Chapter 37

Thea’s Point of View

I've already taken a bath. I was looking for something to wear when I got out of the bathroom. Okay, I'd want to wear a sleeveless dress, but it doesn't appear to be in my style right now. Eventually, all I wore was a baggy white blouse and a pair of leggings. When I wear them, I feel like I can't breathe, which is odd considering that's what I usually wear. I stepped outside after grabbing the black shoulder bag.

I could smell the meal on the table as soon as I walked downstairs. Because of the smell, I smiled broadly. When I saw Craigl, it was as if all my rage from the night before had vanished because of the meal in front of me. That dark tint is exactly the fragrance I'm used to eating, combined with peanut. I sat down as quickly as possible, but Craig couldn't see me since he was still turning around and washing his hands. I placed my handbag on the opposite chair and promptly scooped the food up. I'm not sure why I'm so hungry. All I know is that the food here is causing my stomach to churn.

“Oh! Are you feeling well?” He was wearing an apron as he removed it. He was already sitting next to me. He also spooned his own then looked at me.

I'm not sure why I'm not upset with him. I even smiled at him, wanting to know what it was. "What is this? I put the meat with a variety of veggies, including eggplant and beans on my plate. I immediately giggled after the first mouthful.

"It's known as kare-kare. It is prepared using Filipino cuisine. It contains peanuts. They often put sauce on small fish." I was going to run out of food as he explained. My taste seemed to be altered when he mentioned the sauce of small fish. It's as though I don't want to consume this meal if it has something like that.

While munching, I kept my gaze fixed on the ketchup at the top of the cupboard. I popped the last of the rice into my mouth before handing Craig my plate. He was still perplexed as to why I was handing him my plate, but as I glanced at the rice in front of him, he knew exactly what I wanted. I went to where the ketchup was after he got it.

When I returned and sat down, he repositioned my plate in front of me. I used a lot of ketchup and blended it into my meal like soup. While I was salivating, I noticed his face turned away, as if disgusted by what I was doing. It was delicious to eat when I added the kare-kare broth.

I had two plates when I finished. I even caressed my stomach as though I were pregnant. I looked at Craig, who hadn't even touched the meal and then I looked at him with interest. When he returned to himself, he abruptly spoke.

"I've only just seen you eat that much. You have two plates, and your rice is mixed with ketchup. I'd believe you were pregnant if I didn't know you."

I sat up straighter because of what he said.

I’m in the vehicle with Megan right now. He was driving when the wind shifted because she hadn’t complained about Ray today. Something happened that I’m not aware of. I didn’t ask since I had additional stress and didn’t want to add to my worry.

I was reminded of a conversation Craig and I had this morning. I wanted to laugh, but fear won out, and it seemed like butterflies were fluttering about in my stomach when he said that. While I would like to say that I wasn’t delighted when he told it, I can’t deny that I was.

What will I do if what he says is true? No. I’m not required to do anything, since that is not the case. I’m not sure whether I’m prepared with so much going on. I just sat back in my seat and stared at Megan, who was driving silently. I want to chuckle because I just noticed how silent she was. She was even more shocked when I touched her.

“There’s a chance we’ll have an accident in the depths of your mind. I’m not used to hearing you be silent.” After I finish saying that. She smiled at me, but I didn’t perceive the certainty in her grins. I was much more worried when I noticed her face was a little pale.

“Are you alright? Are you running a fever?” When I touched her on the forehead, she slowed down. She was not hot when I stroked her forehead and face. She also doesn’t appear to be feverish.

“Nothing’s wrong with me. I also have something to do at the hospital.” Her expression turned solemn, and she fixed her gaze on the road. She makes me feel even more uneasy. Is she ill?

When we arrived at the hospital, it was fortunate that it was private, as there were not too many people. We quickly searched for the doctor, but the nurse informed us it was his break time. We even waited for our unexpected appointment at his desk.

Megan shifted her gaze away from us as we were seated. She’s still disoriented. When I abruptly approach her, it’s awkward. I was watching her when I saw the phone I was carrying light up.

“Do you know where Megan is?”

It took me aback since it was Rayleigh who had texted me. Why would he come looking for Megan with me if they were at war? I turned to face Megan, who was now staring at me. I lifted my hand and handed her the phone.

“Rayleigh is on the lookout for you.” Her expression changed soon after I said it. Her eyes widened as she took the phone from my grasp. I’m not sure what she did. Ray's message was no longer on the phone when she handed it back to me.

“Ahm. I know you and Ray don’t get along, and I don’t expect you to be close, but did you fight?” My eyes have softened to the point where I can persuade her to open up to me.