Chapter Four
1132 Words
JULIAN'S POV
I pressed the doorbell for the fourth time, standing in front of Miss Olivia's apartment. She had promised to repay the amount I had spent on her at the hospital and said she would ring my doorbell at 10:00 PM. It was now twenty-one minutes past that time.
When she finally opened the door, I greeted her with a grin. "Hey there," I said, trying to keep the tone casual. "I hope you weren't trying to avoid me. Are you alone, or is your husband in there?"
I intended to confirm whether she truly lived alone or if someone else in her life was causing her distress. However, her stare back at me made me realize that it was probably not the most sensible question to ask.
Her eyes looked puffy, indicating that she had likely been crying, despite her attempts to keep a composed, if slightly intimidating, expression.
Quickly, I made the decision to change the subject.
"All that talk about repaying what you owe m—" My words were interrupted by hers.
"—Hold on a minute."
She turned and headed back into her house, wearing the same crocs I had given her at the hospital. She said she was going to pay me back for those as well.
Standing by the door, I could see the arrangement of her brown couches, stylish and very orderly. Something hit my nose, and I tried to inhale the smell emanating from her living room, attempting to identify it.
Oh no! My brain registered the scent.
By the time I entered, the smell of gas had filled the living room. It wasn't suffocating, but it was strong enough for anyone with a nose to notice quickly.
What could this woman be planning? Was she intending to harm herself by suffocating in her apartment? Was that the whole plan?
Miss Olivia emerged from the verandah door, a black purse in her hold. Our eyes instantly connected, and she must have understood the panic written in my eyes as I saw the way she froze.
"Can you smell that?" I asked, keeping my eyes on her body language.
She blinked once, twice, and then her eyes widened, barely able to conceal her surprise. "No. Oh Jesus, I think I might have left the gas valve open. I can smell a gas leak." She rushed towards the kitchen, and I followed to make sure she wasn't going for a lighter.
"The gas valve is turned off. Where is this coming from?" she asked, looking around the kitchen.
I quickly noticed the supply line running from her gas source, right above the valve. The brass fitting may have loosened. "You're using another supply line. You could have used a dormont instead of such a cheap hose."
"I didn't do that myself."
"Yeah I mean the person who did this did you a nice ass job. Open all the windows and get me a soap. I'm gonna have to fix that."
I began unbuttoning my shirt, preparing to take it off in order to crawl under the cabinet if necessary.
When Miss Olivia noticed me taking off my shirt, her eyes narrowed with a questioning glare. It seemed like she was about to say something, but she quickly averted her gaze and walked away, changing her mind.
I had my singlet on, so it's not like I was performing a striptease in her home. I sighed and tried to distract myself from the rude glare she had given me. What a disrespectful woman.
I shouldn't have been fixing this issue for her at this hour, but I couldn't sleep knowing there was a leak that needed to be addressed.
This had become about more than just her. It was about my own safety and the safety of everyone in this building.
I casually dropped my shirt onto the stool beside the counter, and my eyes caught sight of a framed photo hanging directly above the sink. Miss Olivia was looking stunning in a gorgeous wedding dress, smiling cheerfully at the camera. Standing beside her was a man in a suit, with a straight, bored expression, as if he had been forced to be in the picture.
Something must have happened to her marriage. I understand why she could be going through a depressive episode, but I don't understand why she would want to end her life.
But depression is depression. It's not something anyone can control, which is precisely why it's called depression.
I know how that feels because I've been there myself. The feeling still lingers. Perhaps we share a similarity in this aspect.
"Take the soap," her voice startled me. She was standing right behind me, holding a brand new pack of soap. She must have noticed me staring at her wedding photo.
"Oh, an old soap would have sufficed. But that's fine anyway."
I took the soap and got to work.
_____
OLIVIA'S POV
As expected, the plumber boy was good at doing his job.
Within a matter of minutes, he'd tightened the so called brass fitting that could've got me into a lot of trouble. The plumber I hired before surely did a nice ass job.
"How much will that be?" I asked, observing his bare back as he poured an ample amount of liquid soap onto his palms and began washing his hands.
My question was met with complete silence.
"You heard me," I repeated, attempting to control my frustration and avoid clenching my teeth. He was such an impolite young man, shamelessly undressing wherever he pleased.
But why was I getting angry at someone who had just rescued me from a great deal of trouble? He had just finished fixing the gas leakage in my home, and it was nearly 11:00pm.
Fine. I remained quiet until he finished washing his hands and turned around. I couldn't help but notice his well-built physique and flat stomach. The veins in his hands were twisted, and his biceps appeared remarkably toned.
"I'm fine with you reimbursing only the hospital bills, not for the repair."
"Well, I'm not okay with that," I said, averting my eyes to the cabinet beside him. "Either name your price or I'll just pay the regular amount."
"Fine. Whatever makes you feel at ease," he replied, and I focused on counting the money I had brought in my purse.
"Here you go," I handed him a couple of dollar notes, and he pocketed the cash without even sparing a few seconds to count them.
He took his shirt and slung it across his shoulder. "Enjoy your night, Olivia."
"You too."
I returned to my room and tried to get some sleep.
That night, my dreams were filled with images of toned biceps, twisted veins, and green eyes.
- Writer
