Chapter 4 HIS FEELINGS

Laura tossed and turned in bed, unable to find a comfortable position. She was freezing and still felt feverish. Her condition worsened after being exposed to the sun while delivering food to her aunt's farmworkers.

Despite being wrapped in two thick blankets, she was still shivering with cold. Although dizzy, she tried to stand up to make coffee, hoping to ease her growling stomach since she hadn't eaten since morning. However, before she could fully stand, she almost collapsed to the floor due to dizziness.

As she neared the kitchen, her foot caught on the electric fan's wire, causing her to trip and hit her elbow on the cement floor, making her cry out in pain. She didn't know whether she was crying due to the pain or feeling sorry for herself.

With great effort, she crawled back to her bed while crying. Just as she was about to reach her bed, there was a knock at the door. She wiped away her tears and weakly called out for help, but it seemed the person outside didn't hear her. She repeated her plea, this time louder, but before she could get any help, the knocking stopped, and she heard footsteps walking away.

Feeling hopeless, she thought she'd have to sleep on the floor. But then, the door opened, and Aaron's voice called out her name as he lifted her off the floor. When she saw his face, she closed her eyes; he was wet, having apparently just come from fishing.

"Sorry, you're getting wet," he said, placing her on the bed. He looked at her with concern. "I'll get you some clothes so you can change. Have you eaten? Have you taken your medicine?"

Laura shook her head, and Aaron's expression turned stern for a moment before he composed himself and said, "I'll get you some clothes, okay?" Laura didn't respond, too weak to do anything but stare at him.

Aaron approached Laura. Thankfully, Trevor had asked him to check on her. They had just returned from fishing, and Trevor was worried about Laura, so he asked Aaron to visit her. Aaron was also concerned, especially since Laura had a high fever earlier that day. He brought some squid and fish, and had also bought medicine before heading to her house.

As he was just a few steps away from Laura's bed, he rushed to her side when she cried out. He knew how she felt - helpless. He couldn't help but clench his fist before gently holding her shoulder. She still felt hot to the touch.

"Is anything hurting you, Laura?" he asked.

Laura shook her head while crying. "I'm... okay. Thank you..." she sobbed.

Aaron couldn't help but gaze at Laura. She was indeed beautiful, with deep-set eyes and long eyelashes. Her nose was moderately pointed, and her lips were naturally red, suiting her heart-shaped face. He stared at her lips for a few seconds before snapping out of it.

He cleared his throat and stood up, pointing to the plastic cabinet beside her bed. "I'll get you some clothes so that you can change, okay?"

Laura wiped her cheeks and nodded. With her permission, Aaron proceeded to get some clothes. However, when he opened the first drawer, he saw Laura's underwear. He felt a sudden rush of heat, but it quickly dissipated when he saw the old and worn-out garments.

He immediately closed the drawer as if it was scalding hot and opened the third drawer. He saw the woman's clothes for home use. They were already old, unlike her cousin's clothes which seemed to be new almost every day. He felt anger towards his friend's parents. The urge to help the girl was so intense, but he couldn't do anything about it, he felt helpless due to his own financial struggles.

He grabbed a black T-shirt and jogging pants and handed them to Laura. "Change into these. Sorry I got you wet." Laura didn't say a word but nodded. When she almost fell over while sitting, Aaron quickly supported her, leaning her against the wall. "Can you change by yourself?"

But then Aaron stopped himself, remembering his past situation. He didn't want to repeat the same mistakes. He let go of Laura and said, "Stay here, Laura. I'll be back. I just need to change; I'm still wet." Without waiting for

her response, he left the house.