Hidden Passion
Chapter 42

Nathaniel offered to drive the women home in Lillian's car. Nester had been taken away by the police to be investigated, but he still found it very hard to believe everything Linda had explained to him about her. Nester was a loyal assistant to him, so he could not understand what could prompt her into killing.

Lillian could not help but keep asking if he was okay and even begged Linda to drive instead of Nath which she gladly accepted and had Dorcas sit beside her while Lillian and Nathaniel sat behind them in the backseat. "Are you sure you're okay?" Lillian asked as he laced their fingers together. He kept smiling, but she could not lay a finger on the exact thing that could be making him smile.

He looked at her and grinned. "I am fine, just weak."

"Then, you're not fine. Why would you even run away from the hospital? You could have told someone, and they could come with the police," Lillian complained and pouted.

Nath frowned. "Sorry about that. I didn't even know you were the one in trouble. And here I am, thinking you'd be proud of me. Can't you see it's like in movies or stories where the main character goes out of his comfort zone to save his love?" Lillian laughed. "I see."

"And by the way, I remember everything, so I am still mad at you for deceiving me for almost a year." Lillian opened her mouth to say something, but he cut in. "I need to sleep a little before I get back to the hospital. Tell me everything later. You owe me an explanation," he said and rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes.

Lillian's smile faded as she looked at him with his eyes closed. He said he was mad, but he did not seem mad. Everything seemed surreal. Could she be dreaming, or it was Nathaniel who had successfully overcome his illness beside him? He made it after twelve hours of surgery. Even after being proclaimed dead.

If this was a dream, then she did not want to wake up ever again.

An hour later, after dropping off Dorcas at her house and Linda at Nath's house, Lillian drove to the hospital to continue Nath's treatment after telling Linda not to say a word to Nathaniel's mother.

As she drove into the hospital's compound and parked, she looked at Nath who was still sleeping and smiled. She alighted and went to the back seat beside him.

"Nath?" She whispered into his ear. She placed a hand on his right cheek and turned his face to her. He was fast asleep, and he seemed peaceful. There was no creased brow or frown on his face, just the pure and peaceful Nathaniel sleeping. She caressed his cheek and traced his eyebrows and lower lip with her thumb. "I missed you so much. And I am sorry for everything," she said and started lowering her mouth to his.

Nathaniel opened his eyes and looked at her, meeting her eyes. She jerked back shyly and apologized.

"I am sorry. Um...I just want to...um...remove the dirt on your "

"On my lips," he teased. He found her cute with the way she was stuttering. He knew exactly what she wanted to do, and he was going to taunt her.

Lillian shook her head and quickly gestured with her hands. "No, no, no. It's not like that."

"I have figured you'll love doing things without asking for prior permission," he stated, referring to the kiss at the old building where he had gone to rescue them.

Lillian frowned and avoided his eyes. "I am sorry. I didn't-"

Nathaniel gently grabbed her neck, turned her to face him and kissed her deeply without hesitation. He could feel her tense immediately but within seconds, she eased into him and wrapped her arms around him.

She smiled as a hand slid to her waist, holding her firm as she was flipped to straddle him in the car. But should she be doing this with someone who ran out of the hospital when being treated? The thought made her laugh and she pulled away. "We should not be doing this, Nath," she said, but he started caressing her cheeks with his nose and lips, trailing down to her neck and collarbone. "Nath?"

He frowned and pulled back. "Fine. Let's go in," he said like a grumpy old man and avoided her eyes.

Lillian moaned and immediately covered her mouth.

"Did you just make that sound, Lilly?" He asked and laughed. "You asked me to stop only for you to moan?" He tantalized, teasing her.

"I'm really sorry. It's because you've become...um...hard and I am sitting exactly on..." She stopped herself, making Nathaniel smile.

"It's all your fault. You started it. Now, I won't be able to go inside anytime soon, and I am weak and drowsy. I feel as if I could collapse any moment from now," he exaggerated but prevented Lillian from moving off him.

"I am very sorry. Let's go inside now. Do you want me to carry you on my back?" Lillian offered.

He jokingly glared at her before bursting into laughter. "As if!"

"I carried you on my back here, remember? Oh, I forgot you collapsed. Well, I carried you here alone. A-lone. So, don't think I'm some lazy being."

He wowed and nodded before thanking her for that. "We can't go in through the main entrance since I left unknowingly and I am even putting on their hospital gown, so I can't disguise. I know a back door that leads to my ward," she said, and they alighted and started walking towards the said door, hiding every now and then to avoid the securities.

Finally, they made it to his ward and rushed in while Nath held his stomach. "Finally, I can sleep."

"You must be really good at this," she stated and continued when he creased a brow. "I mean, going and coming out stealthily like a thief," she said and laughed.

"Are you sure he is not in his ward? Where could he possibly go?" They heard someone say, possibly the doctor.

That made Nath jump on the bed and pretend to be asleep while he muttered to Lillian to go to the adjoined bathroom.

The door opened and his doctor and a nurse came in sight. The nurse was shocked to see him and did not hide her expression. "But you weren't here a while ago," the nurse said as Nathaniel opened his eyes.

"I was in the bathroom," he lied, surprising the nurse even more.

"Next time, please be certain of a patient's whereabouts before you raise an alarm," the doctor cautioned.

The nurse started walking toward the bathroom. "I am sure I checked the bathroom," she said and opened the bathroom door.

Nath sighted her and shouted, "Miss, can you please help me fix this. I removed it before going to the bathroom and I don't know how to get it done again." He pointed to the syringe and the drip that was above him. The nurse left the door half open and went to help him.

"Next time, you do not need to remove it. Just push this stand along," the doctor advised before going out with the nurse.

Lillian came out of the bathroom and burst into laughter. "I thought I'd get caught."

"I have become your hero for the second time," he bragged and laughed with her.

"Why'd you tell me to hide, though?"

"Visiting hours are over. Patients are supposed to rest at this time of the night. The doctor will send you out and I don't want that," he explained and patted the space beside him on the bed.

"Oh... Okay. I would not have wanted that either," she confessed and went to lie beside him on the bed. "So, what is going to happen to Nester now?"

He shrugged sadly. "The law decides, but I'll get her a lawyer. That's the last thing I'll do for her. I'm cutting her off. She went too far. Why didn't you even tell me all about it before?"

Lillian turned to face him on the bed and adjusted his hand on her waist. "It's because of your illness. I don't want it to worsen," she said. "I am sorry."

"Now, tell me the story. Why didn't you tell me who you were from the beginning?" he demanded, looking into her eyes.

"But you need to rest. We can talk about this tomorrow," she suggested but when he disagreed, she sighed and spent a few hours telling him everything that happened without leaving anything out. After the explanation, the only thing Nath could think of was to kiss her and did just that and patted her shoulder. "You've been selfless till the end," he praised her, and she smiled.

"I can give up anything for you if you're happy with it," she confessed.

He nodded and smiled. "But don't let us be part of that anything. Together, we will always be happy," he added as he cupped her cheek.

A tear fell from her eye as she looked up at him and placed a hand on his.

Nathaniel started leaning forward to kiss her before she said, "What's the password to your phone? I tried to call your mother, but I was unable to."

"If only you had guessed just once, you would have been right," he answered.

"Lillian?" She guessed.

Nathaniel leaned to her lips and tentatively locked lips with her. "Wrong. That was your last chance. I won't tell you," he said, and they laughed out loud. THE END