Page 60 of Maddest Temptation

My eyes widened at his crass response. “Fuck you, Cassio.” I picked my key up from the floor and turned my back to him.

“You almost did,” he snapped.

Yeah, and he didn’t have to remind me of that. My door opened and I slipped in, not daring to look at him again, I smashed it shut and shouted, knowing he was still there. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

Cassio slammed his hand against the door, he then turned and left. I remained there looking through the peephole almost expecting him to come back and finish what he started.

What? No. That’s not what I wanted.

I ran my finger over my swollen lip and closed my eyes. His taste still lingered in my mouth, coffee and Cassio. So, I ran to the bathroom and brushed my teeth twice. When I was done, I opened a bottle of wine and stared at it for a while. I couldn’t deal with this, not with a clear head. I needed to forget this night ever happened.

Forget. This was all I needed to do and then life would go back to normal.

17

FRANCESCA

When I looked to the side, Mamma had finally closed her eyes, her book lay resting on her lap. I took it and placed it on the table beside her bed. It was eight o’clock and I was tired. I picked up my things and gave one last look at the tulips I’d bought today. They were in full bloom now.

I left the room and almost bumped into Dr. Conrad. “Francesca, everything all right?”

I smiled, “Mamma was great today.”

“As I told you, we take one?—"

“Day at a time,” I supplied.

“Why don’t you come and have a coffee with me downstairs. There is something I would like to discuss with you.”

Since I had nothing better to do on a Friday night, I followed Dr. Conrad into the cafeteria.

We sat at one of the round tables and he bought me a large cup of coffee, somehow, he figured I needed it. He waited until I practically drained the whole thing before he started.

“Have you ever thought about being a candidate for a liver transplant?”

“Can I?” I asked in surprise.

My mother was on the UNOS transplant list, but because of her stage and her complications, it wasn’t looking so good for her.

“Of course, you can, we would have to run some tests to see if you’re healthy, but judging from your age, I don’t see why you wouldn’t be.”

I stilled.

“You would have to undergo a series of tests and a diet, we have to make sure you haven’t been ingesting too much alcohol and of course, no drugs, but those are things we can check off.”

He went on explaining a series of exams I should do in order to be a viable donor to my mother, but I stopped when he mentioned the drugs. I didn’t stop him. I didn’t have the heart to do so. The first person who had a good impression of me was going to be truly disappointed, but then I was good at that. Maybe that was why my mother never felt the need to care for me. She knew I wasn’t worth it.

“—your father did them and he was out of here in no time.”

“Wait… hold on. What did you just say?” I interrupted him.

“I’m sorry, Francesca, I shouldn’t have said that. It was a mistake.”

Dr. Conrad was about to stand up when I grabbed his hand. It was the first time I ever did something like this out of pure despair.

“What did you say? My father underwent the exams?”

“Yes.” He answered gingerly.

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