Take Me Away novel Chapter 13

Fiona didn’t know how she got out of his embrace, and if she’d even blushed or struggled. She only knew that when she finally composed herself, she stood by the basin in the bathroom, about to wash her hands.

As she breathed in, Spencer’s smell, a somehow comforting mix of rain and smoke seemed to linger.

Along with the unmistakable tension that filled the room was a sweet, if not subtle tenderness. And yet, it was horrible for a man and a woman to be alone together. Fiona resolved to not come here next week.

Fiona took a deep breath as she felt her face flush. As she walked silently out of the bathroom, she heard a contented sigh from the living room. She found Spencer in an unorthodox position.

He lay down on the sofa, but was too tall that one of his legs dangled out and rested against the floor instead. Despite this, he slept soundly.

He’d fallen asleep in just a few minutes. He must be exhausted.

Fiona quietly approached him and took notice of his slight frown and undisguised fatigue. She wondered if she should wake him up.

"What are you looking at? Do you think I’m handsome?" As he spoke in a hoarse voice, Spencer opened his eyes.

Fiona, startled, stepped back in surprise. "You weren’t asleep?"

"I was." He sat. "I woke up when I heard your footsteps." He always stayed alert.

Fiona was a little embarrassed. She noted to herself that keeping any kind of secret from him in the future would be unwise.

"Breakfast is served. Do you want to have some first?" she asked after a pause.

"Yes." Spencer smiled at her.

"Then have some breakfast, take a shower and go to bed. You’ll feel more comfortable."

She stared back with confusion as she saw Spencer's burning eyes boring into her. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you think you're a bit too chatty?"

"I..." Fiona opened her mouth, but closed it again before saying anything. She turned around and walked to the table. "It's time for breakfast."

Spencer looked back at her as she did so, and put a hand in his pocket. ‘Fiona, don't you think you look like a wife who was waiting for her husband to come home?’ he thought.

"We’ll go back downtown first thing tomorrow morning," he said in between eating.

"Okay." Fiona nodded. "By the way, I don't need to come here next week, right?"

He stopped eating. "No, you don't," he replied.

'Great!'

Fiona smiled.

"Hide your smile a little, won’t you?" Spencer stared at the food in front him, not even daring to cast a glance.

The smile on her face disappeared. "I'm happy. Aren't you happy? You don't have to see me. You should be happy. At least now, no one is going to interrupt your training or lurk around."

"Yes, I am happy," he murmured, paused for a second, and stood up. "I'm full. I'm going to take a shower."

"Wait a minute!" Fiona stopped him. "Does this mean I can go back and sleep in my room now?"

"We’ll be leaving tomorrow. Won’t it be me more troublesome for you?" He frowned.

"I haven't hung up the curtain yet. You know, I wonder how I can sleep at night like that."

"Women are trouble." He glanced at her impatiently and then strode towards her bedroom.

She stared at his back for a few seconds before realizing what he was doing. She quickly pushed the door open and found him stepping on the chair, curtain on hand.

"Be careful!" Fiona shouted.

"Do you think everyone is as clumsy as you?" Due to his stature, he was able to easily draw the curtain. "This is the first time I’ve done this, Fiona."

"Thank you very much, Spencer."

"Thank me more sincerely." He jumped off the chair and drew the curtain to make sure that it wouldn’t fall down again. In a sarcastic tone, he remarked, "How hard did you pull the curtain down? Seems like you bore a grudge against it!"

"I don't know."

"I hope you’re aware that you are nothing but trouble." Spencer turned around and walked out of the room silently. "I'm going to shower.

Don't peep at me." Fiona didn't know how to retort. ‘How can a 26-year-old man be so childish?’

After showering, Spencer felt a burning pain on his left shoulder. He looked in the mirror and saw a large scratch on his back. He had gotten injured but didn’t bandage the wound. As such, the gash began to sting as water ran along.

Fiona drew the pictures, having forgotten that Spencer was still there.

Bang!

A loud noise echoed across the living room. Fiona’s eyes widened with shock, and she ran out with her sketchpad to check. "What’s wrong?"

She saw Spencer standing in front of the mirror as he held a cotton stick and clumsily wiped the blood on his back.

Beside his feet was a stool that had been kicked over and a medicine box whose contents were scattered all over the floor.

"What are you doing? Wouldn’t you rather go the infirmary so they could treat your wound properly?" Fiona asked in a disapproving tone.

"It's none of your business," he snapped at her. He felt her eyes pierce through him, as if she was looking down upon him like an idiot.