The earth shattering truth - II

"How can he save her when he himself has lost that battle... a battle of his own life?"

Emily whispered but her words were loud enough to reach Regan's ears. He stared at her in shocked silence. He didn't need an explanation to understand the meaning behind her words which hit him like a tonnes of brick. The words were clear and so as their implication. However, he didn't want to admit or accept what he heard to be true. He was still unconvinced with those words and looked at the people in his front as if they would foresee his suspicion and clear it any moment. Jack has taken Emily in his arms and she was crying her heart out. He stood there for a few seconds waiting for atleast one of them to speak something but when none of them spoke, he squinted his eyes and said incredulously.

"I'm talking about Ashton. The one who Anna loves."

Emily met Regan's eyes with her teary ones.

"I am talking about the same Ashton. Anna's love and... my deceased brother."

Her words were loud and clear. A storm was brewing in his heart with every passing second as the reality was gradually sinking in his mind. And as if it was not enough, the next what she said left him completely dismayed.

"Jack... Why? Anna knows he would never come back. Why does she want him? Why did the doctor said so?"

"This incident has somewhere triggered her past memories where she lost Ashton in an identical situation. It has happened again. I... I don't know if she would be able to overcome it..."

"No no. She has to Jack. I have already lost my brother, I can't lose her too. Even Dad won't be able to bear that. I promised him that I would take care of her. What kind of a sister I am? I failed to protect the one person that my brother loved the most." She said with teary eyes and broke again.

Regan took a few steps back. His face was blank without a hint of any emotion. He moved his gaze towards the doctor who just came out of Anna's room and approached him for further updates.

"I want to see her."

Without waiting for his answer, Regan moved towards the direction which led him towards Anna. Every day, every hour and every moment that he spent and shared with her flashed in his subconscious mind with every other thing. Whatever they had between them... they never actually needed words to communicate. He could hear and understand her words, her silence, her fear, her pain, the emptiness in her eyes and everything else due to which he was always drawn towards her.

'I AM GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR ACCEPTING THIS DEAL FOR IT IS A DREAM OF SOMEONE SPECIAL WHO IS VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART.'

'DO YOU LOVE HIM?.....MORE THAN MY LIFE.'

'ANNA... I CAN SAY THIS RING MUST HAVE COST A FORTUNE TO YOUR MAN. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL AND EXTRAVAGANT.'

"YES IT IS. HE ALWAYS WANTED THE BEST FOR ME.'

'IT'S ABOUT ANNA. HER LIFE HAS NEVER BEEN EASY AND STILL SHE IS GOING THROUGH A TOUGH PHASE.'

'SHE WAS A VIVACIOUS GIRL BUT AFTER MY SON'S DEATH....SHE SHOULDERED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS COMPANY.'

'THERE ARE MANY THINGS ABOUT HER THAT YOU DON'T KNOW YET.'

'HER PAST HAS WOUNDED HER SOUL AND SHE IS STILL FACING ITS AFTERMATH.'

'LOVING SOMEONE ISN'T JUST A STRONG FEELING. IT'S A DECISION... A PROMISE TO STICK BY ONE'S SIDE AND LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY.'

'RE... REGAN. I..... I... THEY...THEY WILL TAKE....TAKE ME. I DON'T... I DON'T WANT TO... THEY WILL FORCE... FORCE ME.....I.....'

'IS IT THEIR ROOM?...

YES IT IS. IN FACT THIS WHOLE MANSION WAS BUILT BY HIM FOR ANNA. HE WANTED TO LIVE WITH HER OVER HERE AFTER THEIR WEDDING.'

'I DON'T KNOW AFTER HOW LONG I LAUGHED SO HARD AND RELAXED.'

'THAT PLACE HOLDS NO GOOD MEMORIES FOR ME. INDEED IT DOES BUT IT HAS EQUALLY GIVEN ME SCARS THAT HAVE OUTCASTED THOSE GOOD ONES.'

'THIS PROJECT IS ONE OF MY BIGGEST DREAM AND A SPECIAL PRESENT TO SOMEONE I LOVE DEARLY.

ASHTON?

YES'

'HAVE YOU FOUND ABOUT ASHTON?

HE WAS... I MEAN HE IS A GREAT GUY. HE HAS LOVED ANNA MORE THAN HIS LIFE AND I AM SURE HE WOULD DO IT TILL THE END OF HIS LIFE.'

'I..... I HAVE LOST ENOUGH PEOPLE IN MY LIFE.'

'MUMMA, DADDY, ASHTON... EVERYONE LEFT ME.'

'YOU WOULDN'T SEE HIM BECAUSE HE IS NOT HERE WITH ME.'

'A VERY VERY VERY LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP. A VERY LONG DISTANCE. I WANT US TO BE TOGETHER LIKE BEFORE BUT HE IS TOO FAR.'

'HE CAN'T COME BACK. EVEN IF HE WANTS TO. IT'S ME WHO HAS TO GO TO HIM. BUT I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO... FOR THOSE HE LEFT BEHIND.'

'IS SHE REALLY HAPPY? HAVE YOU SEEN HIM? MET HIM?'

'YOU ARE RIGHT. HE'S NOT HERE AND I KNOW HE'S NOT GOING TO COME BACK.'

The meaning behind those words from her and others increased the heaviness in his heart. It seemed as if her life was an open book for everyone except him. Even to his own people whom he called friends who betrayed him. He didn't even realize that by then, he was sitting beside her on a chair until he felt a drop of water on his hand that was holding hers. He was stunned to find out that the warm liquid in the form of the droplet was his own tear that escaped his eye on watching her wounded and bruised state, on knowing about the sufferings she went through and on feeling her pain. He brought her bandaged hand towards his lips and kissed it lingering his lips over it with misty eyes gazing her face.

"I once wished for you to be mine Anna. I intended to be selfish for making you mine. I had prayed to God to give me a chance to be with you. I had asked him for your love. I never thought that it would be true like this. I always held myself back because your happiness was the ultimate thing that I ever wished for. More than mine. Had it been in my hands, I would have brought him back in your life Anna. It wouldn't have been more heartbreaking than this. To see you like this.

I was always able to see through your soul. I could feel it's pain...but may be I was too selfish and oblivious to find the reason behind it, to know the reason behind Ashton's absence in your life. If I had done that before, you would have not been here... in this condition.

It would be selfish of me to say that I can feel your sorrow. I can understand your pain. But trust me I can. The moment I saw your lifeless body and later held you in my arms, it took everything in me to hold on my strength for you. I thought that I lost you forever and then and there I had decided that if God would give me another chance to be with you.... I wouldn't let you down. I won't give up on my love for you. I would atleast tell you about how I feel for you. Even if you would hate me after that.

My love has not wavered a bit after knowing about this bitter truth Anna. In fact it has heightened on a whole new level. Not because I pity you. I adore and respect you more than I ever had.... for what you are. You are the strongest person I have ever seen and this makes me love you more...more than anything.

The pain I gave you with my words and actions... I can't take that back but I promise...once you'll open your eyes, I will make it to you Anna. Earlier I did make several promise to you in my heart and I know I failed to keep up with them. But I promise you today, I won't hurt you. I won't leave you. Ever."

He stood up from the chair and sat on her bed. He kissed her hand again and placed it on his heart with his hand over it.

"Can you feel it? I know you can. Although I failed to understand and feel yours but you always had and you still can. This is me Anna. All of me. And I am all yours. Come back please. I know your heart wants him. I am not Ashton and I know I won't be able to replace him in your heart. But this heart of mine is yours. Please come back for me this time. It needs you. We need you heart. I promise you to protect you, cherish you, hold you and love you forever. I know you have lost too many people in your life. I promise you that from this moment, you are not alone anymore. I will live for you Anna protecting my every breath to be with you... always.

Anastasia Prescott from this moment... Regan Knight is all yours. I promise you that no matter what... I'll fight for us... for your happiness even if it means to fight with you. I may not be the one you want but my love would be enough for both of us Anna. Let me be the one for every smile and happiness that is waiting for you heart. I promise to give you all that you have missed in these years, everything you deserve and everything you wish for. Please come back. For my existence, for my survival, for my sanity, for my love.... Please come back. Please."

He stood up again and kissed her forehead lovingly, pouring his every emotion in that moment to make her realize that his every word was true just like his heart that was beating for her and wouldn't survive in her absence.

"I love you. Please come back for me Anna."

And as if she had heard and felt his every word and emotion, she whispered something that freezed him on his spot pulsating his heartbeat as if assuring him that she was coming back this time... for him. May be her heart didn't need her body to be awake to feel his heart that was beating under her hand for her. In that moment, it seemed as if her soul had heard the voice of his soul and somewhere accepted it too without consenting her heart or mind. But it was all that his own heart needed and got in that moment to find some peace and solace amidst all the pain when she softly whispered his name.

"Regan!"