Yes," Louise confirmed easily, as if a week of unconsciousness were nothing. "And yes, you don't have to worry about your job or your debts. I've already spoken to your employer, settled everything. You don't have to work yourself to death anymore. You're free now."
He paused, then added, "Your doctor friend also trusted me to take good care of you which I am doing, right now. He should be here to check up on you in the evening."
"Enough!" Orion suddenly yelled, raising his trembling hands as if to physically push Louise's words away. "Enough of your bullshit, please!"
The room went silent.
Louise froze mid-sentence, his composure unshaken but his brows lifting slightly in mild surprise.
"I don't care about your stories," Orion continued, his voice breaking with exhaustion and fury. "Just tell me why the hell you didn't let me die. If you hadn't saved me, I would have gone back to Earth. I told you already that i'm not interested in another round of this useless drama in this cursed world. Not after everything I've been through!"
He took a shaky breath, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. "I don't even know you, so you don't need to care whether I live or die. Just let me go."
Louise stared at him quietly for a long moment. Then, in a low, deliberate voice, he said, "Oh, I didn't have to care before. You're right about that."
He stood, his expression hardening. "But that was before I discovered you're a guide who can synchronize with me and not just any synchronization. Our compatibility rate broke the scale."
His voice dropped to a murmur as he leaned forward, bracing one hand on the bed beside Orion. His face was now mere inches away, his breath warm against Orion's skin. The closeness made Orion's pulse jump uncontrollably.
"But now that I know," Louise whispered, his gaze locked onto Orion's eyes, "you belong to me."
"Belong to you?" Orion repeated in disbelief, his tone rising again. "Are you seriously starting that possession crap with me?" He glared at Louise, anger sparking through the pain. "I don't belong to you. I don't even know you, you delusional bastard! You just appeared out of nowhere and decided you owned me?"
Louise's lips curved into a small, dangerous smile. "Oh, maybe you don't belong to me yet," he said smoothly, his voice low and full of promise. "But you will."
His eyes dropped to Orion's lips, pale, soft, and faintly parted.
"You'll belong to me," he murmured, "the moment I mark you."
Before Orion could even process what was happening, Louise leaned in and pressed his lips against his.
What the fuck?!
Orion screamed internally, rage flaring hot in his chest as Louise's lips crashed against his. He immediately tried to shove him away, his hands pushing against Louise's hard chest, but he didn't budge.
Louise's strength was overwhelming, his body pressed down firmly, his kiss rough and desperate.
"Stop....." Orion tried to yell, but the sound was swallowed into Louise's mouth. The pressure of the kiss deepened, his full lips being taken completely. The taste of him..... sharp, warm, intoxicating made Orion's confusion deepen as well as his anger
He wanted to fight. He wanted to scream. But the throbbing pain in his skull made every movement unbearable. Every jerk of his arm sent sharp waves of agony through his head, forcing him to go still.
After what felt like an eternity, Louise finally pulled back, breathless. The air between them grew heavy with the sound of their uneven breathing.
Orion's first instinct was to wipe his mouth furiously, to erase any trace of that kiss. His hand brushed roughly across his lips, disgust flashing through his eyes.
"What a jerk!" he muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with contempt.
But then, against his will, another thought snuck into his mind.
He's… a good kisser though.
The realization drawn on him so much that he literally slapped himself across the face, hard enough to make Louise blink in shock.
Louise, seeing the act, could only swallow thickly before exhaling a heavy sigh.
"Yeah," he murmured, voice low and steady. "You'll be mine completely the moment we both have sex. But first…"
Sex? He's seriously not thinking of having sex with me after that kiss?
"…who's the father of the baby in your belly?"
Orion's eyes narrowed. As if I even know that myself, he thought bitterly, rolling his eyes away from Louise in open disdain.
"I don't know," he finally said flatly. "I just found myself pregnant. Yeah, it's crazy I get it but that's the truth."
He looked down at his trembling hands and continued in a quieter tone. "Now that the truth's out, it means I can't be yours. I don't want to be yours. I shouldn't even be here. You should've just left me to die."
Louise's eyes narrowed. "Do I look like a fool to you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as a sharp scoff escaped his lips. "How could you not know who the father of your baby is?"
"I don't know if you're a fool or not....that's not my business," Orion snapped back, his tone laced with irritation. "But I'm telling you the truth..... I don't know who the father is. What's your problem with that anyway? You kidnapped me, dragged me here, and now you're interrogating me like some cop from hell? What the actual fuck?"
Louise leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other with unnerving composure. His expression, however, had darkened.
"Apart from being a bar attendant," he said coldly, "are you also a whore?"
Orion's eyes widened in disbelief, almost choking on his own spit. "Excuse me?" he sputtered.