BLACK CHERRY / The Game (Chapter 10)
Title: The Game (Chapter 10)
Fandom: BLACK CHERRY
Characters: Ryo x はるき
Genre: Romance, erotica
Table: One
Prompt: 049. Cold
Word Count: 2784
Rating: NC-17
Summary: The rules of The Game were very simple.
Author's Notes: Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
The Game
Chapter Ten
(049. Cold)
The sky was a dark grey on a late afternoon in mid-December. Barren trees lining the campus were visible from the window as Ryou undid the cuffs of his white shirt sleeves. He stretched his neck, relishing the sound of his joints popping. In a week’s time it would be Christmas break, finally allowing him to recuperate from an exhausting midterm.
Despite the fatigue, today was a cause for celebration. It was the last day of the game, and he was going to win.
With Haruki growing increasingly secretive and emotional, the timing couldn’t be any more right. It was unfortunate, but he couldn’t claim to know her well enough to say the sudden change in her confused him. Ending it clean was going to be tricky, but it had to be done right. A hysterical student chasing after her teacher never boded well for anyone. He’d learned that the hard way.
The door opened. Haruki stepped inside the clinic, frowning as she spotted him on a stretcher bed by the wall.
“I got your message.” She approached him with a creased forehead. “Are you alright?”
“Just a migraine,” he replied. “I’m alright now.”
The frown did not disappear from her lips as she perused the rest of the empty room. “Where’s everyone else? Has anyone tended to you yet?”
He reached for her arm and gently pulled her to him. “It’s past five. They’ve already closed.”
Her gaze dropped. “You should be home then.”
There it was. What was causing her to act so strange lately? Had she only pretended to enjoy the pain after all this time? Or did it have anything to do with her asking what she meant to him?
He knew better than to bother, but it nagged him. “What’s wrong?”
In the middle of her lengthy pause her gaze remained withdrawn. She blinked several times before swallowing. “Nothing.”
“You’re a terrible liar.” He brushed his thumb lightly over her wrist. She took in a deep breath.
He cupped the side of her face. Her eyes brimmed with hesitation when she looked up at him again.
He gently pulled her by the nape, kissing her softly. A fleeting sigh escaped her lips before she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back with growing ardor.
A physical need? Was it all she wanted? He could oblige her, now that this would be the last time.
He could feel the reluctance in her arms when she took a step back. “You need to go home and rest.”
“Nonsense. You just made me feel better,” he teased. “Do it again.”
The first smile tugged at her lips, lighting up her face. He ignored the tightening in his chest.
“I may have been unfair to you lately,” he said, parting his knees on the bed to have her closer to him. “I’ve been having all the fun.”
“What do you mean?”
He undid the first button off his shirt. “I’ve been too greedy. I should let you take the reins this time.”
She softly laughed. “Who are you and what have you done with Ryou?”
The smile he’d put up nearly turned into a grimace when something twisted inside him again. Guilt was an emotion he rarely felt, and now it jabbed at him almost like a physical pain. All the more reason to end this whole farce once and for all.
“You should take advantage of it,” he murmured with a dry smile. “It’s never going to happen again.”
Her eyebrows slowly rose. “Are you saying I can do absolutely whatever I want with you?”
He placed his hands on his sides in response. She remained in the space between his knees, looking up at him, curiosity growing in her eyes. Admittedly, he found himself becoming more intrigued in return. The last and only time he’d let her take charge, she’d pleasantly surprised him. What could she offer him now?
She traced a hand along the length of his shirt, her gaze pensive on the fabric. Like a feather her fingertips brushed lightly over his chest; his skin prickling with attention even though he could barely feel her touch. When she began undoing the next buttons off his shirt, she did so at an agonizingly slow pace. He nearly wanted to grab her in impatience, until a small, furtive smile formed on her lips. She was taunting him on purpose.
She parted his shirt and watched the rise and fall of his chest, fingers now raking the lines of his abdomen with a little more pressure. Her lips followed the path of her hands, her mouth just as soft and warm on his skin. He heard his own breath hitch when her teeth gently bit on his left nipple before flicking it with her tongue. Using his own tricks on him… she really was a good student.
She began undoing his belt, her smile growing at his readiness. She felt for him with her palm, stroking his hardness before pulling it out from his briefs. For several seconds she simply held him, his manhood pulsating in her hand. He demanded to be stroked, but she was the one in control now.
Haruki slowly lowered herself before him, dropping to her knees. She neared her face to his length but not quite, and the remaining inch between him and her lips nearly made him growl. Since when had she become such a tease?
She pressed her mouth to his shaft, kissing his girth with a frustrating gentleness. A vision of her gagging on his cock flashed in his mind. That was how he wanted it. Not this slow, stupid torment…
Her lips found the tip of him. She looked up at him with the same wide-eyed innocence as the day he first met her. He gripped the edges of the bed, releasing a low hiss through gritted teeth when she finally took him in her mouth.
She did not take him hard and deep, but the mere sight of her lips wrapped around him and tasting him sent him on edge. Slowly she licked him from down to up, tongue lingering on his head before sucking on him. He seized a fistful of her hair but did not push her, if only to hold on to her while he watched her. Her lips curved while he remained in her mouth, smiling all the way up to her eyes. Finally she came down on him, taking him all in, one inch at a time. She sucked on him hard until his fingers were tight on her nape, guiding her, coaxing her to take him further. God, she’d become so good at this…
And then all at once, the warm wetness of her was gone. His eyes flew open to find her back on her feet.
“Lie down,” she said.
He obliged her with a smirk. As soon as his back hit the bed, the thin mattress of the stretcher bed creaked when she climbed in to join him.
She straddled his torso, still fully clothed and very much ignoring the hardness hitting her back. His hands itched to rip her shirt off, but he kept his arms to his sides. She leaned forward until they were nearly chest to chest and traced a finger over his lower lip.
“I could get used to this,” she murmured. “The view from up here looks nice.”
He tried to bite a finger, failing and making her giggle. “Make the most out of it. I don’t get charitable very often.”
“Maybe I can change your mind,” she mused, fingertips now on his cheekbones. She twined her hand with his and leaned away, only to guide him between her legs. His hand disappeared inside her skirt, her panties already damp to the touch. She softly moaned when he slipped a finger inside her, and his hardness yearned for her with growing haste.
When he brushed his thumb over her clitoris, she bit her lip and shook her head. She pulled his fingers out, licking them clean. She rose to her knees only to tug her panties down until it wrapped around one thigh. His length stiffened with attention when she took hold of it again, the both of them sighing with pleasure when she guided him inside her.
It took all of his control not to seize her buttocks and impale himself hard into her. Entering her hot tightness nearly made him come, and more so when she began to gyrate slowly above him. He lifted her skirt, reveling in the sight of him disappearing inside her with every thrust. She threw her head back, bouncing above him, moaning softly. He slid a hand inside her shirt and up her bra, squeezing her left breast. He’d caressed the same flesh more times than he could count. More than anyone’s, even his own skin. He would miss this, almost.
His free hand returned to the space between her legs, her hips bucking when he rubbed her clitoris. She rocked faster, burying him deeper within her. Her gentle whimpers gave way to raspy breaths, her guttural groans a sweet melody to his ears. He drank in the sight of her lost in ecstasy above him, taking it all in, embedding it into his memory.
Once, there had been nothing to derive from a partner’s pleasure. It had always been about him; his body and nothing else. Since Haruki, his desire could only be stirred from how he could make her weak and trembling. How was it going to be like with someone else from now on? Would it ever be the same?
He sat up, taking her by surprise. She remained straddled on his hips, their faces nearing again. His lips thirsted for the taste of her, but he stopped himself. Kissing had once been a perfunctory tool to make a girl give in, but now it almost felt like a reflex. His body had grown to have such an irrational need for her it was maddening. She’d changed one too many things too quickly. Thank the gods the game was only a semester long. What more if it had been longer? Who knew what kind of man he’d become then?
She stopped moving on him, cupping his face with her small hands as she pensively gazed into his eyes. What was she thinking? Was whatever making her act strange running through her mind now?
She planted her lips on his softly and lightly. He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, deeper inside her. She gasped through the kiss, breaking his control as he finally pinned her down to the bed. She half-squealed, half-laughed, but the mirth quickly dissolved in her eyes only to reflect something darker.
“I thought I called the shots this time?” she asked.
“You are,” he muttered. “Isn’t this how you really want it?”
He gave a single, hard thrust, and her body jolted in response. He squeezed her thighs to part wider for him, allowing him to bury that last inch in. Her back arched in full awakening, and soon she was writhing beneath him as he began to pound ruthlessly into her. He lowered his face near hers once more, if only to hear her cries better. She bit her lip in an attempt to shush herself, but he pried her mouth open with his thumb.
“Let me hear you,” he whispered, his own voice growing hoarse.
“Ryou,” she gasped, grabbing at his shoulders. “Please-”
She cried into his chest and orgasmed, hips shuddering wildly. The force of her tightness overwhelmed him, and with a growl he came with her. He spilled into her, filling her, and contentment seeped all the way to his bones as he collapsed above her.
Her heartbeat was a strong, steady rhythm against his ear as her fingers moved to rake his hair gently. Any other time he would’ve already pushed himself off her, but today he lingered in her warmth, closing his eyes and relaxing. For the last time, he would give in and indulge.
On the nearby table, his phone vibrated. He ignored it and looked at the medicine cabinet from across the bed where the hidden lens was. With a sigh he reluctantly rose, fixing his pants. With his back on hers, he discreetly pressed on the secret button at the bottom of the cabinet to disable the camera in the room.
When he turned around, Haruki was already up on the bed fixing her clothes. Her gaze was on her lap, her fingers fastening her top at a notably slow pace-almost as if she was stalling. It should’ve bought him some time to choose the right words to begin, but his mind remained a blank space. Instead he observed her, wondering more than ever at the mask that had returned to her face. What in the world was going on?
He approached her again, seeking her gaze. She now began tracing small circles on the sheets.
“How well do you know Prof. Mikura?” she asked.
Irritation suddenly flared up inside him. “He’s only a colleague. Why?”
She gave a single shrug, infuriating him further. A dark thought whispered into him, making his hands clench.
“Has he done anything to you?” he demanded, unable to stop the harshness in his voice.
Her forehead creased. “No. Why would you say that?”
He bit the inside of his cheek. “Why were you in his class the other day?”
She opened her mouth, and that one second of hesitation was enough to make his voice drop. “What’s going on with you and Prof. Mikura?”
“Nothing.” Her voice shook. “Do you know about the camera in the library?”
The question stunned him. How the hell did she know about that?
He retained a careful, blank expression despite the confusion brimming in Haruki’s eyes. He expected everything else but this. How long had she known? More importantly, who had tipped her off? Kei? It wouldn’t make sense for his friend to sabotage their own game and put their entire reputation at risk.
“What are you talking about?” he countered. “What does that have to do with him?”
She avoided his gaze again and grabbed a fistful of her skirt. She took a deep breath and swallowed, doing nothing to alleviate his worst fears.
“There was a letter on my doorstep the other day,” she began. “Someone knows about the two of us.”
Something in his chest lurched, but he said nothing. Not yet, until he knew all the details.
“This girl came up to me. I don’t know her name, but she told me about the camera in the library. It was inside a book that was last rented by Prof. Mikura.” Haruki looked up at him again, the fear resurfacing in her eyes. “Did you know about the camera? Did it catch a video of us somehow?”
Shit. A thousand questions raced through his mind, and picking the wrong response would only aggravate the situation twofold.
“Who is this girl you’re talking about?” he quietly asked. “What does she look like?”
“Long, straight black hair. Green eyes,” she supplied. “She’s from this school.”
The description brought no one to mind. It could be anyone, but definitely not a former participant in the game. And yet to have known about the camera…
“She told me I wasn’t the only one, that there have been other girls before me,” she whispered. “What did she mean by that?”
The hurt on her face was almost unbearable to look at. How the fuck was he going to answer that question?
He reached for the side of her face and gently caressed it. He kept his gaze on her soft, luscious lips-anywhere but her eyes. He distracted her the only way he knew how: he kissed her long and passionately, relishing the taste of her until they were both out of breath. When they parted she still looked shaken, but the color finally returned to her cheeks.
“You’re the only one now,” he said, a half-truth he suddenly, almost believed in.
She only nodded, returning her downcast gaze to her lap. He expected as much, but it ate him nonetheless.
“I need to go.” He smoothed out his clothes. I’ll see you around. I’ll call you. Goodbye. None of the other words left his lips, not now when there was a bigger problem to face.
He grabbed his phone and left the room without looking back. The harsh December wind slapped his face when the clinic doors closed after him. He brought the phone to his ear.
“It’s me. We need to talk.”
to be continued
Fandom: BLACK CHERRY
Characters: Ryo x はるき
Genre: Romance, erotica
Table: One
Prompt: 049. Cold
Word Count: 2784
Rating: NC-17
Summary: The rules of The Game were very simple.
Author's Notes: Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
The Game
Chapter Ten
(049. Cold)
The sky was a dark grey on a late afternoon in mid-December. Barren trees lining the campus were visible from the window as Ryou undid the cuffs of his white shirt sleeves. He stretched his neck, relishing the sound of his joints popping. In a week’s time it would be Christmas break, finally allowing him to recuperate from an exhausting midterm.
Despite the fatigue, today was a cause for celebration. It was the last day of the game, and he was going to win.
With Haruki growing increasingly secretive and emotional, the timing couldn’t be any more right. It was unfortunate, but he couldn’t claim to know her well enough to say the sudden change in her confused him. Ending it clean was going to be tricky, but it had to be done right. A hysterical student chasing after her teacher never boded well for anyone. He’d learned that the hard way.
The door opened. Haruki stepped inside the clinic, frowning as she spotted him on a stretcher bed by the wall.
“I got your message.” She approached him with a creased forehead. “Are you alright?”
“Just a migraine,” he replied. “I’m alright now.”
The frown did not disappear from her lips as she perused the rest of the empty room. “Where’s everyone else? Has anyone tended to you yet?”
He reached for her arm and gently pulled her to him. “It’s past five. They’ve already closed.”
Her gaze dropped. “You should be home then.”
There it was. What was causing her to act so strange lately? Had she only pretended to enjoy the pain after all this time? Or did it have anything to do with her asking what she meant to him?
He knew better than to bother, but it nagged him. “What’s wrong?”
In the middle of her lengthy pause her gaze remained withdrawn. She blinked several times before swallowing. “Nothing.”
“You’re a terrible liar.” He brushed his thumb lightly over her wrist. She took in a deep breath.
He cupped the side of her face. Her eyes brimmed with hesitation when she looked up at him again.
He gently pulled her by the nape, kissing her softly. A fleeting sigh escaped her lips before she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back with growing ardor.
A physical need? Was it all she wanted? He could oblige her, now that this would be the last time.
He could feel the reluctance in her arms when she took a step back. “You need to go home and rest.”
“Nonsense. You just made me feel better,” he teased. “Do it again.”
The first smile tugged at her lips, lighting up her face. He ignored the tightening in his chest.
“I may have been unfair to you lately,” he said, parting his knees on the bed to have her closer to him. “I’ve been having all the fun.”
“What do you mean?”
He undid the first button off his shirt. “I’ve been too greedy. I should let you take the reins this time.”
She softly laughed. “Who are you and what have you done with Ryou?”
The smile he’d put up nearly turned into a grimace when something twisted inside him again. Guilt was an emotion he rarely felt, and now it jabbed at him almost like a physical pain. All the more reason to end this whole farce once and for all.
“You should take advantage of it,” he murmured with a dry smile. “It’s never going to happen again.”
Her eyebrows slowly rose. “Are you saying I can do absolutely whatever I want with you?”
He placed his hands on his sides in response. She remained in the space between his knees, looking up at him, curiosity growing in her eyes. Admittedly, he found himself becoming more intrigued in return. The last and only time he’d let her take charge, she’d pleasantly surprised him. What could she offer him now?
She traced a hand along the length of his shirt, her gaze pensive on the fabric. Like a feather her fingertips brushed lightly over his chest; his skin prickling with attention even though he could barely feel her touch. When she began undoing the next buttons off his shirt, she did so at an agonizingly slow pace. He nearly wanted to grab her in impatience, until a small, furtive smile formed on her lips. She was taunting him on purpose.
She parted his shirt and watched the rise and fall of his chest, fingers now raking the lines of his abdomen with a little more pressure. Her lips followed the path of her hands, her mouth just as soft and warm on his skin. He heard his own breath hitch when her teeth gently bit on his left nipple before flicking it with her tongue. Using his own tricks on him… she really was a good student.
She began undoing his belt, her smile growing at his readiness. She felt for him with her palm, stroking his hardness before pulling it out from his briefs. For several seconds she simply held him, his manhood pulsating in her hand. He demanded to be stroked, but she was the one in control now.
Haruki slowly lowered herself before him, dropping to her knees. She neared her face to his length but not quite, and the remaining inch between him and her lips nearly made him growl. Since when had she become such a tease?
She pressed her mouth to his shaft, kissing his girth with a frustrating gentleness. A vision of her gagging on his cock flashed in his mind. That was how he wanted it. Not this slow, stupid torment…
Her lips found the tip of him. She looked up at him with the same wide-eyed innocence as the day he first met her. He gripped the edges of the bed, releasing a low hiss through gritted teeth when she finally took him in her mouth.
She did not take him hard and deep, but the mere sight of her lips wrapped around him and tasting him sent him on edge. Slowly she licked him from down to up, tongue lingering on his head before sucking on him. He seized a fistful of her hair but did not push her, if only to hold on to her while he watched her. Her lips curved while he remained in her mouth, smiling all the way up to her eyes. Finally she came down on him, taking him all in, one inch at a time. She sucked on him hard until his fingers were tight on her nape, guiding her, coaxing her to take him further. God, she’d become so good at this…
And then all at once, the warm wetness of her was gone. His eyes flew open to find her back on her feet.
“Lie down,” she said.
He obliged her with a smirk. As soon as his back hit the bed, the thin mattress of the stretcher bed creaked when she climbed in to join him.
She straddled his torso, still fully clothed and very much ignoring the hardness hitting her back. His hands itched to rip her shirt off, but he kept his arms to his sides. She leaned forward until they were nearly chest to chest and traced a finger over his lower lip.
“I could get used to this,” she murmured. “The view from up here looks nice.”
He tried to bite a finger, failing and making her giggle. “Make the most out of it. I don’t get charitable very often.”
“Maybe I can change your mind,” she mused, fingertips now on his cheekbones. She twined her hand with his and leaned away, only to guide him between her legs. His hand disappeared inside her skirt, her panties already damp to the touch. She softly moaned when he slipped a finger inside her, and his hardness yearned for her with growing haste.
When he brushed his thumb over her clitoris, she bit her lip and shook her head. She pulled his fingers out, licking them clean. She rose to her knees only to tug her panties down until it wrapped around one thigh. His length stiffened with attention when she took hold of it again, the both of them sighing with pleasure when she guided him inside her.
It took all of his control not to seize her buttocks and impale himself hard into her. Entering her hot tightness nearly made him come, and more so when she began to gyrate slowly above him. He lifted her skirt, reveling in the sight of him disappearing inside her with every thrust. She threw her head back, bouncing above him, moaning softly. He slid a hand inside her shirt and up her bra, squeezing her left breast. He’d caressed the same flesh more times than he could count. More than anyone’s, even his own skin. He would miss this, almost.
His free hand returned to the space between her legs, her hips bucking when he rubbed her clitoris. She rocked faster, burying him deeper within her. Her gentle whimpers gave way to raspy breaths, her guttural groans a sweet melody to his ears. He drank in the sight of her lost in ecstasy above him, taking it all in, embedding it into his memory.
Once, there had been nothing to derive from a partner’s pleasure. It had always been about him; his body and nothing else. Since Haruki, his desire could only be stirred from how he could make her weak and trembling. How was it going to be like with someone else from now on? Would it ever be the same?
He sat up, taking her by surprise. She remained straddled on his hips, their faces nearing again. His lips thirsted for the taste of her, but he stopped himself. Kissing had once been a perfunctory tool to make a girl give in, but now it almost felt like a reflex. His body had grown to have such an irrational need for her it was maddening. She’d changed one too many things too quickly. Thank the gods the game was only a semester long. What more if it had been longer? Who knew what kind of man he’d become then?
She stopped moving on him, cupping his face with her small hands as she pensively gazed into his eyes. What was she thinking? Was whatever making her act strange running through her mind now?
She planted her lips on his softly and lightly. He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, deeper inside her. She gasped through the kiss, breaking his control as he finally pinned her down to the bed. She half-squealed, half-laughed, but the mirth quickly dissolved in her eyes only to reflect something darker.
“I thought I called the shots this time?” she asked.
“You are,” he muttered. “Isn’t this how you really want it?”
He gave a single, hard thrust, and her body jolted in response. He squeezed her thighs to part wider for him, allowing him to bury that last inch in. Her back arched in full awakening, and soon she was writhing beneath him as he began to pound ruthlessly into her. He lowered his face near hers once more, if only to hear her cries better. She bit her lip in an attempt to shush herself, but he pried her mouth open with his thumb.
“Let me hear you,” he whispered, his own voice growing hoarse.
“Ryou,” she gasped, grabbing at his shoulders. “Please-”
She cried into his chest and orgasmed, hips shuddering wildly. The force of her tightness overwhelmed him, and with a growl he came with her. He spilled into her, filling her, and contentment seeped all the way to his bones as he collapsed above her.
Her heartbeat was a strong, steady rhythm against his ear as her fingers moved to rake his hair gently. Any other time he would’ve already pushed himself off her, but today he lingered in her warmth, closing his eyes and relaxing. For the last time, he would give in and indulge.
On the nearby table, his phone vibrated. He ignored it and looked at the medicine cabinet from across the bed where the hidden lens was. With a sigh he reluctantly rose, fixing his pants. With his back on hers, he discreetly pressed on the secret button at the bottom of the cabinet to disable the camera in the room.
When he turned around, Haruki was already up on the bed fixing her clothes. Her gaze was on her lap, her fingers fastening her top at a notably slow pace-almost as if she was stalling. It should’ve bought him some time to choose the right words to begin, but his mind remained a blank space. Instead he observed her, wondering more than ever at the mask that had returned to her face. What in the world was going on?
He approached her again, seeking her gaze. She now began tracing small circles on the sheets.
“How well do you know Prof. Mikura?” she asked.
Irritation suddenly flared up inside him. “He’s only a colleague. Why?”
She gave a single shrug, infuriating him further. A dark thought whispered into him, making his hands clench.
“Has he done anything to you?” he demanded, unable to stop the harshness in his voice.
Her forehead creased. “No. Why would you say that?”
He bit the inside of his cheek. “Why were you in his class the other day?”
She opened her mouth, and that one second of hesitation was enough to make his voice drop. “What’s going on with you and Prof. Mikura?”
“Nothing.” Her voice shook. “Do you know about the camera in the library?”
The question stunned him. How the hell did she know about that?
He retained a careful, blank expression despite the confusion brimming in Haruki’s eyes. He expected everything else but this. How long had she known? More importantly, who had tipped her off? Kei? It wouldn’t make sense for his friend to sabotage their own game and put their entire reputation at risk.
“What are you talking about?” he countered. “What does that have to do with him?”
She avoided his gaze again and grabbed a fistful of her skirt. She took a deep breath and swallowed, doing nothing to alleviate his worst fears.
“There was a letter on my doorstep the other day,” she began. “Someone knows about the two of us.”
Something in his chest lurched, but he said nothing. Not yet, until he knew all the details.
“This girl came up to me. I don’t know her name, but she told me about the camera in the library. It was inside a book that was last rented by Prof. Mikura.” Haruki looked up at him again, the fear resurfacing in her eyes. “Did you know about the camera? Did it catch a video of us somehow?”
Shit. A thousand questions raced through his mind, and picking the wrong response would only aggravate the situation twofold.
“Who is this girl you’re talking about?” he quietly asked. “What does she look like?”
“Long, straight black hair. Green eyes,” she supplied. “She’s from this school.”
The description brought no one to mind. It could be anyone, but definitely not a former participant in the game. And yet to have known about the camera…
“She told me I wasn’t the only one, that there have been other girls before me,” she whispered. “What did she mean by that?”
The hurt on her face was almost unbearable to look at. How the fuck was he going to answer that question?
He reached for the side of her face and gently caressed it. He kept his gaze on her soft, luscious lips-anywhere but her eyes. He distracted her the only way he knew how: he kissed her long and passionately, relishing the taste of her until they were both out of breath. When they parted she still looked shaken, but the color finally returned to her cheeks.
“You’re the only one now,” he said, a half-truth he suddenly, almost believed in.
She only nodded, returning her downcast gaze to her lap. He expected as much, but it ate him nonetheless.
“I need to go.” He smoothed out his clothes. I’ll see you around. I’ll call you. Goodbye. None of the other words left his lips, not now when there was a bigger problem to face.
He grabbed his phone and left the room without looking back. The harsh December wind slapped his face when the clinic doors closed after him. He brought the phone to his ear.
“It’s me. We need to talk.”
to be continued