7:30 pm. Abel was in his bedroom, laying in his bed, looking out the window of his balcony as the sun was setting. He waited for Marlene to call him. As patient as he looked, he was anxious inside.

‘We messed up.’ His inner voice speaks. ‘We should’ve answered what she asked us.’

“I know,” Abel replies lowly. “But I wasn’t comfortable to talk about it.”

‘I understand why, of course. But if you want to be with the compatible one, then you must explain to her about this. I know it’s painful, but it must be done.’

Abel sighs. “Fine.”

His phone rings, making him immediately pick it up, but sees it was Erika calling. Annoyed, but needing to break it off with her, Abel answers the phone.

“Speak.” He answers.

“Hello, Abel.” Erika responds. “I just want to say I’m sorry that I put that ingredient in the serum. I thought it would work. I checked out the benefits that it would do inside the body—”

“That ingredient was artificially engineered; not natural, Erika.” He interrupts calmly. “All of the ingredients that were put in the serum were natural. Nobody told you to add anything in the serum. You were supposed to only promote it. Nothing else. Also, your ingredient caused the other two subjects to combust, it made the board have second thoughts to give us the grant! This is the cost of your actions which nearly ruined our work. The next time you do business with somebody, stick to what you know. If you want to learn something different, do your damn research more precisely.”

Erika went silent on the phone. “So… Did I over—”

“You overstepped your boundaries by messing with the serum!” Abel reminds angrily. “I’ve redone the serum this morning and sent it to the facility. Now whenever the board decides whether to give us the grant or not, I will give you your half, but our partnership is over after this.”

“WHAT?! Abel, come on. You don’t have to do that! You can’t do that! You know you need me! No one can help you with this like I can! No one holds you up like I do! You’d fucking do that to me?!”

“One, I can let you go, since I’ve learned that I can’t trust you. Two, I can find a much better partner, or I can my work by myself; I’m not desperate for one. Three, deep down, you know you couldn’t do anything without me. I arrange the meetings; you arrange the accommodations, and I gave you something to promote. And four, Yes, I would do that to you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have another call.”

Abel switches to another call and answers it. “Speak.”

“Hello, Mr. Wilson. Jacoby Harris.” He speaks over the phone. “I am pleased to inform you that we tried the revised version of your serum is successful with 5 other subjects with the same ailments this time. Understand this, all 5 survived the serum and there is no sign of combustion.”

Hearing this, Abel felt elated inside to hear this news.

“Good. Thank you, Jacoby. I’ll make sure to send the results to the board when you send them to me.”

“Understood. I’ll send it to you soon.”

Abel hangs up the phone, feeling much needed relief due to the phone call.

.   .   .

At 8:15 pm, Abel’s phone rings, waking him up from his sleep. He picks up his phone and answers it. “Yes?”

“Hello, Abel. It’s Marlene.” She responds over the phone.

Abel felt anticipation hearing Marlene’s voice.

“Marlene. How is everything over there?” He asks calmly.

“Everything’s back in order in the house.” She replies. “Marcus is in police custody, again in downtown. And it looks like he’s going to be staying there a little longer and we’re thinking about pressing charges.”

“Yes. It’s best that you should.”

“Were you thinking of doing so as well?”

“Due to how fast my wounds healed, it’s best for me not to. With him in jail and with you being safe is enough for me.”

Marlene went silent hearing Abel’s comment, creating a moment of silence between them.

“Did you want to talk to me about what that girl said?” Abel asks. “I’m sure that’s the reason why you called me.”

“Yes,” Marlene replies. “But… I don’t want to do it over the phone.”

Hearing this made Abel curious. “So… do you want me to come over there?”

“If that’s okay with you.”

“It is.”

“Well, the doors are open when you come by.”

“Thank you. I’ll be there soon.”

Abel hangs up the phone and gets out of his bed to put on some fresh clothes and gets his keys. He sees it is raining outside and decides to grab his jacket and an umbrella. He goes downstairs and leaves out his front door and locks it with his key, opens his umbrella, and starts walking to Marlene’s house.

.   .   .   .   .

Marlene was sitting in the living room watching TV on low volume while she played her violin and waited for Abel to arrive. Moments later, she hears knocking at the door. She gets up, putting her violin down on the couch, and walks to the door. She slightly opens it, seeing Abel right at her front door. They both look at each other not saying a word. Marlene opens the door wider to let Abel in. Abel closes his umbrella, shaking off the excess water, sets it on the side, and takes his jacket off, setting it in a nearby closet. Marlene moves her violin to the love seat and sits down on the sofa with Abel sitting a few inches away from her. They stay silent for a couple of minutes.

“So…” Marlene speaks.

“So?” Abel replies. “What is it that you want to know, Marlene?”

Marlene had to build the courage to ask her questions.

“Okay.” She starts. “What happened to you when you were younger?”

Abel takes a deep breath to get rid of nerves he had for the subject in question.

“I was 17 at the time.” He answers. “I was an apprentice at a lab that was 5 states west from here. I was in a team researching some type of virus to examine what it could do to other living organisms, mainly humans. Before then, my professor told me to come to his office; that’s when I was administered the serum identical to what you have; your mother was there of course. When I left his office, there was something wrong with one of subjects we were focusing on, and I went in to see what was wrong with them in order to correct the issue. When I turned to see their vitals, the subject impaled me through my chest, puncturing my heart. I felt my body go numb, my vision blurring, the organs in my body failing me. I literally felt the cold fingers of death coming to take me to where I was going to go, but I was pulled away from them. I remember waking up in a hospital bed. My father figure said the serum saved my life. it kicked in at the last minute, reconstructing my heart, healing the wound. That was my near-death experience that I never told to anybody.”

Marlene could not comment on Abel’s story because of her saddened shock. Even though it struck a chord within her, she could not get over him experimenting on humans.

“You want to know about what I’ve been doing?” Abel asks.

Marlene slowly nods.

“Remember when I told you what I was doing was considered classified?”

“At The Blue? Yes.” She replies.

“There is a serum I made that is able to treat humans. I have saved 25 people with the serum. But… the 25 others did not survive.”

“What?!”

“Just let me explain, please. These people were convicted felons, and felons on death row. I thoroughly looked through all their records and history, all were guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. They were the ones with no surviving family members. There was much trial, and error done, and the unlucky ones died by spontaneous combustion.”

Marlene stayed silent, but was getting heated hearing his past actions getting justified.

“Just because they had no one to miss them, doesn’t mean you should make them your subjects!” She exclaims. “Do you hear yourself right now?!”

“Listen, Marlene. I know what I have done was… immoral. I regret that I’ve lost lives with my experimentations. But understand this please, I have saved lives and I have finally perfected the serum with no fatal effects after injection. The subject’s deaths were not in vain.”

Marlene sighs as she tries to make sense of what Abel said her.

“Are you done with your experimenting?” She asks.

“Yes. I re-corrected it earlier today.” He replies. “It works with the body now. No combustion. I can assure you that. But if you’re asking that I’m done altogether, you know I can’t do that, but I can change my methods if that helps put your mind at ease.”

Hearing that Abel was willing to switch his experimenting methods away from humans, Marlene felt calm, but there was one more issue still nagging at her.

“Is there something between you and Erika?” She asks. “Be honest with me.”

Abel takes a moment to answer even though he hesitated.

“…Yes.” He replies. “There was something between her and I.”

“Did you do things with her while you were out of town?”

“… Unfortunately, yes, I did.”

This answer made Marlene angry.

“Were you about to make me your side woman or your rebound?” She asks sternly. “That one night you came here after your trip, were you trying to make me a rebound?”

“No! Absolutely not! That was not my intention. To me, she was my partner in my business. To be honest, she helped give me release throughout the two years. She thinks we’re together, but I never saw her in that light. But with you, I can see that with us. Together. Not because of our abilities, nor our affiliation, but this air about you is what has caught me, and I want to stay inside of it. If and when the grants come through, I’m done with Erika. Permanently.”

Marlene starts to believe his words, but was not fully convinced.

“Are you just saying that?” She asks.

“Marlene.” He responds. “Look at me.”

Marlene looks Abel in his eyes.

“Everything I say is truth. I am not the one to lie, especially to you. In my eyes, you are far more superior than Erika. I… I feel like I would do anything for you. I know you’d be the woman that I would become one with.”

Abel places his hand on Marlene’s cheek, caressing it.

“I won’t hurt you like this again. You have my word, Marlene.” He assures her.

With the moment of silence between them, the start getting closer to each other, their eyes glowing.

“… Do you… love me, Abel?” Marlene asks softly.

“I do.” Abel replies without hesitation softly as well.

“Are you in love with me?”

Abel chuckles. “Absolutely.”

Abel closes the gap between their lips with a kiss. Marlene feels his gentleness and passion and begins to hold him close. As Marlene lays on the sofa, Abel slowly gets top of her as he continues his kisses. Seeing Abel was wearing a buttoned shirt, Marlene moves one of her hands to unbutton it. Abel sees what Marlene was doing and sits up to unbutton his shirt revealing his well fit chiseled body, making Marlene stare with excitement; finally seeing what was hiding behind his clothes. She decides to return the favor and takes off her shirt, revealing a white laced push up bra with a hook in the front. She allows Abel to unhook it, revealing her C cup breasts.

Abel starts to touch Marlene’s chest with his index finger, slowly moving it down to her navel and lowering his head down to where he starts sensually kissing her neck. Moans slip from Marlene’s lips as she closes her eyes in pleasure. Abel then goes down from her neck to her left breast, slowly licking and sucking on her nipple while fondling the other with his fingers.

“Mmm… Abel…” She breathes out.

Hearing his name come out of Marlene’s mouth in that manner turned Abel on, his eyes glow their silver hue as he continued. Abel decides to go lower to her pants, but they hear movement coming from upstairs, making them both sit up and look to the staircase. Seeing no one was coming down from the rooms, Abel and Marlene look to each other and coming to their senses. Abel chuckles and buttons his shirt back up and Marlene re-hooks her bra.

“So, you’re willing now.” He speaks. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“…Yes.” She replies.

“This is the second time this has happened. I received a little taste of you last night, you’ve had a taste of me tonight. How do you think it’ll be the next time?”

‘A main course of heart and soul melding into one.’ His inner voice replies.

‘Quiet! I didn’t ask you!’

“Who knows?” Marlene responds. “It’s best to not think about it until it happens. It makes the anticipations greater. Also, even though with what just happened, I’m still upset with you.”

Abel chuckles and stands from the couch.

“I understand.” He replies. “Well, I should be leaving then.”

He walks to the closet to get his jacket and puts it on, then gets his umbrella. Marlene goes up to the door and opens it, seeing that it was no longer raining. Abel walks to the door and looks to the sky along with Marlene.

“I must ask,” He speaks. “Do you like the full moon, or the rain, Marlene?”

Marlene did not understand why Abel asked the question, but decides to answer. “Both.”

“Will you be okay during then?”

Realizing Abel was talking about a specific night when it would rain, she grins at this question.

“We’ll see.” She replies. “You have a good night, Abel.”

Seeing Marlene would not give him an answer, being coy, it made him chuckle.

“Goodnight, Marlene.” He responds.

As Abel walks out the house, Marlene closes and locks the door. As she turns off the TV and picks up her violin so she can get ready to go to bed, she starts thinking about her moment with Abel which made her smile.

‘I’m still upset with him,’ She thinks to herself. ‘But Abel seemed truthful, honest, and remorseful. It’s nice to know that he has some humility. Maybe I can forgive him.’

She decides to go upstairs to get ready for bed with her violin in hand.