nine

Aliyah was woken up when she felt someone is rubbing her head slowly, raising her head she saw Gio's smile, "Did I wake you up?" he asks. She stood up immediately and the black blanket place on her shoulders to make her warm, falls, she immediately picks it up not minding anything whether where it came from, she looked at Gio, "What do you feel? Are you in pain? Do you need a doctor?" she continuously asks him as she looked around looking for a doctor.

Gio held her hand tightly making her look at him "I'm fine" he reassures her as he tried to get up. With the help of Aliyah, he sat upon the bed "How come you are here?"

Aliyah sat up on the edge of the bed "Somebody called and told me you are here" holding his hand with dextrose, she looked at him "Don't you know how you scared me to death?"

"I'm sorry," Gio said and kissed her hands "How come your parents let you out of the house in this hour?"

"Actually, I lied," she said and bite her lips, "I told mom that I'll be staying at Elyse house tonight"

Rubbing the knuckles in her hands "Your mom believes that?"

"Adam helped me," she said, not meeting his eyes "He convinces her" he added

Gio stopped rubbing the knuckles in the hands of Aliyah, "Ah" and a moment of silence fell for several minutes as Gio look around he found out that Adam was looking at them from afar, she looks at Aliyah who was looking at the floor feeling guilty, he lifted her chin up and pulled her into a quick kiss "I love you" he whispers

Feeling ashamed by the sudden intimate interaction with her boyfriend, she immediately stood up "Let me call the doctor for you to have a further check-up" but Gio grab her wrist looking at him, "Don't you love me?" Gio asks, realizing that she did not respond to his declaration of love, she nods "Of course I do but we need you to have further check-up"

Having several check-ups the doctor declares that Gio needs to rest to the following days, these means that he could not compete on the national competition. Seeing his gloomy expression Aliyah rub his hands "I shouldn't take you out a while ago and just study on my own" she sighed.

Gio grabs her face "It's not your fault" giving her a slight smile "Don't you like it we have more time for each other after your finals, I don't need to go on the training"

"I'll promise na babawi ako sayo after ng finals bukas" Gio's smile gets wider when he heard the promise of her girlfriend, at last, they would have a proper date, or maybe it is still not ordinary because he was injured. "Do you want to rest? Sleep here beside me" he offered at umisod sya para may space si Aliyah

Aliyah immediately shook her head "You're the one who needs to rest. Go to sleep" she said, and make him lay down comfortably, inilahad ni Gio ang kamay niya sa harap ni Aliyah "Huh?" she looked at him confusedly. "Hold my hand, ang himbing ng tulog ko kanina habang hawak ko kamay mo" Gio explained "Maybe your hand is a sleeping pill?" he jokes

Giving her hand to him, Aliyah rolled her eyes b sitting on the chair beside Gio's bed "Rest now" she commanded as she watches him as he drifts to sleep. A several minutes later her body aches because of her posture, still, her hands were intertwined with Gio's who is sleeping peacefully, she checks her phone and study for her finals tomorrow.

She suddenly remembers Adam and texted him a message that has only two words, 'thank you'. Minutes have passed while studying in her phone she checks the message she sent to Adam and see that he is still not replying, 'Maybe he is already asleep' she mumbled as she saw that it is already near three in the morning. Feeling sleepy she decides to get a coffee para mawala ang antok niya kasi hindi pa siya tapos sa mga inaaral niya.

"Adam?" she mutters as she narrowed her eyes looking at the man who's sitting on the bench miles away from her. She walks slowly as she approaches him, looking at his posture, his hand supporting his head while his eyes were closed. "Ay tulog nga" she murmurs as she moves forward to inspect how pointed his nose is, 'sana all' she thought as she tried to measure it by her finger

Adam lashes flutter as he opened his eyes and saw Aliyah's face near him "Are you planning to sexually assault me while I'm sleeping?"

Shocked, Aliyah immediately take a couple steps backward "Chinicheck ko lang kung nahinga ka pa" she explained

Looking at her suspiciously, Adam give her a grin, "Oh really? If not, will you perform a CPR?"

Agitated she looks at him "Sira ka ba? Why would I?" crossing her arms "Bakit nandito ka pa?"

"You are my responsibility. I promised Mrs. Argania. Remember?" he said as he stood up not breaking the staring contest between the two.

"As if something would happen" she scoffed as she broke off the staring contest happening between them.

Adam stride towards her "As if, not in my watch. I promise that I'll give you back to them, walang labis at walang kulang" he move closer to her ear and whispers, "But I guess pwede na natin iexcept ang additional saliva from a bastard" he said as he wipes her lips using his thumb before walking-out.

Shocked by his action, her eyes widened and ears reddened "Tangina"

Adam look back at Aliyah "See your mouth became dirty? I just help you to wipe it off, putting back its purity"

"Ah madumi" Aliyah smirks "Tangina mo talaga" she said enough for Adam to hear it "Want to see how dirty my mouth is?" she challenges him "Motherfucker, putangina mo Adam Vincent gago"

Adam strides towards her and lifted her chin "Would you like me to clean it up for you?"

Shook his hand that holds her chin she looks at him fiercely "Bastard" she said under her breath as she marches going back to Gio's ward

Before she could sit on the chair Adam pulled her up, "Ano bang gusto mo?!" she exclaimed

"It's already three o'clock in the morning, don't you want to go home?" Adam looks at the stubborn woman.

"Why would I go home in the three of the morning huh Adam? Mag-isip ka nga"

"Won't you want to rest you've been awake for a long damn time you just slept for an hour" Adam angrily argued "Don't you have finals? Can your brain process having that little rest you have?"

"Pake mo ba? Ikaw mag-eexam?" she bickers

Pinching the bridge of his nose, "I'm just telling you to rest why are you being stubborn?!"

"I can rest here" turo ni Aliyah sa upuan

Adam snorted "I've been observing for hours now and guess what? You are so damn uncomfortable with that little chair"

Gio was awakened by Aliyah and Adam's voice, opening his eyes he saw Aliyah and Adam arguing. He grabs Aliyah's hand pulling her to his bed causing Aliyah to be out of balance and sit on his hospital bed. He looked at Adam "She can be comfortable in my bed" he smirks "Are you satisfied now?"

Seeing the smirk in Gio's face, he looked at Aliyah "I'll be waiting in the car and I will send you home" turning around he started to walk away

Sitting on the bed "Why would you?" Gio questioned Adam who a few steps are just away

Adam hinders his step and looks at Gio "Aliyah is my responsibility now. Her parents entrusted her to me, so I have to bring her back whole, alive, and kicking" giving him a sly smile "Adios" he said and walks away.

Watching Adam leaves he turned around at Aliyah holding her "You're mine, right?"

Looking at the anxious face of her boyfriend Aliyah give him a smiled and nodded at him "Of course you are my boyfriend"

Gio looks at her seriously "Could you inform me every time you are with him?"

Aliyah was confused but she just laughs it off "Why would I be with him? We're not friends nor my family member and lastly, he is not my boyfriend" she eyed "You are my boyfriend and I'll be with you every time"

Gio was still bothered by Adam's presence in her girlfriend's life "Just promise me? You would update me every time and where you are"

Para sa ikatitigil ni Gio Aliyah just nod at him even though she thought it was absurd.

The sun starts to rise on the east when Aliyah decided to go home bidding Gio a goodbye was the hardest thing to do on this day because Gio wouldn't let go of her and give her a ton of reminders.

"Text me when you got inside of his car" Gio reminded her three times already

Aliyah just nods her head in annoyance "Alright. Alright" she said as she fixes her clothes "I need to go now, I need to get ready for my ten am exam" before she could get away Gio pulled her into a hug and whispers "I love you" she just nods at umalis sa yakap "Bye"