HER ALPHA'S CARNAL SINS-Chapter 228: PTSD

There was a rumble on the other side of the line, causing her brows to furrow.

"What’s going on?"

"Nothing," He gruffly replied. He was getting up to lean back against bed’s headboard. "Give me a second." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

With that, he turned to tap the girl laying next to him on the bed. She was naked and was barely covered with the blankets.

"Um... What is it?" She groaned, her eyes cracking open very slowly.

Talia rolled her eyes over the phone as she waited, obviously hearing what was going on.

"Get the f**k out of my room. I don’t run a charity home here. It’s already 8:00am." He tapped her furiously, brows furrowed in frustration and disgust.

That’s how it’s always been.

He’d flirt with you and entice you into bed with him, but once you fall for his antics and roll around in the sheets with him, that was it. He’s done with you.

The girl groggily got up, holding onto her head.

"I’m on the phone. I don’t want to see you around when I’m finished with this call, get it?" He turned away from her while she solemnly crawled off the bed, fuming silently.

"Are you done or do you have to chase another girl off your bed?"

He smirked.

"It’s just no one. I was in no mood for a threesome."

"Good. Because you’re only going to get one mate. You better get used to f**king just one." She rolled her eyes.

John rolled his eyes too.

"Where did you hear that name?"

"Theresa?"

"Yes."

"Answer the question first. You know her, don’t you?"

"I can’t just tell you anything about her. First of all, tell me how you came across the name, and I can help you out."

Talia clicked her tongue as she told him what ensued between she and Jephthah last night when he had the nightmare.

"Sh*t... " He rolled over the bed, opened the drawer with a jerk, not minding the woman who left the room after dressing up before opening the piece of paper he had obtained.

"I forgot to tell you about that."

"About what?"

"Jephthah usually have nightmares like that... sometimes he wakes up breathless like his head was submerged under water for a long time. You should buy an **** or a **** for him at a pharmacy. He should take one every two days before going to bed and... "

Her eyes grew wide.

"I don’t understand. Is Jephthah sick? What’s wrong with him, and how does this have anything to do with Theresa?"

John stared upwards, raking his hand through his hair, thinking of a way to tell her this without exposing too much. Jephthah made him promise she wouldn’t hear this from anyone other than him, and he didn’t want to break it.

"Look, I didn’t want to tell you this, but I think it’s time you ask Jephthah about her."

Talia’s eyes settled on a particular building outside before they drove past it, but her mind was travelling to so many places, internally berating herself with questions she didn’t have answers to.

"But.... "

"Jephthah has PTSD. I think it’s time you ask him about it."

Beeep

The call ended and Talia sat there, staring into space for so long that it was Ann’s voice which snapped her back into reality.

"We’re here!!"

Talia’s eyes finally moved and rose to see the spectacular, beautiful architectural design of a glass skyscraper standing tall and intimidating amongst another buildings around.

It didn’t faze her much though, but it wasn’t like she could even think again as she stepped out of the car with the help of her driver.

Ann walker beside her while she drew the shawl she had around her face properly, hiding her features from the public eyes until they got into the building where she could be free since there was security outside.

"So your first photoshoot is in the next one hour. I’ll take you to the dressing room and the wardrobe set will be rolled in in 30, so you have enough time to relax and stretch... maybe do some yoga." Ann added cheerfully as they made their way upstairs, but when she noticed Talia hadn’t said a word, she nudged her.

"Huh?" Talia snapped out of her thoughts again. "Huh... Did you say anything?"

Ann frowned.

"You haven’t heard a thing I’ve been saying for the past ten minutes, have you?"

Talia rubbed her head slightly.

"I’m just... "

"Tired? Stressed?" Talia gasped as Ann reached up on her toes to feel her forehead. "How do you feel? Nauseous? Tell me? Do you need food? Some medicine? A massage? We have thirty minutes before you dress up, and there’s a spa where ..."

Talia raised a hand, motioning for her to stop.

"I’m fine... Really. I just... " She lowered her voice into her whisper. "I want to ask you about something."

Ann scanned her with her eyes, her gaze pausing to glare at her stoamch before raising to meet hers.

"Your not .. pregnant, are you?"

Talia turned red.

"Shut up, Ann. No."

"Well, let’s get to the dressing room where we can have our privacy."

"Privacy to do what?" A sneering voice sounded from far and the two women stiffened on seeing who approached them.

Large b**bs threatening to spill out from the crop top she had on, cleavage slightly bouncing from low V-neck, Wide hips stretching the sides of her mini skirt to the fartherst ends, Maddy Belle was capable of putting several models to shame.

She had these cat eyes that gave her sneering look a more intimidating view when she was snobbish.

You couldn’t tell if they were green or blue. They were a perfect blend. Her nose was long and straight... rumors had it that she did a plastic surgery to get her perfect nose, and her lips were well... just like any typical one you’d see on a model’s face. Hair was black and cut short to her neck.

She had it all. Beauty, fame, the look, everything.

But Talia was still No. #1. Though she wasn’t as curvaceous as Maddy Belle was, her face and hair was evident enough that Maddy Belle couldn’t match up to her even in a million years.

Thus, that began the silent rival between both models. In Maddy’s case, she was obviously jealous of Talia’s fame and status and wanted to be the top, but In Talia’s case, she wondered why they never got along.

Obviously, she was a nice person, but if she had a problem with Maddy Belle, it goes as to show how much Maddy Belle hates her.

Ann sneered and looked away like she spotted an unpleasant, dead rat.

"Where’s your minion?" Talia folded her arms. "Let me guess... She couldn’t stand your awful personality and ran away?"

Maddy smirked, fuming silently in anger, yet she managed to curl her beautiful lips into an evil smirk.

"Oh you mean Beatrice? She just went to book a dressing room here. She could never run away from me because we don’t have any problems" She began circling Talia, sizing her up with a sneer now. "The only ones who do are the jealous ones."

"Jealous." Talia exchanged glances with Ann, and the two women stiffled a chuckle. "Who’s jealous of who?"

"How do you like your new suite Talia" Maddy finally stood, toe to toe with her, bearing a fake concerned look. "I hope you’re not too angry. I mean.... I thought you weren’t ever returning to Paris, so I thought I’d stay in your old suite meant for the top model in Golden Elites.."

Talia forced a smile.

"It’s okay. I love my new suite."

"Well, see you around darling." She drawled before turning to walk away, swaying her hips seductively.

"Sl*t." Ann rolled her eyes angrily.

"Why are we having our photoshoot together in the first place even. She’ll obviously do something to sabotage me." Talia groaned, having recountering times when Golden Elites paired them up to Photoshoot at their designated studios.

"Keep an optimistic mind Talia and just think about anything else but her." Ann sighed as she said, opening the door leading to the dressing room.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked, sitting on the couch while Talia sat on the arm chair facing the mirror where expensive makeup and skin care products were laid out carefully on the drawer table.

"Right." Without turning, Talia picked up an eyeliner and began playing around with it between her fingers to ease the tension.

"What’s PTSD?"

Ann glanced up from her phone.

"Huh? Who has PTSD?"

Talia rolled her eyes.

"That doesn’t matter. I just need to know everything about it. Is it like an illness or.... "

"My mum had PTSD." Ann mentioned before she began narrating everything she knew about it to Talia who listened with a solemn, serious expression.

"PTSD .. is not an illness. It’s like a disorder. It means Post-traumatic stress disorder."

Talia felt her grip tighten on the eye liner. she didn’t know why but she guessed it was out of reflex.

"... It’s a mental health problem you develop after experiencing traumatic events."

"T- Traumatic events??" Talia stuttered, her eyes widening. "Traumatic events like what?"

"Like... Um... my mum for instance, It was due to a childbirth experience when she lost her baby who was supposed to be my second brother..."

Talia leaned in close

"Ann, why didn’t you tell me this before? You had a brother." There was genuine sadness in her eyes as she stared at Ann.

"Yeah," Solemn, she shrugged her shoulders. "He only lasted an hour after childbirth though. My mother hasn’t been the same since. She would have recurring events that was similar to it, nightmares, anger issues; flaring up at any slightest thing, or sometimes she just preferred keeping to herself... "

"Nightmares... " Talia mumbled, also noting down the part about ’Keeping to herself’.

Was John serious about this?

"What other traumatic events can trigger PTSD."

"Most cases are usually sexual or physical assault..." Ann casually replied but she gasped, snapping her head up when she heard the eyeliner snap in Talia’s grip.