Skye'S POV
“Hey!” Marco yelped chuckling. I could only hear his voice as my eyes were tightly shut in disrelish of the liquid as it reached my tastebuds and my brain declared it was a feeling of burning in my mouth and throat.
“Agggghhh! What an agony,” I groaned and grimaced at the alcohol flavor.
“Why did you do that? I did not even get the chance to enjoy the aroma of it,” Marco whined as if he was helpless.
“I told you, you’re not allowed to drink. Not even a drop. Remember?” I squinted my eyes as I reprimand him.
“I wasn’t going to!” Marco retorted defensively. He looked so cute as he pouted that I could not help smiling again. “I need that drink now, more than ever!”
“Fine! Fine!” I exclaimed defeatedly. I poured another shot and handed it to him. “Here is another glass! Now don’t dare try having even a tiny sip of it! Ugh! I don’t even understand what taste this has,” I pulled a face as the aftertaste of the forty percent alcoholic drink’s flavor lingered in my mouth.
Marco received the glass and brought it close to his face to satisfy his olfactory senses of its longing for its numbing effect even through its smell alone for now.
“It has a fruity scent…” Marco said with his eyes closed. It seemed to me like he was really savoring the fruity scent he had just mentioned.
“Did you know that alcohol has its nasty taste at the first shot for non-drinkers, but the second and the following ones turn sweet and sweeter?” Marco spoke in the same manner as he did earlier; eyes closed as if speaking from the depth of his soul.
I found it funny. And my giggles did not remain soundless, as a result, I made the man glared at me. I felt like a deer caught in the headlights. I froze but my eyes winked looking up at the ceiling to avoid his. But I looked down after a while, as I sensed from my peripheral vision that his hand holding the glass moved a bit, and an intuition hit me that Marco was about to drink it, my eyes met his and with the intensity of his gaze, I started hiccupping.
I was abashed.
I felt my whole face and neck turn hot, burning hot!
“Are you alright?” Marco asked.
I could not define if he was worried or amused at the sight of me looking like a freshly steamed lobster before his eyes.
It added to my embarrassment. I felt even hotter and my hiccups worsened.
“Damn it!” I groaned.
“Hey!” Marco yelled. “That’s mine!”
He tried to get the glass back into his hold. He even sprang up from his seat but I quickly turned around, and with my back to his chest, I gulped the colorless drink in it. I wanted to hide my face from his gaiety gaze. I ended up being back-hugged as Marco was after the glass I swiftly grabbed and chugged.
“Ouch!” I heard the man groan.
I stiffened and whispered sorry. I guess my elbow hit his wound when I tried to move away.
“Can you move to sit on the chair? Let me check your wound,” I softly said, feeling so remorseful for causing him pain.
I felt Marco step back and when I was sure he was nowhere near my body would bump into, I also turned around and sat on my heels to check on his injury.
“Thank goodness, you’re not bleeding,” I sighed. “Does it still hurt?” I asked looking up with only a slight move of my chin and my eyes to see his answer. What I saw alarmed me. I started to blow soft air on his wound and my forefingers softly touched its surrounding skin as I tried to ease his pain.
“Agggghhh…”
I heard Marco groan. I moved closer to quicken my blows on his wound but I felt something poke me. My eyes traced to check on what it could be and with the soft fabric of his pajama, I noticed his front bottom looking weird. I mean, different. It looked like a tent was suddenly built in there.
“Are you in pain because of your gunshot wound or…” I asked in bewilderment with my hands slowly moving down to touch whatever was standing in between his legs. “Is it because of this?”
Marco did not say anything in response but his hands held his wound, one above the other, his face sported mixed emotions and I did not know how to identify all of them.
“Skye….” he growled.
“Hmmmm?” I frowned as I waited to hear what he was going to say next.
I may be hemaphobic, but I am not androphobic. Although I haven’t been in serious relationships, I have dated back in my college days. But I have not been into the fullest of intimacy with a man, woman, or anyone for that matter. I know how to kiss and hug, and return the manner if given to me, but I have not done all the way sex with a man. And I don’t know if it was due to the alcohol’s effect that I was being so bold to do such moves about taking the initiative to hold Marco’s thingy.
“Stop it….” he huffed softly.
“I saw this in the morning, too,” I mumbled. “Would it ease your pain if I touch it?” I asked with hopeful eyes staring at him.
“No, actually, you will make it feel worse,” Marco replied with difficulty.
I sensed the wariness in his tone, so I did not make him speak further. I moved away as cautiously and instantaneously as I could manage and sat on the sofa next to his chair instead.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized sincerely. “I thought for a moment there your body reacted as a man to a woman he fancied,” I confessed.
The words that slipped out of my mouth were something my brain and sanity were against being known to Marco. But they seemed to flow out without my control. My emotions were feeling carefree. It felt refreshing, but I am also aware I will regret them later. I might feel naked before this man when I wake up from this stupid state of drunkenness. But the devils in me were rejoicing as they seemed to celebrate victory and leave everything for tomorrow to worry about.
“Marco?” I called out as silence filled the whole place.
“Hmmm?” he hummed in reply.
“Do you hate me?” I asked.
“No! You saved me, remember? What person would I be if I hate the woman who did not hesitate to help me even if she did not know anything about me? Not even my name,” he answered defensively.
“Maybe hate is too strong. Let me rephrase the question,” I cleared my throat before I continued. “Do you dislike me in any way?”
“Why would you say that?” Marco asked.
“I feel like you have been trying to shoo me away ever since this morning,” I pouted as I let out the distress in my heart. I knew without the effect of the two shots of vodka that I had, I wouldn’t have been able to spill these beans out of my own lips.
I felt his gaze on me but I remained leaning my head on the backrest of the sofa chair with my eyes closed. Marco was silent for a while but I did not say anything as I waited for what he had to say as his comment.
“I don’t want to burden you, that’s all,” Marco responded calmly.
“That’s all?” I asked as I lazily turned my head in his direction and with my drowsy eyes, I stared at him. He gazed back at me and nodded in response.
“Not because you are trying to put a distance to avoid any sexual atmosphere building up between us?” I asked straightforwardly.
Marco sighed.
“To be honest, that is correct. I don’t want your dad to think I am taking advantage of you since he is not around. I respect you as much as I respect him,” he replied in a serious tone. “I am a man and you are a beautiful woman. I can’t control my manly response whenever you would fall on your knees before my feet even if you are purely doing it in concern of me due to my wound,” he added with a pleading look in his eyes as if asking me to understand his predicament.
“Does it mean, that would respond this way to any woman doing the same things I did to you?” I asked in curiosity.
“Of course not!” Marco eagerly answered, groaning right after. “For your information, lady, I am not a pervert,” he added with a frown.
His word made me smile.
“Ah, right. I remember you said you did not have a wife, fiancee, or girlfriend, but your thing doesn’t seem to be out of order, seeing it stand even with only me around,” I stated. “Does it mean you are after the same gender as yours?”
“Are you trying to say I am a homosexual?” Marco asked with immense disbelief sporting his mien, but his tone remained gentle. “Or maybe a bi-sexual?” I asked again aiming to clarify.“Nope and no!?” This time he responded with his voice raised. “I can prove it to you but not for now. I am more worried that with you around I might suffer from too slow progress in recovery as you seem to enjoy making me yell every now and then. Whenever it happens, I feel my wound stretched and freshen up again,” Marco complained. “I’m sorry,” I apologized again. “We can talk about something else, you know?” I heard Marco inhale deeply. I think he is frustrated that he could not get rid of me, but I did not want to go up to bed just yet. And to be honest, aside from my dad Ted, Marco has been the only one I am very comfortable being with me around. He won’t be here for a lifetime, so I am going to avail myself of his presence while I can. “What do you wanna talk about?” Marco asked casually. His
I didn’t understand why my dad was so amused watching us. Or maybe me. If he was upset that I drank without him when he had offered me a lot of times to join him as he watched his favorite baseball team play the game every league, why would he look amused? I can even see him holding his laughter. He did not even fail to let his reactions hidden at times. But I had no time to interrogate him for the answers right now.“Bye, for now, dad, we are going to talk when I get back, okay?” I groaned as I walked away after giving him a kiss on his right cheek.“I will be waiting,” dad replied with a breathy laugh. Then he turned to Marco. “Drive safely, young man. I don’t want to see anyone bleeding when you return,” dad added.“Yes, sir!” Marco res
“Do you mind if we tell your dad we will be home late tonight?” Marco asked all of a sudden.“What? Where are we going? It’s just mid-morning,” I answered wondering.“I don’t want to lead whoever is after me to where you live and your dad,” Marco answered as he drove with speed. I could swear he was way past the limit, but I could not tell him to drive slow or abode with the law. If I remember the people after Marco correctly, they had deadly weapons. I don’t want to take any chances of being shot by a gun.“We will lose them first and change vehicles then when it is safe, I will send you home,” Marco said. “I can no longer be seen near you or around you. As much as possible, I cannot drag you and Ted into the mess I am because
Marco’s POVI did not want Skye to see the brutal death of her dad, but I guess I was too late. She saw what she wasn’t supposed to see and she lost it. She fainted in my arms.“Think! Think!” I knocked my head for what is best done in my situation.My car was parked at a distance and carrying an unconscious full grown woman with her whole weight in my arms might get us both dead before we reached the vehicle to leave this place alive.“I will be right back, Skye. Stay here for a while,” I whispered to Skye despite knowing she wouldn’t have heard whatever I had just said. I will use the element of surprise to avenge Ted’s unnecessary death at the hands of whoever was after me.
Days passed.I personally attended to everything regarding Ted’s cremation. I called for professional cleaners and ordered them to put everything in the same way they were before the incident happened in the Christoffs household. I wanted to present the same house to Skye when she gets better with Ted’s ashes in an Urn placed in the center of the living room with Ted’s smiling picture right next to it.I returned to my rest where Skye was staying at the moment but she was still in her coma state.I felt so sorry that she did not get to mourn her dad like normal people do because the shock overwhelmed her and now she is mentally refusing to wake up.As per Naomi’s professional suggestion, I have sought various medical assist
I had my suspicions.My office is not a place open for anyone to get into, and aside from Gab, my best friend and most trusted man, there was only the company secretary, an old lady, who used to be my dad’s secretary ever since he started the business, Heidi Buscemi. Then there are the cleaners who would come before and after my working hours to tidy up my room while I am not around and the whole floor, according to their tasks. I don’t even know their names or their faces since I haven’t seen them, but I know there are people under my company's payroll to clean the whole building.I had not ruled out Gab to be among the people to have done such betrayal, but I was hoping deep within me he wasn’t. When he came forward, I was too tempted to cut his head the way he had offered. I was still furious when I heard his confessions b
Skye’s POVI felt like I was trapped in a box. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe. My words were soundless despite the feeling of my sore throat and aching neck from screaming.“Stop! Stop! Stop!”I could see the woman swaying her hands to defend her body from the non-stop stabbing of someone in front of her. The attacker’s back was to my face and all I could see was his movement from behind and the woman’s horrified and extremely pained face. She was looking at me with a plea not to come out from where she told me to hide until help comes to save us.Then, I saw my dad smiling at me while he was tied to a chair. But not too long after a man walked passed by him and after saying some inaud
I tried to gather every bit of strength I had in me to respond to Marco. But I felt like I was tied with invisible ropes so tightly. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I heard the excitement in Marco’s voice as well as the immense despair and sadness they bore so I tried even harder. Alas, all I managed to do was open my eyes. I did not want to even blink in fear of not being able to open them again. However, all I could see was the white ceiling above the bed I was lying on to. I couldn’t even focus to listen to my surroundings in order to keep my mind awake because I wanted to tell Marco not to be too sad, but before I could do so, I felt Marco’s hand loosen its hold on mine and his presence left my side. I panicked. I wanted to call him to stay by my side, at least hold my hand and let my fears go away. But I could only hear a woman’s voice talking to me. I didn’t even understand what the woman was saying. Another wave of indescribable fear encompassed me horrifyingly. The sounds