How to Not Fall for My Boss ✔

17. Buried Resentment

"Koko! Cobie!" calls a male voice from afar, bringing Cobie back from blackness.

When she opens her eyes, a few faces hover over her; faces she barely recognizes. A bright light slips through the gap between heads above her and hits her sight, prompting Cobie to bring her hand to cover her eyes. What the hell is going on? And where is she? In the next second, the scene at Ebirra's cafe, followed by her running to her car floods back into her memory. Why did she run? Mom!

She jerks up, but for some reason, she has trouble moving her legs. The more she tries to wiggle them, the more her brain registers a twinge in them. No, it's not just a twinge; it's an intense pain that burns her ankle. Realizing that she's now lying flat on the ground, she props herself up, using her elbows to support her torso. The stinging pain hits her again, making her groan.

A hand sneaks behind her back to support her. "How do you feel? Are you dizzy? Where do you feel the pain?"

"My ankle..." she trails off when she realizes who is talking to her. She's about to push Peter away but he begs.

"Cobie, let me at least make sure that you are fine. Please."

"Are you alright?" asks a woman whom Cobie recognizes as the one with a baby stroller. "I'm sorry I didn't see you running in my direction."

Cobie winces. "I think I sprained my ankle, but I'm alright. The baby...is okay?"

The woman nods and smiles. "Safe and sound. Thanks to you." She digs her hand into the compartment under her baby's cot and pulls out a bottle of water. "Here. You should drink a bit."

Cobie obliges. "Thank you."

The woman glances at Peter. "I will leave you with your friend now. I hope the sprain isn't that bad. Again, I'm so, so sorry."

Cobie nods and glances at the rest of her audience on the sidewalk. "I'm fine. Thanks, guys, I'm okay." Ignoring the throbbing on her ankle, she tries to get up, but the pain is too intense, making her cry in pain.

"Let me have a look first. Don't move." Peter scoots over to check her ankle, careful not to hurt her. "It's swollen already. We will need to grab an instant ice pack from the closest drugstore."

"Shit! I need to find my mom!"

"You won't be able to find her if you don't do something for your swollen ankle first. It doesn't look good, Cobie."

Cobie is on the verge of crying from the frustration. She's so close to screaming but she doesn't want to attract more attention than she already did.

"You fell pretty hard. Do you feel nauseous?"

"No. I'm fine. Just help me walk to my car, please," Cobie replies, swallowing the bitterness on the tip of her tongue. The last thing she wants in life is to get help from this very man.

Peter nods before slipping his hands under her knees. When he sees her glaring at him, he stops. "Carrying you is faster than letting you walk and cling to my neck. Trust me, I used to injure myself during the school match, remember? I know what I'm doing."

Reluctantly, Cobie has to agree. After showing him which car is hers, Peter helps her settle in the backseat. "Lemme find a drugstore nearby. You wait here."

"No! I don't have time to wait." She racks her brain, trying to figure out what she should do next. She can't drive with the throbbing pain in her ankle, but if she leaves her car here and calls a cab, they will not have a vehicle to look for Mom. Maybe she can call Rose to come this way and pick her up. But it will take at least thirty minutes to get here.