To Have and To Hold (Chap. 4)

WOW
It's been awhile since I've posted a chapter for you guys and I'm sooo sorry about that.
I've been doing a lot but now I have a brand new laptop and nothing but time on my hands so expect plenty of new chapters this summer.
And thanks for being patience with me
-Cici
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Keala was asleep. The boys were in bed and Leonard and I had decided to catch up.
"Old man"
"Child" He said chuckling and looking at me with his always serious and loving and caring gray eyes, "How have you been it has been 4, 5 years since we last spoke?" He said. I nodded.
"Yes about that long." I said scratching the back of my neck. He snatched my arm and looked at it.
"Well this one is new. This one here" He said pointing to a tattoo of barbed wire around my wrist that had 'blood' dripping from it. I turned my wrist over and shrugged my shoulders.
"Yeah I suppose it is. I got it no longer after Aliza and I left." I said putting my hand back in its place behind my head.
"Ah I see. How is she?" Leonard asked. I shook my head. I hadn't talked to her since we left. We had gotten hitched and it didn't end well. At least that was the story I decided to stick with. "That bad huh? I told you there was something about her." Leonard said scolding me.

"Yeah I know old man" His pass time? Rubbing things in my face and lifting Marcus up. Leonard was like a father to us. Our real dad died when we were 7 and our mom took over his multimillion dollar corruption. When she died from lung cancer Marcus and I split the business in half. Him taking the more glamorous side of it, the magazines, while I took on the beneficial side of things, her investments in to medical technology, R&D for new drugs. That sort of thing Yep that's right I'm a doctor but as far as I know I'm the highest paid doctor in the world. Well maybe not the world probably the United States. Aliza was the boy's nanny she was amazing girl. With far to many problems for one person to handle. She had trust issues so therapy seemed reasonable than things were just a downward spiral from there, and what could I do but watch? After only 6 months we went our separate ways and spoke daily then weekly. Eventually we just stopped speaking to each other, stopped seeing each other. It was all for the better.

"All for the better?" I stopped and turned to him.
"She lost our child" I said. Oh yeah that was another reason we went our ways and the biggest reason she stopped working for Marcus. Leonard knitted his brow and looked at me then turned his head and continued to walk.
"Yes. All for the better" I sighed and rolled my eyes. Granted Leonard was a father figure to me he could be cold heartless with no remorse.
"I suppose your right."
"Do you intend to stay awhile this time? I think the boys would enjoy it since Marcus is constantly on business trips and with his new girlfriend," Leonard said sighing. We had reached java central. A part of the city that held several notable restaurants. Leonard nodded heading towards a cafe that served African and morracn cuisine, we asked for a table and continued to catch up.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The next day I woke up to silence. Not even running water from the kitchen of Leonard washing dishes that were already clean. Bad habit of his. I walked out of my room boxers no t-shirt. I walked into the kitchen deciding on a bowl of apple jacks for breakfast or lunch depending on how you wanted to look at it. I poured the bowl and began to eat.
"You look the same as the night I left you." I jumped dropping my bowl and saw Aliza. She had a way of popping up at the worst times in the strangest places. I checked my pulse to make sure I was still alive next was my vision I blinked then pinched myself. The only way she could truly be standing in front of me was if she was a figment of my imagination or she was like me.

"You're not real" I said moving around the broken glass and spilled milk. I looked at her at her jet black hair and piercing green eyes. I smiled and laughed "You're not real. I'm still dreaming" I said her sadistic smile faded.
"Damn." She said. I blinked and when I opened my eyes again she was gone. I looked around the kitchen to make sure what I was just that. Something of my imagination. IT was. Yeah losing sleep was never really a good thing I was known to lose it every now and then and see things. Give me break you know you talk to your self sometimes. Fine deny it and pretend you don't. At least I know I have a few screws that could use a wrench. I cleaned up the spilled milk and broken glass along with my breakfast. I heard the door open.

"WHY NOT!" Screamed Elijah. "Why did she leave?" He said I could hear the tears ripping apart his voice as he yelled at Leonard.
"She has to come back!" Elijah yelled.
"I'm not sure if she'll be coming back. It was temporary," Leonard said trying his best to explain it to them. So just like that. As fast as she walked in she left. But why? She did say she would be staying for a bit longer I don't see why she would just up and leave. I heard Leonard instructed the boys to go to their rooms and take a nap. I heard soft stomps up the stairs. Leonard walked in to the kitchen rubbing the back of his neck.
"All for the better?" I asked. He shook his head
"No. I'm not sure where she left to. Her things are here and she did leave a note asking me to watch the boys for the day but" He cut his sentence short. "You broke a dish." He said
"Umm yes" I said looking around

"You didn't clean the spill." He said reaching under the sink for some cleaning solution and a rag. I moved out-of-the-way for him to do his job. I shook my head. With it almost 6 I showered and then treated myself to a night on the town. Java central wasn't exactly the scene I was looking for. Neither was date row. So I decried on some of the underground clubs. My favorite was the Tea House. It was more exciting than the name. I walked to the front doors in front of everyone else. I showed the bouncer a yellow card and he let me in allowing the sad sighs and fouls words to be drowned out by the rave music that filled the place. Immediately I was pulled to the dance floor by some girls. I enjoyed myself getting high off the dancing and drunk from a drink or two. But I could walk straight so that's all that mattered. I looked down at the end of the bar and saw Aliza. Now I didn't have that much to drink so she was real alright. She smiled and waved me over. To make sure she was talking to me I glanced around before walking over to her. She pulled me outside.
"It's been some time."

"It has" I said as we walked out the alley and down the street. She immediately clung to me. Holding on to my arm and leaning her head on my shoulder. Her hair was still long but was died red. It fit her aside from the fact she was Korean and whatever color she died her hair it would look nice. Red fit.
"How have you been? I've missed you." She said sweetly
"You're the one who left remember?" I asked ignoring her question. I was happy to see her though. We turned the corner and walked in to the park.
"I do." She said then to me and smiled she said "I'm all better and want you to take me back. I was being crazy and irrational at times." There was no cure for craziness in my book but she wasn't one to lie. I did love Aliza and I did care. I was happy to see her but something told me saying I'll take you back would be foolish on my part.
"Aliza you know I want to say yes but I refuse to."

"Why?" She asked as we stopped again and she turned to me her feelings hurt from what I said "Jack fixed me" She said trying to figure out my reasoning as to why I said no.
"Jack? You went and saw Jack?" I asked her. She turned and looked at me giving a weak smile and fought back tears from hurt feelings. Such a fragile creature she was. Jack was a very close family friend and an owner of a very successful music company. If it dealt with music good chance Jack had something to do with it. Why would she go to him? He wasn't trust worthy when it came to women Marcus learned that first hand when Lizzie the boy's mother left him. I turned and we continued to walk until we came to the middle of the park it was light with oil lamps it was so beautiful. She looked at me.

"Well will we start with a new page please?" She asked holding my hands in hers. I looked around and spotted a girl sitting on the fountain holding her arm. We walked closer and I saw it was Keala. What was she doing out this late and alone? I rushed over to her.
"Are you alright? What happened?" I asked Keala looked up at me her face said a lot. She had tears streaming down her cheeks causing her make up to run. She held her arm tightly but I could see it was doing very little she was bleeding heavily.
"J they hurt me." She said standing and immediately collapsed in to my arms. I turned and looked at Aliza who was curious as to know who the girl I was holding was.
"J?" She asked giggling at it. I turned to her
"Aliza not now. Either help me or leave"

"Fine" She said pulling out her cell phone and dialed 911. While we waited for the ambulance I applied pressure to where she was bleeding. It was like there was carving in her arms done with a diver's knife. She was rushed to the hospital and the doctors admitted her for overnight observation. I thanked them and before going in to sit with Keala Aliza talked to me.
"She's the reason you said no." She said more a fact than a question in her opinion
"Keala is not that reason I told you no." I said
"Oh so you know her name. You must like her. You only remember a girl's name if they interest you" She said her arms folded across her chest. I let out a sigh not in a mood to argue with her.

"Well at least I now know my competition." She said before kissing my cheek and leaving. So typical of her. Never give up without a fight. I shook my head and walked in Keala's room she was awake and the light over her bed was on.
"Hi there" I said sitting in the chair next to the bed. She turned and looked at me.
"The doctor said that umm I was bleeding pretty bad and umm" She said looking at the late night news on the TV. "That you found me and kind of saved my life?" She said rubbing her head. I nodded
"Thank you is all I can. You know I didn't think in a million years that would happen to me." She said
"What did happen?"

"I was umm walking back to catch a taxi to my home and out of nowhere this group of guys walked up to me. Wanting something. They were speaking Latin. Before I know it one held me to the ground and another pulled out a large knife and sliced up my arm. She said looking at the bandages that were wrapped around her for arm. I touched her hand as she reached to wipe away tears.
"All that matters is your safe now." She laughed as the tears flowed like a waterfall. She gently squeezed my hand
"Thank you." She said with a smile at me. I nodded.
"I'll stay the night make sure you're comfortable and all." I said standing to go wash up. She nodded turning her attention back to the TV. It seems that it was time for me to pay a visit to my old friend Jack.