Chapter 36
“Hey, stop crying. I’ll get the first aid kit,” Antonio said, kissing my cheek softly.
He grumbled as he retrieved it. “You’re not a child. Why are you always getting hurt? How will you survive without me?”
I stared at him, numb.
If he didn’t love me, why this charade of concern?
I was exhausted by the pretense.
That night, I tossed and turned, drenched in sweat.
At daybreak, Antonio pulled me from bed.
I shoved him off, but he leaned in to kiss me.
I almost slapped him instinctively, stopping myself just in time.
He barely grazed my lips. “Awake?” he asked.
I turned away, wiping my mouth in disgust. “It’s the weekend. Let me sleep.”
Antonio looked at me as if I were unreasonable. “You had a fever last night. We’re going to the hospital.”
Despite feeling fine, I couldn’t dissuade him.
In the hospital hallway, we encountered Alicia, limping on a twisted ankle.
Antonio’s tenderness toward me vanished, replaced by immediate concern
for her.
As if I didn’t exist, he rushed to her side. “How did you get hurt?”
Alicia smiled but her eyes met mine.
“Just twisted my ankle. Small world. Are you here to see a doctor too?” she said.
Antonio hesitated, then looked away from me. “My sis has a cold. I’m taking her to see a doctor.”
He always introduced me as his sister, claiming he was looking after me while Freddy was abroad.
Only a few closest friends knew our romance.
Alicia nodded, gesturing down the hall. “You guys go ahead. I’m off to the clinic on the other side.”
She hopped forward, and without a word, Antonio scooped her into his
arms.
“I’ll take you. Grace, wait here a minute.”
A wave of weakness washed over me at the sight of them together.
I leaned against the wall, speechless.
Antonio didn’t wait for a reply, simply carrying Alicia away.
His actions betrayed his true feelings.
He seemed oblivious to the depth of his love for her.
11
I forced a smile and went to my own appointment.
The weakness had a cause–my temperature was 41.3 degrees Celsius.
Neglecting the burn, combined with my emotional turmoil, had led to an infection.
I needed an IV.
I instinctively reached for my phone to call Antonio, then stopped.
“What a bad habit,” I thought, pushing the phone back into my pocket and heading off to get my meds alone.
