believe me, do you?” he
asked, sounding very amused.
“That you’re
gonna die? No! This is obviously another ploy to get my attention, like when
you asked me to marry you that day.” My cheeks smarted as I recalled the look
in his eyes when he had said ‘marry me.’ He had seemed so- earnest. He was
playing! You know that, Celsi! Right? –Right?
“That worked,
didn’t it?” he asked, a smug look on his face.
“Well, this
won’t work. Save your awful practical jokes for someone who’ll fall for them. I
have to leave.”
Pretty good for
a dramatic exit. Unfortunately, Luke just wouldn’t let me leave. As I was
opening the door again, he got up from the bed, wincing again (curiosity was
kicking into gear. I had to know why he was wincing), and picked up a sheaf of
papers from the side table. “I can prove it,” he said simply, padding over to
me and handing me the papers.
Our fingers
brushed as I took them and I tried to ignore the frisson of electricity that
passed between us due to that fleeting touch. Figment of my overactive
imagination. But my eyes flickered up to Luke’s and as his eyes widened
slightly, all of a sudden I knew that he had felt it too.
“Uh, what is
this?” I asked, bending my head over the papers so that I wasn’t looking at him
anymore. God, every time I was around Luke I turned into a mess! Was I that
deprived? Well, considering the only person who flirts with you is that
homeless guy who hangs out at the subway station, I’d say yes! Shut up, mind.
But I couldn’t
ignore him because he was standing right next to me now, his breath making my
ear tingle. “See?” he said, pointing to a section of one of the papers.
“Written proof.”
My eyes scanned
the portion he pointed out for me and as I read, my throat grew dry. Looking up
at Luke, I managed to whisper “You have a cerebral aneurysm?”
He raised his
eyebrows, shooting me a surprised look. “You’ve heard of them? Coz I gotta be
honest with you. I didn’t even know what an aneurysm was till about 30 minutes
ago.”
“We learnt
about them in Science class. I’m so sorry, I- I didn’t think you were telling
the truth,” I said, biting my lip. Now I felt bad. Aneurysms were very serious,
from what I remembered, especially if they ruptured. And just the thought of Luke
going through that- even though I didn’t know him well at all, I still felt bad
for him. He has to be going through hell right now.
“So I guess you
have to forgive me now,” he said, a cheerful smile on his face. Or not. “Coz
if I die tomorrow- or even tonight- you’re going to feel like a jerk. Hey, I
might even haunt you!”
“You’re not
going to die,” I said automatically, pursing my lips up at him.
“You don’t need
to sugar coat it for me, CiCi; I’m resigned to my fate.” Carefully taking the
papers from me (and making sure not to touch my hand again) he walked back to
his bed, whistling snatches of the song ‘Just Dance’. Please don’t burst
into song again. “So- we cool? You gonna accept my apology?” he asked me
over his shoulder.
What would you
have done?
“Okay,” I
sighed, following him. I needed to sit down for a moment. “Apology accepted.
But only because you’re sick. I just want you to get a good night’s sleep.”
He squinted at
me, grinning. “You’re saying you wouldn’t have forgiven me if I hadn’t been sick?”
I nodded, even
though I was lying. If he kept up the adorable sideway glances, I would have
forgiven him for anything and everything. But he didn’t need to know that.
Luke shrugged.
“Works for me.” He sat down right next to me and I took a deep breath. He smelt
divine. Cologne, aftershave and Irish Spring on Luke Astor. Deadly weapon
right there.
“How’re you
holding up with the news?” I asked slowly. If it had been me, I would have been
crying my eyes out at the chapel. Although he looked pale, Luke was definitely
in fine spirits. Or maybe he was faking.
My
asked, sounding very amused.
“That you’re
gonna die? No! This is obviously another ploy to get my attention, like when
you asked me to marry you that day.” My cheeks smarted as I recalled the look
in his eyes when he had said ‘marry me.’ He had seemed so- earnest. He was
playing! You know that, Celsi! Right? –Right?
“That worked,
didn’t it?” he asked, a smug look on his face.
“Well, this
won’t work. Save your awful practical jokes for someone who’ll fall for them. I
have to leave.”
Pretty good for
a dramatic exit. Unfortunately, Luke just wouldn’t let me leave. As I was
opening the door again, he got up from the bed, wincing again (curiosity was
kicking into gear. I had to know why he was wincing), and picked up a sheaf of
papers from the side table. “I can prove it,” he said simply, padding over to
me and handing me the papers.
Our fingers
brushed as I took them and I tried to ignore the frisson of electricity that
passed between us due to that fleeting touch. Figment of my overactive
imagination. But my eyes flickered up to Luke’s and as his eyes widened
slightly, all of a sudden I knew that he had felt it too.
“Uh, what is
this?” I asked, bending my head over the papers so that I wasn’t looking at him
anymore. God, every time I was around Luke I turned into a mess! Was I that
deprived? Well, considering the only person who flirts with you is that
homeless guy who hangs out at the subway station, I’d say yes! Shut up, mind.
But I couldn’t
ignore him because he was standing right next to me now, his breath making my
ear tingle. “See?” he said, pointing to a section of one of the papers.
“Written proof.”
My eyes scanned
the portion he pointed out for me and as I read, my throat grew dry. Looking up
at Luke, I managed to whisper “You have a cerebral aneurysm?”
He raised his
eyebrows, shooting me a surprised look. “You’ve heard of them? Coz I gotta be
honest with you. I didn’t even know what an aneurysm was till about 30 minutes
ago.”
“We learnt
about them in Science class. I’m so sorry, I- I didn’t think you were telling
the truth,” I said, biting my lip. Now I felt bad. Aneurysms were very serious,
from what I remembered, especially if they ruptured. And just the thought of Luke
going through that- even though I didn’t know him well at all, I still felt bad
for him. He has to be going through hell right now.
“So I guess you
have to forgive me now,” he said, a cheerful smile on his face. Or not. “Coz
if I die tomorrow- or even tonight- you’re going to feel like a jerk. Hey, I
might even haunt you!”
“You’re not
going to die,” I said automatically, pursing my lips up at him.
“You don’t need
to sugar coat it for me, CiCi; I’m resigned to my fate.” Carefully taking the
papers from me (and making sure not to touch my hand again) he walked back to
his bed, whistling snatches of the song ‘Just Dance’. Please don’t burst
into song again. “So- we cool? You gonna accept my apology?” he asked me
over his shoulder.
What would you
have done?
“Okay,” I
sighed, following him. I needed to sit down for a moment. “Apology accepted.
But only because you’re sick. I just want you to get a good night’s sleep.”
He squinted at
me, grinning. “You’re saying you wouldn’t have forgiven me if I hadn’t been sick?”
I nodded, even
though I was lying. If he kept up the adorable sideway glances, I would have
forgiven him for anything and everything. But he didn’t need to know that.
Luke shrugged.
“Works for me.” He sat down right next to me and I took a deep breath. He smelt
divine. Cologne, aftershave and Irish Spring on Luke Astor. Deadly weapon
right there.
“How’re you
holding up with the news?” I asked slowly. If it had been me, I would have been
crying my eyes out at the chapel. Although he looked pale, Luke was definitely
in fine spirits. Or maybe he was faking.
My
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