[1] Midnight Lips | Ghost

𝐂𝐇. 08

VALENTINA
༻❁༺

     I left the door open behind me before I trailed into my bathroom in search of that white kit with stitches that one of the nurses gave me to suture my lip.

I told Riley to enter if he'd like, to wait in my room in the meantime, hoping he'd do just that, but when I returned to my room, he was waiting patiently by the door, not even a foot in.

His eyes, that without the sunlight looked darker, were trying hard not to snoop around my room. I caught him stealing a glance at the picture laying on my nightstand anyway.

I stopped close in front of him, blocking the way, and the sudden smell of spicy clean hit my nose like a truck, leaving me dizzy and drooling. "Th-this is what they gave me to suture my lip. Hope it works."

He took the box and inspected the inside before he nodded his head. "It'll work."

"Okay."

"Appreciated."

I almost rolled my eyes. Of course, he was the type of person that couldn't even utter the word thanks. He probably struggled to apologize as well. I didn't have any proof, nor had any doubts.

I watched his back when he turned around. My eyes focused on a dark wet spot that looked to be growing on his shoulder. His wound. Was it still open? It looked like he was still bleeding. I scoffed to myself, oh God, I just couldn't believe it.

The wound was in a comfortable position, but just like he was still on his feet, I believed he was capable of handling it perfectly by himself.

What did it take to bring him down? I wasn't sure if I wanted to find out.

Riley suddenly stopped and turned around to me. "Pardon?"

"What?" Did I speak out loud?

"You said something?"

"Ah, no, I don't think so." I pressed my lips together. I wasn't used to having alcohol in my system. It made my thoughts speak out loud.

His eyes behind the mask narrowed. If he didn't believe me, that was the only way to know. He turned around and opened the door to his room.

The wet spot on his shoulder mocked me. It dared me to stop him and treat his wound myself. Thing was, I was the kind of person that never backed up from a dare.

So I accepted it.

Riley's hand tensed around the doorknob. "Help?" he scoffed like the mere word sounded pathetic in his vocabulary.

I shivered. "How are you gonna reach your back wound?"

He turned around to meet me. "I'll make it work."

"You might make it worse."

"It's not the first time I do it."

I stepped closer and dared to grasp his arm. My breath got caught at the back of my throat. It was the first time I touched Simon Riley's skin, and it felt warm and strong and exactly how it looked under my palm.

I gulped. "I can help you. It'll be faster and safer." I checked if he was certain to decline my offer by pulling him toward me. When he didn't resist, I pulled harder.

He dragged his feet into my room. "It's fine."

"Sit on my bed while I set everything up."

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

I took the white kit from him and pushed him down on the edge of my bed. I hesitated my next words because, look how I reacted when I first saw him in a t-shirt, how was I going to take Simon Riley's without one?