“So, tell me. How bad was it, and how are you right now?”
Flashes of all I had gone through in Huracio’s hands streaked through my mind. Especially getting steamed and cooled like chicken. I took a deep breath and sincerely replied.
“Bad. It was bad. Viruses shouldn’t exist, Emilia. I thought I was going to die. Then, I fainted. I don’t think I will ever go to the beach again.”
“Oh darling, I am so sorry. Let me know when it’s okay to come over. It will be best if he is not around.” She said conspiratorially.
“Well, he is not…” I replied with my voice overlapping her last line. Then, I choked and gasped. “What did you say?”
“I know you heard me.” She snorted.
I could imagine her rolling her eyes and silently hissing like a rattlesnake.
“Let’s get coffee tomorrow at the usual spot.” I quickly suggested.
“Are you sure you should be drinking coffee?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to see me? I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. Let’s get coffee after.”
“Okay. What hospital? I will join you there.”
“…”
Stomped, I ended the call.
Why can’t she just agree to meet at our coffee shop? Arrh!
Frustrated, I switched off the phone and started pacing the room again.
I needed a hospital and a doctor’s appointment.
Yes, Gerald. Doctor Gerald will do.
I hurried out of the room and started looking for Rosa.
“Rosa! Rosa! Rosa… .!!! ”
Knowing she was somewhere in the house, I stood in the middle of the living room and started screaming her name.
“Miss?” She finally emerged from God knows where looking perplexed.
“I don’t feel fine. Can you help me get Doctor Gerald?”
“Sure. But what is wrong?”
“Just get the doc.” I abruptly turned around and walked up the stairs.
Not long after, she came to notify me.
The doctor was around.
“You don’t look sick.” The grumpy doc grumbled with reproachful eyes.
‘I need a little favor from you, Doc.” I went straight to the point. “I need a doctor’s appointment for a checkup tomorrow at the hospital where you work.”
“Why?” He asked, looking confused.
“I need to meet someone, and I don’t want to bring them here.”
“…”
He squinted his eyes at me, probably trying to come up with a sharp retort, but all of a sudden, his tense shoulders relaxed and he huffed.
“Hospital is Gerald’s specialist and you can google the address.”
Once he was done, he simply turned around and left.
I ran upstairs, found the address, and forwarded it to Emilia with the excuse that my phone ran out of juice.
The next morning, Stone, the bodyguard who brought me back the last time, drove me to the hospital. The moment I introduced myself, the nurse at the reception desk made a call, and another nurse appeared. She led me to what looked like a conference room and then asked me for the details of the person I was waiting for.
“I am not having the meeting here. I am just letting them pick me up from here.” I explained to her.
Thirty minutes later, Emilia arrived. Having not seen her for so long, I couldn’t hold back. We hugged and cried a little bit.
“So, have you heard from my mother?” I abruptly asked as we walked out of the hospital.
“No.” She shook her head. “Ain’t you worried that something might have happened to her?” She asked worriedly.
“Of course, I am worried. But what can I do? Huracio is also looking for her everywhere.”
“Do you trust him?” She raised her brows, looking disappointed.
“Can we not talk about Huracio? Emilia, Please. I grabbed her hands and pleaded earnestly. “If you want to keep seeing me, you can’t bring up Huracio, Okay? Please.”
“… ”
The disappointment in her eyes became dense. She gave me a hard look and then swallowed hard.
“If that’s the way you want it.” She finally shrugged.
I quickly hugged her and thanked her.
“I promise, it’s for the best. I promise.”
Our favorite coffee spot is close to our high school. This was where we hung out when we started preparing for the finals. The desserts are to die for, and the coffees and teas taste great.
“So, your honeymoon…” She stuffed her mouth with a big chunk of cake and continued speaking. “I mean, the part before the beach. How was it?”
“Aaah, that. Well, it was fine I guess.” I shrugged.
“That’s all?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, hoping against hope that she would drop it…
“Nope, nope.” She shook her head decisively. “I don’t care how boring it was, I want all the details.”
But as expected, Emilia was just getting started. Luckily, I was prepared. All I had to do was try not to chew my lip.
“Did you do it?” She suddenly leaned forward and whispered with her eyes filled with a mix of excitement and curiosity.
“Do what?” I frowned, completely lost.
“You know…,” she gave my thighs a pointed look and my cheeks instantly grew red.
“That beast, he actually forced himself on you?” Her easy-going demeanor suddenly turned hostile and fiery.
“No. You misunderstood.” I quickly shook my head. “He promised to wait till I am ready.”
“But what if your mum comes back?”
“I don’t think she will, Emilia,” I replied in a near whisper while trying to contain the sudden urge to cry that left my throat bubbling with a rumbling of restrained sobs.
Though I prayed that Mum would come back, after seeing Huracio’s red room, I started doubting. Maybe she ran away because she got scared.
“Can we talk about something else?”
“…”
She just went still and stared at me for at least a minute. Her eyes were filled with worry and curiosity.
“Emilia…”
Sighing, she shook her head and waved her right hand dismissively.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Grabbing her cup of iced tea, she upturned it and gulped it all down.
This was a clear sign that she was frustrated and holding back. I knew I had to find a topic that could distract her, but I don’t think anything could distract my best friend from worrying over me.
“So, what’s been going on since I left?”
I took a sip of my coffee, hoping she would take the bait, but what followed got my eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Well, some bitch got karma hitting them like a tornado.” She replied with a smack of her lips. Her mood suddenly peaked. She placed her teacup on the table with a little bang and snapped her fingers.
Now, when Emilia gets like that, the gist is good.
“Give it to me.”