Collecting Scars by Tee Smith Read Free Book Online

coping too well with his wife’s diagnoses,” she sighed. “I wish he would see the psych or at least let his wife see her, but I think Mrs Arnold is coping with it way better than her husband.”
    Gemma frowned, “Not a great first day back huh?”
    “Nope, and now I have a meeting after lunch with the allied health management team. And I want this job why?” she laughed bitterly.
    “Maybe we should go get a drink after work tonight?”
    “Hah.” Asha let out a laugh “Cause that ended well for me last time yeah?”
    Gemma sighed softly and shook her head, she had popped into Asha and Joanie's house on Sunday and Joanie had told her the whole story. What she had remembered anyway. Asha was fairly sure that Joanie had embellished it somewhat.
    “You're a good friend Gemma, I don't know what I would do without you, but I think it will be a milo and chick-flick on the couch for me tonight.”
    “Fair enough,” Gemma agreed. “But you know where I am. You could always call Mr X.” She winked, referring to the nick-name Joanie had told her Asha had given Xavier on their drunken night out.
    “Go on with you, before I call Maria and tell her you're slacking off and not doing your job.” Asha swatted at her with a bunch of papers and Gemma giggled running out of the room.
     

Chapter 6
     
    ASHA WAS WALKING HOME WHEN she heard a rumbling engine behind her. “Oh no, not again,” she muttered.
    She turned and saw a black van, driving slowly beside her. The same black van she had seen at least every second day walking home from work. This time, the windows were down and she could see a figure in the driver’s seat. As she looked, she thought she must be mistaken so she looked again.
    “Xavier...” she smiled.
    “Wrong,” came a gruff voice.
    She shook her head as if that would help it become clearer and looked again. “Mr Arnold?”
    Suddenly he was out of the van, standing in front of her.
    “Want to kill my wife do you?”
    “No, No,” she screamed, she was scared. She had not been scared of him before, she could not explain why, but now she was.
    “I'll kill you before you kill my wife,” he yelled and wrapped his hands around her throat, squeezing.
    “No, No,” she cried her voice sounding muffled to her own ears.
    “Asha,” she heard Joanie calling her, “Asha”
    Oh, thank goodness she thought, someone had come to her rescue.
    “Asha, Asha...wake up it's me.”
     
    Asha peeled her eyes open and Joanie was right there in front of her concern written across her face.
    “Are you okay?” Joanie asked.
    “Oh um...sorry,” Asha sat up momentarily confused looking around trying to regain her bearings. She was in the living room. She had gotten home, had a milo and popped the TV on and had obviously fallen straight off to sleep.
    “Was I talking in my sleep?”
    “You were calling out 'no no' like you were terrified.” Joanie's eyes were wide with concern.
    “Sorry, bad day at work. I didn't mean to frighten you.”
    “It's okay,” Joanie contended. “I wouldn't have woken you I was just worried about you.”
    “I'm okay, thanks. I might go to bed. Good-night.”
     
    Lying in bed, she ran over the day’s events in her mind. She was worried about Mrs Arnold and had never seen Mr Arnold get angry like that before. She knew it was unprofessional, but she reached out and took her phone from the nightstand, scrolling down to where she found the entry listed as X and tapped out a text message.
    A- Hey Xavier, it’s Asha. I hope you don't mind me texting you. I'm sorry for upsetting your dad today, I hope your mum is ok. Good-night x
    She lay there quietly for a while waiting for a response, picking up her phone and checking a few times to make sure it sent. Just as she was drifting off to sleep her phone pinged with a message.
    X- Hey beautiful, sorry for the late reply, I'm still at work. Mum ok. Sorry about Dad. Sweet dreams X.
     
    ***
     
    It was another ordinary day at work but Asha was