Burning Passion

CHAPTER 25: BEFORE SHE FALLS

Three days later… Lucy Lindsey returned to her room on the 7th floor. Showing signs of stability, Nikki feels at ease that her mother has great improvement each day.

And to follow their arrangement with the mysterious man, she must take a rest; avoid staying awake at night. She hired Jasmine to watch her mother until she gets well and returns to her normal daily life.

She went home with Aunt Maria during the night, and Jasmine left, watching her mother with Caitlin, who was often assigned at night shifts. 

She doesn't want to leave her mother's side. But Maria told Lucy about the Doctor's recommendation for her red blood deficiency. Now, her mother constantly reminds her to go home once a late evening.

It was the fifth day since her mother's surgery. She might have to stay another week in the hospital, which is what Doctor Ben advised.

Nikki just came out of the shower, and her eyes see her phone lighting. She picks it up and opens the new message. Her grip tightens into her bath towel wrapped around her body upon reading the direction.

Nikki dropped her bottom into her bed. She inhaled several times and settled the loud thuds in her chest. Her fingers are trembling, and unable to type a reply. The message is from him.

"Erika will pick you up tomorrow."

Just like that, no other words. It puzzled her, but she had the feeling it was related to "payback time".

Confused about what to reply, she types OKAY as a response to him. There is no sweetness nor romantic atmosphere she senses between them. It was an affair of totally two strangers, and this made her sad.

That night, she could not drag herself to sleep. She walked around her neighborhood and then bought some midnight snacks in the nearby convenience store. She eats them on her way back.

"That looks tasty."

A man speaks out of nowhere. She looked around and was surprised to see a tall guy with shoulder-length hair wearing a gray coat. She wonders if he lost again.

"What are you doing here? Wait, you might get a ticket this time," she teases.

Theo laughs, and she thinks it is sexy. He was leaning on his car while his arms lay over his chest.

"Nah, I park correctly this time." Theo raised his right hand and pointed out the Parking sign of the store that closes every 8:00 of the evening, so the parking space was now empty.

She let out a soft laugh to his reason. Suddenly, he turns into a bad boy before her eyes. "Ahem! Anyway, do you have a business meeting somewhere around here?"

"Oh. Min Xi asked to drop by at her friend's house in the nearby complex from here, so I took this street to take the main road in the next avenue."

"Ah..." the word she could only react. So, he was with his girlfriend a while ago, but what is he doing now? Immediately, he was flirting with someone else the moment his girlfriend got off of his car?

'WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, NIKKI NOREEN?' Yeah, her damn crazy brain once again.

And the complex he was talking about must be the high-rise condominium for wealthy people: two avenues to pass by from where she lives in. It was a complete amenities; that even had its supermarket inside the building and a few restaurants. It is what she saw in the ads.

"Can't sleep yet?" Theo asked her afterward.

"Um, kind of... but I got hungry. My meds made me."

"You need to eat, yes."

She wonders if what Theo means by that. She admits she was slender, but indeed it's not like thin to the bones.

"But I am eating," she pouted. "It's not my fault if the food digested quickly."

"No wonder you were just this tall." Theo chuckled, then stood straight. He raises his hand and place on top of her head.

"Hey, you are offending me!" she frowned. "I already have issues with my height. You do not need to point it how… short I—" she wobbled her feet after jumping to catch Theo's arm. But he pulls his hand, dragging her toward him, she lands on his broad chest.

It stiffens her neck, looking up at him. He was this tall, and she was this short. Meanwhile, Theo was peering down at her, and she could feel the heat on her palm resting on his chest. She gathers her strength to draw herself away from him, taking a few steps back.

Dazed by what happened, she can't settle her heart from beating crazily. She could feel her face flushing, and so she forced a smile to hide her embarrassment.

"Um, Doctor Yonah is giving me too many pills I have to take every day. I— I mean, it helps me to eat more lately, so I will gain weight soon."

What she's trying to share with Theo? She cannot just blurt out; she was preparing to get pregnant, and this vitamin makes her healthy.

"I mean, I have a deficiency of red blood cells lately. I need more iron and vitamin C, etc.," she added. She tried to bring the conversation back to their original topic earlier.

"You need it as daily supplements. It would help if you watched your health," he advised.

Nikki glances at Theo. He's staring at her with an intense gaze. Likely, looking through her soul, giving her an apprehension that he might be able to see her heart. Which, right now, tangled strings are looming at her core. A red string is floating around it, while the gray one with thorns, binding her heart entirely, squeezing it utterly, leaving her breathless.

"Won't you invite me for coffee?"

Back to her senses, Nikki shrugs off her sadness. Fleeing her thoughts somewhere, it bewildered her what to respond to.

Them for having a coffee? How if someone saw them being together and recognizing him as Min Xi's boyfriend? It's not a good rumor.

"Oh. Sure, but wait here!" She got an idea. She left Theo behind. Not that too long, she came back with a cup of brewed coffee and an American cheese dog in a bun.

"Sorry, I did not bring more bills. I can't treat you to a restaurant, and it looks they were closing soon."

Theo chuckles once again. He takes the coffee and bun from Nikki. "You should have told me, and I will bring you to the one that opens till midnight."

"Huh?"

She was trying to look through her brain if what restaurant that would be? The ones she knows are those in the hotels, and it has a dress code to follow. Not wearing a slipper, an overall t-shirt down to her knees, but she wears short pants underneath tho is welcome to that restaurant. Impossible Theo would bring her to those places. He supposes to care about his family's reputation and relationship with Min Xi.

"Yup, I know one. Nikki Noodle Kitchen."

Her jaw dropped. "Hey!" Unconsciously, she smacks Theo's back.

"Ouch! Hot, hot!" Theo draws the cup away from his mouth while balancing his hand when the coffee is spilling out.

"Oh my, sorry! I didn't mean to do that. My hand just flew to your back." She bites her fingers; the one landed at Theo's body. Oopsie! It was her bad habit if she was flustered and embarrassed.

Gladly, Theo laughs. His eyes are telling how she amused him. But she's thinking how embarrassing she acted in front of him.

"I miss the soup. I was busy lately and haven't dropped by again."

"Hmm. But it is a little farther from here and surely were you living?" she was thinking, he is living in a mansion outside the central city. Or it could also be to one of the high-in apartments for high society.

"Yeah, kind of... far."

Nikki is peeking out at Theo, who now has a big bite on his cheese dog bun. He looks hungry. Aren't he and Min Xi have dinner already? She wanted to ask him this, but he might get offended, or she sounded rude. So, what if Theo has big bites? It must be expected.

Nikki giggles at her thoughts. She would eat wholeheartedly without restraint, unlike girls who pretended to eat slowly in front of their crushes, even if, in reality, they would eat the whole bun in a mere minute, just like her.

Theo wrinkled his forehead and stared at her curiously. "You should share what amuse you," he complained.

Stunned by what he said, Nikki smiled. "Nah, I'm just thinking, why I didn't challenge you in whose fastest to finish a bun."

"Huh?" Dumbfounded, Theo later laughs loudly after he understands what Nikki jested. "I had the feeling I should not underestimate you."

"Yup! You should not! Even the eating noodle challenge!"

"That's intriguing." Theo's eyes flash with excitement.

She doesn't want to end the night. But the better early, she will distance herself from him and forbid her heart to love him. She doesn't like how these tiny seeds appear within her heart, which she hid away to the deepest part inside, but gradually growing.

"Um, I better not keep you. Maybe you still have work tomorrow," she said after a moment of silence between them.

"Yeah, I have."

She heard him heaves a furious sigh, and a bitter smile pursed on his lips.

"Well then, I have to go soon, Nik. But before that, I will escort you to your building."

"Oh, that unnecessary," she refuses. Hearing his endearment to her name flutters her heart. It was way more dangerous to fall at the same, stumble to the ground quickly.

"I insist." 

She doesn't like persistent guys, but she cannot refuse Theo. "Okay."

Theo walks her toward the entrance of her apartment building. "Thank you for walking me home."

"Nah, small thing. Don't mention it." Theo smiled. 

"Alright, I will go in, now. Um, take care driving home."

"Yup. Good night, Nik!" 

"Good night, Theo," she replied.

She waves after she enters the glass auto door at the entrance. Theo raises his right hand, then takes a step to leave until he disappears before her eyes.

"Goodbye, Theo…"