Wake Up [part 2]

*Read the first part here [LINK]

I slowly opened my eyes as the morning light entering through the blinded windows started to fill my entire view. The room smelled different from yesterday and the other days. Instead of the usual odor of drugs and sanitizer, it was filled with the smell of fresh flowers. I pushed myself up and saw, all around my bed and on the end table beside me, baskets and bunches of live flowers of all sorts laying around. My jaws shot open with surprise.

"Good morning Audrey." Said a voice from one corner of the room, which I recognized so well. I turned and saw him smiling towards me, a sweet and honest smile. He approached my bed, pushing off the curtains covering my bed on the way. I sat there staring blankly towards him, not really knowing how to react, though my heart really said that I was supposed to be happy.

The guy picked up a bouquet of flowers laying on the pale green visitor chair and sat in its place. 

"How are you today?" he asked. I sat there still as a pole, staring towards the bouquet of flowers that I noticed were actually roses in his hands. Who sent me these flowers? Was it he? Why? I thought I already made it clear to him that I did not want to see him again. I wanted to ask him these questions, but my head told me otherwise. I obeyed my head and sat there staring towards him silently. His smile faded a little, but it was still there. 

"Audrey, I don't know what I did wrong to you..." He started finally when I refused to respond to anything that he said. His eyes fell and his face looked sorry. "I tried hard to understand that you're trying very hard for yourself. But I can't stand this distance any longer. It's as if  I'm watching you from outside a glass window, I can see you but I can't reach for you."

There was a slight break in his voice, and I noticed tears streaming down his cheeks. I felt my heart stop for awhile, and a choking sensation in my chest. 

"Audrey, you left me clueless for a month! I was helpless, frantically searching for you, but suddenly everyone didn't want to help me. Suddenly everyone decided that it was better to leave me be without you, that I could go on perfectly fine without you. You know I can't, don't you? You know how wrong they were don't you?!"

I sat there still, tears leaking out from my own eyes now. He looked straight into me, hoping I would say anything, but I didn't. I simply stared back, letting the tears free-fall without doubt. 

"I know you're suffering. I know it's not easy to go through all this, but you should have told me, Audrey! You should have told me! I thought you trusted me of all people, but you didn't! You don't know how painful it was for me, one month losing hope, thinking you would have found a better person. Why, Audrey? Say something!"

There was desperation in his voice. I put my palm close to my mouth, trying to stop myself from sobbing. The tears ran down heavily across my cheeks now. Despite his own, he reached across from the seat and wiped my tears. I sobbed harder. The strong wall around me actually crumbled seeing the tears he shed. I never believed I would see him that way. He used to be so hard-rock, so strong.

"Audrey...." 

"Mark, I'm sorry.... I'm so, so sorry..."

To Be Continued...