Chapter 20: Chapter 20

The whole room smelled like him.

Tatiana carefully took the cooling patch on his forehead. If his fever doesn't cool down, she's taking him to the hospital.

Jacob stirred in his sleep, he slowly opened his eyes. "T--tatiana?" He uttered in disbelief. He was about to sit on his bed but then her hands stopped him. Her palms hit his chest, she felt the tingling sensation everytime her skin's pressed into his.

She removed her hand.

"Lie down, Shaw.”

"I'm not hallucinating, ain't I? Are you really here?” his voice is hoarse and weak  it was obvious that he's sick. Such a big baby.

"No, I'm here to hand some files. Your secretary told me you got flu."

She didn't come here for the files, damn it. She came her because she was worried. Of course, she was anxious about coming here because what if his girlfriend is around and taking care of him.  She would use the business reason, then. And she'd walk away like nothing happened. she's good at concealing her emotions. As a lawyer, you have to learn to be so cold and calm during hearings. Sometimes she apply that in her personal life.

Just imagine her relief when the housemaid opened the door for her!

"Then where are the files?" She was shocked by his irritable mood. "So you can leave, I know you're a busy woman."

"Oh don't give me that attitude." She huffed.

"What, I'm just saying, if you came here for the files then hand it out.  So you won't waste your time on me. You said that, right?"

"Fuck the files. For now, you have to rest."

"You care for me."

"I work for you."

"I'm your husband." He said with his eyes closed.

She sighed instead of giving him an answer. What is he trying to tell her?

"Just rest." Jacob couldn't even believe that gentle voice that was coming from her. He opened his eyes again because of that.

"Sleep, Jacob."

"You're gone when I wake up.”

She sighed. "Do you want to eat?"

Oh he didn't want to eat. But if that would mean she would stay here longer, then he'd take it.

Hastily, he nodded his head.

Tatiana went out of his room. He couldn't stop admiring her ass as it swayed while she walked. Damn. Why did he have to get sick?

Is she really here because she's worried?

He's confused. Sometimes she's gentle, right now she's caring. Then next she's pushing him away and telling him to back off.

It's hard to read her, he just couldn't figure out this new Tatiana. She's a mixed signals.

Not that you can really ask her. Sometimes, her thoughts and intentions scare him.

Tatiana came back with a tray of soup. Now watching her walk like that in her white dress made him smile. No one can ever compare to her beauty, no one else comes close.

"Can you feed me? I don't think I can manage eating all by myself."

She couldn't stop her eyes from rolling. “Wow, you've got a fever and can't hold a spoon?” she said sarcastically but lifted the spoon to feed him. “Here you go.”

She blows gently on the hot soup first hefore feeding it to him.  Now he feels like his fever was gone. When she's acting like this, being so caring, last thing you'll think about is your fever.

"More,"

"You're enjoying this so much." Tatiana stated. He's close to finishing the whole bowl.

He nodded. "It's cute to watch you care for me. So this is how it feels to be taken care by you... again."

Well, you should have known. But you left me, remember? Tatiana wanted to retort that. But saying that would open some wounds. And she knows that every time they touch the parts of the past, they only hurt each other.

“I feel hot, Tati? Can you wipe my body?”

Tatiana rolled her eyes. "You're still a perv even when sick. Go get some rest now.”

He scratched the back of his neck.

"Go, lie down and sleep again.” she glared at him slightly.  Something she does when she scolds her son.

He didn't want to close his eyes. She'd rather be staring at her.

He resigned when she gave him a stern look. "Alright."

He's not allowed to get sick, he's running an empire and sickness wasn't even in his choices.

Few more minutes she heard his steady breathing. She smiled when he fell asleep so quick.

She stood up and sat on the couch. She opened her phone and googled his name.

There were lots of articles about him. First, the annual ball. Second, Forbes, where he landed 9th all over the world. Third, GQ magazine... she kept scrolling, Cosmopolitan... The Bachelor PH...

She rolled her eyes when she stopped into an article that says, "Jacob Shaw, the playboy prince of Strike"

Well, it's kind of true.

See also: Perceus Geoffrey Di Marco, Lucius Alcaraz....

He was lined up along with the famous CEO bachelors here in Asia. He's come so far.

He achieved so many things without her.

She smiled bitterly.

There were pictures of him along with different women in different events. No public photos. Just the photos of him tagging along gorgeous ladies in special occasions.

She stopped scrolling when Maris peeked through the door. “I'll go to the market first, mija. I won't take long.”

Tatiana smiled.  "Take care, Ma'am.”

Most of the photos, Jacob is with the same girl she found in his office. There was a picture taken two years ago, then, the most recent, eight months ago.

Her anger was all of a sudden. All she wanted to do was glare at him, or she wants his sleep disturbed, if she can only slam that freaking door so hard.

She closed her phone.

She went out of his room, trying to familiarize what his home looked like. It has a very nice view of the city, an infinity pool at the right.

If it wasn't for her parents she would've bought a condo. They said it was much better to raise Julian in a house.

There were two more rooms beside Jacob's room. A queen sized bed, closet, and a door that must be a bathroom. It was half the size of Jacob's room. The room looked like it hasn't been touched for a while, she checked the closet, and found no clothes in there.  So no one sleeps there. Must be a guest room.

So where does his girlfriends sleep?

Tatiana use your mind. They're sharing a room of course!

She went out of that room and went to the other one.

She expected the room to be small, it wasn't. It was largest.

Her lips trembled, then tears started to fall out. She locked the door and her tears fell. She cried so loud. All her frustrations, the pain, the longing, her son... everything she went through.

She bit her lower lip as her eyes scanned the walls.

Damn it.

"Why,"

The room she opened, was Jacob's haven. The Jacob she knew. The Jacob she loved. The Jacob before he was successful, that boy full of love and passion for art.

Paint and some brushes scattered all over the room, there are even canvasses left unfinished.

It looked like a room that hasn't been used for few months!

This room was full of paintings hanging on the wall, and all of them was her.

He painted her different emotions. Where she's smiling, serious, crying and laughing.

He painted her laced fingers...

Her collarbones, even the color of her eyes.

She looked so real in those paintings. She noticed, everything was on the same view, white sand... blue sea...

Sunrise.

Sunset.

Palawan.

She wondered how he did the paintings looking exactly like her when he haven't even seen her for a long time? How can he still memorize every angle, every trace?

He lied when he said he stopped painting. He still paints but only one subject.

Her.

He loves her.

She composed herself. She doesn't want to be a weakling again but then again, it was impossible to do that when she has just realized that in those years they were apart, she never actually left his mind.

The first months since he left, she was a fucking mess. Her parents were disappointed, she only had her brother.

She was very depressed until Christian knocked her out of her senses. He reminded her that she was pregnant, she will be a mother, that she had to get her shit together or else she'd lose the baby. She couldn't allow that, of course. Her child is the only memory she has of Jacob.

She became heavily pregnant. Her family gave her the support and care, until she gave birth. Julian became the center of her world, that didn't mean she forgot about him.

She still waited for him to come back. For sure he can do something to find her. She waited. She was hopelessly waiting for him.

Two years later , if he came knocking into her door, if he made way to find her, she's gonna take him back even if that mean she has to leave Jerome.

When she entered law school, the chef within her died. She started to realize Jacob wasn't coming back. She woke up from the fact that it was time to get her shit together and move on.

She took a picture of the whole room then silently went out.

It was afternoon when Maris came back with the groceries.

"Are you sure you're not staying for dinner?“

She shook her head and forced a smile. After what she saw earlier it was so difficult to atleast smile.

“I need to go, Ma'am. Jacob's fever cooled down a bit. I'm sure he'll feel good in the morning.”

He woke up earlier and she tend to his needs but didn't speak up a lot. She watched over while he was sleeping. All she wanted to do was stroke his hair, talk to him..

"Thank you for looking after him.” There goes again the hopeful eyes, Tatiana had to look away.

She went home tired. She didn't even read a book for Julian before sleeping, but she tuck him to bed. All she wanted was to rest, today was too much for her.

She didn't even know what came into her senses to go to his place. It's as if it was an instinct, and an impulse. Though she tried to hide, deep inside she cares for him. Perhaps that feeling will never go away.

She thought about introducing Julian to him. He has all the right to meet his son.  She doesn't know how he'd react, maybe she will just have to face his anger.

Hell will rise once Jacob figures out that he has a son.

She went to the garden to catch some fresh air, she's over thinking again. siya. Days like this usually come when her mind wanders a lot. She thinks so much.

She didn't get much sleep,she kept looking at the photo of Jacob's paintings.  She just can't get over it. She can't get over too from the fact that maybe, he wasn't over her yet.

She's overwhelmed, she's angry. If he had loved her still over the years, why didn't he come to find her? If he did, why didn't he try harder?

They would've been a complete family. Julian shouldn't have anything missing in his life. She would've been so happy and content, and safe.

So damn content and set for life bbecause she ended up with her first love.

But then, he didn't come back.

They lost so much time.