His movements were a bit slow, but his charming, energetic aura remained untouched.
Karina internally whispered, âBarlow, my love!â
Tears sprang to her eyes.
All she wanted at that moment was to rush into his arms and hold him tight.
She paused, taking a tentative step forward before pulling back.
The jerk! Since he wanted to keep his real identity from her for now, she decided to play along.
Barlow had just swung by the hospital for a routine leg check, never expecting to bump into Karina.
Approaching her, he saw her puffy eyes, his face shifting to concern.
âWhy are you here? Are you feeling sick?â he asked.
His eyes showed worry, breaking down her defenses and triggering a flood of tears.
She fought to hold back, but the dam bur
st, and tears streamed down her face.
He hesitated, a bit flustered.
Then he reached out, wiping her tears away gently.
âDonât cry, okay? Whatâs the problem?â he asked, his voice soft.
Karina noticed the worry etched in his eyes and blurted out, âIâve got a terminal illness.
â
Barlow scowled slightly.
âWhat did you say? A terminal illness?â
âYeah,â she replied, glancing away to shield her emotions.
She couldnât quite explain her sudden urge to feign illness.
Maybe she just wanted to gauge his reaction.
After all, he always teased her.
A little payback didnât seem like too much, did it?
âWhat kind of terminal illness?â Barlow asked.
His grasp on her shoulders tightened, his eyes wide with shock and concern.
She kept her gaze lowered, saying nothing.
Swallowing his own rising fear, he spoke gently.
âHey, donât panic.
Modern medicine can work wonders, you know? Talk to me, whatâs going on?â
Karina lifted her head slowly, meeting his worried gaze, feeling something soften inside her.