Chapter 10 - Saving Your Life

"It is good. Your money will surely be in good hands. Just a few coins here and there and you can already provide food for a child. You should try it. Charities are in need of people like you who can obviously help." Shenise convinced Gaville as they continue to walk outside the grocery store inside the mall.

"You really don't run out of things to make me do, don't you?" Gaville complained.

"Hey-"

"Whoa! Be careful." Gaville quickly grabbed Shenise's arm before the girl could collide with a wooden post. "Watch where you're going."

The mall where they buy groceries is under renovation, that's why there are wooden posts here and there. Even the ceiling that was being worked on is exposed. It was the time again for their Operation: Ruin Engagement meeting. And in all honesty, that is not what's bothering Gaville right now.

They're already walking towards the parking lot when Gaville asked him. "So what happened last, last night?"

Shenise furrowed her eyebrows. Gaville was avoiding her eyes. "What's with last, last night?" She questioned back.

"During Elein's birthday, you guys left after a short while. Where did you go?" Gaville asked, still not looking straight at her.

Shenise just shrugged. "Ah, yes. I have low tolerance with alcoholic drinks. And I got tipsy immediately with the tequila; I don't know it's that strong. So I went home. I was actually embarrassed to face El. It's a good thing that Ryleigh was there. He took me home, he's really sweet." Shenise smiled sweetly upon remembering it. She noticed Gaville scowled, then quickly fasten his walking.

"Hey, why are you so grumpy all of a sud-" Shenise stopped when she glanced at the ceiling. Her eyes widen when she saw that a part of it is about to fall down. Instinctively, her body moved.

"Gaville!"

*****

Everything happened fast. He was just walking, annoyed and irritated at Shenise for talking about Ryleigh. Then, he heard Shenise calling his name. The next thing he knew, someone pushed him and he heard a loud crash. Then, he was on the ground... and Shenise is a few meters behind him- unconscious and with a bleeding head while there's a wood over the lower part of her body.

Gaville was sure, his heart stopped beating.

*****

"What the hell were you thinking!?"

Shenise flinched at Gaville's loud voice. "Saving your life as I remembered!" She answered back.

Gosh, this person really has a problem. She saved him and yet, he was angry at her? A simple 'thank you' would have been more appropriate. But no, the moment Shenise opened her eyes after the pain killers that was given to her in the hospital had worn off, she was faced with a scolding Gaville.

Shenise was sitting on the hospital bed and here Gaville was, towering above her like some almighty god.

"Did I ask you to save me?" Gaville spat.

Shenise gaped at him. She involuntarily held the bed sheets tightly and crumpled them in her hands. "Well, I'm sorry. I'm so dumb and my body just automatically moved when I saw that you were about to get crushed by some plywood!" She said sarcastically.

"You really are stupid! You're the stupidest person I've ever met!"

Shenise is mad now, and annoyed and irritated and really really pissed off and most of all, she's tired. And her body feels so weak and her head is still throbbing and hurting. She would not put up with this. Definitely not! Who does Gaville think he is?

"Fine!" She scoffed. "You know what? I've had enough of this. Could you please leave me alo-"

"Don't do this again." Shenise was surprised when Gaville suddenly suddenly sat on his bedside and encased her face with both of his hands. His brown eyes looked deadly serious.

"What-"

"Promise me you won't do this stupid thing again." Gaville leaned and touched their foreheads together as he closed his eyes. The man looked so worn out.

"What the...?"

"Don't let yourself get hurt for other people. Don't do this, ever again. Do you understand me?" Gaville opened his eyes again and leaned back, separating their foreheads. He was gripping her shoulders a little too tight. His tone was also threatening, as if he was saying, 'Disobey me and you'll be sorry'.

Shenise got irritated again. One of the things that she can't tolerate is dominance and incorrect power balance. "Who do you think you are to tell me what I should and should not do? Nobody tells me what to do; if I want to save a stray cat from being run down in the streets, I will, even if I get hit myself. Please don't dictate me. No one has the right to do that." Then Shenise harshly removed Gaville's hands on her shoulders.

They glared at each other. Shenise clearly saw how Gaville's jaw tightened and teeth gritted, holding in his anger. But Shenise could not care less. Freaking dictator! Womanizer! Chauvinist! Capitalist!

Gaville harshly brushed his hair with his fingers, then glared at Shenise some more before walking out of the room and slamming the door close behind him.

*****

Gaville hasn't even made ten steps away from Shenise's room when he abruptly stopped.

He turned to face the wall and leaned his forehead on it. Damn, he was still shaking in mixture of rage, relief and frustration. He sat on the bench beside the wall.

Shit. He was still shivering. What the hell is happening to him?

He only felt like this thrice in his life. The first and second time was when his father was brought to the hospital twice and now that he saw Shenise on the floor, with blood on her head.

Fuck. He combed his hair again with his fingers.

Just remembering the scene makes him feel like something's crushing his insides and makes him want to puke. Damn, that really scared the hell out of him. Even after knowing that Shenise's injury isn't serious, just remembering how she looked- unconscious and bleeding...

"Shit, this is not good.." he whispered to himself while massaging his forehead. On the other side of his brain, a mortifying realization is slowly forming. "Definitely not good." he hissed.