Alex stared at the door for the longest time after she'd left, his anger still in full force. The more time he spent around her, the more she irritated him. She was too nosy and she also never listened. He hadn't wanted her in his room because he knew that would only pique her never ending curiosity and increase her probing and the thought unnerved him. She unnerved him.
He turned his attention to the picture he'd seen her staring at, welcoming the pain and guilt that always followed whenever he looked at any of those pictures. He'd been happy then. He stared at the sleeping Angel first. He'd hated the way Sophie had implied that he didn't care about his daughter the other day. What did she know? He loved Angel more than anyone could imagine. She was his life. His eyes then drifted to his wife next. She had been beautiful, the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Now, she was just a reminder of that really great thing he'd had and lost.
* * *
Sophie, on getting downstairs had snapped at the delivery man and told him he had the option of either dropping the package or coming back some other time.
He'd looked genuinely scared and had chosen to drop the package instead. That only pissed Sophie off more, if he'd done that earlier, he'd have spared her a world of stress.
She was busy cleaning like her life depended on it, trying to keep her disturbing thoughts at bay although she wasn't having much luck so far. She couldn't get that stupid image out of her head and whenever her mind drifted back to that scene, her face would become all warm and those darned butterfly would resume their annoying breakdance.
She was utterly and completely losing her mind. Raymond had not even been gone a week and she was already shifting attention? Was she so starved for affection that she'd do something so ridiculous? She wasn't a horny teenager and she'd always considered herself mature when it came to men so why exactly was this happening to her? And why Alex of all people? Her heart needed serious lessons. Getting attracted to Angel would have been a much better choice and that in itself was saying a lot.
It was because he was almost naked, she told herself. That was why she had reacted like that, that was all. Once he went back to cloth wearing Alex, everything would go back to normal.
"You're going to scrub a hole in that counter."
Sophie jerked, hitting her leg on the so called counter.
"Stop doing this to me!" She whined.
He raised his brows at her. "I didn't do anything. You're the one who has been going at that counter like you have scores to settle."
She turned to him. He was fully clothed now, wearing a tee and shorts. He was sporting a slight smirk and Sophie found herself staring at his lips instead. They were pink and puckered ever so lightly... She caught herself as her thoughts wandered off again. Her heart had resumed it's rapid beating and she was hyperventilating.
"Uh, Sophia. Are you alright?" He asked, staring at her weirdly. When she didn't reply, he stepped closer to her and hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder to shake her. "Sophia?"
Tingles ran down the length of her arm from where he touched her through her whole body. She jerked away both in shock and panic as she tried to find her breath and make sense of what was happening to her.
She timidly looked up at him to see his face was edged with concern. Without the glasses on, how hadn't she noticed how beautiful his eyes were?
Freaked out, she stuttered a quick "I'm fine," before bolting out of the kitchen leaving a confused Alex looking after her and wondering what was up with her.
* * *
After he'd taken his drugs in the evening, she told him she wanted to step out quickly and would be back before nightfall. He hadn't questioned her, still puzzled by her strange behavior. She called her girl to confirm she was home hoping for some serious intervention.
"Ama, something's seriously wrong with me," was the first thing she said as she entered the house.
"Fact that has been established since 1960. I'm surprised you're just figuring it out," Ama replied nonchalantly.
"Ama, I'm serious!"
Ama rolled her eyes at Sophie. "And they say I'm the dramatic one." Before Sophie could yell again, she said, "Alright, alright. Tell me what's wrong."
"I think I might like Alex."
Well, that got her attention.
Sophie narrated what had happened to her friend. Expecting Ama to be surprised, she was the one surprised when her friend suddenly grinned, hitting her arm.
"You bad girl!"
Sophie stared incredulously at her, "You find this funny?"
Ama burst into laughter. "It's funny now, look at your face."
Sophie glowered at her friend.
Ama laughed harder. "Babes, on top this matter? You better relax. So you have a crush on him? That's not a big deal. You're living with a flesh and blood delicious hunk. I think it'd be weirder if you weren't attracted to him."
Sophie frowned, rolling her eyes. "You talk as if you've actually seen him before."
Ama waved her comment away. "I don't have to. I have a sixth sense about these things. What I'm trying to say is, don't stress yourself out over this. It's normal. You'll get over it sooner or later. Or not."
Sophie glared at her. "What about Raymond?"
"What about him?"
"Ama! You were on team Raymond a week ago."
"And I'm not necessarily off the team yet. Let's be frank, you guys are just friends. Nothing's happened yet and you don't owe him loyalty." She held her hands up as Sophie was about to protest. "But... I get you. It's not as if you're about to start a relationship with Alex or getting married to him, not that there's anything wrong with that..." She held her hand up again. "So there's no need to feel guilty about anything."
"I never said I was feeling guilty," Sophie defended.
Ama scoffed, "Yeah, right. It's like you don't know who you're talking to. It doesn't matter though. Relax and enjoy, my friend. Who knows? Maybe before we know it now, you'll be a proud mother of twelve in Alex's house."
Ama was quick to stand and run into the bathroom before the punch Sophie aimed at her could reach her.
"I hate you!" Sophie yelled at her.
"I know," Ama replied, laughing.
* * *
Sophie decided to take her friend's advice not to think too much about it. Feelings come and go and sooner or later hers would fade. All the pep talk though didn't stop her from avoiding Alex. The lesser she saw him, the faster she'd get over whatever this was.
If he noticed she was avoiding him, he didn't mention it. If anything, he was thrilled she wasn't hounding him with the many questions he had been so sure she'd have.
The calls she exchanged with Raymond and the warm feeling she got from their conversations reassured her that she still liked him.
That day, when she'd gone to call him down for breakfast and he had told her to drop the food outside his door, she hadn't thought much of it and had done as he'd said, grateful she didn't have to see him just yet. But when he repeated the same thing for lunch and then dinner, she started to worry something was wrong. She knocked repeatedly and insisted he open the door else she wouldn't leave. She heard his audible groan as he opened the door only slightly, making it obvious he didn't want her coming in.
His upper body was bare and that momentarily distracted her until she noticed how pale he looked. On reflex, she raised her hands to his forehead and saw he was burning up.
"You're sick!" she exclaimed.
He slapped her hand away, frowning. "It's just a mild fever. I'm fine."
"Well, I'm supposed to be your nurse and even the slightest of headaches should worry me," she reminded him as she forced herself into his room.
He wanted to argue with her but his body felt weak so he just ignored her and laid back down on the bed. "I told you I don't want you barging in here."
She ignored him as she sat beside him. "Did you take your drugs?"
"Do I ever not?" He replied, turning away from her.
"I have to call the doctor then."
His hand flew out to grip her wrist as she made to stand up. His expression was serious as he said, "Don't bother."
Why was he always so against her calling the doctor? Firmly, she replied, "No. I'm not going to let anything happen to you on my watch. There's obviously something up with you that you don't want to tell me so I'm going to call the one person who knows what's really wrong with you."
She tried wriggling her hands free but his hold was too strong. She looked down at their hands and then back up at him as he maneuvered into a sitting position.
His eyes bored into hers with such intensity that left her feeling restless but still, she found she couldn't look away.
"I'll tell you."
She was shocked, was he saying what she thought he was? "Tell me what?"
He sighed, letting go of her hand. "I'll tell you the truth but in return, you won't call or tell anyone about it."
Her heart was suddenly beating fast at the thought of knowing what the secret he'd been keeping from her was.
"Okay," she whispered.
He took his time replying then he said, "I'm anemic."
**********
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