Isla De Fuego Series 3: Attention (EROTIC-ROMANCE)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Rounds

Chapter Twenty-Four: Rounds

MONTHS have passed and Nick recovered from his physical injuries. After weeks of physiotheraphy, he was discharged from the hospital.

Nick never spoke to her mother the whole time. He still blamed Rachel Morgan for blaming Elle. His father, on the other hand, respected his feelings and didn't condemn his silent treatment towards his mother.

Raizen assisted him to lay his back flat on the bed. Kahit na magaling na siya ay tila nakasanayan na ng kanyang mga magulang at kaibigan na alalayan siya sa tuwing gagalaw siya. Nick just motioned Raizen to go away and the devil chuckled in response.

"How is she?"

"Fine, I think? After her endless crying in her car the day of Marco's imprisonment, she became cheerful and happy with Andre. Did I mention that she got a secretarial job to her godfather company?"

"Yeah, at Lexington." Nick meant the shoe company that creates budget-friendly shoes and slippers.

Raizen waved his hand as if he's giving Nick a figure of how big the company is. "Even if they sell cheap products, the sales are booming. Probably for the quality and durability of the shoes. Lexington is renowned for that. That's why their company is like 'this' big," Raizen repeated his gestures.

"I'm not an idiot, Zen."

Raizen released a throaty laughter that echoed in his room. "I thought you want more details since it's your 'Elyse' we're talking about."

"How about Andre? Did you tell the school to give them a huge discount on his tuition?"

"Yes, I did. Nagtaka nga raw si Elle sa malaking tapyas sa babayaran niya. We're talking about Ateneo here, Nick."

"I want what's best for Andre. Alam kong tatanggihan niya ang tulong ko kaya't mabuti na na hindi niya alam."

Raizen sighed and rested his back on the frame of the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Who did you hire as the manager of the resto, by the way?"

"Ms. Hannahmae manages it perfectly so no need to worry."

"How about Corinne?"

Raizen sighed. "I called her yesterday. She's fine."

"You missed her."

"Terribly."

"And you're still madly in love with her."

Raizen raised a brow. "You were nosy, yes. Curious? Hell, yes! But you never meddle with my love life, Nikolai Morgan."

Nick shrugged. "I was gonna ask how it feels like to be ridiculously in love."

"Well, you know how it feels." Raizen tapped his finger on the doorway where his back is leaning. "You know you're ridiculously in love when it hurts to part with your beloved. That's it. Pain. The stronger the pain, the greater the love is. It always has an equivalent exchange, that stupid love."

Nick sighed. "Maybe she's in pain right now." Nick was referring about Elle. He can feel it. She's longing for him. She aches to be with him.

"Of course, Nick. She loves you. Terribly. More than she can afford. If you've seen her sobbing until she fell asleep on the driver's seat, you'll feel her pain. I saw her that day, Nick. She wanted to be with you but her love for you is greater than her desires that she chose to succumb in pain for the sake of your well-being."

"I know that, Raizen. But what can I do? She's been pushing me away—"

"And you're afraid that you cannot reciprocate her affections with same equivalent," Raizen intervened.

Nick took a sharp breath when his friend's words hit him. He's been thinking about that, too.

"That's bullshit, Nikolai Morgan. You love her more than she loves you."

Nick frowned. "Whatever do you mean?"

Raizen scoffed and raised his arms in disbelief that Nick is clueless about something so obvious. "Fucking hell!"

And, if Raizen can shake someone's head, he would've. Nick's head probably received a few good blows from the accident that it made him loose common sense.

"You are madly in love with her, you dimwit!" Raizen threw an imaginary rock over Nick's direction. He's dodged it, of course.

"Why the hell did you rip those fucking annulment papers if you really think parting with her is for the best? Because you badly need her like the fucking oxygen you breathe, fucker!"

Raizen is a good man. But when he's right, his tongue can be sharp and dirty. He also tend to swear and cuss and use 'fuck' whenever he can.

"You hate spending, Nick, yet you spent your millions to her— for her bodyguards, for the fucking grand wedding by the beach, for the sakura diamond ring on her finger that costs millions of dollars. Ain't that enough proof of your love for her? Hell, you won't even buy your mother a brand-new car without you assessing the car's worthiness of its value."

Nick closed his mouth shut.

He never realized that until now.

"Go to Elle and talk. Look at her in the eyes and decide if you're going to let her go on with the annulment? Or you're gonna man up and tell her how you feel?"

"I can help."

Nick and Raizen threw their gazen upon Rachel Morgan standing on the doorway just beside Raizen. Muntik nang tumalon ang binata sa gulat nang biglang magsalita ang ginang sa kanyang tabi.

"I will ask August to accompany me. We'll bring Andre to the mall for the whole day and you can talk to Elle."

Lumamlam ang mga mata ni Nick sa kanyang ina. "Thank you, Mom. And I'm sorry for being angry towards you these past few months."

"It's the least I can do for Elle." Rachel Morgan smiled and winked. "And please, don't just talk to her."

Raizen raised a brow and teased Nick by pouting to conceal the smirk forming on his lips.

"You know what I mean, Nick. Make love with her and give her a few rounds—"

"Mom!" Nick's ears reddened. Raizen, on the other hand, bursted in laughter. Nick shot daggers to his mom with his gaze and Rachel Morgan shrugged it off.

Raizen excused himself and filled the hallway with his laughter on his way out, leaving Nick embarassed as ever.