"Why are you looking at me like that?" Gael asked as he buttoned his shirt and saw Ang ring at him.


    "Because I don''t understand why you didn''t tell me."


    He sighed. "I told you—"


    "And now you don''t even want me to go with you?"


    Lowering his hands, he strode towards her and took her hands in his to calm her down but the furrowing of her brows did not diminish. He softened his words as he told her, "Look. Angel… I''ve been there with my mother the whole time she dealt with…the cancer. I know how it feels to sit and wait helplessly while she took her treatments. I just don''t want you to go through the unnecessary worry when it''s only an exam. It''s going to be fine."


    The worry lines on Ang''s face slowly disappeared, but she still looked so concerned. Especially when he mentioned how he suffered alongside his mother. Her shoulders dropped as she tried to reason, "Then I''m sure you also know that if your mom didn''t want you to go with her so that you didn''t worry, you still want to go anyway because you wanted to be there for her. Am I right?"


    His jaw tightened. Ang was indeed right. Still, he insisted, "Really, you don''t have toe with me. I won''t take long, and you''re not even allowed inside, so you''d just be bored waiting for me."


    "If it doesn''t take that long, then I won''t be bored. And I don''t care even if I have to wait at the parking lot just as long as I go with you."


    For a few moments, they were quiet and only stared at each other. Ang was adamant about going with him, while Gael didn''t want her to wait in the hospital. After some time, he let out a sigh. "You''re really not going to drop this, are you?"


    She retracted her hands and folded her arms under her breasts as she scowled at him once more. "No. And I''m mad at you for not telling me about it beforehand."


    A small orchestrated gasp left his mouth. "Oh, no… I can''t have the love of my life mad at me… What ever will I do?" He peered at her with friggin'' puppy dog eyes.


    The love of his life. She scoffed. Then a grin threatened to show on her face but she suppressed it. The man literally just dered he loved her the other night and now he was suddenly openly throwing it out in the open as if he''d told her that for centuries.


    She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, but she couldn''t help the flutter in her stomach. "You''re just saying that so I''ll forgive you."


    "Is it working? Hm? My ever so stunning fiancée…"


    Ang shifted her stare to him and narrowed her eyes. "You…"


    A slow grin formed on his face, and she smacked his chest, which he caught with his hand as he chuckled. Lifting her chin, she told him, "I''m going and that''s final. You can''t stop me De Luca, or so help me God, I will make you pay."


    This time, Gael didn''t stop her anymore. Amusement filled his eyes as he gave her a firm salute. "Yes, Ma''am."


    ***


    ''This is hell,'' Ang thought as she anxiously paced in the waiting room. Gael had been taken inside for the test forty minutes ago, but she had yet to hear some news. Every minute seemed like a lifetime had passed.


    "You think he''s okay? Nothing went wrong, right?" she worried, voicing her thoughts aloud when there were only two of them inside the room.


    Trigger looked up from his phone and nced at her with concern. "I''m sure he is. It usually takes about an hour. Do you want anything to eat or drink? I could step out and get it for you," he offered. She had been asking the same question for the past thirty minutes, and although he was also worried, Ang was worse.


    She spared him a look before continuing to pace, biting her bottom lip relentlessly. "No, I''m good."


    He cocked a brow. "You sure? You look like you''re about to pass out."


    Ang threw him a re, ready to snap, "I''m—"


    The door to the waiting room opened, and a nurse came in to tell them that Gael had been transferred to a private room to recover. Ang and Trigger immediately followed the nurse who led them to a VIP room.


    As soon as they entered, the nurse left, and the doctor—who looked to be in his sixties—by Gael''s bed looked up from the chart in his hands and studied the people who just came in. A name tag on hisb coat bore his name: Dr. Joseph Harvey — Gastroenterologist. His stare lingered at Ang as he probed, "Are you Miss Ang Su?"


    Wondering how the doctor knew her name, she cautiously came closer, ncing at the bed where Gael was sleeping. She rested her hands on the footboard. "Yes, I am. Is he okay?"


    Dr. Harvey nodded after casually introducing himself. "He''s done with the procedure, but it will take a couple of hours until the sedation wears off. Mr. De Luca told me to inform you about the results. I guess he knew you''d be so worried and will only be satisfied if you hear it from me personally." He smiled. "His exam came out negative, which means he''s healthy, and there''s nothing to worry about."


    The doctor went on and on about a few medical terms that Ang zoned out of as she went to Gael''s bedside. When the doctor called her name again, she looked up at him.


    "Miss Su…" Dr. Harvey hesitated. "I don''t want to overstep my boundaries, but Isabe… Gael''s mother was a good friend of mine. She used to work in this hospital when she was still alive. So I have known this young man ever since he was a child. Please know that what I''m going to sayes from a good ce."


    "What is it?" She was nervous.


    "Gael already knows the risk factors, and I''m sure he''s trying to…live a healthy lifestyle. But with the stressful environment he''s in, I can only imagine that temptations are hard to resist. He''s told me after his operationst year that he''d stop smoking and drinking, but I won''t know that for sure. After all, patients lie all the time. But you''re the first woman he''s ever brought here with him, so I''m guessing you''re important to him. Are you…his wife?" He nced at the diamond ring on her finger.


    "Fiancée." Heat crept up her cheeks. The word still feels new to her but not unnatural.


    He nodded. "Then I''m sure he will listen to you. Don''t be so hard on him, but also…be firm. If he hasn''t already, he needs to quit smoking as it increases the risks. So with heavy alcohol drinking. And he has to keep a healthy lifestyle, which means exercise, eating right, and eating at the right time."


    Ang nodded resolutely, already making ns to learn as many healthy dishes as she could for him. She had never been a good cook, but the only way to make sure of Gael''s diet was if they knew how the food was cooked and what ingredients were in it.


    She nodded. "I understand. I''ll keep an eye on him. Thank you very much, Doctor Harvey."


    When the doctor left, she let out a sigh of relief and sat in the armchair next to Gael''s bed, resting her chin on her fist as she leaned towards him.


    Today, he gave her a scare. She understood why he didn''t tell her and didn''t want her to be here. However, that didn''t stop her. She would always want to be there for him. Wasn''t love supposed to be like that? Wasn''t marriage about being there for each other for better or for worse? In sickness and in health? Granted, they were yet to get married, but still.


    The scare only made her stronger. Now that they were engaged and were sure to share a future together, Ang would make sure she would do everything she could so they would enjoy each other''spany for so many years. And just like he''d told her, they would grow old together—grumpy or loving.


    When Gael''s eyes finally opened a few hourster, theynded on Ang who had dozed off in an armchair. Her knees were up, and she rested her cheek against her fist. He didn''t dare wake her up and only stared at her. Then her eyes suddenly opened, and she smiled upon seeing him awake.


    "Hey… How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" she asked, moving to sit on the bed.


    He shook his head. "I''m just groggy. What did the doctor say?"


    Ang was about to get up to call the doctor, but Gael insisted she told him instead. After rying whatever she could remember from what Dr. Harvey told her earlier, he visibly rxed and said, "See? I told you there''s nothing to worry about."


    "But still—Ah!" She didn''t have a chance to rebut when he tugged her down and trapped her in his arms.


    Burying his face on her neck, he inhaled her scent and kissed her jaw. With a hoarse voice, he muttered against her skin, "But I''m d you''re here.. Thank you, Angel."