"Please let me know once dad already makes a decision," I said on the phone while talking to my cousin the next day. I am getting ready for work as I talked to her. I put my files inside my attache case and waited for her to respond.
"Sure, Nathalie. I already talked to your mom about the situation. Let's hope that she can also convince uncle Frank so we can move forward," she stated calmly.
"Thank you, Shaira. I really hope he will make up his mind this time. Call me if something happens that I need to know, alright?"
"No worries, and yeah! You'll hear from me soon. Please, take care!"
"Thanks, Shaira. You too."
After that morning call, I went downstairs so that I can join my grandma Helga and Chandria on a breakfast in the dining room. Their gazes turned on me when I sat on the available chair in front of them.
"Sweetheart, you look sick. Are you sure you want to work today?" grandma asked me in her concerned tone.
"I am fine, grandma. You have nothing to worry about," I assured her and started eating the food I put on my plate.
"Are you sure, babe? Your face looks so pale right now." Chandria commented while looking at me.
"I'm alright, Chan. I can handle this, okay?" I said because they knew that I woke up with a mild fever but I can surely manage myself.
Chandria will stay here for another week so I felt relieved because she can be with my grandmother while I am at work. I already asked her to take care of my grandma and make sure she takes her vitamins and medicines on time. She also said that they can play games in the entertainment room and she will help her with creating social media accounts so she can do something else on her phone. I am happy that they are too close enough for my grandma not to feel sad when I am not around. I left our house after our breakfast and drove my way to the office.
Unlike yesterday that the rain poured the whole time, the sky today is much clearer and the sun is up perfectly. I can't help but to observe the people I saw on the road. They appeared to be happy and excited maybe because they can do a lot of things since the weather is fine.
I breathed heavily and turned on the air-conditioning of my car because I feel the mild heat all over my body. After a few minutes of driving, I arrived in the Hall of Justice. I just parked my car in the parking lot and then went inside the office immediately.
"Good morning!" Jameson greeted me with all smiles on his face.
"Morning," I greeted him back and then entered in my office room.
I immediately sat on my swiveling chair and started to check the piled up documents on my desk. I need to hand them over to our Judges so I scanned through the papers, making sure that the shorthand is properly written and there are no errors.
I noticed that someone followed me in my office so I looked up and saw Jameson standing and leaning his back on the door.
"What?" I asked him curiously.
His forehead creased as he continued to look at me intently.
"Are you alright?" He asked me carefully that made me blink twice.
I nodded slowly at him, not minding the heat I'm feeling all over my body because I think I can still handle it. I can still work today.
"Your face doesn't say so. You look sick, Nathalie."
"I'm fine, Jameson. Don't worry about me," I assured him and looked down at the documents on my hand. I scanned through them again.
"If you need a medicine, I can get some for you." he offered and then cleared his throat.
"No, I think I'm good. Thanks though," I said without glaring back at him.
I heard him sigh in defeat.
In the end, he just let me do my thing and left me in my office. That's the only time I glanced at the door and shook my head. I let out a heavy sigh.
I still managed to attend at two court hearing today despite how I feel today. I didn't even notice that it's already three o'clock in the afternoon when I went outside of the court room. I waited for Judge Villanueva and talked to him about a few things regarding the documents I gave to him.
After that conversation, I went back to my office and gathered all my things so that I can go home early. I put all my recorders and notes inside my attache case. I grabbed my sling back and decided to check my phone first to see if my cousin already sent me an update.
Shaira only sent me one text message so I read it without further ado.
Shaira: Great news! Uncle Frank has finally agreed with our decision!
I sighed in relief. It was like my mind has finally get freed from our company problem and I can't wait to move forward with my parents. But then, I felt like running out of breath right now. Using my hand, I started fanning myself because the heat I'm feeling the whole day got worst. From just a mild heat, it became severe that it started blurring my sight already. I breathed heavily as I felt my chest tightening. I unbuttoned the first two buttons of my corporate polo so that I can breathe freely but it doesn't even sustain the air I need.
"Nathalie," I heard Jameson's familiar voice outside of my office. He knocked on the door twice and then opened it slowly.
I swallowed hard. I gathered all the remaining strength in me before turning my gaze on him, wearing nothing but the invisible mask I've created when facing everyone here in the office.
"Yes, Jameson?"
"Uhm... I noticed that you didn't eat anything on lunch earlier. Do you want to eat with me in the near restaurant before you go home?" he asked shyly, obviously hesitant about what he is doing right now.
I shook my head to decline his offer. I always felt guilty whenever I refuse to his offer but I have no other choice. I made a promise to myself that I won't let any man enter in my world again. I finally realized that I don't need a man in order to live. I've learned enough from the past. I've learned so much lessons in a very hard way.
"I can eat at home, Jameson." I said and the turned my back on him to grab my attache case. "Thank you for the offer though. I will just see you tom--" My sight suddenly darkened that I got out of balance. Good thing that I was able to hold on my desk. "T-Tomorrow..."
"Fuck..." Jameson quickly walked towards me. He held me in my shoulder. "Are you alright?"
I was startled a bit, without even thinking I remove his hand on my shoulder and breathed deeply.
"I..." I cleared my throat as I started to feel dizzy. "D-Don't worry. I'm going home now."
I managed to walk slowly. I went outside of the office. Jameson was still worried so he followed me and made sure that I would be able to go into the parking lot safely even though I already told him that I can handle myself.
The severe heat I'm feeling became unbearable. It made me running out of breath, dizzy and my eyesight became blurry. I had to stop walking twice as I needed to catch my breath. When I reached the parking lot, I immediately took the car key inside my sling bag.
"You can go." I told Jameson without looking at him.
"Are you sure that you can drive?" He asked in a worried tone.
"Of course, I can handle myself, Jameson. Thank you for today." I said and sighed heavily. I held on the driver seat's door and waited for him to leave.
"A-Alright... Make sure to rest and take some medicines if needed." he stated and then left me that gave me a sigh of relief.
I leaned my back on the car. My hand went to my chest. My ragged breathing became evident. I blinked several times because it felt like my eyelids were too heavy. The heat I am feeling all over my body escalated quickly that made my knees go weak. My lips parted when my eyesight started darkening again. I lose control on my body that I just fell.
I fell but my body didn't reach the cemented floor as someone caught me quickly.
"Risha!" a familiar deep voice called my name.
I wanted to say something but I can't speak anymore because I am already losing the air that kept me alive. It was suffocating.
"Rish... Wake up!"
My eyes closed automatically. I felt someone carrying me before I passed out. After that, everything went blurry.
***
I opened my eyes when I came back to my senses. I blinked several times when I saw a familiar painting hanged on the wall. I stared at it carefully, confused and wondering as to why I am seeing Chandria's painting in here all of a sudden. I also felt something wet on my forehead. I touched it and figured out that it is a wet towel.
I can't help but start to wonder because something caught my attention. This bed where I am laying down is unfamiliar. Not just that... there is a familiar arm around my waist. Someone is hugging me from my back. I swallowed hard and turned to him slowly.
My lips parted when I saw Evan's face. He's sleeping peacefully while hugging me. My eyes widened in disbelief and my heart started to pound aggressively like how it did before whenever he was around. I can't believe that he's here with me. I bit my lower lip and inhaled sharply.
It has been a long time since the last moment I saw his face. Now that I am seeing it this close, it felt like all the emotions he made me feel every time he's near me before has started to become alive again.
And I didn't see this coming. I never thought that we'll get this close once again. He's near me... The person who destroyed me and made my life miserable... a living hell... is here, peacefully sleeping on the same bed with me.
How can he be so angelic and demonic at the same time? I pressed my lips together as I try to suppress the familiar emotions stirring inside my chest. I gasped a little bit and shook my head. He's really impossible.
A lot of questions have started to whirl through my head. Like what am I doing here? Why is he with me? I tried so hard to remember the last thing that happened in the office. Everything went blurry and I can't remember anything after the dizziness and suffocation I felt in the parking lot.
I noticed that he breathed deeply. It's like the time just stopped when he opened his eyes.
Our eyes met after a long period of time.
I saw the pain and fear in his eyes but it all went away in just a matter of seconds. I can't take it. The way he stares at me... it's bothering the shit in me...
I gathered all my strength and decided to get up. This is not right. I should be at home right now and not with him!
Why am I here, anyway?
"Do you feel better now?" he asked me in his husky yet careful tone.
I blinked once again and looked away. My heart is like on a marathon right now. I am not even sure why my heart reacts this way. Is it because of the anger I have towards or the fact that we're on the same bed? I don't know!
One thing is for sure. His presence makes me go crazy. Like in just a snap, he can destroy my sanity. He did it a lot of times before and I won't let it happen again. Everything has changed. I must protect myself from him.