MISTER EX

5. A HEART ON FIRE

"This was not supposed to happen. It was definitely not what I had planned. Where did this all go wrong? How could I have been so terribly stupid?"

Frank spoke to himself.

Meeting Leah tonight was a mistake he shouldn't have made. He could have accomplished so much more if he had stayed in his office and not wasted his time by coming to see her.

As Frank walked anxiously around the room, he looked down at his wristwatch to see the time, and to his surprise, it was already 9 o'clock in the evening. Three hours had passed by in the blink of an eye. Just then, Leah began to stir from her earlier state of unconsciousness, her eyes slowly fluttering open as she came back to reality.

"Where am I?" Leah's first word.

"Frank, you still here?"

She asked, her eyes fixed on Frank with a clear focus. As she turned her head to the left, she relaxed back, her right foot secured with a strap.

Since their last meeting four years back, she had picked up on just a few subtle changes in his looks. The most noticeable difference was the fine lines that had started to form around his expressive eyes, giving him a hint of maturity. Additionally, his once long, jet-black hair had been cut into a shorter style, which caught her off guard since it was such a departure from what she remembered.

"Oh shit, I have to go.." Leah said.

She's doing alright. She was simply complaining about the mild discomfort from the wound on her leg. She made a slow effort to stand up.

Frank was merely observing her, and said, "You should have informed me from the start about your foot injury. Did you know that I don't have time for this?"

"I'm sorry..." Leah said.

She came to the realization that Frank had done everything that was necessary for her at that moment. Moreover, she was fully aware of the immense effort Frank had put into healing her wound.

Leah perched on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath to summon her courage. With a fierce resolve, she carefully tried to put some weight on her injured foot. A sudden jolt of pain surged through her, and she felt the warm trickle of blood seeping from under her skin.

"Are you going home?" Frank asked her as he looked after Leah who took her shouldered bag from the adjacent table.

"Yes, I have to go..." Leah answered softly.

"You should rest for an hour at least" Frank suggested. "Alright. I guess you will be alright." He pulled himself away from her.

"Thank you Frank,"

Leah shot a quick glance at him after she spoke, but something felt off. This time, Frank's expression was different. In the past, every time they met, he seemed to light up the room, but now he looked distant and a bit down. Frank had always been the one who brought vibrancy into her life; his warmth and contagious smile encouraged her to dream big and aim for the best future she could imagine.

But Leah stopped in her deep thoughts when Frank asked her again.

"For what?"

"For bringing me here to the clinic."

"I am not the one who brought you here, it's my driver," Frank replied.

Leah couldn't shake the feeling that there was a weighty seriousness on his face, and his words were anything but gentle. It hit her that maybe Frank had been holding onto some real resentment towards her ever since she decided to walk away from him. It was clear that he was just using his driver's name as a flimsy excuse to justify his behaviour.

"Ah, Frank can you....." Leah stopped when Frank continued to speak, as her voice was drowned out by Frank's sudden speech.

"Head over to the reception counter and have a conversation with your physician regarding any concerns or questions you may have about your health. Additionally, please be aware that there is a nominal fee that has been applied to your account. Kindly settle this payment before you leave the clinic to ensure that all administrative matters are taken care of smoothly." Frank's words seemed to be like an order, while Leah remained silent and looked at him.

Leah was immediately drawn in by Frank's gaze the moment he spoke. It was as if his words had a magical hold on her, making it impossible to look away. For a fleeting second, she was completely taken aback, caught in the intensity of his stare.

Frank, you've really changed! Leah reminded herself. Then she attempted to tell him,

"F. Frank... "

Leah cannot communicate properly with him. Because Frank spoke quickly as if avoiding everything she wanted to say, in short, maybe Frank just didn't want to hear anything from her side. And out of the blue Frank immediately went out of the room, shut the door and lost his sight.

"It's getting late, and I should probably head home," she finally managed to say.

Leah quietly peeked out of the car window, intrigued by the discussion that had transpired over the past hour. She was greeted by the sight of heavy rain pouring down, soaking everything in its path and quickly turning the ground into a glistening puddle.

Her mind was consumed with thoughts about the questionable topic that Frank had brought up.

Upon Leah's exit from the car, she was confused to see the group of individuals affiliated with the local fire protection department, as well as several social media influencers capturing images and footage of the residential building. The loud revving of motorbikes and cars added to the commotion in the area.

As Leah approached the gate, she initially felt taken aback by the unexpected gathering. However, her astonishment quickly turned to horror as her eyes widened in shock at the scene unfolding before her.

"Andrie!" Leah shouted.

Even though she used to walk slowly because of her wounded feet, now she is running more than her normal speed.

"Sorry ma'am, you are not allowed to enter."

One of the firemen attempts to stop her. Now when she looks again, a large part of the south wing of the building where she's living is currently consumed by fire.

"I need to go to check my unit!" Leah insisted.

"You can enter the building once the fire is gone. For now, it is under our control," the fireman said. But Leah's reactions screamed in the loudest voice that she could release.

"Please let me go...!"

But the man didn't agree with that. So Leah finds a way to reach her unit.