Love Without Boundaries - Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Forty-One
It has been five days since Preston was attacked and he still hadn’t woken up from his coma, five days since Robert hasn’t been able to sleep or eat. He was on edge; his mind was too worried about Preston. He could only think about how he might never wake up? There was no way he could go on with his life if Preston wasn’t in it. He blamed himself for not going with him to meet Ann Marie; he could have just waited outside until they were done. He should have never allowed him to walk to the restaurant by himself. Robert had been spending all his time at the hospital. The only time he ever went home was to shower and change clothes, only because his family made him. Robert spends most of the time sitting by Preston’s side talking to him and hoping he would wake up. Robert was telling Preston a story about his youth when Preston’s dad walked in. Robert looked up at him and knew it was his cue to leave. He got up and told Preston he will be back later, as he was walking towards the door he was stopped by Gregory.
“You don’t have to leave every time I come in.” Gregory said.
“I know, but I think you would rather have some time alone with your son. It’s fine I should probably get something to eat.” Robert said.
“Robert I know that you think I don’t approve of Preston’s life choice, I didn’t at first but after this happen it helped me open my eyes. I’m just sorry I didn’t realize it sooner. Every day that passes and he still doesn’t wake, I just think I’m never going to get the chance to tell him I’m sorry for being an asshole. He never deserved to be treated that way by me, as his father I should have accepted him the way he is.”
“Maybe you should be telling him that instead of me.” Gregory nodded and let Robert pass by but not before telling him one more thing.
“Robert thank you for being there for my son when he needed it the most and I’m glad that out of everyone he could have been with he picked you.”
“I glad to have your son in my life; he is what makes my life worthwhile.” Robert walked out of the room and he almost ran into Vera.
“Oh hey just the person I was looking for, I tried calling you, but I just got your voicemail.” Vera said, Robert pulled out his phone and saw it had died. He forgot to charge the battery.
“Sorry my phone died, what did you need?” Robert said Vera looked at him; he was making himself sick from worry. It didn’t help he wasn’t sleeping or eating right.
“Your family is just worried about you. They think it’s best if someone was here with you. So how are you doing?” Robert sighed as they were walking towards the cafeteria. He knew that no matter how hard he tells himself he is fine, he knew he wasn’t and everyone around knew it also.
“Not good at all, I just keep thinking that he isn’t going to wake up. I blame myself for what happen to him. I should have gone for him.” Robert kicked the door that lead to the cafeteria. Vera flinched at the loud band it made when it hit the wall. Everyone there turned around to where the loud noise came from. Robert saw everyone looking at him and apologizes; they get in line to get some food. Robert had only grabbed a bottle of water and an apple, Vera grabbed two sandwiches, a soda and a bag of chips. They paid for their food and found a table to sit at. Robert opened his water and took a drink, and grabbed the apple. He let it roll from one hand to the other hand; he had no desires to eat it. Vera reached over and snatched the apple away from him. Robert looked up at her and he could see that she was annoyed.
“Can I have my apple back?” Robert asked. Vera looked at and handed him the sandwiches and chips. Robert looked at the food then back at Vera.
“Eat,” she said as she opened her soda. Robert picked up the sandwiches and stared at it, he didn’t want to eat it. He wasn’t hungry and just placed it back on the plate.
“I’m not hungry,” he said as he pushed it back to Vera, which only annoyed her even more.
“Fine if you’re not going to eat, I’m going to stay here with you all day. Then when Preston finally wakes up I’m going to tell him how you wouldn’t eat or sleep because of him. Then he is going to get upset because he was the reason that you were getting sick.” Robert’s head snapped up and looked her; she wouldn’t dare tell Preston that. She knew he would blame himself. He looked at her and could see she wasn’t bluffing. He took the plate again and started to eat, while Vera watch him everything.
“There are you happy I ate everything, now can we go?” Vera nodded and got up, walked over to the trash can and threw her trash. She handed the apple back to Robert.
“That is for later, when I’m not here and you better eat it.” Robert nodded; they had gotten back to Preston’s room, just as Ann Marie was leaving, when she saw Robert she started to cry.
“I’m so sorry.” Ann Marie said, Robert looked at her, he didn’t know what she was sorry about. If anything he should be the one telling her he was sorry for breaking her heart and going out with her cousin.
“I should be the one that is sorry; I should have just come clean about my feelings for Preston. I didn’t mean for you to find out that way. I’m sorry and I hope you can forgive us. I know how much it was killing Preston not being able to talk to you, because he thought you hated him. The day you called him and told him you wanted to talk made him so happy.” Robert said, Ann Marie was crying even harder now. She felt like the biggest bitch in the world right now. It was her fault that Preston was in that hospital bed right now in a coma.
“It’s my entire fault,” she said. Robert pulled her into his arms.
“No it’s not, if it’s anyone’s fault it’s mine. I should have never let him meet me at the restaurant.” Robert said, Ann Marie raised her head from Robert’s chest and looked at him. No matter how many times she told herself she wasn’t still in love with him, she still felt herself melt in his eyes. She would probably be in love with him for the rest of her life, but maybe when she tells him the truth and how it is her fault. He would hate her and might help her move on.
“It’s my fault, he was meeting me at the coffee shop, but I had it set up so it was Grant at the coffee shop instead of me. I was so mad when I found out about you two that I wanted to hurt y’all. I thought if I could set it up and make it look like Preston was seeing Grant behind your back that you would get angry and do something stupid. Then Preston would get upset and he would want to take a break from you. I never thought that would happen to him, had I known I would have never done it. Please I’m so sorry,” Ann Marie looked at Robert, his face was unreadable; but then he pushed her away from him. She saw nothing but disgust and anger on his face. He couldn’t believe she would do that, to her own cousin.
“How could you do that to your own family? Because of you he is in there and because of you he might never wake up.” Robert yelled at her. She started to cry again, which only made him angrier. “Don’t you dare stand there and start crying, you have no right to cry. If anything you should be in there with him on your hands and knees asking for forgiveness.” Robert couldn’t stand to see her anymore and left.
Vera saw him storming off towards the exit and ran after him.  “Robert, wait up,” Vera said as she tried to catch up to him. He didn’t stop until he was in the parking lot next to his car. “Where are you going?” Robert yelled out something but Vera couldn’t hear him.  He slammed his hands onto the hood of his car, he might have not felt the pain right now but he would feel it later.  She finally caught up to him and asked him again where he was going.
“I just need to leave for a while; I can’t be in the same room as her right now.”
“Then I’m coming with you, I don’t want you to be alone nor do I want you to be driving.” Robert nodded and handed her his keys, they got in and drove off.
Ann Marie was still crying after Robert stormed off, she walked back into Preston’s room and saw her aunt sitting next to him. When she looked up at Ann Marie she asked, “What was with all the yelling?” Ann Marie took a deep breath before she said anything; she was not sure how her aunt was going to react.
“I told Robert how it was my fault that Preston was in the hospital.” She retold the story to her aunt, while she watched as her aunt’s face changed from worried to sadness. When she was done Erin got up off the chair and walked to where Ann Marie stood. She pulled her into her arms, which surprised her.
“I know you think I hate you for what you did and I’m not going to lie. A little part of me does, but hating you isn’t going to bring my son out of his coma. I know that right now you feel horrible and regret doing it, so that should be enough punishment.” Ann Marie could only nod her head. “I’m going to go get a cup of coffee, why don’t you try talking to him. Maybe try telling him you’re sorry for what you did. He might be asleep but he can still hear us.” Erin walked out of the room to leave them alone. Ann Marie walked over to the chair next to the bed and sat down. She took Preston’s hand in hers and started to tell him how sorry she was.
Preston wakes up in a green meadow covered in wildflowers. It’s a place he has never seen before; he started to walk around until he saw a man and woman standing in front of a pond feeding the ducks. He walked over to them to ask if they knew where he was. He tapped on the man’s shoulder.
“Excuse me sir, sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you know where I am?” Preston asked, once the man and the woman turned around he jumped back. He couldn’t believe his eyes; he was looking at his dead Aunt Beth and Uncle Brent. This couldn’t be right; they died like ten years ago. If they were real than that could only mean one thing, he was dead. He just couldn’t remember how it happened.
“Am I dead?” Preston asked as he looked at them.
“No, not quite buddy, you’re in a place they call limbo, a place where the living and the dead exist together.” His uncle said.
“But what does that mean for me?” Preston asked, his aunt walked up to him and place one arm around his shoulder.
“It means that something terrible happened to you and now you’re stuck here until you can find your way back. That’s why we are here, to help you find your way back. Do you remember what happened to you?” his aunt asked. Preston was trying to remember what happened before waking up here, but nothing was coming to him.
“No I’m sorry I don’t remember.”
“That’s alright buddy, just give it time and it will come back to you.” Preston sits down on the ground; this was too much for him to take in all at once. He was wondering how long he has been in a coma, how his family was doing and if Robert was alright? He must be worried sick about him; he hoped Robert hadn’t sunk into another deep depression. His aunt and uncle sat down next to him. He just wanted to be left alone right now and try to remember what happened before waking up here.
“It might help if you could remember what happened to you a couple of days ago.” His aunt said. Preston thought back, he remembers going to a night club with Robert and ringing in the New Year and his birthday. Then he remembered about getting a phone call from Ann Marie about wanting to put things behind them. They were supposed to meet at Starbucks to talk, but he ran into Grant instead. They got into an argument and Preston stormed out of there, but he called Robert to tell him he was on his way. Then he started walking to the restaurant to meet Robert and that is where he ran into some guys that wouldn’t let him pass and he remember trying to run away but they caught up with him and that is when he was attacked and passed out until he woke up here. His aunt looked at him, “You remember now don’t you? What happened to you?”
“I was attacked on my way to meet my boyfriend for dinner.” Preston waited to see their reaction to him being gay.
“If you think we are going to hate you for being gay, you’re wrong. To us it doesn’t matter who you love just as long as you’re happy.” His uncle said. Preston let out a sigh of relief, “I wish my dad would have been able to be so accepting like you.”
“I know you don’t realize it now, but he will come around. Now that you remember what happened you can go home and be with your family again.” The more Preston sat there and thought about everything that has been happening to him over the last couple of months. Things had gotten bad at times and things still weren’t easy for him. In a way he wasn’t really ready to go home yet, he wanted to stay here a little longer with his aunt and uncle. He was too young to really remember them.
“I have to go home don’t I?”
“Well that is really up to you buddy, but don’t you want to see your family again?”
“I want to, but things between my dad and Ann Marie aren’t good. They haven’t talked to me and I feel like they hate me.”
“Honey right now all they are thinking about is when you’re going to wake up because they miss you. So everything that has happening between y’all is forgotten. They just want you to come back to them. Beside there is a young man who is sick with worried about you and thinks you’re never going to wake up.” Preston let the last part sink in, he knew that he was right about Robert, his poor snookums is in pain right now and the only way to end it is for him to go back.
“I’m so sorry Preston, I never meant for that to happen to you. Please you need to wake up please.” Preston looked around to see where the voice was coming from, but only saw his aunt and uncle.
“Did you hear that?”
“Yes that’s Ann Marie and she is talking to you while you’re in your coma. See she does miss you and loves you.” Preston nodded his head and knew it was time to go home. He got up along with his aunt and uncle, he give them a hug walked toward the bright light.
“Tell Xavier and Ann Marie we miss them and love them very much.” They yelled after him and he waved goodbye to them.
Ann Marie woke up to someone stoking her hand, she brought her head up to see who it was, “Ann Marie is that you?” Preston said as he tried to sit up.
“Oh my god Preston you’re finally awake, I’m so sorry about what happen to you. I never meant for you to get hurt.” She started to cry again, Preston took her hand and said. “It’s ok, I know and I forgive you.”
“I wish Robert would forgive me that easily.” When she said that, Preston looked around and found Robert was not there.
“Where is Robert?”
“When I told him what I did he got angry and stormed out of here and that was a few hours ago and he hasn’t returned.”
“Maybe I should call him and let him know I’m finally awake.”
“No let me do that for you and I will go get everyone and tell them.” Preston nodded and Ann Marie walked out of the room. A few minutes later his family walked in and was overjoyed to see him awake.
“I’m so sorry about the way I acted towards you son and I hope we can be able to get back to how we were.” Gregory said.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way dad.” Gregory hugged his son and held him to make sure he was really there. Ann Marie had gone off to get a hold of Vera; she knew that Robert would never answer her call. Once she was outside she called Vera.
“They had spent hours driving around and during the drive Robert had fallen asleep. Poor thing the lack of sleep had finally caught up to him. She decided to drive him back to his house so he could sleep some more. She pulled up to his house and went inside to see if someone could help her get him inside to his room. After they placed him in his bed she went to sit down with Tanya, Nora and Vince.
“I can’t believe he finally fell asleep and I got him to eat as well.” Vera said.
“That’s good, he doesn’t need to be losing sleep and not eating. It’s not good for him. I just hope that Preston wakes up really soon.” Tanya said.
“I hope he doesn’t get mad when he wakes up and realizes that he missed out seeing Preston during visiting hours.” Nora said.
“I know, but hopefully he doesn’t wake up until tomorrow morning.” Vera said.
“We can only hope,” Tanya said, it was really late in the evening and she didn’t want Vera to drive all the way home and offered her a bed to sleep in, she must be tired from having spent the day with Robert.
“Thank you Tanya, I am beat.” Just as everyone was getting ready to turn in for the night, Antonio walked into the house.
“I see Robert is finally home, where is he.” He said as he walked into the living room.
“He is asleep in his room.” Tanya said. He was about to ask when Vera’s phone went off, she didn’t know the number but answered it any way. She had stepped out into the kitchen to answer it.
“Hello,” Vera said.
“Hey Vera, um this is Ann Marie. I just wanted to call and tell you that Preston is finally awake and he has been asking for Robert.” Vera almost dropped her phone when she heard the news.
“Ok when he wakes up I will let him know and we will be there first thing in the morning.” Vera hung up her phone and went back to the living room where Tanya was and said she needed to talk to her. She nodded and they walked into the kitchen, while Nora walked Vince back to his car. Antonio waited until he was sure Nora was gone and went to the door that leads to the kitchen.
“He is finally awake and he has been asking for Robert, but even if I was to wake him up we wouldn’t make it back in time to see him, so I told them we will be there tomorrow morning.”
“That’s good we should let him sleep anyway, now you go to sleep as well.” Vera said goodnight and went upstairs. Antonio went to his office before he was caught by them. This was his chance to finally break them up. He could leave now and make it in just after visiting hours and with his connection he could go see the boy. Antonio grabbed his keys and drove to the hospital. When he got there he asked which room Preston Shaw was in, they told him that he couldn’t see him because it was after visiting hours. Then he explains who he was and they let him in. He was glad to see his family wasn’t around, he found the room and walked in to find him watching TV. He walked closer and cleared his throat. When Preston turned to towards the door to see who had walked into his room, he jumped in his bed, but it only made him wince in pain.
“What are you doing here?” Preston asked.
“Well I just heard you woke up from your coma and I thought I would come see how you were doing.” Antonio said. Preston stared at him, he didn’t like him being here, and he had a reason for why he was here.
“You must know about me and Robert, don’t you?”
“I do and that is why I’m here, I tried to reason with my son. I told him he needs to break things off with you, but he straight out refused. I’m just thinking about his future.”
“Don’t you mean your nephew, I know Robert isn’t your son and why would I ever break up with him when I love him.” Preston said. Antonio could feel his blood boil.
“Two men can’t love each other don’t you see that, besides if you really do love him like you say you do, you will break up with him.”
“Why would I do that if I love him?”
“It’s quite a shame what happened to you, you were quite lucky to have survived.” Preston eyed him, what was he getting at.
“What’s your point?”
“My point is bad things happen to good people and wouldn’t it be a shame if something happened to Robert?  If he went thru the same ordeal you did, only he wasn’t as lucky to survive like you did?”
“You wouldn’t do anything to hurt your family, even if you don’t love them. It could be traced back to you anyway.”
“That’s what you think and if it does come back to me I don’t care, I just lost the one thing I loved most in this world, so I’m a man with nothing to lose. If you really love him then break up with him or watch him suffer.”
“What if I refuse?”
“Then I guess that’s your choice and when you see his mom and sister overcome with sadness, you will only have yourself to blame, because you were selfish and didn’t want to let him go. So I will leave you to think about our conversation and just remember if you really love him let him go.” Preston watched as Antonio walked out of his room and started to cry, it wasn’t fair that he wasn’t really giving him a choice here. He had no other option but to break up with him. As much as it was going to break his heart, he had to do it. He turned off the TV and tried to sleep, but sleep wasn’t coming and he couldn’t stop the tears from spilling out. It was a few hours before he was finally able to sleep.
Ann Marie was getting ready for bed when her phone rang, she looked at the number and saw it was Grant and answered.
“Hey Grant what can I do for you?”
“Hey Ann Marie sorry for calling so late, I just wanted to know how Preston is doing.” She had forgotten to call him.
“He finally woke up and he is doing better just in a lot of pain.”
“That’s good to hear. Do you think he would see me, I feel bad about what happen and I just want to apologize to him.”
“I’m sure he would, but it’s really Robert you’re going to have to worry about.”
“I know, do you think you could somehow stall him while I talk to Preston?”
“I can see what I can do, just be at the hospital early and I will get you in to see him.”
“Ok thanks, I will see you tomorrow morning.” Ann Marie hung up her phone and got into bed, she really hoped that Preston wouldn’t mind that she was taking Grant to see him.