Chapter 23: Chapter 23

022

Where'd you wanna go? How much you wanna risk? I'm not lookin' for somebody with some superhuman gifts

"Merry Christmas, Gab!" Zee greeted me as soon as I entered her room. She was already preparing to go home since they already discharged her.

I smiled as I watched her. She's smiling again and slowly I could see the glow in her eyes.

"Merry Christmas," I greeted back. I handed her a gift I just bought online. It was simple but I am hoping it would lighten up her mood.

"Aww, I'm sorry. I wasn't able to get you anything," she pouted as she opened my gift. "Oh my gosh!" She giggled upon seeing a signed album of her favorite band, Mayday Parade.

"Gab," She wagged her head. "This is expensive. You don't need to buy me--"

I cut her off. "No. You are not allowed to complain. Just accept it, okay?"

Tears slowly fell from her eyes as she laughed. I hugged and almost cried, too. Ugh! We're getting emotional nowadays.

"Thank you for taking care of me and being with me," Zee bowed a little. "I don't know what to do without you."

I held her hand. "I am here so call me if you need someone to talk to, okay? Don't ever do that again!" I reminded her.

"Yeah. Thanks. Anyway, do you want to spend Christmas Eve with us?" She invited me.

"No, I'm fine," I replied. I planned on spending it with Loud. It would be our first Christmas together. Sadly, I don't know where he is. He's not picking my call.

"Oh. I see, you are gonna spend it with Loud?" She poked my shoulder as she teased me.

I rolled my eyes and blushed a little. "No. Duh! I have a lot of papers to do plus I think I will just sleep. I am in need of it before we go back to school again."

"Aha!" She pretended to believe in me though I already knew what's going on in her mind. "If you say so. Enjoy the night!"

"Whatever, Zee!" I stuck my tongue out. "Are you going to be fine? Who's gonna fetch you?" I asked. I help her get dressed.

"My father - oh he's here..."

The door opened and his father came in.

"Are you ready to go home?"

I saw the hesitation in Zee's eyes. She is very close with her father more than her mother though I observed that her father usually doesn't have a say and just follows her mother's order. It's sad that he couldn't do something about his own daughter because they are being controlled by Zee's grandmother.

"Yes," she muttered.

"Good," he turned to me. "How are you Gabriella?" When he smiled, he looked like Zee. People say that Zee looks like her mother, I doubt that. She's more of her father.

"I'm barely breathing," I sang the line.

His father laughed a little. He tapped my back. "I'm not making any promises, but I will try my best," he said pertaining to the case.

I'm glad Zee talked to her father. At least, it gives me a bit of hope.

"Thank you, Sir." I bowed.

"I'll see what I can do, okay? You know you are fighting against bigger people."

"Yeah. And I really hope to win."

He nodded. "I can see you'll be a great lawyer."

I smiled and fluttered. I hope my own parents can also say that to me.

"I guess, I'll see you in court?"

He offered his hand to me and I shook it. Yeah. Years from now, I will become a lawyer and a prosecutor like him.

"She'll be a prosecutor, Dad," Zee proudly shared with her father.

We talked for a bit until it's time for Zee to go. We parted in the hallway as I headed to the nurse station.

"Hi," I greeted. "Is Loud, I mean Lauyton Elarde here?"

The nurse looked at me for a second before shaking her head. "He was already transferred to another hospital."

Oh. I didn't know that. It's been two days since the last time I saw him. He didn't pick my call and he didn't even go home after he talked to my mother.

Wait, did something happen to him?

"When did he transfer?"

"Just this morning. He even went here to pick his things. I just don't know what hospital."

I felt relieved. Okay, nothing happened to him. But why isn't he picking my call? Ugh! What did my mother tell him? I am not liking this.

I thanked the nurse. I called Loud as I walked.

"C'mon, pick up!" I bit my finger as I tapped my shoes on the floor. "You are making me worry," I whispered as his phone continued to ring.

Where the hell is he? Is he mad? Why is he not answering his phone? I am going to kill him!

Ugh!

I got inside the elevator still waiting for him to answer. It was too late for me to realize that my father was also inside. He's the Director of our hospital and the Chief of Surgery.

"Gabriella," he called. It was my first time seeing him again. I was never close to him since he favors our brother. Guess, that's the disadvantage of being born in a Chinese family.

"Don't worry, Dad. This will be the last time you'll see me in the hospital grounds. Zee's already discharged," I plainly said.

I thought he was going to scold me or say something rude just like my sister and father. He didn't.

"How are you?"

I glanced at him. He looked rugged and a bit stressed. I think I also contributed to the stress he's feeling right now. His eyes weren't smiling just like before. I guess running a hospital doubled his age.

"If you are going to convince me to stop filing a case against Gabriel, then there's nothing to talk about." I felt sorry for shutting him down when he's nice to me.

But I just don't want to hear anything from them that could cloud my judgment. I cannot let my emotions get into me.

"Are you doing well?" he asked again.

"I am better than I deserve," I told him before getting out of the elevator.

Halfway, I stopped when he said, "I look forward to you becoming a lawyer so you would never regret leaving us."

I froze on the spot while he passed and walked away from me.

I don't know if it is some kind of motivation. I felt like it's a warning. It made my heart race, not because of joy, but because of fear. I know my family will do everything to make me miserable so they can prove to me that I am nothing without them.

I tried to shrug the anxiety as I walked out of our hospital. I stopped in front of the building and turned around to look at it's wholeness. It's a big hospital. I used to get lost at the place when I was still a kid.

Looking back, I missed it. Though, I swear I am never going back to this place again.

I counted one to five before walking away from the place I used to love. It was never home.

I wandered around the pavement, lost and didn't know where to go.

Hours from now, it's Christmas Eve. It should be a happy and cheerful day yet I couldn't form a smile. People were singing Christmas carols, buying presents for their loved ones, excitedly waiting for the day Christ was born.

Here I am, I don't even know what to do.

I sat on the bench and watched the people around me. I stared at my phone for a minute until it blurred my sight. Loud wasn't picking my phone. He doesn't even bother to return my text.

Ugh! I hate him! I want to spend the night with him and even plan on cooking for him or buying food with him. It's okay even without food, I just want to sit with him in his trailer as we listen to music and wait for Christmas Eve.

I don't need grandeur things. His presence is already enough yet he's not here.

I almost wanted to cry. Psh! I am not going to talk to him.

I shut my phone down. Fine! He's not getting any greetings from me!

I decided to spend the rest of the day on this spot as I read a book. Although, I was spacing out so I couldn't even flip the next page. I just stared at it until I smelled brewed coffee.

A pair of white shoes stopped in front of me. When I looked up, I saw the man I've been waiting for. My everglow.

He crouched. I watched his eyes slowly blink, his hair that's being swayed by the wind, and his lips he just licked.

"When you try your best, but you don't succeed..." He started singing with a smile on his face as he handed me a piece of sunflower. "When you get what you want but not what you need..."

"Loud..." My lips parted. "I hate you!" I blurted.

He continued singing.

"When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep. Stuck in reverse and the tears come streaming down your face..." He paused when I hit his shoulder.

He held my hand and I was too weak to even move. I stared at him and memorized his features.

I hate to admit it, but I already fell, so hard that it hurts to see him hurting.

"I hate you. Why are you not answering your phone? You made me worry--"

I automatically closed my eyes when our lips met. I don't know if it was only my heart beating so loud or it was our heart singing beats together.

His lips slowly moved until his tongue owned mine. It was so slow like the time had stopped. It was passionate. It was like cotton candy or ice cream. Or maybe it was coffee because he tasted like one.

I couldn't stop smiling when our lips parted ways. I am definitely blushing and I know I could no longer hide it.

He smiled at me. "When you lose something, you can't replace...When you love someone, but it goes to waste. Could it be worse?"

Loud caressed my cheeks as he continued singing. I could feel the sadness in his voice as I felt the warmth of his palm against my skin.

"Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones...and I will try to fix you..." He brushed my hair, stood up, and offered his hand.

"C'mon, let's go home."

I giggled a little as I held his hand.

"How did you know where I am?" I curiously asked since I didn't tell him where I was.

He licked his head and proudly said, "Trust me. I know where to find you."

I rolled my eyes. That's another butterflies in my stomach.

He intertwined our hands as we walked. His eyes were focused on the path while I quietly admired him. I feel safe with him.

He is indeed my everglow.

We stopped at the parking lot and he faced me with a smile, a teasing smile as he lifted our hands.

It's the time I realized it's too late to let go and pretend I am not enjoying this.

"What is the meaning of this? Are you gonna slap me after this?"

I frowned and pulled my hand away but he was too strong to let go.

"Nah, I got you, Gabby! Are you still going to deny your feelings?"

"I am not denying my feelings," I lied. "I just don't want commitment."

"Even now?" he seriously asked. "You really don't want to put any label between us?"

"Can we just talk about this after we win against my family? I talked to Zee's father. He told me that he'll do everything to help us-"

Loud shook his head.

"Loud?"

I parted my lips in surprise. "Don't tell me you don't want to continue it?" I hissed. "What did my mother tell you? Did he blackmail you? What? Tell me!" I demanded.

"She told me the truth."

"The truth about what?" I pushed him away.

Gosh! I am not liking this. I am ready to go all in, to give them what they deserve.

"I thought you wanted this! You asked me to get revenge against my family and now you are backing out? We are so close--"

"I am not backing out, Gabriella," he replied. "I am just saying that we cannot win against your family or yeah we can win but they will always come back to get us. And if we fight Maquess' Law Firm, you can lose your chance of being a lawyer."

"I..." I was speechless. I never thought about it. I mean, I know I am better, best and I am good enough to become a lawyer. I can but the system in country is so fuck up the you need influential people on your side. They are that influential and yeah... He was right.

"I cannot risk that. I cannot let you sacrifice your dreams for me."

"But you don't know that. You don't know what will happen in the future."

"I don't know, Gabby. You are right. However, I learned. I learned not to cross that line."

"Loud..." I wagged my head. "Why?" I teared up. "Why do you always have to put me first before yourself?"

"I love you, Gabby!" He wiped my tears. I know by the look in his eyes that he already made a decision. "That's real. So, believe me."

"I love you, Loud," I responded. "But you need to punish them. You need to get justice for your parents..."

"I will get them, Gabby," he assured me. "I will though it doesn't include filing a case against Maquess' Law Firm and your hospital for obstruction of justice or against your mother."

"Then, what will you do?"

"I believe the only punishment for your brother is to lose his ability to practice medicine," Loud felt sorry. "I submitted the case to the Board of Medicine for him to revoke his license. Whatever happens, it's up to them."

I couldn't find the words to say. Instead, I hugged him.

"I respect your decision," I whispered.

"I am sorry about your brother," he gazed at my eyes.

"No, Loud. On behalf of my family, I am deeply sorry," I caressed his hands. "I am so sorry."

He nodded and almost cried but he managed to hide his tears with a smile.

"Well, let's stop the drama, okay? It's Christmas," He wiped my tears again. "Oh, and by the way," he glared at me.

"I don't respect your decision about us. I mean, duh? You still don't want us to be together?"

"We are together," I replied.

He rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Gabbabeee!"

I frowned with his new endearment. It's too corny. Duh!

"Put some labels on us!"

"Why are you so eager for us to have labels?" I laughed at him.

"So that I can have the right to get jealous over that Var Maquess. He's not even that handsome," he bitterly commented.

"He is handsome," I teased. They are both handsome. It's just Var Maquess vibes like a badboy and Loud's the goody next door guy.

"I am better than him at singing."

That I couldn't argue, he was right.

"What? Are you gonna stare at me?"

I shrugged. I opened my bag and handed him my present. It was a customized perfume which is so close to his coffee fragrance since I don't know where to buy his perfume.

"Merry Christmas, Loud!" I greeted though it's still early.

"Don't change the topic, Gabby! We are not walking out from this parking lot if you will not put a label on us."

He accepted my present but didn't bother to open it. I guess he's not really going to drop the conversation until he gets that label.

I crossed my arms and thought for a moment. Okay, I didn't think. What to think about? Life is too short. And yeah, maybe we could make it work. I am too afraid that it might not work against our family but maybe it will.

I am really skeptical about things. I used to be full of positivity, guess that's what the hardship of life gets me.

"If I put a label on us," I heaved. "Promise something though I know promises are meant to be broken. At least, assure me of this..."

"What?"

"Assure me that...that if things between us get fuck up..." I closed my eyes and listened to my heartbeat. Yeah, it's really beating for him. He gives me a different kind of beat every time he's with me and it would kill me if I lose that rhythm.

"You will always choose you..."

"What? How would--" he asked, confused. "We will make this work."

"Loud, listen to me. We will make it work, but life will always fuck up, so if it happens, I want you to choose your dreams over me. It has to be your dream over me," I emphasized that. "Because I would do the same for me."

He faked a laugh. "We're not even a couple yet and you are already giving us problems."

"It isn't a problem. It's an agreement," I noted. He chose me over the thing that he wanted the most for his family because he knows I would be risking my future.

It wasn't only my future. It was also his.

And, I know we both did risk our future together when the Board of Medicine decided to revoke my brother's license until they see him fit to practice medicine again.

It ended. Loud finally got what he deserved for his mother's death.

However, I am pretty sure it is not the end, especially when my mother told me, "You let him ruin your brother's career in medicine and I am going to make sure you'll pay your debt soon, my dearest Gabriella."