Tempting Touch

Dr. Jekyll's house

Lucy woke up and looked at the sky as she always did. She could tell it was already 9 a.m. by analyzing the sun, since prostitutes didn't have a clock in their room, so she still had plenty of time to use her day off to walk around the town. She got up, but suddenly felt really weak and remembered last night's incident. The wound was huge and it was hurting like hell. She didn't know what to do, until she felt something in the higher part of her corset. Dr. Jekyll's card. She forgot about it for some days, but never forgot about its owner. She took it out and smiled while staring at it.
"If you need a friend..." She talked to herself, remembering his words. "That's it! I decided. I'll see Dr. Jekyll right now!" She said cheerfully and dressed herself the best way she could.

Lucy ran with excitment the whole way, until she finally got to his house and knocked on the door. After some minutes, an old man opened the door.
"How can I help you, miss?" The man asked nicely.
"I'm here to see Dr. Jekyll."
"Just a minute." He said closing the door.
Lucy waited for a while there and then began to wonder if he would ever open the door again. However, as soon as she was leaving, the old man opened it one more time and invited her in. Lucy gave him a big smile and hurried inside the house, fascinated by the rich, fancy decorations in the room, her heart pounded really fast.

She stayed still waiting for Jekyll to see her. He seemed surprised with her visit, yet he didn't say a word.
"I'm the one you and your friend met that night." Lucy said, trying to end the awkward situation by breaking the silence.
Henry looked at her for a second and then made a oh no, my reputation face.
"What brings you here?" He answered coldly, moving his hands a lot, as if he was nervous or something.
She wasn't sure of what to say, so she just took off her shawl. "You said if I ever needed a friend..."
Jekyll widened his eyes and ran to her the second he saw the scars.
"Pretty, isn't it? This man enjoys himself while doing it. Things like this happen to me sometimes, but I didn't expect it from a gentleman."
"A gentleman?" Henry sarcastically repeated, completely outraged. She looked down. He signed for her to sit on the chair of the living room and so she did.

"What sort of monster would do such a thing?" He asked, still not believing that someone was actually capable of doing that to a lovely lady like her.
"Well, he calls himself Hyde. Edward Hyde." She said in a hateful tone.
Jekyll stopped for a moment.
"Why come to me?"
Unconfortable, Lucy replied.
"You gave me your card... I never had someone like you being nice to me before."
"Why didn't you go to the police?"
She frowned. "You don't understand, sir. Just who was going to listen to me? That beast. I'm afraid of what he might do if he finds out." She said while Henry approached her right side with his medical supplies. "He is not like you." She touched his hands and then held them tightly, looking directly into his eyes. "You make me feel like a lady." She whispered, almost emotional.
"You are a lady." He said after a moment. "The most extraordinary lady."

Lucy pulled him down gently so he could stay on one knee, kissing him softly afterwards. It was the sweetest feeling ever. She finally could do what she was longing for all these days, just as he was. After they paused for a while, Lucy careesed his face and smiled gently, but he quickly gave a step back, realizing what he was doing. He was going to marry Emma, after all. He froze for a moment and then positioned himself behind the chair and started healing her injurity. She could still feel the warm sensation of their kiss, wanting more, but knowing he probably didn't want anything to do with a girl like her, which broke her heart a little.

Right after Jekyll finished helping with the harm caused by Hyde, he left the room and entered his laboratory without saying a word.
Lucy filled her heart with delusional hopes and expectations, dreaming that one day, he would truly love her and be proud of it. She left his house and wandered on the London streets, feeling joy and pain, excitement and anxiety, the feeling that we usually name it as love.