"Yay! I missed our house. Those things, the smell of the sofa and pillows, as well as the taste of Mama's cooking skills. I missed all of this!"
I looked around our house and just closed my eyes because of the joy I felt. God! This what feels at home. I always pray to God for countless times just to let me go home. A hospital, that place really sucks.
"Baby, don't be naughty. The doctor said that you have to rest after you get home. Go up first," my strict boyfriend ordered me.
I nodded and was about to pick up the bag he was carrying when he avoided it from me. He gestured me to climb upstairs first so I did. He just followed me with my belongings but when I opened the door I let him go first because he was carrying a lot.
"Baby, are you leaving? Do you have something to do?" I asked him.
He turned around to face me after putting my luggages back."Today's Friday so I'm gonna spend my time with you. I said goodbye to Sister and on Monday I'll be in. I'll get my schoolworks and I'll bring it here. I'll do it here to watch over you too since your parents are leaving to work."
"Isn't it too much? You took care of me at the hospital and ended up here? I think I'm just a burden to you."
He immediately climbed on the bed to be next to me."Don't overthink, baby. I'm not doing this just because it's my responsibility but because I want to. You're my girlfriend and taking care of you is nothing hard. Promise, no sweat."
I just let him go because he looks really persistent. Whether he like it or not, he needs to leave for a while because of some matters. He will return later with his belongings. I also want to do my homeworks and since he's not here yet, there's probably nothing wrong with me answering just one or two. It won't stress me out, I guess?
Just like what he'd said, I had to stay in my room until he gets back so I have no other choice but to do it in my bed. Almost all of my subjects were a little bit hard so I had to slow down in answering and without my head hurt again. I don't even know why my brain was included since my disease doesn't involve headache. Just breathing but why does my head seem to be affected as well.
Fortunately, Mau brings notes after each class so I can read something. I was in the middle of writing an essay when I heard a phone's ringtone, seems like someone's calling. I'm just wondering if it's not mine and it doesn't sound familiar. I get off the bed to search for that phone and then my eyes narrowed to my luggage, beside it was Caseth's phone. I was still hesitant whether to take it or not but eventually I picked it up on the floor. Maybe he didn't notice that his phone fell on the floor when he's putting my luggages back.
I was stunned for a minute when I saw her name on the screen. I wonder what would be his reaction if he knew that Ashley called him. She has the guts to call him after knowing that he's mad at her. I didn't know he was so desperate. It was too late when I realized that I had answered the call and that he had spoken.
[Hey, hon. I'm glad that you answered my call. I said you can't stand me, even though you know I did that to your worthless girlfriend. I want to see you again and have a date with you. Are you free today?]
Out of annoyance I turned off the call and turned off his phone. I put his phone back on the floor so he wouldn't wonder why I had it. I rushed back to bed and continued what I was doing.
Argh! That girl is getting off my nerves!
Why can't she accept the fact that he has a girlfriend and it's me?! That he loves me and he no longer. It's her fault, anyway. He left Caseth and chose his career more and now he will come back as if nothing had happened. That he thought it was so easy to forget what he had done to Caseth and the pain he had caused her. How pathetic!
"Baby, did you see my phone? I just found out that I lost it on the way back home." The door opened and he seemed to be in a hurry to find his phone.
Why? Is he worried that Ashley might call him and I'll be the one to answer it?
"No, I didn't see it. Just look for it." I continued writing my essay and didn't even bothered to look at him.
I noticed he was stunned so he came over to where I was and sat down next to me."Why are you doing your homeworks? I thought you were resting yourself?"
"It's not hard to do homework so it's okay. Did you see your phone?" I change the topic.
"Yeah. I thought I was just left in the hospital, I still have a lot of important things there."
I stopped writing and looked at him."Like what? Your socmed accounts? Numbers saved on your phone? What is it?"
He gave me his phone and gestured me to open it."Look at everything here, the date when you finally said yes to me is the password. You can search everything there, I'm not hiding anything. I'll just take nap in your bed while you're still busy. Just wake me up whenever you're hungry."
I couldn't answer because I had already opened his phone. He looks so hot in his lock screen wallpaper because he has nothing on top and just shorts. When I finally opened his phone, I was surprised after seeing our picture in his home screen wallpaper. I first looked at his gallery and I saw three folders there.
My girl. Stolen pictures. Myself.
I saw almost hundred of pictures in his first folder and it was all mine. All of that I guess he took from my instagram and my facebook. I didn't realize that I was laughing at my own face in his gallery. I never did expected that he's been saving my pictures in his gallery.
When I looked back at him he was sound asleep and still a little sweaty. Our house doesn't have air conditioning so I was suddenly embarrassed. I get the electric fan and placed it beside him to give some air. After that, I sat next to him while leaning my back on the headboard of my bed. One of my hands was playing with her hair while the other was fiddling with her phone.
The second folder in his gallery which is the stolens were still all about me. He's a bit much compared to the first folder of my pictures and I still can't help but laugh because of the epic look on my face. Those pictures that I don't like were already deleted and I know he would totally freak out. He probably struggled to take it because my face is always close to the camera.
Why didn't I even notice him taking some pictures of me? Or maybe he just ordered someone to shoot me. Who knows?
In his third and last folder are his pictures. I enjoyed watching it since he's not fond of social medias so he doesn't have many picture posts of him. I immediately get my phone from the side table and quickly send his pictures to me. It's as if I have something to use or look at when I miss him.
"Baby, wake up now. Your baby is hungry already," I said softly while caressing his hair.
He groaned and moved a little, still closing his eyes. After a while his hand suddenly moved to my waist and hugged me tightly then went back to sleep. I suddenly got an idea so I took some pictures of him while sleeping. I even showed him hugging me while one of my hands was holding his hair, of course I didn't show my face. I laughed on thinking what would be my friends reaction if I'll send it in our group chat.
Kyla: Geez! Kaloka ka ghorl!
Fiona: Jesus! What project did you two do and got tired?
Jelo: Let me remind you, Shara. You've just been released from the hospital, you might get relapse.
Josh: How do you stretch and then get over it?
Roses: Gorgeous! Did you eat?
Steven: Son of--- Are you working?
Maureen: OMG! MY WISH HAS COME TRUE! PASS THIS TO ALL YOUR GROUP CHATS SO YOU CAN HAVE BLESSINGS TOMORROW!
I burst out laughing when they all haha ​​Mau's chat. No one even replied to him and he just sineen. I just stopped laughing when Caseth sat down beside me with his messy hair and grabbed my phone with frowned eyebrows. I was about to take it back when he suddenly typed and then pressed the video call.
"Caseth! Hey! Give me my phone." I was about to get up when he pulled me back onto the bed and sat me down next to him.
"Hey guys, it's me Caseth. Can you do me a favor? I'll send some pictures of us and then spread it right away to the Academy. I want them to know that I already owned this girl beside me." He even kissed me on the forehead and I saw it on the camera so they were all filled with laughter.
They even showed the call to our classmates so I buried my face in his chest out of embarrassment. He ended the call after that and let me face him. His messy hair and cute eyes were looking at me so I felt so shy. He just got even hotter and more handsome in my eyes.
"Baby?" he asked.
"Hmm?" my weak answer.
"Can I kiss you? I've been holding back from kissing you before. I'm just asking for your per---"
I didn't let him finish his words and kissed him in an instant. He held my chin to deepen our kisses while I encircled my hands on his nape. We just stopped as we both gasped for breath. He fixed my hair and smiled then kissed my forehead.
"Let's go downstairs, I'll cook for you. You can't go hungry so I'll cook for you right away." He held out his hand in front of me and I accepted it with a smile.
After we ate, he still represented washing the dishes because I had just come out. I can do the household chores if it's really sure that I'll be okay.
I went up to my room first because he said I could finish my essay. It's so peaceful that's why my mind is functioning properly. I finished my essay quickly so I was able to proceed to my next subject which is Filipino. There were so many follow-up questions but the story isn't written on the test paper. I searched for some Filipino notes from the notebooks that Mau let me borrow and opened it immediately.
"Baby, I just did a thesis. Is it okay if I'll borrow your laptop?" He entered the room and sat at my study table.
I just nodded in response and didn't look at him because I'm busy reading the story. When I answer him I might lose focus and go back to the beginning. I just let him do what he wants until I heard him typing on the keyboard of my laptop. I just kept reading until I had finished the whole story which took a few more pages.
His phone rang right next to me so I immediately turned it around and saw who was calling. Caseth probably heard it but he's busy typing and looks like he doesn't care about the call.
"Baby, Ashley's calling you again," I called him to get his attention.
There she turned to me and looked at her phone for a moment."So, she called earlier when I left my phone here? That must be the reason why you sounded mad when I arrived here and asked where did I left my phone. I don't care about her, baby. You can answer the call if you want. It's a good thing I was left here so you answered, I don't want to hear her loud voice."
I don’t know what pushed me to answer the call and turn it on loudspeaker so Caseth could also hear what he had to say.
[Hon! You answered the call again but you didn't speak before. Admit it! You're still waiting for my calls like I usually do---]
"It's me, Shara. I was the one who answered your call earlier because Caseth left her phone here in my room."
I looked at him and he just gave me a sweet smile before putting his attention to his work.
[What?! You! Why is he coming to you, huh?! You biatch! Not you---]
"Call her like that again and I'll sue you for injecting my girlfriend that sleeping vaccine. Don't be so stupid, Ms. De Guzman. It's not you I love but the woman I'm with now," he seriously interrupted.
[H-Hon... I-I just did it because I love you. She doesn't deserve you, Cahleen. And I'll do anything just to get you back. Promise that]
"Do you think I will let you? Dream on. He's mine and mine alone. I don't share what's mine so you better find yours," I said calmly on the other line.
I saw how the side of his lips rose up but he didn't turned his gaze on me.
[He's mine first so I have the right---]
It's rude but I ended up the call right away because he was really annoying. I turned off his phone and put it beside me. My desire to do my schoolworks suddenly disappeared like a bubble because of just one call from that woman.
She kepts on interfering in our relationship!
"Baby, do your parents know we're here? I mean... do they know anything about me?" I couldn't help but ask.
He stopped typing and gestured me to come closer."Yes, of course. From the day that I started courted you, they knew. Right now, they were having a business trip on Los Angeles but they will be back soon. You'll meet in person, I promise that."
"What if they don't like me for you? The state of our gap with each other, it's just a state of---"
"Sshh! Do you think I love you because of money or such great things? I have a lot of those things and you're the only one I have that no one else has. Don't overthink, okay? They'll like you and if otherwise, I will still fight you." He wrapped his hands on my waist and so I did on his nape.
Me too, Caseth. While I'm not completely giving up, we'll stay together. At least, I know on myself that I fought for you, right?