The momentary hurt expression painted on Care's face kept on popping on his head. Eli puffed and released the same paper he was holding since an hour ago. He could imagine the delay this causes to his other tasks because of him being absent minded. By that possibility not away from becoming a reality, his head ached beyond a painkiller can cure.
His alarm buzzed, a reminder for his afternoon class. He stayed on his swivel chair for another five minutes hoping that Care would return from her errand. With the door creaking open, he straightened his back.
July entered. The fact alone made his patience hang by a thread. His headache aggravated.
"Pres, why are you still idling? You will be late! Pretty swear, I'll watch Care on your stead and tell her to take a lunch break so please get going." She assured him.
"Oh, man. Was I that transparent?" he inwardly fretted.
With his secretary's suspecting glare as if she expected him to oppose, he left begrudgingly.
During the whole duration of his classes, he checked the wall clock from time to time, even stared at its hands rotating around the numbers. To put it simply, he was slowly losing his sanity. He intended to see her later that noon but he was swamped by work.
The next day, his lack of sleep was evident. Several officers also noted he seemed cranky throughout the morning. The answer was simple: he was still clueless why Care acted the way she did towards him.
While he finalized the schedule of events for tomorrow's Freshies Salutations Day, Ivy approached his desk. She was there to submit the initial expenditure report as part of a first year rep job and another side agenda. Eli paid her no heed, though.
Considering a temperament like hers, patience was out of the equation. She pounded her fist on the table. He looked up as she predicted, projecting an apologetic smile right away. She never wanted to be perceived ill-mannered.
"Sorry, Pres, I just wanna catch your attention. It's past 3:00 pm already. That woman... Care is starving. Paler than zombie. Remember, I'm only telling you to spare Aster the worries, got it? Don't drop my name, Eliseo! I trust you." She rambled so panic-stricken, he was tempted to chuckle.
Do girls always speak in riddles?
He could name many with Care ranking 1st on the list. Speaking of which, he gestured thumbs up to appease Ivy before hastily wrapping up things in the SC office. He headed straight to the storeroom as Ivy directed where she was.
His eyes found her easily. After all, she was bathed in gleaming light which crowned her special among specials. Whenever he adores her from afar, he is reminded of his limitations... the boundaries he should not cross, the love he must not pursue.
"That's enough. I didn't demand you overperform. The bare minimum of service suffices therefore kindly fill up your stomach and go home" He spoke authoritatively.
With a few strides, he bridged their gap then offered a bag of empanadas. He would have brought a delish lunch box if he was not in a rush. She scowled at him and pushed back his open palm.
"Rest-assured, I am never gonna be that damsel you picked at the middle of the road again. I don't need you nor your empanada!" She declined half yelling.
The fickleness of a woman is a trait he disliked ever since he met Caress Aragon. She was a ball of emotions fleshed out. She can be gentle as a kitten then be brutal as a coyote the next minute. It annoys him and fascinates him at the same time then later on drives him nuts at a repeat harrowing cycle so maybe he was a ball of emotions, too.
She flipped her hair before passing by him. That was when he noticed the cuts and calluses all over her hand--- no, both hands, in fact! He caught them to inspect closer. Pervaded with hostile feelings, she quickly whisked his hands. He let her since he got a clear visual, anyway.
"How?" he asked.
A dead silence passed between them.
"How?" His voice boomed, much insistent.
"Because of you! You gave the name-of-a-month bitch the shots to order me around so here I was, removing thorns from dozens of dozens of dozens of roses!" She accused, thrusting her index finger on his chest.
Behind her, an abundance of roses filled up the huge inflatable pool of water with only its stems submerged. He was silly for being unaware of the surroundings. However, now that he is observing, the paring knife lying on a makeshift table helped him discern what was wrong. He clenched his jaw repressing his potent anger to break loose.
"Why would you choose the hardest route? Thorn strippers, Aragon! All you had to do was use thorn strippers to avoid hurting your hands! We listed the item during canvassing so I'm certain we have those. Tell me it's not one of your schemes because I am not falling for this." He said in a dangerously gruff voice.
She cowered, instinctive. His assertion sapped her confidence at an incredible rate. If this continues, she may end up being tamed again!
"What are you insinuating!? How am I supposed to know? FYI, I ain't a florist, heck our family hired people for those chores!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, hurt by his mistrust.
His ears nearly bled listening but still he endured so Care could pour out her pent-up feelings. He held his silence a little longer in case she was unfinished with her ranting. The considerate gesture, though, was misinterpreted. She took it as disbelief.
The pained look on her guilted his conscience. He was confused, attempting to reach her arm failing thereafter as she evaded swiftly.
"How low do you think I am for you to easily point the blame on me?" She asked.
The questions he threw merely meant to provoke her to honesty because as long as her words shroud in ambiguity, he would never understand.
"Nonsense, you are anything except low. The blame is on me for overreacting... Come, let's treat that."
The skeptical expression on her face remained but she went with him to the infirmary minus skinship, of course. She acted as if she was disgusted by his touch although she felt the opposite.
The nurse gave Eli a cutesy wave when he lopsidedly smiled at her as sort of courtesy. Witnessing the brief exchange, Care was enraged. She grabbed him by the arm towards the couch after she glared at the nurse for a brief moment.
"What?" Eli probed.
His gravelly voice trying hard to be mellow was melting her iceberg heart yet she rolled her eyes at him as reply.
"What is it this time?" he thought.
The patience he regained willed him to let it slide. He just headed straight to the medicinal cabinets, picking up ointment for wounds and a pack of Band-Aids. It is nothing to be proud of but in his first year, he escorted a lot of troublemakers. Sometimes he helped them so he eventually memorized where certain things were placed.
Care settled on the coach quite cozy. Her back was laid on the backrest while her legs firmly crossed on the floor. She brandished her hands at him the moment he seated beside her outrightly ordering him to nurse her wounds. Without protest, he applied the ointment with utmost care as if he was in a life-and-death surgery. She winced from time to time however she bit her lips to silence her yelps of pain.
Must be the stubbornness embedded in her DNA, he supposed.
"Shouldn't you kiss the pain away?" She blurted, unmindful.
"Aren't you a temptress?" He murmured close for her to hear.
To her much delight and shock, his lips brushed against the joints between her fingers and hands then traced the lines of her palms. Her eyelids weighed heavier the longer his feathery kisses continued.
"On the other hand, you are a hard-to-get prick." she spat, less conviction.
He chortled so sexy at the side of her head.
"You sure are a ball of emotions but will you be mindful please." he pleaded right next to her ear and lifted her hurt hand in emphasis, "Safe sails, Aragon. No more challenging of currents."
"Only if you are my anchor." She answered, jerking her face towards him so they'd be facing affront.
They froze. Barely an inch to cross and they would kiss.
"AUGH! The bitch scratched my face. No, no! It mustn't leave a scar!" A hysterical Marigold barged in, driving them apart to the opposite sides of the couch.
Her eyes landed to the both deadpanned faces of Eli and Care. She immediately pulled Eli's arm, prompting him to come with her.
"Pres, there's some bitch who assaulted my beauty! Help me, defend me! I recorded everything!" Marigold blabbered.
Eli had a conflicted look on him, hesitant to tag along. Care decided to give him a push before the infamous tattletale realized the juicy scoop of them together in the infirmary.
"I'll leave since you dismissed me already." Care said, stood up and really ditched him to Marigold.
He was almost saddened by her abrupt departure if only he did not notice the bag of empanadas hanging on her wrist before the door shuts.
The whine-y Marigold had her wound on the forehead stitched up. For the whole duration, she vented her grudges that the nurse and him muted her tirades through being lost in their own thoughts. Subsequently, he accompanied her to arbitrate with the girl she quarrelled with. If it turns out non-negotiable, he shall pass the case to POD.
They arrived at the student broadcasting station since the other girl involved was a Journalism major. The flat screen TV playing at high volume attracted their attention.
BREAKING NEWS!
Convicted criminal, Ramses Cooper, escapes during transport