Husband With Benefits
Chapter 112: Erasmi

Chapter 112: Erasmi

Demetri entered the dimly-lit room, the antiseptic scent hitting him as he closed the door gently behind him. The rhythmic hum of medical equipment filled the space, creating a dissonant symphony of life and its fragility. Slowly, he made his way to the bed that lay in the middle of the room and looked down at the person there, lying motionless on the bed, a stark contrast to the lively memories Demetri held in his heart.

"So, you made it again, this time." Demetri whispered softly, to the still figure on the bed, reaching out to hold their bony hand. The warmth of the contact was a feeble reassurance in the face of the years-long silence that enveloped this room.

As Demetri pulled up the chair, he continued to talk," See, I don’t know why you refuse to give up here and create havoc in hell but if you are really fighting for everything, then do it well! You’ve been lying here for years now. Aren’t you bored looking at the roof day and night?"

The accident had taken so much away, yet the flicker of light in the person’s eyes only made Demetri unable to give up. It was a cruel irony that he who was known for not talking much would sit beside his beloved and talk for hours on end, having a one-sided conversation each time he visited.

"So, after your latest brush with the Grim Reaper, are you up for some latest news about the outside world or not? Hmm? I have a few that might hopefully sound interesting but really, if you do not give me a reaction this time, I will sit and read Shakespeare here the next time and bore you to tears."

"Let’s see where should I start... Let’s see, Ian is up to mischief as always. He has recently decided that he wants to try his hand at adventure sports. Since the guy is busy running errands, he’s taking it up on the weekend. Well, he’s been hiding it but he tried skydiving without training last week. Needless to say, he ended up tangled in a tree like a cat stuck in a high branch. He was pretty relieved that he had not shared his plans with anyone and no one would make fun of him when the firefighters rescued him. Don’t worry, I made sure that his most flattering picture made its way onto that chat group of theirs. Gabe and Seb have been merciless on him."

"Lucien, our little Lucy has also experienced his first heartbreak. The girl he believed himself in love with is already married... But do not worry too much about him. I think he will be alright."

Demetri’s fingers traced patterns on the bedsheet, a nervous energy born out of the years of this one-sided conversation as the smile on his face faded when the person on the bed gave no reaction. But he continued," Seb has been working hard these days and stopped his partying ways. I would have thought it was a good thing but I think he is hiding something. I’ve tried to probe subtly but he’s been stubborn. Guess, I’ll have to give him space and only hope that he doesn’t jump off the deep end"

Demetri paused before talking about the next person. "Gabe... He’s the one I am worried about. He is too much like me. Blind loyalty and faith. I want to tell him everything about Arabelle but it seems to be of no use. He won’t care. Arabelle is dangerous in a way that he cannot even think of. He is going to fall badly and there is nothing I can do to prevent it. I can only stand still and watch. I wish he wasn’t like this... He knows I disapprove which is why he has been keeping his distance from me."

He inhaled slowly, continuing to look at the person on the bed as he continued," Erasmi...I need you here with me. If you were here, then maybe we could save Gabe..."

He rose from the chair, pacing the room as if movement could dispel the hopelessness that clung to the air. "I’ve tried everything to make you talk to me! Can you please break this silence? I need you back, dam* it. I play your favourite music, show you pictures, and read books. But nothing. It’s like I’m losing you a little more every day, and it’s tearing me apart. Do you not want to get up and see everyone again? How have they grown up and become exceptional humans?"

He fell silent, the room swallowing his words. The machines beeped, a reminder that life continued even when a part of it seemed frozen in time. Demetri reached out once more, brushing a strand of hair from Erasmi’s forehead, a touch both gentle and desperate.

"So you still refuse to acknowledge me, huh? Do you still blame me for the accident? But if you do then why don’t you try to come out and fight with me? Did I scare you so bad that you would rather hide here away from the world? Hmm? Is that what you think is a suitable punishment for me?"

"But Erasmi, do you know something? I am only pitiful here in this room with you. To the outside world, I am a Demon. Everyone still calls me that. Doesn’t it gall you that you are the one who coined this term for me? But I haven’t told you about myself much, have I, over the years? I was hoping you would ask me yourself. Now, I’ll tell you something. Erasmi, I am now a married man."

"Hmm. See I married someone without you. Now what are you going to do about it? Are you angry? The girl I married is very beautiful. Much more so than... let me show you..."

Demetri casually scrolled through his phone and pulled up one of the many pictures that Nora had clicked of them. This particular one was just after their first kiss on the kitchen island and they were almost wrapped around each other.

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