Silent Seduction (19)

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You watch me,
Bleed until I can't breathe.
Shaking,
Falling unto my knees.
And now that I'm without your kisses,
I'd be needing stitches.
Tripping over myself,
Aching,
Begging you to come help.
And now that I'm without your kisses,
I'd be needing stitches.
Shawn Mendes (Stitches)
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Tobi wondered why Tori forcefully pushed Marcus away when she saw him. Hurriedly disentagling herself from the embrace.
He also watched as Jo hurriedly closed the door after which she breathed out loudly, her back to the door, an obvious method of calming her nerves. She was like that for some minutes before looking straight down the hall. Tobi hid behind one of the wards just in time to avoid her noticing his presence. He could see her from this end but he doubts she could see him. He watched her stroll casually towards the direction of her office, her gaze on the floor while she had her hands in her coat's pocket, completely ignoring a pair of female interns who greeted her.
He was only here to officially showed Tori he was sorry. He had grabbed lunch on his way being all thoughtful she might be hungry only to witness that episode back there.
Totally shocking, right?
Why would Tori hide the fact that she was dating him already?
Or why the hell would Marcus have hugged her so tight? And it wasn't even like she was fighting it or anything. She just seemed to love it.
It's not like he was going to bite her or anything! She should have just told him earlier and not wait for him to find out the heartbreaking way.
Totally not cool!
He is mad at her right now.
..But why is he so angry because she has a boyfriend? It's not like he is her guardian or anything. In fact, he guessed what he was supposed to be doing right now is jubilate yet he is having second thoughts.
He knows he wasn't supposed to expect her to feed him details about her relationship but he thought they were more than friends...
....like they were a family, don't get it twisted.
And she had always trusted him to share virtually everything about her with him.
What was the reason behind her holding back dating Marcus?
Why would she even date Marcus! She was the one who said she wasn't ready for any relationship a few days ago.
What really made her change her mind?
Was it because, he had been the one urging her to go out with Marcus?
Hell No!
She shouldn't have listened to him She should have trusted her instinct instead. That instinct of not being ready and not jumping into the lion's den like he had adviced.
Why does it hurt seeing her with someone else? Should he just ignore this ache in his chest and shrug it off with the excuse that it's probably the guiltiness of pushing her into going out with Marcus?
He ignored the words in his head and focused on what he really needed to do.
He needs to visit the only person who looked like she could use some company right now. And he would be doing himself a whole lot of good too considering the fact that he needs someone to talk to.
'Hmmm, how are you doing?' Tobi grinned widely. Trying hard to cheer her up as well as stir his mind off what just happened a while ago but it appeared the more he tried to stir his mind off it, the more the episode kept coming back to him in 3D.
He was in Jo's office and he had placed the lunch he initially got for Tori on her desk.
'Hmmmm... This is for you. I'm sorry for my outburst yesterday. I totally lost it and I regret my statement the moment I said it.' He paused then continued 'I got this for you. ' Tobi said pointing to the yellow polythene bag which had the food he bought.
He tried to sound remorseful but he clearly wasn't. Actually, he didn't regret saying what he said yesterday but be just had to swallow his pride and make her feel good.
Jo raised her head from whatever she was scribbling on a file and smiled up at him.
'It's fine. It won't be of any good holding a grudge of any sort against you.' She gave him a thankful smile then continued with her scribbling. Tobi watched her do the boring task for a while before he made to stand up and leave when he saw she was acting all fine and his presence seemed to have little or no impact on her.
'Did you see it too?' Jo didn't take her eyes of what she was writing and Tobi didn't get the chance to read the expression on her face.
'See what?' He asked sitting back down. Guessing she saw him back there and immediately dismissing the idea.
'You don't have to pretend. I saw you back there. At first, I didn't know why she suddenly pushed him away. I got the answer to that when I was about to leave and caught a glimpse of you trying to hide.' She narrated.
Oh, so she saw him.
'Are you fine seeing them together?' Tobi asked giving her a scrutinizing stare.
'It's nothing. I'm perfectly fine.' She said but Tobi could see how forced her smile was and how obvious it was she was avoiding his eyes.
'You don't have to pretend you are strong. It's crystal clear you were pretty shaken by the scene back there. It won't do you any harm admitting that to me, would it?' Tobi said. He had been in her kind of situation a thousand times already and he handled it a lot better than she did.
'How long have those two known each other? You knew right but you never told me.' She was still giving him the forced and hurt smile but her skill at trying to keep a bright face seemed to have slackened. His words seemed to have gotten to her.
'Yeah. I knew but what good was it going to do to you if I was the one who told you? It's right you find out yourself but it's a pity you have to find out this way.' Tobi explained. He doesn't want to be blamed for something that clearly hurts him too.
'I'm glad you are here.' She gave him a sincere smile this time and her statement and that smile warmed his inside.
Tobi's phone beeped. He checked it and he discovered it was a text from his secretary. He had some visitors waiting for him at the company.
'I think I need to go now.' He said standing up this time. 'If you need me, just call me.' He said giving her an encouraging smile and hurrying out of the office to hide his excitement.
But Jo knew he was happy and that smile on her face disappeared immediately he exited. She did some thinking alone.
There was something off about the way that girl pushed Marcus off aggressively when she saw Tobi. The girl didn't react that much when she saw her. She was stunned when she saw her but it was like she didn't want Tobi to see her in that state.
A thought popped into Jo's head and she made a quick call to her mum's driver.
'Come to the hospital and take the car home... I'm not getting off work yet. It's just you and the car, I won't be coming with you...'
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'Dr, it was a total disaster! I felt like teleporting somewhere no one could find me.' Tori said. She was talking to Dr Idris outside his office. There was no one to talk to but him. Tobi had disappeared after witnessing that too and only God knows what Dr Johanna thinks of her now.
She couldn't even think straight.
'But Marcus was sorry for doing that. You were harsh on him you know. You clearly broke his heart with your harsh words judging by the number of missed calls I got from him. You should forgive him.' Dr Idris said.
Tori was silent for a while after which she sighed. 'I realised I shouldn't have screamed at him the way I did. But I was just shocked and mad at him at that very moment. The worst part was when Dr Johanna appeared on...' Tori was interrupted by Dr Idris.
'You shouldn't worry about Dr. Johanna. Whatever relationship she had with Marcus in the past stays in the past. Those two seemed to have moved on...'
Tori was taken aback by that statement. Dr. Johanna and Marcus dated? She asked herself.
'Dr. Johanna and Marcus dated?' She asked out loud to Dr. Idris.
'Oh!' Dr Idris realised he slipped but the damage was done already. 'I thought Marcus already told you.' Tori seemed lost too.
This is bad for her. This is really really bad.
'Huh... It looks like it's going to rain. Shouldn't you be getting off work now or you want to wait for that friend of yours?' Dr Idris said trying to change the topic.
'Nah. He had been busy these days and I had been going home all by myself. I guess I would take a cab today as well.'
'Doctor Toriola.' Tori turned back to see a portal walking towards her. She was a thin, short woman.
'Dr Johanna wants to see you.' The portal delivered the message then strolled back in the direction she came from.
Oh dear! Here it comes.
'You don't have to be nervous about it. Jo is not a scary person.' Dr Idris tried to calm her nerves. Tori forced a smile then walked to Dr Jo's office.
'...I'm getting off work in a minute... Yeah, I'd be waiting for you.' Dr. Jo was making a call when she entered. She ended her call after signaling Tori to enter.
Tori stood before her desk and watched her write something on a sheet of paper while she just stood there and watch her. When it dawned on her she was probably going to stand and watch her like forever, she tried talking.
'Hmmm... I'm sorry about what happened a while ago. I didn't know he was...' Tori was interrupted by Jo.
'I didn't ask you to come here to tell me about that. In fact, I want us to forget about it. Never to bring it up again.' Dr Jo's face was blank at first until she stopped writing and raised her gaze to look at her in the face. Then smiled up at her. It was relieving seeing her smile so Tori smiled back at her.
She resumed her writing and Tori kept watching her. She hadn't dismissed her just yet and all she could do is stand here like a robot.
'Would you help me arrange those files?' Jo asked directing her gaze to the brown files littered on her table.
Tori obeyed and started stacking the files on one another at the edge of the table.
Jo stopped writing to pick her phone then dialed a number.
'Tobi...'she said into the phone. Tori didn't see Jo's eyes rove to her, watching how she stopped arranging the files for a few seconds before resuming her stacking like she wasn't listening to her boss' phone conversation.
'You are at the parking lot already? I'll be coming out now.' Jo said then ended the call.
'I am getting off work now . You can leave those. I'd do it tomorrow.' Jo said to Tori as she packed her phone, pen and other things inside her big black bag. Tori exited the office.
Is Tobi really coming to drive her home? Tori thought to herself. She was going to get her things and leave as well when she changed her mind and turned back. She was going to the park.
Maybe it's another Tobi but it won't hurt to catch a glimpse right?
Well, it was TOBI.
Tori could see Tobi get down from his car to open the car door for Jo. Tobi couldn't see her where she was nor could Dr. Jo...
Or so she thought....
Doctor Jo smiled at her through the windscreen as Tobi drove off. It appeared she knew Tori was watching all this while.
©Fiyah