| |
I didn’t go home though. After a brief short temper cry in the bathroom, I held my head high and I went about my business just like I did every other day. I didn’t give any of the other staff members the time of day, only speaking to them when necessary about work, and I just about made it through.
I was shattered, emotionally and physically drained at the end of the day, but I still went to see Edna. Screw what the rest of them thought, she was my friend now and that was all I cared about.
“Are you okay?” she asked me, sounding far too concerned for my liking as I sat down in her chair. “You look tired today. Maybe you should just go home.”
“I’m too tired to talk,” I admitted. “But I would love to listen. Tell me some more stories about your life, I need to get out of mine for a few moments.”
She paused for a moment, pursing her lips at me, but soon launched into some more tales of her life and her own love story. It was nice to close my eyes and listen, to imagine that I was living it alongside her. It was all so wonderful and exciting. A lot of it must have been hard, but it was better to be there, than here.
Eventually, as I stood up to leave a couple of hours later, Edna asked me once more. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk?”
“I’ll tell you about it tomorrow,” I promised, knowing that I would only tell her half the story. I didn’t want Edna to be aware of our friendship causing me any trouble. “When I’m less exhausted.”
“Okay, well goodnight, sweet Violet, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I returned to the bathrooms once I left Edna, just wanting to compose myself before I went to get on the night bus home. I was spending less and less time at my apartment these days, and it was slowly getting to the point where the hospital was more of a home than my apartment was.
Just be strong, I told my reflection in the mirror. Keep going, you are better than this.
I took the band out of my long dark hair and I allowed it to fall loose. Then I stared into the ocean blue of my eyes seeing all the distress there. My pale skin looked stressed and sallow, and I wasn’t sure how to get it looking more like me.
Urgh, just go home, I thought as I turned away from the mirror. Get some sleep before it all starts over again.
“Oof.” The second I swung the door open, I bumped straight into a hard body because I was so distracted. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
My victim wrapped his hands tightly around my arms, fixing me in place. “No, it’s me that should be sorry. I never should have done that earlier, I just wasn’t thinking. I probably made things worse, didn’t I?”
I rolled my eyes and huffed loudly. “No, just forget it, Aron. It’s fine.” I couldn’t look at him, I couldn’t stand losing myself to him again. “I just...need to get home.”
He released me and stepped back, letting me go, but for some reason I wasn’t quite ready to move just yet, which seemed to free him to continue. “I just didn’t like to see you being ambushed, that’s all. I’ve heard what’s been said about you.” That was enough to have my eyes snapping up to his. “And I’ve told everyone it isn’t the case, but you know how gossip is. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, they’ll be on to someone else next week.”
“Right,” I murmured, having not been soothed one bit. “Sure.”
All of a sudden his hand was on my cheek, I could feel his calloused hand connecting with my skin and my heart stopped dead in my chest. Was this just a comforting gesture...or something else? Did I even want it to be something else?
I couldn’t take my eyes off him, and I became acutely aware of my chest rising and falling. The electrical buzzing swallowed me whole, I could feel my body starting to tremble. It seemed that we were on the verge of something here, of my fantasies becoming real, and I had no idea what to do.
“What is it about you, Violet Green?” he muttered, causing my heart to stop dead in my chest. “I really don’t know.”
Then his head was cocked and he was zoning in. I couldn’t breathe, I had a golf ball of emotion lodged in my throat, I tingled everywhere, I needed to grab him, to make this happen now, but at the same time I wanted to be suspended in this exact moment as well. The anticipation, the nearness, it was all too much...
Then his lips crashed against mine, and the foundation that I was delicately balanced on flipped upside down. I wasn’t even sure if my feet were on the ground anymore, all I could feel was his soft, plump lips pressed up against mine, sending an intense heat spreading all over my body.
Oh my God.
All the times I’d imagined kissing Dr. Turner, it was never as incredible as this. I couldn’t even begin to picture a chemistry so strong, there was no way I could’ve known how wonderful his tongue would feel snaking between my lips.
My heart practically exploded, this felt so intense.
“Come into my office,” Aron pleaded with me, whispering against my lips before I’d even opened my eyes. “Come with me.”
I wasn’t naïve, I knew what he was asking of me, and I also knew that I couldn’t resist. After that incredible kiss I was putty in his hands, there for him to mold and play with. I wanted more, I needed more, and the heat that rushed all over my proved that.
“Yes,” I gasped as a reply. “Yes, I will.”