Nathan stared at the drawing for a few minutes. Then he looked up at Crystal, grabbed her by the collar, and shook her. "What is the meaning of this?" he shouted. "Is this because you are afraid that I won't let you go?!?!"
Crystal frowned. "Why do you always have to ȧssume the worst?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Nathan shouted. "You have given me a portrait of myself with blood on it! What am I supposed to think? Is this some sort of threat? Are you trying to frighten me?"
Crystal flinched as Nathan tore the page out of the book and ripped it in half. Then he crumpled the two pieces into balls and threw them into her face. One hit her just above her right eye, and the other bounced off her forehead.
Crystal sat there numbly. It made her sad to see her work destroyed. She had put so much effort into it, and she had captured his beauty perfectly. She had hoped that he would frame it and that it could remind him of their better days. She would never have expected him to make such a big deal about a little bit of blood. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with grief, and she began to weep.
"What are you doing?" Nathan grumbled. "Do you feel aggrieved?" he stared at her sullenly and said, "Don't pretend to be devastated!"
"I'm okay," Crystal lied. She regained her composure and got off the bed. "Have a good rest. I'll ask a servant to bring you some food."
When Nathan heard this, he slammed his fist on the bed and shouted, "Sit back down!"
Crystal stared at him skeptically and took two cautious steps away from him.
Nathan glared at him. "Crystal Smith, don't you dare ignore me! Do you hear me?"
"Okay." Crystal pretended that she had not heard him. "I'll tell the servants to bring you up for some breakfast." She took another step towards the door, waved, and said, "Goodbye."
Nathan tried to stand up so that he could go after her, but he fell back into his bed. His body was too weak, and now his brain was foggy. It seemed like he was being drawn into a coma, and he fought it off with what little strength he had. If he fell into a coma, he did not think that she would be there when he woke up. Wordlessly, he watched her watching him, and he was in agony. She was so close to him, but she seemed like she was a world away.
He thought that all that she wanted to do was get as far away from him as possible.
Crystal walked out the door, but she returned momentarily with his medicine and a bottle of water. She put the items on the bedside table and said, "Here is your medicine. Make sure you drink all of the water. If you don't, you will be dehydrated." Then she picked up the two crumpled-up papers and threw them into the trash. She felt his eyes on her all the while, and she noticed that he had not touched his medicine.
Crystal went back to the side of Nathan's bed. She poured a few pills into her palm and offered them to him, saying, "You should take your medicine."
Nathan dry-swallowed the medicine, but he did not say anything.
Crystal smiled and offered him the water. Nathan nodded, and he drank the entire bottle in a matter of seconds. She offered to get him more, and he nodded again. When she returned with another bottle, he asked for it in a glass. She poured it into a cup that was sitting on the night table, and the second he had it in his hand, he splashed the water on her face.
Crystal's face turned red as her ire began to rise. "What was that for?" she shouted. "You are sick, and I have done nothing except take care of you!"
"Cut the crap!" Nathan hissed. "Take off your hypocritical mask. We both know that you don't do anything nice unless you have an ulterior motive!"
Crystal's mouth dropped open. Even though she already knew that this was what he believed, it still stung to hear it. After everything that he had put her through, she felt that she deserved better. She wiped her face quickly and said nothing.
"Why don't you speak?" He sneered. "Curse me!"
Crystal felt that Nathan had been more terrifying over the last twenty-four hours than ever before. And she was terrified.
"Or are you going to pour water over me to get revenge?" Nathan continued. "You are such a conniving bitch!"
Crystal sighed. He was being ridiculous, and she knew that nothing she could say would help him see things clearly. At best, she could appease him until it was time to go. He was all over the map, though, and he was determined to see everything she did in the wrong light. Luckily, she was saved from having to reply by a knock on the door. There was a servant in the doorway, and she had a bowl of chicken noodle soup in her hands.
The servant placed the soup on the bed stand, and Crystal took a few backward steps. She was worried that Nathan would splash her with it. He gave her a curious look, though, and ordered her to feed him.
Crystal rolled her eyes as she returned to his side. She filled the spoon with soup and brought it to him, but he refused to open his mouth.
Crystal's brows furrowed. "What's the problem now?" she asked impatiently.
"I want mouth-to-mouth service," he replied. "I used to do it for you, so you owe me."
Crystal shrugged and said, "Fine. Whatever makes you happy." She brought the spoon to her mouth and slurped it up. Then she leaned over him and let it drizzle into his open mouth. She wasn't expecting anything untoward to happen when he startled her by putting his hands on top of her head and pulling her face to his. Then he kissed her hard and shoved his tongue into her mouth. And while he kissed her, he bit her lips.
Once she was free, she grabbed the bottle of water, rinsed it out her mouth, and spat it into the wastebasket.
Nathan frowned. "Was kissing me really that bad?" he asked.
"It's not that," Crystal muttered.. And to prove that she had no problem with kissing him, she leaned over and kissed him again.
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