Too Blind (sequel to Listening to the Heart)

Chapter 8

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Sek's POV

As soon as I saw on my phone screen that it was Cooheart calling, I swiped on it immediately.

"Yes, sweetheart," oops, slip of the tongue. I cursed myself silently for it.

"Wh... what did you just call me?" Cooheart asked. Did I just imagine the quiver in his voice?

"Oh, sorry, I had just finished talking to my girlfriend just before you called," I lied brazenly.

"Oh," I heard him say softly, and then followed by loud laughter. "Of course someone like you would undoubtedly have a girlfriend."

Shit, did I just lose my chances with him?

"So, I'm just calling to confirm the date and time of our next therapy session," Cooheart said after a brief silence.

"That would be day after tomorrow after five in the afternoon," I said.

"You can't make it earlier than that?" he asked. Either his voice sounded just a bit disappointed or my delusional heart could just have imagined it.

"I'm afraid I can't," I replied, not bothering to hide the regret in my voice. "I have a full day on that day. I have classes from morning till afternoon. Actually I do not do therapy on Thursdays which is day after tomorrow, because it's my busiest school day, but for you I will make an exception."

There was another brief silence before Cooheart spoke.

"I'm touched by your dedication," he said.

I almost replied with 'Yes, I'm most certainly dedicated to you' but he followed his statement immediately with "... dedication to your work."

That sent my heart plummeting but of course he's not to blame. How can I expect someone whom I have just recently met to fall for me at first sight. Unfortunately that was exactly what had happened to me.

"I'll see you day after tomorrow then?" I asked, suppressing the hurt that came unbidden to my chest.

"Sure," Cooheart replied. "What time should I expect you?"

"Is five thirty in the afternoon convenient for you?" I asked.

"That's fine,"  Cooheart replied.  "I'll be ready for you by then."

For some reason the idea of Cooheart being ready for me sent some ticklish sensations shooting in my chest.

I could barely focus on my studies during the next two days. I went through my classes without listening much to the lectures.

Five thirty after the second day of my classes could not come fast enough.

Finally when I thought I was going to lose my mind, my last class for the day ended. I quickly made my way to the parking lot and ran to the spot where my car was parked.

In my hurry, I bumped into someone who was going in the opposite direction. The collision was hard enough to make him drop the books and binders that he had been holding.

"Sorry," I murmured and bent to help him pick up the fallen binders and books.

When I straightened and looked straight into his face, recognition came to both of us.

"You are the one providing therapy to my boyfriend," he firmly stated like he was a hundred percent sure of what he was saying.

Wait, what??? Did he just refer to Cooheart as his boyfriend? I thought he was just one of the students who rented a room in Cooheart's house.

"Did I say something to shock you?" the person standing before me asked, one side of his mouth lifting in what I perceived to be a smirk.

"Oh, no, no, no, not at all," I replied, even though I felt like my whole world had just collapsed like a house of cards.

"When are you going to provide Cooheart's next therapy session?" he asked.

I wanted to say that it was none of his business but any form of hostility could make him suspicious of me.

"I have to call him to confirm what day he is available," I lied.

"By the way, for as long as we have not been officially introduced to each other, let me introduce myself to you," he said, extending his hand to me. "My name is Kao, Cooheart's boyfriend."

Why did he have to emphasize his status with Cooheart. Did he possess some kind of intuition that I was a threat to his relationship with Cooheart?

"And mine is Sek," I responded, taking his proffered hand. "I am Cooheart's therapist."

"I know that," he said with a short laugh.

"Nice to meet you officially," I said, making a move to turn away.

He grabbed my arm.

"Please help him to get back to his normal level of functioning," he seemed to be pleading. "You don't know how hard it is for me to have to wait until we can ... "  he cut himself short, as if realizing suddenly that he had said too much.

"I will do my best," I replied, shaking my arm free from his grasp.

I half walked half ran to my car. I stopped to catch my breath before getting into the driver's seat. What should I do now? I asked myself, debating on whether to ask Singto to take back his therapy sessions with Cooheart or to keep going, hoping that perhaps eventually I would be able to win Cooheart's affection, because for some reason I did not trust that Kao would be able to bring Cooheart the loving and the caring that a more mature person like myself could give him.

With a heavy sigh, I drove out of the parking lot and through the university gate, merging carefully with the traffic.

Soon I found myself turning into Cooheart's driveway.

With a fast beating heart, I pressed the buzzer on the front door.

It was only a few seconds before Rose, the housekeeper, opened the door. Her face lighted up. She recognized me instantly.

My heart jumped when after standing aside, she said to me, "Come in, you handsome young man, my young master has been waiting for you."

"It's good to see you again, Sek," Cooheart's smile did all sorts of things to my heart.

"The pleasure is mine," I responded, holding out my arms to him even though I was still a few steps away from him.

"I can't walk into your arms," Cooheart pouted from his wheelchair.

"You don't have to," I said, my heart ignoring the warning signals from my brain. "I am coming to place you into my arms."