| Fan Fiction |
by Simcon
Charmaine paced the waiting area, looking up from time to time at the clock on the wall. Joe had been in there for some time now and she wanted someone to tell her that he was going to be alright. When the paramedics came, Joe remained unconscious. She knew that the doctors were doing everything they can to stop the bleeding. She walked up to the emergency room door and peered through the glass. She couldn’t see anything at all. She fidgeted with her hands as she went back to the bench.
Raymond, who was standing down the hall, saw the strain on her face and walked over to her, “Are you okay?” he asked.
Charmaine turned wide frightened eyes on him, “I’m worried about Joe.”
Raymond felt his heart tighten at her concern for Joe. Pushing the feeling aside, he took her hands in his, “He’ll be fine.”
“I hope so,” she said quietly.
“He will be,” Raymond assured as he sat down next to her. “Right now I’m worried about you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Charmaine nodded and removed her hands from his. The scene of Raymond getting cut replayed in her head and she shuddered. When he got cut, it felt as if she was the one who got hurt. At that precise moment, she knew that she still loved him and didn’t want anything to happen to him. But can she forgive him for his past deeds? She didn’t know what to think or do right now. The frustration of loving him so much and yet unwilling to forget his betrayal caused her to cry out softly. The tears flowed freely down her face and she wiped at them.
Raymond mistook her tears for tears of worry and love for Joe. It tore him apart learning that she had gotten over him. Crushed, he hugged her to him, placing a kiss on the top of her head. He thought she would push him away but she didn’t. Instead she leaned on him and closed her eyes. Gently, he rubbed her arms letting her know that he was here for her. When her sobbing had quiet down, he looked down at her. “Feeling better?”
Charmaine tilted her head back and their eyes held. “Yes,” she whispered, painfully aware of their closeness.
Raymond bent his head lower and gently brushed his lips with hers. The touch of his lips on hers sent tingles through his body.
Charmaine was jolted by the simple kiss. It had always been that way for them. Their attraction towards each other was something that neither denied or could get enough of. Charmaine pulled back, her feelings for him clearly written on her face.
Raymond saw the tenderness on her face and said, “Give me another chance.”
Charmaine searched his face debating on whether to take that chance. She was afraid to and yet she loved him. She looked into his eyes and they spoke of regret and love. She lifted her hand to caress his face and was about to say ‘yes’ when the doctor came out.
“Excuse me,” the doctor said as he looked from Raymond to Charmaine. “The patient is going to be fine. He lost a lot of blood and there were many deep cuts all over his body. But overall, he will be back to normal in a few days. He’s awake now and wants to see you,” he said the last to Charmaine.
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Michael answered his cell phone with a curt “Yes.” His face was hard and his tone was full of anger. After a few minutes speaking quietly into the phone, he flipped the phone shut. He turned to Ron and motioned for him to follow. Outside the terrace at Jessica’s apartment, he looked Ron in the eye. “We found the leader of the attackers.”
Ron grabbed eagerly onto Michael’s arm, “Who is it? Why do they want to put a hit on us?”
Michael shook his head, “Not us. Joe.”
Ron looked curiously at Michael, “Why Joe?”
Michael took out a cigarette and lit it. After taking a drag, he said, “We weren’t supposed to be involved. The attackers got their schedule mixed up.”
Ron was confused and said so, “I don’t get it.”
Michael stubbed out his cigarette and informed Ron, “Joe planned the attack. He set the entire thing up.”
Ron was flabbergasted and anxiously asked, “Why? Why would he do something like that? Why would he hurt himself?”
Michael laughed bitterly and replied, “It’s to gain sympathy points with Charmaine. He set the whole thing up to see how much Charmaine feels for him.”
“What?” Ron shrieked, his surprise turning to fury. “We could have all gotten seriously hurt! Not to mention the girls. They’ll probably be having nightmares for weeks.”
Michael was just as angry as Ron. He recalled the terror in Jessica’s face and it was something he never wanted to see again. “I’m going to have a talk with him when he recovers.”
Ron snickered then, “Recover? Recover from what? It’s all an act remember. That bastard has been playing games with us from day one. We can’t let him get away with it anymore.”
“We won’t,” he said. “But Joe will do anything to get what he wants. To win him, we must plan our move with extreme care. I can’t believe he went this far for a woman.”
“Raymond would blow up if he found out,” Ron said.
Michael looked at Ron thoughtfully, “Tell me the truth, is something going on between Raymond and Charmaine?”
“N-Not that I know of,” Ron lied. “You know how Raymond is. He loves to flirt with pretty women.”
Michael didn’t say a word but continued to look at Ron. “I have a feeling that Joe thinks that there’s something going on between them.”