Chapter 6

During the break between classes.

I saw Daniel get up and leave the classroom, heading toward the men's restroom at the end of the hallway.

I hesitated, then grabbed the disinfectant and band-aids I always kept in my bag and followed.

There was no one at the restroom entrance.

I took a deep breath and charged right in.

Only Daniel was inside, standing at the sink washing his hands.

Water flowed over the bloody marks on the back of his hand, red-tinted water running down his pale fingertips into the drain.

Seeing me burst in, Daniel jumped.

"Isabella? Are you crazy?"

He quickly turned off the faucet, trying to hide his hand behind his back. "This is the men's room!"

"Show me."

I walked up to him, holding out my palm. "Your hand."

Daniel frowned: "It's just a scratch. Won't kill me."

"I said show me."

I don't know where I found the courage, but I reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Daniel, afraid of hurting me, didn't dare struggle too hard, and could only let me pull his injured hand under the faucet.

Just now it had been blanched by the cold water; now the wound looked even more vicious.

All from my grip earlier.

My heart felt sour. I opened the disinfectant bottle and carefully cleaned it for him.

Daniel sucked in a cold breath.

"Does it hurt?" My hand trembled.

"Itchy."

He looked down at me, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Isabella, are you this boundary-less with everyone?"

"Are you just anyone?"

I kept my head down as I applied the band-aids. "You're my medicine."

Daniel's body stiffened.

"Medicine?"

He laughed self-deprecatingly. "Fine, as long as the money's right, I can be medicine."

"Does this count toward the two thousand?" he asked.

I finished applying the band-aid and looked up at him.

He leaned against the sink, the corners of his eyes slightly red-from being forcibly pulled over by me just now.

"This is a tip."

I stood on my tiptoes and, on impulse, kissed the back of his uninjured hand.

Daniel jerked his hand back as if burned.

"You..."

Just then, a shocked exclamation came from the doorway.

"Oh my god! Robert, come quick! Isabella's fooling around in the men's room!"

It was Jack, Robert's lackey.

He was holding his phone, excitedly snapping photos of us.

Daniel reacted instantly, pulling me behind him and grabbing a nearby cleaning tool to throw at him.

"What are you taking pictures of! Get lost!"

Jack got hit square on, dropping his phone on the ground.

But he'd already run out, shouting as he went: "Everyone come see! Isabella and Daniel are hooking up in the bathroom!"

This was bad.

My face went pale.

Daniel looked back at me, his expression complex.

"Scared now?"

"No."

I gritted my teeth. "I haven't done anything wrong."

Daniel scoffed, reaching out to fix my collar that had gotten messed up earlier.

"You dare to barge into the men's room. That desperate?"

His words were harsh, but his movements were gentle.

"Stay behind me in a bit. Don't say anything."