6 6. Chosen.
"Blood poisoning, I don't know how but it's failing his heart too" The doctor walked on as he continued studying the files with him.
"Toxaemia" Rissa said too. "We have a failed heart and poisoning too"
"I know" The other doctor nodded. "How did he get poisoned though?"
"I think he was at a party and left his drink, came back for it and after few minutes, he slumped. It's crazy" She glanced at her colleague.
"He forgot the number one rule of being at a party or in public, so sad" He shook his head in sympathy.
"What rule Dr Brooke?" She stopped.
"Don't ever drop your drink unless you aren't gonna take it anymore" He smiled. "Like don't!"
She rubbed her chin for a while. "That's true, I can't believe I didn't know this. Thanks doc. " She smiled.
"What are we co workers for? I'll see you later, I wanna go hand over the case to the consultant " He said and walked off with a smile.
Just then, her phone began ringing. It was Luke, she ignored it and shoved it back into her pocket.
"They need to improve their food list" She groaned irritably at the food.
Rissa scuffed at her. "It's a hospital cafeteria not a restaurant Lola" She smiled.
"I mean we aren't patients, why the diet and all? Why didn't we even use the restaurant we always used?" She said to her.
"I wasn't interested in using it today or maybe for now, I did not stop you from using it" She patted Lola's hand.
"At times, you are so mean. What do you mean by you aren't stopping me, if you aren't using it, why would I?" She frowned at her.
"What? C'mon! Okay, I'm sorry " She laughed. "I'm just being plain" She continued eating.
Lola suddenly smiled and gave her a suspicious look. "Are you avoiding someone? Is that why you aren't visiting the restaurant?"
"Huhn? No--no, I don't get you" She replied nervously.
"Is it Luke?" She rested her jaw on her hands.
"I don't know what you are talking about Lola please " She looked away avoiding her gaze.
"Don't tell me you guys are having issues" She narrowed her brows. "Whao! What did you do?"
She dropped her fork and stared blankly at her. "What I did?" She questioned. "Who's your best friend here?"
She smiled in a cunning manner. "Okay you" She assured her. "But I know you Rissa, what did you say to him? He's a Pastor, he couldn't be at fault " She defended.
"Exactly, he's a Pastor --so what?" She was suddenly getting annoyed.
"I mean he--"
"He can't be wrong! " She completed. "He's perfect and I probably I'm not. He obviously doesn't know what he wants, neither do I. So it's better we avoid each other. He's always right and I am wrong right? Crazy " She pushed her food away.
"Mahn--it wasn't a light issue, was it?"
"Hmmm--I can't with him, it's draining" She rubbed her forehead, she looked frustrated too. "With him, I can't tell where I'm at or where we at, it's a rollercoaster of emotions " She said to Lola.
"Oh my!" She took her face. "I'm Sorry darling, was it difficult?" She caressed her face.
"It was, Lola" She felt like she was going to cry.
"I'm always on your side and support whatever decision you make" She still held her face.
"Of course" She smiled.
"Should I punch him or something?" She finally let go.
"No" And they both laughed.
Luke swung his jacket behind him as he bade the receptionist a goodbye, it was past three and he planned to probably come across Rissa, that was why he stayed longer but it was like she was totally avoiding him, from calls to this.
"Hey" He heard someone called out.
It was Lola Carson, Rissa's best friend. It looked like her shift was over.
He walked over to her. "Hi" He smiled at her. "Lola"
"The night out I arranged for you both didn't fix anything?" She raised her eyebrow.
He smiled. "I'm not sure, it might have changed the situation of things" He pointed out.
"Where is Rissa?" He looked around her and trailed his eyes across the street.
"She left, she wasn't feeling too okay today" She said immediately.
"What happened Luke?" She crossed her arms.
"Uhm--I don't think I should be sharing that with you, it's private" He said with a shy smile.
"I really like you for my friend because I felt you won't do anything to hurt her but I don't know now" She sounded doubtful.
Luke sighed. "What did she say?"
"Nothing " She muttered. "That's why I am asking? See I don't care if you are Jesus or an angel but don't fucking mess with my friend, I love that girl and she deserves all the best. She ain't perfect but at least tell her what you want, can't you do that?" She widen her eyes.
"Meaning?" He didn't expect this confrontation.
"You think it's private, she's obviously avoiding you. Anyways, do you like her? I mean like-like her?" She watched him for a while.
"Rissa is an adorable woman, I know she deserves the best too" He simply said.
"My God! It doesn't answer my question" She said aloud.
"Lola to be honest, I'm not sure if it's infatuation or love?" He shrugged.
"That is, you don't know. And who's talking about love, like do you at least feel attracted to her?" She questioned again.
"Maybe" He answered.
"Mahn--you are hopeless" She threw her hands in the air. "Someone is making her feel like a better woman, just that my friend might not like him that way" She said rolling her eyes and walked off by him.
Luke watched her go, she was really a defensive friend and getting on her bad side was definitely not a good one, he was in utter confusion and to be truthful to himself, she was right that he was hopeless and didn't know what he actually felt, he liked Rissa as a woman but did he like her as Rissa and affectionately, all these was making him backslide spiritually, religiously, mentally and physically, what would he call it? There was one person who could possibly help him now..
"Oh..who do we have here?" Mr Harven was glad to see Luke as he welcomed him into his house.
"Evening sir" He gave a little bow to the elderly man who was studying his bible on his rock chair.
"Please sit" He implored him and Luke sat on an arm chair across him. "Where's Mrs Harven?" He looked around the quiet house.
He smiled. "She probably sleeping, she came down a little bit under the weather" He replied back.
"Oh" He nodded. "I hope it's not serious sir" He sounded worried.
"Not really, she just loves overworking herself. She needs it" He closed the bible and rested it properly on his laps.
"She's a wonderful woman" He smiled.
Mr Harven and his wife had been married for so long without kids because Mrs Harven had her womb removed due to some complication she had when she was a teenager, it was a long story though. Everyone had advised them to probably adopt a child which they finally did three years ago, she was ten years old fine looking girl. They had enrolled her at a boarding school and she was loved by her parents, they were literally happy.
"Shall I serve you coffee?" He pulled off his glasses.
"I'll go serve myself" He got up and went over to the kitchen to pour himself coffee.
"What troubles you Pastor Luke?" He said over to him.
He came back with a cup in his hand. "Why do you know me too well Mr Harven?" He took his seat again.
"Because you don't just visit me casually" He noted out. "What is it?"
Luke sighed and took a sip. "How did you know Mrs Harven was the one?"
The man looked at him for a while, "it's a woman, isn't it?" He furrowed.
Luke didn't say anything, he was expecting an answer for his question.
"Martha was everything that made me, I knew I liked her and when I found out about her womb termination and still wanted to be with her, I immediately knew she was the one. Nothing made sense to me without her and secondly, I wasn't comfortable with the thought of another laying his fingers on her rather than me, it came mutually Luke " He explained. "Who's she? Miss Howly's daughter?"
Luke starred blankly at him, how did he know that.
"Your birthday, the way you starred at her was the way a man who's attracted to a woman stares" He added. "So what's the problem?"
"She's an unbeliever which makes everything difficult like the way we both see things, it's never the same" He said.
"Do you like her?" He asks.
"Yes" He nodded.
"Is it infatuation?" He continued.
"I don't think so" He simply said.
"Is it love then" He asked again.
"Yes" He bowed his head as he admitted to himself, he was in love with Rissa Oteo.
He smiled. "Have you told her?"
"Love isn't her thing because of her experience with her parents or maybe past relationship" He replied.
"That's not your business to worry about, tell her, follow your heart and make sure you seek God's guidance always, read your bible all the time for direction" He explained.
"What if I begin to backslide? I've been in self denial for a while but with Rissa, I don't even know how to control myself " He looked torn.
"Self denial for your religious reasons? Yes but this time love intervened and I am not saying you should take the wrong step but make sure you do things rightly and you know what I mean when I say that " He coughed.
" It's definitely going to be difficult " He pointed out.
"True, that's why you have God " He smiled at him.
It was a relief talking with the Preacher, at least now he knew how he felt towards Rissa.
**************************************************
"What's wrong again?" Rose asked watching her daughter in her depressed routine, curled up on the couch with a huge blanket and watching TV for over three hours.
"What are you talking about?" She gave her a quick questioning glance.
"Did something happen? It's been like this since yesterday when you got back from work." Rose put out.
"I'm just not feeling myself recently" She said taking her eyes off the TV. "I'm good"
Rose sighed, "Can't you at least tell me what it is rather than this?" She asked again.
"Hmm?" She turned to her. "I AM FINE" She emphasized and continued watching the reality show she suddenly fell in love with the last time, KUWK.
Her phone suddenly rang, it was Luke again. Why had he not stopped trying to reach her? It was annoying, well, let's hear what he has to say.
"Hello?" She was quiet for ten seconds or more. "Where?" She waited again. "Okay, I'll be there. In about thirty minutes." He said something over the phone and it disconnected. He wanted them to see and she accepted, avoiding him was becoming childish already too.
Rissa jumped out of the couch immediately.
"What's up? " Rose asked.
"Nothing much, I just need to step out" She said gathering her blanket.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Rose asked stopping her in her tracks.
"Why do you ask?" She asked back.
"Well, can you explain your sudden outings or dinner?" She interrogated.
She shrugged. "I don't, Mom and please I'm not a kid so let me be" She rolled her eyes at her.
"I didn't say you were, I mean if you had a boyfriend why would you hide him away from your Mom?" She said after her as she walked away.
"I said I don't! " She yelled back jogging up the stairs.
It had been over ten minutes he had been waiting for Rissa, he peered through the window and just then her car rolled into the parking lot. He had chosen this coffee shop since it wasn't far from her home and he didn't want to take her so far either, he chose the perfect seat for them, near the window to see everything. She hoped out from her car, slammed the door and locked it. She looked kind of pale or wasn't he seeing right, she still had her physiques intact but her face didn't have that much glow, pushing through the heavy glass door. Why the heck does a coffee shop have such doors! She cursed only in her head, she looked around and there was Luke signalling to her and she went over to his table.
"Hi" She said to him without looking at his face.
She didn't think she was courageous enough to look at this man face, he made feel all sort of way like this was literally the rollercoaster of emotions she was about, she felt weak all of a sudden and her heart raced unusually, okay, this was absurd now.
"Marissa" She could feel his eyes on her as she looked around then finally turned to him staring at his brown eyes which was awkward that she was just noticing it for the first time.
"You wanted to talk to me?" She swallowed trying to be confident and she hoped she sounded it, at least close.
He smiled at her, the inner peace this woman gave him was something he couldn't explain even her irritable attitude wasn't a problem. "Shall I get you coffee too?" He pointed at his coffee on the table.
"Yes" That was too fast but she wanted one too. "Americano" She added immediately as he got up.
She watched him go and she also noticed few ladies rose their head to catch a glimpse of the good looking Pastor, of course they didn't know that he was one.
"Here you go" He placed her coffee on the table facing her and sat down.
"Thanks" She took a long sip and waited for him to say something but he said nothing. "What am I here for?" She finally asked.
"You know I got confronted by Lola" He started
"What? Lola? My God!" She was hoping she didn't really punch him like she joked about yesterday because Lola can be crazier than she was at times. "Did she do anything?" She anticipated.
"Do? You mean probably hit me, no but she said words that punched" He smiled sarcastically at himself.
"Oh-thank God" She smiled. "I love her" She was lucky to have her as a friend.
"She's a defensive one but her words made me realize one or two things about myself and now I feel better" He sounded relieved.
"Good for you" She gave a fake smile and sipped on her coffee again. It was good, the creaminess was everything for her.
"I love you, Marissa" He said wearing a stern face to show that he wasn't kidding.
She froze, what did he just say to her right now. He loved her? How could that be? How could he possibly love her? Is that how love works and how the heck was he sure it wasn't some infatuation or lustful feeling lingering around. He must be crazy.
"Uhm--er--I--uhm--how come?" The way she was struggling to speak was agonizing or she didn't even know what to say to that confession precisely.
"Was it quick?" He watched her nervous eyes and the way she became really uncomfortable.
"How are you sure it's love? Love is deeper and you can't be sure" She managed to say.
"Exactly, I didn't know before but I had to go sort out myself to discover that and now I know that I love you, Marissa Oteo" He sounded even more confident.
Was he so sure like dead serious!
"Let's have sex! " She blurted out.
Luke was caught off guard. "What? Is everything just sex to you? " He felt disrespected that she didn't regard his feelings as tangible.
"It's not about that but I'm sure it's just lust or maybe infatuation, once we have sex. The whole thing would be gone, I assure you. That's how it works " She stated.
"For you unbelievers, not for me, if I have sex with you it's not going to change anything and trust me girl. If I take you to bed, I'm taking you to the altar straight up" He countered back.
"Altar? Like marriage? My God! " She held her head. The whole thing was too much.
"I'm not rushing you or anything Marissa, so please relax. I just thought that I should let you know about my feelings that's all. I want to win your love and I would work for it, I know you don't love me as much but I'm sure you at least feel something " He said in genuity as he held her hands.
Lawrence wants to love her..
Luke wants to work for her love..
She liked Lawrence personality, with him, she didn't worry much because they both understood each other and he was caring and rich!!
She got drawn to Luke because he was so hot but the turn off was that he was a Pastor and they didn't think alike but with him she felt really conscious of herself, did she like him as much?
Rissa looked at Luke and she knew he wasn't joking about any of his words. "What do you have me do then?" She asked in confusion.
"Follow your heart" He raised her hand to her chest with his palms on hers.
They gazed into each other eyes without a flinch.
What's going my wonderful readers?
What took you off guard about this chapter?
Team Luke must be happy right now, your boy is making y'all proud✌️
Team Rissa are in as much confusion as Rissa is😁
Team Lawrence make sure to tighten your belts too💪
Btw, I want a friend like Lola Carson. Who wants to be my friend? ☺️
Make sure to like, comment, vote and follow up guys, thank you so much.
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