WHAT IF???

Chapter 16: In Pain

Mon returned to her workstation with a blank stare, the earlier events with Sam lingering in her mind. She sat down in her chair, resting her elbow on the desk, and absentmindedly rubbed her lips. Taking a sip of her coffee, she was jolted back to reality as the hot liquid snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Ouch!" Mon exclaimed as the hot coffee burned her lips.

Yha turned to Mon, asking, "What happened?"

"It's just that my coffee was too hot," Mon replied, wincing. "I'll go grab some water from the pantry."

A few moments later, Mon returned, holding her water and still rubbing her lips in pain. She was startled to hear Sam's voice.

"Does your lips still feel like mine?" Sam asked, catching Mon off guard.

Mon was startled by Sam's sudden presence. She gazed at Sam, feeling a rush of emotions coursing through her. Sam licked her lips slowly, causing Mon to gulp nervously, still rubbing her own lips. Internally, Mon couldn't shake off the sensation of Sam's kiss.

As Mon gulped, Sam bit her own lips while fixating her gaze on Mon's. Internally, Sam yearned for more of Mon's lips. Their eyes locked, and both of them breathed deeply, lost in the intensity of the moment. Mon couldn't help but notice that Sam's eyes seemed to always beckon her, drawing her in deeper.

Sam and Mon's internal reverie was interrupted by Nuch's approach.

"I need your signature, Sam," Nuch exclaimed.

As soon as Sam was called, Mon hastily returned to her seat. Sam reached for the documents needing her signature, while Mon continued to gaze at her, unconsciously wetting her lips and rubbing them.

After signing the documents, Sam slowly turned her gaze towards Mon, catching her staring. Mon quickly averted her eyes, feeling flustered. Sam couldn't help but grin as she entered her room, leaving Mon with a flurry of mixed emotions.

Yha observed that Mon had been disoriented ever since she left Sam's room.

"Is everything alright, Mon?" Yha asked, concerned. "I noticed you've been staring blankly since you left Sam's room. Did something happen between you two?"

Mon suddenly stood up, her voice raised in frustration. "Nothing!" she exclaimed, shocking the entire team.

Realizing her outburst, Mon quickly apologized, explaining that she just had something on her mind. She excused herself and hurried to the comfort room.

On her way, Mon encountered Sam as Sam called out for Nuch from her office.

"Where's the other document, Nuch?" Sam exclaimed loudly, noticing Mon passing by. Sam wet her lips and brushed her hair back, her gaze fixed on Mon.

Feeling overwhelmed by her emotions, Mon hurriedly excused herself again, rushing to avoid Sam's intense gaze.

Sam followed Mon with a grin as Nuch handed over the document, and then Sam returned to her office, leaving Mon to sort out her feelings in private.

Mon rushed to the comfort room, desperate to flush out the overwhelming emotions swirling inside her.

Resting both hands on the sink, Mon slowly gazed at herself in the mirror. Images of Sam's intense gaze, her lips, and the way she brushed her hair lingered in Mon's mind.

In Mon's thoughts, she admitted that it felt like she could still feel the warmth of Sam's lips against hers, causing her to unconsciously bite her own lips in response.

Mon furrowed her forehead, rebuking her own thoughts. "This is wrong," she muttered to herself, trying to shake off the lingering sensations and regain control of her emotions.

Mon's thoughts were disrupted by the chiming of her phone. She saw a message from Sam: "I'm in pain again." Reading Sam's message immediately brought Mon back to that night when Sam had a fever.

Worry flooding her mind, Mon rushed to Sam's office without hesitation. Bursting through the door, she exclaimed, "What happened? Are you okay?"

To Mon's surprise, she found Sam sitting comfortably on the sofa, browsing on her cellphone. Sam replied, "I'm okay... More than okay because you came."

Mon, still concerned, asked, "If you're okay, what's the meaning of your message?"

Sam gave Mon a teasing look as she leaned comfortably on the sofa. With a playful tone, she replied, "I just needed another proof that you're still concerned for me, Mon."

Mon let out a deep sigh, expressing her genuine concern. "You shouldn't have done that, Sam. I was deeply worried, especially after that night when you almost collapsed from your fever."

Pouting her lips, Sam responded, "It's true that I'm in pain, deep pain," expressing her feelings earnestly.

Mon didn't quite grasp what Sam was trying to convey and furrowed her brows in confusion.

Sam explained, "I'm really in pain because the woman I love can't love me back. I wish she would change her mind so we can be together again."

Rolling her eyes, Mon replied, "This isn't the right place to talk about this, Sam. It's the office."

Attempting to dismiss the conversation, Mon added, "You seem to be doing okay now. I need to get back to my desk; I have a lot of tasks to do."

As Mon turned to leave, Sam grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Mon stumbled and fell onto the couch, while Sam abruptly hovered over her, their faces now inches apart.

Sam brushed a strand of Mon's hair behind her ear, her gaze unwavering as she took in every detail of Mon's face. With a sigh, she whispered, "You're the most beautiful woman I know, Mon."

Gently pinching Mon's chin, Sam continued, "My love for you hasn't changed, and I can feel that your love for me is still the same."

Mon, feeling increasingly uncomfortable, shifted slightly to find a more comfortable position, and replied with a hint of irritation, "Sam..."

"Why can't you just let your feelings flow, Mon? Why do you have to hide what you truly feel?" Sam questioned, her voice filled with sincerity.

With a sigh, Mon admitted, "Because I'm scared."

Sam reassured her, "There's nothing to be scared of. I'll always protect you, as long as we're together."

Sam's hand began to caress Mon's face, trailing down to her neck and shoulder, as they shared a tender moment together.

Mon struggled to break free from their position, but Sam prevented her from pulling away, leaning in closer.

"Stop fighting it, Mon," Sam urged, her voice soft but determined. "We both know we still love each other. You can't hide it anymore; your actions speak for themselves. You still want me, badly."

As Sam leaned in closer, her eyes and lips fixated on Mon's, Mon felt her heart racing. She breathed heavily, closed her eyes, and finally surrendered herself to her emotions, allowing Sam to close the gap between them and share a passionate kiss.

Sam watched in disappointment as Mon hurriedly answered the phone call, pushing her away in the process. She winced as her back hit the corner of the sofa, feeling a twinge of pain.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Mon apologized, her voice urgent as she explained the importance of the call. "This is the client we've been following up with for weeks. I can't ignore this; we might lose the client."

Sam watched in silence as Mon swiftly left the office, leaving her alone with a twinge of pain from hitting the sofa.