Chapter 8: Chapter 8

CYNTHIA Lyn was right. The man Esmeralda saved was well-built. Like he could lock her in his warm embrace and protect her from harm, always ready to warm her in this cold weather.

For a moment, Esmeralda was glued in place as she marveled at the sight of his body. If she was not alert, she would have dropped the tray of hot soup by now.

She frantically put the tray on the small table beside the wooden bed. Then she helped him sit. He groaned. It must be the pain he felt all over his body.

“Where does it hurt?” she asked.

He caught his head. “I’m hurting all over,” he said in a rich baritone voice. Even in pain, his tone was still full of power. “W-where am I?”

"You're in my home, here in San Luis. We brought you here after I saved you at the river. At first, we thought you're dead."

The man shut his eyes tight and leaned on the headboard of the bamboo bed. “I was driving my car. I was crossing the bridge. The flood was strong, and it reached the bridge, but I ignored it. I did not know the bridge was weak, and it was torn in half. I fell down the river with my car.” His eyes flew open in shock. “Damn! Where the hell is my car?” he roared.

She pushed him back to the headboard. “Forget about your car. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

How could he manage to think about his car more than his safety? It was only a material thing. It can be easily replaced.

“But that is my favorite car,” he argued.

“You know what? If I happened to see your car at the river, I wouldn't save it. Life is more important because that can’t be replaced. Just be thankful that you’re still alive,” she retorted.

His forehead knotted, completely displeased with her statement. His eyes fixated on her. His coffee-colored eyes. She had never felt awkward or conscious in front of a man before.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Esmeralda Solomon,” she said. “I’m the one who saved you.”

His lips parted as if he was in disbelief. "Y-you saved me?" He shut his eyes tight and groaned in pain. "Why did it have to be you?" he asked like he was not pleased with the news. "Why?"

Her eyebrow raised. She had no idea if he was one of those men who hated getting help from women or he was just simply ungrateful. He was so dramatic.

“It just so happened that none of my male company wanted to risk their lives for you. So I jumped into the water and rescued you,” she said, her tone laced with irritation.

He opened his eyes once again and stared at her in pain. He began to get up. “I-I need to go.”

She came to his rescue at once because he could not stand up straight. “Don’t force yourself. You’re still weak. You can’t just leave right away, anyway, because the typhoon is strong...”

Esmeralda stopped when she got close to his almost naked body. He was only wearing the shorts that Topher lent him. She had never been this close to a man before, especially to an almost bare stranger. She felt a different kind of heat. The kind that does not go away easily.

When she looked at his face, she found him staring at her. He was towering. He stood at least six feet, as tall as Aiden.

His eyes bore into her. She could feel different emotions all at the same time—fear, anxiety, and… lust? She had the urge to pull away.

Esmeralda looked away and helped him sit on the bed. “It would be best if you have some soup for now. You have to fill your stomach. You can’t just leave if you’re still weak.”

He did not resist and obeyed though he was not really happy about that decision. It was as if he could not wait to leave that place, far from her.

“I don’t want to be a bother to you anymore,” he said and leaned.

Esmeralda pulled a chair toward his bed and took the bowl of hot soup. “You’re not a bother to me. I can’t just neglect someone who needs help.”

She brought the spoon of soup to his mouth, which he gladly took. He did not say a word when she was feeding him like he was a small child. Maybe he eventually got tired of arguing because he was weak, and he would not win over her.

“Esmeralda,” he called after she gave him water.

She turned. “What is it?”

He smiled. “Thank you for saving my life,” he said. “A while ago, I thought I’m not going to make it, that God won’t hear my prayers anymore. Thank you. And I hope you will forgive me for being crass. I am just not used to being helpless before. I-I was used to doing things alone.”

Esmeralda felt like she was enchanted as she looked into his face. In his low voice and the absence of arrogance, he looked like an angel. And he was smiling.

That was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. He already looked handsome in her eyes a while ago, but now he looked even more gorgeous. She could not believe this grumpy guy knew how to smile and be grateful.

“You’re welcome...” She stopped when she realized she did not know his name yet. “What’s your name, by the way?” she asked shyly.

She watched him for a moment. He was silent as if he did not know what to say. She thought he might have forgotten his name, and he was suffering from partial amnesia. It would be a big problem for her.

“Richard. Richard Infante,” he uttered and closed his eyes.