004

Marion 

I stood at the door, a bouquet of flowers in my hands, contemplating whether to knock and face Chase Hudson or wait until he was wheeled out of his room by the nurse.

I settled with facing him. Today was my first time day at work. I was professional enough to forget everything that was said yesterday and be who I was hired to be... Chase Hudson's personal nurse.

I knocked once before pushing the door open, a smile plastered on my face.

" Good morning Mr Hudson. Are you excited to be discharged?" I asked, trying to play the part. Chase looked up from his phone where he had been staring. He eyed the flowers in my hand before raising his brows at me.

" Someone might think you are visiting your lover." He commented. Of course he would make such an uncomfortable comment even after I tried so hard to build a good start for our patient-nurse relationship.

" A small gesture to start our journey on a good note." I replied, placing the flowers by his bed.

" You are not that good an actress Marion. What are you so nervous about?" He pushed.

I could not help but feel a bit defeated. Chase Hudson was very observant and could easily read me. I could not even hide my nervousness around him. I was indeed nervous... nervous that I would mess this up... nervous that I would allow my emotions to ruin this for me. I couldn't afford to mess the job,that had become awfully clear after I went home to a find a gun pressed on my sister's head. But that's a story of another day.

I decided to ignore him.

" The car is waiting. Are you ready?" I asked. Chase didn't reply. He propped himself up and used the walker he had been provided with. I noticed the wince in his face but he tried so hard to hide it.

" If I fall, don't even think about catching me." He warned, as if he had read my mind.

" I wasn't thinking about it." I lied, opening the door for him.

" Good because if you try, I might just drag you down with me." He replied, a smirk playing on his lips. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. As per the contract signed, I was supposed to stay in his residence until he was fully recovered and ready to hit the rink again. I had tried to protest at first, that living with Chase  Hudson was not a good idea.

" You already signed the contract and that's one of the terms. Violation of the contract will result into a huge penalty that I am sure you are not ready to settle." That wasn't the reply Coach Williams gave me. Of course I was not prepared to pay penalties.

" It's not as serious as you think. You will be his nurse, you can't watch over him while residing in the opposite part of the city, right?"  That was Mabel's advice when I informed her about the arrangement.

After helping him into the car, we set off for his house. Chase remained awfully quiet throughout the ride. He didn't throw jabs at me or tease me like I expected. I was glad that he didn't but why did I feel something bitter crawl up my throat? I pushed that away and chose to concentrate on doing what I was hired to do.

Almost twenty minutes later, we pulled up outside what looked undeniably like Chase Hudson's mansion. I had looked him up last night, dug deeper in an attempt to understand my client more...or least that's what I convinced myself...and this mansion appeared severally on his posts.

" You can still change your mind. No one will charge you for breach of contract." Chase Hudson offered once the engine was turned off.

"You need my services and I need money. Why should I change my mind." I replied, unbuckling my belt and stepping down.

Someone I recognised as his assistant approached us, pushing a wheelchair.

Chase frowned immediately when he saw the wheelchair, the look on his face of pure disdain.

" I am injured, not crippled. Take that thing out of my sight." He snapped angrily.

The man looked between me and Chase, seemingly stuck between the two of us. One was the patient and the other was the nurse.

" You can take it away. He can manage a few steps." I chose to intervene.

After the wheelchair was wheeled away, I turned to Chase.

" I bet you don't need my help or do you?" I asked, keeping my voice flat.

" I am a patient with a fractured bone." Chase protested, wearing a miserable look on his face.

" A patient who isn't crippled and doesn't need a wheelchair." I threw his words back at him. Chase looked at me with puppy eyes and I almost laughed out loud seeing him trying to act cute. 

It was hard to imagine that the mighty captain of the North Wolves hockey club could act cute to get his way.

Sighing, I walked to him and supported his waist with my hand. Chase automatically wrapped his hand on my shoulders.

“ An hungry person is not allowed to be a picky eater.” I reminded him.

He clearly couldn't get himself to the house yet fiercely rejected his assistant’s good intentions?

“ If others see me in a wheelchair, I will never know peace.” Chase replied. This time, there was no arrogance in his voice, just despair and defeat.

I didn't say a word. I could only shake my head and sigh. What was the obsession men had with their inflated ego that they'd choose the hard way rather than making life easier for themselves?

But who was I to judge?

Choosing to drop the subject, we started making our way to the entrance.

We hadn't taken ten steps when angry footsteps sounded accompanied by a fuming lady.

" Get your filthy hands off my man!”