Chapter 37 He is just leaving

Chapter 37 He is just leaving
The sleep that finally came was merciless.It dragged me under like a weight,, and when I woke hours later, it wasn’t rest that greeted me- it was headache. My body felt drained, as if rest had betrayed me, leaving me weaker instead of stronger.

I woke up, reached for the pills, and made my way to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee. The bitter scent filled the air, steadying me just enough to face the rest of the day.

While sipping my coffee, I glanced at my phone and noticed a missed call from Robin. We were supposed to meet at work today, but I hadn’t gone in—I have been too busy playing superwoman instead. I debated whether to call him back or just text, knowing he’d be worried sick. He might even insist on coming over to take care of me, since the only excuse I’d given was that I wasn’t feeling well. And honestly, I didn’t think I could handle that right now.

I called anyway, and as expected, he offered to come and see me.

I hesitated for a moment, my thumb hovering over the screen as his voice echoed with concern through the speaker. “No, really, I’m okay—just a bit under the weather,” I lied again, forcing a lightness into my tone that I didn’t feel. But Robin wasn’t one to back down easily; he pressed on, suggesting he could bring soup or medicine, his words wrapping around me like a warm blanket I wasn’t sure I deserved. Part of me wanted to say yes, to let him in and confess everything about my day of reckless adventure, but the superwoman facade I have built felt too fragile to crack just yet.

To be honest, I felt like I didn’t deserve him—I hadn’t been honest with him for some time now, and this whole charade just felt wrong.

In the end, I accepted his offer—maybe deep down, I needed someone who truly cared to take care of me. I decided to hop in for a quick shower before he arrived, but as I headed toward my room, Sarah stepped into the house from work. She looked utterly exhausted, her shoulders slumped under the weight of the day, and fixed me with a weary glare. “Where do you think you’re going?” she said, her voice edged with fatigue and suspicion.

“To my defense, I wasn’t running away from you,” I blurted out, the words tumbling over each other in a rush. “I just wanted to grab a quick shower—I’ve got a visitor coming over.” Even as I said it, I could hear how overly explanatory I sounded, like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar, justifying every crumb.

“Oh, a visitor? These days you’re quite the mystery. Having someone drop by at this hour… you go, girl,” she said, her eyes locking onto mine with a look that warned: don’t think this is over — we still need to talk.

I rushed to my room as she disappeared into hers. I wasn’t ready for the conversation we were bound to have. After a quick shower, I slipped into comfortable clothes. Just as I was finishing up, a knock echoed from the front door. That has to be Robin, I thought, my pulse quickening.

I made my way to the door, my steps heavy with hesitation. When I opened it, Marco stood there, clutching a bouquet of flowers, his expression caught somewhere between hope and guilt. A surge of emotions—anger, confusion, and something dangerously close to longing—rushed through me. Without a word, I slammed the door shut, my heart pounding against my ribs.

The knock came again. I hesitated, careful not to draw Sarah’s attention—she still knew nothing about Marco. Reluctantly, I opened the door once more; he didn’t seem ready to give up.

“You’re making this a habit,” I snapped. “You can’t just show up here. What do you want?”

“I just felt like I should apologize for earlier,” he said. He didn’t look good at all—his shoulders sagged, his face pale, eyes shadowed with exhaustion.

“You should have just sent a text instead of showing up here. Apology accepted—now you can go. I have a visitor,” I shot back, my voice sharp.

He lingered, hesitation flickering across his face. “I told you to take it easy. You’re still not healed,” I added, pressing the door closed. But before it could shut, he stepped forward, blocking it with sudden force.

“I want to explain what happened… what you heard,” he insisted, his voice low but urgent.

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I said, my pulse racing. “You’re engaged to be married—that’s explanation enough.”

“Now, if you may, please leave,” I said firmly. “And thank you for the flowers—but you can give them to your fiancée.”

Before Marco could step back from blocking the door, Robin appeared, carrying bags of food and a container of what I suspected was the soup he had promised. I hurried out to welcome him.

“Who is this?” Robin asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he glanced at Marco.

“He’s just leaving,” I replied quickly. We stepped into the house together, and I closed the door behind us, leaving Marco standing outside.