The Denial

Celine woke up in the morning feeling the pain in her foot. The wound on her sole still hurts. Yesterday, after riding Martin's back home, the guy also helped her like a primary school nurse to treat the wound. She remembered when Martin sat down on the floor, held her feet with so much care, and tended to her would. I immediately felt her face getting warmer. No one had ever taken care of her like this.

"Incidents like this don't happen often, but it's important to be careful of broken seashells or other debris when walking barefoot on the beach. You are lucky good that the wound is not deep, but you shouldn't put your weight on when you walk for a while. Actually, I recommend you don't walk if necessary. Celine, be careful, do you understand? This will heal quickly if you are careful with the wound."

She remembered Martin wrapping gauze around her feet and kept complaining. She kept looking at him. The man was so determined to wrap up the gauze she smiled and forgot to answer him.

"Celine, do you understand me?" Martin raised his voice and looked up to meet her eyes; she was startled.

"Ah, yes, yes, I understand," she replied frantically.

Martin looked long at her. He seemed worried.

"What's happening to you today? Your mind is elsewhere. I met Adriana earlier today, and she said you seem preoccupied. If there is anything you are worried about, you can tell me, alright?" She frowned at the moment he mentioned another woman's name.

She knew well she had no right to feel displeased. But she had a feeling of unshakable annoyance knowing that he was close to other people, especially women. Because when he talked to her, she felt sometimes he treated her like a kid. He reprimanded her all the time. But he was a much nicer guy to others; he smiled, he joked around, whatever.

She could tell he was worried about her health. But she might be a spoiled brat that always wants to demand more and frown at him on just about every occasion.

"Nothing." That there should be nothing to worry about, just like she said. But she didn't feel such. She knew what this feeling was and what it would develop to be. But She hoped she could control her feeling.

"Why are you frowning? Does the wound still hurt? Did I wrap it too tight?" He asked with concern, and he sat down to examine her bandaged wound again.

Celine sighed. Martin was just being Martin. And without him asking any more questions or saying anything, she felt she was being stupid; she was stupid to pull an angry fit on him, the man that had helped her so much.

"Nothing. Really. Thank you." She said softly.

Suddenly, yesterday's memories were disturbed by the sounds of cooking from outside the bedroom. Celine was immediately awakened from her contemplation.

He was probably back from running and cooking breakfast. He had the same daily routine that she remembered well: waking up early and jogging, buying groceries, cooking breakfast before nine in the morning, reading books, working on his laptop, going out for lunch, reading more books, going back to work, and going to dinner with her.

He liked to do something the same every day. What disrupted his pattern was asking her out to explore the town and swim earlier. She didn't know what had gotten in him or what he was thinking. He smiled at her more as well. She really didn't understand the man.

Celine was half limping and a half walking on tiptoe to the door and sneaked a peak at him. She saw Martin's back while he was cooking. He put the seasonings into the finished meal and moved so agilely that she glanced at him in amazement. Of course, she couldn't cook and never thought of trying...until someone told her he could teach her days ago...

Wounds on the feet made it difficult to walk. But she was a stubborn kid. She tried. Being someone who normally has a brisk walk around town like her, she tried hard to walk slowly to the dining table, but in the end, she accidentally put her weight on the injured foot anyway. She cried out, and Martin was immediately alarmed.

"Celine!" He was on her side in a second. She bit her lips. Not being able to walk annoyed her more than anything. Worse yet, it increased her dependent on him, the man who was so gentle with supporting her weight, his arm around her shoulder; he was so willing to help her, but this wouldn't be good for her in the long run—it was not safe for her heart.

"Didn't I tell you to be careful? Come, slowly, walk with me slowly. Sit here at the dining table. I will inspect the bandage first and after we are done, let's eat breakfast. I just finished cooking."

Once she sat down, Martin was instantly on his knees and lightly grabbed her feet and examined the bandage. He had taken care of her too well.

"I think it is healing up quite nicely. After breakfast, I will change the gauze for you. I cooked steak and salad for you this morning. Protein will help the wound heal faster." She looked at him. He was so good to her, and he was so different from the first day we met that her heart fluttered.

"Don't be this good to me…." Celine inadvertently spoke her thoughts inaudibly. She felt uncomfortable. Because her heart was beating faster every time, she had his attention. And she was uncomfortable because she didn't want to like Martin, and he might not feel the same. We just met, and she still recovered from the last relationship. Although, admittedly, she couldn't even remember her ex-boyfriend's face as if he was a distant memory. Only Martin occupied her every thought.

"Yes? Did you talk to me?" He was so busy changing the bandage that he didn't hear what she said.

"Nothing…" Celine turned away and replied in a low voice. She will try to banish this feeling and hope it will truly go away in no time. He was not even her type. Maybe it was not the usual type of adoration. No, no, definitely not. We were just too close. Maybe it was usual for a person who was heartbroken to fall for someone that was nice and supportive. She was in a vulnerable condition, and he was here. Being a savior in all situations. She knew that she shouldn't like him. Absolutely not. She will leave the island in more than a week. She couldn't risk her heart being broken again.

"Alright. Let's eat breakfast. I think I did my best today. Try it. I chopped the beef into small square pieces. I think it's easier to eat." Martin was in a talkative mood, and she was curious why.

"You are in a good mood. Anything good happened?"

"I decided to postpone my project." He smiled to himself as he poked a bite-sized piece of meat with a fork.

"Oh, and I have something to ask you."

"Yes?"

She looked at the person in front of her, who had put down his fork and knife. He looked straight at her and smiled. That pretty smile made her forget to blink.

Bloody hell…

"I postponed my work to the time after you left. While we are together, I need to ask for a favor. Can you please travel around the island with me? Err, as a friend."

He stared into her eyes and seriously asked for her permission before explaining more.

"Well, I don't know how to properly relax, you know, as normal people do. I know I need to take a break, but I really can't do it. I don't know how. I think you could help…." She was speechless at this request. Even though it wasn't much of a burden because we were together anyway. But our closeness was definitely a threat to her heart.

As if he sensed her discomfort, he added.

"I know you may want some private time or be a solo traveler, and I have no right to force you to spend that much time with me. But please consider this, think of it as helping me. I did some research on the must-go places on the island. I promise I will be a good companion. Please consider this."

She wanted to refuse, but his plea was enough to cause her to stop and rethink.

She couldn't turn down someone who had helped her throughout these past days.

"Um…sure…" She nodded and agreed. Celine only fixated her gaze on the food in front of her. She didn't want to look at Martin.

"Thank you!" But the cheerful voice she hadn't heard before and the soft hand that reached across the table to touch hers made Celine look up.

That was another moment and stunned her to silence.

Martin smiled broadly and looked at her. He smiled at her...Martin smiled at her with eyes radiance with joy. It was the smile she had hoped to see for days. And when she had a chance to witness it up close, she almost forgot how to breathe.

No matter how much she tried not to feel, Celine knew. At that moment, she knew. No matter how she pretended to be the master of her responses and emotions, it would be useless. Her traitorous heart kept pounding faster and faster every time he smiled.

Celine had to learn to accept the truth. It was already too late. But at least she knew that she had fallen in love with the man she had just met.