~~~ CHAPTER 23 - LOVESICK ~~~

"Get in the car," he immediately commanded like seeing me wasn't a good thing at all. Didn't he miss me? Was he not going to greet me?

I was slightly unprepared of this so it took me a few minutes to realize that he was actually commanding me to get inside the car. The next thing I knew, he was already on the driver seat waiting for me to get in. I ran to the other side of the car and slipped into the passenger seat.

"Thank you so much for picking me up today. You really surprise me, Nigel," I attempted to start a conversation.

However, it looked like he was not in the mood to talk. He didn't reply. What was the matter with him? Just before he left abroad last week, he acted very sweet to me. The memories I had with him having that dinner and doing the dishes together were still very vivid in my mind. So, what happened now? Why did he become cold again?

"Where's Marcos?" I asked still trying to put up a conversation. Yeah, where's Marcos? Why are you the one driving for me?

I gazed at his face. I missed everything about him, his handsome face, his familiar smell, his beguiling eyes, his sensual lips...

He muttered something in his breath and I wasn't able to understand what it was.

"Huh?" I asked.

He bit his lips.

Come on, Nigel, speak up! You've been away for a week and, now that you're here, you're going to act like you're raising a cold war again! What the hell!

Okay, he remained not talking to me.

So, what? Do I have to wait until you talk to me?

I decided to stop talking myself, turned my face to the side window, and even felt more the aching of my head. Gosh, what a bugging headache!

He said he was to show me something when he'd come back. Was being back to the coldest person on earth the "something" he was to show me? Great, wasn't it?

Not caring at all about my sulking, Nigel continued driving, muttered a curse when he was interrupted by the red light, let out a deep sigh, and tapped the stirring wheel while waiting for the change of traffic light. I was still not looking at him instead I had to let my other senses be conscious of his little activities in my side.

When the car moved again, I decided to look at him once more. He was so deep in his driving. So, he didn't really have a plan to talk to me.

Huh, Nigel and his mood swings!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"He's finally back, señorita," Suzana grinned at me when the both of us were alone in the doorway.

Nigel immediately went to his room the moment we arrived at the condo.

"Yeah..." I said without any hint of excitement in my voice.

"What happened, señorita?"

I sighed as we both advanced to the sofa. I sat and leaned my head on the headrest. My head was aching terribly.

"He was not talking to me," I complained.

"Not talking to you?" she echoed. "W-why?"

"Back to his usual ways, I guess..."

"Oh!" she gasped.

"I was even very glad when I saw him at the campus! You know the feeling, Suzana..." I took my head off the headrest and met her eyes, "And then, when we were finally together in the car, he never said anything to me like I didn't exist at all! I was even excited to know how he has been, why he was the one fetching me, and a lot of other things I want to talk to him. I mean, he was away for one whole week..."

Suzana looked at me with her wide eyes. "Well, that's very odd, señorita..."

"Odd?"

"The way he's treating you now," she replied.

I laughed, almost sarcastically. "Come on, Suzana! The way he's treating me right now is the usual stuff. Say it's odd when he acts sweetly to me."

"No, no, that's not what I mean, Señorita Thea. I said it's kind of odd because he was apparently jubilant when he arrived this morning from his flight. He seemed to be in a very good mood... yeah, and he even asked me how you have been doing... and then, he called Marcos..."

"Called Marcos? Why?"

"I just have the feeling that the señorito wanted to drive for you today. He must be missing you a lot..." She paused as if to think. Then, she moved closer to me to whisper, "So how could he immediately change his mood today?"

Really? Wanted to drive for me? I doubt it... Marcos must not be feeling well today... Yeah, that must be it...

Please don't give me false hope, Suzana.

"Call it mood disorder," I quipped. Oh, why was my head really aching? I pressed my fingers to my temples.

Suzana sat down beside me, "Señorita, what's wrong?"

"Just feel a little achy here."

"A headache. Well, you need to take a rest," she said with a concerned tone.

"Yeah, I guess so.."

Unexpectedly, a deep resonant voice interrupted our conversation, "I'll be out tonight so don't expect me for dinner."

Suzana and I looked up and saw Nigel standing about two meters away from us. I noticed that he had changed attire and looked absolutely fresh.

"Yes, señorito," Suzana answered as she stood up.

I did not speak, instead just looked at him. I wanted to know where he was going and who he would be with. Yet, my mind told me quickly that he was going out with Maria Stella. He must have missed her.

After a few seconds of no talking, I stood up holding my hand bag and opted to go to my bedroom. It seemed I needed a good rest tonight --- for my aching head and, yeah, for my aching heart. When I walked past him, I gave him a lazy smile. His eyes met mine instantly but I was very quick averting my gaze.

"Okay, have fun tonight," I said instead.

And he didn't see the tears falling from my eyes as I walked in the hallway going to my room.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"No, I'm not going home tonight. I'll be staying with you," Suzana insisted since I persuaded her to go.

I was on my bed, trying to ease the painful headache that had been bugging me since this afternoon. Not only that I was feeling that headache, I also began to feel muscle pains in all parts of my body.

"Don't stress yourself out, señorita. You've been thinking a lot these past few days. I think you need to rest," Suzana put the tray of food on my bedside table, "but you need to fill your stomach with something."

I shook my head while pulling the comforter to cover my body up to my neck. "I just want to sleep for now, Suzana. Please, don't worry about me."

"Not until you take the aspirin---"

I no longer heard what Suzana had been saying to me since I immediately fell asleep. It must be of my tired and pained body. When I opened my eyes again, still with the gnawing pain in the head and of my muscles, it was the cold temperature in the room that I first noticed. I felt so terribly cold.

Fever.

I'm having a fever.

"Suzana..."

"Yes, señorita, I'm just right here," she was sitting on the side of my bed. "You're chilling. You're having a fever."

"Will you please turn the aircon off?"

Immediately, I felt her move to do what I told her. Other than that, I couldn't effectively discern everything around me for all I could feel was my aching head and freaking cold feeling. Everything seemed a blurry until I felt someone pulled me up so my back could lean on the headboard.

"Please, take this, señorita." It was Suzana's voice.

I instantly felt a tablet was slipped into my mouth. The bitter taste of it made me want to spit it out. But, a glass of water was pressed into my mouth right off. I was forced to take a gulp of it.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"He hasn't come home yet," Suzana told me when I asked him about Nigel.

I woke up the next morning, no longer had that terrible headache but still feeling feverish. The physical pain might have slightly gone but the emotional turmoil had remained constant. Where could Nigel be?

"I've been calling him since last night but I can't reach him," she announced as she offered me a glass of milk. I was still on my bed but sitting up already, my back resting on the headboard.

I drank the milk and returned the glass to her afterwards.

"How are you feeling now, señorita?" A tone of concern came out of her mouth. She felt like family and I wanted to hug and thank her for just sticking around.

"I'm feeling a bit better. Thank you, Suzana."

"I called the señora," she disclosed.

"What? Did you tell her?" I was surprised. I didn't want to bother mommy Carol. It'd make her worried.

"I didn't know what to do last night. I couldn't reach the señorito and I was so worried, who else should I call?" she explained.

"Oh, Suzana, she's going to fret."

"Actually, she's fretting right now."

Oh, no!

"In fact, she is on the way..." Suzana continued.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"It's been a day and he hasn't come home yet? Where on earth is Nigelito Joaquin?" It was Mommy Carol's annoyed voice. She was talking to Suzana over the phone. "Okay, just come around. Bring some of Althea's clothes."

I was lying on the hospital bed and looking at mommy sitting on a chair beside my bed. She was shaking her head as she was holding her phone to her ear. She herself couldn't reach him.

Until now, Nigel hadn't come home. Where was he?

When mom and Diego arrived at noon time, they immediately brought me to a hospital. Suzana was left at the condo to do some chores but was agreed to follow us when she'd be done with all.

When evening came, I was still having an on-and-off fever so I had to take paracetamol every four hours. I felt it was just flu but my doctor made sure to have me examined. I was relieved afterwards to know that nothing serious had been diagnosed when the results of the lab exams had been released.

The physical pain plus the emotional turmoil I had been feeling, however, made everything so difficult for me to move. I felt I was stuck on the hospital bed. I was just thankful that mommy was here with me.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"How are you?"

Diego's vibrant face greeted me when I woke up after a short nap.

"I'm feeling better now. Thanks, Diego," I smiled at him. "I'm glad you're here."

It was true that my muscle pains were gone. I was actually feeling better and I already wanted to be relieved of the dextrose. It bothered me a lot because it seemed to hinder my every action.

I looked at Diego who was sitting on a chair beside my bed. I stared at him and noticed the changes in his looks --- his face being more vibrant, his built getting more manly, his skin getting smoother and shinier.

"College suits you, Diego," I complimented.

He gave me a questioning look.

"Look at you! You're getting..."

"More handsome?" he stated with a triumphant grin showing his dimple.

I smiled. Yeah, actually he was. I couldn't just tell him that.

"See, I made you smile!" he said still with a wide grin. "I'm happy you're feeling better now, Thea."

I beamed at him.

Wanting to have my back be rested on the headboard, I pulled myself up. Diego immediately helped me do it.

"Where's mom and Suzana?" I asked him later.

"The señora told Suzana to go home."

"Yeah, yeah, she needs that. She didn't go home last night," I nodded in approval.

"Señora Carol, by the way, went out of the room for a while answering a call. She didn't want to wake you up so she went out."

"From Nigel?" I guessed. I wanted the caller to be Nigel. I wanted to know where he was.

"Don't know. Probably the señorito, probably not."

I was disappointed. How could Nigel not bother to check on me? He probably was having a time of his life with that Maria Stella!

"How's your heart, Thea?" I heard Diego ask me when I closed my eyes as I was preventing myself to cry.

I opened my eyes and stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Does he always hurt you?" It was a question that I didn't expect him to ask. Did he see that I was in pain right now?

Diego, for sure, was referring to Nigel. How would I tell him that the man I chose over the others had been hurting me so much?

As much as I wanted to share everything to Diego, I just couldn't. When you love, you just give it all even if it hurts, for it is only in giving that you will receive. Someday, Nigel would realize it all.

I flashed a smile to Diego. "My heart is healthy as always, Diego. It beats madly but it's totally sane for it knows how to love."

Diego stared at me for a long time. "Thea..."

I clasped his hand. He jerked surprisingly but, a little later, he relaxed himself from my touch.

"Don't worry about me, Diego. I'm totally fine."

"No, you're not. I know it because he's not here. If he loves you, he must be here with you, he must be looking after you. Where is he now, Thea?"

Oh, Diego, please, don't make me cry. Don't dig this dirt I'm trying to bury.

For seconds, I felt a lump in my throat. Afterwards, I found the courage to speak again, "When you're engaged to the President of the Sarmiento Corporation, you don't expect to be with him all the time. You don't expect his presence all the time. He's a very busy man, Diego." I knew it wasn't the reason why Nigel wasn't around now because my heart kept on yelling inside that he was spending his precious time with Maria Stella. Of course, I couldn't tell Diego about that. I just had to cover-up for my fiancè.

Diego's expression seemed unconvinced. So I had to give him a smile to complete my pretense. I even squeezed his hand under my palm.

"Nigel will be here soon, you'll see," I said, still trying to convince him.

Then, his free palm was placed on top of my hand that was clasping his other hand. "I only wish your happiness, Thea. You deserve to be loved and cared."

I smiled at him. "Thanks for your concern."

We smiled at each other. I was just thankful that Diego was here trying to ease my pain.

We were in that scenario when, suddenly, the door of my hospital room opened and, what met my eyes was the man I waited to arrive. In plain white shirt and ripped jeans, Nigel looked breathtakingly hot but a bit disoriented... He immediately sought my eyes, but it had just become a glimpse on mine for his eyes travelled to Diego right afterwards. Before I could utter a word, Nigel's gaze landed on my hand that was held by Diego on the edge of my hospital bed. It was too late for me to pull my hand away from Diego's touch.

Nigel's facial expression suddenly darkened. He uttered a curse loudly, clenched his jaws, and shut the door violently as he left without even saying something to me.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

A/N

I just love Nigel being like that... He's my baby pet... :D

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