EPISODE 4
1244 Words
NINA
I just got dumped. Again.
At this point, I think I needed to be labelled as a carrier of bad luck because why on earth was this happening to me?
I had given up my whole life, my identity. My job, the only world I knew and grew up in just in search of true love.
And I just robbed again.
How the mother f*****g son of a gun even knew about my wealth would always remain a mystery. All I knew was that when I woke up, he was gone.
As well as half of what was in one of my spending accounts.
I was pissed as hell, grumpy, mad at the universe, and still had to go to work.
Work!
With an annoyed huff, I slammed the door of the taxi and stormed up Keith's walkway.
He had made considerable progress, and had been discharged to receive treatment from home. Now, I spent three days in a week with him, and I think we could almost pass for friends.
Friends with a perfectly reasonable doctor-client relationship.
I opened the door and walked inside, dropping my hand bag and coat on the couch in the living room. Then I made my way to his study, where I knew he would be.
Keith was going over documents as I opened the door, and he looked up as I came inside.
“Hey,” he said in a form of a greeting.
“Hey,” I responded curtly.
I wasn't in the mood exchange pleasantries or make small talks like we used to, so I got right into work immediately.
I brought out my equipment and was about to begin the daily routine of coaxing his legs back to life when he stopped me.
“Nina?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
That was such an ironic question. I was tempted to snap at him, to tell him to mind his own damn business, but Keith had become more than a patient to me these past few months.
He was my friend, and beneath his grumpy exterior was a softness he rarely showed.
There was a hint of concern on his face too, and I knew I could not blow him off. But I had to tell him something.
“I am alright. I'm okay. I just…something happened and it made me cranky. And no, before you ask, I don't want to talk about it.”
He raised his eyebrows at me.
“What happened, Nina?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes. “What part of I don't want to talk about it do you not understand?” my voice had a hard edge to it, but it was nothing really serious.
“Come on. Don't be grumpy. Is it something very terrible?” he pushed.
I shrugged and said nothing.
Keith didn't back down.
“Nina. You do realise that talking about something helps to take whatever it is off the mind, yes?”
I rolled my eyes at his incessant line of questioning.
“Yeah. So? It is a really sore subject for me, Keith. Please, don't push.”
Keith raised his hands in surrender, pretending to lock his lips with a padlock. An imaginary padlock.
He then proceeded to throw me then imaginary key, and the entire thing made me laugh.
But his silence didn't last long.
Because Keith took a deep breath and started to ask me questions again.
“So. This is about a boy, right?”
I snapped my gaze to his. He nodded, an amused expression on his face.
“Ah. So it is about a boy. Interesting. You know, I didn't think you had any kind of…commitment going on. I mean, between taking care of me and your other tasks at the clinic, how do you even manage to have a relationship?”
I was massaging his immobile legs at this point, trying to get some feelings into them.
Keith went on, undisturbed by my intentional silence.
“It must be nice though. I mean, having someone to go back home to and all of that. So, tell me, my dearest caretaker. What did Romeo do?”
I still refused to say anything.
Keith let the silence drag between us for a while before he sighed.
His expression turned serious.
“Okay, Nina. What's up? I don't think I like this vibe you have going on,” he stated simply, his voice devoid of the amusement in them earlier.
I heaved a deep breath, trying to steady myself before I spoke. The break up had hit me harder than I thought. I really, really thought that we had something going.
Guess the connection had always been so damn fickle, and I was the only one who didn't see it.
“He dumped me. There was no text, no hand written note or anything. I just woke up and found all of his things gone,” I finally muttered.
“I am sorry to ask this, are you guys living together?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“So what exactly did you mean when you said his things were gone?”
“His clothes. I mean, some of his clothes are in my house and suddenly his side of the closet is empty!”
“Maybe he went to do laundry? I mean, you cannot just decide that he dumped you when he didn't do anything, as far as I am concerned.”
I almost scoffed.
I knew Keith might have understood how I felt, if I told him about the stolen money.
But that would require having to reveal my identity, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Forget it, Keith. I don't want to talk about it.”
He nodded. “Okay. Sure.”
And then he spoke again.
“I have something that will take that frown off you face.”
I gave him a side eye, my attention wholly on his legs.
“Really? What's that, pray tell?”
Keith smirked, the action highlighting his face. My heart skipped a beat, and for a second, I almost gave in to the simmering attraction I had always felt for him. The attraction I had pushed to the darkest corner of my mind.
“Come closer and I'll tell you.”
The line sounded like a typical scam, but I could not resist his charm. So I rolled my eyes and stopped massaging his legs, leaning forward until my face was mere inches from his.
And then, very slowly, Keith leaned towards me. My original thought was that he was going to whisper something ridiculous into my ears, but to my surprise, Keith's lips brushed against mine.
The very fleeting action made shivers run down my spine. He stopped, staring into my eyes. I had no choice than to stare back, my heart pounding crazily.
It was as though the wait was him asking for permission. And when I didn't push him away, Keith leaned forward again and captured my lips in his.
Fireworks exploded in my head.
He was kissing me. Keith was kissing me.
His lips were so soft, softer than I thought, and it melded perfectly with mine.
He could have kissed me forever and I wouldn't have minded.
When he pulled away, I almost wanted to protest. But then he did something else.
“Marry me, Nina,” he muttered against my lips.
- Writer
