MELODY (Book 1) ✓

Chapter 42 (Wounded)

“God, this looks bad!... All this blood!”

“Shhh. It's okay, sweetie. It's Just a scratch.” Akram soothed as we entered the taxi he'd just stopped.

“Stop it! You're the one injured and you're comforting me?” I glared at him in disbelief.

My heart was beating so hard I'd swear the cab driver could hear it. I bit my lips to keep calm until we arrived home. It was a short drive, but my head was spinning at the sight of Akram's blood dripping down his arm.

To my surprise, Akram bursted into laughter as soon as we left the cab and got out on the sidewalk. The sleeve of his shirt was soaked in blood. He pressed a spot on his left upper-arm and looked amused for some insane reason.

“You're laughing?! Are you crazy?!” I squeaked and covered my mouth.

“I told you I've heard that one before.” Akram continued to laugh, lifting his arm up.

“God! Are you sure you're not in shock?”

“Shock? You should ask the other guy.” Akram winked. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

“Holy cramp! What were you thinking? Trying to get yourself killed?” I asked, skittering next to him to enter the elevator.

“I’ve always wanted to try that move.” Akram pulled his eyebrows together, lifting them up in that cute puppy look.

“That's not even funny! You should've gone to the hospital. God, this is too much blood!” I put my head between my hands. The extensive, gory stain on his shirt was driving me crazy.

“Trust me. It's not as bad as it looks,” Akram tried to assure me. “It's a superficial cut and the bleeding just stopped.”

“Don't you dare play it down to make me feel better,” I warned him, pointing my finger in his face.

His twitching features showed how hilarious he thought this situation was.

“Hey! Mel, I'm okay. I just need a shower to clean it up and you'll see,” he almost cooed as if I were a crying baby.

“How do you know? It could be just the adrenaline and you could be…” I broke off, curling my hands into fists and trying to hold back my stupid tears as the elevator travelled up to the seventh floor.

It's all my fault! All of this is because of me!

“My father's a doctor, remember? I know a few things,” he assured.

My breathing sped up and I crushed my lips while Akram fumbled for the keys with his right hand, his slashed arm resting across his chest.

“Give me the keys,” I commanded, snatched the keys from his hand, and unlocked the apartment door.

We entered and I slammed the door shut and locked it behind us.

Akram stood in the middle of the hallway, watching me with a crooked grin.

“Why didn't we go to the hospital? You could be wrong. You might need stitches, or surgery, or... ”

“You forgot you're afraid of hospitals?” He tilted his head.

He remembers?

I stared at him for a moment, bewildered. “Still... I wouldn't have let you go alone.”

“Really?” Akram's smile softened. His cinnamon eyes twinkled with a breathtaking glow. There was absolutely no time for his irresistible charm at the moment.

“Sweet potatoes! Stop distracting me!” I pressed my temples, and looked around frantically. “You should rest… and… drink lots of fluids. You've lost so much blood.”