Just A Few Numbers Away

Chapter 16

Diagnosis of the Heart

A few hours later, Aen woke up again.

When she opened her eyes, her close friend and co-worker Angel rushed to her side, holding her hands tightly.

She was close to tears.

"Ate!! Ate!! Are you okay? Does anything hurt? I'm sorry I wasn't here. I didn't know. They only told me what happened when I went back to the company, and then I rushed here as fast as I could."

I tried sitting up, and she helped me.

"S-slow down." I touched her head lightly.

'What a worry wart.'

"I'm sorry. If I had known earlier, I would've ditched work and come rushing here."

"It's okay. I'm okay. So stop worrying. And don't even try ditching work or you'll get scolded."

"Ate naman!! How can I not worry? They told me you were hit by a speeding bike and you fainted. I was really scared when I heard that, you know. I don't even care if I get scolded."

"But I do. Because you'll feel down if they scold you."

"But-"

"No buts."

And then she pouted.

How cute.

I looked around.

He wasn't here.

'Did he... leave?'

I look at my wrist: 50 steps away.

The numbers were steady, a silent tether telling me he was still within reach.

He hadn't abandoned me; he was just giving me space to breathe.

"Hey, Gel. When you, uhm, came here... was there someone in here?"

"Ohhh... You mean the guy that was holding your wrist?"

"What?"

"Yeah.. he was holding your wrist when I came, I asked him about what happened to you and he told me the same thing the HR told me at the company. After that, he stepped out for a bit. He said he needed to buy something."

"Ohhhhh..."

"Who is he, by the way?"

She looked at me suspiciously.

"He's... uhm, my soulmate..."

"Ohhh..."

Angel paused, her eyes widening.

"Yeah..."

"Wait... What?! How?! When?! Why?! You never told me you found him?!"

"It's complicated."

"Is this why you have been so stressed these past few weeks?"

"Let's not talk about it here, please. When we go home, I'll tell you all about it."

"Fine. I'll let this slide since you are unwell. By the way, does your head still hurt? The guy—I mean, your soulmate—told me before he left to ask you as soon as you woke up."

"No. It doesn't."

And neither is my wrist.

The ghost of his touch was still there, numbing the fire under my skin.