You Took It All Away

Chapter 9: Jane

A/N: If you hate me by the end of this chapter, I'd totally understand. I'll be sad, but I'll understand.

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                               Chapter Nine: Jane

     October, 2007

It was hot.

It felt as if I was wearing too many clothes and deeply buried under tons of blankets. My forehead felt damp and heavy while pure heat prickled my skin. I felt like I was suffocating. I opened my eyes and my vision blurred for a few seconds as my eyes slowly adjusted to the bright lights. I noticed that I was lying on a bed. The familiar smell of the sheets underneath me indicated that I was back in the condo, in the bedroom that I loathed.

"Good, you're awake." My head snapped at the direction of the voice, causing my neck to twitch in pain. I felt like my body was on fire.

Sebastian, whose voice brought me to my senses, stared at me with irritation. But, there was something else behind his hooded eyes. Was it guilt? Worry? Or was I imagining everything right now?

I wanted to reply but my throat was so dry that it hurt to swallow. Sebastian seemed to sense my problem and quickly walked over to the bed stand and handed me a glass of water.

I gulped it down as if I had never drank water before, and then sighed in relief.

"Thank you," I managed to utter out, testing my sore vocal cords.

Before he was able to say anything, the bedroom door swung open and an older man walked in. He was tall and handsome looking, and an expression of relief crossed his features when his eyes fell upon me. He looked strangely familiar. It took me a couple of minutes to notice the deadly similarities between the two men.

I stared, horrified at the exact replica of Sebastian. The blue eyes, the same face structure, straight nose. Hell, even their hair was almost the same, just different colors.

"We were getting worried about you," he announced while coming closer to me, a warm smile appearing on his face.

Instinctively, I flinched when I felt his hands on me, gently checking over my forehead. He didn't seem to notice, or he maybe did but ignored my reaction. Anyhow, he said nothing at how I'd responded to him.

"What happened?" I asked the man, despite my fear.

"Well, Sebastian told me that you fainted in the car, right?"

I nodded and he continued. "The way Sebastian had described your condition seemed that you have just experienced a panic attack," the man explained, drawing his hand away from my face. 

Well, what he told me wasn't a surprise. I often went through worse panic attacks at Varo’s club when I was still a newcomer. I looked away from his kind gaze, confused at the difference between the two men.

"How often?" he asked, interrupting me from my thoughts.

I shrugged, trying to think back of the last time I had a panic attack. "I don't know...maybe four moths ago."

He looked away thoughtfully, glancing at Sebastian, who seemed to be clueless to everything.

"Well, I can't really do much but prescribe you some anxiety pills. Whether or not you want to take them is your choice. The fact that they have disappeared is a good indication that your anxiety is not life threatening," the man continued and I nodded at the newly revealed information.

"I'm Demetrio, by the way. Sebastian's father," he introduced himself, sending me another one of his charming smiles.

I smiled in response. It occurred to me then that it was the first time in months I actually genuinely smiled. "I'm Jane. It's very nice to meet you," I said before inwardly gasping at the name I had given him.