Chapter Twenty Six

"How could you be so dumb to let yourself get injured? It doesn't seem to me like you love yourself at all. See how the innocent fingers are bleeding all because of your carelessness,"Joyce nagged as she treated her boss's wound, but refused to spare him a glance. She should just help with the injury, reveal the truth to his parents and leave his life for good.

She had some savings from the salary she had earned. Maybe she would just set up her own hair salon. She had learnt the work even before she got admission into the university and she was quite good at it. In fact, very good.

But, she had to admit that it would be so hard to forget her boss. She had thought it would be easy not until she saw him now. All the feelings she thought she had buried in her heart resurrected at his sight and even became stronger. She was still head over heels in love with her boss. And that's why she couldn't look him in the eyes now,afraid of what she would see there.

She would be lying to herself if she said she didn't know how her boss felt for her. The man even confessed that he loved her, but she had acted as if she did not care a bit when all parts of her were screaming in jubilation.

What was holding her back? Why was she not giving in to these feelings and let herself be loved?

I don't want to be tagged as a gold digger,she thought.

She might have thought being in a relationship with her boss was normal, but what would other people think? Since when did she start caring about what people think? That was so unlike Joyce.

"Joyce?" James called as she started covering his fingers with bandage. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He really wished for her to look at him. The way her touch sent shivers down his spine before transporting all over his body was unnerving. He wanted her. No, he needed her in his life.

Why was she running away from him? He really wished she could just come to him and allow him to face everything with her.

He did not dispute the fact that they were from different worlds, but that didn't matter to him. He just wanted to wake up every morning and see her beside him. He wanted to do everything with and for her alone. He wanted no one else.

But, what was she doing in his mother's house?

"Yeah?" Joyce answered as she cut a plaster and use it to pin the bandage in place on his hand. After that, she got herself busy by putting all the items back in the box. Anything to avoid meeting his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" James inquired and he was serious about it. He knew Joyce too well. She would not just come for a visit without any intention, especially when his parents were being deceived. She wouldn't risk that.

"To tell your parents everything," she blurted, not beating around the bush. And he knew she was telling the truth. That was her main reason for visiting. She just didn't expect him to be there. As a distraction, she carried the first aid box, after using the tap on the sink to rinse his blood in the basin, and looked around to find its space.

She found it, but it was on a high cabinet in the kitchen. Well, anything to get away from him. So, she dashed to the place and stood on her toes to reach the place but failed. "Come on, babe. You and I know I'm tall," she said referring to the cabinet.

A giggle emerged from him and he walked closer to her and halted just behind her back. "Babe? You're referring to the cabinet as a babe? You're even talking to an inanimate object. You're so cute," he whispered in her left ear as he rested his hands on each shoulder and drew it downward in a caress to where she was holding the box to her chest. "I really wish to be that box right now," he seduced.

His breath was hot against her ears and she started shivering. She couldn't talk. Her brain was telling her to get away from him but she couldn't. She could only stand and enjoy his touch.

James brought out his tongue and traced her ear line with it. He smiled mischievously as she felt her snuggled closer to him.

He paused and collected the box from her and put it in its place. Then, he turned her around to face him and finally, for the first time since she arrived, she looked at him and he could tell what was going on in her mind. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He could tell from her breathing and those eyes spoke volumes.

"Joyce, I —," he formed words in his mind, but to let them out was the problem. He searched his eyes for anything and all he could see was blank emotions. He couldn't place a finger on what she was feeling at that moment.

Joyce said nothing nor urge him to talk. She was only staring at him as if he was a treasure she was giving up on and would terribly miss. Well, that was true.

James sighed and muster up his courage. He had to say something if he truly did not want to lose her. "First of all, I admit that I am the cause of all this," he began and that statement seemed to have found Joyce her long lost voice because she cut in before he could utter any more words.

"Yes, you are," Joyce put in. It was all his fault. Yes, everything was his fault. He wanted to take the blame, isn't it? So, she would help him with that.

James nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know. I admit this is all my fault. And I am so sorry. I was wrong to have told you to pretend as my girlfriend —"

She cut in,"Yes, you are."

Thinking she was being serious, James nodded again. "I really don't know what to say or do to make you forgive me," he continued.

"No, you —,"Joyce was about to cut in again when James hindered that.

"Joyce, can you just be serious for once? I am damn serious about this, babe. I feel like I'm about to lose you and I don't want that to happen, so please," James pleaded.

"You wanted to take all the blame, right? So, I'm helping you. See, James, you're not at fault here. I understand you. You wanted to please your parents. You wanted to make them happy." Tears brimmed to the surface of her eyes. "I am the only one at fault because I should not have fallen for you when I knew clearly that it was all a plan. I shouldn't have allowed myself to love you so much that.... that....," she stuttered in tears.

He didn't let her finish the rest of her words before gathering her into his arms in a warm embrace. He stroked her back as she sobbed onto his shirt.

" I love you so much, James,"she cried but her voice was barely audible as her mouth was resting on his chest.

But he heard her. " I love you so much, too, "James professed. He created a space between them by pulling her out of him with a hand on her shoulder and the other on one side of her cheek. He searched her eyes as she looked up at him and smiled at what he said. "So, darling, let's make this real. Let us make the lies true. I really don't want to lose you. You don't need to tell my mum anything," James pleaded.