Made For You

Ch. 22: I'll Call You When I Give Up

Sofia

He is so cold to touch.

The paleness hasn't left him. His breaths still come in short gasps through chapped lips. Under the bandaged chest, his heartbeats are at a steady pace. He won't wake up though. We are all waiting—the entire mansion—but he won't wake up.

I trace the shape of his elegant cheekbones with a light touch, the moment of the bullet piercing him instead of me playing in my head. I hear the gunshot on repeat and see his body going down in front of my eyes while I stand there gaping at the scene.

If I had been careful, he wouldn't be in this condition. I have spent the last forty-eight hours taking care of him, doing my duty not like a fiancée but like someone who owes him her life.

I do owe him my life. If I am breathing today, it is because of him.

"How long will he take to wake up?" I drop the question to the young nurse—Paul—who has been sitting on watch and flipping through a magazine in boredom.

The man looks like he could use some sleep. I doubt he is allowed to do that. He needs to be alert to every movement Gabriel makes. In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that he is the most important person in the mansion now. The future of the criminal world lies upon his diligence.

Paul folds his magazine, giving me a wry smile. "He's under heavy sedation. But things are looking better. He should be up soon."

"Will he be able to walk and talk?" I probe, eyes skating through Gabriel's body in the bed which shows no signs of movement as of yet.

"That might depend on how far his injuries go internally," Paul says thoughtfully. "The doctor said he will be absolutely fine so you shouldn't worry, Miss."

I try to calm my features, trying to ignore for a second the dull heaviness in my chest.

"And you? Are you comfortable here?" His tired tone prompts the question. "There's no one...threatening you, right?"

For a split second, Paul pales. He gives me a wide-eyed look that speaks a lot without saying but then he shakes his head as if deciding against those thoughts.

"Uh...no, Miss."

His lie shows on his face.

"Don't be scared to tell me," I press on. "I know what the men here are like. If anyone troubles you, let me know."

He smiles brighter this time. "You're very kind, Miss. Mind if I ask what's your relationship with Mr. De Luca here?"

"I'm his fiancée."

"I thought the other woman was his fiancée."

I furrow my brows at his words, an icky feeling tickling me. "Which other woman?"

"There was another woman, a beautiful one, who came running to meet him," Paul says, seemingly hesitant. "Her brother was there with her."

Ramona.

My mood sours immediately. I forgot that she was still here in the mansion, living under the same roof as me. Fabio gave them the guesthouse but she makes sure to come up with new excuses to pass her time here where she can be close to Gabriel.

"Next time she comes, don't let her enter," I say on a stringent note as I get up from my seat beside Gabriel's bed.

"Sure, Miss."

I give him a nod, taking a deep breath to clear my mind. The room has the scent of medicines lingering around which makes it difficult to breathe in clean air.