Chapter 26 Cludeo Vs. Uno
1685 Words
Chapter 26
Cluedo Vs Uno
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Louise
As the day’s visiting hours ended, the setting sun’s warm glow cast a beautiful array of yellows, oranges, and reds into my hospital room, reflecting a peaceful kaleidoscope display across the stark white walls. Beyond the window, I could hear the gentle rustle of leaves swaying in the breeze, signalling the approaching of a quiet evening.
Mum had left for the night, and I could finally relax and have time to think and come to terms with the surgery. Visitors had filed in and out all day, mostly Mum, Raine, Jo, and the Gamma family, leaving me little time to think.
Tyrone was the most common visitor. He came by early and brought a bouquet of blood-red roses that sat proudly by the window, and he returned when Mum was here. We played an intense game of Uno for a few hours, which we had to finish when the pain medication kicked in, and I saw double. It was nice to know they all cared, but I was exhausted and needed to rest.
I placed a hand over the bandage beneath my baggy grey shirt, wincing at the sharp pain, knowing it reminded me of the emptiness beneath it. It had only been a few days since the surgery, and my entire stomach was still tender.
Sighing, I grabbed the remote for the TV, wincing with each movement. Maybe there’s a late-night paranormal or comedy show or something…
As my finger hovered above the power button, I felt his presence before I saw him.
Joseph peered around the corner of the doorway, checking to see if the room was clear. His eyes landed on the flowers, and his shoulders tensed.
I sucked in a startled breath. There was no ocean breeze again. Was I losing my senses after my surgery?
“Joseph…” I said, watching him as he stepped into the room.
“Louise...” he replied, his eyes raking over me, taking everything in. He offered me a slight soft smile. “I thought you might want some company...”
“Is that so...” I exhaled, sliding the remote onto the side table. I eyed him sideways. “Visiting hours are over. Need I ask how and who let you in?”
He grinned sideways, crinkling the skin around his eyes, his silver eyes glinting in the fluorescent lights. “I’m Alpha... Need I say more…”
“You’re not the Alpha yet...” I sighed, crossing my arms.
He ran his hands through his hair with a soft chuckle, flexing the muscles in his arm. A giddy flutter invaded my chest. It had been happening more and more since I had woken from my surgery to find him beside me.
“I brought Cluedo...” he said, holding up a rectangular box with Cluedo written across it.
I glanced at the box. I loved board games, especially Monopoly and Chess. I had always wanted to play Cluedo but had never told anyone. How did he know?
He stepped close enough that I could smell the new scent of the unopened game. “Josie-Anne suggested it...”
“Of course she did...” I snorted a laugh that made him smile in response. It was an honest smile that defined the contours of his jawline. A flush invaded my face as I waved at the seat beside me. “Well, as you can tell, my night is jam-packed... How will I ever fit you in...?”
“Sarcasm is your second language...” He teased, dropping into the seat. His eyes landed on mine, and momentarily, I forgot how to breathe.
“S-so I’ve been told...” I stammered.
His eyes flickered between me and the game's contents as he set it up on a table that slid over my bed. The room was filled with silence, occasionally interrupted by the shuffling of cards, tokens, and dice.
“Let’s roll and see who goes first...” I suggested, reaching for the dice at the same time as Joseph. Our hands brushed, and warmth filled my chest.
“You go first,” he said, his voice lower than usual as he removed his hand.
Swallowing nervously, I grabbed the dice, shook them, and rolled them. It spun on the board and landed with three on one die and five on the other.
“Eight...” I said, reaching for the dice.
Again, our hands touched, sending a spark through my fingers. Surprised, I dropped the dice and sat back.
He glanced at me as he grabbed the dice and rolled his turn. They stopped on three and three.
“Six… Looks like you get to start,” he said, grabbing the dice and holding them out for me.
“Don’t forget, I’m Scarlett,” I grinned, grabbing the dice from his open palm.
Joseph stiffened and dropped his hands against his legs.
Why was this happening? What had come over me since the surgery? I was still annoyed at Joseph after what had happened at the party – his spiteful words – his kiss, but for some reason, I was enjoying his company.
“I’m Mr Green…” He said with a wink.
“Oh, you’ll lose…” I warned him as I placed my red token on the board.
“Why is that…” He snorted, placing his green token beside me.
“Well, red is tough…” I explained, not looking at him. “She’s Miss Scarlet, the femme fatal with a few tricks up her sleeves…” I sighed through my nose, spinning the token under my finger. “And I like red… And blue…” I shrugged. “It depends on my mood…”
He snorted a laugh, and this time, I looked at him. “I feel like red is your colour…”
My cheeks flushed at that. It was the same comment Tye had given me that morning. My eyes flickered to the red roses by the window and then to Joseph.
His glance followed where mine had been, and his shoulders tensed. He sucked in a deep breath, then faced me.
“Well, let’s start…” He said, tensing his jaw.
The game continued for over an hour, and we laughed and joked, teasing Dr Brown and Miss White, creating ridiculous scenarios where Scarlet caught Mr Green beating Dr Brown with the candlestick.
“I’d just use my wolf…” Joseph snorted, twisting the candlestick token in his fingers. “It would be so much quicker…”
“Well,” I chuckled, snatching it from his hand and placing it back on the board. He smirked at me sideways as I did it. “Sadly, there are no wolves in this game… And if there were, Miss Scarlett would have slayed them with a silver dagger…”
He laughed whimsically and alluringly, and I had to ignore the way it tightened my insides.
“Hey,” he beamed, “She could just win him over with ice cream…”
My eyes brightened, and I smirked at him. “Ice cream is the number one cause of brain freeze… So, it could work…”
Joseph snickered. “I like it when you smile…”
I blinked at him, unsure how to respond. My heart did a backward summersault and knocked the wind out of my chest. I shifted awkwardly, trying to push the feeling away.
“Anyway…” he cleared his throat, “I think it was Scarlet in the Library with the gun who killed Plum…”
I glanced at his token sitting in the centre of the board and scrunched up my nose. “Now you’re just being mean…”
His smile reached his eyes in a way that made him different from the man at the party, the clinic, and the school… He was the stranger outlined by the moon. Biting my bottom lip, I grabbed the dice and rolled.
“Yes!” I exclaimed when a four stared back at me. I hurried to move my token to the centre and cheered.
“W-who do you think?” He asked as I sat up in the bed.
Rubbing my chin, I thought for a moment. Then I said, “Green killed Plum in the study with the gun…”
“Now, who’s being mean...” he teased, grabbing the concealed miniature folder containing the answer.
I shrugged, “It was either Green or Scarlett… The gun, dagger or candlestick…”
“It’s not the candlestick,” he grinned sideways at me, holding the cards before me.
“Scarlett in the study with the gun…” I groaned, falling back against the bed in a huff. “We’re both wrong…”
“It seems that way…” Joseph chuckled as he gathered the game pieces and began packing them away.
There was a knock at the door, and we both turned to see Doc Anderson standing there with a medicine cup in one hand and a bottle of some orange liquid in the other.
He cleared his throat, making Joseph stand. “Visiting hours were over two hours ago…”
I blinked in surprise. The time had gone by quickly.
Joseph and the doctor shared a mind link before Joseph turned to me. “I should go… I have a…” He backed away with a nervous grin and nodded at us. “I’ll see you around, Louise…”
“Thanks for the game…” I called after him as he vanished from the room. That was odd…
“That boy…” Doc Anderson sighed as he placed the items on the table. “I told him to leave hours ago…”
“What?” I snorted a laugh and shook my head. “But– he said he was Alpha…”
“Not yet, he’s not,” Doc Anderson clicked his tongue. “And you need your rest…”
“No, he’s not Alpha…” I agreed, peering over his shoulder, almost hoping to see him lingering in the doorway. “Not yet…”
- Writer
