The Perfect Machine: Kingdom Of Glass (GxG

28. I was a flaw

The bright sun peeking through the curtains wakes me up. I push myself up in the chair and rub the tiredness away from my eyes. River is still so far away and I feel a bit of disappointment in my chest. There is just something about her that brings this warmth. As if she were the sun that had been missing to reach me all this time.

We had to change her blood transfusion a few times during the night. Each time Arthur did that, I went outside to be certain nobody was near. There was nothing, luckily. Mary and Harry were sleeping in the lounge. I can't believe I have put more people at risk now. A little boy, as well. I can't have all of this on my conscience. It's too much to bear.

The smell of fresh coffee from downstairs pulls me down.

"Morning," Arthur says as he looks as worn out as I feel. The sacks underneath his eyes and the battle of him keeping his eyes open are painful to watch. He tastes his coffee, and not long after, a long yawn gets away from his mouth.

"Coffee?" He mumbles, and I nod. He finds me a cup and pours.

"Thank you," I smile, and just the smell alone is enough to wake me up. I take a sip and almost spit it out of how strong the flavour is.

"Can I ask you something?" Arthur asks and I nod as another taste of the coffee goes straight to my head.

"How come you have emotions?" He asks, seeming amazed and confused.

"Why?" I wonder.

"Well, Noah, he didn't. He was like a robot when he came back," He says sadly.

"How do you know Noah?" I ask, and a sad look appears in his eyes.

"He is my son," He says.

"Or was, at least, I don't know where he went or if he is even alive," Arthur sighs, and my eyes open wide. I didn't expect him to say that.

"I'm sorry, "I tell him.

"I was a flaw," I answer him, peering down at the floor.

"I was a mistake," I look him in the eye now, and he nods lightly.

"I tried everything to make him normal again, but I just didn't have the resources to do it," Arthur explains to me as he rubs his chin.

"I can see you also have the same curse as he had," He stares at the veins in my neck, and I nod slightly.

"Okay," He puts his cup of coffee on the counter.

"I am going to look at the patient upstairs," He smiles at me and steps out of the kitchen. I keep holding onto the warm cup of coffee as I stare out the window—the sun shining brightly as usual and the sky with no clouds in sight.

"Good morning," Mary says, taking me out of my thoughts. She pours herself a cup of coffee and takes a sip. She spits it out, and I take a step back to avoid it.

"I keep forgetting that he does that," She groans and puts the cup on the counter, dying her mouth with a grimace.

"How can you drink that?" Mary asks as she takes a tablecloth to clean the floor.

"At this very moment, I could just eat the coffee beans," I joke and a laugh escapes her.

"How is she?" She asks.

"The same," I shrug.

"Give her time," She smiles as she rests her hand on my arm. I nod lightly to her as I stare back outside.

"And please get some rest," She looks me deep in the eyes now.

"I will later. I am just going to make sure no one is out there," I tell her.

It took me very nearly four hours outside to ensure no one was around. I additionally made a safeguard around the house in case someone will arrive. I discovered some old metal plates in an old shed behind the house. I pounded them set up on the patio to make some insurance. Ideally, I hope we do not need it. I even left the vehicle close to the back door so we have a quick getaway.

"Harlow, I think you need a shower," Harry whines as he remains close to me in the yard, holding his nose. I roll my eyes, feeling the sweat pouring down my back and my face.

"I will," I smile at him, taking off my wet shirt and threatening to throw it at him. He runs down to the porch laughing and I find myself inside, taking a glass of water.

"Wow, take a shower, Harlow!" Mary says as she came into the kitchen and left again. I roll my eyes as I find my way upstairs to River's bedroom to look for some fresh clothes in the closest.

She is still sleeping, and I don't know how long I have to wait for her to open her eyes again. I miss her dark eyes staring at me.

I find a pair of dark green cargo pants and another black shirt, and it must have been Noah's military clothes. I grab them with me as I find my way to the shower.