Phobia||18+

F O R E S T

"I thought you said there was a path?"

"There is, we just have to get to it."

How long had her brother and Dr Cromwell been talking?

"Whats your favorite colour?"

"Why do you ask?" Dr Cromwell countered.

"Well if your going to be living with me I think I should at least get to know you."

"Green."

"You seem like a green person."

"And whys that?" Dr Cromwell questioned clearly amused.

Did this man have to question everything? "You just are a green person, dark green if were getting into specifics, what do you think mine is?"

"Purple."

Charlotte mimicked Dr Cromwell's deep voice "And whys that?"

Dr Cromwell laughed "Is that what I sound like?"

No, he sounded much better.

"Yes."

Charlotte took a minute to look away from the back of Dr Cromwell's head and looked in front of her and sure enough there was a worn wooden pathway.

Dr Cromwell didn't brag about being right like Charlotte would have.

The pair now walked side by side until the need overcame Charlotte.

"You were wrong, my favorite colour is light green."

Charlotte stopped scolding herself for staring when she saw Dr Cromwell's lips quirk. If she hadn't been staring she would have missed it and that was a good enough reason to keep staring.

"I was waiting for you to say something."

The pair had walked around in a loop and headed back Charlotte making the conversation while trying to avoid the questions he would ask every so often, a clear attempt at reigniting their short lived session from earlier.

Dr Cromwell had offered to help Charlotte with the food and sometime during the whole affair he had decided to remove his jumper.

While Charlotte missed his suits, the man seemed to look good in everything but the top he was currently wearing was too much, the shirt was tight on him and the short sleeves perfectly showed his arms as they flexed while he cut vegetables for the stir fry they had decided to make.

It wasn't just his arms Charlotte could see, Charlotte could also see his muscles through the fabric of his shirt and it was not a disappointing sight.

Dr Cromwell turned to put the vegetables in the wok turning back to Charlotte when he had started them cooking.

He had caught her in the act.

"I can see your nipples." Charlotte pointed out in a poor attempt at defending herself.

Charlotte felt the need to continue when he didn't say anything. "You know if I was to do that I would be called a-"

"I wouldn't mind." Dr Cromwell interrupted.

Charlotte could feel the heat going straight to her cheeks, of course he wouldn't.

"You know you should dress more modestly, especially in someone else's home." Charlotte jeered trying to escape her own embarrassment.

"Maybe you shouldn't gawk at people especially when their trying to help you." Dr Cromwell contradicted.

Charlotte thought he hadn't noticed.

Charlotte's breath caught as he leaned closer to her.

His eye's remained on hers as he turned the switch taking the noodles off boil from beside where Charlotte had been leaning.

"I wasn't gawking Alastair."

Dr Cromwell's eyes visibly darkened as he scanned Charlotte's face.

He only stayed that way for a minute before pulling back, his jaw clenched. "Don't call me that." Charlotte was confused by his quick turn around but still persisted.

"Why not Alastair, it's your name?"

Dr Cromwell took a step closer to Charlotte.

"Do not play with me little girl, you will not like how it turns out for you."

Dr Cromwell pulled away and went back to cooking at a speed that would have given Charlotte whip lash.

Maybe she should call him Alastair more often, after all it was a pretty name and it would be a shame not to use it, especially when she got a reaction like that.

It was later that evening when Charlotte was sitting in the sitting room that Alastair decided to disrupt her peace.

"I want you to come shopping with me."
Alastair announced.

Charlottes response was immediate not even having to think about it "No, I'm not ready yet."

"Charlotte, you need to try" Alastair urged.

Charlie couldn't understand why he wasn't listening to her. "Please don't make me, I'm not ready."

Alastair's eyes softened but unfortunate to Charlotte his words did not change. "Your going Charlotte end of story."$