"Where have you been?" I asked, my eyes planted on the mess of his appearance.
He gave me a sheepish smile and apologized. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."
"You look bothered," I commented, running my eyes up and down on him.
"I am. I'm sorry. Something came up."
He seemed not interested to talk about what bothered him, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. I always know when to stay silent and when to open my mouth. Men hate nagging, and they hate to talk about themselves. I tried to ignore this uneasy feeling, so I wrapped my arm around his waist. He also placed an arm around my shoulder, and we walked together towards the dining room.
When my head hit his chest as he pulled me closer to him, I smelled a strange scent. I pulled a long face, wrinkling my nose afterward. Sean seemed to notice my expression because he withdrew his arm from my shoulders and held my hand instead.
"Dear, may I go to the bathroom first?"
"Of course," I nodded
The closet opened to a line of business suits hanging neatly on the rod according to colors. On the lower compartments, I also caught a glimpse of folded clothes. Ever since Sean showed it to me the first time we came here, I had not placed a single item there yet. I wondered if I got into the wrong room, so I let my eyes roam across the place. Yet, everything around showed feminine touches, including the floral prints of the bedsheets.I continued to watch him changing into his trouser and slipping into a white undershirt. When he turned around to discard his bathrobe, he caught me staring at him, and his lips twisted into a smile."Did I wake you up?" he asked, walking back to the bedside."No," I replied, covering my mouth as I broke into a yawn."Why not sleep still?" He sat down beside me and brushed his fingers on my hair. Those sweet and tender eyes sent a warm wave into my heart, making it pump a little faster.I sat up and pulled my knees,
I nodded, squinting my eyes. "Yes. What about her?The president's woman?' I whispered, afraid that somebody from outside would suddenly open the door."Yes. She is one of the patients whom Dr. Leila endorsed to me." She stressed out the words, her sharp and narrowed eyes drew both Dr. Mimi and mine's full attention"And?" I followed up."Mr. Sean Grey asked her to continue handling that lady. I have to see her for her regular checkup, but I would be the one to come to wherever Mr. Grey wanted to see her."I froze for a moment, and the same look of horror in my face reflected in Leila's expression."Red, tell me. Your new boyfriend's name is Sean Grey, right? Why would he have a say in that woman's prenatal care? Is she a relative?""What?!" Dr. Mimi butted in, confused and surprised.I did not answer, and my face dropped as if a yoke was tied to my head. My mind drifted back to the day I met Rya Sevilla at the ER. She was already hyst
"Dr. Red, it's you! I've heard you're on .vacation," the nurse exclaimed, happy to hear my voice.I smiled, looking at the screen. It's pleasing to know that someone missed me. "Yes, sir. How are you?""Fine, doc. Our hospital is still free from Bronc X virus infection, although we have some suspects currently admitted.""That's good to know," I answered, but my mind was debating whether or not I should ask what I had in mind."Doc, do you have something to ask me?"I chuckled, thankfulthat he opened it up for me. He had lessened my burden in finding the right words to say. "Sir, do you still remember our patient named Rya Sevilla?""The one who insisted on going home against medical advice?""Yes, sir." I skipped a breath, waiting for his reply."Of course, doc. How can I forget when she was so beautiful despite her bad mood. I'm even willing to be the receiver of her tantrums or hysteria if she just let me hold an
I got lost in my thoughts as I traced his lips with my finger. Rya Sevilla's lovely face flashed in my mind, and I started to imagine Sean's lips on hers. I snatched my hand back and looked away; the sense of humiliation started to rule my emotion. All of a sudden, I lost interest in listening to what he wanted to tell me."What is it?" Sean asked, and I could tell through that question that he understood that something was wrong."I-I suddenly feel dizzy," I lied. I couldn't tell him about my suspicion that Rya Sevilla was Calla and that I knew that he hid her somewhere. The thought hurt me, and I couldn't possibly get intimate with someone who had started cheating on me at an early stage of a relationship he himself had wanted to establish.A glint of worry spread across his face. He touched my head and my neck like I was a kid who was burning with fever. He lifted me in his arms and placed me at the center of the bed without any word. He then pulled up the sh
I opened my phone and checked the latest news. News about Bronc X virus infection was still the hottest, ruling the headlines for many days already. Its spread had become more extensive as it invaded more countries each day. All governments, local or nationwide, imposed several safety measures, including strict quarantines. Business operations, recreational and religious activities, and any gatherings were temporarily withheld to minimize the spread of infection.Eric's name on the headline caught my attention, so I hurried to open the article about him. It stated that he went to Sama Island and organized a team to investigate the source of this infection. He gained praise and admiration from the netizens for his cooperation to prevent the widespread of the virus. However, an anonymous person uploaded a post and exposed his relationship with a woman from Sama Island. Of course, I knew it's Calla, but what sent goosebumps all over my body was the statement saying that this wom
I wandered through the cornfields, still lost in my thought. The height of each corn was still on my shoulder level, so I could always look out ahead of me and appreciate the rolling greeneries below. I just followed the path winding down the hill until I reached a somewhat forest-like place. All I could see was the dense and huge trees springing from the soil in congested rows. A wide plank hanging on a tree contained the words, "NO ENTRY".I sat down on one of the boulders I saw at the side, taking in the refreshing sceneries around me. Since birth, I have lived in the city, so I had never been to this kind of place. The gushing of fresh air, the drumming cicadas, and the chirping of the birds were like music in my ears. There were wild flowering plants all around, as well as tied goats, cows, and carabaos along the way. I had decided then that if ever I would need peace of mind, I would come back to this beautiful haven.I thought about my situation. Just a few minu
"Do you wish to die?"My feet tipped off from the log as a force tugged me backward. I screamed, thinking I wouldn't be able to walk anymore! But then, my back landed on a pair of strong arms halfway to the ground. My eyes dilated in fear, and the first thing I saw as I opened my eyes was the reddened face of a man in her forties.The man put my feet down on the ground, and as soon as I gained my balance, he threw me a scowl, followed by a growl. His eyes almost popped out, and the veins in his temples bulged."Why are you wandering in this dangerous place? And entering in this restricted territory is even not enough for you. You dared to open the lid. Do you know what's inside?"My knees were already trembling. I was both scared at this man's reaction and guilty of trespassing. I did not answer, but my eyes stayed on him, wanting to know who he was. The fact that he was furious that I touched that huge barrel was enough to tell me that he was relat
"What's wrong?" I squirmed free from Sean's grip on my face. The man's face was also close to me that I felt suffocated. "Am I going to die? What are those damn bugs out there?""And why in the hell you're here?" Sean snarled. I stiffened; never did I think that this man I considered perfect was now barking at me. I felt humiliated, but I saw drops of tears running down his flushed cheek when I looked up at him."Patrick, what are we going to do?" Sean growled again, and I noticed his quivering lips, which he concealed by brushing his hair away with his fingers a couple of times.I looked at the man, and I shuddered at his pale lips. Drops of sweats were trickling down his temples."Sean, I don't know. You know I have not discovered or developed an antidote yet."From their tone, I realized I was in danger. What kind of bugs were there in those barrels that this man had to create an antidote? And why in the hell would he grow those kinds of bugs whos