"You're quiet," Neriah points out as she and Cainan make their way back from a close-by church walking.

It is a somewhat sunny Sunday and Neriah is sure that it might as well be her last and so she spends every moment like it might be her last.

It was a ten minutes' walk back home, and all Cainan has said since they began walking was "No, thank you" to Shawn, who offered them a ride back home. It was unlike Cainan to be quiet, yet Neriah notices that he was and she worried about him.

"I'm sorry," he apologises and entwines their hands.

She shakes her head and glances at him, "Don't be, you've got every right to be blue and sad over Clara, you might not have been head over heels in love with her anymore, but you still cared."

"I couldn't help her," he said, through gritted teeth, "I had everything that could have kept her and the little one safe, but yet I couldn't." He says his insecurities showing in his voice.

The news of Clara's death was a sad one, and it was hard on Cainan because he knew he couldn't turn back time and bring them back, but he could bring her killer to justice, he knew he could never come public about the affairs they had or the paternity of the unborn child, but he could use what he knew to get justice for her death which is all he has.

Hugo is a powerful man, but there's something Cainan knows and that is you can only hide so much when you're high in the sky.

She squeezes his hand which is locked in hers, "What happened was painful and sad, but if we blame ourselves for every wrong that happened in this world, we'll live in guilt for the rest of our lives and who knows how long that'll be?"

"I am no longer in love with her yet. Her death hurt so much. What if I don't survive yours?" He asks with grave panic and remorse in his voice.

"You'll have to, I'll want you to."

He moves closer to her and his head drops a little, bringing his face to hers and their gaze locks. "Call your family. Let them be around you these days, it is only fair."

She exhales in defeat. "Fine, I'll call them when I get home. But so you know you press on issues like a woman." She grumbles loud enough so he can hear.

He smiles from cheek to cheek and wraps his arms around her for a hug before muttering, "I love you." They pull away and she stares at him, unable to utter a word in return. "I'm sorry I said that," he says, but she shakes her head.

There is a sharp piercing pain in her head, making her eyes shutters and her breath grow heavy and short. "Don't be, but you have to warn me next time before you hug me. I'm not a fan of hugs much less when they come suddenly so for future reference. Ask first, and also I-" she stops rambling, her grip on his arms tightening and her eyes panicking.

"What's wrong?"

"My head hurts so much it's unbearable," she gasps, her breath getting shorter and blood rushes down her nose as her head hammers harder and her breath grows shorter until her eyes shut and as much as she tries to keep them open, she can only do so much.

...

When her eyes open again, she finds herself on a bed, in a room with white painted walls and curtains and there is a familiar feeling as she stares up at the ceiling.

She knows she's in the hospital and unlike the other times she got admitted, her face feels weird now. She raises her hand to touch it and she sees that there's a needle inserted into the skin of her wrist and a tiny pipe fixed to it. Her eyes follow the pipe up to see the drip being administered and beside the drip, stand is a peeping machine monitoring her heart rate.

Her hand still finds its way to her face, and she feels the nasal cannula that goes to the back of her ear and into her nose.

Amidst her confusion and a struggle on the bed, she hits off something from the bed and the little steel falls, making a loud clanging noise on the floor, making her cuss in her mind.

...

Cainan, who's sitting on a chair on the other side of the room, hears the noise and gets up from the seat before moving towards the bedside where Neriah lies. "Hey, you okay?" Cainan asks as he reaches her bedside, his hand taking her extremely cold hand on the bed.

Her eyes narrowed at him, giving him a look that was a little sad and confused. "Do I look okay to you?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I should probably go call the doctors-"

She doesn't let him finish, instead "What happened?" She asks.

"You had a sudden headache, and you started bleeding from your nose. It was so severe that you passed out. I thought you would not wake." He explains carefully with a terrified voice and her heart goes out to him, wondering the hell he must have gone through during those moments.

He's wearing a grey T-shirt and a black Jean. His hair looks a little longer than the last time she remembers and so are his beards and she wonders when last he shaved. His eyes are a little tired and worn out, as though they've not had sleep in days.

There's so much relief in his eyes that begs her next question, "How long has it been?"

"Four days." He answers and she knows she cannot imagine what he must have gone through those days, "The doctors could no longer find backing to your waking and I almost went crazy when the doctors said there was nothing they could do. I did not know what else to do, but I wasn't ready to give up just yet." His voice was trembling and filled with fear and pain it hurts her heart a lot to hear it. "I've witnessed cancer as a child. It was never like this. It was horrifying, yeah, but it was never this heart hanging with nothing but fear and pain."

She squeezes his hand in hers. "You loved your sister, Cainan. You were never in love with her. There's a reason this feels different."

He doesn't argue because he knows she's right. "I think you're right, I'm just so scared now more than ever, and it will not get any easier." he doesn't have to say it, it's written all over him and him admitting it to her makes him even more vulnerable.

"I'm scared too because my time is shorter than it was a week ago and I love you," she forces the last words out before another headache steals her chance away.

His eyes lock on hers, searching to see the meaning of the words she just said and maybe searching to see if she meant the words she just said, but her eyes are happy and true as he stares into them. A nervous smile appears on his face as shivers run down his spine and he runs his hand over her face, feeling his heart melt away in his eyes.

There's a nervous smile that ghosts his face as he asks, "You love me?"

"Yes, I do," she answers and bites her lower lips.

His eyes narrow downs at her. "You're not just pulling my legs, right?"

"I am not. I love you, Cainan Inferno, but what use is it now? Look at me, I'm basically on life support. I probably look awful. I don't know my dying day, which can be tomorrow and-"

The hand Cainan places on her lips silences her from saying more than needed. "You love me and that's what I need to hear," He grins widely, "I still don't know why."

She rolls her eyes. "If I knew why, do you think I'd fall for you?"

"Certainly not," he replies and steps back before rubbing his forehead. He needs to tell her something, he knows it's something that might ruin the intimate and special moment they just had, but delaying this further endangers what little future they might have together.

Neriah notices the change in his body language and she wonders what might have caused this withdrawn behaviour. Her heart loses its steady beat as she awaits whatever it is he wants to say.

"I love you," he says, and she bites down on her lips and nods, "I'll do anything just to see you happy you know that. I just hope you don't hate me for this, but I called home. Your mom and siblings are outside the ward."

Her heart double in beating at his words, "Cainan-"

He interrupts her before she can get to say more, "I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do, you were not responding and there was little hope and I didn't know what to do, I understand you are in the place to tell them, I'll understand if you're mad about this, but they are outside waiting to see you."

"Cainan-"

He interrupts again, "If you don't want to see them, know it's not their fault but mine, I didn't know what to do and that felt like a sound idea and-."

"Shut up and let me speak, Cainan!" She snaps at him, her head aching a little from her, raising her voice at him.

He presses his lips together and nods, "I'm sorry, okay."

She breathes down slowly before speaking. "Cainan, I'm sorry for raising my voice at you. I'm not mad at you. I'm glad you called them. And I think you're nice and sweet. I would have called them four days ago, but I never made it home. I want to see them and thank you for doing what was right."

"It's always a pleasure for you." He raises his hand again, "I've got another confession."

This makes her frown at him. "What did you do this time?"

"I didn't rent the penthouse for a month like said before. I bought it in your name. Also, I finished your unfinished designs, and we made new designs solely on your sketches. I planned on showing them to you when you wake. You are awake now."

The frown leaves her face, but the questioning look remains, "I knew about the penthouse," when he frowns in confusion. She rolls her eyes and adds, "I saw the documents in one drawer in the study. And who's 'we'?"

"Shawn and I?" He replies.

Her cheek grows heavy as she tries to keep her smile concealed. She is happy, maybe even more than she should be. She's glad Shawn and Cainan could do something in her absence and not tear at each other like animals, as they always do.

"Can I say I love you?"

"Yeah," he grins and sits down beside her, finally feeling safe for the first time in five minutes. "I think you can."

"Good 'cause I love you and I'd kiss you, but I don't think I'm permitted to get up from this bed."

He tightens his fingers which are laced around her and he runs his other hand over hers, sending shivers down her spine. His lips twitch to a side cutely. "You're not permitted to, but I can kiss you." He tells her with a smile.

He draws closer to her and when he's close enough; he let his head drop a little, and he sees her eyes slowly shuts and his eye does the same and slowly his lips found hers for a slow soft kiss.

It wasn't too deep, hard, or even rough. It is just a slow, sensual kiss and in it are undisclosed desires and the obvious love they share for one another as she kisses back.

They both wanted the moment to last forever, to never depart from it, but they knew it had to end.

Cainan pulls away, and a whimper escapes his lips, "I want you to live." His eyes are glassy and pleading as he bites down on his quivering lips, "it hurts that I'm going to have to give you up too."

Neriah wipes off the tears running down his face, only to cry as well, "I wish I could give you what you want, I wish I could live and make your life miserable," this part is a joke and they both chuckle amidst their tears. "Yes, I wish I could see you grow old. I wish I could see a lot of things the future has for me, you and us, but I have you now and I'm satisfied with the chance of loving you. I was made for you and I accept that and I don't regret meeting you."

She continues even though the words get harder to say, "I might not be here tomorrow, but I want you to know that I lived and I'll keep living as long as you live so don't kill yourself for goodness' sake and try getting some sleep."

He nods and kisses her forehead before getting up and walking to the door. Once he opens the door, "She's awake." He tells the woman outside with her son and daughter.

There's a relief that appears on Gina's face and she wakes the little girl sleeping on her lap up and they get up and walk into her ward, mixed feelings written all over their faces.