Jacob's Apple of The Eye

"I… I'll be fine. Just a moment…." Angeline said in a calm voice. Quietly, trying to soothe herself. She fixed her eyes on the ceiling.

"The hell you are…. Come on, put your arm on my shoulder," Jacob said, which she did.

He helped her on her feet, but her body sagged to his.

"J-Just a minute..." she requested, trying not to think of the pain.

"C'mon, I'll carry you."

Before she made a fuss, he lifted her in his arms and carried her towards the door.

"P-put me down…."

"Angeline…"

Both turned to Tristan, looking at them with his troubled eyes.

"D-don't you dare…" she warned the m n. "I don't want to hear too many explanations from you. What I heard is enough..."

She tightened her grip on the shoulder of the man holding h r. "Take me down..." She commanded with an angry voice.

Jacob seemed to hear nothing. He strode in a brisk walk. The woman who she smiled at a while ago was questioning him with her eyes while opening the back-seat door.

"Please, drive, Mich. We are going to the hospital…," said Jac b. They were seated at the back.

Angeline was leaning against the man's chest.

"What happened?"

"We collided in the hallway," Jacob said. "I think I hit her with my knee…."

"Oh..."

"N-no… not really…" she denied by sitting down properly. But the pain was killing h r. "I said, I'll be fine…." She snapped at him to hide her pain.

She did not see the quiet exchange of glances between Jacob and the woman in the rearview mirror.

"Good to hear that," said the woman. "Tell me where we can drop you…."

"Michelle, to the hospital, please…."

"Are you deaf? I said, I'm okay…" she said in a whisper to the man and openly glared at him when their gaze met.

"I'm not saying anything until the doctor says so…" he said grimly. He met her cold ga e. "Chill, okay?"

"I can't…" she said. Anger was on her face. "How can I, after seeing your sister with my boyfriend?"

Jacob was stunned by what she said. He caught Michelle's widened eyes.

There was silence inside the c r. Angeline quietly cried when she remembered the scene in the swimming pool.

"YOU'RE all right, said the doctor who examined you," Jacob said with a wide smile as they exited the hospital l. "Your x-ray result is okay…."

"Didn't I tell you I'm okay?" She replied with annoyance e. Looking ahead of them. "It's just a skin-dipped pain…."

"Stop your impudence. I wanted to know that you are all right," Jacob sternly said his arm on her shoulder. "And I'm sorry if you're hurting right now…."

"Thank you… but it doesn't help. It hurts...." Angeline wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. A deep sigh followed.

Jacob seemed to be hesitant to say something to appease the girl.

"All right… you can leave me here. I'm going to take a taxi back home. Thank you."

He nodded but stared intently at Angeline's face while avoiding her eyes.

"Go ahead. You can leave me here…."

Hesitation was on its face.

"All rig t. I said, go ahead, maybe your partner is bored waiting for you. I think you're going somewhere…."

"Yep. We're going to the beach," Jacob said. "Wait, why don't you go with us? It will help you to unwind…."

"Thank you, and stop insisting. I don't want to be bothersome."

"No e. It's not just us. Come on. Meet my friends later."

Since she was upset, she agreed. Even Michelle agreed with Jacob's suggestion.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you," Michelle said when they arrived at the beach reso t. She was left alone with Michelle in the cottage.

Smiling at her, "I got extra clothes I can share with you. Let's get dressed. "

She nodded quiet y. The woman simply subtly looks at her.

"You're pretty…" said the woman when they were both wearing two-pie e. "Forget about your boyfriend when he cheated on you like that. Such situations are harrowing at fir t. You're still young and beautiful. You have many chances to get to know better gu s. Seriously, you could be a model…."

She returned her smile. She thought that Jacob's apple of the eye was excellent! And that she liked her already. "My grandmother will oppose you for saying that. She's very strict…."

Michelle's eyes widened.

"Real y! How did you manage to have a boyfriend when it's against your granny?

She couldn't help but laugh. "Trying to be resourceful… I want a normal life…."

The two laughed.

"I want to have a boyfriend as soon as possible. I knew my grandma was planning for one of us to marry her best friend's grandson. That's the reason why she's very strict. Anyways, thank you for all your attention. You and your boyfriend-"

"Wait, Jacob is not my boyfriend. Well, that was before I fell in love with his best friend. Jake and I are just friends now, very close…."

"Is there such a thing?"

Michelle nodded. "Lucky whoever the woman he's going to fall in love wi h. Apart from being handsome and rich, and quite a dependable guy…."

"Then why didn't you?"

"I have asked myself that many times, maybe because he's not romantic. I mean, even if you're dating, it's not romantic at all. And he's always busy."

She frowned, didn't understand the woman.

"It's like this…." Michelle explained when she saw the question in her eyes. "Jacob didn't flirt or court. We grew up together and have been close since we were you g. His mom is my godmother. One day, he asked me if I wanted to try dating him. I didn't have a boyfriend then, so I immediately agreed…."

"Just like that?"

"Yes, that's how it all started with Jake and me. From best friends to sweethearts.… not even a piece of rose. But we go out eating, watching movies. No thrills."

"If you ask my opinion, sounds not romantic at all. Your relationship with Jacob is like the game. Just level up…."

Michelle's laughter rang out.