CHAPTER 14
YVONNE checked if Rohan was around and sneaked into the living room that night. She picked up the satellite phone nesting on its cradle and dialed Madam Edwina’s number. Rohan’s mom answered the call after a few rings.
“Hello,” the madam said in a hoarse voice. It seemed that she had just woken up from sleep. “Who’s this?”
She bit her lower lip and answered afterward.
“It’s me. Yvonne.”
“Oh!” Madam Edwina’s tone suddenly changed. “How are you, dear?”
“Did I disturb your sleep?”
“Oh, don’t mind that. It’s been days, and I’ve been dying to hear from you, so it’s all right, dear. Is there any news about you and my son?”
“There’s nothing much going on right now, but…” Yvonne paused to bring suspense.
“But?” Rohan’s mom probed. “Oh, please, Yvonne… tell me your plans are working.”
“I think they’re working. Rohan and I seem to have this tension between us.”
Yeah, she preferred to call it tension, not spark, because that was what they really felt right now. They were both adults. Rohan and Yvonne were no longer those innocent and naïve teenagers they were before when she first confessed her feelings. They were far beyond that.
“Tension? You mean… you and Rohan are already—”
“No!” She cupped her mouth when her voice suddenly went too loud. “We’re not doing anything… it’s just that I got reactions from him.”
“So, you’re provoking him.”
Yvonne felt her cheeks burning. Good thing she and Rohan’s mom wasn’t talking face to face because she knew she looked like an overripe tomato at that moment.
“Well… it’s something like that.”
“It’s nice to hear that you’re getting some reaction from Rohan. I really thought my son was… you know.” She heard Madam Edwina heave a deep sigh. “Just continue what you’re doing, Yvonne. We both want the best result out of it.”
“Don’t worry… I’m not giving up on Rohan.” Not now when she knew she had that kind of effect on him. “I’ll call you again once there’s—”
“There’s no need to always call me for updates, Yvonne. Just come home with the result we want, and it’s fine.”
A smile curved on her lips. “Oh, okay.”
“Goodnight, Yvonne,” said Rohan’s mom because ending the call.
She heaved a sigh and put the satellite phone back in its cradle. She then headed back to her room to start her writing session for that evening. Now that she had called Rohan’s mom and told her the news, her mind was somehow at ease. Yvonne was getting there. She was slowly reaching her goal, and she wouldn’t let everything go down the drain this time around. She knew she’d get into Rohan’s heart very, very soon.
Her gaze reverted to the bed when she heard her cat meow softly. It was as though it was telling her that he knew what was going on, and it was fine with him. Smiling, she sat on the edge of the bed and caressed the cat’s head.
“I know you like him, too, Bean. You wouldn’t bring him a gift if not anyway.” She planted a quick kiss on her cat’s forehead and sauntered to the table. “Ah… I should be writing now.”
Her cat meowed again and lay on the bed.
“Sleep well, Bean. Mama’s going to work now.”
After a few seconds, she heard her cat purring loudly.
Yvonne started humming as her fingers were pounding the first paragraph of her chapter. Ah, a good mood never failed to fuel her imagination. Maybe she could accomplish a lot that night.
***
HER room was still a bit dark, but she knew it was already noon. Yvonne stretched her arms and yawned as she left the bed. Another day, another plan to execute to get into Rohan’s heart. His mother wanted the best result, and so did she. Maybe an engagement or wedding would be the best option.
Yvonne immediately giggled at that thought while brushing her teeth. She finished quickly and headed downstairs.
She’d usually found Rohan in the kitchen preparing lunch at that time of the day. However, the place was empty when she arrived, and it seemed that no food had been cooked yet. The kitchen looked untouched, and that made her wonder. For some reason, Yvonne felt a pang of panic. What if Rohan decided to leave her at the villa and went home while she was sleeping because of what happened last night? Maybe he realized that he couldn’t stand her.
Yvonne immediately shook her head to erase all the negative thoughts flooding her mind. Maybe she was just overthinking. She’d feel if Rohan felt uneasy about what happened. He might be a man of few words, but she could read through his actions.
She heaved a deep sigh and went upstairs. She decided to check his room to see if it was empty or not to verify if he did leave her behind. But the moment she pushed the door open, she found Rohan curling on his bed under the blanket.
“Rohan… are you okay?” she asked worriedly. She strode toward his bed and sat on its edge. Just looking at him, she could already tell he was feeling cold. Yvonne cupped his forehead and immediately felt how high his body temperature was. He then opened his eyes and met her gaze. “You’re sick.”
He covered his head with the blanket and coughed.
“I am…” Rohan said in a hoarse voice. “Stay away from me, Yvonne. You might catch the flu.”
She shook her head and stood up.
Yvonne then left the room and went downstairs. She rummaged through the medicine cabinet first, and when she found some pills for Rohan, she went to the kitchen and cooked something light for him to fill his stomach before taking his medicine.
Just look at that… she was overthinking, yet there was Rohan running a fever.
“But what did he do last night for him to catch the flu?” Yvonne asked herself as she continued preparing Rohan’s meal. “Did something happen that I didn’t know?”
She flinched upon hearing her cat’s loud meow at the back. She turned around and saw Bean entering the kitchen.
“Yeah, you’re hungry. So am I, Bean. But we need to feed and take care of Rohan first, okay?”
The cat purred and rubbed its cheek against her leg. She knew she got her cat’s permission to do what she needed to do. Taking care of Rohan was at the top of her to-do list at that moment.
It took Yvonne a few more minutes before she finally finished making the soup for Rohan. She transferred it to a bowl and filled a glass with water, and took it upstairs with his medicine.
He was in the act of sitting up when she came back to the room.
“I told you to stay away from me—”
“Don’t worry about me. I might look fragile when I lack good sleep, but I don’t catch a cold easily,” she said as she put the tray on the bedside table. She helped Rohan to position himself better on the bed. “I made you a soup to fill your stomach before taking the pill.”
He heaved a sigh. “I don’t have the appetite. I’ll just take the pill—”
Yvonne pushed and pinned him to the headboard. “It’s not good to take a pill on an empty stomach,” she said firmly. “I know you don’t have the appetite right now, but you must eat.”
Rohan didn’t answer and just looked at her with furrowed brows.
She then sat on the edge of the bed and reached for the bowl of soup and spoon.
“Say aaahhh…” Yvonne said teasingly as she neared the spoon into his mouth. “Open your mouth, Rohan.”
She thought Rohan would complain, but to her surprise, he did what he was told. He’d eaten almost half of the soup in the bowl before he finally beckoned her to stop.
“I think that’s enough,” Rohan said as he reached for the glass of water.
“Hm… you’ve eaten enough.” Yvonne put the bowl back on the tray and handed Rohan the paracetamol. “Here.”
She watched him take his medicine.
“I’d like to be alone, Yvonne. I want to rest,” Rohan said as he lay on the bed again.
She didn’t argue with him about it because she knew he wasn’t feeling well.
“Just call me if you need anything, okay?” She fixed his blanket. Yvonne cupped his forehead once again. “Your fever’s still high, but it’ll somehow subside once the medicine takes effect.”
Rohan sighed and slowly closed his eyes.
It took her a few more moments before she finally left the room.
“Good thing I’m here to take care of him,” she said as she put the dishes in the sink. “Ah… now I’m the one who’s starving.”
She wished Rohan’s fever would be gone soon. They should be enjoying each other’s company and sharing lots of moments by now if not for that.