You Surprise Me
1173 Words
She's getting discharged today. The nurse just left.
She had called Becky to come pick her up. Of course, she got some tongue lashing for her insensitivity.
Turns out news travels faster than lightning.
A knock.
That's earlier than she tho-?
Her heart skips a beat and her smile fades. The heart monitor's beeps become rapid.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
He's dressed in a black suit_as usual, with a long black leather coat draping over his shoulders, his black gloved hands casually tucked into the pockets of his suit pants. Immaculate.
Beep. Beep.
Her insides churn from the delight. He is artfully intimidating.Like a main character straight out of a dark romance novel. His blue irises doing justice to that aura and his long lashes making his gaze more significant and piercing, it's hard to stay in his line of gaze.
Beep.
"Staring at me like that is dangerous_ for you" he smirks, shifting his gaze to the heart monitor. His baritone sends sweet shivers down her spine.
Shit.
How embarrassing!
Her throat tightens, words catching before they could form. Her fingers dig into the bed, cheeks flushed. She averts her gaze.
It's difficult to think when he's staring so intensely at her.
"Don't overthink it. It's your right-" he says with a straight face, She's taken aback.
"How are you feeling?"
"I-I've never been better".
She forces her self to regain composure. "I didn't think you'd come". Her fingers subconsciously fidget with her hospital gown.
He tilts his head to the side. "Should I leave?"
She bites her lower lip, her gaze faltering. "No. It's just that-" She manages to look at him.
"Nevermind. I'm waiting for someone and I don't want to keep you..."her gaze falls to her duvet.
How was she able to look him straight in the eye before?
'Get a grip, Elaine!'
"I also wanted to say thanks, for bringing me here_"
She's been talking and all he's done is stare and listen.
His gaze is unreadable, and that somehow makes her uncomfortable.
Like she's under a searchlight.
"Where did you learn to defend yourself like that?"
"Krav maga. I'm a beginner..." She says with a small smile.
A soft chuckle. "You surprise me".
Her heart flutters. "Don't underestimate my size"
"I'm not. You've got a good body proportion" he muses. "Infact, I'm surprised that I find this surprising" he shrewdly says.
Was that a compliment?
A knock. Becky.
She's shocked. Her gaze flickers between Elaine and Nickolai for a moment. A two second brain processing before she mouths"it's him?!".
Elaine goes pale. Nickolai caught her mouthing.
He turns to Elaine, a small tug at the corner of his lips. Her cheeks heat up once more with a vibrant pink.
That confirms it for Becky. It's him.
Elaine introduces them, they shake on it. Becky apologizes for interrupting.
"No, you didn't interrupt anything! We were just leaving". She blurts.
"Why don't I drop you off?" He is staring down at Becky. She involuntarily gulps under the weight of his gaze and very intimidating height.
"Err, I actually booked an appointment with my gynecologist. The date coincides, I might be here for a while".
Elaine gives her the look, Becky's eyes are apologetic.
But it's true.
She gives Elaine the black bag she brought and scurries out after a hug and a silent apology.
Elaine groans inwardly. They really need revisit their girl's code.
Nickolai whips around. "I'll give you your privacy".
When she's done, she meets him outside and they check out.
Ding.
The elevator door opens, followed by a suffocated silent gasp.
Hers.
The lady in the navy blue dress arches a brow at her. Elaine instantly cowers her head.
A reflex.
Nickolai's gaze doesn't falter, instead, he's focusing on Elaine's mood change. It seems to be clawing at his overprotective perks.
Then he shifts his gaze to the man standing behind the lady.
It's annoying that he's giving them the privilege of wasting his time.
The man breaks into a cold sweat under the influence of his gaze.
"Fancy meeting you here. I heard about what happened..."she says, her voice laced with sultry venom. She has the same eyes as Elaine and they have a similar facial build.
Nickolai is irritated.
"Let's talk-" she deadpans, Elaine cringes. Something stirring up inside her. Nickolai notices her paleness.
"Maybe some other time, we're in a hurry". He bluntly cuts in.
She studies him. His face is expressionless, eyes ice hard and blank. Anger, reflecting on hers.
"It's obvious you don't know who I am". She scoffs. "I didn't think you would have outgrown chasing shadows by now Elaine, turns out you proved me right". She says, smug.
It cuts her deep, she grits her teeth.
Nickolai places a hand on the small of Elaine's back. Completely ignoring her. "Shall we?"
Elaine walks past her, consumed in shame. "And to think he had high hopes for you". It slips from her lips, loud enough for Elaine to hear.
Nickolai takes the bag from her. The elvator doors open and he gracefully walks in. Every step dripping with unapologetic pride and aura.
It's just both of them now. In silence.
Loud_ nerve wracking silence.
She breaks the ice with a sad exhale. He sighs internally in relief.
That's a thousand times better than silence.
"She's my sister" she mutters. The doors open, they step out.
"I thought as much. I shouldn't have butted in-"
She forces a smile. "No, I'm glad you're here. It wouldn't have gone down that easy, she's a bit overbearing".
Nickolai sees right through her smile. He opens the car door for her. And rounds the car.
They're sitting apart, he notices she's on edge.
"You don't have to smile when you don't want to. Neither do you have to explain things that make you feel uncomfortable". He says as the car's engine softly roars to life. Staring out the tinted window.
It cuts her deep, it stings.
He's right.
And once again, silence descends like a rock upon their shoulders. But the tension is lighter now.
He can tell.
It's a long bittersweet drive.
They pull over opposite her house. She hops down, Nickolai offers to escort her in but she refuses. She later gives in due to his unarguable persistence.
She gets to her porch to see dirty footprints on her rug. She notices her door is open and the lock is broken.
Fuck. It.
She darts inside, shock hits her.
No valuables were stolen, but, her house is in an intentional mess. Her windows are broken, her TV has a crow bar stuck in the middle and her couch is ripped and stained with red paint. There's a lot of other damages.
She notices a red rose on her centre table with a tag. She picks it up.
Yours truly.
At the back, she sees and adress. She shivers in horror. It's... Becky's ?!
This isn't just a break in.
It's a warning.
- Writer
