Winning Back Mr. Right

Chapter 45

•Jasmin's POV•

Airie isn't herself for weeks now. She would walk past me in the living room looking like a rotting vegetable with a lump because of too much slouching. Then she would go straight into her room, but taking forever to reach it for her steps were weak and slow. Her eyes were always misty like she just cried. And the dark circles around it too obvious to ignore with her cheeks a pale white. It's been days since I heard her voice. I can't count how many sighs she's been making a day, and that does not include the ones I'm not around to observe. The daughter I knew, who is sweet and generous of her stories, is now an out-of-the-world woman pressed down by an outside force.

I went up and knocked on her door which she, fortunately, opened right away.

"Yes, mom?" She asks me with her voice, soft and weak.

"Have you eaten?"

"I'm not hungry." She answers almost immediately.

"Ok..." She closes the door before I can even dare to ask her again.

For a second, I turned around, convincing myself to let it go and let her alone but her actions bothered me so much that I feel like it needed intervention. I tried knocking again but this time she didn't answer. I twisted the knob and opened the door of her room. I found her lying face down with earphones glued to her ears. She was sobbing, soaking her entire pillow with tears.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

She was surprised to see me so she quickly wiped her tears away.

"Why didn't you knock?" Her tone is accusing me of intruding her privacy.

"I did."

"I want to be alone." She tells me grumpily.

"Honey..."

"Mom, please..."

"Fine. But I want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. I will listen."

"I'm fine. It's nothing." I wasn't convinced. She didn't sound convince of herself either.

"Don't lie to me, Air. I'm not stupid."

"I'm sorry but I'd rather be alone right now." She presses back.

"I love you, you know that right?"

"I know."

"Whenever you're ready, sweetheart."

She bursts into tears even more and hugs me. I have never seen my daughter this devastated before.

•Nate's POV•

On the flip side point, the boys decided to go out for a drink tonight. This is the first time that we'll ever have a free week for ourselves. And because of excitement, I finished my charts early and left work to stay in the bar. While waiting, I noticed a single guy, hunched over, ignoring everyone around him. In the mirror, I can see the unhappy lines projecting on his face as it is etched deeply.

My thoughts went to Airie. She is with me but not really. We said we'd try but I don't think she's actually trying. She chose me but I feel like something's missing. I look back at the guy from the bar and I realized if I didn't do something about my relationship with her, my face would soon look like that too. I pushed my drink away and got up until someone called me by my last name.

"Miller."

It was a woman. I turned to check who it was.

"Dr. Philip."

"Shane. Just call me Shane. We're off duty." She pulls the high chair next to me and sits.

"Of course, Dr. Phi... I mean Shane. Can I buy you a drink?"