Touch Me, Honey

Chapter 15 - Bella’s Anger

Bella was pissed off. How could James act so rudely?!

“Eve, don’t be sad. I’ll ask him to apologize.” Slamming the medical kit on the table, Bella walked toward James.

Eve saw the chance to attract James’ attention. She shyly reached out her hand to stop Bella and whispered, “Bella, don’t be mad at him. It’s my fault.”

With her shy, sweet voice and angelic innocence, Eve knew she could manipulate people into trying to protect her.

Hearing what she said, Bella became angrier and said indignantly, “Eve, you are too kind!”

Eve tried to calm Bella down. But her comforting words made Bella feel even more irritated by her unfair treatment. James was a bastard! How could he look down on Eve like this!

Seeing Bella was in such a burning rage, Eve felt pleased. As long as Bella was mad at James and alienated from him, she might have the chance to take Bella’s place. So, she pretended she was willing to accept James’ cold treatment.

However, James seemed to run out of patience. He leaned on the couch with his fingers crossed. Raising his eyebrows slightly, James said in a cold voice, “Time is up. After Six o’clock, guests are forbidden here. Especially, women.”

The clock, another expensive masterpiece, chimed just as James finished his sentence.

Eve stood there, frozen. Her plan to gain James’ favour had failed. No! If she couldn’t stay alone with James, Bella couldn’t either! At least she would leave with Bella!

Eve pulled Bella slightly. “Bella, Let’s get out of here.”

At that same moment, James raised his hand and pointed at Eve. Eve’s heart beat crazily with his gesture. She thought that James was going to allow her to stay.

“I asked you to leave, not her.” James’ words caught Eve unawares, almost taking her breath away. He continued, “She is my doctor. Who do you think you are?”

Eve had always been treasured by the men she’d met and she had never been humiliated in this way. She wanted to cry, but she knew that tears were useless and would only make James despise her. So, holding back the tears, she stamped her feet and ran out.

Seeing her best friend being treated so impolitely, Bella stared at James for a second, then took the medical kit and ran to the door.

Just as she was leaving, Tony arrived back from the pharmacy and stopped Bella. Bella heard James say in his cold voice. “You can’t leave here. You have to prepare my medicine.”

Bella ground her teeth in fury and stared at James like an enraged cat. “Why are you so mean to Eve? You can be mad at me, I don’t care. But she has never offended you. How could you be mad at her? You are a man! Why are you so mean to a woman? Are you just trying to embarrass her intentionally because she is my friend?”

Bella’s complaints and frustrations came pouring out. Meanwhile, James was still sitting on the couch. He said nothing and gazed at her coldly.

After Bella had finished her rant, she noticed James’ weird expression. A sense of sharpness shined in his deep eyes. Bella asked, “Why...why don’t you answer my questions?”

“This is my house.” James hated Bella fighting against him for others and continued firmly, “I have to right to do what I want.”

Bella fell into silence. She had no defence, he was right.

“Miss Green.” Tony walked to Bella and said, “The herbs are prepared.” His appearance broke the tension in the room.

At times like this, Tony knew he had to help keep the peace, to release the tension between James and Bella. If Bella got angry with his boss and ran away, he was the one who would have to pick Bella up the next day. James would be angry and Tony, plus the rest of his staff, would suffer more. He also didn’t want to have to get Bella at her college and be surrounded by those crowds again.

Bella stood still for a while. Then she shouted furiously, “You are ridiculous!” She turned to the gate, intent on leaving the house immediately.

Tony ran after her. “Miss Green, you haven’t finished the medicine.”

“f**k the medicine!” Bella didn’t want to hear anything about James and said angrily, “You can finish them for your boss. Why must it be me? I am just a guest!”

Bella deliberately emphasizes the word “guest”, hoping James would hear it and ask her to leave.

“Compensation,” James uttered the word slowly and lightly, but Bella still heard it. It was like a whisper from the devil. She stopped immediately.

Although dusk was just falling, the temperature had dropped sharply. With a cold wind blowing, Bella shivered in her thin clothes.

Tony said in his young voice, “Miss Green, it’s cold outside. You go boil the medicine, then I will drive you home.”

Remembering once again the figure due if she broke their agreement, Bella folded her arms tightly and reluctantly yielded.

Following Tony to the kitchen, Bella stayed there for just half an hour, then waved to Tony and told him the medicine was boiled already.

Tony felt it was quite strange and asked, “Usually you boil them for more than two hours. How did you finish so quickly today?”

“I’m the doctor,” Bella glared at him and said, “If I tell you it’s boiled then it is. You send it to him. I’m going home.”

The decreased boiling time would not change the herbs. They were still beneficial to health, but their benefits were weakened. Anyway, James was not ill. The medicine was not necessary for him. Most importantly, Bella was sick of serving him.

She had started to change her opinions about James and thought maybe he was not as cold-hearted as he seemed. But what had happened that day let her see what James was really like. He had kept his anger about her inside for days and today let it all out on her friend.

Bella scolded James in her mind and picked out her phone to call Eve. Bella heard Eve’s voice and could hear she had been crying.

“Eve, please don’t be sad. James is a bastard! Ignore him.” Hearing Eve crying, Bella knew that she was deeply hurt by James’ humiliation.

Bella felt sorry for her. She tried again to comfort her, “Eve, forget that monster! It’s my fault. If I had brought the medical kit, all this wouldn’t have happened. Ah! You remember you mentioned there is a new coffee shop in town. Where is it? I’ll treat you.”