The Bad Guy's Doctor

EIGHT

I stir, my arms and legs aching as I moved. I'm snuggled against someone's bare chest, my arms held close to my own chest. His right arm cradles me against him, breathing evenly. "Good morning, love," I pull myself out of the hoodie and blink sleep from my eyes.

"What time is it?" I felt exhausted, well, everything felt sore. My shoulders, wrists, and thighs felt uncomfortable against each other. Arsenio props himself up on his elbows, before wincing.

"Noon. I can't feel my arm," He moves it gingerly, letting the blood flow through. I stumble toward what I can only guess is a bathroom and close the door, shutting him out. He probably wanted to get up hours ago, but didn't. He didn't even move a muscle by the looks of it, for fear of waking me up. "How mean," he whines from the room.

I exhale, before grabbing a packaged toothbrush from the cabinet. I squeeze out some tooth paste and dip the brush into some water, brushing away.

Why was his toothpaste so minty?

- - -
"You were really handsy last night," I stab at the watermelon, before popping it into my mouth. I chew slowly, listening to Arsenio talk. "Shouldn't I at least get some compensation?"

I raise an eyebrow. Compensation? I stab another cube of the fruit, maintaining eye contact the entire time. His golden eyes glance from me to the fork, then back to me. "Have I ever told you how in love I am with you?" He grins and I roll my eyes, his deflection working completely.

"Can you find someone for me?" He perks up, tilting his head at my words. I could feel him searching for an explanation through my expression.

"Who?"

"Elena, my sister. I want to know where she is." Arsenio pauses, before nodding. I set the utensil down, evaluating his actions. "You know something."

"There was someone waiting at the clinic when I arrived." Arsenio glances up at me, fingers tapping against the table. "She said she was your sister. She was the reason we were able to find you." She stayed.

Elena stayed to help me.

A dry laugh leaves my lips. If she hadn't stayed, I would be bones at the bottom of a sick man's piranha tank. Would it even be worth looking for her?

She stayed, didn't she?

"Where is she now?" He looks off to the side, leaning back on his chair. I follow his gaze, landing on a familiar figure standing against the door frame. "You let her stay?" He seems cautious, anticipating my reaction with a steady sense of wariness.

"I had to bribe him with three childhood photos of you for him to even consider it." Elena takes a cautious step toward us. Caution. That's probably what I should've heeded when I first saw her. "I'm sorry—"

My hands curl into fists in my lap. She was the reason why I was there. I watched a man die. Felt his blood on my face. Had to pry his fingers off of my shirt so that I wouldn't drown with him. She's my sister that sold me off for some money. There is no forgiveness in my heart. "Get out." Arsenio's voice is cold.

Cold enough to intimidate anyone. "She's my sister—" Elena protests, pausing. I stare at my balled up hands in my lap. He rises from his seat, advancing toward her.

"I should've killed you when you confessed." She stumbles back, sputtering. Chills run down my spine, even though his words weren't directed to me. "I don't care who the hell you are, but you're about to find out that I don't like repeating myself." Arsenio makes his way through the room and Elena retreats, throwing glances my way.

I don't return them.

Because the ice-cold doll has to be ice-cold. I can't be soft on family.

"Althea—"

"Can you make sure she gets where she's going to?" Make her leave. That's what I'm saying. Cutting ties with the last bit of blood that I carry dear to me. Arsenio nods, beckoning someone from down the hall to speak quietly with.

I stand, my thighs burning as I moved. I've never been at Arsenio's house before. But it's huge. High ceilings and extravagant interiors, everything felt polished and sophisticated. Calming, almost.

I can't understand why he would want to stick around me so much when he has all of this waiting for him. "Come here, pretty boy." Arsenio nods to the person that I can't see before turning back to me. He strides over, clearing the space between us quickly. I reach up and ruffle his hair, sliding my hand to his cheek. He leans against my touch, contempt. "Thank you."

For comforting me, for showing up, for staying by my side.

"Oh, you're so gorgeous." He pulls me to him, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I feel him rub his cheek against my hair and I sigh, patting his chest to let me go.

Some part of me is quaking, feeling the mystery of my lifetime unfold around me, while the other part is stoic.

- - -

"Are you sure you've rested enough?" Jasper glances up at me, making me pause as I wrap a bandaid around his finger. He had cuts all over his hands and I had extracted small shards of glass from his skin.

"I'm fine," I unwrap the last bandaid, placing it on a semi-deep wound on his palm. I grab a thin marker from the counter top, biting the cap off. I draw a happy face onto the bandaid, to which he chuckles.

Arsenio sets the pot of flowers onto the counter, flexing his arm gingerly. For some reason, they were all injured today. Did they plan something?

What... could've happened?

He had a gash on his arm, from what seemed to be a knife. Showing up at the clinic with flowers, almost as if he wanted to apologize for the amount of people that I had to treat. I told him that he didn't need to help me, but he was adamant on being everywhere and doing everything, even with bandages on his arms.

I don't ask what happened. It's a policy and a sense of respect that I follow. Plus, no one would answer truthfully. Who would want to admit to a crime that would potentially get them caught?

I shoo Jasper away, tidying up the table. "How does your ankle feel?" Another customer, Luktric, approaches me yawning widely.

"It's okay, just a little soreness." I nodded in response, before turning my attention to Arsenio.

"Are you free tomorr—"

I cut him off instantly. "No." He grumbles, sliding down his seat slightly. I take the marker, before sighing and drawing another smiley-face onto his bandage. I attach a stick figure body to it, to which he was certainly pleased.

He takes the marker from me before drawing another stick figure, holding hands with the first. I raise my eyebrows and he grins. "Have my art skills impressed you?" I laugh, shaking my head at him.

"Where did you get the flowers from?"

"A flower shop that's I saw on the way here." So he was somewhere he wasn't usually today. He pauses, regarding me with scrutiny. "I shouldn't have answered that." I see Jasper face-palm, listening into our conversation. Arsenio rubs the back of his neck, grinning softly at me.

Jasper did warn me about moves being made, but was this the result?

I interlock my fingers, placing them onto the counter. "Arsenio," I give him a steely look. "Don't follow me today."

"What if you get hurt?" I raise an eyebrow. "The streets are dangerous at night, who knows what might happen." I pick up my phone.

"I'll call you if anything happens, I just need to deal with this alone." He blinks, before glancing at his hands.

"I can't let you do that, Althea." I raise an eyebrow, assessing his behavior. Gold eyes pin on me, unwavering. "After what just happened, I'd rather chase you to the ends of the Earth than leave you alone for a single second." Corny.

I furrow my eyebrows, displeased at his response. "I'll be fine. I'm meeting an old acquaintance." I reach forward, drawing my fingers across the top of the collar around his neck, letting my fingertips brush against his skin. "Do not follow me." He swallows hard.