Warm Hands
1206 Words
“You can’t be here.”
“You already said that,” I said not averting my gaze and staring straight at his dead eyes.
“I mean it, you can’t be here.”
I felt cold with the way his chilly voice uttered the words. He looks empty, but dangerous. He looks dangerous but ….scared? He has no emotions, Cami! How can you say he’s scared? My subconscious was screaming in my mind.
I don’t know, I just feel like behind the dead eyes, is a scared man. “’I have no plans of staying here, but as you can see, I’m injured and there are bad people chasing me.”
“Why are they chasing you?”
“’Because they want my money.”
“Why are you-”
“Why do you have so many questions?” I interrupted him because my ankle is seriously painful, and I can’t endure another minute of standing here.
I saw a single bed behind him, and I struggled to go there and sit. Thankfully, this cold man let me do that.
“You need to go.”
“I obviously can’t. My ankle hurts so bad,” I bend to reach the zipper of my boots and slowly ease my foot out of it. f**k! My ankle is badly bruised and swollen. Even with the yellowish light in this small room, the redness is very visible.
I look at the man just standing in front of me. There’s still no sign of emotions in his face but my eyes bulged when he suddenly ducks and kneeled in front of me.
“Let me,” he looked at me like asking permission to touch my ankle. I nodded.
Kneeling on the cold floor, he gently caresses my swollen ankle, I flinched immediately. It hurts!
“Hey! Where are you going?” I panicked when he stood up and is ready to get out of the door.
Is he leaving me here? And why is he going out? My kidnappers might still be outside, lurking in the dark forest!
He just looked at me and tilted his head sideways, like he’s making me understand with just his fluid movements. He didn’t say anything and was about to open the door again when I stopped him.
“Are you leaving me here?” I tried to mask my fear by sounding furious.
He closed his eyes and walked near me. I tilted my head upward because he was just too tall. He averted his eyes from mine to my ankle then back to my eyes again.
“Your ankle needs to be treated,” he said softly.
“Are you bringing me to the hospital? Or are you going to get some pain killers or something?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“We are in the middle of nowhere. I don’t even know what place this is, but I’ve been here months, and there’s nothing here but trees and wild animals.”
“What do you mean? There must be people here,” I tried to convince him, or maybe myself.
“There’s no one here. That’s why I said you’re not supposed to be here.”
W-What?
“I need to go home! I need to call my parents! Are you telling me that you’re the only person in this place?” I said hysterically.
He just nodded. And because of that, the fear I’m trying to hide has escaped my soul. My tears fell one by one and I couldn’t contain my emotions anymore. How am I supposed to go home? Am I going to be killed here? Is this the end?
“I need to get something for your ankle,” I stopped sobbing when I heard him speak.
“What do you mean? Y-you said there are no other people here, that means there’s nothing here! Not even a hospital,” I exclaimed breathing hard.
“Just wait here.”
“W-Wait? You’re not coming back are you?” I was not able to stop my tears again when the fear of being left alone in this secluded place crept inside me.
I heard him sighed heavily. “I’ll be back.”
“You promise?” I bit my lower lip to stop my sobs.
“Yeah,” maybe it’s just my imagination but I think I saw pain in his blank face.
“Say it.”
“I’ll be back……...I promise.”
He looked at me one more time then opened the door and step outside. I heard the door closed then silence filled the room.
Surprisingly, despite the small room, it is clean. There are no windows but there’s an exhaust fan on the far corner and ceiling fan in the middle. The small bed I’m sitting on is on the corner, a small table beside the door and paper boxes are neatly stacked on the floor beside it. Just like that man’s face, the room is almost empty.
He lives here alone? How does he eat? I see no kitchen here or even utensils. And…. where’s the f*****g bathroom?
I tried to stand up, but my ankle did not permit me to. So, I waited. I flinched when I heard the door open, afraid that it might be another person, I took my boots and was ready to attack whoever is on the other side of the door when the immaculately cold and gorgeous man appeared.
His forehead creased, curious why I’m about to hit him. I sighed heavily and put the boots down.
“I’m sorry,” I said my apologies while he walked towards me.
In his hands, were I think…...twigs? and some rope. Or are those dead branches?
“You need a splint for your ankle.”
“Oh…...” He kneeled in front of me again then slowly raised my ankle in his raised left knee. Using the twigs and the saplings of dead tree branches, he expertly made a brace to prevent me from moving my ankle and injuring it more. His hands are warm, I failed to notice it earlier because of the adrenaline but he has such warm hands.
“There….” He softly said then put down my ankle.
“Thank you,” I looked him in the eye to show him how grateful I am.
This is weird. I’m not usually a very friendly person. I don’t even trust anyone easily. But with him, I felt safe. I felt at peace and that no matter what happen, I felt courage. Why am I like this? Who is this guy?
“I’m Cami-”
“You need to-”
Our eyes met and I can never hide the humor in my eyes but his look so forlorn. He averted his gaze first then pick up the remaining twigs on the floor.
“You need to lie down and elevate your ankle to reduce the swelling,” he spoke while his back is on me.
I obeyed him and lie down in his bed. Its not as soft as mine but it smelled clean. I looked at him while I lay my back. He then turns to me and put pillows under my ankle for the elevation. I instantly feel a little bit better.
“Where are you sleeping?”
He did not answer but he pulled the chair from his small study table and lean in there.
“You should rest.”
“I’m Camille. What’s your name?”
It took him too long to answer so I thought that he’s already asleep. I turn my head to look at him and saw that he’s still wide awake and is also staring at me. I stared back. I can’t remember how long but because of the exhausting day, my consciousness slowly left me.
“I’m Trevor.”
Maybe I’m already dreaming but I think he said something.
- Writer
