Chapter 150: Luna has cancer

Irene chuckled as Nelson led her out of Luna's room. "Your cousin is funny," she commented, watching him as he shut the door.

Nelson smiled.

"Yeah." His hand moved to the back of his neck.

His cousin would do anything to make a room more lively, especially if it meant embarrassing him. "Luna's like that. Just ignore her."

Irene wanted to ask if she was really like that. Because when she met her... in her vision, she didn't seem this lively, and she sure as hell didn't like her.

Irene could still remember the way she fumed as she warned her to stay away from Nelson.

But then again, considering what she had done, anyone would have done the same thing.

A breath left her parted lips.

They both stood outside in a slightly less awkward silence.

Irene's eyes darted towards the closed door where Luna was, and a question came to her.

"Nelson..." she began, her tone nervous.

Nelson, who had been looking at her all along, answered with a hum, taking two steps back to lean against the wall.

Irene cleared her throat before she began speaking again. "Is it okay if I ask what's wrong with her?" she asked in an unsure tone, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

But she was just too curious.

"Not like it's my business or anything," Irene added immediately when Nelson's expression changed, waving her hand in front of her to show him that she meant no harm with the question. "But it doesn't seem like the flu or a slight headache you rich people go to the hospital for."

If the future she saw was the future... then why was Luna like that at the moment?

The way she coughed earlier almost gave Irene a heart attack. She just kept reassuring herself that Luna would be fine.

Nelson raised a brow.

"Rich people?" he joked, trying to lighten up the atmosphere a little bit, and it worked. "Okay."

Irene tried to smile, but she was too nervous to, so her smile came out crooked.

Nelson stared at the girl who was trying too hard not to say the wrong thing, and a side of his lips hooked up into a faint but genuine smile.

But it was only for a second.

"She..." The smile disappeared as though he had just remembered something horrible.

And it was horrible.

"Luna has cancer." The words left his lips in a whisper-like tone, and a gasp left Irene's.

Her hands flew to her lips.

Cancer?

The same girl who seemed like she wanted to beat her up seven years later had battled cancer?

She was shocked.

Nelson nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line before speaking again. "She was diagnosed last year, and she began treatment," he said, lowering his eyes to look at the ground. "We thought she was fine, but then all of a sudden, it came back again."

Last year...

Irene immediately thought of the first time she saw Luna.

Even then, she looked vibrant and stunning. No one would have ever known that such a beauty had cancer.

Slowly, Nelson raised his head back up to look at her. "That's why I had to leave suddenly yesterday," he said, letting out a small sigh. "I'm sorry."

"No, you don't have to apologize." Irene shook her head. She wasn't even angry. A part of her knew Nelson wouldn't leave without a reasonable reason; she just didn't expect the reason to be so huge.

"Please don't. If anybody should be apologizing, it should be me." Irene said, pointing a hand to her chest while feeling guilty. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I was just surprised to see her like that. The last time I saw her, she was vibrant, full of life. Ready to spit fireballs at me."

She wasn't expecting it.

Her reaction played over in her head, and Irene wanted to cringe, bury her face in a pillow, and lock herself up in a room.

She wasn't too big on her looks, but she couldn't imagine how terrible she would feel if someone had done the same thing to her when she was sick, even if she already knew.

But Nelson didn't mind that. Instead, his ears caught onto the last sentence she made.

"Really?" His eyes narrowed at her.

His cousin spitting out fire? At Irene?

"The last time you saw my cousin was a year ago, and I doubt she saw you," he replied, and Irene blinked.

"Oh, yeah." She mouthed, taking a step back. "A year ago."

Her reaction gave Nelson the answer to the question in his head. Irene had always spoken of seeing the future, somehow. Even though he didn't fully believe it, he wanted to ask if she had seen Luna.

Because if she did, it would mean that his cousin would survive this. Now he didn't need to ask anymore.

He got his answer.

"Yeah." His mood brightened, and a small smile appeared on his lips.

Irene didn't know the reason for the sudden change in Nelson. She was curious, but she didn't ask.

She had done a lot of asking today already.

She took a step back, balancing the strap of her purse on her shoulder. Then, after pressing her lips together for a while, she spoke up. "I guess I better be going now," she said, turning around.

But then she felt someone grab her hand.

Irene's heart skipped a beat as she looked up at Nelson.

He had left the wall and was now standing next to her, holding her hand.

Her eyes dropped to the hand he held. It felt big and warm... just like earlier. Slowly, her gaze went back up to his handsome face.

"Why?" Nelson asked, tilting his head gently to the side.

Irene could feel the air leave her lungs.

"Em..."

He was being cute.

She gulped, heat rushing to her cheeks. "Because I came to see if you were alright, and now I know, so..."

"What if I want you to stay a little longer?" Nelson interrupted her, stepping closer.

Irene didn't move. "In the hospital?" she joked, but she stopped talking the second Nelson spoke again.

"With me."

Dum.

Dum.

Dum.

Her heartbeat increased massively. It sounded like it was about to jump out of her chest.

Irene couldn't control the smile that spread across her lips at his words.

Nelson's other hand moved towards her face, holding it while his thumbs stroked her cheeks.

"Irene, can I ask you for a favor?" Nelson suddenly asked, then his expression changed a little, an emotion passing through his eyes. Irene recognized it... fear.

He was afraid she wouldn't agree?

"But you can't disagree," Nelson added.

Irene immediately felt it.

"Déjà vu," she mouthed as his words took her back. Or, in this case, forward.

Nelson didn't hear what she muttered clearly, his brows knitting together. "What?"

"Nothing." Irene shook her head. "I meant, what favor?" A part of her already knew what he wanted to ask, and she already had her answer ready.

The emotion returned to his eyes.

That fear, but this time mixed with guilt.

Nelson lowered his gaze. "I know I haven't been the best person to you, but I really like you." He lifted their joined hands and stared at them for a few seconds before directing his gaze to her face, staring into her brownish eyes. "Would you be my girlfriend?"

Despite knowing what he wanted to say, Irene's heart still skipped a beat.

"Really?" she joked, feigning shock and anger. Then she looked around. "Now? Just outside your cousin's hospital room?" Irene giggled.

"It's alright!" someone yelled.

Both Nelson and Irene turned towards the closed door where the sound came from.

Shaking his head, Nelson dropped his hand from Irene's face and pushed open Luna's door.

The lady on the bed smiled brightly at them, and then she waved. "You people can continue," she said eagerly. "Just make your voice a little bit louder."

Irene giggled.

Nelson turned to look at her again. She shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips. "Well, since I can't disagree..."

Nelson didn't need to hear any further to understand. He leaned down, his lips capturing hers in a kiss, or at least they were about to.

"So what?" Luna asked just when their lips were about to touch.

Nelson let out a cuss and then a groan before looking at his smiling cousin.

Luna knew what she had done, and obviously didn't care. "What's the answer?" she asked eagerly.

Shaking his head, Nelson raised Irene's hand, which was now interlocked with his, upwards.

"She's my girlfriend!" he yelled, which made Irene giggle.

"Woho!" Luna cheered, clapping her hands. "Yes!... Y—"

She began coughing again.

"Yes..."

Her coughs became louder and a lot more severe. Irene panicked when Luna coughed out a red liquid.

Blood.

Nelson rushed towards her. "Luna... Luna..." Then he turned towards the panicking Irene. "Call the doctor!"

She... She would be fine, right?