"The Caregiver and the Mob Boss" ❦
Avelina makes her money by taking care of those who can't take care of themselves. When she is handed a case about a man who had needed a personal caregiver, she accepts. One thing Avelina never anticipated was the...
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AVELINA SLOWLY WALKED towards his shower. It was glass that quickly became a blur thanks to the condensation that coated the inside of it. Her breath was shaky as he undid the bun she had put in his hair and allowed the water to cascade through it.
"I'm not sure how I could help you when you're in the shower," she pointed out. He glanced over at her but returned to doing what he had been doing. There was something hypnotizing about him. Even when she would look off in the distance, she always seemed to find herself glancing over at him to see how he washed his hair and soaped up his beautiful body.
Asperger's was a form of autism, she knew that. She also knew that she wasn't an idiot. Adrik seemed perfectly capable of taking care of himself. The only question left in her mind was what he needed her for. He clearly wasn't in need of assistance like some of the elderly people she worked with.
"Why am I here?" She asked. Avelina was wishing that she could see his facial expression but the heat of the shower was making things beyond difficult.
"You're a caregiver," he answered as if the answer was obvious.
"You're right. I take care of people who need to be taken care of. You don't need help. You can cook, clean, bathe, everything-all on your own," she said. He turned off the shower and pushed open the door leaving her stunned. It happened too quickly. Especially when her eyes traveled down to his region. Her cheeks burned up as she quickly turned to look away.
"I can't do everything," he said. She wondered if he was angry. Based on the coldness that seemed to suddenly travel off of him in waves, she knew she probably struck a nerve.
"What can't you do?" She pushed. He turned to look at her before quickly looking away. She noticed the way his jaw clenched and his fist pulled together tightly. He was angry.
"I have Autism, Avelina. I'm a retard," he said. She cringed at the words. It wasn't kind of him to say that, and she only wished he knew the delicacy behind that word. He wasn't unintelligent he probably did know how cruel that word was, but he just didn't seem to care.
"That word is now deemed offensive, Adrik," she said. He wrapped the towel around his waist before walking right past her and grabbing his toothbrush from its holder by the sink.
Avelina watched as he placed his toothbrush back down onto the counter and turned around to look at the girl once more.
"You never really answered my question. What can't you do, Adrik?" She asked, genuinely interested to get into his mind.
