14 Chapter 12

Not a sound was made aside from her shoes and the electronics around her. She'd searched his usual spots but couldn't find him. Worry clenched around her heart. He'd never sent such a message before.

Something must've happened to him. The sound of broken glass alarmed her. Rushing over to the window, Remi was down below. A stack of already crack plates and glasses stood beside him. He grabbed a plate and tossed it at the wall. Her feet rushed down the spiral stairs, she kept wiping her sweaty palms in her pants and a stinging pain from her bottom lip as she bit it.

The glass patio door swung open. He leant down to pick up a wine glass. One toss in the air then he threw it was such a force at the wall. Cracks had formed in the wall. The paint was already chipping off. She stood a distance away from him. She'd never seen such an anger. He was an emotive man. That much she knew. Yet patience had always been his biggest virtue. He'd been patient and calm with her when she struggled to hold herself. There was a peace within him that she'd always envied. A type of peace that gave her serenity when she was in his arms. He didn't let anything bother him.

She'd visited him once at his hospital and watched a patient go on a racist tirade against him. He did nothing against the man. He didn't yell, he didn't get angry, he didn't try and prove him wrong. He kept calm, looked at the man with pity in his eyes and still saved him. It was then she knew how lucky she was to have such a man like that in her life. Her complaints and rants were nothing compared to dealing with strangers in a hospital. So what could've hurt him like this? What could've brought a patient man to his wits end? She'd taken a chair and sat behind him.

Roughly ten minutes after she'd settled down, the smashing stopped. He was on his knees. Her arms found themselves around his chest. Tear drops streaked her hands. His back leaned against her chest. She held him.

**

Some people were blessed with hair, she thought to herself. He sat between her knees just ranting. His white afro had been separated into four different sections. She'd started in the bottom right section. Separating that section into smaller sections, she'd oiled and sprayed his hair while they watched his show. They hadn't spoken about his breakdown earlier. She didn't know how to start.

He had a lot on his plate and she could see it. Yet he wouldn't say anything. He'd cried for a while. Muttering random sentences in Arabic. She'd held him through it. She sat in his room and waited while he bathed. He came out refreshed and feeling much better though the redness in his eyes remained. Quietly, he asked her to help him with his hair. She happily complied.

"I want a new tattoo." He said once the show went on an ad break.

"To please the mental breakdown gods?" She took a comb and separated the top section of his hair.

"Yes." His shoulders sagged as leaned back. He looked up at her. Under his hair was where she could properly see the border where his vitiligo ended. He had it on top of his scalp where his hair was. There were patches of brown amidst the vast white. It was there that he dyed his hair white to match the rest of it. Including his eyebrows. It matched his eyes.

"Piercings would suit you." His coils bounced after she combed the water concoction through it. It was at times like this when she'd see his mother's Asian features on him. He had upturned phoenix eyes, small yet thick pouted lips, soft edged heart face and his still childish features. His teen face didn't match his adult body. She didn't mind. She still had her baby face too. It made them look cute together.

"One more piercing and my ears will fall off. Maybe my tongue." He stuck out his tongue.

"I would never kiss you again." She tied the finished section with a hair ribbon.

"How about my nose?"

"Like a cow?" He laughed. A sweet genuine laugh which always brought goosebumps in her head. Giddiness bubbled up within her. She made him laugh. She add it to her list of achievements for the week. They'd continued on with random topic flowing into random topic. Eventually he remembered that she was on set earlier and asked about it. She started off with the general details but stopped short of telling him about the dodgy soldier. After his breakdown she wasn't sure telling him about what happened was a good idea. He'd all but supported her investigation. Helping wherever he could but it didn't mean he condoned it. And she didn't want to stress him anymore.

Another day. She'd tell him another day but not too far that something happens and he gets angry regardless.