There was silence.
Camila was sitting on the sofa. Head in her palm. Legs trembling. Mouth shut at a loss for words. Eyes holding tears that refused to fall. Her entire body chilled to the bone.
Miles looks at Joan, then back at Camila. He rubs comforting circles on her back.
“That’s… that’s what he said?” she looks up at Miles. Her voice broke when she asked.
Miles pulls her closer to himself. Her arms went around his torso. He kissed the top of her head and leaned the side of his face on her head.
“What do you want to do now?”
“I can’t afford a good lawyer,” she leans away from him to look at him. A tear slipped out of her eyes. “I… I c-can barely afford my school fees or even my apartment. H-how do I get a good lawyer to defend my case?” she asked.
Joan sits beside her. Miles wipes the tears from her cheeks.
“I—I have a frie—” he began, but Camila cut him off.
“No, you mentioned that he could do something bad to anyone at the hospital who reveals his secret” Camila held his hand. “I don’t want anything bad happening to you,” she looks at Joan who gives her a reassuring nod “This is my fight and I’ll fight it till the end”
“Along with your super sidekick. Me!” Joan cheered.
Camila laughed. “Yes, I know I have you always. Thank you”
“Don’t mention. We might not have a good lawyer at our disposal to fight this for us, but we have each other. Let’s just try to gather as much evidence as we can for when we can actually afford one”
“I could check in-house to see what else I can find for you guys,” Miles volunteered.
“Miles I don-” he puts his hand over Camila’s hand then lightly brushed his lips over her palm.
“This is what I want to help with. I know the situation is currently challenging, and things might be a bit overwhelming. I want to help, and if I cannot provide you with a lawyer, this will be the best assistance I can offer." He kissed her palm once more. "Please, let me."
Camila looks into his eyes. She could feel the way he felt about her by his looks alone. There were compassion, care, and deep-intense feelings embodied in them. The look alone sent her to places of feelings she’d never tapped into.
“I’m glad I have you in my life,” she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you”
Miles wrapped his arms around her torso and then kissed her forehead. He grinned at Joan, who gave him a ‘thumbs up’.
“I care about you and will continue to do so,” he whispered into her ear.
“Thank you, Miles,” she leaned away from the hug to look at him.
Joan saw the moment they were having and didn’t want to ruin anything for them, so she stood to her feet and whispered.
“If he’s leaving, please lock the door behind him, and if not,” she points at them both, “No funny business, okay?” she winked at Camila and then left them to be alone.
While in her room, she stretched and sat on the bed. Thoughts about what needed to be done to get Isabel the justice she deserved lingered in her mind. They had to do something, and it had to be fast before the Watkins swept the case under the carpets.
Her phone beeps, taking her out of her bubble. She moves farther up her bed to check what the notification is about.
It was a message. From him.
She froze as she stared at the message notification.
It’s him. She smiles, then picks up her phone to read the content of the message.
Hi, still up for tomorrow?
She smiled as it then typed her answer.
Yes, I am. How are you?
Joan bit her bottom lip as she stared at her phone for a reply. Nothing was coming, so she lay on her back with her phone beside her. She had agreed to go ahead with the agreement she made with Santiago but isn’t sure how things would be.
He’s a cocky man and most of the time has no filter in his mouth, still she likes him and wants to be closer to him. Santiago had confessed that he liked her when he asked her for a date.
Joan smiled, thinking of all the times they would have to make memories and maybe they wouldn’t have to pretend anymore to their parents. They could cancel the contract and be together for real.
Joan sat up, then picked up a book from the bedside drawers and a pen. She wrote down her name, drew a line below, and wrote Santiago’s name.
“This is silly, but I’m doing it anyway,” she giggled. “Taking… out the similar… letters,” she ruled out the similar letters in their names and counted the remaining letters “We have six” she voiced out.
She stood from her bed to grab her bag so that she could fish out the journal she drew out the ‘FLAMES’ rule of couple matching. Looking at what letter number 6 falls in, she pouts.
“Ugh, just secret lovers?” she huffed. “Could be better,” she sat back on the bed and did the same with their surnames. “We have 2 and that mak-” the ringing of her phone interrupted her.
She picked up her phone to see Santiago’s name showing as the caller. Blood rushes up her head in excitement.
Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and answered the call.
“I’m good,” came his voice. He sounded breathless. Low even.
She hadn’t recovered from how good he sounded to her ears.
“Uh?”
“You asked…” she heard shuffling from his side “… how I am. My reply is, I’m good,” he said.
“Oh, yeah… ho-how are you too? Oh, I mean you already answered that,” she laughed in embarrassment. Her cheeks burned red, but she was glad he wasn’t in front of her, or else he’d see how embarrassing she looked.
‘What the hell are you saying, girl? Get a grip already’ she wanted to smack her forehead.
“Right?” she heard him ask.
Confusion laced her features, she wondered what he asked and wanted to smack her forehead again for drifting off.
“I didn’t get what you said”
“Oh, I was asking if you closed late from the café”
“Oh yes,” she cleared her throat.
He sighed. "It’s dangerous going out that late, you know?”
There was something… in her heart.
“You don’t have to worry, I can handle myself”
“Still, you shouldn’t have to walk that late outside,” worry could be heard in his voice.
He cares. She grinned. Her heart felt like it would explode with the intensity of what she was feeling. Knowing he cared was more than enough to put her on a flight.
“Soon, you will not have to walk out late,”
She bit her bottom lip. “What are you saying, Santi?” she asked. She lay back on the bed as she twirled the tip of her hair.
“If I don’t sound creepy, I could come pick you up to work and from work back home”
Joan giggled, and she turned on her side. Teeth biting her bottom lips, heart feeling swell like no other, face flushing with so much rush of emotions. This was something she hadn’t felt with anyone, not even Philip.
“Do you miss me that much? Come on, we’ll be seeing again tomorrow,” she teased. He chuckled.
“I’m trying not to be arrogant here ma’am” he cleared his throat.
“Hmm…”
“So… what do you say?”
She pretended to be in deep thought, then bit back a giggle and rolled to lay on her back again.
“You seem more polite than when we met, so… I’ll think about it, Mr. Fernando”
Santiago laughed lightly. “Your humble servant will be awaiting your response”
“Thank you for calling Santiago”
“Thanks for asking about my well-being,” he thanked.
“See you tomorrow”
“See you then, good night”
She rolled on her other side. “Night,” she sighed, then disconnected the call.
Joan placed the phone on the bed beside her and bit her lips as their conversation played in her head again and again.
“GOD, I shouldn’t even be smiling this much”
_____
Author’s note:
I apologize for any confusion with the chapters, I just realized that while updating my chapters, I missed one between chapters 9-11, but I've added it already. So sorry for the confusion, will be updating more chapters soon.