It isn't until the next week that Mike has the balls to talk to me. Whenever he's around the house he avoids me like a plague.
I only laugh when I see him I'm not bothered because I sure as hell didn't do anything wrong.
It's a Friday evening and after spending the whole week working I can finally rest the way I want to.
After a dinner of salad and fruits I climbed up the stairs in my slow fashion.
I opened my door and closed it quietly behind me. Amelia was out with her friends, Drake had since gone back to college, Diego, Mrs. Clara and the other helps were tidying up everywhere for the weekend and my parents were doing whatever they loved to do at this time.
I walk to the bathroom on the other side of my room right after my queen sized bed.
The tiles are white and golden giving it this pristine look. My aching soles take me to the sink which as a portrait sized mirror hanging over it.
"I look like shit" I mutter to myself silently cursing Diego who said I looked beautiful this evening.
My black shoulder length hair looks tawny and tangled. I run a hand through it and grimace when I come across a tangled piece.
I have bags under my eyes and my black eyes almost look lifeless.
I need a hot bath I think going to back to my room to strip off my clothes.
Minutes later I'm immersed in warm water. I sigh more than once at the soothing sensation that massages my tired body.
The room now smells funny because of the different assortments of oils and shampoo that I dumped into the water.
When the water starts to turn cold I hop out carefully so I don't slip on the tiles. I remove the drain and the water goes in a spiral rotation making loud slurping noises.
I giggle to myself because it sounds like Drake drinking a soda.
I wrap myself in a white fluffy bathrobe feeling less tense than I was minutes ago.
Just as my butt touches the bed someone chooses to knock at that moment.
I groan loudly and the person at the other end of the door laughs having heard my groan.
"I swear Diego I'm going to kill if you you do not have a reasonable reason for being here".
I hear his deep laughter again.
"Can I come in?"
"Arrggh".
A smiling Diego enters my room. My breath would have gotten stuck in my throat if it was years ago when I had this certain attraction to him.
But now I feel nothing okay just a slight acknowledgement that he's a handsome man.
He's dressed in his regular attire which consists of a plain white shirt and ripped faded blue jeans.
His eyes roam down my body and I notice the tilt in his lips.
"My eyes are up here Diego" I say when I notice his eyes on my exposed cleavage.
"I'm aware"
He chuckles before throwing the package he had in his hands to the bed.
"I know how disappointed you were during dinner because they were no blueberries. So I got you that"
I smile reaching for the package. True to his words blueberries rest inside the plastic container.
"That's sweet of you. Thanks"
"You're welcome my lady"
"So are you heading home now?"
"Yeah...yeah I just thought I'd come say my final greetings before I leave"
"Okay" I draw out.
He mutters something I don't hear and comes closer to the side of the bed where I am sitting.
He comes close enough that I smell his aftershave and shower gel.
A combination of spicy and mint.
Pure male.
"Have a good night Lin" he says pressing his warm lips to my forehead.
My eyes remain open looking at his strong throat and his jutting Adam's apple.
He pulls back and stands from the bed.
"Good night D"
He nods and walks out of the room sparing me a glance when he's about to close the door.
He closes the door.
I think about what just happened. Diego and I used to have something when he first came.
We were just two teenagers who didn't know what we wanted. We used to sneak around to hangout and most of the time I'd sneak into his room in the boy's quarters to cuddle.
We didn't do anything other than kiss.
Our little adventure was stopped the minute my elder brother Carter caught us kissing in the kitchen when we thought no one else was around.
To say he was livid would be an understatement. You know how protective elder brothers can be.
We promised him that we would stop whatever we were doing. I also begged him not to tell anyone.
So sometimes I wonder what would happen if Mike got to know of Diego's and I's past flame.
He would definitely burst a vein.
A knock on the door draws me out of my thoughts and I find myself telling this person to come in when I want to do nothing more than to hug the big panda Mike got me at the carnival.
The last person I expect to see walks in.
I laugh out loud the moment I see him.
He closes the door grumbling under his breath.
"Are you done now?" he asks turning the chair by my dresser so that it now faces me.
"Yeah" I breath out giving my tummy a light tap.
Silence follows and I narrow my gaze at the man I call my best friend who is staring so hard at the ground that I fear that he might burn holes in my expensive rug.
"I'm sorry" he says after that long stretch of silence.
"That's not enough" I reply.
His head snaps up to meet my face. His eyes stay on my face a second longer before he lowers his gaze to my cleavage.
I roll my eyes in my head.
Why are men like this?
His cheeks turn darker when I catch his gaze again. I hug a pillow to my chest.
"What do you mean it's not enough?"
I laugh humorlessly and lock gazes with him.
"You seem to have forgotten your exact words that day. Shall I remind you?" after I pause to take a breath I continue "Yes I will. You said that Diego was a gold digger. What the hell happened that day Michael?"
I didn't call him by his full name except I was mad at him.
He gets the hint now and he keeps his eyes trained on the floor.
"I just don't like him" he mumbles.
"Why? What has he ever done to you?"
He shrugs carelessly "Maybe I just don't like him being close to you"
My eyebrows furrow in confusion.
I want to ask him the question I asked Doctor Moore days ago. But I stop myself it might not be something I want to hear from my best friend.
"I didn't expect words like that from you. And Diego isn't like that either. The fact that you always start the fight makes your reasons suspicious".
He stands from the seat and starts pacing around.
"I love you Lin. I'm just looking out for you"
The expression in his eyes are deeper than I what I have for him.
"If he is so bad as you think he is. Mum and Dad would have fired him by now"
"That..."
"Everyone else warms up to him except you" I point out.
He scoffs kicking the foot of the chair he just sat on.
"From today henceforth there will be no hard stares or hostility between you and Diego. Any of that and I'm giving you a hard spanking".
Mike laughs the first time this evening.
"Like I'd let you"
"I could always have Diego hold you down" I tease.
His laughter dies down and a frown is back on his face.
I laugh until I almost roll of the bed.
It is so easy to rile him with Diego.
"Okay I'm sorry I just had to say it". I say stifling a laugh.
He picks up a stray pillow on my dresser and hurls it at me. His accuracy hits his target.
The pillow hits me square in my shoulder and I just allow myself lay down on the bed staring up at the white ceiling a smile painted on my face.
"But seriously no more fighting or hostile comments".
"Sure" he reluctantly replies.
Mike's POV
"Sure" I agree to Lin's demand. It's not a promise so I can still bash his face whenever I feel like....when she's not there I mean.
If only she knew the reason.
I have an inkling that she knows but she chooses not to address it.
I know why.
It's her sickness it all boils down to it.
If only she knew that I've loved her wholeheartedly since she was missing two front teeth. She was goofy and loved reciting multiplication tables.
I did the same too learned even more so I could show off to her later.
I never liked Diego.
I remember the first time I set my eyes on the lanky Italian boy.
He had his own eyes on my Lin.
Lin's eyes were locked on his too. She never really looked at me that way.
She looked at him with affection, clear attraction shimmered between them.
From that day I knew he would be a problem.
Years have passed by but my love for Lin hasn't.
I got news of her last check-up.
I was happy I wouldn't lie. Only if she'll allow herself to go into this territory she doesn't want to explore with me.
If she ever changes her mind I'll be here for her.
I will always be.
My eyes roam the body of this petite female sprawled on her bed only in a white robe.
"Are you asleep?"
"Nah. I'm about to be though" she replies.
I would have coerced her into going out with me this evening I know how easily tired she gets and she has been at the office all week.
So I leave it at that.
"Get up. You have to change and brush your hair"
One of her nightly rituals she brushes her hair every night before she goes to sleep.
I walk towards her closet and pick out a pyjama top and bottom.
When I turn around. She's stuffing her mouth with blueberries.
"Want some?" she asks tilting her head to the side.
She looks so young and carefree in that moment. Like as if she doesn't fight for her life each day.
Where is a photographer when you need one?
Linda-Lin has my heart in her hands yet she doesn't know it.