Kumunot ang noo ni Alden nang hindi nakita si Dei sa loob pagkatapos niyang lumabas to answer Leo's call. Agad na kinatok niya ang pinto sa banyo and called her name.
"Hindi ka pa tapos maligo?" Pinakinggan niya muna ang tunog ng shower before knocking on the door.
"Teka, saglit lang," her voice echoed inside. "Malapit na 'kong matapos."
"Make it fast. Lilinisin pa iyang sugat mo."
"Okay," sagot nito at dumiretso na siya sa couch para asikasuhin ang trabaho sa laptop.
*****
Halos bumaluktot ang dila ni Dei kakatutok sa salamin para mag-apply ng mascara. Then she sighed, took a step back, and checked her face on the mirror. Her brows were on flick, no messy mascara, and her lips... kissable. Hindi naman sa naga-assume siya na may mangyari, gusto lang talaga niya magmukhang maganda and presentable. Iyon lang iyon.
She checked for any crease on her white blouse then folded the tips of her jeans with her left hand that was not in a cast. At last, makakalabas na siya sa ospital.
She found Alden sitting on the couch and buried on his work on the laptop. She secretly enjoyed watching him work with his glasses on, folded sleeves, and that slight show of exposed skin within the three unclasped buttons down. Hindi na nga niya ito inuutusan kasi ayaw niyang ma-isturbo ang imahe nito.
He looked up and she instantly hid her drooling face from him.
"Come here. I will tend your wound," sabi nito sabay umayos sa pagkakaupo sa couch.
Dei looked back at him and noticed the tray containing the stuffs used for dressing her wound on the coffee table. "Bakit? Asan ang nurse?"
"Don't worry. They taught me how."
"Hindi... dapat iyong nurse lang," she looked panicked.
"Come here, Dei." He patted the space beside him.
Umiling naman agad si Dei. Mawawalan ng silbi ang pagpapaganda niya kung makikita nito ang itsura ng sugat niya. Ayaw niyang mandiri ito sa kanya...
"Ano'ng gusto mo, kukuha ako ng personal nurse to take care of you?"
"Hindi naman sa ganun..."
"Then come here and let your fiance take care of you."
Parang bata na napilitang sumunod dito si Dei.
"Ayokong mandiri ka sakin..." reklamo niya pagkaupo sa tabi nito.
"I will not." Umayos muna ito sa pagkakaupo.
Dei's breath hitched when Alden took the gauze pad off her forehead, at hindi na siya nakahinga afterwards. At lalo pa siyang hindi nakahinga when he scooted closer to carefully clean her wound. Palipat-lipat ang mga mata ni Dei sa mga labi nito and on the exposed collarbone on his shirt.
When he moved to get a new bandage, Dei sucked in some air. Alden immediately looked at her and chuckled.
"Am I making you nervous?"
"Palagi."
"Tapos ang lakas mong mag-utos sa'kin kahapon, no?"
She shyly smiled.
"Take a deep breath, Dei. I will come closer now..."
She did just that and watched him move near her. When he was finally putting on the tape for the gauze, his eyes dragged down and saw her staring. He smiled and Dei couldn't take her eyes off of him.
