Patient A-3

Chapter 31: Toys

Cierien idly plays with my hair, my head resting on his chest as I talk on the phone with Sophie. He's quiet beneath me, his attention focused on the TV as it softly hums in the background. Wrath lounges on the other end of the couch, our feet finding a perch on his lap. He watches me with an intensity that belies the brief duration of our call. Cold eyes fixated, he seems to suggest that our ten-minute conversation is an endless dialogue in his discerning gaze.

I return his expression, rolling my eyes in response to his intense gaze. I give him a little kick with my foot, to which he unexpectedly seizes the opportunity, grabbing my foot and yanking me down closer to him, eliciting a yelp from me.

"What was that?" Sophie asks, pausing from her work rant.

Caught off guard, I quickly recover and, still reeling from the unexpected tug, manage to respond to Sophie. "Oh, nothing... I stubbed my toe," I lie, casting Wrath another deadly glare before swiftly retreating to my original position on top of Cierien, a sly smile playing on my lips.

Sophie's laughter tinkles through the phone as she teases me, noting how much of a clutz I am, then seamlessly transitions back into her spiel. Another coworker made an ill comment about her heavy eye makeup, which she did not take lightly. I listen attentively, caught between amusement and empathy for her fiery responses to the offending

"Hey, Lenny," Sophie says, pulling me back into the conversation.

I respond with a nonchalant hum, a mischievous grin spreading across my face as I preemptively silence Cierien with a hand over his mouth, preventing him from a potential onslaught of kisses. I don't plan on telling Sophie about the two men I've welcomed into my life anytime soon. The little lies I've woven to keep Sophie away from my home weigh on me, but I'm not ready to divulge too much about my current situation.

Sophie's voice takes on a sing-song quality, bringing attention to her proposal. "I think we should go shopping," she declares. "I need to buy more makeup so I can beat my whole face tomorrow. If he thinks a little eyeliner is 'too much,' then wait until he sees me with a bold red lip and highlighter brighter than the sun."

Her enthusiasm is contagious, and I can't help but smile at the thought of our coworker's face tomorrow. A chuckle escapes me as I prepare to rise to my feet and voice my agreement, ready to join Sophie in her shopping escapade. However, before I utter a word, the phone is abruptly ripped from my hands. I watch in disbelief as Wrath presses the end button, casually tossing my phone onto a nearby cushioned chair. My mouth falls agape, and my hand remains suspended in the air.

"Wrath, what the fuc-" I begin, but the sentence is left hanging in the air as he interjects.

"Maybe you should put more effort into hanging out with us if you want this to go anywhere, Avalyn," he asserts, the iciness of his tone leaving an unsettling imprint in the atmosphere. His cold expression meets my eyes, and his words resonate with a sharpness.

His words hit me with an unexpected force, and a wave of anxiety begins to swell within me. Cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck as I grapple with the sudden intensity of his comment. "I-I do?" I stammer, my response sounding more like a question as it wavers between uncertainty and meekness.

Rolling his eyes, he scoffs dismissively, sinking deeper into the couch as he shifts his attention back to the TV. I can feel the strain in Cierien's silence, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken discomfort that has settled among us. I had assumed that our shared moments like this were sufficient- I thought I was doing enough. From waking up together to reading, watching movies, and eating, we've practically spent every second of the day in each other's company since our mutual confessions. Yet, Wrath's remark hints at a different perspective, suggesting that perhaps more effort is expected to solidify the connection we've confessed to sharing.