Heal the Heart

15.

Dr Nazmi slammed a hand on the reception desk, startling not just me but the poor middle-aged man logging in his entry with Mandy. He did what I had been wanting to do ever since I met the Wicked Doc of the West—he put a hand to his chest, murmuring woman, chill.

"Where is Beck?" she demanded.

Well, a very good evening to you too. "He—He was supposed to be here an hour ago. I think."

"Okay. Then where is he?"

Oh, just stuffed in my pocket like a baby Chihuahua. "I'm... not sure."

"I gave you one job, Neil."

"Yeah. I'll—I'll give him a call. Sorry."

"Let me know where he is. I'll be in my office."

I waited till she disappeared in the corner before turning to Mandy. "Does she have marital problems or something?"

Mandy continued with her keyboard clacking without looking at me and said, "Don't know 'bout marital, but if ya don't give her Beck's location in the next ten seconds, you and her are definitely gonna have some problems, eh."

"Whose side are you on?" I dialled Beck's number and put it on speaker.

"The side that's payin' for the food on my plate, eh."

"Hello?" Beck's warm voice wafted in the space between us.

"Hey, man. It's Neil."

"Oh. Hi, Neil. What's up?"

I thought I heard slight breathlessness from his end. "Yeah, you're an hour late, man. You stuck in traffic or something?"

"Uhm. No, I—Yeah, traffic. Something like that."

I glanced at Mandy. She eyed my phone with a raised brow and pursed lips.

"How long will it take you to get here?" I asked.

"Maybe another thirty to forty minutes?" Heavy breathing. Like he was fighting through imaginary monsters for each breath. "I don't know. Maybe you should cancel today's session. It'll probably be late for me."

I removed the phone from speaker and held it to my ear, moving away from the reception and taking it to the staff's room. "Beck, what's wrong?"

"Wrong?" His voice suddenly turned high-pitched, and I could swear I heard a pained whine at the back of his throat. "Nothing's wrong. Why would anything be wrong?"

"Okay, where are you?"

"I'm at... at uh—"

"Dude. I know you're not on your way here. Stop trying. Just spit it out."

"Fine. But don't tell Nazmi. That lady will tell my mom and then I'll get fucked from both ends, and I do not need that level of pain in my life."

I sighed. I was already regretting this.

~

I wove my way through the running tracks, going the opposite way to joggers and dog walkers. This path wasn't unfamiliar to me. I had followed it just this morning when I praised this city for having good weather for once. I knew every trail of this park. Yet, I had never bumped into him.

I found Beck watching the sunset from a bench overlooking the man-made pond and the last lights of Vancouver shimmered like a firestorm.

I watched him. I watched the oranges and purples and reds wash across his face, dipping into the sharp angles of his face, bathing him in perfection. My fingers twitched, the urge to mark him in stone once again arising. He had on shorts and a light blue Manchester City oversized hoodie. He was slouched on the wooden bench, one arm draped at the back, the other massaging his right thigh, legs outstretched in front of him.