My Dark Scientist

37 | The professor that got in the way

E L L O R A

"Don't you ever dare kiss me again without my consent, professor." I say my voice colder than the temperature of Antarctica in the winter. Atleast I hoped that was the case. "You will not touch me. Period."

He stands there staring at me with his impassive face, without any sign that he just got slapped by his student and the girl he kidnapped.

We stand facing each other for the next few minutes, me fuming with anger, him, his charming, handsome- okay Ellora you cannot be thinking about his looks when you are supposed to be stark mad at him- annoying self.

"Noted."

I am startled at the single empty word from his mouth. My eyes flicker over his face searching for an expression, a window to his mind. I find none.

"What?"

"I said, noted."

A pinch of disappointment overflows me, surprising the hell out of me. Why on earth am I disappointed because he agreed to do something I told him to do? I don't want him to touch me.

I really don't.

~

"A-and are you eating well?"

"Yes papa."

"Taking enough c-care of yourself?"

"Yes papa."

"How's your research goi-ing?"

I sit up from my lying down position on the cold hard marble floor, and lean against the wooden bed footboard. "It's going alright. Are you taking your medicines properly?"

"Yes lil' queen. You don't worry about me. And doesn't m-matter how much pressure y-you're in do not skip your meals, okay?"

My mind flashes back to two nights ago.

The hidden staircase.

The terrace looking over the beautiful garden under the moonlight.

Passing a box of food to each other, eating simultaneously.

You could've come out and asked for food if you were this hungry. Why didn't you?

I wasn't hungry enough to.

Try again. This time, the truth.

Fine. I wanted to self-harm physically to escape the emptiness I was feeling inside by going on a hunger stride. Happy?

"Yes papa, I won't be skipping meals." I say with a sigh, slipping back to today.

"Good. Lil'queen, it's 3.52 am. You should go back to sleep now."

"What, too sleepy to hear your daughter's irritating voice at three in the morning, papa?" I joke. He sounds so good this morning. Less stammers. It almost feels like old times. His pre-cancer times.

"If that were the case I wouldn't even have p-picked up your call. N-now quit the joke. You really should get some sleep since you've got an early work day tomorrow."

"You're right I should." I sigh, the humour draining of off my voice.

"Goodnight, Lil' Queen."

"Er- papa..."

"Yes?"

"I- it's just...Nothing. Goodnight. Take care of yourself. Tell mum I miss her and tell Ethan I don't miss him."

He chuckles lowly under his breath. "Goodnight." And a few seconds later the line cuts with a click.

I had wanted to ask him if he knew a certain Mr. Langdon or not. Or a Vittorio. Or a weird cliff which is actually some cult meeting place in middle of the Moonsville rainforest. I had wanted to ask him all of this. Until I remembered at the last minute Mr. Langdon has my calls on record.