Mafia's Mate

My heart is acting weird

>>Clio

My heart raced as he stared at me. Dread knotted within me as his words hung in the air,

"Take my clothes off?" My guard rose up, "Why?" I kept looking at him with a suspicious gaze. His gaze held mine, and for a moment, time seemed to hang suspended and all I could hear was my heart drum in my ears. The weight of his request pressed down on me, and a mixture of fear and vulnerability churned within my chest.

As I hesitated, my instincts warring with my emotions, he seemed to sense my internal struggle.

"Oh!" He shook his head and took something out of the cabinet, "I phrased it wrong, I meant take the clothes off in a sense to pull them up so I can see your injuries."

"Huh?" I was still confused but that's when I noticed what he took out of the cabinet.

It was a first-aid box

"OH!"

A flood of relief washed over my body and I relaxed a little, "Oh!" The knots in my stomach opened up and I took a breath of relief. But that lasted for merely a second because as he walked over to me, I processed his words again.

He wants to see my injuries?!?!

With the container in his hand, he came and crouched down on the floor right in front of me.

"Sir?" I felt nervous, "I can take care of my injuries!" I looked at him anxiously. How did he even know about my injuries in the first place? He left the ointment for me at my apartment too.

Did he-?? I had a realization. He must have seen it when I wasn't wearing my pants!

Matthew quietly looked at me, "As if," He said softly, "If you were going to take care of your injuries, you would have done it." He placed his hand on my leg and I flinched.

"B-but I, I did..." I lied

He smirked in return, "Oh, really?" He looked at me as if he knew I was lying and then he slid my pants up without warning, revealing the rough scabs on my skin.

!!!

I tried to reach for my pants but I was too late, he worked faster.

"What is this then?" He pointed at my skin and knee. He caught me lying within a second.

I reached out to my knee, trying to hide the scrapes and bruises with my hands, "That-this," The vulnerability of my situation was palpable, and I felt a flush of embarrassment creep across my cheeks, "This, um," I was trying hard to come up with an excuse but my brain wasn't braining. It started malfunctioning. The worst part was that since the places were itching, I had been rubbing and scratching them so they weren't exactly closed up either.

Matthew stared at me as I tried to come up with an excuse but his gaze only made things worse for me and I panicked even more. In the end, he just smiled and turned to look at the box.

"Let me take care of you," He said softly and I sewed my mouth shut.

Oh, Clio! Why are you so stupid?!?! WHY! OH! WHY!!?

He took out some alcohol wipes and an ointment along with some cotton swabs. He then gently placed his hand on my bare skin and looked up at me only to pass me a grin.

It made my heart skip a beat while he seemed unfazed as he started doing his work. I watched as he dipped his fingers into the ointment, his touch deliberate and gentle.

My heart just wouldn't calm down. The room felt awfully quiet and us being the only people in here made me feel odd.

I pursed my lips as I stared at him and wondered. He offered to take care of them but didn't ask how I got them. Usually, a person would ask that, right?