I'm sorry

Chapter 10

IRENE'S POV

I moistened my lips nervously and immediately fell to the floor, gathering the broken shards carelessly to one spot. Already my heart was in my mouth and my fingers were shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry! I swear I'm sorry! I… I'll buy the dish! I'll buy it back, I'm…ah!" I had been so nervous and so fidgety that I accidentally pressed my finger on a shard while trying to pick another.

It sent a sharp pulsing pain through my finger and I couldn't hold my shout of pain. My hand continued to shake from the fear of breaking the dish and I bet I looked so pathetic. I looked up at him, only to look away as he bent close to me. For the second time that day, my breath seized as he picked up my hand gently. My cheeks immediately flushed red.

His hands were soft, and delicate. They looked like a potter's hands, and he held my hand in that same gentle manner. My heart seemed to stop beating and it seemed like a vibration began from somewhere in my skin. My hand felt very hot in his as he pressed his fingers down on my index finger which had released more blood than any normal finger should have. My lips stayed slightly parted and my whole face felt hot.

I tried to withdraw my hands immediately not from the uncomfortable growing feeling but due to the fact that I was ashamed that my hands were fatter than his.

"It's…" I was saying but he didn't let go, but instead, got to his feet, forcing me to stand with him. I looked up at him, and watched as he scanned the kitchen coolly. My hand was already burning in his and Oh no! I started to sweat.

Having a body like mine meant sweat was your companion, and I knew no one liked it when my palms were wet and sweaty.

He seemed to spot what he was looking for because he began to move, and still with the pressure on my finger, he led me to sit at the kitchen table. He bent and pulled out a first aid box then dropped it on the table. Still holding my hand, and finger, he opened the box and took out wool, and a band-aid.

I let out a nervous chuckle and tried to withdraw my hand but he held firm.

"I'll heal. It's just a cut." I insisted, but inside I was thinking a million things.

Why was he suddenly being so nice to me?

Did he have something else in mind? An ulterior motive? Did he intend to embarrass me with something? This was totally abnormal, was he hiding something? Was this his way of punishing me?

All those questions filled my mind but as he cleaned up the still bleeding blood and wrapped a little band-aid around it, the questions faded and turned into answers.

"It could get infected. You heal sluggishly." He replied, and although his last word was quite out of context, those words exuded warmth.

Why would Ethan do this just to get at me? He wasn't that type.

He wasn't Reece or Kaden who just loved destruction and cruelty. Sure, he had his own ways, but he didn't resort to childish ways just for punishing people.

He was just someone who didn't care about those kind of stuff. He liked keeping to himself.

"You can't wash plates with that finger. My work would be ruined." He added slowly as he stared at my finger. Truly, it had a kind of beauty. My wound was catered to by Ethan. Ethan of all people.

"I'll wash them when it heals. Don't you worry about it." I assured him with a shaky voice and a stupid smile which refused to leave my face. He didn't even look at me, he just stood up and signaled me to follow him and when we got to our floor, he flicked his wrist towards my door before going into his. He meant I was to go into my room.

"Thank y…" I was saying but he had already closed the door. "...you, Ethan." I said, and bit down on the other words of gratitude I had intended to relay to him.

I walked into the room and closed the door. It was then that I heard my heart beating again.

I scoffed.

"Where were you when all that was happening?" I asked it, but then laid a hand on my chest as my heart rate continued to increase. "Oh my God. Why is it beating so fast?" I asked myself as I ran and sat myself on my bed.

It was no longer beating, it was pounding!

Ethan held my hand! Ethan catered to my wound! Ethan led me to my room! Ethan told me not to wash the dishes! Ethan, Ethan, Ethan!

Oh my! I don't know. Am I overreacting? I'm definitely not. Reece would never do that, so would Kaden. So why Ethan?

Oh no, Yrene. Let's not interpret it. Let's not. It means nothing. He's just different. He's probably like that when another girl gets hurt.

I mean, just look at you! You're fat. That hurts but it's the truth. Look at you, you have chins wobbling from your neck. Well, they're not that big, but…

Oh God, Yrene, stop thinking!

I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling and thinking of a million things.

I knew it would be stupid to fantasize or even think about it but when he had held my hand in his, I had felt a connection. It was so strong and present there that I wanted it badly. I didn't want it to end.

As I lay on my bed smiling like a fool, and changing expressions in seconds, I suddenly heard a loud sound.

I immediately tried to sit up, but ended up groaning and sitting up much slower than I would have liked.

Something was at my window. Something was scratching at it and with each second, the scratching became more intense and in the next minute, something dark hovered over it.

But no scream left my lungs.