★★★★★
The following morning, Lucian came downstairs already dressed up for work.
His face was dull, like he was sick, but he wasn’t sick.
Lucian stops on his track when he sees Seraphina setting up the table for breakfast alongside with Aaliyah who was helping out.
He felt a Painful lump in his throat, and he felt like crying, just looking at the innocent girl.
“Good morning Lucian”. Aaliyah greeted the moment he saw him, and Seraphina who has be backing him, turns to look at him.
“Lucian”. She muttered smiling, and walks up to him.
“Good morning Lucian”. She said.
But Lucian didn’t respond, or look at her, he was avoiding looking at her straight in the eye.
“Is everything okay with you Lucian”.
And Lucian only nods his head.
“But you ain’t lively like you used to be, and what were you saying last night, I don’t understand”.
And Lucian looks at her, but slowly looked away.
“I’m fine”. He managed to answer.
Seraphina sighs and said
“If you’re bother about something, you can talk to me about it, am ready to listen”.
“Am Fine Sera, don’t worry about me”.
“Are you sure”.
And Lucian reluctantly nods his head.
Seraphina smiles and wrapped her hand around his arm.
“I’m glad you’re, I was just worried for nothing….anyways, I prepared your favorite meal, you should eat, and take some medicine, so you won’t develop a flu, you got soaked in the rain alot”.
Lucian looks at her, and when he sees the care and love in her eyes, thousands of guits fell on him at once.
He slowly remove Seraphina’s hand from his arm, and said in a voice that wasn’t audible.
“Am sorry Sera, but I got to go”.
“Huh, where are you going”.
“To work”.
“Ain’t you going to eat first, I woke up earlier just to prepare this for you, are your just going to dished it off”. Seraphina said so innocently, making Lucian feel more guilty.
“I’m sorry”.
“What exactly are you sorry for Lucian, you’ve been saying since last night, did something happen”. She asked.
And Lucian shakes his head.
“So why’re you sorry, and what with this quiet and dull attitude of yours, your getting me worried”.
“I’m sorry, am so sorry”.
“For what exactly”.
“Nothing”. Lucian said and leaves the house, before Seraphina could ulter another word.
“Aaliyah, do you know what eating your brother up”. Seraphina asked with a worried face.
“I dunno Aaliyah, even Alvin has been that way too, he came back early this morning, and he has been in his room…..I wonder what happened last night”.
And Seraphina looks at her, trying to figure out what was going on with Lucian.
*****
ABI COMPANY***
“I think you should tell her Lucian”.
“I…I….can’t to that Jae-hee”.
“And why not Lucian, ”
“Am afraid, I don’t want to see her get hurt”.
“But am telling you Lucian, the pain is going to hurt less if you tell her the truth, tell her that you made the deal back then when you both were enemies, but you love her now,….yes she’s going to get hurt, but it won’t be compare to the pain she’ll feel if Yasmeen tell her, and besides is no longer a deal, since she didn’t help you get into ABI”.
“I know that Jae-hee, but it’s doesn’t change anything, I was the one who came up with the suggestion, no one force me, I can’t even look at her in the face, talk more of telling her the truth, I just h@ťě myself, I h@ťě myself”. Lucian said slapping himself, as tears falls down his eyes.
“This is not the time to blame yourself or cry Lucian, if you don’t want your relationship with Seraphina to end, you should tell her the truth, am a girl too, and I know how’s going to feel, when you found out from someone else that the boy you love so much doesn’t love you”. Jae-hee said.
“But I love her Jae-hee, I love her so much”. He said crying.
“Then tell her truth before is too late Lucian, Yasmeen is the devil’s advocate, and you won’t know when she will come in to destroy you and Seraphina”.
Lucian tries to talk, but no word could form out from his mouth.
******
SERAPHINA’S MANSION***
“Where the heck have you been Seraphina, do you know how I worried, when it’s rain last night”. Paisley ranted.
“I’m sorry Paisley, sorry for making you worry, but am fine now, nothing happened to me last night”.
“What do you me nothing happened to you, ain’t you phobia with Rain”.
“Yes I’m, but not anymore, I overcome my trauma”.
“Really, how did that happen”. Paisley asked smiling.
“I choose to fight with it, and Lucian helped too”.
“How”.
“He slept with me”.
“Ahha, now I see why you’ve choose to be in his house, because you both kept doing it back to back”. Paisley mockery.
Seraphina sighs and falls to the couch.
“What wrong Seraphina, you look worried”.
“Is Lucian”.
“What about him”.
“I think he has a problem, which he doesn’t want me to know”.
“Meaning”.
“Last night, when he didn’t return home on time, I decided to go in search for him, only to see him standing outside the house under the rain, and when I asked why, he kept apologizing saying his sorry, and it’s repeated it’s self this morning, all he kept saying his sorry, and he didn’t even eat the food I prepared for him”. Seraphina explains worriedly.
“That’s weird, have you try calling him”.
“Yes I did a thousands of times before I came here, but his not answering, his new behavior is getting me so worried”.
“Maybe you should go see him at work, everyone already knows his your boyfriend so there won’t be any fizzles, try finding out what his hiding from you, and why he feels guilty okay”.
And Seraphina nods and sighs.
*****
ABI COMPANY***
“Are you sure you can handle the things here, you look sick”. Jae-hee said.
It was late already and everyone was already going home.
“Yes I’m fine, just go home Jae-hee”. Lucian said and sneeze.
“Why didn’t you take drugs when you know you bathed yourself in the rain, now you have gotten a flu”.
But Lucian didn’t say a word, he was shivering, and him crying all day added to his flu.
“Your something else Lucian”. Jae-hee sighs, and takes a band from inside her bag.
“Take off your shirt”.
“Why”. Lucian asked quickly.
“If I rub this on you, is going to reduce your shivering”.
“Am fine Jae-hee, just go home”.
“There’s no way I can leave you here knowing the fact and that you’re sick….you won’t be able to forcus on the artworks you want to do”. Jae-hee said.
“I’m”. He muttered.
“No your not”. And with that she took off Lucian’s shirt.
“You don’t have to do this Jae-hee, am fine”.
“And I said you’re not fine….. just stay put, it won’t take long”. She said and Lucian decided to let her be.
Jae-hee slowly began rubbing the band around his chest, easing the shivering he was having.
“Thanks Jae-hee”.
“Is nothing”. Jae-hee said and continues rubbing the band on him.
Seraphina having ask around the people who were still present at the company, where Lucian’s office is, enters his office, and seeing the scene in front of her, her bag fall from her hand.
And the noise alert both Jae-hee and Lucian.
“Se…..se….. Sera”.
“Is this what you’ve been busy doing in the office”. She asked, she wasn’t yelling, but with her facial expression, you could tell she’s really angry.
“Is not what you think Sera”. Lucian said.
“Not what I think, I was calling you the whole day, but you weren’t answering, I was darm worried about you, only to come here and see this”.
“Is not what you think Seraphina, Lucian was having a flu, I just want to help him reduce his shivering”. Jae-hee said.
“I don’t care, you both can continue wh@ťěver you both were doing, I was so stupid to come here”. Seraphina said and leaves the office.
“What are you doing, go after her”. Jae-hee said.
Lucian Wears back his shirt, and hurriedly went out from the building, but Seraphina has already entered her car and drove off.
Lucian quickly enters his car and followed her.