Chapter 20

Mark's POV

Quietly i moan licking my dry lips. What happened? Peering through my eyelids my vision is dazed looking around the bedroom. "Babe? Oh Mark... you scared me." A figure approaches me embracing me into a hug. Recognising the scent it helps me to relax. It's Gary.
"W...what...happened?" Trying the best i can i try sitting up in bed feeling a slight twinge in my back which makes me wince when moving.
"Easy... easy babe... you had a fall last night... did you take anything whilst you was out...at the party? Anything unusual?" Looking confused at him i frown a little.
"I...I didn't take anything last night... why does my head ache so much? And my back...i... i fell...on the apple juice...right?"
Gary nods a little. "I came off the phone after ringing the police and found you laying in the kitchen i thought the apple juice was blood seeing as i was drunk it was hard to tell... i rang an ambulance and they checked you over whilst you were in bed ...and they found out that drugs knocked you out... someone had put cocaine into your apple juice... good thing you only had a sip..." I study Gary's face he looks tired out he must of been going through hell these past few hours.
"Oh....Gaz...i'm so sorry...i... i swear... i didn't take anything...Cocaine?!"
"I know... i believe you.... i mean... drugs? You're not the type who would do that sort of thing, anyway someone had planted them there on purpose un be known to you, so i don't see how it was down to you..."

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes i ease myself up on my pillow getting a better view of Gary sitting beside me. "Well... how did it happen then?"
"The break in. The person or persons who broke in last night...well who ever managed to get the door open did it knowing you was going to drink it...good thing your body rejected it." He sighs stroking my leg through the covers. Very lightly i move my leg feeling something unusual in the bed. Something huge and wet in the bed. "Babe? What's wrong?" Tightly i close my eyes scrunching up my face a little.
"Please tell me i've had the biggest wet dream and that i haven't pissed the bed...."
Gary pulls back the covers revealing a circular wet patch around the whole of my body as i just sit there squinting through my eyes. "Oh Mark... it's ok... the doctor said this could be a possible side effect from the drugs it's ok honest... i'm not mad at you... go and get some clean pj's on and i'll strip the bed for you." Gently he strokes my back through my shirt. For a moment i just sit there staring at the wet bed feeling my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach and tears build in my eyes. "Mark?" Unable to hold them back any longer i just let them fall. "Mark...come here..." Gary pulls me into a light squeeze as i sob against his chest. "You're shaking? Babe why are you shaking? Are you cold?" A worried tone sounds in his voice as he continues to hold me.
"N...no..no.." I sniff wiping my face on the back of my hand.
"Tell me... what's the matter?"
"I...i...i'm...s..scared..."
Gary pulls back a little during the hug to have a look at my face. "You're scared? What on earth of Mark?" Using a single finger he removes my falling tears.
"All...All this... the notes... the so called secrets about me... the 'break in'... and now the drugs... what's next? Why me? I haven't upset anyone... i wouldn't... i'm not like that and i don't want to lose you, because of whoevers doing all this." Sickness swirls around my stomach and my muscles begin to tighten.
"Hey... you're never going to lose me...none of this is your fault... someone is playing games with us which aren't funny in any sense." Lightly he plants a kiss onto my clammy forehead calming me slightly.
"I...I just don't understand why...and who? I mean-" Unable to keep it in any longer i run quickly to the bathroom where i begin to throw up into the toilet. Within seconds Gary comes running into the bathroom crouching beside me stroking my back and moving my hair from my face. "I...i don't like this..." Resting my head against my arm on the toilet seat once i've finished throwing up.
"Sssh... it's ok... i'm going to stay here with you tonight... you need looking after." Gary continues to stroke my back in small circles.
"Was...was you planning on going out anywhere?"
Gary shrugs still holding a fist full of my hair. "I had that Charity gig didn't i, but my boyfriend comes first no matter what...they'll understand."
"Oh...no Gaz...please don't stay home on my account... please go and do the gig i'll be fine honest... i feel much better after being sick anyway." Feeling incredibly guilty keeping him here i rub my temples soothing my slight headache.
"Mark... it wouldn't be right me leaving you... and not alone anyway... i wouldn't ever forgive myself it something happened."
"M...Maybe invite Howard and Jay to keep me company then if it'll put your mind at rest... but please go to your gig... it's for charity you can't let them down... i couldn't live with myself knowing i'm the reason why you'll cancel." Softly i smile stroking his shoulder whilst i run my hand through my slightly damp hair.
"Only if you're sure?"
"I'm sure."
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Yasmin's POV

A clicking sound disturbs me from my light doze. Flickering my eyelids i stare up the ceiling i'm still in the hospital. My operation is tomorrow on my broken wrist which has been numbed in the mean time reducing the unbearable pain. Very carefully i turn onto my left hand side seeing the person i least like to speak to right now sitting in the chair beside me. "What are you doing here?" Coldly i ask feeling disgusted to even look at him.
Robbie peers up from his phone he sits casual with his right leg crossed over his left surprise shows in his eyes seeing me awake. "H...How are you feeling babe?"
"Don't pretend nothings happened, and don't call me babe." Angrily i snap at him. "Have you come here to give me answers then? Details about this lovely Laura who's so special to you that you've lost your family because of her."
"Let me explain." His voice is muffled against the palms of his hands which rub his tired looking face. "It stopped way before we got married."
"Liar!" I shake my head i don't even feel upset about it anymore the tears and heartbreak has already happened. "She was at the stag do... she threatened Mark and Gary at the club didn't she? Money or a quickie with Mark and she'll keep her mouth shut about their relationship... your own friends Robbie? How could you go with someone as cruel minded as her?!" I don't even know what to do anymore i already know what happened i just need him to admit, so i can put my mind at rest. "The disappearing... the lies... what about your own daughter? You risk spending time with your own flesh and blood to go with some... some cheap tart! A stripper and you say it ended way before the wedding? Bull. She was at the wedding!"
He doesn't speak it's almost like times frozen. "Y...yeah... she was...and that did happen...but when i say it stopped before wedding i mean it. We had a fling which lasted no longer than a month... i was just there for her when no one else was we are...well now were friends and nothing more than that i swear to you Yasmin." His voice becomes more of a begging tone trying to make me believe him. Who's he kidding does he really think i can trust he after all of this? Really?

"You're pathetic you know that? You expect me to believe you and come running to you open armed? No chance. I knew all this time about the affair, but i kept my mout shut for the sake of our family we don't need you, and if you think you're going to see your daughter you've got another thing coming! Now get out!" My breathing increases. Even by looking at him he turns my stomach knowing he was in the arms of another woman after all these months behind my back feeding me nothing but lies.
He shakes his head standing to his feet. "You can't do that. You can't stop me from seeing my own daughter!"
"I'll see you in court."
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Mark's POV

Noise from downstairs sounds from the tv. Howard and Jason have been here no longer than 10 minutes and place has become a party in some way. Pulling the duvet up to my chin i wrap my arms tightly around it almost like i'm hugging someone. I wish Gary was here so i could cuddle up to him it feels like my body has turned into stone somehow. Drugs are pretty nasty things. A niggling pain hits against my temples as i just lay thinking about Gary. It wouldn't be fair me keeping him all to myself he has a life other than being in a relationship with me. "Knock knock." Speaks a voice from the other side of the door. Carefully i slide up my pillows getting into a comfortable position.
"C...come in."

The door ajars enough for me to see the dark chocolate curls and rough stubble of a tall man entering the room. It's Howard. "How are you feeling now mate? Gary explained everything which has happened." He walks over to the empty space beside me causing it to sag when he sits.
"Erm... yeah... i'm ok i guess... just a headache...and...and...a...aaa....ACHOO!" Loudly i sneeze almost knocking myself out of bed. "Got a bloody cold now too." I sniff feeling my nose become blocked.
"Wow... you really are in the wars lately aren't you? Are you sure everything's ok?"
"Honest... just a slight headache, a few aches here and there and now a cold, but other than that i'm ok.." Again i sniff trying to clear my nose enough for me to breathe out of it.
"And you and Gary? Everything ok there?" He asks with a concerned friend like look on his face.
"Y...Yeah.. me and Gary are great... why do you ask?"
Howard shrugs resting his leg underneath him, as he continues to sit on Gary's side of the bed. "Just looking out for you... both of you... just the past few days you haven't seemed yourself when we speak on the phone..."
"Oh...well it's fine honest it's just..."
"It's just...what?" Howard picks up on the slight change in my voice.
"It's nothing really... Gary's just been having a few rough days... with the accident... and the notes... i'm not the best person to live with sometimes... i'm not surprise i annoy him which makes him kinda angry."
He squints his eyes a little at me. "I've lived with the four of you for five years... you all did my head in at times... but you never made me angry... has he done something to you...has he hit you?"
"NO!" Surprised at how high pitched my voice sounds i clear my throat. "N...no...he hasn't...not really..."
"Not really? What do you mean not really, Mark?"
Lightly i shrug my aching body looking down at the fresh duvet covers which Gary changed. "The night of the accident...Rob kept winding him up...and he found out i was the shoulder for Robbie to cry on a few times in the last months... so he got angry when we came home...Gary...er...he pushed me against the wall...and shouted at me a little... then...then he...erh.... punched the wall... a couple of inches from my face..."
Howard blinks a few times shocked by my reply. "Jesus... was this the only time? Are you sure he hasn't hurt you?"

I shake my head in reply to Gary hurting me. "He pushed me last night, but nothing bad he was drunk and angry about the break in, but it was nothing serious... it just scares me... that's all..."
"I'm sorry to hear that mate... you know if you ever want to get away for a few days you're always welcome to stay with me."
Stretching out an arm i pat Howard's shoulder weakly. "It means a lot, but honestly i'm fine... he loves me he'd never hurt me... i know that for sure... we all go through these phases." Another knock sounds on the door. Both mine and Howard's head shoots to the direction seeing Jason poke his head around holding the house phone in his right hand.
"Mark... Gaz is on the phone he wants to see if you're ok... do you want to speak to him?"
A smile forms on my face hearing the mention of Gary's name. I miss him. "Yes."
Jason walks in handing me the phone. "Oh there's some soup for you downstairs. Hopefully it'll warm you up, so don't speak for too long otherwise it'll get cold and i cooked it fresh for you."
I release a small laugh pressing the phone against my ear. "Thanks Jay." Watching out of the corner of my eye i notice Howard nod his head towards the door to Jason. They both stand up walking out of the room together. I know exactly what they're up to. They're going to act like Gary's some sort of monster.