Gathering His Thoughts
Leander didn't like the silly grin on Nathaniel's face. She is yellow and he does not care about that and stares at her. He lost patience.
"Is she jaundiced?" Leander asked trying to make Nathaniel.
"Yeah… It should be the medications. I'll change it. It's nothing to be worried about," Nathaniel smiled at her and stood up. "Are you feeling any pain anywhere or…?"
He checked the urine bag.
"No, just my chest and back. My back stings," Viviana said.
"Oh, there were some cuts. You were given the kiss of life after you drowned in the river and Leander didn't notice the broken glass pieces on the riverbank when he gave you CPR. He did save you in the nick of time…" the doctor continued as he removed the catheter.
Viviana tried hard not to look at Leander. She didn't know why Leander went through the struggle to save her life.
"I'll stop these medications for now. Tell me if you have pain. I'll hook you on some other painkiller. And anabolic steroids… Maybe…" Nathaniel started mumbling to himself, mostly thinking out loud.
Viviana didn't care to listen to him. He is a doctor, and he knows what he is doing. For some reason, Leander is keeping her alive. Even the clothes covering her looked like they belonged to Leander. It confused her.
But whatever the reason is, she decided to go through with whatever he puts her through if she can't find a way to escape.
Speaking of which… I injured him, didn't I?
She instinctively looked at Leander and when her eyes met with his, she quickly bowed her head. She, in all her twenty-eight years alive on this planet, never hurt anyone; not even a fly or an ant. This was the first time she drew blood. And that too she hurt people—living, breathing people, scum as they might be, they still can feel pain and she caused them to hurt.
It did not make her feel very good as she thought about it. But when she remembered the fire, the guilt she felt flew away like the embers she saw that were scattered by the heavy wind on that day her parents died.
"Have you finished? Let her rest and take the remaining tests afterward if they are not urgent," Leander said and his eyes didn't leave Viviana. He did not want Nathaniel to out more embarrassing details.
Nathaniel nodded. He had to get medicines for her anyway. He was more than happy to leave.
"Uh, Doctor," Viviana called. "He…" she pointed at Leander. "I think he has a fever. Maybe his wound…" She gulped and leaned back without finishing her sentence as she felt an intense stare at her.
What was she even doing? She was the one who stabbed him! and now she is...
She regretted talking to the doctor about it. Leander is an adult, and he would know if he had a fever and if it was related to the wound. What was she even thinking?
He's the enemy! Why would she care if he has a fever or not?
"Is that so? I told him to rest and~" Nathaniel took a step toward Leander. But leaving his sentence unfinished, he ran out of the room. Leander was giving a deathly glare and he didn't wait to face the brunt of Leander's anger.
The moment the door closed; Leander grabbed Viviana by the throat.
"What are you playing at?" he asked, his lips trembling with anger. "You stab me, and you pretend to…"
Leander was beyond furious. He couldn't say why he got this furious.
She…out of everyone he met today, only she… Only she could say that he has fever just by looking at him.
Why her? Why this woman?
He had his grandfather who loves him dearly. He has his mother whom he loves so dearly. Even then, the first person who spoke for him was…this woman!
This woman is the one who wants to hurt his family. This woman is the one who hurt his brother. He has to protect his family against her. He should hate her with everything. And yet, she is the one who is making his heart race.
Why? What is she doing to me? Why am I behaving this way with her?
He got enraged.
His nose flared and his breaths that fell on her face were hot. His eyes were red, and his eyebrows were twitching. He was nothing like the guy with the silly grin on his face some time ago.
Viviana scoffed. She was not going to get scared of him. She did not respect him enough. "Yeah, I'm asking you the same, Kastello. Tell me why I am still alive?"
She pressed her lips. She didn't even try to free herself from his death grip. She felt the squeezing pain in her throat. He saved her for some reason. And for some silly reason, he tries to kill her.
His grip tightened. He did not like her question. He fails miserably trying to find the answer to the same question. He continued as her throat closed. Her lungs were already weak, and it didn't take long for her face to go red to purple.
Nerves popped in the white of her eyes that were yellow, and her parched lips turned pale. He let go of her. With a gasp, she started coughing. He waited until she got settled.
She leaned on the headboard. She scoffed as her eyes met with his. Hatred. There was hatred in her eyes. He fisted his hands and clenched his jaws to control his emotions.
Once again, he is the one with the conflicting emotions. He is the one who acts crazy. While she… She just…hates him!
No, I cannot let her win!
Leander took in a deep breath and with that, he made a new resolve.
"You are alive because I want to watch you suffer," he said in her ear, pressing his cheek on her cheek. When she struggled, he gripped her shoulder. As she tried to get out of his grip, he found out the one thing she hates.
His touch!
It made him feel a certain type of way. He tried to grab her waist, but she slapped his hand away. But he didn't want to back off. The spite on her face when she looked at him made him annoyed. He wanted to see some other reaction on her face.
"What do you want?" she slapped his chest. And even in her anger, he noticed that she avoided hitting his shoulder.
While his mother forgot his wound, she...
No!
He shook his head. he cannot think about her this way when she didn't think twice about stabbing him with the knife. And how she twisted it with anger...
The tubes connected to her hands twisted and turned as she struggled. Like a little rosebud unraveling, he saw blood seeping out from the needle into the tube. He backed off. It's not like he wants to touch her.
"What do I want?" he leaned closer to her face. He smirked happily seeing her hesitation to look him in the eye.
Fear is good!
"You never planned on dying, did you?" he asked.
Her big, yellowed eyes met with his. She was offended.
What an odd specimen!