Love Without Boundaries - Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Forty-Two
When Robert finally woke up he saw it was late in the afternoon, he looked around and saw he was in his room. He didn’t remember how he ended up here. He got out of the bed and went to go shower.  He walked out of the bathroom and got dressed; he needed to go back to the hospital to go see how Preston was. He walked into the kitchen to find his mom, Nora and Vera seating at the table having lunch.
“Good afternoon sleepy head.” Nora said.
“Hey everyone, how did I get here?” Vera looked at Tanya then back at Robert.
“After we left at the hospital, we were driving around and you fell asleep, so I brought you back here to sleep. You were out for quite a while, and I’m not surprise with how you were fighting your sleep lately.” Vera said.
“Ok I know, can we just go back to the hospital?”
“Robert I need to tell you something first.” Robert stopped putting on his sweater and looked at Vera.
“What’s wrong with Preston?”
“Nothing he finally woke up.” Robert’s eyes lit up and started looking for his keys.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Robert said as he found his keys and was heading for the door.
“Because you needed to look rested, when you saw Preston or he would have blamed himself.” Robert knew she was right.
“Ok I know, well I’m going to go see him; does anyone want to come with me?”
“I’ll go with you but just to pick up my car, I need to shower and change before I go see him.” Robert nodded his head and walked to his car. Before he got to the hospital he stopped at a flowers shop that was near the hospital. He walked in and was looking at the stuffed animals when his eyes landed on a stuffed monkey. He grabbed it and paid for it and made his way to the hospital.
Ann Marie got to the hospital and went to see Preston; her aunt, uncle and Xavier were going to home but would be back to see him before visiting hours ended. This was the time she told Grant to come; she just wasn’t sure when Robert was going to get here. She walked into Preston’s room and found him staring at the ceiling and he was really quiet and spacing out. He didn’t even notice her coming to his bed.
“Hey Preston, how are you doing?”
“I’m fine just thinking about things.” Preston hadn’t taken his eyes off the ceiling.
“Well um, I have something I need to ask you.”
“Ask away.”
“Grant is here and he wants to see you?” Preston finally took his eyes off the ceiling and sat up in his bed.
“Sure it’s ok, let him in.” Ann Marie nodded and walked out into the hallway to get Grant. Grant walked into the room and went to the bed and sat down on the chair next to the bed.
“Hey how are you doing?” Grant asked as he smiled weakly at Preston.
“Ok except for the pain and they only give you so much morphine.” Preston said.
“I’m sorry for everything that happened, for the way I acted and for cheating on you, you’re the sweetest person I know and you didn’t deserve to be treated like that. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m hoping you will.” Preston knew that deep down inside Grant was a good guy; he just needed to work on his temper.
“I forgive you and you’re not completely at fault here. We both messed up; I should have just told you how I really felt about Robert.”
“Hey you win some and you lose some, I just wasn’t the lucky one to get you.” Grant’s phone rang and he answered, Preston could see his face turn into a frown and hung up. “Well it looks like I have to leave, Ann Marie just called to tell me Robert pulled up and is giving me about five minute to get out before he sees me.” Preston wasn’t ready to see Robert yet, he will know something was up and he still needed to find a way to break up with him that will cause him to hate him and forget about him. He looked at Grant who was walking to the door, maybe he can help him?
“Wait Grant I need your help, I need you to stay and help me break up with Robert.” Grant stopped and looked at Preston to see if he was serious. The look of desperation was written all over his face.
“Why, I thought you two were happy together?”
“We are, but I just have to break up with him and I need your help so he can see that I’m serious about it. Just stay and follow my lead, I will explain everything after he leaves.” Preston was hoping Grant would help him, when he saw Grant walk back to the bed he let out a sigh of relief.
“After we do this you better start explaining.”
“I will I promise, just follow my lead and agree with whatever I say.” Grant nodded his head; Preston could hear footsteps just outside his room and the door handle turned. It was now or never, Preston reached over and pulled Grant’s face over to his and kissed him. He could feel the tears slowly slip out from his closed eyelids.
Robert got to Preston’s room and opened the door, when he walked in he stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, Preston was kissing Grant. His grip tightens on the stuffed monkey and said, “What the hell is going on here?” Preston broke the kiss and looked up at Robert; Preston saw nothing but anger on Robert’s face. “What the hell are you doing here?” he was now looking at Grant and if looks could kill, Grant would have been dead already.
“Robert, just calm down and let me explain.” Preston said shakily.
“What that it’s not what it looks like, that he kissed you. Because from where I was standing it looked like you were enjoying it.” Robert yelled. Preston flinched from the loudness in his tone.
“Hey he is trying to tell you, if you would just shut up for a moment.” Grant said, then Robert turned his attention towards Grant, oh stupid boy Preston thought. Right now isn’t the moment he needed to be opening his mouth.
“I don’t want to hear from you right now and if you were smart you would stay quiet. Now like I said what the hell is going on?” Preston took a deep breath.
“The night I was attacked I had met Grant at the coffee shop, but I was supposed to meet Ann Marie.”
“I know that already Ann Marie told me about that, but that still doesn’t explain why I walked in on you sucking face with this douche.”
“If you would shut up and let me finish I can explain.” Preston was a little surprise by his own tone towards Robert.
“Fine, explain.” Robert said as he crossed his arms across his chest.
“When I found out it was Grant I was mad that Ann Marie would do that to me. I was just going to leave, but we got to talking and it just made me realized how much I missed him and how I still loved him. After that I was going to the restaurant to break up with you, I believed that if I gave Grant another chance it would really work this time. I just never got the chance to tell you because I was attacked.” Preston waited for Robert to say something, but he just stood there looking at him.
“So you were going to break up with me to go back to a guy, who cheated on you with your roommate?” Robert asked, Preston could tell he was trying really hard to not lose control right now.
“Yes I know it sounds stupid, he was my first love and sometimes you can’t forget about them. No matter how hard you try. But I would like it if we could still be friends?” Preston knew that the last part was going to send him over the edge. Just like a quick snap of a finger Robert lost it.
“You want us to stay friends, you want me to sit back and watch you go out with this asshole. I don’t freaking think so, it’s either me or him. You can’t have us both.”
“Then I choose Grant, I’m sorry but I will regret it if I don’t give it another chance with him.” Robert walked closer to the bed and looked into Preston’s eyes.
“Then look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t love me.” Preston took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes and said, “I don’t love you anymore, and I’m sorry. I can’t help that I still love Grant.” When Robert heard him say it, it just became more real. Preston no longer loved him and he was leaving him to go back to his douche of an ex-boyfriend. The one thing he told him he would never do.
“You told me you would never leave me for him; I guess that’s just shows how stupid I was to believe it. I was stupid enough to think I could fall in love and not get hurt, because you told me you would never break my heart that way. And I was stupid enough to get this tattoo, because I thought our love was strong enough to withstand anything. I guess I was wrong or at least on your part.” Every word Robert said caused more pain in Preston’s heart, than he already felt.
“Robert I’m sorry I can’t help how I feel, I’m human after all.” Preston started to cry and he didn’t try to stop, it was tearing him apart to have to do this.
“Don’t you dare start crying, you’re the one breaking up with me.” Preston flinched at the way Robert snapped at him, he had never seen Robert this angry before and it was scaring him.
“Hey lay off him, he is just trying to tell you how he feels.” Grant said as he got in Robert’s face.
“Back off right now before you regret it.”
“If I don’t what are you going to do?” Robert swung at Grant and landed the hit on his face, knocking him to the ground.
“What the hell Robert?” Preston yelled.
“He had it coming and I warned him to back off. He brought it upon himself.” Grant lay on the floor and he was groaning in pain.
“You didn’t have to hit him; I’m the one you’re angry at.”
“Whatever Preston save it for someone who cares. Just remember when he breaks your heart again; I won’t be there to pick up the pieces again. By the way when you go back to school you can pick up your stuff at Vera’s, be sure to leave the key with her.” Robert threw the toy monkey on the bed and walked out of the room. Preston could hear Grant slowly make it back to his feet.
“I’m sorry about that, didn’t really thing he was going to hit you.” Preston said as he wiped his eyes.
“That’s alright, I had it coming, and so you going to tell me what that was all about?” Preston told Grant about how Robert’s uncle came to see him and how Robert’s uncle told him that if he truly loved Robert the way he says he does, he will end things between them. Preston told him how he truly believed he would do something to Robert and he had no other choice but to do what Robert’s uncle want him to do. Grant was quiet the whole time Preston talked, he knew that inside Preston was falling apart and there wasn’t anything anyone could do for him.
“I’m really sorry you had to do that, I wish I could do something to help.”
“I could really use a friend right now.”
“Ok I could do that.” Grant stayed with Preston until his family came back and he left, but not before telling Preston to call him if he needs anything.
It was close to midnight and Robert wasn’t home yet and she was alone in the house, her mom and uncle had to go to a dinner party. She tried calling him but he wasn’t answering. Then she heard a car drive up and a door slam. Robert came in and once she saw his face, she could tell something was wrong.
“Robert what’s wrong?” he said nothing and just rushed pass her and walked into his uncles office. He came back out with two bottles in his hands, when he walked by Nora again she reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Robert what happened?” Robert yanked his wrist away from her.
“It’s none of your business; now move out of my way.” Robert said as he walked out the back door that leads to the beach. Nora was stunned; Robert never snapped at her like that, something bad must have happen for him to be that angry. Nora grabbed her phone and called Vera.
“Nora do you know what time it is.” Vera said as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes, she heard Nora crying. “Nora what’s wrong?”
“It’s Robert, he just came home and he is just so angry, he even snapped at me when I asked him what was wrong. I don’t’ know what to do, he just walked out to the beach with two liquor bottles.” Something is really wrong if Robert is drinking.
“Ok I’m on my way, just sit tight.” Vera jumped out of bed and got dressed; she grabbed her phone again and called Xavier.
“What’s up Vera?”
“Xavier did something happen to Preston?”
“No why?”
“Well Robert just got home and Nora said he was in a really foul mood. Could you check to see what happened and call me back?”
“Yeah sure, I’ll call you when I find something out.”
“Thanks,” she hung up her phone.   As she drove up to Robert’s house, she found Nora sitting outside on the porch.
“Did you find out anything?” Nora asked.
“No but Xavier said he was going to call me when he found out something. So where is he?”
“He went out the backdoor and is on the beach, I’m really worried about him. I have never seen him like this.” Nora started to cry again.
“Hey it’s going to be alright, I’m going out there to see what’s wrong. I will see if I can get him to talk to me.” Nora nodded her head and watches as Vera went out the door and walked to the beach. She found Robert sitting in the sand and one bottle next to him and the other on in his hand. She could see that it was almost half way. Something was really bothering him if he was drinking this much. She walked over to him and sat down next to him.
“What’s wrong Robert?” he looked over at Vera and took another drink, then passed the bottle to Vera. She just looked at the bottle.
“Take a drink or I won’t tell you anything.” Robert said, Vera took the bottle and took a drink and handed it back to Robert.
“What happened?” Robert took the bottle from her and drank one more time before he said anything.
“Preston broke up with me.”
“Wait what, what do you mean broke up with you?” she couldn’t believe Preston would do that, she thought they loved each other. “But you two were so happy together?” Robert took another drink, he still hadn’t said anything. He finished the bottle before he said anything and chunked the bottle into the water.
“He broke up with me to get back with that asshole Grant; he said that he needed to give it another try with him. That’s not the best part; he had the nerve to ask me if we could still be friends. Like I was just going to sit back and watch him suck face with another guy, who by the way is a giant douche.” Vera was surprised that Robert was talking clearly for someone who almost drank a whole bottle of liquor.
“Are you sure that’s what he really wants?”
“Oh I’m sure, I walked in on them kissing, what other proof do I need?” Vera still didn’t understand why, she was going to have to ask Preston what the hell was going on.
“I’m sorry Robert, is there anything I could do?”
“Nope, unless you could go back in time and stop me from ever meeting Preston.”
“Nope sorry I can’t.”
“It was worth a try, but you know what I just don’t understand?”
“What?”
“He told me he would never leave me to go back to Grant and look what happened. I’m so freaking stupid.”  Robert looked at his wrist and pointed to the tattoo he got with Preston and said, “Now I have this as a reminder that love doesn’t exist, only people who let you believe it does, I was thinking about having it removed but thought hey why not leave it, so next time I think it’s love, I just look at my wrist and see that it’s not love and in the end it’s just going to screw you over.”
“Robert you’re not stupid to believe it was true love, sometimes it happens to the best of us.”
“Yeah well never again I’m not going to fall for it; I’m just going to go back to my old ways.” Robert rose up the bottle and said, “Back to having fun, wild and single nights. To never be foolish enough to let myself fall in love again, because it isn’t freaking worth it.” Robert took a big gulp of the new bottle.
“You don’t mean that Robert.” He was really worrying Vera, she knew this wasn’t him talking; he just hurt and doesn’t know how to deal with it all.
“I do Vera; love doesn’t exist for me anymore. This is the first and last time I’m letting love in my life.” Robert picked up the second bottle to take a drink again, but before he could take a drink Vera took it away.
“No more Robert you have had enough.” Robert looked at her with annoyance.
“Give it back Vera, I have not had enough yet, I can still feel the heartache in my chest.”
“Drinking until your numb isn’t going to make it go away, only time can. Haven’t you learn that from the first time? Besides as it is you’re going to wake up with a killer hangover, so come on let’s get you in bed and we will talk about this more in the morning. You also have to apologize to Nora, you snapped at her earlier.” Vera helped Robert to his feet and walked back to the house, when Nora saw them coming up she opened the door and step aside. Robert stopped in front of her and pulled her into his arms, “I’m so sorry for yelling at you Nora I didn’t mean to, I’m just really upset.”
“It’s alright Robert, just go to bed and you can tell me in the morning.” Robert nodded and with the help of Vera made it to him room and collapsed on his bed and knocked out Vera walked back to where Nora.
“What’s wrong with him?” Vera wanted to tell her but it was best that Robert told her.
“You should let Robert tell you, when he is ready.” Vera said. Nora just nodded her head and offered Vera the guest room and went to bed. Tomorrow Robert was going to wake up in a terrible mood and everyone was going to need a good night sleep.