Chapter 40

Elyana's POV "How was it?" I just got out of the room where the laser treatment was undergone when Felicity sprinted in front of me to ask me this. It had been a week since I burned my skin in the hot tub, and that day was my dermatologist appointment. I was with him after he insisted on coming to make sure I would be safe. Frankly, it has been hard to understand him lately. Ever since he moved to the mansion, he surpassed my mother when it came to taking care of me. He overreacted when I forgot to take my medicines, and if he heard I had planned on going somewhere. "It's fine. It didn't hurt," I answered as I walked to the counter to give my payment. "Then good!" he uttered, breathing a sigh of relief. With his reaction, he was like a worried parent who took his child to the doctor for the first time. After my appointment with the derma, I had to go to the psychiatric doctor for my second session. Felicity didn't know that I had scheduled a session for counseling that day, and my problem was how I was going to make him leave. "You're not going to your office?" I asked him after handing my card to the woman at the clinic's front desk. "No, I scheduled my day off today," he answered flatly, crossing his arms on his chest while waiting for me. "Wow! I can't believe you are taking a day off," I teased him, but inside I was disappointed that I couldn't make him go to his office that day. I honestly didn't expect him to have a day off. It was him and his secretary working together in his agency. I wondered how huge his income is annually, especially since his clients are all big-time people. "What do you think of me, a robot? I need rest too! Even a robot needs charging and maintenance to continue working; what more a human?" He raised his eyebrow as he spoke. His voice, which was a little loud, made other patients waiting hear him and look at us. "You have a point, but you don't need to shout," I complained, taking the card the woman was handing back to me after swiping it. I took that opportunity to raise my eyebrows at him too, trying to give him a warning that I didn't like how he raised his voice at me. "Can I have your signature, ma'am?" I only looked away when I heard this. I signed what she asked me to sign. "Thank you, ma'am," the staff told me. "Thank you also," I replied politely, and I started walking away right after. I left Felicity standing in front of the counter. He embarrassed me with how he acted. I heard footsteps behind me, which indicated that he was following me already. When I was about to push the clinic door, he called out, "Wait, Elyana!" He blocked my way and looked outside first. "W-what's wrong?" I asked with a frown. How he acted was quite weird for me. "Come on, let's go." He didn't answer my question. He went out of the office before me and walked on my side until we reached the parking area where we left his car. Even on our way there, he kept looking around. "Something wrong?" I finally asked. He was acting vigilant all of a sudden. I couldn't help but ask because he made me very nervous. "N-Nothing! Get in the car," he answered, even though it was obvious that something was going on. I knew very well that when he was lying, his nose would twitch, and as I was expecting, he mostly held the nape of his neck, and those two things happened. I was that kind of observant. He was the first to get in the car. He waited for me to board before he started the engine. "Wait! Can we go somewhere first?" I asked out of nowhere. "I-it had been a long time since I last went outside. I mostly stayed at the mansion while healing my wounds. I just want a different environment," I continued. "And where do you want to go?" he asked, and I thought for a second. I needed a place that was close to Dra. Lilia's clinic so that I can easily return to him in case I get to escape. I saw a snack house just across the street. "How about at the ice cream parlor on Fort Street?" "Why there? That's far from here. There must be an ice cream parlor near here," he replied. He didn't seem to like it. "Why not? They have a new flavor that I want to try," I reasoned, but he wasn't convinced, which is why I decided to take action immediately. "It's fine if you don't like it. Let's just go home." I rolled my eyes and pouted my lips. I put on the seatbelt and looked out the window to show him that I was devastated. "I didn't say I don't like your idea, girl, so don't you roll your eyes on me," he annoyingly uttered. I didn't reply and let him drive us back to the mansion. I thought we were going back, but when he turned onto a different route, I was deep inside. He stopped his car on the side of the road, and when I looked to my side, I saw the ice cream parlor. I told him I wanted to go. I hurriedly stepped outside before he changed his mind. There were a few customers inside. I wasn't in that fancy place that serves ice cream with golden spoons, but it was the only establishment I could think of that had an easy way to escape. I walked to the counter. "Can I have the mint, please?" "How many scoops, ma'am?" the lady asked. "I want to order two scoops for mint and two scoops for vanilla separately," I replied when I thought one scoop would be too easy to finish in one sitting and I needed to buy time so I could go to the clinic and leave Felicity busy eating his ice cream. I knew that Gay was not going to eat the mint ice cream, which is why I ordered what he liked. That gay taste is plain as that, even though there are so many that he can choose from. While waiting, I looked inside the store to find an empty table. I saw Felicity entering the store by that time, and luckily, there was an empty seat near the glass wall. I sprinted to the table and placed my handbag on the chair facing the door. I needed to make him sit on the side where he wouldn't see me go out later. "Let's sit here," I told him. Luckily, he didn't complain. "Ma'am?" the lady at the counter called me. I took our orders and went back to where I left my gay best friend. We started eating. I was checking the time on my phone from time to time. I placed it on the table to see it easily, and at the time, I saw that there were only five minutes left before my said appointment. I started scooping my ice cream faster, but I stopped after I realized that what I was doing was wrong. I forced my brain to think of a plan. Desperate from luring Felicity, when I thought of something, I started acting. "Ahh!" I let go of the teaspoon I was holding onto the disposable plastic bowl and touched my stomach. "What happened with you?" Bakla worriedly asked. One of his eyebrows was raised when I looked at him, although his concern seemed genuine. "My stomach suddenly hurt," I answered, and I acted like it was truly hurting to make him believe it. I winced to make it look real, and he lowered his raised eyebrow after what I did. "That's for eating an ice cream flavor that's new to you. How much does it hurt? Rate it from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest," he asked. "8.5?" I replied, wincing. "Jeez—my stomach feels like it's boiling." I continued, still pretending, but my eyes were on my phone screen. "Do they have a comfort room here?" I asked him, and he quickly moved and looked around. I already knew the comfort room's location because I had looked for it earlier. That's why I stood up and quickly picked up my handbag and cellular phone that were both lying on the table to pretend to rush to the bathroom. "Just wait for me here!" I told him and hurried to the restroom, but I didn't go straight inside. I hid myself on the side of the wall and waited for a while before peeking out. Luckily, Felicity didn't follow me. He stayed where he was sitting, but he seemed restless. When he turned his head in my direction, I hid again. After a while, I peeked to check if he was still looking. When he wasn't, I immediately took the chance to walk out of the door. There was a group of teenagers about to get in, and I used them as a shield so that he wouldn't see me leaving. I was panting when I entered the clinic. The secretary was surprised to see me because I was out of breath when I approached her. "Did I make it?" I asked, and we both turned to look at the same wall clock. I was two minutes late. No one was in the waiting area, so I got nervous by jumping to the conclusion that there was a patient inside, all ready to use my time appointment. "You're just in time, ma'am," she told me and let me into where Lilia was waiting She asked me right away how I had been, and our conversation continued from there. "I'm happy you're doing great. The people around you are a huge help. You're lucky to have supportive family and friends. I'm glad that Quintin is also doing something. I thought all he knew was just flirting with women," she commented. We giggled when the topic went to Quintin. His silliness and flirting habits were indeed annoying, but according to him, he had already changed, so let's see what would happen. Dra. Lilia was right. I was lucky to have them. From my parents and all the helpers at home, Quintin, and to my best friend, who was always there even though he was primarily a nagger. Felicity never left me and made sure that I was taking the medicines prescribed by the doctor and applying the ointments to my wounds I couldn't reach. I was so thankful that Felicity was there all the time, even though he had a lot to say. "How about your sleep? Are you sleeping well?" she asked while taking down notes. "It was fine. I guess those vitamins I was drinking lately affected my sleep," I answered. "Glad to know. I'm not going to give you anything to drink. Despite what happened to your skin, I'm still proud that you are doing fine now. I heard a lot from Quintin about you when he came to visit my kids at home, and he didn't doubt that you would get through this, and it seems he was right." The mansion was filled with positive vibes, and Felicity's energy and crazy nature made everyone around her happy. He made the most effort. I already talked to Aunt Eugene and Lea, and they both invited me to visit their house. We have big plans for the coming Christmas, and I was beyond happy that everything was going well. The session ended after less than twenty minutes. The time I spent talking to Lilia helped me clear my head that day. I was able to answer questions quickly, and I was no longer confused with myself like the first time I walked inside her clinic. There was a smile on my face when I went out; however, I suddenly felt strange when I was on my way back to the ice cream parlor. It seemed like someone was looking at me. I decided to walk as quickly as possible. When I checked my phone, I saw a few missed calls from Felicity. When I checked the table where I left him, he wasn't there anymore.