The Royal Contract

Suddenly, she remembered sitting in her car, crying outside Gerald’s apartment. Then, all the events of yesterday came flooding into her mind. She remembered the horror of seeing him lying in that morgue, totally unrecognizable.

“He is dead.” She mumbled with trembling lips as her eyes watered, ready to stain the pillows underneath her head.

She closed her eyes, hoping to control the surging emotions, the pain threatening to break free. She did not want to cry. Not anymore, as she remembered doing that almost all night.

But a tear still broke free as she felt it create a path down her cheeks. Then, many followed as she finally turned around and buried her face in the soft cushion. She could not stop because the pain just kept piercing her heart.

“Haley!” She thought she heard a voice, but she wished to ignore it. She did not want company or anyone’s sympathy.

“Haley, are you alright?” The voice persisted, louder this time. But she still did not want to acknowledge it as she buried herself deep in her pillows, covering herself with the thick blanket.

“Haley, I am starting to get worried.” The man behind the door started knocking on her door. “Would you please answer me?” But she still kept crying.

She wanted him to go away, whoever he was. She did not need him. She was not the man she wished to be with at that very moment. Then, a sudden thought entered her mind. Wait! Who was he?

.....

“Haley! I am sorry, but I need to know that you are ok.” Then, the door opened, and she sensed someone had entered the room. The voice sounded familiar.

Then, she finally realized who it was, remembering that he had offered to take her home. But instead, she opted to go home with him for the night.

She did not want to see her father or anyone she knew under her current condition. Besides, he was right.

She should not be alone in her present state of mind. She was suddenly thankful that Gerald had a good friend like him. Quickly, she wiped the wetness on her face with the blanket, suppressing the tears left in her eyes from falling.

“Hey! I am sorry again if I barged into your room. But I am worried about you.” The voice calmly said, seemingly much closer than before.

She took a deep breath and slowly removed the covering from her face as she finally looked at the man who had been nice enough to let her sleep for the night.

“I am ok, Mike.” She answered, slightly sniffing as she patted her face dry with the edge of the blanket. “But I think I should be going.”

She believed he had already done enough. She could not abuse his kindness by being a burden to him. He might be a friend of Gerald, but she was not his responsibility.

“No, you are not ok.” He sat on the edge of her bed, looking down at her. “You are hurting. I understand because I also lost my bestfriend.”

Suddenly, she felt guilty because she was only thinking about her pain, not considering that he must be devastated too. She could see in his eyes how Gerald’s death must have affected him.

After all, Gerald once mentioned that Mike was like a brother to him. Therefore, he must be mourning his death but was trying to be strong for her. But she wondered what Gerald might have told him about her condition.

“It is just hard to accept...” She could not even say the words. It was like confirming it was true. But what she wanted was the opposite. She wanted someone to tell her that it was a big mistake.

“I know, but we have to be strong.” His hand stretched until he was touching her face. “You have to be strong for the baby.”

Her surprise must have registered on her face since she was hoping to keep that a secret. But she could only surmise that Gerald might have shared that information with him before he died.

Suddenly, she wondered if they had talked about her before he met his death. How? When? Where? She still had many unanswered questions in her mind. But was she ready to hear the answers?

“Did Gerald talk to you about me before he died?” It was possible since they were close. She wondered what could be his last words. What did he say about her?

“Unfortunately, we only talk about business. Gerald did not even mention that you are pregnant.” Mike admitted to her as he stood from the bed and started pacing the floor.

“The nurse at the emergency mistaken me as your partner. She accidentally told me about the condition of the baby.” He continued, explaining how he had learned about her condition. Then, he stopped and stood near the window, looking outside.

“That is ok.” She answered, knowing there was nothing else she could do about it. “But can I ask a favor?” She started moving on the bed, finding a more comfortable position.

“Of course, name it,” Mike said, wearing a friendly smile that covered his face. “Anything that you need, I am here for you.”

She smiled at his statement, feeling the sincerity in his voice and the genuineness of his offer. She wished she could have been more open to him when Gerald was alive. Maybe they could have become good friends too.

“I hope you will keep what you learned about me a secret until I figure out what I will do from here on.” She asked him, staring into his eyes.

Many things were going on in her mind at that moment, and planning her life and her baby’s future were not yet one of them. She needed time to think this through before making any concrete decisions.

“I assure you that your secret is safe with me.” He slightly nodded in affirmation. “But for the baby’s sake, would you come down and eat breakfast with me.”