Power of Lightning

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

My chest tightened as I looked at the flowers and imagined him asking me to marry him. “What’s all arranged?”

“You can start your new job once you’ve finished up here. You can be a part of the Research and Development team here at the station.”

What? “But I’m going home to Azaeli once I’ve finished with all this crap.”

He screwed up his face at the word crap. “What do you mean? This is the job you wanted. You said it would be your dream job.”

“No. I didn’t say that. I said it was the job I was planning to work towards. It wouldn’t be my dream job.”

My dream job would probably involve playing music.

He placed the flowers at the foot of the bed and started to pace. “I’ve organised it all for you, and now you’re telling me you don’t want it?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. That’s the job I wanted before you punched me in the face and kicked me in the ribs. I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to. Once these tests and interviews are over, I’m outta here.”

He stopped pacing. “You are so ungrateful. After all I’ve done—”

“I never asked you to organise it. I was perfectly happy to work my way up to the position on my own. But it doesn’t matter now. I’m going home.”

Malvolio’s smile was infuriating. “But we were so good together.”

“No. We weren’t. I thought we were, but you ruined it.”

He stepped closer. “I’m here because I am willing to forgive you.”

“What? You are going to forgive me? For what?” I asked incredulously. “Ramming my ribs into your foot?”

He sat himself on the chair Simona had vacated. “Now, let’s not go over it all again. I want you to come back and live with me this time. Then things will be better...”

“No! Never! I don’t love you anymore. I can’t forgive you for hurting me. I could never be with you after what you did.”

He put a hand on my arm, but I quickly pulled it away. “Now, Lennina—”

“You don’t get it, do you? You broke three of my ribs!”

He tried to look hurt. “Oh... no. I couldn’t possibly have done that.”

My heartbeat was erratic and I was having trouble breathing. “You did! Ask the medical staff for the x-rays!”

He shook his head, looking at no one in particular. “No. You must have had a fall... That’s it... You fell here at work... You could claim compensation, you know...”

I couldn’t believe it. He was doing it again. My breathing was shallow. I reached under the covers and found the button to buzz for the nurse and pressed it.

When I spoke, it seemed like it was in slow motion and I had to push each word out. “Will you stop it? You did it! You punched me in the face, then kicked me while I was lying on the floor!”

He seemed confused, like he was unable to comprehend what I was saying. Like he couldn’t possibly have hurt me.

“What are you talking about?” He reached out a hand and touched my shoulder, but I shrugged him off.

“Nurse!” I shouted as I pressed the button again.

I heard movement outside, but no one entered.

He reached for me with both hands. “Don’t push me away like that, Honey.”

Honey?

He smiled as he stood up and leaned over me. “You need to calm down.”

“Calm down? Don’t tell me to calm down! And don’t call me Honey! Nurse! Get him out of here!”

Those grey eyes turned darker. “It’s that heathen you work with, isn’t it?”

“He’s not a heathen! Just get out!”

He leaned closer. “So I’m right. It is him. It’s always been him. You’ve been f*****g him all along, haven’t you?”

I cringed. “No!”

He moved closer, his voice low and deadly. “Don’t f*****g lie to me. I knew you were up to something. I could see a change in you. There was something different about you. You were no longer innocent. That’s when I knew you’d f****d him.”

I was never ‘innocent.’ Not the way he was meaning. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t even know him...”

“But you know him now.”

“I’ve met him now, yes.”

“I knew it!” he said again. “You were f*****g him! You were cheating on me!”

“No! I wasn’t! I would never do that to someone!”

He raised a hand and I flinched, expecting him to hit me, but he gently stroked my hair. “Shhh. It’s okay. I’m here.”

What?

He grabbed me by the upper arms, digging his fingers into my flesh. I twisted to try to get away. “Let go! You’re hurting me!”

“Shhh.” He leaned forward to kiss me, but I turned my head away. That didn’t stop him. He kissed me on the cheek instead, sending a chill through me. He was serious. He pushed me back slowly until I was lying on the bed, which scared the hell out of me.

I tried again to twist free. “Stop it!”

“Shhh. You need to just relax...”

Malvolio had to be crazy. He was delusional again. He leaned forward and kissed me, even though I was protesting and turning away from him.

I still had the buzzer in my hand so I held my finger on the button as I tried to cry out for help, tears streaming down my face. “Stop! Help! Someone help me!”

Why won’t they help me? Why won’t they stop him?

The flowers fell to the floor, forgotten. The buzzer was wrestled from my hands. “Come on, Honey. It’s okay. I’m here now,” he said between kisses. “I told you I’d show you what a real man feels like. I’ll make you forget him.”

Was he going to force himself on me right here in the bed?

“I’m not yours!” I screamed at him. “You don’t own me! You can’t just do whatever you want to me and expect me to not fight back!”

I struggled in vain as he grabbed my face between his hands and kissed me on the lips. I was trying to hit him and kick him, but it didn’t stop him. He was trying to part my lips and deepen the kiss, and I was struggling to keep my mouth closed.

The door finally opened and Dr Kharim and one of the wardsmen rushed in.

“Mr Dermid! What are you doing?” he asked.

Malvolio released me and tried to explain but the doctor cut him off. “Miss Callista needs to rest, Mr Dermid. She cannot be moving around like this with broken ribs.”

I wasn’t about to tell him they were healed. That wouldn’t help me to get rid of Malvolio.

Malvolio looked shocked at the news — as if I hadn’t already told him about it.

“Oh,” he said innocently. “I didn’t realise...”

I’d had enough of the charade. “Get him out of here!” I shrieked. “He was the one that gave me the broken ribs!”

Malvolio tried to say it was an accident, that I’d had a fall, but I told them he’d kicked me while I was lying on the floor. He turned to me briefly with a look of such animosity and anger, a chill ran down my spine. The others hadn’t caught it — it was only meant for me. I didn’t want to even think what it meant, or what he would do the next time he saw me.

The wardsman asked him to leave, very politely, and eventually, he headed towards the door.

“I don’t care if you’re involved in the Talent programme here,” I called after him. “I’m not your girlfriend anymore. I want to only deal with the doctors from now on. I never want to see you again!”

I knew he was livid, but I was so glad to see the back of him. I sunk down onto the bed and let only a few tears escape. I wouldn’t cry over him.

I totally ignored the people in the room. It was way too late to be fussing over me and asking if I was okay.