Rainan remained confined in the hospital for a few more days. His body still ached, his appetite vanished, and sleep visited him only in short, restless spans. But each time he opened his eyes, someone was there—his parents, the quiet Dr. Elias doing rounds, or Adrian who often fell asleep on the couch in the room, like he refused to leave.
Rainan didn’t say much, but his eyes did. He was exhausted. Not just from the pain, but from the weight of knowing that time was no longer a river stretching endlessly ahead, but a shrinking puddle drying beneath the sun.
The guilt gnawed at him. He hadn’t told Angelo. He couldn’t. Not yet.
One evening, after his parents had gone back to their hotel to rest, Adrian sat at the foot of the hospital bed, playing with the edge of the blanket, staring off into the tiled floor as if trying to piece together the words he hadn’t said.
"You should tell him, you know," Adrian said quietly.
Rainan closed his eyes, not answering.
"He keeps calling. I haven’t answered any of them since I found out. I don't know what to say to him. It's not my story to tell."
Rainan finally spoke, voice low. "I don’t want to see his eyes change."
Adrian looked up. "Change?"
"I know the moment I tell him… he'll never look at me the same way again. He’ll see a countdown. He’ll see the end."
"You’re not just stealing time from him," Adrian said, voice cracking, "you’re stealing the chance to love you while he still can."
Rainan turned his face toward the window, blinking quickly. He said nothing more.
—
Meanwhile, back in San Felino, Angelo grew more restless by the day. His frustration turned into silence. His coworkers noticed he was quieter, staring into space more often, leaving tasks unfinished.
He no longer tried to call Rainan every hour—but every morning, his thumb hovered over the contact name.
One morning, Mikaela entered his shop with Clara in tow. She watched her brother as he stared out the window, a phone in hand.
"You should go," she said.
--------------
"Go where?"
"Wherever your heart is pulling you. I know you feel it. It’s written all over your face."
"But what if—what if I find out something I don’t want to know?"
"Then at least you’ll know," she said, holding his gaze. "Isn’t that better than not knowing at all?"
Angelo exhaled, eyes clouded. Maybe it was time to follow where his heart was pointing. Even if it led him to the truth he wasn’t ready to hear.
-------------------
Angelo didn’t know what brought him here exactly—only that his gut wouldn’t shut up, and his heart had been uneasy since that call with Adrian. He hadn’t slept well. The silence on the other end when he tried to reach Rainan again was too loud, too heavy.
When he arrived at Adrian’s company, he didn’t get the chance to speak. Just as he was about to ask the front desk if he could see Adrian, his eyes caught movement near the main door. Adrian was exiting the building, carrying a fruit basket, walking briskly toward his car.
Angelo instinctively stepped back, watching quietly as Adrian placed the basket inside and drove off.
Without thinking twice, Angelo followed.
He didn’t even know where Adrian was headed or why he was tailing him. What am I doing? he asked himself as he gripped the steering wheel tighter, trailing the car from a few vehicles behind.
To his surprise, the car stopped at a hospital. Angelo parked his own car nearby, confused. A relative, maybe? A friend? Still, something tugged at his chest. Something didn’t feel right.
He got out.
He followed—keeping a safe distance, cursing under his breath. You’re acting like a stalker, Angelo. Get a grip.
Up ahead, Adrian entered a hospital room. Angelo stopped in the hallway, about to turn back, thinking maybe this was stupid. Maybe he really should just wait back at the company.
But then, two familiar faces stepped out of the room.
It was Eduardo and Leticia—Rainan’s parents.
Angelo froze in place.
They were talking to each other, distracted, their voices hushed. “Don’t forget to ask about the second dosage,” Leticia said softly, holding a small paper bag with labeled medicine bottles.
“I’ll drop by the nurse station before we leave,” Eduardo replied. “He might need more by tonight.”
Neither of them noticed Angelo standing just around the corner. They walked right past him, too caught up in their worried discussion.
Angelo’s chest tightened.
What are they doing here? Why were they in that room?
He waited a moment until the corridor emptied again. Then, hesitantly, he walked forward. The nameplate on the door made his heart stop.
Rainan Alon
It felt like the air left his lungs.
With a trembling hand, Angelo reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it open.
Inside, Adrian’s voice filled the quiet room. “Did you forget something?” he said, not glancing back, assuming it was Rainan’s parents returning.
But when he finally looked up, his words faltered.
And Rainan, resting in bed, also turned his head toward the door.
Their eyes met.
Angelo stood at the threshold, eyes wide, breath shallow, as his gaze shifted from Adrian to Rainan—lying there, pale and fragile against the white hospital sheets.
Adrian’s face fell in stunned silence.
Rainan didn’t speak.
Angelo couldn’t move.
And in that heavy pause between them, the truth—whatever it was—began to unravel.