Hate, actually ✔

Chapter 15

"You are so vulnerably haunting.
Your eeriness is terrifyingly
irresistible." - Franz Kafka,
Letters to Milena

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When I come to, the first thing I hear is a muffle of voices. I feel like I'm waking up from a really nice nap.

"She's coming round," a female voice says.

My eyes flutter open and my gaze lands on a beautiful bronze skinned woman in scrubs. Her hair is a mane of beautiful, black curls and she's almost as tall as Leonardo. That's really tall.

Wait. What happened? Why is there a doctor here and why am I lying on this bed with my feet elevated?

Leonardo is standing next to her and I can't help but let the thought slip into my mind that they'd make a beautiful couple.

I mean, they could both easily be models and would probably have children that look like dolls. The thoughts sends a nasty shiver down my spine.

Leonardo makes his way to me and sits beside me.

"What happened?" I ask him, furrowing my eyebrows.

Looking around, I notice that I'm not in my room. This room is much more organized, manlier and less personalized. It's as big as aunt Lizzy's apartment, I kid you not. There's soft music playing from a gramophone in the corner of the room. A white staircase sits self consciously at the very end of the room and I wonder where it leads to.

"You passed out," Leonardo says, cautiously. "The doctor says it's heat stroke but you're going to be okay."

"I don't remember passing out."

I vaguely remember feeling off and then throwing up all over the floor. My last recollection was Leonardo not leaving, even when I got throw up on his shoe.

The doctor looks at me. "That's completely normal. Leonardo will run you a cool bath so your body temperature goes down and I'll also prescribe some medication that will help you feel less uncomfortable."

With the way she says Leonardo's name, I can tell she's quite familiar with him. It makes me feel irritated, especially in my delirious state.

"Can this heat stroke thing come back?" I ask.

I'm pretty sure I got heat stroke from the couple's cruise. I spent so much time on the balcony of our cabin listening to music. I was enjoying the views so much that it didn't register to me that a hat and sun screen wouldn't fight the French Polynesian sun beating down on me.

"Not likely, but your body is still quite susceptible to it, so I'd advise staying indoors when it's sunny out."

I nod, trying to sit up. My head feels heavy and my heart is beating a mile a minute.

"Sadie, you'll make yourself pass out again if you sit up that quickly," Leonardo chastises.

I want to say something quick-witted in retort, but I'm cut off when he gently pulls me towards him, so that I'm sitting between his legs, my back against his muscular frame. He's got a leg on the hardwood floor, balancing my weight.

He wraps his arms around my torso and, oh my splitting sides, I can't believe I'm being cuddled by Leonardo Romano.

My tiny frame fits with his larger one so perfectly, it's haunting.

The doctor smiles fondly at us and hands Leonardo my prescription before she makes her way out of the vast room.

Ludwig Van Beethoven's Moonlight sonata is playing on the gramophone and I'm so comfortable, I don't want to move.