Chapter 42: Aftermath
The early morning sunlight reflected through the shattered window, stirring Jark awake with a migraine. He was about to call out for Thompson when he felt a light weight and soft breathing on his arm.
He turned slowly to his right side, avoiding the light as it hurt his eyes. He looked down at his arm only to find Kathe curled up beside him, her head lying on his arm, her body covered in blood stains, and half of her arms and thighs covered with scratches.
Jark couldn’t help but frown as he tried hard to remember what had happened the previous night, but each time he tried, he was met with a terrible migraine. All his effort to remember was like pouring water on a rock to dissolve it. He eventually gave up with a sigh.
He withdrew his hand slowly from Kathe’s head, afraid that he would wake her up, but it seemed that she was in such a deep slumber that she didn’t notice even the slightest movement.
After making sure that she was placed on the good side of the bed, he jumped out of the bed, only for his leg to step on a piece of glass. That was when he took in his environment.
Everything was a deep mess. The tables were shattered, the window was broken, syringes were lying around with broken sedative bottles, and lastly, his eyes caught the blood stains around the room, on the floors and the walls.
Jark’s confused face was quickly replaced with a frown as he turned his back to Kathe, who was lying on the bed. Even her feet had bruises all over them. He turned his face back again to the blood stains around him.
"What the hell happened last night?" he murmured to himself as he pushed himself out of the room to find Thompson and get answers about what had happened the previous night. Due to the migraine, his vision was foggy, but he managed to get out of the room.
.......................
Kathe stretched her body like a lazy cat. Her nose immediately caught the sweet food aroma that was tempting around her.
Her eyes immediately flew open, and the first thing she noticed was the variety of food staring at her. She was about to pounce on the food when she noticed that her surroundings were different from where she had slept the previous night, and also that her bloody nightwear had been changed, her wounds cleaned, but Jark was not on the bed with her.
"Jark," she murmured as she tried to climb down the bed.
"You are awake." Jark’s voice sounded behind her.
"Jark." Kathe whispered his name, turning toward the window side, and that was when her eyes caught his graceful figure.
He was leaning against the wall, his two hands in both pockets, the midday sun reflecting on his face as he stared at her like a piece of art. He didn’t even look like the same feral person she had seen yesterday. Instead, he had returned to his cold, handsome self.
Kathe was still staring at him. She couldn’t believe that it was the same vision of Jark she had seen yesterday that was staring at her. She suddenly remembered what had happened between them, and her face immediately turned red. But after she remembered Thompson’s statement that he did not remember anything during his episode, she suddenly breathed out in relief.
"Ouch." She felt a sharp pain the moment she dropped her feet down from the bed.
"Careful."
"Hmmm." Kathe nodded, but she was still determined to walk up to Jark.
Jark frowned at how she was hurting herself just to walk to him.
"Sit back."
Jark, seeing that she was still stubborn about getting down from the bed, decided to walk toward her himself so that she wouldn’t hurt herself.
Kathe sat back on the bed when she saw that Jark was walking toward her. She could see the concern on his face.
"I asked you to go back home," Jark said, half angry and half concerned, as he lifted her leg back onto the bed softly.
"You were..." Kathe tried to explain, but Jark interrupted her sharply.
"You didn’t have to come." His tone was cold.
"Huh?" Kathe was confused by his harsh tone.
"You should have obeyed my instruction and stayed back at home."
The room fell silent for a minute.
"He hates people seeing him in such a state."
Thompson’s statement rang in Kathe’s head as she remembered his words.
"Does it help?" Kathe asked, her face cast down as she looked at her toes.
"What do you mean?"
Kathe lifted her face to look at Jark, who was also staring at her.
"Does shutting people out help?"
This time, it was Jark’s turn to go mute.
Seeing that Jark was quiet, she continued, "Sometimes the people you shut out are the least people you expect to care for."
Jark turned to look at her as he scanned her from her head to her toes.
"But you got hurt in the process."
His voice was no longer cold but filled with guilt.
"I chose to."
"Why?"
"It showed that at least I tried."
"If getting hurt is the only way, I won’t allow it."
"It’s more of a choice, Jark, not a command."
Jark knew that he couldn’t win the argument with Kathe. He lifted the food tray to her.
"Eat. The food is getting cold."
"What about you?"
"I’m full already."
Jark watched Kathe dig into her food, taking each piece with a smile, not even showing discomfort. His thoughts drifted back to when he had left the room in the morning. He had found Thompson waiting outside the room, some parts of his face filled with bruises.
Thompson quickly explained everything that had happened the previous night to Jark, of how stubborn Kathe had been. Not being able to stop her, Jark couldn’t help but feel guilty about Kathe’s condition as Thompson explained everything to him.
He stared at the way she was munching like someone was about to take it from her at any second. An unnoticed smile curled on his lips.
"Thank you." His voice came out more like a whisper.
"Huh?" Kathe couldn’t believe her ears as she stared at him.
"Thank you for being there for me last night."
This time, it wasn’t a whisper anymore.
Kathe rolled her eyes at him.
"Do you think saying just ’thank you’ will work?" She couldn’t help but take advantage of the situation.
"What do you want?" Jark raised his eyebrow at her, knowing how thick-skinned she was.
"Help exchange," Kathe said with a smile all over her face.
"Okay."
Kathe could not imagine that he would agree so easily.
"Wait, you didn’t ask what I might demand. What if I demand your head?" She decided to tease him a little.
"That’s ridiculous."
But after a second, he was curious about what she wanted.
"What do you want?"
"I want us to go watch a scary movie together," Kathe said as she clapped her hands together, staring into space with a dreamy face.
"We will, but only when your feet heal."
"Deal."
"Deal."
"Pinky promise."
"What’s that for?"
"It’s a way of you swearing to keep your promise."
Jark found it childish, but considering Kathe’s behavior at times, he just shook his head slightly.
"But I had just promised."
Kathe rolled her eyes at him.
"Come on. Doing this won’t cost you anything. Pinky promise."
She lifted his hand and forcefully crossed her finger through his.
"Okay, pinky promise. Now eat your meal."
"Are you sure you don’t want to join me in eating?"
"No. I’ve eaten mine already."
"Okay, suit yourself then."
...................
"Were you able to track her location?"
The sun reflected on her face, which was not covered, her left hand brushing through the vase of flowers and her right hand holding the phone close to her ear.
"No."
"Why no?"
She paused in her action.
"I think they already knew that her phone had been tapped."
She plucked out one of the flowers, using the tip of her finger to twist it.
"Mmm. That means she’s with Jark."
"That’s the only possible outcome."
Click.
There was no time for her to wear her mask. She wasn’t expecting anyone to come into the room that early. She quickly turned her face to the wall, disconnecting the call.
The door opened slightly at first before it was completely opened, and Jacklyn walked into the room with a tray filled with food. That was when he noticed that she wasn’t wearing her mask.
"Your breakfast is ready."
He quickly voiced out his reason for coming into the room as he kept his distance from her. Though he was curious to see her face, he knew his limit.
Hearing Jacklyn’s voice brought a brief relief to her, but her back was still turned to him.
"You can keep it."
He kept the tray and was about to hurry out of the room to avoid her wrath.
"Wait. I need to ask you something."
"Okay. What’s that?" he asked as he still kept his distance.
"Have you seen Kathe this morning?"
"No. I’m not sure she’s back yet."
"Oh... do they always sleep out?"
"Old Jark, yes. But since I came back, this is the first time I’m seeing them both sleep out."
"Oh. You can prepare the car. I will be leaving very soon."
"Okay, I will."
Jacklyn rushed out of the room.
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