Autopsy of a Mind

Chapter 137: Just in Time

He led me down the corridor and I heard whispers from around me. "Miss Lewis, have a great night!" someone said. I didn't grit my teeth or clench up in embarrassment. Instead, I laughed a little.

"Thank you!" I called back. Mostly, there would be no cases left to interrogate or outsiders in the station at the time, so the mood amongst the officers was light. It was time for most of them to leave, so no one really cared for formality. 

I could even hear some teasing directed towards Sebastian, which he ignored without a thought. It was strange to see more people warm up towards Sebastian than the usual few who condoned his cold and sharp behavior. It was like by association with me, he had become more approachable. Or was it that his gentleness towards me made others think that he was just as human? 

Whatever it was, I was enjoying Sebastian slowly talking to more people. 

He helped me into the car and I frowned. His car usually smelled sterile, but today, it smelled like our apartment. I silently waited as he slid into his side and shut the door. 

As the car drove, I couldn't help but talk. "When did you prepare all of this?" I whispered. With the blindfold on me, I was almost scared to talk too loudly. My hands were placed on my lap and I played with my fingers, trying to figure out where we were going. 

"I didn't prepare much," he admitted equally quietly. "I knew you were leaving so I thought about doing something nice." I could hear the excitement in his voice. 

"Judging by the time and the directions you have turned we have already passed by our complex." I perked my ears up for more noise. 

Sebastian chuckled. "Don't try so hard," he told me. I felt his hand brush against mine and he slid his fingers through mine. I gasped. 

"Hands on the gear!" I warned quickly and heard him snicker. I felt him place my hand on the gear and then the warmth of his palm was against the back of mine. "What are you doing?" I asked suspiciously. 

"You don't darkness and being restrained, but I am a romantic fool," he explained. I remained quiet, waiting for further explanation. "So, I have to hold your hand and drive at the same time. Am I not the best boyfriend there is?" he whispered. 

I bit my lip as I tried to press back my smile.

"I can't determine if you are a narcissist or understanding boyfriend," I mocked. 

"Well, I will take both," he quipped back. 

"But where are we going?" I asked, delight and excitement in my tone. 

"Somewhere where I can take advantage of you," Sebastian replied. His voice was as smooth as honey and I was astounded by his forwardness. "Scared?" he asked. I knew that he was joking. If I wasn't comfortable, he wouldn't even breathe in the same air as me, that was Sebastian. 

"You can take me anywhere, anytime," I responded. 

I heard his breath hitch and I could imagine a wide grin spreading across his gorgeous face. Finally, he rolled the windows down and I smelled dirt road and forest on either side of us. I wanted to look around, anticipation growing as I tried to figure out where he was taking me. 

If it were anyone else, I would presume they would kill me and leave my body in the forest.

A light cloud of dust surrounded us as he stopped and the silent serenity of the forest was all I could hear.

I heard him unbuckle his seatbelt and gently put my hand back in my lap. 

"Are you going somewhere?" I asked curiously. 

"I'll just be back in five to ten minutes," he told me softly. "Don't open your blindfold, okay?" he made me promise.

"Okay," I said in a confused voice. He rolled up all the windows, put on some low music, and patted my hair.

"Be good. I will be right back." With that, he slid out of the car. I heard him open the backdoor and shuffle behind and knew that he was taking something with him. He left and I heard the beep of the lock being activated. 

I shuddered as I released a breath. 

The music did little to soothe my nerves. The sounds from outside magnified a thousandfold and I felt my hand get clammy. I sucked in a deep breath and started to count in my head. 

He'd be back soon. I couldn't open the blindfold. I couldn't ruin the surprise he had worked so hard to bring to life. Despite all the work thrown at him, he had taken care of me like a slave without demanding anything in return. He had practically been a hermit while he lived in my house and slept in the same bed as me. He hadn't even tried to touch me without her explicit permission.

I heard the crackling of twigs and stiffened. But then I heard the footsteps approaching the car once again. I slumped and heaved a sigh of relief. 

I knew him: I knew the sounds he made as he moved around our apartment, the way he touched the pots and pans on tapped his finger against the table as he thought hard about something. I knew the words he would use and the way his brows would scrunch up when he was in deep thought. I also knew the sound of his breaths and his footsteps as he approached me. Always approached me. 

The car unlocked and my side of the door retched open. I turned my head towards him and smiled a small smile. 

"I didn't take too long, did I?" he asked. He paused for a second before quickly working on the blindfold on my eyes. I could sense his worry as I blinked my eyes open and squinted at him. 

The waves of electricity behind my closed eyelids disappeared and I saw his face for the first time. 

And then there was light: the words suddenly came to my mind. I blinked a few more times. 

"You came just in time," I told him. "Not a second more than ten minutes," I informed him. Because I knew. Because I had counted. But he didn't need to know that. 

"I think I returned a little earlier than that," he tried to speak lightly. He extended his hand to me, which I took with grace. "Hop down, princess," he commanded. 

"Princess?" I asked curiously. 

"Yes, princess. That's what I will call you all of today. To show my appreciation." He leaned in and pressed his lip against my cool cheek. "You need to be treated like a princess once in a while."

I hopped down from the car and squeezed his hand. 

"We're going for a walk in the forest?" I asked with excitement. 

"Something like that?" he said shortly. He looked down at my feet with relief. "It's a short hike, your shoes will do well!"

"I am Miss Practical, didn't you know?"

We chatted for the next few minutes, traversing through the narrow paths until I could see a clearing in the distance.

And light seemed to come through it. The sunlight had mostly disappeared and the angry red had given away to a purple and blue. When we broke through the trees, I stopped breathing. 

I turned to him with shock. "You"

"Do you like it?" He asked casually. He dragged me towards the scene and I was left breathless. 

I nodded enthusiastically. He had decorated the space. 

In the far end, he had hung a white sheet and a screen was projected onto it by the projector. He had hung those battery bulbs around the little opening and spread a blanket on the glass. On top of it, all the pillows from his apartment were spread. Soft and warm. She even saw boxes of food and drinks left on a small mat on the blanket. 

"This looks amazing," I told him. I didn't know how else to say it. 

"Then let's go enjoy a quiet night, shall we?" he grinned. 

As I sat down, I looked around the scene. "How did you find out about this place?" I asked him after he had poured me a glass of lemonade.

He paused his action and his eyes flickered to me. "I didn't bring any alcohol because I need to drive and neither of us really drink. That's okay, right?" he asked me. 

"It's perfect!" I reassured him. "Now how did you find this place?"

"A few years back we had to comb through this forested land to look for a victim." He coughed. "We found the victim alive in this meadow, living in a small tent with the perpetrator. Well, I remembered from that time." He ran his finger through his hair. 

I took a sip of the lemonade and burst into laughter. "Thank god you didn't find a dead body here. That would have dampened the ambiance."

Sebastian shrugged. "Well, almost all places have seen some sort of death or the other. We can't be prejudiced against them!" he claimed. 

"Indeed, we can't be prejudiced against places that have seen tragedy."