Chapter 46 46: Kora Is Back
"I sure did, Elena. Baby?" Saint called, turning his body to openly stare at Baby, who still had his face lowered to the ground.
Baby gritted his teeth, inhaling quietly.
Why was Saint being so direct? Yes, they have had their lips joined a few times, but that is the main reason why they should act like they still hate each other in public.
Someone might suspect something if the two co-captains suddenly turned best buddies overnight.
Saint might be trying to act nice, but Baby was never letting his guard down. He was going to act as the Baby Danvers everyone knew.
"I'm not answering you, you're not my therapist," Baby replied, straightening his shoulders and slowly lifting his face to look at Elena.
He hoped Elena wouldn't connect the dots and realise that Saint was the man he had kissed.
Saint raised a brow at Baby, a slow frown appearing on his face as he tried to understand why Baby was still acting like a jerk toward him after everything.
Elena smiled, clearing her throat softly, "Alright, Baby, I know you tried your best. Since this is your second session together, we'll begin with something similar to the previous session, something simple."
Baby's eyes narrowed. "Define simple."
Saint snorted under his breath. "Relax, Baby. It's therapy, not execution."
"Could've fooled me," Baby muttered.
Elena uncrossed her legs, leaning gently forward. "I want each of you to state one thing the other person does that bothers you… and then one thing you unexpectedly appreciate."
Baby's head snapped up. "Appreciate? You mean—"
He jabbed a thumb in Saint's direction, "—him?"
Saint stretched his arm over the back of the sofa, relaxed but watching Baby closely. "You heard her." He pinned Baby with a watchful gaze, trying to decipher if he was acting or actually being his real self.
Baby rolled his eyes so hard Cam would've applauded from wherever he was.
"Fine. Ladies first."
Elena chuckled softly. "Baby, go on."
He exhaled and tapped a finger on his knee.
"Okay. Something that bothers me? He—" Baby pointed to Saint like he was reporting a crime, "—minds my business. Constantly. Like he's my mother. Or parole officer."
Saint lifted a brow. "You need one."
Baby shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass.
Elena raised a hand. "And the… appreciation?"
Baby suddenly found the far wall extremely interesting. "I don't… I don't appreciate him."
"Baby," Elena said gently.
Saint smirked, leaning closer, his voice a low tease. "Go on. Say it."
Baby's jaw clenched. He refused to look at Saint, but his face softened despite himself.
"Fine," he grumbled. "He's… disciplined. Responsible. He actually gives a damn about… things."
Saint blinked. His teasing expression faltered for half a second, something warm flickering beneath the usual cold steel of his eyes.
"You done?" Baby snapped, embarrassed.
"For now." Saint cleared his throat and sat up straighter.
"Good," Elena smiled. "Saint?"
Saint rested his elbows on his knees, thinking.
"What bothers me?" He turned his head to Baby. "He's impulsive. Reckless. And has zero self-control."
Baby rolled his eyes. "Get a new script, Saint. That one's tired."
Saint ignored him.
"And—" his voice lowered, softer, more honest, "—he doesn't listen. Ever. Even when the consequences could hurt him."
Baby's breath hitched.
Elena nodded. "And the appreciation?"
Saint didn't hesitate.
"He's honest. Brutally so. And he doesn't pretend. Not with himself… not with anyone."
Baby's eyes widened beneath his lashes before he quickly looked away, ears warming under his hair.
Elena scribbled something down. "Very good. You're doing better than most rivals I've had in here."
"We're not rivals," Baby muttered.
Saint glanced at him. "Then what are we?"
Baby looked at him for one beat too long.
"…Annoyances."
Saint smiled. Actually smiled. "Sure."
Elena tapped her pen. "Next exercise. Each of you will place your hand on this stress ball—" she grabbed a soft, blue ball from her desk and placed it on the table, "—and hold it together while telling me one situation where you misunderstood each other."
Baby's face drained of colour. "We have to touch?!"
Saint chuckled. "Relax, I don't bite."
Baby shot upright. "You've literally bitten me before!"
Saint lifted two fingers and almost—almost—touched the edge of Baby's lips before stopping. "You lived."
Baby slapped his hand away with a glare.
Elena clapped once. "Hands on the stress ball, boys."
Baby muttered something that sounded like, "Therapists are evil," but placed his hand on the ball.
Saint placed his over Baby's, fingers brushing intentionally—too intentionally—for someone who claimed he didn't care.
Baby stiffened.
Elena didn't miss anything.
She smiled knowingly. "Good. Now… the misunderstanding?"
Saint spoke first.
"Many nights ago. He thought I reported him out of spite."
Baby said nothing, hand tense under Saint's.
He knew Saint was talking about the night with Celine.
"But I did it," Saint continued, "because someone had to stop him before he ruined his chances. Before he…"
His voice trailed off.
"Before I what?" Baby whispered.
Saint looked at him. Really looked.
"Before you break something you can't fix."
Baby's breath tangled in his throat.
Elena wrote something down. "And you, Baby?"
Baby swallowed, the touch of Saint's warm hand grounding him in a way he hated.
"I thought…"
He licked his swollen lip beneath the mask.
"…I thought he just wanted to control me."
Saint's fingers tightened slightly. "I don't. I just… want you alive."
Baby's eyes snapped up at him, startled.
Elena smiled. "Good. Very good."
But Baby wasn't listening anymore.
Saint's words were looping in his head like a forbidden chant:
'I want you alive.'
And Saint wasn't listening either, too focused on the feel of Baby's hand under his—warm, strong, angry, and trembling ever so slightly.
Elena finally broke the moment.
"Alright, boys. Let's take a breather."
They didn't move.
They didn't even notice.
"Baby? I said –"
"He said I was a broken toy," Baby blurted out, glaring at Saint, heaving angrily.
"I apologised for that," Saint murmured, his face leaning closer.
Elena was left to look from one speaker to the other.
Baby scoffed, "Apology isn't enough –"
"I'll make it up to you tonight," Saint countered, smirking.
Baby froze for a second, staring at Daint in disbelief and horror.
With a shaky breath, he slid his hand out from Saint's, taking the stress ball with his and squeezing tightly in his hands to keep himself from shattering and melting in front of Elena.
Saint was smirking, his eyes never leaving Baby.
"Ahem, all right—" Elena cleared her throat. "That was insightful. It's great to let out our emotions, hoarding them would only affect us negatively. Good work, guys." She smiled in encouragement, glancing at Baby, who looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.
She needed to let the poor guy out before her heinous best friend makes Baby forget how to breathe.
"We'll pause here for today. For the week's assignment, you two will try and do something fun together, something you both enjoy doing. Can we do that?" Elena asked, scribbling in her notebook.
"That's easy. We already have something we'd like to do together, don't we, Baby?" Saint asked, slowly reaching over to touch Baby.
However, before Saint's hand could touch Baby, Baby sprang from the sofa, facing the door immediately, "Thank you, and, see you next week, Elena." With that, Baby left the office, taking the stress ball with him.
Elena sighed, "Really? You'll make it up to him tonight? Did you have to be so obvious?" She questioned, shaking her head at Saint.
"He was mad, what else was I supposed to say?" Saint said, standing from his seat.
"Slowly, Saint. What you two are doing –"
"I know what I'm doing, Elena. Therapy is over, save me the advice. I need to catch up with a certain someone," Saint said and moved toward the door.
"Kora is back," three words that stopped Daint dead in his tracks.
"... Met her at the spa earlier this morning," Elena said gently.
Without turning, Saint nodded his head, "Thanks for the info. See you next week." He replied and left the office.