Page 39 of Origins
It was then that I noticed that Julian had turned away while I was removing my clothing.
His consideration was cute, and pulled me away from my dark thoughts. A medical school student, and still so shy. I couldn’t imagine why, I was probably the least intimidating patient that he might ever see.
But how to break the tension? I liked this gentlemanly side to him. “Okay…”
He turned around, blushing. But his face fell once his eyes landed on me.
Well, that was disheartening.
I didn’t know what I had been expecting—but not this. I didn’t have the most impressive cleavage, or even a womanly shape. So I hadn’t thought he’d fall down at my feet and worship me as some sort of sex goddess. But him paling in horror wasn’t inspiring to my self-confidence.
“Julian?”
“Bianca,” Julian closed the short distance between us, and his face contorted into a mask of professional concern. “Why didn’t you say it was this bad?”
I had no idea what he was talking about, I hadn’t looked at myself. And at the moment, I couldn’t look away from him.
His fingers trailed over my arm for a moment, his gaze calculating, before he pulled out his phone and typed something. Once done, he put his phone away and refocused his attention back to me. “Where’s the kitchen.”
In that moment, he seemed like a completely different person.
“Oh,” the question surprised me. I began to stand, intent on showing him the way. But he pushed his hand against my chest, forcing me back into my seat.
“I’ll be able to figure out what I need myself.” His tone allowed no argument. “Just tell me which way to go, and I’ll take it from there. You sit here and wait.”
I blinked at him stupidly. It wasn’t as if I was a fragile doll. But I pointed in the correct direction anyway—I didn’t want another argument. He was gone at once, ordering me to not move as he retreated.
After he left, I looked at myself in the mirror to see what he was so concerned about. It was almost scary to wonder what might have a doctor-in-training looking so disturbed. Of course, he was probably overreacting.
But then I saw the masses of bright red against the skin of my arm. It looked like a mixture of bruises and burns, but felt like neither. I didn’t know what it was, or how it happened, but it was jarring enough that spots began to dance in the corner of my vision.
Why wasn’t I in pain? Clearly I was dying. Perhaps I was in shock, or maybe my nerve endings had been destroyed. Should I go to the hospital…?
No, I’d rather not do that either.
Whatever had happened, all I knew was that I suddenly didn’t feel well. My stomach lurched and I curled forward, trying not to be sick. It was both hot and cold at once, and I knew that something terrible was going to happen.
All that expensive, delicious Italian food. Those wonderful breadsticks. The tiramisu. I could not have eaten them for naught. I hadn’t even drank any alcohol! Why was I being punished?
“Bianca,” Julian was back.
“Bianca, it’s alright.” His hand felt cool against my neck. Soothing. I opened my eyes—he was kneeling in front of me, various ice packs and towels piled at his side. “Damen is coming to help. He’ll be here soon.”
“Damen?” I could only look at him, confused. “I thought you were the one in medical school. To be adoctor. Damen is a psychologist.”
“Psychologists can hold doctorates.” His eyes drifted over my arm again. “But you are correct—I am in medical school. Technically I could treat…this. But Damen has experience with this type of injury.”
That didn’t clear up a thing. “What kind of injuries?”
He didn’t answer as he helped me to lie on my back, before packing in towels and ice-packs between my arm and the back of the couch. It was cold, and goosebumps erupted over my skin. It dawned on me that I was wearing a tank-top, and I prayed that my nipples would behave.
What a day not to wear a bra.
But he still hadn’t answered my question. “Bruises?” I prompted.
“Yes, bruises,” Julian didn’t seem to be fixated on my chest, so perhaps I was safe. Instead, he focused completely on his task.
And he also didn’t sound very convincing—I hadn’t missed the slight pause before he said the word. “But…”
