The Man Who Left | ✔

37 | cinta.

C I N T A

[malay, indonesian → love]

"Who did this?" Maya sobbed, her eyes filled with tears as she kept looking back and forth at Tahira and Emily. Nathan was on the hospital bed, pipes of water and blood flowing from his veins and into the bags that was hung high above him. He was still breathing, the heartbeat monitor letting out a constant beeping sound around the room.

Emily shook her head and Tahira looked into Maya's eyes, red and teary. "I—I told him everything—about you, about him, about your relationship. I had to tell him."

"You were the one who said that telling him all the truth would be disastrous! Why would you do that?" Maya's voice rose louder, tears raining down her cheek as she spoke, choking onto the words.

"I had to, Maya." Tahira gritted her teeth, her voice cracking. "But he's going to be okay—it's not serious."

Maya landed on the chair beside the bed, exhaling heavily. Her fingers lured between the thin strands of hair on her wet cheek, tucking them behind her ears.

"You know," Emily broke the silence. "I was planning to get you two married."

Maya looked up, her eyes wide. "What?"

"Yeah, you and Nate." Emily smiled a little, her shoulder bumping on Tahira's, who smiled a little too—but there was something wrong. Despite the smile, it looked like as though she was faking it. Tahira nodded and said, "You two are made for each other, you know that right?"

Dazzled, Maya turned to look at Nathan. He was awake though his eyes were still drowsy from the sedative Tahira gave him, he still tried to push himself to a sitting position. With a grunt, he leaned against the pillows and turned to look at Maya.

Maya tried to smile when her eyes met Nathan's. "You know—I'm actually really glad that Tahira told me the truth." Nathan shrugged. "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't know who you are, or what you meant to me. You were my life, Maya."

Maya smiled, her eyes glassy with tears.

"That's why—" He grunted, his hands reaching behind him. When he pulled his hands out, a ring was in them. Maya's heart raced like a cheetah, her hands shaking. "—that's why I have this in my hands. Will you marry me?"