Chapter 25 Maybe He Cares
~ NALA’S POV
A sharp ache throbbed in the back of my head as I stirred. My eyes remained closed for a few seconds while I adjusted to the weight in my limbs. Everything felt slow, distant. The light pressing against my eyelids grew stronger, and with a groan, I blinked them open.
The room spun slightly, and then everything focused. Carlos was sitting beside the bed, arms folded, staring right at me.
I jerked in shock. "Oh my God!"
He didn’t move. "Took you long enough," He said simply.
"What… what are you doing here?" My voice came out scratchy and dry.
"You fainted," He replied. "In the garden."
"Really?" I looked around the room processing everything. "When did you bring me here?"
"A couple of hours ago. You passed out cold, so I carried you here." He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "You should be thanking me instead of looking at me like I kidnapped you."
I stayed silent. My head felt like it was being hammered from the inside.
Carlos walked toward the door and paused. "The doctor said you’re stressed. You need to rest. I’ll have Sophia bring you something to eat." With that, he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
I lay back down on the bed and closed my eyes, hoping the throbbing headache I’m feeling would settle. But my stomach turned suddenly, a strong wave of nausea rising out of nowhere. I threw the covers off and rushed to the bathroom.
I barely made it to the toilet before the vomiting started. My body trembled as I knelt on the cold tiles, clinging to the edge of the sink. I felt hot and cold at the same time, my hands shaking uncontrollably.
Just then, the door to the room creaked open. I heard footsteps coming towards the bathroom and before I knew it, Sophia’s voice filled the air "Nala!" She rushed in "Oh my god! Are you okay?"
I wiped my mouth and tried to speak, but my voice cracked.
"Just hold on please, I’ll go call Sir Carlos," She said quickly.
"No!" I gasped, grabbing her wrist. "Don’t call him."
Sophia froze. "But…"
I quickly cut her off "No, please. I’m fine, you don’t have to call him."
"But you just threw up, you look weak, you’re not okay."
"I’m fine. Trust me, I am."
"You don’t seem okay. I think it’s best I just tell Sir Carlos, he can help."
"He can’t help and he doesn’t even care," I said walking out of the bathroom
"He does care." She said softly following me behind "While you were unconscious, he didn’t leave your side. For four whole hours, he sat right there. He was pacing, talking to the doctor, and checking your pulse. He really cares."
I paused, turned to look at her. "He really did that?"
She nodded, eyes wide. "Yes, he was really worried about you and to be honest, I have never seen him like that before."
It caught me off guard. Carlos, worried about me? Staying with me for hours? That doesn’t sound like him at all. He hates me, he would never stay back worried about me.
"Well, that doesn’t mean I can trust him," I said quietly. "Carlos only shows emotion when he’s trying to get something. Don’t be fooled by a few hours of care."
Sophia hesitated. "I don’t know about that but if you’re this sick, shouldn’t he know? Maybe he could help—"
"No," I cut in firmly. "I don’t want Carlos to ever hear about this. Do you understand that!"
She looked confused. "But why?"
I sighed and sat back, leaning against the wall. "Because he’s not the kind of man who handles weakness well. And if he finds out what’s really wrong with me, I am a hundred percent sure that he’ll use it against me. Maybe not today but eventually he will."
Sophia knelt beside me, her expression filled with concern. "I don’t understand, what is wrong with you?"
For a moment, I stayed quiet. I didn’t plan to tell anyone but right now, I felt too drained to lie.
"I have a mitochondrial disorder," I said finally.
She blinked. "What’s that?"
"It means my body doesn’t make enough energy. It affects almost every organ. Some days, I feel fine. Other days… this happens. Fatigue. Fainting. Nausea. Headaches. It’s not going away, and it’s only going to get worse if I don’t manage it."
Sophia looked stunned. "Ohh… I… um… I had no idea."
"No one does. And I want it to stay that way," I said firmly. "For as long as possible."
"But Nala—"
"No. You have to promise me, Sophia. No matter what happens, you don’t say a word about this to Carlos or anyone."
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I promise."
Relief settled in my chest, but only a little. I still felt sick. I walked over to the bed and lay down. Sophia sat next to me, She said, "How can I help you?"
"You wanna help?" I asked in disbelief
She nodded "Yes, I’ll do anything. Just make it."
"Well, I’d like a bowl of soup."
She smiled "I’ll get it done for you in a couple of minutes. Anything else?"
"No, just that. Thank you." I said smiling weakly
She smiled back, stood up, and was about to walk towards the door when she turned to look at me, "I’m sorry for what I did."
"What did you do?"
"When Fiona and Richard came." She said with a heavy sigh "I didn’t let you meet them, I’m sorry."
"It’s fine. You were just following Carlos’s order."
"Yes but just so you know. I’m in your team, not his."
I smiled and she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. I sat back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling a little stressed. I know I can trust Sophia with my secret but I’m afraid she might chicken up and say something to Carlos.
I can’t afford that to happen. Carlos can never know about my illness because if he does, everything would change and it’s gonna be very bad for me.