“Oh my God!” I exclaimed, laughter bubbling from my throat as I ran towards her and gave her a hug so tight my arms started to hurt.
“Oof. Dear, I’m happy for you too but if you keep up that hug, I’m gonna disappear into thin air!”
Giggling, I loosened my arms around her, bringing up a hand to wipe the tears fast falling from my eyes, “Sorry.” I sniffed, “Can I go see him now?”
“Nothing is stopping you now, darling.”
The words had barely left her mouth before I left the office and bounded towards the room where my brother was. I didn’t even waste any second more. And immediately I pushed the door open, the first thing I saw was his clean, smooth face. And his smile. Bright. Happy. Carefree. Just like he used to be when our parents were still around.
And I just… I just couldn’t help it. I started crying like a baby.
“Oh my God, Freddie!”
His smile grew even wider, showing his missing tooth and that observation made me laugh and cry harder. Before I knew it, I was beside his bed, my arms around him, squeezing him like the muffin I surely knew that he was.
I didn’t know whether I should laugh or cry at this moment. Neither could I keep track of the emotions wracking through me at the sight of my brother, all happy and alive again. Looking like the ten-year-old he really was. Not the ancient grandpa that horrible sickness made him look like.
“Why are you crying, silly?” I nudged him lightly on the shoulder as I saw the tears of joy in his eyes, raising a hand to wipe those bothersome ones off my eyes as I laughed again. Goodness, I had become a full-blown water pipe.
“Where is he?” Freddie asked, raising his head to look towards the door.
“Who?” I sniffed and turned around, my forehead furrowing.
“That man. The one who helped us.”
Oh.
Frank.
He’s asking for Frank.
I laughed, my expression becoming strained, shrugging in a way that I hoped came off as nonchalant, “I don’t know. I think he’s busy with his work.”
“Really?” Freddie pouted, his shoulders slumping.
“Oh don’t be sad. Come, give me another hug.”
I put my arms around Freddie, hugging him with all the warmth, love and joy overflowing my heart at that moment. But even as I stayed with him and gave him everything I could, my mind couldn’t go past that moment when he asked ‘Where is he?’
Maybe it was because of the innocent expectation with which he asked. Or it could be because he just reminded me how dependent we’d all become on Frank. Or maybe it was because I’d been asking that same question for the past three days with no response whatsoever.
But the point was, I couldn’t forget those words, “Where is he?”
Within an hour, I concluded my visit to Freddie and the nurse assured me that after one more day, he’d be good to go.
Within the time it took to get back to the house, all I could think of was Frank. His face. His voice. His lips. His touch. And how much I missed him. I wondered what it was exactly that I did. Did he perceive my growing feelings for him? Did that make him uncomfortable? Was that why he suddenly left the house… right after we kissed?
What did I do wrong?
The thoughts buzzed and flittered through my head, heralding me as I walked towards the front door and opened it. I didn’t even raise my head. And maybe that was why I didn’t see him.
But with a jolt, I stopped moving, my hand freezing on the door knob as I felt… something. A kind of sensation trickling down my back.
“Crystal…”
His voice – that same one that I’d spent the last three days and nights longing for – washed over me like cool water after a sunburn, causing me to turn around instantly.
“Frank!” Mine was more of a breathed exclamation as my voice seized and my throat felt clogged. He was standing in front of me. Right here.
He looked exhausted, his hair in a spiky mess around his head and his eyes scrunched like he hadn’t had a good sleep in days. He smiled, briefly, walking towards me, an intense look on his face.
“I… I missed you.”
Did he just say he… missed me?
“You did?”
“I didn’t know why I ever… thought I could stay away from you.” His voice was heavy, his expression tight, filled with unsaid emotions. He was in front of me now, his hand on my cheek, cradling my face as he looked deep into my eyes. “I’m the fool here, Crystal. These three days have been nothing but hell and…” He paused, inhaling deeply as he began to lower his head towards mine.
“Then why did you go away?” I whispered, our lips barely inches apart.
“Because I thought I could run.”
I wanted to ask what he meant by that. But then our lips touched and all thoughts flew away.
He put his arms around me, pressing my body against his as our mouths engaged in a kiss that made me see the stars. I gasped, desperate to be even closer to him. The past three days have left me with a yearning so acute it almost felt like physical pain. My body, heart and soul burned for him and knowing that I wasn’t alone, knowing that he felt this way too, just made that fire blow even brighter.
“I… want… you.” He whispered amid nibbles and kisses.
Without missing a beat, I swung my arms around his neck, letting him know without words that I shared the sentiment. And within seconds, he had me in his arms, our lips connected as we shuffled towards… somewhere. As soon as he fiddled with a door and swung it open, I realized we were in his bedroom.
I’d never been in here before. But that was a thought for another time.
“Oh…” I groaned as he moved his kisses downward, discarding my clothes as his hot mouth sucked my flesh.
“You are
