C.E.O x C.E.O

Ch. 19 - Intentions

James doesn't know what's going on. In a week, he's nearly crushed by spotlights, drugged in a club, and now someone attempted to choke him out with what felt like a metallic string. He's looking at it in the mirror, the wound, head titled upward and to the side to examine his neck. The wire drew blood? Small bits are beginning to form across the cut line.

He sighs. 'Truly what is going on?'

"Oh dear..." Cozbi sits him down in front of the vanity, then scrambles around the room. "Where's the first aid kit?"

"Found it!" Katherine pops from the door of the other room, kit in hand. Cozbi takes the kit from her, muttering a small thanks before returning to the vanity and putting down the kit.

"I'm sorry this happened," Cozbi then says, a wave of guilt on his face, drooping eyes and lips shifted down. Those glassy eyes almost looked like he could start crying. And as much as it was okay to cry, James flashes him a light smile as to avoid that, for he wouldn't want their ceremony to be plagued with a haunting despair.

Even so, there's no denying that said haunting despair will be there, though for James, it may not be despair, as much as it is dread.

This has happened way too often to him. Has he caught a serious case of bad luck? Did somebody do voodoo on him? Is someone actively trying to kill him?

"Ah!" The sudden sting on his neck interrupts his thoughts. Cozbi had been handling his wound whilst he fazed out. The old man flinches when James did. "Oh, no, no. It didn't hurt. I just..."

He sniffs. James glances at the man, a tear about to escape his eye.

"H-hey...!" James stands from where he sat at the vanity. He had turned his head too quickly, the freshly aided wound on his neck leaves a sting, but he attempts not to let it show on his face, or Cozbi will just cry even harder. "It's okay, it's okay..." James struggles, he's never really been the best at comforting people. "I'm not hurt, merely surprised is all, and that's okay."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Cozbi murmurs. "I am... so sorry, Mr. Artino. So very sorry."

James furrows his brows. The incident hadn't even been his fault yet he's apologizing like he'd just caused the death of two innocent families. James had never needed to comfort anyone to this extent before, so while a tear escapes Cozbi's eye, James immediately snaps to Katherine.

And Katherine, without needing to see his signal, embraces Cozbi with a tight hug. "It's not your fault, Mr. Cozbi. You don't need to be so sorry."

"Yeah..." James could only say, tasting the awkward air, patting Cozbi's shoulder, the only form of reassurance he can think of giving at this point. He feels bad for Cozbi, of course, and he appreciates the sentiment, but people like this, fragile people who cry for the pain of others, James believes they don't deserve to be made cry. Seeing them cry kind of leaves a sting on him too.

"You have no idea," He hears Cozbi mutter, as Katherine steps back to look at him in the eye. "Oh, you have no idea..."

James doesn't know what he's saying, but he didn't get to think about it long as his phone begins vibrating in his pocket.

"Who is it?" Katherine asks him, noticing.

James looks at the name of the caller. "Reen."

He glares at Katherine not to say anything, and she doesn't, only giving him a faint smile. "What say we give Mr. Artino some alone time, okay, Mr. Cozbi?"

"Yes," Cozbi nods. "Yes, we should..."

He is quicker to leave than Katherine, back slouched and head down as he did. It seems the incident affected him more than it actually affected James, and all James could do now is hope he gets over it before the ceremony. Katherine lingers by the door, about to close it, giving James a nod before she leaves.