PASSION AND POSSESSIVENESS
1265 Words
Ashley
I sigh a sigh of relief as I stepped out of the emergency room. That was by far the most stressful surgery I've done in a while. I'm exhausted, both physically and emotionally.
I see Mark at the check-out desk, helping a mom and her kid sign out of the hospital. The kid looks happy, conversing with Mark, and I can't help but smile. Mark always has a way of getting through to kids, and they love him eventually. It's such a nice sight to watch.
He waves them off and then turns and sees me. He laughs and says, "How's my baby girl doing?" I roll my eyes, feeling a mix of annoyance and affection. He has always called me "baby girl" as his nickname for me, and I haven't been able to get him to stop.
"Your baby girl is tired," I replied, trying to sound stern but failing miserably. "I just finished surgery on that kid they brought in. He had multiple fractures, some bones healed wrongly, six broken ribs, and multiple punctures in his lungs. One was close to his heart. It was a miracle he survived surgery."
Mark's expression changed from playful to shocked and pissed. His passion for kids made him protective of them, but who wouldn't be? "What happened?" he asks, his voice laced with anger. "What kind of monster would do that to a child?"
I took a deep breath, feeling a surge of emotions. "Apparently, his father. According to his file, he'd been abused for a while by his stepdad, but they couldn't prove it to get him arrested. Luckily, his mom got cameras installed, and they have footage of him beating the kid because he mistakenly broke a plate."
Mark shakes his head, his eyes flashing with anger. "Some men are just monsters," he says, his voice low and even.
I smile, trying to lighten the mood. "But not you, though. You're an absolute angel."
Mark gaps, faking hurt, and I chuckle. He's told me countless times that calling him an angel makes him seem gay, but I still do it to taunt him.
"Come on, let's go grab lunch," he says, his expression playful again.
We head to my favorite restaurant across the hospital, but it's filled up, so we have to sit outside. Mark goes in and orders waffles and ice cream, my favorite combo for the both of us. He sits and I starts rambling about how bad I must for the child, how I would never marry a man who didn't love my child if I ever got a divorce.
I pause when I notice that Mark is not responding. I look at him, and I see he's just staring at me with a longing look in his eyes. I chuckle, feeling a mix of amusement and discomfort. "Mark, what's going on?"
He leans across the table and kisses me. I'm taken aback, my mind racing with confusion. I don't want to be harsh and push him away, so I try to get comfortable with the kiss, but I can't relax. It just doesn't feel right.
Just as I'm about to stop him, I feel him immediately leave me, and I hear a loud thud. I open my eyes, and my heart skips a beat. Christian is standing over Mark, looking furious.
"Christian, what are you doing?" I ask, my voice shaking with surprise.
He doesn't answer, his eyes fixed on Mark, who's now standing up, his face red with anger. I feel a surge of fear, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. This is not good. This is not good at all.
Christian
My eyes narrow, my heart racing with anger. I feel a surge of possessiveness, my mind screaming that she's mine. I take a deep breath, trying to calm down, but my eyes are fixed on the them, my anger simmering just below the surface.
I get out of the car and slam the door, starting to walk towards them. Jacob notices why I'm mad and rushes out to meet me. "Chris, come on man, just calm down. Maybe he's her boyfriend, which will explain why she hasn't given you a thought at all."
I'm so angry I'm beyond being reasoned with. "If he's her boyfriend, I'll apologize after I punch him in the face," I reply, my voice low and even.
But if he isn't, then I feel bad for him. I complete my sentence in my mind as I get to where they are and drag him off her by his collar. I kick away the seat, and he lands on the floor.
"What the hell?" he exclaims, as Ashley says, "Christian, what are you doing?"
I was going to punch him, but seeing the panic on Ashley's face stops me. The blonde guy gets up, his face red with anger, but Jacob steps in front of him before he can do anything.
"Trust me, man, you don't want to fight him. Just let it go," Jake says to him.
Ashley gets up, "Mark, are you okay?" she says, looking worried about him.
Mark nods, and she tries to go to him, but I step in front of her, saying, "Ashley, we need to talk."
She gets annoyed, "And this is how you plan on getting my attention? This is highly inappropriate, not to mention you're embarrassing me at work. You need to leave, Christian."
She says, her voice firm, her eyes flashing with anger.
"Fine, I'll leave, but not without you," I say, my voice firm.
She looks at me incredulous, as if to say, "You're not being serious, right?" but I ignore it.
She shakes her head, "No, Christian, I have work to do. I'm still on duty; I can't just leave."
I try to plead with her, "It'll just be a few minutes." Who am I kidding? I say to myself in my head. If I succeed in leaving with her, I'm not bringing her back till she agrees to be my girlfriend.
I'm brought back to the present when she moves past me, "No, Christian, you need to leave, and you do not treat my colleagues like that."
My anger dissipates when she calls the blonde guy her colleague. It simply means he has no chance with her whatsoever because she isn't interested.
She says, "Let's go, Mark," and starts to walk off towards the hospital. I follow her, my mind racing with thoughts of how I can convince her to give me a chance.
She stops and turns around, "Christian, why won't you just leave?"
"Ashley, just come with me or give me your phone number." I retort
I struggle to add it, but I add, "Please."
The blonde guy scoffs, and I feel the urge to punch him again, but I refrain.
"I'm sorry, Christian, but I'm not ready to get into that drama I saw at the company. I'd rather have peace," she says and walks away.
This time, I let her.
Angry at stupid Samantha and disappointed that she didn't give me a chance, I walk back to my car and get in. Jacob sits beside me and says, "You're going to let her go just like that? I've never known you to be a quitter."
I don't reply to his statement; instead, I ask, "Who are the owners of this hospital?"
Looking perplexed by my question, he replies, "I'm not sure, but I can easily find out. But why are you asking?"
I smirk and start the car
"because Jacob, I'm going to buy the hospital."
- Writer
