Way Back Into Love

Chapter 11

"Uhh," Estelle uttered when she found herself uncomfortable under Luke's touch. "I'm fine now thank you," Estelle said rather fast and then distanced herself away from Luke since she felt uneasy when Luke had his hands on her waist. "Uh," Luke composed himself and stared back at Estelle who was gripping tightly on her arms as if the man did something traumatising to her.

'Was it something I did?' Luke asked himself and immediately took it back when a sudden thought came into his mind, and so he followed, 'no, it's just the instinct kicking on her since she was abused from childhood so that makes her uncomfortable when someone touches her, whether she knew that person or not,' Luke concluded before apologizing to Estelle.

"I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable," he slightly bowed his head just to express how sorry he was towards the girl. Estelle who was surprised at the doctor's reaction immediately came into his side and made him stand properly. "There's no need for you to apologize to me, doctor. It is I who should apologize to you since you were shocked because of my reaction but I assure you, I did;t really mean it, it's just my body reacting to its natural instinct-" Estelle explained her side but was cut off by Luke who was slightly laughing at her.

"There's no need for you to apologize since I understand your side. You feel uncomfortable when a stranger touches you, am I right?" Luke asked while smiling just to show Estelle his friendly side and the girl nodded, agreeing to the man's words.

'I'm still a stranger to her,' Luke thought sadly but quickly got rid of it and pushed himself to the positive side.

"Then I should earn your trust since you'll also live here...with me!" Luke said as he laughed but then quickly died after he shut his mouth tight because of the phrase escaping from his mouth. He prayed silently that Estelle didn't properly hear it but heaven wasn't on his side right now because Estelle heard it perfectly to the point where she froze at her position.

"What did you just say?" Estelle asked and Luke who realized that there's no more point in hiding it from her finally gave up and said it all to Estelle. "I was thinking that maybe I should let you stay with me since you don't have a place to live anymore," Luke said while scratching the back of his head and Estelle who was still not in her mind just asked, "why?"

Luke continued the conversation and blurted it all to Estelle show as listening to hos words carefully just to not miss a piece of information out, "I wanted you to live here because you were kicked out from your apartment and I was feeling lonely in this house and I wanted to live with someone," Luke explained the reason why he invited Estelle to live with her and Estelle can't help but ask him some questions, "then why did you pick me?"

This question made Luke's inner self kicked out from his body since he doesn't have any excuses to come over with that, he just doesn't know what type of excuse he has to make just to make Estell believe him, he was dumb into not thinking it all through. Heck! he doesn't even know the real reason why he asked Estelle to live with him! "Doctor?" Luke sweated like there was no tomorrow because of the tone present in Estelle's voice as if it demanded an answer, and it seems that he's not wrong since Estelle was indeed curious about what the doctor's answer would be.

"Uhhh..." Luke brainstormed some ideas to find out the exact reason why he wanted Estelle to stay with him. "...uhhh..." Estelle's right foot was impatiently tapping on the marble floor as she waited for the doctor's answer to her question. "...doctor Luke?" she then asked with a demanding tone and Luke sighed in relief when his brain came up with the answer, "it's because in my eyes, your the perfect type of person that I should recruit as my housemate, hehe..." Luke silently cursed himself in his brain thinking how he messed up big time. There's no way that a girl that's sharp as Estelle wouldn't notice the flaw in his answer!

"Ooookayyy," Estelle said slowly then nodded her head as if he understood Luke's point when in truth, she doesn't have the slightest idea why Luke came up with a sh*tty answer that is hard to believe in. So in order to squeeze the real answer, she pretended to stay firm and continue interrogating the man, "why didn't you pick your colleagues then? You know them more than me, I'm a total stranger to you," Estelle shrugged but the next action that Luke made stunned her to the point of shutting her mouth and staring into Luke's eyes as he was only inches apart from her. Luke pinned Estelle on the wall looking angry as if there was something in Estelle's words that made him mad.

"Who said you're a stranger?" Luke asked with his tone low and Estelle just chuckled nervously while looking at the man and at the same time, wants to avoid the man's stare but his eyes made her impossible to do so. Hearing Luke's question, Estelle then answered with a nervous tone, "me?"

When Luke heard this he immediately distanced himself away from the girl and walked away while massaging his nose bridge. Looking at the current scene, Estelle couldn't help but question herself in her mind 'what made him angry? It's true that she's just a stranger to him though,' Estelle raked her brain finding the possible answer to her question but Luke spoke.

"Your not a stranger to me, Estelle Mariano..." Estelle felt a shudder running through her spine when Luke spoke her full name, "...you're my patient who needs my guidance," Luke continued and Estelle was left stunned at her position, still unable to move on from the tone of voice that Luke used when he called her full name.

"And if you want me to help you then you should stay here with me," Luke said in a serious manner and Estelle just nodded since she was afraid that Luke would take off all his anger towards her though Luke is not that kind of person when he gets mad. If Luke gets mad then he would go into his room and lock himself there and let out his frustrations by punching the pillows or cursing but on many occasions, he would just vent out his anger by studying.

"You understand?" Luke demanded an answer from the girl and Estelle just nodded and when Luke got the girl's approval his serious manner completely disappeared and his frown was already replaced with a smile. "Then that's good! The room where you'll be staying is going to be your room until..." Luke thought about it for a while, he thought about how long would Estelle have to stay with him but he just answered, "...ah, the longer you stay the better since we'll be helping each other from now on!" Luke cheered and left Estelle who was left standing, still processing their conversation just now.

It was now afternoon and Estelle had nothing better to do so she just arranged her things in her new room and while arranging them, she can't help but talk to herself because she felt lonely since Luke left due to an emergency back at the hospital. "Wow, this room is much bigger than my room and comfort room combined together back in that apartment," Estelle commented and continued what she's doing until she was left with nothing.

She sat on her bed and was about to lay down when she had the urge to suddenly pee, so she ran towards the bathroom and she was amazed by the interior, it was all white which made it both plain but elegant and the bathroom even had a tub! and beside the tub was the sink and it had toiletries in it, tissues, towels, bathrobes and even tampons!

"Did he prepare for my arrival?" Estelle can't help but ask herself because it was as if Luke was waiting for her to arrive. Estelle roamed her eyes around the bathroom to memorize its interior by crook and corners but then she suddenly felt that she came here because she had the urge to pee so she ran towards the bowl and let her uncomfortable feeling set free. "Ahh, that was satisfying," Estelle sighed in relief as she got out from the bathroom and immediately plopped herself on the bed, she was not happy but she was contented that she finally had the chance to taste what it's like to live in a big house. It was one of her dreams ever since she was a child, to live in an enormous house and taste luxury and it seems that one of her wishes came true. She was truly satisfied but not happy, since the person she really wanted to bring along with her already disappeared from the world.

"Ah, let's just sleep," Estelle closed her eyes tight hoping that her sorrows would be gone by the time she wakes up even though it's impossible for that to happen in just a blink of an eye. One must find a person who would help them throughout their journey and it seems that Estelle had one who's ready to help her anytime but the girl doesn't realize it yet.