreas, talk to me, I don’t understand what you’re saying, but if it’s about me and what happened today, then I deserve an explanation.”
She deserves so much more.
“I’m a broken man, Nora. I warned you. I wanted to protect you, but I was selfish and claimed you. I should never have done that.” I clear my throat and cough to mask the emotion in my voice, but nothing escapes Nora.
“You’re speaking in riddles again, stop it!” she hisses.
She’s right. I’ll go for the truth. It’s the least I can do now.
“I’ll tell you everything, Nora. You won’t like it, but you have the right to know.” I let out a deep sigh. This time, it all has to come out. “I had a difficult childhood. My mother died far too young, and afterward, my father drowned everything in alcohol. To make a long story short, my brothers and I were placed in foster care. We went from one family to another. In one of them, I actually met Eric, by the way, he’s my foster brother. It was a terrible time, and it came down to me being responsible for my brothers. I tried to raise them as best as I could.” Nora looks at me, captivated, but stays silent. She doesn’t ask questions and lets me finish. I swallow and continue. “By the time I was eighteen, it was just my brothers and me. It wasn’t easy, but we managed to stay together, study, and each make something of our lives. When I founded B-Tech and it became a success, my happiness knew no bounds. Max, my brother, came to work for me, and we had the time of our lives together. We worked hard, partied hard, and dated too many women, trying to make up for lost time. But it got out of hand.” Now comes the hard part. The part that only Levi, Eric, and I know. “I had a casual relationship with Isabella. We occasionally slept together, without any real commitment. She provided the necessary material at parties, drugs in various forms, mostly cocaine.” Nora looks shocked but remains silent. I have to bite the bullet. “My brother and I had a blast, and everything was fun. The problems started when Isabella wanted more. She wanted a serious relationship with me and became increasingly clingy and dependent on me. Isabella wasn’t someone I ever saw a future with, so I blocked her and dumped her, even though we were never really together. She never got over that, and in response to my rejection, she set her sights on Max.” I can’t look at Nora and stare out the window of her room as my brain dredges up the terrible memories from the past. Memories I’d rather have left in the darkest corner of my mind. “She seduced him in the hope of making me jealous. I warned Max, but he wouldn’t listen. He eventually became completely obsessed with her, even though he meant nothing to her. She played with him. As if her revenge wasn’t bad enough, Max, who initially barely used, became a half-junkie under Isabella’s influence. I was furious with her for playing such a dirty game with my brother, but in practice, I didn’t do much about it. We still all went out together, including Noah by the way, and partied as if tomorrow didn’t exist. At one of those parties, Max overdosed.” I clear my throat. “On drugs that I introduced him to, provided by a vengeful woman I let run wild, and who I knew had anything but good intentions.”
Surprisingly, I feel very little emotion after laying my soul bare. I feel numb, hollow, and empty. After a few moments of staring into nothingness, I turn back to Nora, hoping to gauge her reaction. A tear rolls down her cheek. I want to wipe it away, but I know I can’t. Doing so would only pull us into this painful spiral again, and that’s the last thing I want.
“Andreas, I’m so sorry to hear this. I didn’t know how your brother died, or that you felt so responsible for it.” She reaches out one hand to me, but I stand up from the bed before she can touch me.
“I don’t feel responsible for it, I am responsible for it. Just like I’m responsible for what happened to you today.” I’m starting to feel something again, and that feeling is mostly anger, at myself.
“Andreas, none of this is your fault.”
She’s too good for this world. Too good for me.
“I didn’t do it, I’m not guilty, but I am responsible. And there’s more you don’t know. After Max’s death, Isabella left me alone for a while, but then she came back. That’s when I filed a restraining order against her for stalking, threats, and dealing drugs, anything I could come up with to get her behind bars. She’s ruined too many lives with her schemes. I knew it was time to put an end to it. Of course, she didn’t take that well. The damaged flowerpots from a while ago were her doing, and…” I take a few steps toward the window as I say what I really need to say. “She threatened you, Nora. She hates you and resents your presence in my life. You’re everything she’s not. She knew you were important to me, so she set her sights on you. I tried to protect you from the moment I found out, but clearly, it wasn’t enough.”
In hindsight, it all sounds so predictable. The fact that Isabella still managed to do what she did is unforgivable.
“Andreas, look at me.” I turn around and see her tear-streaked face. My chest tightens. “That man who brought me to the hospital today, does he work for you?” she asks.
“Yes, that’s Nathan. He’s part of a team that’s been keeping you safe when neither Eric nor I were there. They were in that car you talked about with Eric.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me this, Andreas? There were so many moments when you could have been honest with me. If I had known, maybe we would have made different choices. I wouldn’t have liked it, but I can take a hit, and we could have found a solution together. What I can’t take is you never telling me anything!” She’s crying as she says it.
