The Arsonist

Four

"Good morning,Lyle," Gray called as she entered the room, coffee in hand.

"Morning." Lyle responded. He was reading, like always.

Gray found that aspect of his very unusual. Arsonists usually had a very low IQ score. Almost to the point that they were considered mentally retarded. Reading books like The Odyssey wouldn't be enjoyable to a normal arson. But Lyle was far from normal.

"Did you sleep better than the night before?" Lyle asked closing the book, and pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"Yeah, actually. what about you? Did you sleep well?" Gray set down her bag and coffee on the table and turned off the television that was blaring Sirius XM Alt Nation.

"Would of been better with you there." He stood, smirking again. "What do you have against Chvrches?"

"Mr. Conley, this needs to stop. You and I both know you don't mean the things you say. You might think it's funny, or clever, but I've seen it all before. It's not happening. Let's just get started, shall we."

"Whatever is good with you, sweetheart. " Lyle sat on the sofa where they had spoken before.

Gray giggled a bit once she sat down. "I like Chvrches, but they're not my favorite."

"Her voice is a bit forced Alternative but they're okay." Lyle remarked. "My favorite has to be Hozier or Bad Suns. They're the best."
"You can't leave out the classics like Coldplay or Snow Patrol. U2?"
"Coldplay is amazing."

Common ground was good. Actually, it was quite scary. Gray desperately didn't want to have anything in common with him. She was already too attached. Something about his evil disposition but loving appearance struck Gray as so odd, she felt it needed to be investigated thoroughly.
"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Gray asked with a sigh.
"Ah, not so fast, my dear, I've told you about me," he moved closer to her on the couch, brushing a piece of her hair the had fallen out of her pony tail, behind her ear. "Please, enlighten me... What's up in that pretty little head of yours?" He gently poked her forehead. Gray blushed and saw Lyle smile.
Not his normal smirk, but a genuine smile.
"I love it when you do that."
"Do what?" Gray asked trying to force the blood from her cheeks to no avail.
"Blush. Smile. Get all worked up because you might actually feel something. Like love? Or even "like"? Why must you deny yourself the best things this life has to offer?" Lyle grabbed the notebook and pen out of Gray's hand his warmth gently warming her for the split second they touched. "That's funny." He chuckled pointing to the page. "Is completely and utterly___. What'd you erase? Irresistible? Sexy?"
Gray grabbed the notebook out of his hands. "Vexatious, actually."
"So secretive, Graycie," he smirked.
"We need to focus," she said sternly.
"Okay. Ask your pointless questions and get on with this," Lyle said putting his hands behind his head. Gray noticed his prominent arm muscles and multitude of tattoos and forced herself to turn away.
"You had said that you set fires, correct?" She asked.
"Yes," he sighed.
"Why fire? Why not just assault the people you hurt?" She pushed.
"Fire is the most uncontrolled tame weapon. Think about it. When you set it it's wild and crazed. No one knows what to do. It spreads and causes mass destruction. But, then the fire fighters and the police come and they dissipate it. They make it go away. They are therapists and the fire is the patient. They make the fire go away like you make the pain go away. Beautiful isn't it?," He explained.
"You never fail to surprise me," Gray whispered.
"It's 3:00," Lyle said very obnoxiously, ruining the dream like moment. "That means it's time for meds. Which means I won't get to see you until tomorrow."
"I guess that's so," she said calmly. Gray stood up and walked towards the door, hoping to leave the hospital before all the patients started to walk the halls.
"And Gray," Lyle called out. She turned to face him with her eyebrows raised. "Be ready to answer some questions tomorrow. I'm playing doctor tomorrow."
Gray walked through the door trying to contain the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Lyle always managed to make her feel like an elementary school girl who held hands with a boy for the first time. She just couldn't decide if it was a good thing or not. She couldn't decide whether he was worth the consequences that she would endure for loving him.