Dangerous Love

Chapter 10

I wanted to go back to the room, but I saw him approaching me and Frea.

“M-Matteo? I’m fine now. We’re heading back to the room,” I said, forcing a smile to convince him.

“No, you’re not. Look at yourself in the mirror and see how pale you are,” he said, his intense gaze locked on me.

“I told you, I’m okay. And thanks for bringing me here!” I replied, trying to wave it off with a smile.

I was about to stand up, but a sudden wave of dizziness hit me. My knees buckled, and I had to grab onto Frea for support.

“Seah! You’re not okay! You need to rest here. I’m calling Tita Mildred!” Frea said, panic lacing her voice.

“I told you, you’re not fine. Stop being so stubborn!” Matteo cut in sharply, stepping closer. Without waiting for my response, he gently grabbed my waist to help me back onto the bed.

The moment his hands touched my waist, I froze. My heart raced for reasons I couldn’t understand, the closeness between us making it impossible to breathe steadily.

“Frea, please don’t call my mom!” I pleaded, gripping her arm as if it would stop her.

“But, Seah, what do you want me to do? I can’t just ignore this!” Frea said, clearly torn.

“Frea, call her parents. Don’t listen to her,” Matteo commanded firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

I turned to him, startled by how serious he looked. His expression was unreadable, but the tension between us was undeniable. It felt like his concern was more than just duty, and that thought sent shivers down my spine.

He looked at me, and I could see the intense worry in his eyes. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his lips seemed hesitant, as if he wanted to say something but was holding back, afraid it might make things worse. His gaze was heavy, watching my every move with concern and tension, as if he was carrying the weight of my condition on his shoulders.

I turned my eyes to Frea, hoping she would understand what I was silently pleading for her to do. And she did—she always did. But even as our silent exchange passed between us, I could feel Matteo’s piercing stare shift toward her, firm and unyielding, silently warning her not to defy him.

I felt helpless as Matteo firmly told Frea to call my mom. His voice was commanding, leaving no room for argument. Frea obeyed—not because she wanted to, but because of the sharp, cold authority in Matteo’s gaze that dared her to refuse.

When Frea returned to the clinic after making the call, I found myself avoiding Matteo’s gaze. The air felt heavy with unspoken words. Every time I tried to meet his eyes, I felt a strange tension, an unexplainable pull. His expression was unreadable, but something in the way he looked at me made my chest tighten, as if he carried emotions he wasn’t ready to admit.

I reached out for Frea’s arm, pulling her closer like she was my shield. I wanted to hide—not just from Matteo’s piercing stare but from the whirlwind of emotions I couldn’t quite name.

“Seah,” Matteo’s voice cut through the silence, calm but firm. “Stop being so stubborn. Just wait for your ride and rest properly at home.”

He didn’t wait for a reply. With those words, he turned and walked out of the clinic, leaving Frea and me behind.

As we waited for my ride, I couldn’t help but replay everything in my head. There was something about Matteo’s presence that unsettled me. I wasn’t used to someone taking control over me like that, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to resist him.

Why was it so hard to go against him? And why did it feel like I didn’t want to?

“Seah, okay ka lang ba?” Frea asked, her voice laced with concern as she saw the worry on my face.

“I don’t know… It’s like there’s a reason why I feel like I need to listen to him,” I replied, still confused. “I don’t understand why he wants me to follow him. There’s just so much on my mind.”

“Maybe it’s because he’s worried about you. That’s natural,” Frea said, her tone reassuring, trying to support how I felt.

“Sometimes, there are people who have a way of approaching us that makes us feel important,” she added.

“Yeah, but... I don’t really know him that well,” I responded. “Why does it feel like he can make me do things, even the small ones?”

“Maybe it’s the way he speaks. His voice has depth. There’s something about him that you haven’t quite noticed yet,” Frea suggested.

I paused, lost in thought. A sense of confusion stirred within me. “Anyway, no matter what happens, I really need to rest,” I said, trying to push my thoughts about Matteo away.

××××××××××××××××

Lumipas ang ilang minuto at dumating na si Mom.

“Seah, anak, ano nangyari? Bakit nawalan ka daw ng malay?” tanong niya, ang kanyang boses ay puno ng pag-aalala.

“Mom, I'm okay. Umuwi nalang po tayo,” sambit ko, para hindi na siya mag alala pa.

“Seah, importante ang kalusugan mo. ” sabi ni Mom, ang kanyang mga mata ay puno ng pag-aalala.

“Hindi na po, Mom. Gusto ko lang sanang makapagpahinga,” sagot ko, pinipilit na magpakatatag.

As we headed to the car, I fell into silence.

I remained quiet the whole ride, my face almost expressionless. I kept thinking about the lessons I was going to miss today, and my mind seemed too far gone to focus on anything else. I couldn't bring myself to talk, my thoughts consumed by everything I had to catch up on. I simply stared out the window, watching the world go by as we drove.

Habang nagmamaneho si Mom, napansin ko ang mga tao sa labas—Lahat sila ay tila abala, habang ako naman ay naguguluhan at nakatulala.

“Seah, anak, okay ka lang ba?” tanong ni Mom, na tila nag-aalala sa aking katahimikan.

“Okay lang po, Mom,” i replied,i give a smile for reassurance.

××××××××××××××

When we arrived home, I immediately got out of the car and headed straight inside the house. I heard Mom called me, but I didn't look back. I just kept walking, turning my back on her.