CHAPTER 7:

Drayven told Karina that she can leave as soon as she is done discussing all matters that she is concerned about; so, she could take her rest early. Her job as their maid will start tomorrow before she goes to her part-time job. She was worried about what will happen on her first day as their maid because Drayven also informs her that she will be with Tristan alone, she is afraid of what could happen between them when Drayven is not around.

Karina never works as a maid before. She may be an expert on cleaning or doing some household chores but she only did that in her own house, she doesn’t know how to act in other’s houses. The only thing she can do is the way she acts in her part-time job as a crew in fast food and a waitress in a restaurant, and she is aware that it is way more different from a role of a maid.

At the time that she lay on her bed, she immediately asked herself why she accept that job if in the first place she doubts herself if she can do it or not. Then, she answers her question, “Because you had no choice… no other restaurants or fast-food chain fits on your schedule aside from this offer.”

The next day, Karina prepares herself to go to Drayven’s house. She only brings some of her clothes especially her uniform to the restaurant she’s working with. She also informs her parents that her other job requires her to stay in that’s why until the summer break is not yet done, she won’t be home. Karina convinces herself that she needs to go before she comes late from what time she promises the new boss she arrived.

As expected, Drayven is not around already when she arrives and she didn’t spot Tristan as well. So, she assumes that maybe he was still sleeping. It was good news for her because she doesn’t want to deal with him this early morning. Then, Karina put all her things in the room that Drayven pointed to him yesterday saying that it is her room there.

Karina didn’t waste her time, she decided that the earlier she do the cleaning and other stuff, the early she can take a rest before she go to the restaurant. Drayven didn’t give her much work; he only instructed her to make sure everything in the house is clean and there is a meal for Tristan for breakfast and lunch. Regarding the laundry, she can do that once a week.

When she was about to start cleaning, she heard a loud sound upstairs. Drayven told her that she doesn’t need to go upstairs to clean, he strictly tells her that she is not allowed to touch anything there. But after Karina hears that sound, she was worried and think that maybe it was Tristan and he got in trouble again for something.

“I won’t touch anything, I’ll just go and check for Tristan because it is part of my job,” she mutters.

Without a doubt, she goes upstairs. It was dark up there but she knows it doesn’t matter if the person lived here is blind like Tristan. She checks the surroundings without looking for the light switch, she was only using her palm as a guide as she holds onto the wall while walking. She needs to look for Tristan immediately because she was really worried about the sound.

“Tristan?” Karina started to call for him. “Tristan, where are you?” she repeats until she heard a moan somewhere.

Her heart started to race when she saw Tristan sitting on the floor. It seems like he fell from his bed and he hurt himself as she notices Tristan holding his hips. At the back of her mind, she is asking herself what is happening here because it was not normal to fall from the bed if you’re sleeping. It was an involuntary act; your body calculated the range of the bed and it would automatically react on avoiding to fell.

“Are you okay? Come on, put your hand on my shoulder; I’ll help you get up,” says Karina as she comes at Tristan.

“Do I look okay with you? You have your eyes; can’t you see what happened? I feel, isn’t that obvious?!”

Karina didn’t stop herself to roll her eyes because she knows no one would notice what she does. Then, she put Tristan’s left arm on her shoulder and force his body to stand up. On her full power, she supports him to sit on the bed. Right after that, she takes a deep breath because Tristan was sure heavy. She reminded herself to stay calm even though Tristan yells at her a hundred times a day.

“Are you fine now? If yes, I’ll leave you here because I need to finish cleaning—”

“Wait, what are you doing here? Didn’t Drayven told you to stay downstairs? Why did you go up here?” his voice sounds like he is mad.

Still, Karina stays calm. “I know what Drayven said, I am not stupid. But if you’re in my case, having a job of taking care of a blind—of you… and you heard a loud sound coming from somewhere upstairs, isn’t it an obvious action to go and check it? What do you think will happen if I didn’t check on you?”

“What do I think will happen after I fell? Of course, I’ll get up on my own! I am aware of my condition, I am blind… but I am not crippled; I can get up on my own! So, stay away from me, mind your work, and do not disturb me anymore! Get out of my room, now!”

Karina got startled by his loud voice, she didn’t get the chance to finish her explanation because Tristan is really mad at her; she knows he won’t listen to her anyway. Instead, she takes her to leave and continues what she needs to go. But she learned something… it was not Drayven who wants her to stay away from upstairs, it was Tristan who is trying to act normal as if he still can do anything on his own and kept insisting that he don't need help from other people.