Chapter 4 Dirty
Malcolm walked to the bed, sat down, and said to Danielle with
utmost gentleness. “Feel better? Want some apples?”
Lying in bed. Danielle shook her head. “I still feel a bit sick. I have no appetite.”
Then she turned to the girl standing at the door, saying with a warm smile. “Come in here. Charlotte.”
Watching them. Charlotte slowly walked inside. The atmosphere was eerily quiet, making her palms sweaty. On the contrary, Malcolm seemed so calm and composed as he tucked Danielle in.
Danielle asked softly, “Charlotte, what would you like to eat?”
Charlotte glanced at Danielle and realized perhaps she was the only one who felt uneasy.
So. she tried to be as calm as the two and said softly, “Anything’s fine.”
Danielle smiled and said to Malcolm coquettishly, “Malcolm, wash some grapes, OK? Charlotte loves grapes.”
Malcolm nodded. He pulled his hand away from the edge of Danielle’s blanket and walked over to the kitchenette.
Charlotte still stood motionless after he left. Seeing this, Danielle waved at her with a warm smile. “Charlotte, come over and sit by the bed.”
Day
The two sisters weren’t close, and they had seldom talked to each other even when in the same room, so Charlotte felt very uneasy. But she had always been meek, so she still obediently walked over and sat on the edge of the bed a bit stillly.
Danielle asked. “How’s school going?”
Charlotte instantly tightened her fingers, her eyes turning red. “Fine.” she said
Then she looked down, apparently not exactly wanting to continue the conversation.
As silence crept between them, the caregiver entered the ward. Danielle said to her, “Could you get Charlotte some milk?”
The caregiver said. “OK, Ms. Danielle.”
Then she went to the fridge.
Throughout this whole time, Charlotte remained seated, dropping her head.
She didn’t even look up when taking the glass of milk handed by the caregiver. Unexpectedly, her hand slipped, and the milk spilled all over
her.
The milk was so cold that she sprang to her feet right away. Stunned, Danielle subconsciously looked at the caregiver.
The caregiver immediately apologized, “I’m so sorry, Ms. Charlotte. I wasn’t holding it steady.”
Charlotte waved her hand. “It was my fault. I’ll go clean up.”
Chapter 4 Dirty
With that, she strode toward the kitchenette without waiting for Danielle’s response. Only when she walked to the door did she remember that Malcolm was inside, washing grapes.
She stopped in her tracks, looking at him.
He had unfastened his shirt cuffs and rolled up his black sleeves, revealing his firm, strong forearms. Right now, he was slightly leaning over the sink, washing the grapes meticulously.
Water streamed through his slender fingers as he caressed those glistening grapes. As Charlotte’s gaze fell upon them, the scene where his fingers interlaced tightly with hers while he gasped for breath somehow emerged in her mind.
Almost immediately, her heart started to pound wildly. She was so nervous that even her breath hitched.
Sensing someone at the door, Malcolm looked up and arched an eyebrow at the sight of her. “What’s wrong?”
Pinching the damp spot on her jeans, she replied, her voice barely audible, “I spilled some milk on my jeans.”
Upon seeing the damp spot, he picked up the plate with the grapes and tilted his body. “Come in here and rinse it.”
She walked inside obediently.
Absent–minded, she missed a grape on the floor and stepped on it. Immediately, it burst, and the purple juice stained her white sneaker.
She exclaimed as she leaned forward uncontrollably.
Malcolm, who was just about to turn around, quickly put down the
plate, seized her waist, and pulled her into his embrace.
Her face collided with his chest as her fingers clawed into his shirtfront so hard that the fabric crumpled.
Once again, the familiar wooden scent filled her nostrils.
Both panted heavily. their breaths loud in the small kitchenette.
The washed grapes tumbled to the floor and were dirty once again.
