CHAPTER EIGHT

The night was short, I woke up at the wrong side of my bed with aching bones and swollen eyes. I tried to use makeup to cover it but there was slight evidence I've been crying. Mom saw me that morning and she was worried because I looked dull and pale. 

"Are you pregnant?" she asked.

I got upset and walked out of the house without eating breakfast. That day in class, nothing excites me. It was as if Nathan and I just broke up. Precious and Sandra tried to cheer me up but nothing worked. I didn't sit with Nicholas that day. 

Finally class was dismissed. It was raining outside, I hurriedly picked my bag, without engaging in a conversation with anyone, I stormed out of school. 

I didn't put my health into consideration. Sandra and Precious tried to stop me, I gave deaf ears and walked home in the rain. Meanwhile some students without an umbrella waited for the rain to cease. 

"Emily! Emily!!" a faint voice called out from a distant. 

I turned around to see Nicholas chasing me in the rain. He was all drenched too. I didn't stop. I was still moving then he got to me and pulled me back "What is wrong with you? Why are you hurting yourself" he scolded, yelling at me angrily.

I just wish he could slap me out of my senses. I wanted to transfer aggression badly. I looked at him with tears in my eyes then I continued moving forward. 

He held my arm and pulled me back again. 

"Leave me alone" I lashed out. 

He hugged me tightly and said "When you love something, let it go. If it doesn't come back to you, you chase after it and never lose it again. I want to be with you Emily. I love you". 

I was hypnotized by the mellow tone of his voice. In his arms, I felt really warm and safe. His words were cocaine. My heart beat accelerated in anxiety and excitement. 

Those words captivated my soul. I didn't know when I kissed him. He loosed his grip and kissed me back passionately. 

It felt good kissing in the rain. As the thunder strikes and as the wind blows, my heart melted away. The feeling changed as I was beginning to experience asthma exacerbation. The muscles around my airways contract and the airways produced extra mucus, causing my bronchial to narrow. I coughed uncontrollably and wheeze as I was having trouble breathing. 

I struggled to unzip my handbag. 

"What? What are you looking for?" Nicholas became anxious. 

He snatched the bag from my hand and searched inside "What? What is it" 

I pointed to the bag "My.. My.. Inh" I gasped for air trying to pronounce inhaler. 

He searched in my bag with shaking hands. I knew he was scared. When he found my inhaler, he brought it out in a whim, looked at it then he looked at me, jaw dropped as he stood still watching me die. 

I snatched it from his hand and administered it in my mouth. I felt relieved then we ran to a shade. 

He took off his shirt, squeezed it and dried my hair with it. This was the first time I envisioned his hairy chest and toned abdomen. 

"Feel it, feel it!" my mind wrestled. 

I controlled my emotions and tried to resist the temptation. My hands moved on his chest and he receded. 

I raised my head to see his face. He wore a facial expression that says please go away. 

"I'm sorry" I said. He pulled back without a response. This was becoming awkward and annoying 

"Why are you acting different" I asked. 

"Why didn't you tell me you are asthmatic?" he questioned. 

"Was that suppose to be an announcement?" I became apoplectic. 

"Well you should have said something before you kissed me" he responded. 

"And you should have asked questions before you kissed back. Urgh!" I pulled my hair and stamped my feet in outrage. 

He looked at me without uttering a word.

"This was a mistake, I should not have kissed you. I'm sorry you discriminate against asthmatic individuals." I sobbed as I bowed my head to hide my tears. 

He walked up to me and tilted my head with his knuckles "If once is a mistake, then we should do it again". 

I gasped, looking right in his eyes as my pupils dilated in confusion. 

He kissed every juice in my mouth and left me craving for more. "I love you, and I'm not leaving you" he affirmed. 

We took a cab and went to his place. I got dressed in his t-shirt and long socks. He dried my clothes and properties. I watched him make hot tea for me. We cuddled under the duvet in a spoon position as he squeezed my boobs tightly to feel warm. 

"Babe, how long have you been asthmatic?" 

OMG! Did he just call me babe? "I was born with it" I responded. 

"Is it genetic?" he asked again. 

Why is he asking dumb questions and why are we still on this? Does it border him? 

"There is no trace from my blood line. Just me" I said. 

"Babe, I love you no matter what. I'm sorry if how I acted pissed you off. Truth be told, I was scared. I've never seen such display in my life. I didn't know what to do or how to act. I guess I was in shocked. I'm sorry please" he pleaded. 

I took his hands on my body and kissed it softly "it's okay" I said. 

"You know.. I was the one that asked Luke to get your number the other day, we did not really need your biology note. I just did not want you to snub me. And Luke is in the best position to talk to a girl like you" he confessed. 

"oh my God, you don't mean it" I laughed. 

He breath slightly in my ear and whispered "I had eyes for you the first day I saw you". 

 "And you acted like the tough guy, huh?" I teased. 

He bit my ear softly and said "I can't be vulnerable. Do you want to hear the most interesting part?" 

I turned to him, in a honeymoon hug position "Tell me" I smiled. 

"I was the one chating with you as Luke. I wanted to know if I had any chances with you and you blabbed it all" he said.

"Coward" I pinched his nose, making an ugly face. 

We talked about everything. I was happy again. Could it be that I am in love with Nicholas? I was certain my heart beats for him.