After Effects

Chapter 49 • After Effects

"You know when you told me we were going out, I never expected this!" I gasped, spinning around on the freshly cut grass of one of the many open areas of the Remora Home property.

"That's probably because that is all I told you and nothing more," he murmured and I had to narrow my eyes at him. He rolled his eyes and sat on a nearby bench, situated under the changing leaves of a very shady tree.

It was beautiful, half green and half brown as the autumn season took its toll on the atmosphere. Some leaves fluttered to the ground as well and the scene was just so picturesque, like a tornado around a lamp post. While there were kids playing further away, the wind was blowing leaves around with no care for where they would go and a stiff-backed Riddian sat in the middle of it all, staring at me.

I paused for a minute.

"What now?" I asked, feeling self-conscious as I wondered what I had unknowingly done again. 

"I didn't say anything," he shook his head in response. I sighed.

"You were looking at me funny."

"Am I not allowed to look at you now?" he asked leaning forward. I looked down at him and then joined him on the bench.

"You're a creep," I breathed out.

"You know I've been called a lot of things, most of them by you, but never a creep. Should I be suspicious? I am thinking I should be suspicious."

I turned to him, my hair blowing in my face and giving me a hard time.

"Why are we here?" I asked, not even bothering to answer his own question because mine had been bothering me for a while now. All of a sudden, it was as if a bomb went off and my head snapped forward abruptly. "Wait, do I get vacations? Because if I get vacations-"

"You don't get vacations Ms. Harrington," he quickly corrected me, thankfully before I could get anymore excited.

"Darn it-" I snapped my fingers.

"But I do," he smugly interrupted my groans and I almost hit him in the head with a branch.

"That is so unfair," I murmured making him laugh. And I mean laugh... As in actually laughed! His head was thrown back as bubbles of laughter erupted from his throat, and I was left speechless.

I stared at him in shock.

He cleared his throat after a while and left the smallest of smiles on his face. "I'm the boss so that isn't unfair, and... are you okay Ms. Harrington?"

My back straightened.

...I watched in shock as he leaned onto the table and gave me a crooked smile.

"Are you okay Ms. Harrington?" he chuckled...

"Ms. Harrington..." he whispered again and then his lips descended onto my-

"I'm fine," I squeaked, straightening even more against the back of the bench.

I looked out onto the space before us for some kind of distraction from the resurfacing memories. Squinting at what I almost thought was a mirage before us, I tapped on Riddian's shoulder rapidly.

"What?" he asked, not even turning to me. I tapped even harder. "What!" he snapped when I had finally agitated him enough.

I pointed forward.

"I think that kid just broke his nose..."

:*:*:*:*:*:*:

I looked across the examination table of one of the Home's clinical areas.