Never Just Kate

Part title

"Shit, are you okay? What the fuck just happened?" I ask. I try not to let the confusion and alarm in my voice show as my eyes flit between him and my hand which had just briefly touched his cheek before he reflexively jumped back in pain. 

He stands up a little straighter and the shock and confusion written across his features fades away to a more stony and hard to read look. He clears his throat for a moment, "I'm fine, it's not a problem. I'd like to just pay and leave if that's alright." 

My eyes widen, "Are you sure?"

He shoots me a weary glance before nodding lowering his hand from his cheek. He begins to reach towards the pocket of his black raincoat when I realize the large bleeding cut streaking across his cheek.

"Shit, you're bleeding, come with me." I grab the sleeve of his rain jacket and urge him into the back room, sitting him down on a chair at my work bench.

"Where exactly are you taking me and why?" He questions.

"Just to the back room to clean the cut and make sure you don't get an infection." I pause for a moment looking at him with a curious squint. "How did you get that cut anyway?"

His steel gray eyes meet mine but give nothing away and he simply shrugs. "Beats me. If you're gonna help me out, maybe take off that fine jewelry of yours though, wouldn't want the blood ruining such beautiful craftsmanship."

I roll my eyes and slip into the bathroom, grabbing my first aid bag from the cabinet below the sink. "Not exactly my biggest concern at the moment but if you're really that concerned then fine." I slip the bracelets off my wrists and leave them on the sink next to the tap. When I leave the bathroom I plop my bag straight onto his lap and rip open a package of sterile gauze. He looks makes eye contact as I press it into his skin to staunch the bleeding.

I flush from the close proximity and constant eye contact. His pale grey eyes make me feel exposed. Like he can see things others couldn't. That no one should be able to. It's almost unnerving.
A smirk graces his features.

"Hold still and stop smirking with that shit eating grin of yours if you want the bleeding to stop, mr..."

He laughs, "Venturi, Aiden Venturi, you're Henry Middleston's daughter? He told me you'd be the one in charge of the silver work I ordered. Said there was no finer silver smith."

I stand a little prouder and with a small smile knowing my father was so proud of my work recently. "You can call me Kate,"

"Right, Kat, thanks for the help. I should get go-" He says with a smile trying to stand up and nudge me away.

"First of all, it's Kate." I say firmly pushing my hand on his chest trying to seat him back down. It's clean he's much stronger than me and there's nothing I can do to keep him where I want him. It's like trying to force a massive 110lb husky to sit when all they want to do is run. My finger tips brush along the skin of his collarbone and for the briefest of moments I swear there's a jolt of electricity that sparks against our skin. Almost like a pleasant static shock.

His eyes snap to mine and he huffs in frustration.
"One hell of a first impression." He grumbles under his breath.

"Not my fault you have a mysterious cut for no reason and you won't let me clean it. Just let me help you. It doesn't take long. The last thing you want is an infection, trust me. I am a nurse after all." I huff as I lift the gauze, noticing the bleeding has mostly stopped. I grab some rubbing alcohol and a few butterfly bandages to give the cut a little help so there's no gapped scarring on his cheek after it scabs over and begins to heal and set to work.

He sits back with his arms crossed in a grumpy mood as I clean his cut in silence. Well mostly silence, other than an occasional grumble and dramatic grimace. I make a show or rolling my eyes. The cut really wasn't that bad. Should heal in no time at all.

Whats odd was how it got there... when the world faded away and it was just us...

Everything about him felt odd yet intriguing.

I pause after placing the final bandage. "Who are you exactly?"

"I told you, I'm Aiden, or did you forget already Kat?" He smirks.

I roll my eyes and place my hands on my hips. "Kate. And you know that's not what I meant. I can't have been the only one who felt that... that thing that happened." I turn around facing away for a moment knowing I probably sound a bit cracked. "Before you got cut for no bloody reason. Something happened before, what was that?" 

Aiden just smirks, his grey eyes gleaming with mystery and a playfulness that's frustrating when all I want right now is answers. "I should get going. Maybe I'll see you around and we could talk about it then, if fate's willing." He stands this time, moves past me, and heads for the exterior door of the shop. I stand there dumbfounded for a moment before following close behind him. I'm entering the main area of the shop when I hear the bell to the door ring and I realize he's gone.
I quickly follow after him but when I look outside  no one is there except the three black cars on the far side of the parking lot.

There's no possible way he could've gotten that far that quickly. Where the fuck did he go? His silver and it's velvet box was gone and a check for the full amount owed was placed on the counter top.