Up All Night Thinking Of You
960 Words
Later that night, Erin had a hard time sleeping. The scene with Xander earlier was kept on replaying in her head. How powerful was his embrace to keep her awake, to erase the fear she has from Will?
This cannot go on, this is so wrong! She talked to herself hugging her pillow tightly. She should talk to him, let him know what she was feeling. Erin thought that it was a good idea, so Xander will help her solve her problem, or was it a good idea? She was in deep thought when her door slowly opening.
The next second a shadow emerged in the room. She held her own breath for a moment looking at the person wearing all black clothes. Should she pretend to sleep? That could be a bad decision she will do, so she slowly reached an object she can fight with the intruder. A lampshade could be better. Her hand was slowly reaching the lamp on the bedside table, Erin was very careful not to cause a commotion under the sheet, it could alarm the person in her room.
On the other hand, the intruder was walking towards the drawer. His moves would not wake her up if she happens to be sleeping even the moment he opened the drawer, it was smooth. Then, Erin accidentally switched on the lamp.
It was heartbreaking, but one cannot waste any second to attack. Erin got up from her bed as fast as she can while the intruder was in process of what did just happen.
"Who are you?" She asked with unknown bravery as she was holding the lamp now.
"Shit." The man cursed, then the lamp shattered on the floor before Erin could hit him as he was already running towards the open door.
"Help!" Erin shouted and switched on the light of her room.
Xander showed up panting. Anger was etched on his face seeing the broken lamp on the floor.
"There was an intruder earlier," Erin said. She was tiptoeing as she was walking on the side of the bed clear from any debris.
"Are you okay?" Xander asked. This time he was looking at her with guilt, he failed to protect her.
"As you can see, I'm fine. You don't need to feel bad." She said seeing his reaction.
"You cannot say that, Erin..."
Her ears tingle of her own name.
"My job is to protect you, but this happened. What did he exactly do in your room?" He asked.
"He was rummaging my drawer..." She stopped at that, then something in her mind kicked in.
"He was after the documents!" She concluded.
"Your husband..." Xander murmured.
"I'm more curious than ever of what's on the documents." She said and Xander did not like it.
"Do not ever think about it. You don't even have it." He said coldly.
"I told Will earlier that I have it." She confessed.
"What? Why did you tell him that?" He looked at her, confused.
"It was just out of curiosity. I should have not thrown it, Xander. Earlier, I saw how important it was."
"It's better that you don't have it."
"No, I think that document could help me." She remembered her negotiation of their divorce in exchange for the documents.
"In what?" Xander was looking at her intently.
"I think I can get a divorce through that file!" She blurted and he looked at him with an unreadable expression.
"Where on earth I could find it? Will should not know that I don't have the documents or else my chance of getting a divorce is gone." She was pacing back and forth in front of Xander.
"You cannot gamble on your safety, Erin. This alone is your wake up call that having that file is dangerous. You did not know up to what extent he will do to have it, even lying to him would be more dangerous." He said wishing he could knock some fear into her, but her eyes were telling him otherwise.
Erin was more determined and he was scared for her life to be involved in the mess her husband created.
"You must be shocked. I will clean the mess before you will get hurt..." but it was too late to tell her that.
"Ouch." She cried.
Xander immediately checks the sole of her feet. The contact of his hands makes her toes curled in the process. It was one of the sensitive areas when another person touches that part of your body.
"Be still." He said and she silently obliged.
The inspection was torture for her, "hmm... I will do it myself."
"Just sit down, I will take care of it." Her silence was her answer, it lasted for a minute until she told him where her first aid kit is.
"It's not deep, it will heal two to three days." He said with certainty.
"Are you doing this with all of your clients?" She asked unable to stop her curiosity.
Erin wondered how many women feel like the way she feels at the moment.
"Tell me exactly what are you referring to?" Xander challenged her. He was done mending her foot, but it remains on his lap.
"This." She said shyly. He gave her a daring look she can't fight with.
"I'm mostly on the field in action and it's my first time to work like this." He was simply mocking her as he gave her a wide grin after that.
Is he aware that it's dangerous to give her that boyish grin? Erin holds herself because she can blurt it out.
"You mean babysitting me?" She asked.
"Your words not mine." His answer as he carefully picked her foot from his lap and put it on the ground. Xander then placed the kit back in its place.
"Thank you." She said to his back.
"You're welcome."
"No, not about with my foot."
"Hmm...?"
Erin braced herself with her next statement, it is the lack of sleep that causes it.
"I was up all night thinking of you."
- Writer
