The doctor walked toward the four people sitting in the hallway. They all stood except Valerie.
“She is fine, but still asleep. There’s no sign of any other wounds apart from the small bruise on her face,” the doctor announced before leaving.
“I’m so glad,” Rhea breathed out.
“I’m leaving. Say hi to Morty for me,” Valerie said as she stood up.
“Thank you,” Vincent replied, but Valerie said nothing and walked out.
“How come she has such high-tech equipment?” Klaus asked.
“Sienna mentioned she graduated from a military high school,” Vincent explained.
They all headed to see Morticia, who was waiting for them.
Klaus clenched his jaw, wondering when Vincent had become soft for handing Jamie over to the police. Using Jamie’s mental state as an excuse to avoid causing a stir only infuriated him more.
Crazy or not, Jamie had hit Morticia, and he deserved to pay for that-he should be gone for good.
But deep down, Klaus knew Vincent was right. This wasn’t some messed-up job like Simon’s.
Still, his anger hadn’t dissipated; it gnawed at his nerves. He wanted Jamie in his domain, to watch him bleed.
His eyes settled on Morticia, still unconscious. He wished he could kiss her forehead and watch her sleep, but the bruise on her face only fueled his rage.
With a frustrated spin, he left the hospital, heading to the gym to unleash his pent-up anger on a punching bag.
Meanwhile, Vincent received a call from the doctor: Nica was awake. He asked Rhea to watch over Morticia and went to visit Nica.
His gaze was blank as he stepped in.
Nica looked nervous. She had seen the news about Jamie being arrested for kidnapping a girl and trying to force himself on her.
Mrs. Hanson had been arrested too.
Though the girl’s identity wasn’t revealed, Nica could roughly guess it was Morticia.
“Vince… I didn’t know,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“How are you feeling?” Vincent cut in, his tone a bit rough.
“Better… How’s Morticia?” she asked, concern etched on her face.
“You don’t need to know,” Vincent replied coldly.
“Vincent, I swear. I had no idea Jamie was like this. I only knew him a little as a kid. He spent most of his life in Chicago. I only got to know him better when he returned last year, and he was good-”
“Fuck, stop. Just stop.” Vincent sighed. “I’m not mad at you… I just hate the way you keep things bottled up. You’re strong, yet you let that man hurt you and did nothing.”
“You won’t understand. It’s not that easy,” she replied, her voice trembling.
Vincent sighed again. “Whatever. Morticia is fine, and I hope you recover soon.”
He turned to leave.
Nica’s gaze lowered, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Please don’t hate me,” she whispered.
It’s been three days since Jamie’s incident. For three days, Morticia has tried her best to pull herself together. The experience still lingers in her mind like a bitter pill.
How could someone so cheerful change so suddenly and turn into a psycho?
Rhea mentioned she experienced the same feelings when she met Jamie.
Her mother, Ava, on the other hand, nearly went crazy when she saw the news. Unlike the media, which didn’t know Morticia was the girl Jamie had abducted, Ava couldn’t be deceived. She spent every chance she got coaxing Morticia, and though it became annoying at times, her comfort helped.
Klaus also visited frequently, checking on her and bringing her favorite ice cream.
Luckily, with fewer classes, Morticia decided to stay home, away from the world, just to regain her sanity.
“Mom, I’m fine,” Morticia said when Ava suggested she go to the hospital. “I’m not hurting anywhere.”
Her gaze remained fixed on the SpongeBob show before her. It felt as if she were being treated like a child. Maybe she should learn how to defend herself; Klaus and her brother wouldn’t always be around.
Vincent descended the stairs with his luggage and hugged Ava. He was leaving for practice and wouldn’t be home for three days for his big show.
“I’m going to miss you so much, my boy,” Ava said, pecking his cheek.
“Innocent demon. Will you be alright?” Vincent ruffled her hair.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” she replied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Call me whenever you need anything, okay?”
“Hm.” Morticia nodded. It had been a while since she had been home alone, and she missed it. Ava was also leaving for work.
“I’m going to miss you, baby girl. Bye, sweetie.” Ava kissed Morticia’s hair gently, and then they both left, locking the door behind them.
After a while, Morticia went upstairs to take a bath. The weather was hot, so she wore a singlet and shorts.
She took a short nap and woke up hungry.
Heading downstairs, she caught a sweet aroma in the air. No one needed to tell her who it was.
Klaus.
“What are you doing here?” she asked at the entrance, folding her arms below her breasts.
Klaus’s eyes flicked toward her, flashing an unreadable gaze. She recalled how slightly exposed she was; well, this wasn’t the first time he had seen her this way.
“What does it look like? You’re too lazy to cook, so I came to help and check on you.”
Morticia quietly went to prepare a chocolate drink for herself.
“How are you feeling?” Klaus asked softly.
“I’m fine,” she replied with a bored expression.
A teasing smile appeared on Klaus’s lips as he leaned against the counter, watching her make her chocolate.
“Barely smiling, huh?” Klaus sighed dramatically. “I guess I’ll have to step in as your personal jester until that smile returns.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Do you still dance? I once saw your moves. Remember?” Klaus reminded her, and Morticia’s eyes widened.
She recalled the funny dance she had done long ago in her room, completely engrossed in her moves, unaware that Klaus was watching from behind. She had been mortified that day.
“Why would you bring that up?” Heat crept onto her face.
“It was legendary,” he whispered. “I can still recall every move. You almost knocked out every single non-living thing in your room.”
Morticia tried to hold back. “You’re the worst.”
Klaus hummed the tune she had danced to that day, and she playfully hit his chest, laughing.
“Stop,” she demanded.
Klaus smiled. “Now that’s more like the Morticia I know.”
Morticia chuckled and cleared her throat. “Well… I feel weak and vulnerable. I want to be strong.”
“You want to learn how to defend yourself,” he said, and she nodded. “I’ll help you then. I’ll teach you some moves, but you better be serious. I’m a strict coach.”
She flashed him a small smile. “Do you want some chocolate?”
“Nah, I’m good,” he said, returning his attention to what he was doing.
“You sure? Because this really tastes good. Hmm…”
Klaus averted his gaze to her and regretted it immediately. She was biting her lip. Was she really that fond of it?
Morticia peeked at him, blinking innocently. “Are you sure you don’t want some chocolate?” She sipped from her cup, locking eyes with him.
He cleared his throat as thoughts crept in but couldn’t look away. Not only were her lips glistening from the chocolate, but he could also see her slightly exposed cleavage.
He missed how those peaches felt in his palm.
“You want some? Just say it… Hmm, I taste so good,” she said, licking her lips.
“Fine, I’m just going to enjoy my-”
Her words were cut short when Klaus held her face and k! ssed her before she could swallow. His tongue slid into her mouth, savoring the taste of chocolate.
He k! ssed her until she was breathless. Then he pulled away, smiling.
“Taste good,” he whispered. Still wanting more, he k! ssed her again, and this time she responded, igniting a fire within him.
Their lips moved in sync, breaths mingling. Gosh, he missed her lips. She was getting so good at using them. He wanted to teach her on how to use them more-
They parted, both trying to catch their breath.
Morticia’s gaze dropped to what poked her tummy during the kiss.
“Wha-is that a banana in your pocket?” Her gaze dropped to the bulge between his legs.
It was then Klaus realized he was hard, his length straining against his boxers. Did she just call his monster a banana?
A naughty smile crept across his face at her innocence.
He moved closer, trapping her against the wall. “Yeah. Would you like to eat it up?” His eyes drifted to her chest, lingering on her hardened n! pples.
“I wouldn’t mind.”
Her answer shocked him, and before he knew it, she reached out to touch it…
Klaus’s eyes widened. His whole body tensed.
She suddenly pulled her hand away with wide eyes, stuttering and pointing towards it.
“T… the… banana just… moved…”