Chapter 36 NORMAN.
~KIMBERLY~
The heat flaring in my chest dwindles the moment Jimmy spills his intention as to why he called me.
My brow snaps back together, remembering his rudeness and how he came at me just for existing yesterday.
Even if he didn't do what I presumed he wanted to do, he still deserved that yell.
I clear my throat uneasily and snatch the ID card from him, giving him a lasting glance before sauntering towards the department block further.
He chuckles behind me and pulls me back by my arm.
"What do you think you're doing?" I snap, glaring at him.
I mustn't slip in front of him, Rafael promised to deal with him but I want to do it myself, it's so pathetic moping around a man for help, especially the man I ran away from before he was able to thrust his dick in me.
"I just want to make friends, why are you so amped up around me?" He scoffs, folding his arms over his broad chest.
It's weird seeing Jimmy here, as a normal student and not the raging cop who almost made me shit my pants months ago, the way he treated me like a measly criminal and tried botching answers out of me.
It was intense, and it made me hate him. He's probably doing his job but it doesn't matter.
"Why should I be friends with someone who treated me like an animal a few minutes after knowing me?"
Rolling my eyes, I head back towards the building, this time, he doesn't stop me but walks beside me, matching my pace to make conversation.
"I was just doing my job, you can't..."
"That precious 'job' of yours you were doing left me sleepless for nights, I had crippling anxiety because I was scared you would come up to my door and put the handcuffs on me again the way you did in the public."
He heaves in frustration and sigh.
"I'm very much surprised to see a cop who thinks life operates by principle becomes someone who distributes ID cards for dancing classes."
His expression turns sour but he quickly morphs it with a tight smile at the corner of his lips.
"All thanks to your husband who drove me to the edge." He shrugs, trying to be nonchalant about it.
Shock splits out of me the moment Jimmy addresses Rafael as my husband. How did he know? Who told him? Because we haven't publicized our engagement.
"Who told you that?" I questioned, marching towards him in calculating steps, forgetting about the damned class I'm already running late for.
If I mishandle this the way I did with Rita, Rafael will definitely bite my head off.
"You don't have to know..."
"Then we aren't having a conversation." I scoff, retreating away from him, suddenly feeling the urge to call Rafael but the look on his face this morning writes the vibe off. He's troubled about something and I don't want to add to that.
Ignoring the class, I stomp towards an empty pavement and lean on the wall to catch my breath.
Phew. That was close but at least, I didn't slip with Jimmy, he can't be trusted.
I should probably look for another school and transfer, but won't that leave more room for suspicion?
Sighing, I uncap the bottle of water I picked up earlier and chug down a little.
By the time I lower my head, a large heavily built man is already in front of me.
I move back instinctively, stepping away from him.
Darting my eyes around, there's no one around and I'm sure he's not here to catch his breath the way I did.
"Who are you?" I blurt, staring at the frantic looking man.
"I'm Norman." He grins, waving his hand at me.
His answer doesn't impress me, but he doesn't look like someone who will hurt me right now, maybe later, but maybe he just wants to talk.
But I don't know him, I've never seen him before. Or is he one of Rafael's enemies?
"I don't care about that, who are you?" I repeat again, halting my steps.
He looks like he won't back down until he has a conversation with me.
"Just like he told me about you, fucking mouthy." He chuckles, slipping his lower limb on the heap of blocks and takes his seat.
His big dirty bag is slinging over his shoulders and he stares at me keenly.
"He?" I echo his words, suddenly feeling confused.
"Yeah, Rafael. I'm his therapist." He shrugs, bringing out a document from his back, he throws it in my direction.
The wind blows the piece of paper right at my feet, still gazing at him closely, I pick the document up and skim through the content.
A therapist?
Rafael was seeing one?
Is that responsible for his moody demeanor weeks ago and his collapse?
But he didn't tell me. A tinge of pain pinches my chest, I know I shouldn't feel hurt because of how impersonal our deal is but it's something he should have let me on with.
"And why are you breaking his confidentiality,I'm sure that's against ethics?" I manage to blurt because there's no way I'm letting this strange man know about the nature of our marriage.
"I was never a doctor, and don't worry about the sudden urge to protect him, I know that your marriage is as fake as it comes and trust me, Rafael is an emotional wreck, he doesn't deserve to keep anyone around him." He says in a mocking tone, as if he's been nursing a deep hatred for him over the years.
But how did Rafael fall into his trap unknowingly? He seems to keep everything at bay and control, how did this spiral out of his watchful eyes?
"I'm not having this conversation with you." I scoffs, taking clumsy steps out of the pavement, not wanting to know more about the relationship between them.
He told his therapist that he's in a fake marriage with me,that's enough of a deal breaker but why am I more concerned and curious about his reason for seeing a therapist?
"Wait, are you not curious to know why his head is a mess?" Norman's convincing voice pulls me back.
I swivel a look over my shoulder, telling him not to provoke me further.
Ignoring the clogs of anger and curiosity in my chest, I pump my feet out of the pavement because if I want to know anything about Rafael's messed up head, he will tell me about it himself.
Not from a third party, and that's if I deserve to know.
Aww, Kimberly didn't disappoint just like Rafael thought.🥹🥹🥹🥹
These two might just be my favorite characters I've ever written.
Thanks so much for reading till this extent. I'm grateful.🫢🤍