Astonishing Us

XLII

RIDGE

I drank nine bottles of cognac and beer thinking that somehow, I'll get some rest once I passed out in drunkenness, yet even in my dreams I was still looking for Aether.

Even in my dreams it was her I was still thinking and looking for.

The moment I woke up I didn't waste any seconds and picked up a random coat inside my closet and immediately left the condo with car keys in my hand.

My head is hurting as hell like it is being split in half as I drive without a planned direction.

I closed my left eye as pain assaulted my head, my right hand left the gear shift to hold my hurting head.

Must be the hangover. I took a deep breath to try to ease the pain nonetheless nothing changed. Instead, another pain hit my head, na nakapagpapikit na ng mariin sa aking dalawang mata ng tuluyan.

As I was just about to open my eyes another sharp and electric like pain assaulted my head that my feet on the brake slipped to gas that led for my car to abruptly run fast and the next thing, I knew is a thud and harsh hard impact hit the front of my car that sent me to darkness.

I woke up in the hospital with a band aid on the upper corner of my right eyebrows.

"It's just a mild head injury, I've handled the MMDA chasing your car along with the accident and the LTFRB for wanting to suspend your license for driving under the influence of alcohol," a familiar deep voice of a man.

I looked at Axel who's standing beside me checking my vitals. I frowned at him and sat over the bed.

"It's a hangover," Sabi ko.

Natawa siya sa turan ko saka nailing, "Still. You can leave after a day or two. I still need to check if it damaged your head or something."

"I can't, my mind will be the one damaged if I wasn't able to find her immediately," I refused.

He chuckled again but this time an empty chuckle, "Isn't it already damaged? Isn't it the reason why you got into an accident? You should keep your cool man, why didn't you just contact Drew or me to look for her? In that way you do not have to waste so much time."

I looked down at my ring finger where the love cater ring Aether gave me is.

"I was the one who pushed her away. It served me right to suffer this way, I am the one who should look for her because I'm the one who sent her away."

Axel tapped my shoulder, "I understand man. But if you need help, I and the PMM will always be just one call away."

I smiled with his words and let him leave my occupied room. The moment Axel left, I immediately stood up and left the room too.

I walked straight to the exit when I heard some nurses whispering in the corner of the hallway, they were so busy to recognize that the man they are spreading a rumor about is actually walking past them now. My walk slowed down as what they were talking about caught my attention.

"I heard that Ridge is here in the hospital and he got into a car crash, right?"

"Yeah, under the influence of alcohol he might have gotten into a fight with Snow, that's why."

"Serves him right for choosing a wrong woman, mabuti pa si Ms. Aether pa chillax-chillax lang sa Barcelona. Nakita mo ba ang post ng kumakalat na dummy account na iyon sa Instagram? Kinikilig ako!"

"Oo nga, I've seen that post too! The one with a caption 'This is where you really belong, inside my arms' nakakakilig pa! Halatang si Ms. Aether nga iyon! Saka ang sweet nila habang natutulog sa loob ng yakap niya si Ms. Aether sayang nga lang 'di kita yung mukha nung guy sa picture. I bet he's handsome saka diba may naka pinpoint location on the post they're in Barcelona, right? And they're actually in a private villa diba? Siguro sila lang dalawa doon— "