Page 37 of Dark Consequences

An awkward moment of silence envelops us. Raphael looks like he’s about to turn and leave, and the stupid part of my heart still alive after years of abuse forces my mouth open.

“Your clothes are different, and your hair is wet,” I observe and take a step closer, grabbing the door handle as I do. Mei has just fallen asleep, and I don’t want our conversation to wake her.

His lips bloom into a small smile as he steps back to give me room to close the bedroom door.

“Follow me.” He heads down the hall, and I follow without question.

Raphael leads me to an outdoor seating area, where the glow of a gas fireplace fills the air with a comforting warmth against the chilly night air.

“Well?”

“Well, what?” He repeats, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say his tone is borderline playful.

“Your clothes and hair. Are you going to answer me?”

“You didn’t ask a question.”

I open my mouth, ready to argue…but pause because he’s right. Raphael meets my glower look with a wink, and now I know he’s being playful on purpose.

“Fine. Why are your clothes different and your hair wet?”

“I took a shower.” He answers like it should have been obvious.

“You took…a shower,” I repeat. “Why?”

Raphael chuckles low, and the vibrating sound reignites that foreign ache in me. “You’re very curious tonight.”

“I’m a doctor. It’s what I do.”

Raphael laughs again and reaches behind him. “I enjoy hearing you say you’re a doctor.”

I do too. It’s a truth I’ve long since buried under years of abusing my license, abusing what medicine stands for. It got to a point where I started to consider myself as someone with a knowledge of medicine, and that’s it. Because I didn’t deserve to carry the title.

Raphael brings his hand back, holding a wrapped box I don’t remember seeing before. He sets it in front of me, and I glance down at the black wrapping paper and cute bright red bow in the corner.

“What is this?”

“What does it look like?” Again with that playful tone.

“A gift.”

“Ding, ding,” he singsongs.

“But Christmas is in a couple of days. Don’t you want to wait?”

“You’re stalling.” He calls me out. “Besides, it’s not really a gift you should open around others.”

I frown and narrow my eyes at his cryptic clue. “Why?”

“Just open it.”

I pull the bow off and playfully stick it to the top of my head. Whoever wrapped it did a wonderful job. The corners are even and tight and better than anything I’ve ever wrapped before. The perfection and attention to detail almost makes me feel guilty about ripping into it, but I’m too curious to wait.

The wrapping paper falls away to reveal a simple white box with a lid. Pulling it off, I find a layer of tissue beneath it. I lift it away to see…

“Is–is that—” I pause because maybe the dark is playing tricks on me. But no…what lies on the tissue is very real. “Is that a...dick in a box?”

18

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