Lex
Once I took her plate back to the kitchen, I made sure to double-check check the windows in her room were closed. Then removed the wet bedsheets so the mattress could somewhat dry off, but I guess she'd need a new one. That will all be taken care of tomorrow.
The light to her bathroom was still on and as I opened the door to flick it off, warm and humid steam burned my face. I step back a little and wait for the steam to exit the bathroom. Looks like someone had a warm shower. My eyes caught the handle of the water temperature on the maximum range of hot temperature. It quickly clicked in my head, recalling back to her slightly red face, hands, and feet.
My eyes widened thinking about how her skin must have hurt. I flicked the light off and headed downstairs to the couch thinking I could avoid any further thoughts but so many came in. She cried yesterday. She cried and hurt her body like that today. For some reason, it bugged me. I turned side to side but couldn't sleep and wanted answers. To rest assured of the restlessness in my body, I finally decided to get up and march back to my room.
"Aira, are you crazy," my voice cuts halfway when I open the door to find her sleeping face and tightened body position.
I walk up to her and get a better view. My pillow is soaked in her tears. I grab one of her arms and roll up her sleeves. Her skin is still so red but her body is cold. Was it all because of me? Is it me? The guilt only grew from yesterday's incident, and I carefully placed her arm down to get a bowl of ice from the kitchen.
Starting from her face, I softly iced it, gently so she wouldn't wake up, and then made my way down to her arms. Her skin felt like a newborn baby's skin. Soft, new, perfect. By the time I was done, it was past midnight. I only had a few hours to get my sleep before tomorrow so I did.
The next thing I knew was that those hours passed by fast and Lana shook me awake at seven am. I normally get up at 6:30 am so I could go for an early morning run but I missed it today. I rubbed my face with my hands roughly so I could wake up properly and come to my senses.
Lana went ahead and walked into the kitchen for breakfast preparation whilst I grabbed my pillow and blanket and headed back up to my room. I turn the knob slowly as I enter, walking straight up to her.
Aira is still sleeping. My hand goes towards her to wake her up but then I resist. I battle in my head if I should wake her up or not. Instead, I grab my clothes and quickly hop in the bathroom to freshen myself and take a shower. I walk out and find Aira, switching sides. Her eyes slowly open as her hands snake around her stomach to secure it.
The stains of blood that are spread on my sheet come into my sight, widening my eyes and giving me a slight panic as to how she'd react. It's only another few seconds before she wakes up and sits up to stare at me. How do I not make this awkward? She will panic when she sees the blood on my sheets and will feel embarrassed.
"Don't panic, but you got your period," I told in the nicest way possible.
The shock comes clear on her face with a fluster of red filling her cheeks when she looks down between her legs to confirm what I had just told her.
"I – I am so sorry," she instantly started to apologize, gathering my quilt around her to prevent me from seeing her stained pants.
"You're fine. Do you need anything? Should I go get Lana?" I offered placing my towel down and going towards her to help her out.
"No. I –" she refused, instantly sliding off my bed and walking out my door for her room.
I walk over to her room and knock. I know she can hear me, but she just won't talk back.
"Aira, I know you can hear me. You should take a day off today," I sighed, pinching my eyes close, and rethinking my purpose of doing this.
It was no secret that I and Aira were the last people to ever comfort each other but growing up around two women, especially Liz who struggled with a lot of heavy menstruation, my heart ached.
Aira did not respond and instead, I knew she felt embarrassed. I head back to my room and get dressed for today and I have done it quickly so I can tell Lana to prepare a heavy and good breakfast for Aira to eat so her mood does not swing like a hammer over my head.
"Sir, Aira," Lana spoke looking behind me when I took a bite of my toast.
Her face turns red and she hurries out of the house. She'll probably have something at the office. She can't stay empty stomach, but I was wrong. Hours pass and when I ask our manager if she's had food, she lets me know that Aira has only left her cabin to use the washroom.
I had made the decision not to show my face to her today since it always infuriated her but when I received another update at 6 pm that the situation was no different, I clicked out of my chair.
This work can be completed at home. She already had a hard day yesterday during our drive home. Her screams and cries were different this time. They sounded like a little girl's cries that yearned for closure. The closure didn't seem to have been given to her which is why those cries still echo out of her mouth today. I was in no position to ask her but the thought bothered me in the back of my head. When I entered her cabin, she purposely kept her eyes on her laptop screen. Now also, infuriatingly typing.
"Come on, Aira. It's time to go," I spoke walking around her table to get behind her to see what she was doing.
My body leaned over her shoulder giving me a clearer view of the screen and also a nice scent of her signature perfume. The sweetness of almond and coffee dances on the choreography of tango with the elegance of white florals, ultimately settling into a warm embrace of cocoa.
Confidence and sophistication at the same time. Suits her in my opinion but this was such a basic luxurious scent. It was the Good Girl Perfume. Basic but coming from her it smelt luxurious. Like she had given essence to such a basic scent.
"I- I still have work to do," her voice shivers with the closeness of my body with hers.
She refused to look at me. My hand slid along her blouse fabric and to her hand which had turned into ice from my presence.
"It looks like you've finished the file so let me help you," I offered, taking her mouse to save the file and then shut her screen down.
My next mistake, well nice attempt because she thinks I am way too arrogant which by the way does not affect me in any way, was to let her know that she hadn't had food all day.
"Let's go. You've been in this cabin the whole day without any food," I bossed around.
Those words triggered an infuriating reaction from her and she chuckled abruptly, turning her chair to look at me with eyes that were shooting bullets.
"I'll get home myself," she avoids looking at me, getting up from her chair to walk around and towards the door herself.
I manage to put my arm out in front of her like a stop sign to which she immediately stops walking but keeps her gaze away from me.
"Get out of my way, Mr. Hudson," she gritted through her voice.
I slowly place my point finger below her chin, feeling her baby-soft skin send warm tingles along my finger. Lifting her face she finally looked back at me, directly into my eyes like they were some sparkling sensation that occurs along the surface of the ocean when the sun rises and sets.
"When you're talking to me, look at me. You haven't eaten anything all day. Let's go home," I ordered in a stricter tone.
"Do you not understand what no means?" her eyes raised in threat again.
Mine narrow as well at her tone. She had already put herself in trouble once, I cannot let that happen again. She's Mr. Alzert's niece and by that, I have a responsibility to her.
"No one ever says no to me. You either come with me or I have my ways to get you out of here. I'm asking politely. I won't ask again," the coldness in my eyes gave the promise which tamed the fire in her just slightly.
"Thank you for the offer but I'll be fine myself," she rolled her eyes and went ahead to walk towards the door.
I inhaled and exhaled a deep breath at a fast rate. When my body turned once again to get to her, she was giving herself a solid moment to let a sharp cramp pass through her. This allowed me to throw her arm around my shoulder and pick her up by her hips which fit like a glove into my hands.
I jerked her body twice on my shoulder to adjust her position better, leaving no possibility for her to just yelp down off me. She hissed at the pinches of my shoulder bones jammed into her stomach.
"Mr. Hudson, put me down! What the hell do you think you're doing?" she panicked.
"I told you I would only ask nicely once," I held her legs that protested to meet the ground firmly between my hands.
"Okay fine, I'll go with you just put me down," she tried bating to get out of the embarrassment she'd feel when the employees see us like this.
I couldn't care less.
"Nope," I rejected, exiting her cabin and heading straight to the elevator which took a while to come.
All eyes were on us and most of the employees whispered among themselves like it was a pleasant sight. Aira went quiet for the first time and it was nice having her silenced.
"Put me down, this is so embarrassing," she complained in a soft voice.
I ignored and the elevator door pinged open. She begged for release, but I refused to grant it to her. Her legs attempted to struggle but my grip on her was too strong. I just knew the moment I let her down, she'd be ready with a knife on my neck. Nobody else entered the elevator and we exited out to the ground floor. Taking the keys out of my pocket with one hand, I unlocked the car and opened the door to the passenger seat to throw her in.
"Mr. Hudson," she argued with her arms that I had grabbed a hold of tight by both wrists in one palm.
A dirty thought released a groan out of me whilst I dragged the seatbelt across her and locked it in. Aira did not attempt to get out knowing that if she had walked back in it would be embarrassing and such a shame. I also quietly took my seat on the driver's side. The first few minutes were silent.
"What do you want to eat?" I ask but she keeps her face to the window with her arms crossed over her chest like a stubborn wife.
She was rewarding me with the silent treatment when I was for once, trying to be nice to her like she had wanted.
"Fine," I gritted behind my teeth, feeling my temper slide to my foot which in return accelerated the speed of the car.
"Anywhere, anything," her voice gasped with fear and I blinked back to reality looking at her frightened body position.
I pulled my foot off the accelerator as I did not intend to use it against it. She pulls her body back with relief followed by a death stare directed at me for doing this. My mouth opened to protest but then I held myself back from doing so. I did not want to fight with her and she's probably already annoyed by the few incidents that took place today.
Simply, without further argument or unconscious stunts, I pull up to the nearest drive-through. The menu had a deal that had a chicken burger, kebab wrap with fries, and even a drink. That shall do for her since she hasn't had anything all day and I'm sure Lana has cooked dinner at home which she can rely on if this isn't enough.
When we pull up in the waiting bay, I take the chance to look at her and she rolls her eyes again, looking away. I bet my bottom dollar on everything she's probably thinking of biting my head off like a dog.
"Stop cursing me in your head," I sighed.
She doesn't utter a word to me but in her head, she has probably questioned and listed all the reasons that justify her cursing towards me. Well, she was right about one thing in her head. I had given her no reason to praise me. To change the topic and lighten the mood a bit, I spoke about the construction site which we received further instructions on.
"The site instructors called today and said that we can start the work there from tomorrow. I'll handle the office and you can handle the setup there," a smile plastered across her face at the news. "Yeah, yeah. Be happy that you won't have to see me around for a while," my eyes winced in disbelief and annoyance but her smile only widened.
She was going to be happy that she wasn't going to have to deal with me other than seeing me on weekends but why was the fact that she was happy about staying out of my sight bothering me?
On top of that, my eyes refused to pull off the sight of her delicate smile. The hot pink lipstick looked like a melted flower over her lips that was seamless. I yanked my head away from them and blinked furiously when my brain started to sparkle like fireworks, burnt and eradicated on the surface.
What. The. Hell?
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