by A P Gore
Her heart almost jumped out of her chest at that thought. Why was he like this? It couldn’t be a panic attack. No. Not again.
Her knees trembled as she rushed back to him. What should she do? Call an ambulance?
Yes. She pulled her phone out to dial 911.
Suddenly, his chin lifted, and his gaze flew to her. He raised a hand, pointing at her with a couple fingers. “At least tell me the reason this time?”
Alice froze. “Reason for what?” At least he was talking. That meant it wasn’t a panic attack. Right? Still, something seemed off.
“Your reason for leaving me. Last time, you said ‘I hate you’ and disappeared. This time, at least give me a reason.”
Alice rolled her eyes. Had the panic attack affected his brain? Why was he blabbering nonsense?
“Wait. Why would I leave you? And when did I say that?” She narrowed her eyes, trying to make sense of his words.
Jade’s eyes brightened. “So, you’re not walking out of my life?”
What had gotten into him? Had he hit his head? “I can’t afford to breach my contract. You know that. What’s wrong with you?”
“So, you’re not angry with me and leaving the job?”
Alice kneeled beside him. Reaching out, she ran her fingers over his head, checking for lumps. Everything was normal; no bumps, no blood.
“Jade, tell me the truth. Are you injured somewhere? Or has the panic attack affected your brain?”
“No. I’m all right. But give me an answer first. You aren’t leaving me again, right?”
There he went again. Why would she leave him? She grabbed his shoulder and gave it a good shake. “Jade Hyde. I’m not leaving you. I’ll be back tomorrow after I check on Medusa. Does that answer your question? Or do you want me to record it on your phone?”
A smile swept across his face, shining in his deep blue eyes, and man, that smile took her breath away.
One more reason she had to stay away from him.
“That’s good. Then why are you leaving? You agreed to stay in this apartment. Didn’t you?”
What could she say? She couldn’t tell him that she was afraid of him, afraid of the electric bolts that surged inside her every time he touched her, afraid that she might want to taste those lush lips. Her eyes drifted to those lips, an urge rising to find out if they still tasted like coffee.
Wake up, Alice.
She pulled her hands away from him. He was a dangerous devil. Someone she shouldn’t be tangling with. It would be catastrophic.
Jade touched her shoulder, sending a jolt of electricity through her. Every time he touched her, a new center formed in her body, filled with desire and passion.
“It’s like this.” What should she say? “Your mother—”
Jade held her shoulders. “Please, ignore her. I’ll talk with her tomorrow and make sure she doesn’t interfere in our life.”
“It’s not only about her. Medusa is in the hospital, and I need time to process my thoughts. And now your mother has found me here... I think I’d better stay in a hotel tonight.”
Jade sighed. “Okay, but let me book you a room at a nearby hotel, and I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow morning. We’ll go to the hospital together.”
Alice nodded in a yes.
She watched Jade—with a smile on his face—get up and make arrangements for her. It was a striking change from what she saw a few minutes back, how desperate he was when she tried to leave. The way he looked away, the way he asked her for a reason.
Was he falling for her?
No, that shouldn’t happen. Not when his mother was around. She’d better stay away from him. For his and her best. It was in her contract, after all, that there would be nothing romantic happening between them.
Coming here and working for him, she had already breached one clause.
Chapter 31
The sun shone in the sky, spreading bright and shiny rays of warmth. People were enjoying it with colorful clothes and happy smiles, but there was one exception: a man in a black suit, black gloves, and a full-face mask stepped out of a limousine and walked into a private lobby of the hospital.
Alice stared at the man’s back, wondering what was going inside that mind, but she pushed that thought away.
Many people turned their eyes to this man. Maybe they were thinking what color of skin this man had, or why was he wearing such a heavy suit in the warm weather.
Alice shrugged as she stepped out behind the man in the mask. He didn’t look like anything less than a secret agent visiting a biohazard site.
A nurse cast a cursory glance at them, then did a double-take.
Glancing at Jade, Alice rolled her eyes. In her pure white knee-length dress, she must look weird walking with a masked black-suited man. They looked like two sides of a coin, dark and light.
“Why did you send me a white dress?” Alice whispered under her breath.
“You like white dresses, don’t you?” Jade replied. “Or, you did. I’m sorry, I didn’t know your preference had changed.”
Ignoring the urge to reply, she focused on the clicks her white-striped two thousand dollars heels were making. They sounded exactly the same as her two hundred dollars heels. Why did he buy them?
When she woke that morning, a set of clothes had been delivered to the hotel for her. She’d almost had a heart attack when she glanced at the price tags. They were all designer brands. Even the innerwear. She appreciated the gesture, and she needed to buy clothes since her apartment was off limits, but why did he always have to go overboard with everything?
She couldn’t even reject them, as everything she owned was locked up in Medusa’s apartment, even her purse and wallet. Maybe she would ask him to deduct the expense from her salary or pay him back when she received the new contract money.
“I do like white dresses, but not when you’re walking around like a secret agent of hell. It makes me look like I’m an angel or something.”
Jade chuckled, brushing his gloved fingers against the back of her shoulder.
She glared at him, jabbing the elevator button. “What’s so funny?”
“Where do you get these metaphors? Agent of hell? That’s funny. But you’re correct about one thing.”
Alice raised a brow.
Jade lowered his head, whispering in her ear. A tingle of electricity crackled around her heart as the familiar fragrance of coffee tickled her nostrils. Man, he tasted like coffee, he smelled like coffee... and she really liked coffee.
“You look like an angel in that dress. A gorgeous angel. If we got you a nice hairstyle, I bet you could be on a magazine cover.” He winked at her through the holes of his mask.
Heat rushed to her cheeks, painting them pink.
Thank God the elevator doors opened at the exact moment, sparing her from having to answer.
She rushed into the elevator, away from the charming devil. She needed space to breathe. Fortunately, someone was already in there, so their conversation didn’t continue.
When they stepped off on the second floor, a doctor with a short white beard came to greet them. Jade confidently shook his hand.
“Doc, I didn’t think you’d be here.”
“I’m not here for you, but for her.” His eyes lingered on Alice, making her a bit uncomfortable.
“Me?” Alice asked.
“Of course you, dear.” The doctor’s grumpy face melted into a sweet smile. It shocked her to see that unholy transformation, like the devil turning into an angel.
What had gotten into her head? Why was she still thinking about his compliment?
The doctor continued, “You’re quite special, dear. I believe you’re the bridge that will bring this young man back into humanity.” His eyes jumped between Jade and Alice. “He’s suffered a lot, almost got put into an asylum, and it’s time he lived like a human being.” He grabbed Alice’s right hand and cupped it from both the sides. His hands felt soft and caring, like her mother’s hands used to feel. An inv
isible fist squeezed her heart. She missed her mother a lot.
“Don’t you feel the same, child?” The doctor tilted his head, eyes curious.
She pulled her hand away. Her mother’s memory was choking her; any more and she feared she would burst in tears.
“Doc, where’s the patient?” Jade asked. “Why’re you stalling us in this dirty lobby? Do you want me to have a panic attack or something?”
The doctor smiled back. “Fair enough. I’ve got her in VIP room one, and I had my admin run an extra round of disinfectant on the whole room before we moved her in. Just for you.”
“Then I’ll see you in a while.” Jade placed his hand on the small of Alice’s back and nudged her toward the VIP room. Electricity zapped through her body, weaving around her core. “Sorry about Doc. He’s kind of family and goes overboard sometimes.”
Alice shot him a weak smile, more of an attempt to avoid showing him her body’s reaction to his touch than anything. “No need to apologize. He was right. It’s time for you take a step into humanity and shed your evil powers.”
Jade chuckled as they stepped into the room.
Her phone beeped. Alice quickly checked it before a voice called her.
“Alice.” A weak voice called from the bed, where a pale Medusa rested. The room smelled like disinfectant, but she was used to that thanks to Jade.
Alice ran over and wrapped her friend in a warm but gentle hug. “Thank God you’re alright. I was so worried for you.”
Medusa patted her back. “Get off me, girl. I’m all right.” She coughed.
Chagrined, Alice released her and stepped back a couple feet.
Medusa’s eyes drifted toward Jade, who had removed his mask. “And who’s this secret agent you brought?”
“I’m Jade Hyde.” He smiled at her. Comparing his smile and blue eyes, Alice liked his eyes more, but sometimes his smile too took her breath away.
What the heck? Why was she thinking about him again?
“The infamous Batman boyfriend of my soul sister.” Medusa tried to smile, but only managed a weak one. Weariness seemed to crawl into her eyes even from that small action.
Alice felt a tug of sadness forming in her stomach. For their group, Medusa meant strength. Whenever anyone was in trouble, Medusa would help with all she had. She was like the big strong sister they all missed in their life. But here she was, weak, defeated.
“Medusa, what happened? How did you end up drinking poison?” Suicide was out of the question, because she looked calm and sane. If she had tried to kill herself, she wouldn’t be cracking wise.
Medusa sighed, a deep and regretful sigh.
“It was my bad. I accidently mixed some rat poison in my beer under the influence of morphine.” She lowered her eyes, staring at her lap. “I just wanted to get high and forget.”
That explained the bad smelling beer, but morphine? Why?
Alice sat next to her and took her hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Medusa shook her head. “Not now. We’ll talk, but some other day. Let me get out of this hospital first.” She coughed again.
Alice grabbed a glass and poured some water for her. Jade had already grabbed the remote and put Medusa’s bed in motion.
“Drink this first and then get some rest.” Alice smoothed Medusa’s short hair.
Medusa drank half of the water. “Al, thanks for everything. But you didn’t have to bring me to this fancy hospital. I know how much a VIP room costs.”
Shooting a grateful glance at Jade, Alice smoothed Medusa’s hospital gown.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered,” Alice said. “I’ll make a payment plan for you.”
Medusa giggled. “Mr. Hyde. I have to take you out to dinner to show you my gratitude. I assume you won’t expect anything more from me and my friend here. Practically, we can’t afford to pay you back.”
There she goes. Medusa was a straight forward soul, always speaking her mind.
“Focus on recovering first,” Jade said. “As for payments, I’ll take them from Alice with interest.” A playfully sinister smile played on his lips.
“I bet you will.” Medusa winked at him.
Alice’s gaze alternated between them. What the heck were they talking about? Anyway, there was something she needed to do.
“Jade, can you keep her company for a few minutes? I need to get some medical supplies from the pharmacy.”
Jade arched his brows. “Ask my driver, and he’ll get everything you need. Why do you have to go yourself?”
Alice shook her head. “I still have legs, and he’s your driver. Not mine.”
Jade shrugged and grabbed a chair.
Alice slipped out of the room. She had someone to meet.
Chapter 32
Finding the white-bearded doctor didn’t prove difficult. He had an office on the tenth floor, and that floor had only his office. Quite easy to find. Jade was right, he was the chairman of the hospital and had a quite expansive office.
When she entered the office, she felt lost for a moment. It was huge. It took fifteen long strides to reach his desk from the door. A giant fish tank placed behind the doctor’s chair took up most of the wall. Inside were scary-looking fish that menaced her with sharp fangs. She would have loved to watch them in detail if she had time. Apparently, she had none.
“Well, well, well. I didn’t expect you to visit me, child.” The white-bearded doctor swung around in his chair in a dramatic manner she’d only seen in soap operas. “It feels so good to visit my office after months of twiddling my thumbs.”
Alice glanced at the glass name plate on the desk. “Dr. Martel, you sent me a cryptic message. I had to come,” Alice replied. She had received a message from him after she stepped in Medusa’s room. It said they needed to meet, urgently, about Jade’s health condition.
“Call me Doc.” The way he talked reminded her of her mother. She too referred her friends as ‘child.’
Alice placed her hands on the wooden desk’s thick glass topper. The chilly glass helped to steel her nerves for the question she’d had on her mind for some time now.
“Doctor, first tell me what’s wrong with Jade’s health?” From the moment she’d read that message, her heart was ill at ease. Hadn’t he suffered enough already? Why did the heavens want to punish him more?
Doc smiled. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with his health, but there’s a chance to improve it further with your help.”
His words poured comforting water on her burning heart. She smiled, for the first time from her heart. “That’s a relief. Please, tell me, how can I help?”
Doc leaned forward, and the wrinkles around his eyes darkened. “First, I need to give you some background on him which only a few people know.”
Leaning forward, Alice nodded. She was all ears.
“His father died when he was ten.”
She knew that, but she waited for him to continue.
“That’s when he suffered his first panic attack, and his germaphobia kicked in. I met him for the first time back then. It was probably the worse condition I’d seen in my whole life. Red rashes all over his body, continuous wailing. I had to use a strong sedative to put him at ease. The next day he woke up fine, but from that day forward he couldn’t eat anything prepared by others. Not even his mother. For the next five years, he cooked his own meals.”
This was new. She hadn’t heard this before. It set her heart in turmoil. How could a ten-year-old cook his own meals? Emotions flared in her heart; she wanted to run to Jade and hug him tightly. Why did the heavens made him go through this alone?
“With the right medications, he improved a lot after that. By his eighteenth birthday, he could eat food prepared by maids, and even go out and take university exams. And then he met you.”
Red spread over her cheeks. Even after six years, it was embarrassing. Slapping an unknown man on their first interaction. That was quite outrageous. In fact, she wouldn’t dare do a thing like that
again, not even if someone paid her ten thousand dollars.
Doc’s dark brown eyes turned serious, stone serious. “Have you thought about why he can touch you without suffering a panic attack? Do you know why you are so special? Or if you have some supernatural powers?”
Alice’s brows arched up. Supernatural powers? Was he watching too much Netflix recently?
Doc chuckled. His eyes wrinkled when he laughed wholeheartedly. “That’s not possible, right? Then why? Why you?”
Alice tapped on the glass top. Sometimes she wondered that too. Why her? Fate? Bad luck?
“I don’t have the exact answer,” Doc said. “Nobody does. Only a few people in a million suffer with similar conditions, and we don’t have enough data to draw any conclusions. But I have a theory. When you slapped him, he went into a mental shock, restricting his body’s reaction to your touch. In other words, his body fell in love with you at first slap.”
“What?” Alice leaned forward. “But...”
Doc relaxed in his chair, half swinging to his right and then to his left. “I won’t go into technical terms, but his germaphobia is a purely mental issue. And he has a chance to improve if you’re around him.”
Alice shook her head. “No, he improved after I left him five years ago.”
“Wrong,” Doc said. “His hatred for you improved him. It was the second shock his mind received. For a month, he went into the darkest pit of his life. He refused to eat, he locked himself in his room, he drew weird pictures.” Doc sipped some water from a glass placed next to him. “He kept shouting your name for the whole month.”
A chain of guilt appeared around Alice’s heart, squeezing it tightly. She hadn’t known much about what he faced after she broke up with him, until a few days ago. Since then, she’d collected some bits and pieces of information. And it wasn’t good.
“We even considered sending him for shock treatment, or admitting him to a mental asylum. He was becoming a danger to himself.”
The chain pierced through the outer layer of her heart; blood oozed out of the wound. She was worse. She made him suffer so much pain, and yet she could stand next to him and smile. This morning he called her an angel, but knowing this now, she knew she was far from an angel. Maybe devil suited her better.
