Chapter 6

• "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you had a gun pointed at me for most of our encounter. And oh, the fact that you nearly killed me by tackling me to the ground, like a reckless rugby player!" Roselle shouted the last part.
• "Lower your voice," Ford commanded in a deadly tone.
• "No. You don't get to dictate how I speak," she retorted.
• "I preferred you when you were unconscious," Ford muttered.
• "And I'd prefer you if you were dead," she shot back.
• "You need another dose, Firefly," Ford said, before rummaging in his black bag.
• "No, what I need is for you to disappear. Hopefully, a car will run you over," she stated.
• Ford didn't respond. Instead, he took out a brand new syringe and a small bottle containing some kind of transparent liquid. He filled up the syringe with the clear liquid, while she just laid there, staring at the syringe in horror.
• "You are not going to drug me," she declared.
• "And who's going to stop me?" Ford discarded the now empty bottle.
• "Ford, I swear, I will kill you," she threatened, trying to sound intimidating.
• "Just try, sweetie, just try," he replied, while taking a firm hold of her arm. Before she could say anything more, Ford pierced her skin with the needle. In two seconds, he had transferred the liquid from the syringe into her body.
• "What did you give me?" she demanded angrily, as Ford discarded the now empty syringe.
• "Muscle relaxers," he answered.
• "Why?" she queried.
• "Because your body is bruised and I'm sure you're in a lot of pain. This will help your body heal faster," Ford explained.
• "I feel sleepy," she murmured. And it was the truth; her eyes were starting to feel heavy and reality was fading fast.
• "Good, it means they're working," he responded.
• "Ford?" she called out to him.
• "Yes, Firefly?"
• "Will you stay here?" she asked.
• "Of course, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you wake up," he assured her.
• "Okay, then can you do something for me?" she asked.
• "What is it?" he inquired.
• And just as darkness took over, she told him what she wanted. "Can you do my laundry?"
• ------
• The next time Roselle stirred, it was to the sight of a darkened sky outside. The moon was a radiant orb, casting its glow unimpeded by any clouds. The window was ajar, allowing a soft breeze to play with the curtains. She attempted to move her arms and was gratified when her limbs responded. Within moments, she was out of bed and quickly made her way to the bathroom.
• After freshening up, she opened the bathroom door to find Ford surveying the room. His back was turned towards her, his navy shirt hugging his muscular form perfectly.
• She was about to say something when the memory of Ford's actions flooded her mind. A sudden, overwhelming urge to escape from him gripped her. Without a second thought, she dashed out of her room and headed for the kitchen, hoping to find a hiding spot there.
• However, her apartment was compact, making it easy for Ford to locate her. Hearing his footsteps behind her, she knew she had to act swiftly. As she entered the kitchen, she aimed for the knives, but a strong arm gripped her shoulder and yanked her out of the kitchen.
• "Release me! Let go!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping her neighbors would hear her.
• "Quiet down and I will," Ford retorted, dragging her into the living room, where he unceremoniously dumped her onto the couch.
• "See what you've done, you've dislocated my shoulder," she yelled, rotating her shoulder. In reality, Ford hadn't dislocated her shoulder.
• "No, I didn't. And stop yelling, you're going to hurt my ears," Ford commanded.
• "I wish I could harm your manhood, it would be my gift to the world and to all women," she spat, glaring at his lower body.
• Suddenly, Ford's face was mere inches from hers, his golden eyes ablaze with fury. "I'm going to use this very organ you just threatened to harm and show you how you'd be doing anything but a favor to the world," he growled.
• "What are you going to do, use it to water the plants?" she asked, arching her eyebrows.
• "Even better, I will make you scream," he retorted using another language.
• "You know, it's discourteous to converse in a language that others can't comprehend," Roselle informed Ford.
• "And it's equally discourteous to pester people," he shot back.
• "But being a nuisance is my distinguishing characteristic," she defended herself.
• "Really? What about your extensive collection of teddy bears?" Ford retorted.
• "Oh, that. I have a fondness for teddy bears," Roselle shrugged nonchalantly.
• "Wow, really? I couldn't tell," he responded, his tone heavy with sarcasm.
• "Well, Mr. Omniscient, if you're as astute as you claim, you should realize that you owe me a teddy bear," she asserted.
• "And why exactly do I owe you a teddy bear?" Ford questioned.
• "Because you inflicted a great deal of pain on me. So, you owe me a teddy bear," she explained.
• "You provoked me!" Ford exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
• "Well, why did you allow me to provoke you? And why did you get provoked? If you ask me, it's your fault," she countered.
• "What the...! You're telling me that it's my fault that I got irate and tackled you when it was you who attempted to flee?!" Ford looked like he was on the verge of throttling her.
• "Well, yes. I'm just an innocent individual whose sister was abducted. I was merely trying to protect myself and my sister when you appeared and drugged me, so yes. It is your fault. But don't fret, you can make amends by gifting me a teddy bear," she reasoned.
• Ford turned his back to her and let out a growl of frustration. Meanwhile, Roselle attempted to inch backwards, towards the edge of the couch, with a plan to dash to the kitchen and grab a knife. Perhaps if she kept him distracted long enough, she'd manage to escape.
• She halted when Ford spun back to face her, his face crimson with rage. "You are the most infuriating woman I've ever encountered," he snarled.
• Placing a hand over her heart, as if his words had deeply affected her, she looked at him. "Thank you. I consider that a compliment," she responded.