"Brother! Why did you take so long?" Mariely asked, frowning at him.
Nathan just messed up her hair. "I have a lot of work, Sis. I picked you up to make sure you're okay. After this, I'll be working overtime at the office."
"Oh... Am I bothering you, Brother?" Mariely asked with concern in her voice.
"I could've just commuted," she added.
He looked at her and saw the worry on her face.
"You can't commute," he replied firmly, then sighed. Glancing at his sister, he added, "It's okay. I can manage my time, you know." Nathan smiled at her.
She simply nodded and didn't argue with his decision.
"Ely," he sighed again, "I'm sorry. I'm just too busy right now because we have a client to take care of." He sounded genuinely apologetic.
Mariely smiled. "Thank you for the ride, Brother. I'll take care of myself."
They were almost home. After dropping her off, Nathan would head straight back to work. But the man he spoke to this morning lingered in his thoughts.
That bastard, he muttered inwardly.
He parked so Mariely could get out.
"El, please tell Mom I won't be able to come home today," he told her.
"Yes, Brother. Please be careful on the road," Mariely replied, waving at him.
Nathan nodded and drove off toward his office.
******
"Ely, where's your older brother?" Her mother asked as soon as Mariely closed the gate.
Mariely sighed. "Brother said he's busy with work, Mom. He also mentioned working overtime because they have a client to attend to."
"Ah, is that so? Go rest for now. We'll have dinner later," her mother replied.
"Okay," Mariely said, heading to her room with a soft sigh.
Tomorrow is Friday. El, you're going to be stressed out again, she thought, stretching both arms.
She had a lot to do today, but for now, rest was the priority. She still needed to check answer sheets and prepare a new lesson for class tomorrow.
Don't think about that for now, Mariely. She reminded herself. Before long, she drifted off into a nap, her exhaustion taking over.
A gentle tap stirred her awake.
"Ely, it's time to eat," her father said softly.
She rubbed her eyes and followed him to the table. Nathan wasn't home yet, so it was just the three of them eating quietly.
"El, you should rest now. You look very tired," her father said.
"Ah, it's just the schoolwork, Dad," she replied with a small smile.
"Child, you need to rest too. Don't overwork yourself," her mother reminded her again.
"Yes, Mom." Mariely could only sigh and smile.
After dinner, her mother insisted she go back to her room and rest, refusing to let her help clear the table. She needed to wake up early the next day, after all.
Mariely scratched her head, sighed, and did as told.
Morning came. Nathan still hadn't returned.
There's no other option now, El. You'll have to commute, she told herself.
"Mom, I'm heading out," she called out.
Her parents nodded as she stepped out and waited for a jeep. Suddenly, she heard a car horn and turned around.
"El, hop in!" called a woman's voice.
Her brows furrowed. She didn't recognize the woman at first because of her glasses—but then she did.
"Nadia?" she asked, puzzled.
"Come on, I'll take you. Nathan asked me to," Nadia smiled warmly.
Though close to her brother's girlfriend, Mariely didn't want to impose. But Nadia insisted, so she nodded and got into the car.
"Thank you, Nadia. Are you also heading to work?" she asked once inside.
"Yep. Is your brother too busy?" Nadia asked.
Mariely nodded. "He didn't come home last night."
"Well, he's a hard worker. I keep telling him not to overwork himself."
Mariely laughed. Nadia really did worry too much about her brother.
"Nadia, you and my brother should go on a date. I bet you both miss that," Mariely teased.
*****
Nadia's cheeks flushed. "You're really a crazy kid," she scolded playfully, shooting her a look.
"Nadia, I'm not a child anymore," Mariely replied, laughing again.
Nadia laughed along, shaking her head. She already saw Mariely as a real sister—and she knew all too well how vulnerable Mariely could be when it came to men.
It's my fault this time. I shouldn't have left her alone in that room. Her eyes lingered on Mariely, who was happily sharing another story.
I wish that bastard had never met her.
"Nadia, I'm here," Mariely said, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Ah, yes." Nadia sighed and stopped the car in front of the school gate.
"Nadia, thank you." Mariely smiled at her sincerely.
"You're always welcome, Ely. Your brother said he might be able to pick you up later," she reminded her.
Mariely nodded. "Yes. Bye, take care!"
"You too," Nadia replied, smiling.
She watched as Mariely walked away, hurrying inside. The sight made her chuckle.
Then, a voice came from another car beside her.
"Oh, so you're the one who drove her today," said a man.
Nadia's expression hardened the moment she recognized the voice.
"Why are you here?" was all she asked.
"I don't know why you both hate me so much. Is this about what happened before?" Frank smiled smugly. "I bet she doesn't even remember any of it."
"Are you really that stupid?" was all Nadia could say.
He only laughed. "Whatever. I'm going ahead. Bye." And with that, he drove off.
Nadia clenched her fists and shook her head.
Why are you after Mariely again? You won't stop until you ruin her…
She had to calm herself. It was too early for her blood to boil.
With a deep breath, Nadia drove toward the hospital where she worked as a nurse.