Take My Breath Away

But it was too late. The glass fragment scratched Erica's hand. She cried out, "Ah!"

Blood oozed out from her finger.

Matthew grabbed her hand and walked her away from the broken glass.

But then, Erica stepped on the chocolate, slipped and fell back awkwardly. "Argh!"

Matthew pulled her up towards him, and Erica stumbled into his arms.

The kitchen floor was a complete mess.

Frowning, Matthew inspected Erica's hand. The cut was small, but the bleeding hadn't stopped.

"We should take care of that," he said, looking at the blood on her frail finger.

He swooped her up in his arms and strode out of the kitchen.

Surprised, Erica wrapped her hand around his neck and said, "Matthew, I can walk..." She only cut her finger. Her legs were still very much in working condition. There was no need for him to carry her.

The man glanced at her coldly. "Do you want to draw a chocolate map on the carpet?"

She looked at her chocolate-stained feet. 'Oh, right.' The living room was fully carpeted. She would create a mess of it if she walked through. 'Oh well, ' she thought, stealing a glance at the man.

He gently placed her on the sofa in the living room. Taking off her dirty shoes, he threw them into the trash can. "Wait here. I'll go get the medical kit."

"Okay." Erica casually placed her bleeding finger into her mouth and sucked on it.

Matthew grabbed her hand and scolded, "What are you doing?"

She gaped at him. "It hurts. If I suck on the wound, it would hurt less. Besides, sucking on it will disinfect the wound and stop the bleeding."

Matthew sighed. "Who told you that saliva stops bleeding?"

"It doesn't?" she asked, her eyes widening in question. She did this every time she hurt her fingers.

Matthew shook his head. "No, it doesn't. There's nothing in the saliva that could cure a wound or disinfect it. On the contrary, the moisture and the protease in the saliva would most likely slow down the clotting. Your ideas are not scientific at all."

Erica felt kind of stupid. But she stood her ground and said, "It doesn't matter. I do this all the time..."

He had to explain further. "Let me tell you something. I once read in 'The New England Journal of Medicine' that a man with diabetes hurt his finger while riding a bicycle. He sucked his thumb, hoping to stop the bleeding. As a result of that, he was infected with an oral bacteria called Eikenella Corrodens. Finally, they had to cut off his thumb to stop the infection."

Erica's mouth fell open. "No way! You are just exaggerating." But Matthew looked very serious. There was no trace of humor in his face.

"Well, if you don't believe me, continue to suck on the wound. If the cut is deep, you'll need tetanus shots. And if it's not properly handled, the wound will be infected, and if it becomes serious, you may have to cut off your finger as well."

Erica's eyes went wide in fear. It was just a small cut in her finger, and it only bled a little. Why was he threatening her with finger removal stories? She stammered, "Wh—what are you waiting for? Go and get some band aids!"

Matthew was satisfied with the fear in her eyes and went upstairs to get the medicine.

He was back in two minutes with the medical kit, and squatted in front of her.

He opened the kit and took out the disinfectant spray. The action reminded the two of them of the time when Erica had disinfected Watkins' wound at that very spot.

Erica didn't give it much thought. The memory just popped up, but she continued to watch Matthew disinfect her cut.

He, on the other hand, scowled at the thought. This woman couldn't even take proper care of herself. Why did she have to take care of another man?

After wrapping a band aid on her finger, Matthew put away the medicine box and asked her gently, "Does it still hurt?"

Erica nodded honestly, "A little." But it was nothing she couldn't handle.

Matthew knelt down on one knee in front of her. He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her towards him. Before Erica could say anything, he kissed her.

His lips fell softly on hers. It caught her by surprise and she didn't know how to react.

Sensing her distraction, Matthew withdrew. He looked into her confused eyes and asked, "Didn't you say it still hurt?"

"Are you saying that you are trying to ease the pain by kissing me? Is that scientific?" she asked playfully.

He replied seriously, "Yes, it is. Kissing promotes the secretion of happy hormones, which can relieve pain. Also, the longer you kiss, the less pain you will feel." His voice was low, deep and magnetic.

But he sounded serious as well. 'Is he telling the truth?'

But before she could decide, he pulled her in for another kiss. She felt like he was taking advantage of her injury.

Matthew refused to let her wear any shoes in order to prevent her from entering the kitchen and causing more trouble.

Erica had no choice but to sit on the carpet and watch the man clean up the kitchen. "Are you angry?"

Removing the mess on the floor, Matthew answered without raising his head, "Not everyone is as petty as you are."

Erica wasn't happy to hear that. 'Humph! I'm petty, am I?' But this time, it was really her mistake. She had no right to argue. "Matthew, can I ask you a question?"

"Ask."

"If Na—" She was about to use Nathan as an example, but on second thought, realized it was inappropriate. So, she quickly revised. "Imagine that one of your good friends dies, but then suddenly comes back to life one day. He doesn't contact you, but the reason is that he has lost his memory. Will you forgive him and still be friends with him?"

This time, Matthew stopped what he was doing and looked up at the depressed girl. He knew what she was talking about, so he cut right to the chase. "Is Tessie still alive?"

"Yes." With a sigh, Erica cupped her chin with her hands. She was really upset now. She just had to talk to someone about this, or she would go mad. "Phoebe said that I had cursed Tessie on purpose. But I just found out that Tessie is still alive. Whom do you believe—me or her?"

Matthew threw the dirty rag into the trash can and washed his hands. He was getting ready to make chocolate again. "The truth is laid out in plain sight. She is still alive."

Erica asked, "So, you believe me?"

"Yes."

Her eyes lit up and her expression was lighter. "What do you think I should do now?"

"That depends on whether you want to pursue the matter or not."

"What if I do? What if I don't?"

"If you want to pursue it, investigate and find the truth. If you don't want to run behind it, just let it go and forget it ever happened." Matthew only wanted her to be happy. He would respect her choice, whatever it was.

But he wouldn't let her know what he would do.

Erica's face fell again. "What if I can't handle the truth?"

She had just found out that Tessie was no longer the same Tessie she used to know. She didn't know when she had changed to this new person.

"There is nothing you can't handle. Don't be too kind to people who hurt you. Fight back, no matter who it is. If you don't, they will continue to bully you. You don't need me to tell you this, do you?"

'If she doesn't fight back, she would be taken advantage of again. People would hurt her, just like what Tessie did, ' he thought, gritting his teeth. He had to guide her to be ruthless, so that she could gradually become stronger.

Matthew was well aware of how the society worked; the weaker branch would break first.

Erica sighed. Of course, there was no need for him to teach her this. Erica had always known how to handle bullies. But this time, it was Tessie. The girl who used to be her best friend. That was why she was hesitating to fight back.

She looked at the man in the kitchen. "So, you are saying that I should dig up the truth, and if Tessie had really hidden something from me, I should get my revenge?"

"Smart girl," Matthew said.