Alluring Temptation (Familiá Altamirano #1)

CHAPTER 7

Not A Dream

     IT WAS around midnight when I had the chance to get home from work. We had a long-complicated surgery today, so I came home late. Since the house is near the hospital, mabilis lang akong nakauwi sa bahay.

I wasn't expecting Reeve to be awake since it was already late, but I was astonished to see him on the sofa, sitting with his laptop on his lap and a coffee mug on the Coffee table. As usual, he's wearing a navy blue muscle tee and gray sweatpants.

He quickly shifted his head in my direction and I feel like I was a burglar that got caught thieving in action. His eyes flickered with an unfamiliar emotion when he saw me entering the house.

I kept my face and posture relaxed despite his presence. "I didn't expect to see you awake," I uttered as I removed my shoes to switch them into my house slippers.

"I was waiting for you," he drawled.

I quickly twisted my head at him as my stomach cramped with guilt. "Y-You waited for me?" I uttered softly.

His lips quirked as his eyes turned glacial. "You didn't text me," he uttered icily. "I thought something bad happened, so I waited for you to arrive." His eyes softly stare at me.

My mouth opened, and my hands curled into fists. "My phone died," I fibbed. The truth is, I didn't check my phone after we had lunch because I was preoccupied with the surgery. "Hindi mo na sana ako hinintay. It's late, and you're supposed to be asleep or resting on your bed."

"No matter how late it gets or what day it is, I'll stay awake for you. I'm going to wait for you to get home. I won't sleep in peace until I see you with my own eyes." He grumbled as he stood up from the sofa, taking the empty mug in his calloused hand. "Have you eaten dinner?" He asked softly.

My heart suddenly skipped a beat.

I pressed my lips as the guilt and disbelief gobbled me. "I did," I paused. "I had a sandwich and coffee."

His arched his brows, looking at me with skepticism. "You sure? Do you want to eat something else? Hindi ka ba gutom? I can reheat the food If you want."

I gnawed my lips, shaking my head. "Hindi ako gutom. I just want to rest,"

He slightly frowns as his eyes softened. "All right. If you are hungry, tell me," he said in solicitous.

I nod. I was about to go straight to my room when I stopped midway, meeting his intense gaze again. I grabbed the handrail off the stairs. "Reeve," I called his name.

"Yes, wife?"

"Thank you..." I swallowed when I felt my stomach twisted with warmth. "For waiting for me." I gave him a commissure smile, letting him know that I was really genuine.

Mabilis akong naglakad paakyat sa kwarto ko pagkatapos sabihin 'yon. I don't want him to see my burning face and neck. No one waited for me to get home, aside from my parents. He's the first person who did that to me. It was refreshing and heartwarming.

I can see his efforts as my husband, and I know in fact that he's slowly melting my guard down.

"PLEASE, save my daughter! Please, doc!"

The mother of the seven-year-old kid cried throughout the emergency room. I signaled the nurses to calm the mother down before we took the kid to the operating room. We already did the spirometry test on the kid, and it wasn't normal.

The kid is suffering from the condition Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. It occurs when the walls between the air sacs of the lungs become weak and may collapse. In her case, we will do the bullectomy surgery.