Running across the Stanleys' estate was something she never knew would happen in her life and being chased by a patient was more incredulous. But those two absurdities merging was the worst and craziest thing that could ever happen and unfortunately, it seemed that those impossible circumstances had decided to take a toll on her on that very day.
There she was, on her second day as a personal day, running for her life (yes literally) and away from an angered patient trailing after her across the vast place.
Maria had been running blindly, not knowing where to seek safety, the moment she had rushed out from the relaxation spot following the tragicomedy of ruining his hoodie by pouring bloody beer all over him. Her lungs were burning with intense pain, her heart pounding against her ribs as she flee past every servant watching the appalling scene.
The garden was wide, giving her an excessive space to traverse through, hoping to find a space of refuge, but her path seemed to be leading her further from her goal.
"Stop right there!" Her pursuer yelled behind her, the sound of the wind blowing through his lips making his voice louder.
Her head turned at his call, and she gasped to see Jayden gaining fast, the distance between them narrowing with each stride from him, proving exceedingly that his long legs weren't made for nothing. He was coming faster after and soon enough, she knew she would lose to his chase.
"Would you do that if you were in my shoes?!" Maria screamed back at him, her feet hitting the ground with harder steps in her desperate attempt to put some distance between them.
"You little... Just wait till I set my hands on you..."
She snatched her look away, ignoring whatever threat he had left to say. Because right now, she had to focus on not giving him a chance to grab a hold of her.
But her plan came crashing down when asthma slowly began to wake. It made her stop abruptly, gasping for air, her lungs aching with exertion. Her eyes darted around for a place to hide, but she only saw a few small trimmed bushes that were no longer than the height of her legs.
A strong gasp broke her lips, startled by the figure who had shown up unnoticeably. Jayden was already standing in front of her, blocking her from any form of escape route, and a devilish grin could almost be seen on his face. She knew she was supposed to break loose again but her choking throat suspended her action.
His hands moved to the hoodie hung across his bare shoulders before throwing the cloth on the ground with a thump. "This is a custom-made edition! The fabric has been designed especially for me. And never in a million years can you imagine who the designer might be!" His tone became even more enraged as he continued ranting.
It was clear to Maria how furious he was, his voice raised in volume and his fists clenching tighter against his sides. But despite those emotions and actions, she was more engrossed in her failing health. Her chest ached like never before and breathing seemed to have become much harder, forcing her to lean closer to the tree and clutch on it for support.
Jayden's attention turned toward the direction of the tree and he stopped talking, frowning deeply at the lady who was acting as if oxygen was not present around her. Her hand was pressed to her throat, and she was coughing constantly.
"What? Now you are going to fake a sudden attack just to escape the consequences of your actions?" He asked in disbelief as he stared at her with suspicion.
Maria coughed twice more before speaking again, her words broken by her choking sounds. "I-I am not faking this..."
"Oh really? You must take me for a fool, doc. You think I will let this go if you play some stupid sick role?" He scoffed sarcastically, crossing his arms on his chest, still watching her suspiciously.
She stepped back, her hand still clutched to the tree. "I, I..." She tried to form words but her panting seem to be getting worse. She knew she had overstressed her faint health by running more than her capability. Her inhaler was highly demanded in her situation and the only problem was her medicine was in her bag, inside the relaxation spot.
She wheezed, her coughing sounds only served to agitate Jayden more. He was about to lash out at her once more when she trembled onto the grass, her knees folding as she gasped for air.
Her actions made him uncertain. If she was really putting up on act, then she was a natural-born actress wasting her time in the medical field.
"Are you okay?" His words came as a mumble, dripping with skepticism.
She shook her head weakly, her eyelashes fluttering. "I-I..." She tried to speak but her words were strained with erratic breathing.
He heaved deeply for a moment before lowering in a squat before her. "What?" He asked carefully, leaning closer to hear her better.
Maria was startled by his proximity, and was equally surprised to see a hint of concern in his narrowed brown eyes. However, she decided to pay more attention to her alarming state rather than focus on why her stone-hearted patient was showing a bit of humanity.
Her gaze shifted from his face to the grass beside her and the tree she had been hugging, then she looked around again. She couldn't see any other source that would make her medicine be within her reach, except asking for his help.
The hesitation lingered for a few seconds, but she eventually spoke again, trying to hide her desperation behind a hoarse tone. "I-I need my inhaler..." She pleaded.
His eyelids stretched a bit. "You are asthmatic?" The question had slipped before he could restrain himself. Knowing that was not the best thing to ask at the moment, he decided to give it another shot. "Do you have one here?"
Her ponytail swayed with a faint bob. "In my bag..." She replied, her tone sounding more desperate.
Jayden didn't bother asking where the bag was. He could vividly remember how she kept bringing out several medical gadgets from a space that small. Women would only understand how they fit so many things in such small spaces.
"Then I will get it for you." He nodded in assurance before he rose into a stand and retreated the same pathway back to the building.
Maria watched him run till he was out of sight. She had thought he would have ordered one of the maids lurking around to bring her bag and was surprised when he opted to go personally to fetch it.
She stayed on the grassy field, resting her hands on her knees to stabilize herself while her gaze wandered, waiting for her savior.
His figure reappeared in the distance, and she breathed a sigh of relief to see her bag clutched in his grip. It was only when he had appeared nearer that she noticed the frown his lips held, as though he had bad news.
"Is everything okay?" Her words were barely a whisper, her breathing more Fran than before.
Jayden took three steps closer, then voiced, "I could not find any inhaler."
Maria's face contoured with disbelief immediately. "That's not possible..." She breathed and anxiously reached for her property in his hold.
Her trembling hands combed her bag, searching for the medicine with her eyes getting wider with horror. She eventually shook her bag, emptying its contents onto the floor but nothing like an inhaler flew out.
"There is no inhaler in there," the man watching her pathetic search stated matter-of-factly.
"I... I-I..." Maria couldn't believe what was happening. Her chest tightened more at the thought of going through an attack without her medication. She had always carried an inhaler everywhere she went. She frantically checked her bag once more, but the absence of her inhaler only increased her panic.
"This is useless," Jayden muttered from where he stood above her, his tone tinged with frustration.
He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. "Get me an inhaler, suitable for asthma. I need it within a minute." He instructed the moment someone picked up after only two rings and hung up the call without waiting for an answer.
His head bent towards her, his brown eyes looking down on the sick lady with an intensity that was void of emotions. "Let's go," he gestured to the mansion and turned his frame to begin his tracks.
She nodded gratefully and tried to lift herself from the ground but her limbs failed her. Her breaths were short as her body trembled from the effort.
The sound of her falling to the ground nudged his ears and Jayden stopped walking. He turned around to find her still crawling to the grass.
He exhaled deeply, knowing he had no choice but to help. He reversed his steps back to her side, then crouched next to her before scooping her from the ground wordlessly.
She trembled slightly at his touch, finding herself floating in his arms that supported her calves and back as he carried her weight with ease.
Twisting her lips to a small grateful smile, she slowly looked up at his eyes which were fixed straight ahead. His features seemed to hold a tiny hint of worry, but his expression was mainly unreadable.
Maria was tempted to apologize, feeling like a burden but settled for different words. "Thank you..."
Her voice sounded weak, and a tear fell down her cheek before her head drooped low to hide it from him. She didn't know why her tears came out but she knew her asthma was one of her most vulnerable states. It always had a way of making her feel a myriad of emotions, including getting easily touched when a usually cold person showed some care like this.
He kept his silence and continued moving at a pace so fast that spoke of his urgency. Maria relished each step, her lungs breathing in air after air and her mind focused on the sound of his footsteps that seemed to echo through her heart.
***
Jayden walked into his room and wasted some seconds by the entrance, wondering the right spot on the floor to dump the lady in his arms. There was no way he would let another human on his untouchable bed. He traveled his gaze to the floor and the coldness beneath his feet pleaded with him to be more merciful.
His eyes darted to the couch before moving towards it. He placed the doctor on the cushioned seat, in a way her shoes were on the floor, and tossed her medicine to her side.
Nodding her head with gratitude, her jittery hands reached for the inhaler and pressed it into her mouth.
The moment she inhaled the medication, her body and mind relaxed. Her fingers combed her loose ponytail, pushing some strands away from her face in a bid to calm her nerves.
The clattering sound of the repeated clashing of the canister and the plastic casing erupted between them for several minutes as her lungs slowly regained their normal functioning.
Jayden stood, watching her frantic movement. His observing gaze slowly shifted to her hair which kept bouncing every time she shook the drug. Her hair was of a rare color, a different charm of blonde which was like bright gold or the sun rays filtering through the clouds, a shade that effortlessly demanded attention. The more he stared at it, the more terrifying memories crept to him.
There was only one other person he had seen with hair so shiny, the last person he had seen before his accident. He might be having a hard time regaining the memories of the unfortunate night, but he could never forget the color of the woman's hair. The doctor had a similar attribute to the woman and he was worried he might have to remember that night each time he saw her.
"Thank you," her raspy voice broke through his reverie, interrupting his train of thoughts.
He traced his eyes back to her face and a glance told him that her breathing had already stabilized. She was no longer gasping for air and her breathing pattern was almost normal.
"Can I take a rest for five minutes?" She asked in a strained voice, and he clenched his jaw at her request, staring at her for so long, that she decided to terminate it. "Never mind, I will--"
"Whatever." He shrugged.
"Thank you." She expressed with a smile, and then reserved her back against the couch, curling her legs onto its seat.
Her blue gaze lowered below his neck, realizing for the first time he had been half-naked all this while, ever she had spilled the drink on him.
She jerked her eyes up immediately and quickly looked away, clearing her throat. Seeing him that way made her feel two different things. One part of her made her feel guilty for ruining his clothes earlier and the other part just made her cheeks flush with a few shades of pink for seeing such a seductive man that way.
Jayden took his eyes to his chest after noticing her awkward behavior. He had been too caught up trying to take revenge earlier and rescuing her from the attack to pay attention to his partial nakedness.
He decided to get something to put on, turning to the closet without announcing his intention.
Maria watched his retreating figure through eyes that battled to shut down from tiredness. A yawn broke her lips, the exhaustion of the day dragging her body, making her feel heavy and weighed down.
Her eyelids grew more heavy with every moment and her breathing deepened. Her head pulled lower until it rested on the cushion. She snuggled her cheek closer to the armrest and one more yawn was what she gave before sleep claimed her.
***