Chapter 6

She let out a heavy sigh. She placed her hands on Patrick's shoulder and looked straight into his eyes. 

"Okay, fine. I'm taking back everything I said, and I'm not mad at you anymore. I forgive you. Will you come out now?" 

She knew he would not go away with a simple beg. So she said what he wanted to hear.

His face cleared. "Really? Do you mean it? Did that come from your heart?

"You bet! I swear! Now, please leave. Mom's calling you."

She became breathless when he suddenly hugged her tightly. She was so shocked she could not respond to what he was doing. 

"Don't think like that ever again. Okay? You're making me sad. I just want to get your attention. That's why I tease you every day. After you turned fourteen, you became distant from me. I don't like it," he softly said while she was still in his arms.

She expected her hands to push him, but her bones seemed to have softened. Instead of scolding him, the first thing that came to her mind was how light it felt. Nobody in her entire life had hugged her this tight. She never thought it would feel this good. She wanted to get out of his arms, but her body would not follow.

After all the exhausting events earlier at MNA, she needed this kind of comfort. She needed someone to hug her like this. It was true what the articles she read on the internet said about embracing. There are many benefits to it. One of them is that it lowers stress and is truly comforting. Now she could understand it even more. His chest felt so warm too. It felt really good.

She could no longer restrain herself. She closed her eyes and felt his broad chest on her face. She raised her hands and accepted his warm embrace. She hoped that Patrick would not give any weird meaning to this. 

"Patrick?! Lesley?!"

Surprised, they immediately let go of each other when they heard Amanda's angry voice echoing in the room. She got so carried away by Patrick's hug that she forgot Amanda was already home. It was as if her chest would explode any second now that she was caught hugging his brother. With Amanda's look on her face that was filled with disgust, she knew what she was thinking.

Amanda quickly stepped closer to slap her. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for her palm to land on her cheek. But a few seconds had already passed, and there was still no pain on her face.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw Patrick holding her mom's arm. "Release my hand, Patrick! Don't defend this woman!" Amanda shouted angrily.

"You're wrong! We're not doing anything wrong!" Patrick defended her.

"What do you mean you're doing nothing wrong?! I saw you two hugging!"

"Ma! It was just a hug! You're overreacting. She's sad, that's why I hugged her. She was stressed because of her interview earlier." 

Patrick gently took both of Amanda's hands and caught her eyes. "I hugged her. Okay? It was me. She did not ask for it either. Please, calm down. What if you get a heart attack? Who is going to take care of me?"

And the magic happens. She saw the gradual calming of Amanda's face. Her eyes were not as fierce as when she had seen them hugging earlier. She had no idea how Patrick was doing it, but it seemed like he had the power to calm their mother, however angry she was.

No matter what Patrick says, Amanda listens to him. No matter what he asks, Amanda gives it. And no matter how big the trouble he causes them, Amanda will forgive and understand him. 

Lesley envied Patrick very much ever since they were kids. Amanda loved him like he was the only important person in the world. Their mother treated him with such sweetness and adoration that he was still her baby boy until now.

"Is what you're saying true?" Amanda asked Patrick. She was calmer.

"Yes, so don't be angry. We're not doing anything wrong. You know me, I don't want to see the women in my life sad." Patrick smiled sweetly. Then he let go of the hand that wanted to slap her earlier.

Amanda sighed before turning to her again. There were still glints of anger in her eyes. "You're sad and stressed? Why? Didn't you get hired?"

She could not answer immediately. She was hesitant about MNA. She wanted to tell her mother how scared she was of working at that hospital, but she knew she didn’t care about how she felt. What mattered was that it would benefit them financially.

She does not want to accept the job at MNA, but if it shortens the distance between them, she will gladly embrace it, even if her life is at stake. That is how much she wants to prove herself to Amanda. That she is a good daughter and that she deserves her affection too. The same love that she gives to Patrick.

"Why won't you answer?! You weren't accepted, were you? After everything I told you, you still failed the interview?!"

She quickly shook her head. "N-no. That's not it. I've been accepted. I'm supposed to start tomorrow night."

"Then, why are you sulking? I guess you just want to hug my son here!"

"N-no!" she quickly denied. "I-I was just a little stressed. It wasn't easy during the interview because of their high standards. I barely passed," she explained, then lowered her head dejectedly.

"That's right!" Patrick rebutted. "Aren't I a great brother for comforting my sad little sister here? Come one, give your awesome brother another hug!" 

Patrick hugged her tightly again. She was embarrassed and nervous at the same time, but Amanda just raised an eyebrow at them.

She forced a smile. "T-thank you, brother. Yo-you're really the best." She was screaming inside her. Patrick was so slick.

"Enough of that. Help me with the groceries I bought. And you, Lesley, tell me what happened at that hospital," Amanda said in a firm voice, then walked out of the room.

She immediately removed Patrick's arm that was still wrapped around her waist, and then her eyes widened at him. "We almost got caught! You're pure nonsense!" she said in a low disgruntled voice, almost whispering.

He smirked. "Why me? Weren't you the one who prolonged it?"

She shut her mouth. She wanted to deny it vehemently, but she felt guilty. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. She wants to kick herself. Why did she let that happen? What was she thinking? 

He raised an eyebrow at her when she could not answer then his smile widened even more. She shyly averted her eyes from Patrick's foolish gaze and quickly stepped out of the room.

"Guilty much?" he commented, but she just ignored him. 

He followed behind her while grinning and whistling until they reached the kitchen. She did not say a word to him afterward. She did not even bother to look back at him. He is like air to her now. He must have thought she liked their hug earlier. His ego and confidence will undoubtedly be boosted. Well, maybe she enjoyed that hug too, but just a little.

"I'll cook the rice. You two cook the dish. Boil the meat first," Amanda instructed.

"Yes," she and Patrick replied at the same time.

He smiled playfully at her, but she ignored him again.

While in the kitchen, she narrated what happened to MNA earlier except for other meticulous details that Mrs. Dapit warned her to keep a secret from other people. She was strictly instructed to tell no one about the hospital's unique patients or anything confidential she saw inside. That was also stated in the contract Mrs. Dapit gave earlier. All her family knew was that she was a janitress. Nothing more, nothing less.

What happened earlier replayed in her mind, the bloody red door and the boy behind it. Now that she will return to that scary place, fear has filled her mind again. She wishes everything to be okay and hopes to have enough strength to handle the job there. Most importantly, she prays that what Mrs. Dapit said will not come true. She does not want to die young.