Jayden walked into his room and wasted some seconds by the entrance, wondering the right spot on the floor to dump the lady in his arms. There was no way he would let another human on his untouchable bed. He traveled his gaze to the floor and the coldness beneath his feet pleaded with him to be more merciful.
His eyes darted to the couch before moving towards it. He placed the doctor on the cushioned seat, in a way her shoes were on the floor, and tossed her medicine to her side.
Nodding her head with gratitude, her jittery hands reached for the inhaler and pressed it into her mouth.
The moment she inhaled the medication, her body and mind relaxed. Her fingers combed her loose ponytail, pushing some strands away from her face in a bid to calm her nerves.
The clattering sound of the repeated clashing of the canister and the plastic casing erupted between them for several minutes as her lungs slowly regained their normal functioning.
Jayden stood, watching her frantic movement. His observing gaze slowly shifted to her hair which kept bouncing every time she shook the drug. Her hair was of a rare color, a different charm of blonde which was like bright gold or the sun rays filtering through the clouds, a shade that effortlessly demanded attention. The more he stared at it, the more terrifying memories crept to him.
There was only one other person he had seen with hair so shiny, the last person he had seen before his accident. He might be having a hard time regaining the memories of the unfortunate night, but he could never forget the color of the woman's hair. The doctor had a similar attribute to the woman and he was worried he might have to remember that night each time he saw her.
"Thank you," her raspy voice broke through his reverie, interrupting his train of thought.
He traced his eyes back to her face and a glance told him that her breathing had already stabilized. She was no longer gasping for air and her breathing pattern was almost normal.
"Can I take a rest for five minutes?" She asked in a strained voice, and he clenched his jaw at her request, staring at her for so long, that she decided to terminate it. "Never mind, I will--"
"Whatever." He shrugged.
"Thank you." She expressed with a smile, and then reserved her back against the couch, curling her legs onto its seat.
Her blue gaze lowered below his neck, realizing for the first time he had been half-naked all this while, ever she had spilled the drink on him.
She jerked her eyes up immediately and quickly looked away, clearing her throat. Seeing him that way made her feel two different things. One part of her made her feel guilty for ruining his clothes earlier and the other part just made her cheeks flush with a few shades of pink for seeing such a seductive man that way.
Jayden took his eyes to his chest after noticing her awkward behavior. He had been too caught up trying to take revenge earlier and rescuing her from the attack to pay attention to his partial nakedness.
He decided to get something to put on, turning to the closet without announcing his intention.
Maria watched his retreating figure through eyes that battled to shut down from tiredness. A yawn broke her lips, the exhaustion of the day dragging her body, making her feel heavy and weighed down.
Her eyelids grew more heavy with every moment and her breathing deepened. Her head pulled lower until it rested on the cushion. She snuggled her cheek closer to the armrest and one more yawn was what she gave before sleep claimed her.
***
Light beamed into her eyes, coming from the open curtains and she slowly woke up. The sun's rays warmed her skin and she stretched her limbs, feeling fresh. Her head rolled against the pillow with the rest of her body consumed by a heavy blanket.She had begun to wonder what grandmother could be doing in the house when her senses realized her surroundings did not look anything like her room, not to talk of her apartment.Her back immediately jerked from the mattress and her vision surveyed the room with a protruding gape. She had only been there a couple of times but the room was still very much ingrained in her memory. It looked familiar; the wallpapers, the aquarium, the toy figures...It took her a few seconds before she grasped the situation and realized she was in the extraordinary room of Jayden's.Maria immediately shot up at that realization, kneeling on the bed with her wide eyes roaming across the large place. She sounded with a gasp and her gaze fell back on the c
Maria peered up from the small space he had cornered her in. She pressed her lips together and knitted her eyebrows as her gaze met his intense one. "I assume you did not read the contract. You should not address me with those kinds of words. Doing that is a breach of contract." She told him, her chin pointing out stubbornly with hands moving to her hips."Contract?" His brows rose and he gave out one of his humorless chuckles. "And I suppose you did not read the contract likewise, right?"She huffed, finding his words ridiculous. " Of course, I did.""No, you didn't." He shook his head once. "You called me a jerk earlier, finger flicked me in a way no other person dares, ruined one of my most treasured hoodies, disturbed my peace and privacy by spending so many hours in my room and even up till this moment." He stated, looking like he was reciting a list of sins to be punished. "So tell me," His eyes slid over her frame, his tone low and gruff. "Who deserves to be sued?"He
Ted's gaze traveled to and fro, in a quick chase of the lady pacing aimlessly across the living room. Her head was boiling at a degree of intensity that made her feel like she was going to burst out into flames any second now, but he didn't dare say anything lest it made things worse.A slice of pizza found its way to his mouth as he bobbed his head to every rant she spewed forth. She was speaking in another tone and the only reason he understood every word she was saying was because of their long history together.Who else would understand Maria's angry language apart from her best friend? Who else could listen to her vent for hours and hours?He knew when not to speak up and this time was no different than before. He ate his pizza, enjoying his dinner while watching the enraged creature pace back and forth.She crossed to his side, snatched the pizza in his hands, and finished the remnant in one bite. Ted watched her wolf down the last of it with a grimace."Can you believ
"Ashley?" He questioned, brows slightly knitted together with confusion as he stared down at his mother seated on a chaise lounge. "Why would she launch her business in New York when she doesn't live here?""What do you think?" Delia returned, glancing back at Jayden who adamantly refused to sit. "Don't you think it's a good opportunity for you two to meet again and keep in touch?" She continued without waiting for him to answer, knowing he wouldn't care to give an opinion. "And then maybe you two can discuss getting married--""I will decide when and whom to marry." He cut her off with the sharpest tone he could muster while still keeping any anger from his voice. It had been a long time since he'd heard that phrase used against him because of the coma. Now that he was finally getting himself back, he couldn't believe his mother wouldn't hesitate to throw out all those same old arguments."You..." Delia's voice went silent and didn't respond right away, staring into space a
Maria exhaled heavily and ran a hand across her head with drained spirits. She was tired and fed up with dealing with someone who simply had no interest in his treatment whatsoever, and she did not doubt that he would continue to deny her treatments, even though she was only doing her job and nothing else."What was that all about?" She muttered to herself, rubbing her temples to relieve the headache she had developed since the moment Jayden had mentioned some nonsense about repentance of sins.Her eyes wandered around the large space, unsure of what to do next. She felt exhausted and was considering taking the day off. Yet, she couldn't afford to miss any appointments because of his arrogance. Regarding her equal passion when it came to her work, she decided to go ahead and treat him anyway, regardless of his attitude or lack of cooperation.Maria stepped forward, giving a shot at finding her way inside a house that looked like it was built for giants. She passed through t
The smile she shared with the old storekeeper was still on her face as she strolled back home. The sun had set long ago, leaving a soft glow in the air, turning everything into a warm amber hue that seemed so welcoming compared to the dark of night. It was a welcome change after the sunny afternoon.Her steps were slow and deliberate, enjoying this rare moment of solitude, as she headed down one of her favorite streets where she would normally have no chance to stop for more than a few minutes. She knew everyone who lived here; she could walk through the entire block without having to pass anyone else.Earlier in the morning, she had woken up to a message from the Stanleys asking her to take the day off. Her suspicion had risen concerning Jayden's weird task conversation from a few days ago but her mind had been at ease when there were no words or any form of disturbances from him.It was a rare free time for her and so she had seized up the opportunity to shop for groceries
It seemed to be too much for Maria to handle. Her jaw hung open and her brows lowered. Her lips parted to speak and she looked around as if searching for an exit out of this mess."Open the car this instant!" She ordered anyone who would listen, her loud voice attracting the attention of the other two men in the car. Her voice cracked as her face turned beet red and her fists clenched tightly knuckles whitening. She wanted nothing more than to run away from this man right now. "Don't." Jayden's tone was flat as cardboard, not bothering to compete with her round one, knowing whose command his assistant would follow, loud or not. He remained motionless while Maria's tirade continued."This is kidnapping." She gritted, rolling her face back to Jayden since his subordinates completely ignored her. "You are the one committing a crime here. This is purely modernized kidnapping." She continued her argument without taking notice of the zero effect her statements were having on her
"This doesn't look like a clinic," was her first utterance as Maria stepped out of the vehicle, her eyes scanning a building that looked too sophisticated for a health center. It was a huge structure, made of marble and glass, with a large frontage and a grand staircase leading up to the main entrance. There was a large glittering sign hanging above the large doors that read 'Glamorous You'. From where she came from, health centers shouldn't look that fancy."It isn't." Jayden clarified before she even got to ask and came down from the car as well. "This is a beauty and fashion house, the best in town." He added with pride, holding his arm wide to encompass all the opulent buildings behind him.Maria already figured it out judging by the look of it but still couldn't help but get stunned by his nonchalant revelation. She couldn't believe he was unsympathetic about playing her for a fool twice. She turned to face him instantly, her blue hues blinking in annoyance. "Why would w