Chapter 124 Someone's Here
The bathroom light was on, casting a glow over Tristan's head, showing off every inch of his ripped back muscles.
No time to gawk, 'cause Katniss realized he was dropping his pants!
Her ears went red in a flash, and she spun around, straining to catch the tiny sounds behind her.
What if he went full birthday suit? How the heck would she explain that?
She blurted out, "Don't take 'em off, someone's here!"
She slapped her hands over her face and squeezed into the corner, feeling like a total idiot.
She peeked back slowly.
Biting her lip, she dragged her eyes from his bare chest up to those deep, unreadable eyes.
In that tight space, they could hear each other's breathing, just from one look.
Old memories came rushing back.
Compared to a year ago, he was even more grown-up, oozing class with every move. His narrow eyes were kinda squinty, and his lips had this faint, teasing smile.
Her embarrassment was all over his face, and her red ears reminded him of something, making his gaze even deeper.
He was kinda lost in thought, and she took the chance to slide to the left, yank the door open, and bolt out.
But she ran smack into a stunned waiter outside, and at the door, Ryan and Daniel had just walked in.
Her face was on fire, and she was so embarrassed her toes curled up in her flats.
"Where'd you come from?" The waiter, who wasn't one of the folks at the door, had no clue someone was already in there.
But the waiter was used to this kinda stuff and jumped to conclusions, "This is nuts; spying on our guests like this!"
Katniss wanted to vanish, at least not let Tristan see her!
But Ryan had already spotted her and called out, "Ms. Grey?"
Then he looked all surprised and nodded toward the bathroom where Tristan was coming out. "Mr. Forbes, when did she get here?"
"I'd like to know that too." Tristan strolled over, slipping on his wet shirt, buttoning a few buttons lazily.
His collarbone and a hint of chest muscles were on display, his tall frame sinking into the sofa, looking both lazy and coldly tempting.
His eyes swept over Katniss without a flicker of emotion.
"This has gotta be a mix-up." Daniel walked over to Katniss, sticking up for her. "Didn't I say Ms. Grey would come over? Mr. Forbes, why would she be hiding in the bathroom to spy on you?"
"Then let her explain why she was hiding in the bathroom?" Tristan said slowly, his voice icy.
He acted like he didn't even know Katniss.
Katniss played it smart and didn't bring it up either. She took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and said, "Sorry, that was outta line. I had an emergency and ducked into the bathroom. Didn't expect anyone to barge in. Didn't know how to explain, so I stayed put."
"So, it's my fault?" His words were dripping with pressure.
She felt the weight of Tristan's presence, frowned a bit, and shook her head. "Of course not."
"It was just a little mix-up, Mr. Forbes. Cut her some slack. Plus, Ms. Grey's here for Aaron. Let's sit and chat about Aaron's tutoring." Daniel waved the waiter off and pulled out a cigarette, offering it to Tristan, trying to bail Katniss out.
The waiter turned and left, shutting the door behind him.
The room felt heavy, but Katniss had to tough it out, waiting for Tristan to speak.
Tristan lit the cigarette, blowing smoke from his thin lips. "Alright, let's give Mr. Wilson some respect. Have a seat."
Daniel shot Katniss a look, and she hesitated before sitting down, keeping her distance from Tristan.
Daniel started, "Aaron's a bright kid. When he was in school, my daughter talked about him a lot, this..."
"I'm not in the mood to talk about Aaron right now. Let's get to the business." Tristan cut him off.
Hearing that, Daniel shrugged at Katniss, signaling he did what he could.
Since they were talking business first, Katniss had to wait. She checked her watch.
It was just after seven, but if Tristan dragged it out, who knew how long it would take.
Daniel tried to help Katniss, going on about his deal with Tristan.
But Tristan kept interrupting, going off-topic, or taking a drink.
He even used excuses like not hearing clearly or not getting it to make Daniel repeat himself.
Katniss had been around him for years and knew he never misunderstood anything!
She sat there patiently, checking her phone when she got too antsy.
She texted Matilda, letting her know she couldn't get back to the hospital yet.
Around ten, Daniel was wasted, slumped on the sofa, out cold.
"Get Mr. Wilson home." Tristan toyed with his wine glass, the reddish-brown liquid catching the lights above.
Ryan hesitated and asked, "How are you getting home?"
Realizing his question was pointless, he turned to Katniss and said, "Ms. Grey, can you take Mr. Forbes home? I'm out."
"Me?" Katniss asked.
Before she could react, Ryan had already hoisted Daniel up, but Daniel was too drunk to walk.
He carried Daniel out and told the waiter at the door not to let anyone in.
In just two minutes, it was just Katniss and Tristan in the private room.
She blinked a few times, frowned, and said, "Mr. Forbes, can we talk now..."
"Take me home, we'll chat on the way." Tristan suddenly stood up, grabbed his coat, and strode out.
She had no choice but to get up and follow him. His long strides made her feel like she was in a different world.
In the cramped elevator, she stood back, trying to minimize her presence.
"Where?" Tristan hadn't pressed the elevator button, one hand in his pocket, turning his head to look at her.
She was stunned for a few seconds and blurted out, "I'm not living alone right now, and tonight I have to go to the hospital!"
Her eyes met his deep, unreadable gaze, and he suddenly took two steps forward, cornering her in the elevator.
With his wrist placed above her head, he asked sarcastically, "I mean, where's the car?"
"At the entrance." Katniss turned her head to avoid him, moving her body to the elevator buttons and pressing the first floor.
Then she closed her eyes in frustration, pinching her brow with her fingers.
A light laugh came from behind her, but she couldn't tell if it was sarcastic or not.
Her car wasn't as grand as a G-Wagon. Tristan sat in the passenger seat, his legs slightly turned to the side.
He threw his coat in the back, fastened his seatbelt, and leaned back in the seat with his eyes closed.
Katniss started the engine and drove, the half-open window blowing familiar scents around the car.
She drove directly to Celestial Villas, suddenly remembering the first time she went there and caught him showering.
She wondered if it was just a coincidence.
Shaking her head to clear her messy thoughts, she slowly began, "Mr. Forbes, about..."
Turning her head, she saw him with his arms crossed, seemingly asleep in the seat.
His profile was sharp as a knife, and even with his eyes closed, he exuded authority.
Seeing this, she didn't continue speaking and quietly drove until they reached the entrance of Celestial Villas.
She parked by the roadside and cleared her throat before saying, "Mr. Forbes, we're here."
"Okay." Tristan, who had his eyes closed, opened his thin lips slightly, accompanied by the sound of the seatbelt unbuckling.
The car door opened, and his expensive leather shoes hit the ground as he got out, slightly adjusting his wrinkled shirt, and walked away without looking back.
Katniss breathed a sigh of relief, watching his figure gradually disappear, finally free from the oppressive feeling of being with him.
But they hadn't discussed Aaron's tutoring yet!
She hurriedly opened the car door, about to call out, but Tristan's figure had already disappeared around the corner of the complex.
Feeling dejected, she sat back in the car, running her hands through her hair in frustration for a few seconds, realizing she would have to find another opportunity to meet him.
She tidied her hair and drove back to the hospital.
By then, it was already past eleven, and Matilda was still waiting for her to return.
"Katniss, it's so late, why are you just getting back?" She wanted to call and urge her but was afraid of interrupting Katniss's business.
So she only sent a few Facebook messages, to which Katniss replied briefly that the discussion wasn't over, without explaining further.
Katniss changed into slippers and shook her head at her. "There was a little accident, got delayed."
She didn't mention the encounter with Tristan. Even if he was here, it was for business and probably wouldn't be long.
"Thank you for your hard work. Go wash up and get some sleep. Dr. Perez came by in the evening and said he is going to do surgery tomorrow and will be working late. After the surgery, he'll discuss Mom's condition with us," Matilda said.
As she spoke, she went into the bathroom to prepare warm water for Katniss.
Katniss took the basin from her hands. "I got it; you go rest first. I can handle it myself."
The next day, after the surgery, Terry came to Sophia's room.
Katniss and Matilda were cleaning Sophia's body. Seeing him, they immediately put down what they were doing, covered Sophia with a light blanket, and walked over.
"Katniss, Matilda, you two sit down first and listen to me." Terry held Sophia's medical records. "Your mother is currently stable, and all her indicators are up. My suggestion is to start electroconvulsive therapy next week. But if we do that, you'll need to have a family member stay in the hospital. You two discuss who will stay, or if both of you will, and make arrangements for your work in advance."
"Okay, we'll discuss and decide." Katniss thought for a moment and asked, "If the electroconvulsive therapy works, when will we see results?"
"The initial effects will be more noticeable. Some people show reactions in three to five days, while others take one to two months. But if there's no response after three to four months, it probably won't work, and we might have to consider stopping." Terry adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Not every treatment plan works for everyone."
His words dampened the hopeful mood of Katniss and Matilda.
Katniss patted Matilda's shoulder and smiled at Terry. "Okay, we'll try every method. Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Perez."
After a brief exchange, Terry left the room.
Katniss and Matilda decided that Matilda would stay at the hospital to take care of Sophia.
Matilda handed over her students to other teachers at the education center, while Katniss continued with her own responsibilities.
On Sunday night, Katniss left the hospital, got into her car, and noticed a suit jacket in the back seat through the rearview mirror.
It was Tristan's.
She paused for a few seconds, then took out her phone and quickly dialed a familiar number.
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