Personal Matters

His gaze simply remained on her, holding her gaze evenly as though he could see the thoughts that were racing across Amelia's mind. Slowly, she peeked at him through the curtain of her hair, a bold streak running through her head.

She stood up a little straighter, and without even looking in Caleb's direction, she took hold of Matteo's hands. His body warmth immediately seeped through into her skin, and she resisted a gasp when she raised her gaze, only to realize he was already intensely staring down at her. 

All at once, Amelia suddenly felt increasingly insecure about herself― she was dressed in a dirty, ruined uniform, while his clothes were pristinely pressed and neat. Even from this short distance away, she could smell the faint scent of his cologne, not overpowering, but still alluring.

Matteo didn't allow her the luxury of time to get used to the strange sensation that overwhelmed her. Instead, a second after their hands connected, he tugged her out of the room where Caleb and his friends remained, all stunned silly as they watched the two leave.

"Did Matteo Montgomery just steal your wife?" Caleb's friend, Benji, asked, a hint of mockery tuned in his voice.

Caleb glared in the direction where Amelia and Matteo had disappeared. The glass in his hands cracked under pressure, and eventually, it shattered, causing the scent of blood to reemerge in the room.

"Like he'll want my leftovers," Caleb declared with gritted teeth. "That woman must have seduced him." 

Outside, Matteo had tugged a rather befuddled Amelia down the hallways and into the backrooms. He entered a section where Amelia had been reminded numerous times to never go to― the owner's office. When he pushed open the door, the scent of sage quickly filled her nose, and she wrinkled it a little.

"Sit," he ordered, gesturing to the couch that was placed against the wall, and Amelia dutifully followed like an obedient pet.

Once she was settled down, he disappeared behind another set of doors, returning only a few short moments later with a small basin of water. Amelia immediately sat up straight in surprise, prepared to get up to her feet, only to be pressed back down into her seat.

"Stay put," Matteo sternly said, and Amelia bit down on her tongue. She didn't appreciate being ordered around like a dog, but that thought immediately brought back memories of what Caleb had said about her. Her expression instantly darkened.

The hiss of pain that slipped past her lips was what eventually brought her out of her reverie. Matteo had now kneeled down right beside Amelia, her injured hand in his.

As hardened as his expression was, his movements were strangely gentle. He scooped water from the small basin of water and washed the blood off of her fingertips. Then, once they were clean, he reached for a clean napkin to dry it off before reaching for some medication.

Amelia's brain felt as though it had been short-circuited as she stared at the man. Her boss― no, scratch that. Her boss's boss was now on his knees, tending to her injuries as though he was a knight in shining armor. Not just that, he had also yanked her free from a nightmare.

She seriously wondered if she was actually still dreaming.

"Done," he said, raising his gaze to meet her eyes. Amelia thought she caught a look of pity in his blue irises, but they returned to the original frosty state as quickly as it came. "Keep it clean and it should heal soon. It's not a deep cut."

"T-Thank you," Amelia said, her voice breathy as she held her freshly bandaged hand close to her chest. "I should be going now."

"Go where?" Matteo asked, standing to his full height, the basin of bloodied water in his hands. Amelia's eyes followed the droplets of water as they trailed down his toned arms before dripping onto the carpeted floor.

"Home, of course," she said. She immediately dipped her head. "Although, I completely understand that the work shift hasn't ended. With what happened for today, it would be more than reasonable that this shift isn't counted into my payroll―"

"You can't seriously be considering returning," Matteo said, and for a moment, Amelia wondered if he meant her job. He then continued, "That man will only hurt you."

'Pinch me,' she thought. 'I must be dreaming.'

After all, the events of tonight certainly felt like one. It was filled with the most unbelievable sequences that she never thought would've ever happened. If it weren't for the dull, throbbing pain of her injuries, she wouldn't even be surprised to wake up in her bed at any moment now.

"With all due respect, Mr. Montgomery, this is my personal matter," Amelia said, desperately trying to keep her tone even. "I appreciate your help and concern, but I can handle this."

Then, as though the universe was all too determined to prove her wrong, Amelia's phone vibrated with a new notification. She pulled it from her pockets, with Caleb's name filled with hearts flashing across her lock screen.

His message was simple. 'Where are you?'

A moment of silence filled the room. Amelia had no doubt Matteo managed to catch a sneak of her text message, with how he was looming over her, and she wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Both of them knew very well that Caleb's message was not out of love.

"If you have no place to stay, you can come over to my place," Matteo said, and for a moment, Amelia thought that she had popped a blood vessel just now in her fit of anger, resulting in a hearing problem.

"Excuse me?" Amelia said, trying her best to keep her jaw from falling open.

Maybe the alcohol had seeped into her veins through her injuries — if that even was possible — or maybe she really had gone insane with grief. Either way, the dark lighting in the room made Amelia see a layer of red covering Matteo's cheeks. Once she blinked, though, it went away.

"It is only until you have your matters settled," Matteo said, his voice sounding a little strained.

"Thank you for your offer, Mr. Montgomery, but I can settle this," Amelia replied, trying her best to ignore the thundering of her heart.

"Then allow me to send you back, at least," Matteo said. He looked out the window, and Amelia's gaze followed. It was pouring outside, the rain as heavy as Amelia's heart.

Seeing no reason to turn down his generous offer, Amelia agreed.

Matteo dropped her off at her apartment building― she dashed out right after the car stopped, only tossing a hasty 'thank you' once more before running through the rain and into shelter. She didn't even notice the gaze that trailed after her up until the moment she disappeared into the lift.

The moment she stood in front of her apartment door, she was already drenched from head to toe.

Amelia took a deep breath before she twisted the handle of the door, just in time to see Caleb sitting on the couch, a small stack of papers placed on the coffee table in front of him. When he heard her enter, he turned, and their gazes met.