COLOUR BLIND

CHAPTER 21

I'd decided immediately after I saw him that I was going to give him the same cold shoulder he gave me that day at the hospital but when I came close to the place he stood looking like a drenched puppy, all of those thoughts vanished in a second.

"I know I'm a douchebag ", he said before I'd even say anything.
"And you probably hate me right now".
I wished I could.
"Why are you here?". I asked after noticing a tiny cut on the side of his upper lip.
"you should go to the hospital and get that treated". I added but it didn't look like he even listened to what I was saying.
He staggered his way towards me and tried to put both my hands on his face.
His hands were cold and his breath stunk of alcohol.
"Are you drunk?".
"you can punch my face if that'll make you feel... Feel...", he sputtered and started throwing up, almost in my face.

He'd gone pale after a while of throwing up. My conscience wouldn't let me leave him out there in the cold so I brought him with me to the house.
Freddie wasn't in the sitting room. I assumed he was either in his room or out drinking.
I helped Ian into my room and dropped him on the bed.
"I'm a Lily-Livered eejiot ", he said when I brought back the first aid kit.
"I only know how to ruin perfect things".
'Is that what he thinks', I thought to myself while gently cleaning the little cut he'd probably gotten from a fistfight.
"Don't you think you're getting too old for these?". I asked after some time.
What else was I supposed to say to a person who hurt me and then showed up in front of my house drunk and bruised?
"I have few regrets in life ", said Ian.
"And leaving you is one of them".
"What happened to your face?", I tried to change the topic while also packing up the first aid.
"I should have said something", he moved a little closer to me.
"Back then and that day at the hospital ", he mumbled before passing out on top of me.

I tried to push him off but almost fell flat on my back. I couldn't help but notice how buffed up he was.
'He might have been doing lots of cardio exercises ', I thought as I successfully pushed him to the bed.
I took off his shoes and just when I was about to keep them away noticed his phone fell from his pocket. It was a new cell phone, different from the one I broke that day at the hospital. It rang nonstop when I picked it up from the bed.
The call was from a person called Ava. I wondered who they were because they wouldn't stop calling. His mom called too and a person he saved as '2nd Dad'.
I watched the phone ring until it finally went off while he slept peacefully on the bed.
His lashes were exceptionally long and beautiful. His upper lip had gotten a little fuller due to the impact of a hit that caused the bruise I'd just finished cleaning. The mole on his face was bolder too because of how pale his skin was right now.
I looked at his vivid features like art made by a prominent artiste. I was sure that I liked him even now, there was no way to hate this person in front of me even if I wanted to.
I felt angry yet unsure of why I still wanted to know why he got hit. I also wondered if the words he spoke earlier could be considered an apology, but what if he woke up the next day and acted all cold again? What if he doesn't even remember everything he said that night?
After so much thought, I stood up from the bed and went to the wardrobe where I got an extra duvet which I spread on the floor and lay on. It was the most uncomfortable sleep I'd had in a few months.

The next morning, I woke up early, had my bath, and tried to pour the ginger tea I'd brought into the room when Ian woke up from the bed.
He didn't look shocked to see me so I assumed he was already aware of where he was and maybe even remembered everything he said the previous day.
I'd brought the cup of ginger tea to the place he sat but he wouldn't take it just yet, his attention was perhaps somewhere else. It reminded me of the first time he visited our house in Bloomfield. I realized again just how much he made me aware of my own body that I had to drop the mug and immediately pick up a shirt to wear.
"Ginger tea helps for the hangover ", I pointed to the mug.
"Thank you ", he said.
"About yesterday ".
"forget about it ", I cut in.
"you were drunk".
"No, I wasn't ", he dropped the mug and stood up from his sitting position.
" I mean I was but I meant it".
"I'm late for work", I carried my work bag and headed out while he followed behind.
"Luka, Luka", he called and was about to do so again when I turned on him.
"what do you want?".
"To talk".
"To talk?", I scoffed.
"Life must be so easy for people like you ", I moved closer to him.
"you get rid of people like objects then come looking to talk when you feel like it huh?".
"It's not like that".
"Then what is it?", I asked.
"why don't you make me understand, Ian? Or should I say 'Scotland's youngest business mogul' ".
"I'm sorry ", he tilted.
"I'm so...."
"I don't care anymore okay", I yelled.
"I've heard enough of that word lately and it doesn't fix anything".