Tristan was still blushing like crazy from after
everything happened. He didn’t find that really good at all.
It was almost lunchtime when they drove out to the
highway. Their departure from the hospital was quite uneventful, but both of
them preferred it that way. Attention wouldn’t do any good.
Reeya was wondrously fascinated the moment he led
her through the glass doors and into the world outside. He kept his spare hand
hovering just an inch from the small of her back, guiding her down the steps
and into his car.
Frankly, Tristan felt like a nervous, giddy teenager
about to go on a date with his highschool sweetheart.
This is so not
good, he thought.
He put his office box at the backseat, making room
for Reeya to ride shotgun. As he looked for his keys inside his breast pocket,
she said timidly, “I can’t remember the last time I’ve been outside.”
“Then you have to work with me so you won’t go back
there again,” he said gently, gesturing with a jerk of his head to the hospital’s
façade. Revving the engine, he saw with relief that he took the news lightly.
“I think that will be really easy.”
Tristan laughed as they pulled out. Keeping his
hands to himself will be the real challenge here, he knew. Just the little
exposed portion of her smooth neck had him biting his lower lip.
He grimaced. Okay,
that sounds horribly perverted.
“Where do you live?”
Keeping his eyes on the road, he replied, “Uptown.”
“Way uptown?”
“Easily accessible, incredibly quiet but energetic
uptown.” He faced her for a second and sent her a teasing smile.
“You talk a lot more when you’re outside.”
The light turned red and Tristan hit the break. “Uhm,
I’m sorry – ”
“No, no,” she smiled, teeth exposed, “I was just
thinking out loud. I remember one of the doctors saying that to me. She said it
would help.”
Tristan smiled, too. “Yes. You keep doing that, and
always follow your medication. I’ll give the pills to you whenever they’re
needed, okay?”
She just nodded and looked out of the window.
A comfortable silence settled between them as the
car sped its way to the Devon residence. He hoped she won’t feel awkward and
dwarfed by the large unoccupied space of his house.
“What are their names?”
Her sweet, curious voice snapped him back to the
real world and he saw her leaning toward the dashboard, watching his goldfishes
avidly. He sorely wished his eyes could snap a photo so he’ll remember how
wonderful she looked at that moment.
“Harry and Ron. I’m not that old for Harry Potter,
am I?”
She looked incredibly sad right then. Brow creased
in instant concern, Tristan let his eyes drift to her for a moment while his
hands went on autopilot. What he saw hit him to the core, but not in the way he
expected.
She looked as if she recalled a distant memory,
slowly, her eyelids began to close and her hands went to her ears to drown out
the unbearable noises, only she can hear.
“Reeya,” Tristan said determinedly, albeit his voice
was filled with panic, “Listen to me. Everything’s okay, you’re going to be
okay. I won’t let it be otherwise.”
For a beat, Tristan was agitated a hundredfold,
fearing his imploring words went unacknowledged. Then her eyes fluttered open,
but they were shining with tears threatening to spill any second.
“I’m okay.” She said quietly. “It’s just – I don’t
know – something I remember from somewhere – ” her eyes closed again and her
small hands clenched to fists.
Unable to take it anymore, Tristan went off the main
highway, swerved through other cars and stopped at the nearest sidewalk. He
didn’t even bother to turn the engine off.
“No. No, don’t do that, please.” He reached out for
her and held her face between his hands, “Whatever you remember, none of that
is coming back. You’re okay. There’s just you and me, okay? I’ll help you. C’mon,
open your eyes.”
She did so after taking a deep breath. Then she unclenched
her fingers. Tristan could tell she was back to herself, but the feeling of
protectiveness didn’t leave him. Splinters of worry stabbed at him again and
again.
“I’m fine,” she reiterated, “I – I just need a short
nap, maybe. Just to, I don’t know, relax.” She raised her eyes to meet his and
in spite of the current predicament, the doctor felt his heart beat a little
faster. She looked really pretty.
“Of course. We still have a bit farther to go, you
can rest for a while.” With a tinge of regret, he withdrew his hands and put
them on the wheel. As he started to drive away, Reeya leaned her head back,
settled more comfortably in the seat and closed her eyes.
All throughout the journey, Tristan felt himself
lower his guard as they neared his house. She’ll
be better once we get there, he thought.
He’d get the urge to sneak a peek at her every once
in a while. He knew it was totally absurd; it’s not as if she’d suddenly vanish
from his side. But every few minutes, Tristan did glance at her. Not just to
check if she’s okay, but mostly to admire.
Eyelashes. He pursed his lips as he stepped on the gas. Incredibly long. Then another glance – nose, he thought. Like royalty. This time, the light turned red and he took the opportunity
for another peek.
Lips.
Tristan scowled. No,
he scolded himself, that’s too much.
He wondered how it would feel if those lips –
“Shut up, me.”
He did his best not to fleck his eyes over to her
for the rest of the ride. He wasn’t the one for self-inflicted torture of any
kind, anyway.
20 minutes later
As the Sedan made its way to the familiar neighbourhood,
Tristan felt confident. A smile was even plastered on his face. Parking his car
on the garage, he spied his neighbor – the retired soldier, Mr. Coul – standing
on his front porch.
It would probably be a good idea for Reeya to meet
him. Tristan always suspected that the old man had a daughter, although she was
never spoken of before. Maybe she was focused on her new family to pay him
proper visits.
The car shuddered to a stop. His head turned to
Reeya, who was still sleeping, and his smile faltered a little.
How the hell can
I survive with her under my roof?
He didn’t know if he should regret the decision he’d
made. All he knew was that it would most likely drive him hysterical to try
keeping his hands, mind, and eyes off her.
She is your
patient.
“Yes,” he murmured, “Patient.”
Extending one hand, he lightly shook her shoulder, “Reeya?
We’re here.” She just sighed quietly and shifted a little, instead of waking
up.
That was when Tristan lost it. Without the
resistance inside him this time, the hand on her shoulder moved up to her left
cheek and he just left it there, enjoying the softness pressed against his
palm. The other hand came up on her brown hair and his fingers combed through
the strands.
He didn’t know if he could go any further than that,
but he did. Tristan leaned forward, forward, until they were so close that he
could count her eyelashes if he wanted to. It crossed his dazed mind that it
would’ve been better if he could see her eyes, but that was okay. He was
already deeply enchanted as it is.
He planted a lingering kiss on her right cheek. He
did it again, and again.
She stirred.
Tristan was slammed back to reality with the force
of a rampaging bull. As though struck by lightning, he quickly leaned away and
took his hands away, clenching them together to be sure. The back of his head
was against the hard glass of the car window, but he didn’t care. The dulling
pain let him focus and made his cloudy mind clearer.
Damn.
Yawning, she opened her eyes. She blinked several
times and then looked confused. Tristan didn’t blame her – he knew he looked
worse than someone who just saw a ghost. Either that or she felt what he just
did.
“Are you okay? You look terrified.” She touched her
right cheek with a frown of puzzlement, and then dropped it.
“I – ” he gulped, “Fine. I’m fine. We, uhh, would
you like to come in now?”
“Yeah, about that,” she paused, then went on,
getting over her shyness, “D’you mind if I – not to be rude, but – I just – I
want to sleep some more. Can I see the rest of the house later? I mean, if it’s
okay with you.”
“Of course. Yes, that’s okay, I understand.” He found
her uncertainty endearing. He took that as another sign of his damnation, to be
honest.
“Thank you.” she smiled.
“I – yeah.” Tristan had to find his voice again,
lost in her eyes, “Just – let me show you where the – uhh – where the bedroom
is. Then we’ll have it ready for us – I mean you!” Tristan’s topaz orbs nearly went out of their sockets, “I
meant you. God, I’m sorry. I honestly meant
you, I don’t know, it just came up wrong.” His face was burning.
Damn it, I am so
dead.
Reeya just smiled, not particularly surprised, “It’s
okay, you were probably just tired.”
Yes. I’m a dead
man.
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