Is he really a bad boy? [English]

~Chapter 77~

Day 11 at the hospital. Day 5 since I was conscious again. It was only 4 days but it felt like eternity. Every day I saw the same thing. White walls. White bed sheets. White lights. Everything was white and sterile. Everything felt impersonal and cold. And I thought that if Maxim and my father were not there, I would have gone crazy long ago. At least now I could decide who could enter the room. Although one of the three security men was still standing at my door - I found it quite unnecessary, but I couldn't overrule Maxim or my father - my father had now agreed that I could have a visit from time to time. Taylor and Sophie were here and so were my aunt and Amy. Mia and Jake had already visited me twice, since then everything was good between us again. We had sorted everything out and even Maxim had made friends with both of them. Apparently they had come closer in their search for me. They weren't best friends - and probably never will be - but they were good with each other without jumping at each other's throats. However, Mia and Jake had had no choice but to get along with him, as Maxim refused to leave me unless it had something to do with his career. My father and Maxim had built a close relationship over the last few days. The days in the hospital had really bonded them together. They got along splendidly. So this kidnapping had something good about it. But unfortunately there were more negative aspects. Although I was getting better day by day, I still had incredible pain all over my body and the surgery would leave a huge scar on my chest. There had apparently been some complications during the operation. Among other things, I had lost a lot of blood and my heart had stopped. That's why they had to do an open heart massage with me. Somehow it was creepy to think that there were any hands on my heart, I had seen it in movies and series many times, but knowing that the same was being done on me was a creepy and frightening feeling. Fortunately, all the postoperative examinations had shown that there was no long-term damage left. At least until now. Therefore, in the next weeks and months after I was discharged, I had to go to regular check-ups to see what my heart was like. All the other injuries would not be seen or felt after a few weeks. Of course, apart from the huge scar on my chest, which will always be visible from now on, no matter what kind of top I put on. A turtleneck might cover it, but in summer it wasn't really an option, or it wasn't a good option for Miami as it was almost always hot there. But unfortunately, I had to accept it for better or for worse as it was now part of my body. But until now I hadn't told Maxim anything about the scar. He hadn't seen it yet either, I hadn't been ready to show it to him yet. Probably because I was afraid of his reaction, maybe it would scare him off or even sicken him.

It was 7:56 am when Frank, one of the bodyguards and by far the nicest of the three, knocked on my door and entered the room.
"Good morning, Miss Veronica!" I still couldn't get used to that name.
"Good morning, Frank!", I replied with pleasure.
"Miss Veronica, there's someone here to visit you, but he's, as far as I know, not one of your acquaintances, at least his name isn't on my list and your father didn't inform me about this visit either."
"Who is it?", I asked.
"According to his ID, his name is Derek Cambell." Derek Cambell? Who was Derek Cambell? "Do you know him, Miss Veronica?" Derek. Derek. Cambell. Derek Cambell. Somehow the name seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't put that name on a face.
"Let him in, Frank!" He left the room, but came back immediately, accompanied by Derek Cambell. And now that I saw his smiling face, I knew again why the name came to me so familiar.
"Thank you, Frank!", I said and Frank nodded and left the room. But he left the door open a little so that he could hear everything and, if necessary, intervene immediately.
"Hey!", Derek said. In his hand, he was holding a bouquet of flowers that had most likely been carefully examined by Frank. "They are for you.", he put the flowers on the table and sat down on the chair next to my bed.
"Thank you."
"How are you?", he asked.
"Appropriate to the circumstances.", I replied, "Excuse me if it sounds rude, but I really didn't expect you.", I confessed.
"Yes, I thought so.", he replied laughingly. "To be honest, it was quite a spontaneous thing to visit you here, I happened to know what happened and I had also hoped that our next meeting would take place somewhere nice or so and not in a hospital and under these circumstances."
"So you were hoping for a next meeting?", I teased him.
"Yes. Since your birthday party I've been hoping that you'd write to me, but unfortunately, it didn't happen."
"I'm sorry about that. Honestly.", I said and meant it, after all, I had really considered writing to him. "A lot has come in between." Maxim got in the way. "But it's nice to see you again!"
"Yes, I am happy to see you too.", he said.
"How did you find out about it?", I asked him.
"It is in the news and on the Internet. Everywhere it is spoken of the fact that you were kidnapped. From your ex-boyfriend. That's why I am here honestly said. I wanted to know if it was true what the media was saying and if you were all right. I couldn't imagine anything so terrible could happen to you, but as I see," he turned to the door and nodded in Frank's direction, "it seems to be true and quite serious."
"It's a long story. Everything that happened.", I replied.
"Yes, I do. In any case, I'm glad you're all right!", he said, "Well, or as the circumstances allowed.", he corrected himself. I just nodded because I didn't know exactly what to answer or how to react.
"Was he caught then? The one who did all this?"
"Yes, he's back in prison.", I said. I should be glad that he was back in prison, but I didn't like the thought of seeing him behind bars.
"That's good, isn't it?", he asked carefully.
"I don't know. I guess so.", at that moment I really didn't know if it was a good thing or not. "As I said, it's all a long story."
"Hmm", he made. For a while, nobody said anything until he broke the silence at some point. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure!"
"Do you remember at your party where we talked about the guy who wasn't at the party but whom you would have liked to have had with you?" I nodded. Of course, I knew what he was talking about and who he was talking about. "Is that the same ex-boyfriend? The one you're here for?"
"What?", I asked when I realized what he had asked. "No! No, no, no! Between these persons lie not only worlds but universes in between. No, it is not the same person!"
"Sorry. If I said something wrong!", he apologized and I could see that he meant it seriously.
"It's okay.", I replied.
"Did the guy at least understand what luck he had with you?"
"We are together. Yes. If that's what you mean."
"Yes", he smiled, "that's exactly what I meant. It's nice to see you smiling.", he said, and it was only now that I realized that I was smiling. With Derek it felt somehow familiar, I had already noticed that at my birthday party. As if I had known him all my life as if we had always been friends.
"Do you have someone to make you happy?", I asked him.
"Not yet. But I don't give up hope."
"You really shouldn't. I am sure that soon someone will enter your life that will turn your world upside down. Most of the time that someone comes when you least expect it." For example, when he is sitting on your seat.
"Yes, you're probably right. You're-" Even before Derek could finish speaking, my somebody entered the room. His look was skeptical of Derek, who turned around and looked at Maxim.
"And you are?", Maxim asked. He had this tone in his voice that he always had when he was talking to people he couldn't stand.
"I'm Derek."
"Aha. And you're here because?", he asked and meanwhile took off his jacket and put it on the table, and he did that without turning Derek's gaze away.
"I wanted to visit Veronica."
"Aha. And you know each other how?"
"I met her at her birthday party.", Derek replied bravely.
"Aha"
"I think I should go.", Derek said, and I smiled at him apologetically.
"Great idea.", it came from Maxim.
"Thank you for coming. And thank you for the flowers.", I told him.
"No problem. Get well soon!"
"Thank you!" He nodded smiling and left the room. I felt incredibly sorry for Maxim's behavior, but I didn't want to provoke him more. After Derek left, Maxim came to my bed and tried to give me a kiss. But I avoided and turned away from him.
"Don't tell me you're mad at me now.", he said and let himself fall on the chair.
"That just was really rude and unnecessary."
"You are exaggerating."
"No, I don't. You were mean. He didn't do anything to you at all."
"How else should I have reacted? I want to visit my girlfriend in the hospital and find some strange guy here who I've never heard of before. Who knows what he wanted from you."
"He just wanted to be nice. You don't even know him."
"You apparently don't know him either. At least you never told me anything about him. Do you like him?"
"Oh my God, do you really think I want something from him?", I asked him in shock.
"Yes, could be, yes."
"Maxim, don't you seriously think that after all this time, after all, we've been through, I could feel something for someone else?"
"I'm sorry, okay?", he apologized and bent over to me, "Do you forgive me?", he gently stroked my cheek. In response, I nodded because I wasn't really mad at him. I knew finally how jealous he could be.
"I love you.", he told me and kissed me.
"I love you too."
"Don't say that."
"What?" Did I say something wrong?
"Don't say too. It sounds like you agree with me." It surprised me every time again that such a hard shell could have such an incredibly softcore.
"I love you, Maxim.", I told him, trying to give him the security he apparently lacked.
"I love you", he replied and kissed me again, "so, so much!" Every time he said those words to me he seemed to break inwardly. As if he would give a piece of himself every time he said it.