Mathelina
chapter 8's

A debt of gratitude

“Elina was forced to sell her body for 80 million for her mother's cancer cell removal surgery and pay her father's debt to a loan shark. His life has always suffered; forced to become the backbone of the family because his father is not working. Morning work in the mall as a cashier, and night as a waitress in the nightclub.”

The story told by Raima was numerous, but only a single sentence was remembered by Matthew.

Matthew sighed, regretting that he had desecrated Elina. This was not intentional, but he still felt guilty. He was afraid, there were consequences that Elina had to endure after this. The girl's life was getting miserable, and her own life became unsettled by it.

Matthew drives his car towards the nightclub that Raima told him about. Just about to park the car, he saw a woman being carried on the shoulders of a burly man.

“Elina?” Matthew snorting.

Because the car carrying Elina had driven, Matthew did not get out of the car and caught up with the black sedan.

Matthew tightened his car so he could overtake it. However, the night traffic was quite heavy, and the car was another car away from the sedan.

He cursed while hitting the steering wheel, almost losing track. Finally, he knew that the car was stopped at the Heaven Hotel.

Not wanting to lose track again, Matthew just parked the car. He rushed down, ran into the hotel lobby. Damnit damnit! Arriving there, they had brought Elina into the elevator.

Waiting for the elevator too long, he climbed the emergency stairs. He believes they took him to the 5th floor. He ran very fast like jumping two steps at once.

His premonition turned out to be right, after searching the corridor, Matthew found the man who was holding Elina earlier.

The sinister-faced man asked with defiant eyes, arriving at Matthew in front of a room. “Who Are You? What are you doing here?”

There was no need to answer him with a speech, tossing a few fists over his face was enough. After the man was unconscious, Matthew took a card to open the room door.

He rushed into the room, seeing the savage old man trying to kiss Elina.

Matthew lunged at the man, before his lips could taste Elina's sweet lips. The man was merciless and helpless.

Apparently, the old man's bodyguard was already conscious. He instantly helped his already sprawled master, slapping a punch on Matthew's right cheek.

The fight was fierce and balanced. Matthew was almost knocked down by the burly man, his face bruised in some parts. But he managed to defeat the man. His last blow knocked the man down and was no longer able to retaliate.

After that, Matthew approached Elina who was covering her body with a blanket. That fear, confusion, and astonishment was what was in the hue of his face. Her makeup faded, hair disheveled, and eyes puffy from crying.

“You all right?” matthew asked, both hands clutching Elina's arms.

The brown clear eyes were rounded, staring at Matthew with a million questions in mind. His arrival surprised mefrom where Matthew could tell that Elina was here, helping him to make the handsome face of the man bruised.

A debt of gratitude that Elina had to pay to the man, and Elina had to pay it later.

Elina was stunned after a few seconds of drifting in her daydream. He nodded slowly, but did not look at Matthew again.

“Good. Come on, we're out of here.” Relieved Matthew.

Matthew looked at Elina's shirt that had been torn off. Then, he opened his black cardigan to cover Elina's body. After that, they rushed out of the hotel room towards Matthew's car parked downstairs.

Awkward, when a man who was with her that night, came to be her savior. Elina stared at him for a long time, like looking for an answer, which made her heartbeat beat irregularly while walking towards the car. Matthew himself was unaware of the gaze.

What kind of a man is he? Why helped? They were just two strangers who had met because of a mistake. Did he realize what happened that night? Is he doing this out of concern, or out of guilt?

Elina looked down grimly. Yeah, it's the last question he thinks makes sense. He realized who he was for the man. It's nothing, just two people, who will later forget and separate.

-;-;-;-

“Here only.”

Elina asks Matthew to drop her off in the middle of the road, even though the distance to the alley of her house is quite far.

Elina hurried to open the seat belt, then opened the car door and said, “Thank you for delivering me.”

“Elina,” call Matthew, make Elina stop moving and turn her head. “What's just like this? Are there no words you want to say to me again?”

In Matthew's heart was furious, his attitude became stupid like this in front of Elina. What is he thinking? Shameful, but the spoken word cannot be drawn anymore.

Elina seemed to think. “Not that I have said ‘thank you’ earlier?” answer's plain.

Matthew held his smile. This girl's attitude is adorable. “Em .. that's not what I mean.”

Elina thought again. What's there to talk about? It doesn't seem to exist. Then, he glanced at Matthew's battered face.

“Come, come with me.” Just saying that without explanation, Elina was about to get out of the car, if Matthew did not ask again:

“To where? Why should we go down?”

Elina breathed. “Indeed, your car fit into the alley?”

Ancient humans knew about it. If Elina explained where their goal was headed, Matthew would not ask that stupid question.

They're going into the alley. Matthew knew that Elina was taking him to Raima's house, because the path that was passed led to it. In front of the house, they cross paths with Raima, who rushes home after getting an SMS from Elina.

“Lo is okay, right, Elin?” Then, Raima was stunned to see Matthew's bruised face.

Raima glanced at Elina, wondering. But Elina told him to open the door, so they could get in. Elina asks Raima to prepare her clothes, also telling her where the medicine box is.

Elina sat on the sofa beside Matthew. His daydreams of that night were thrown away, when Elina was in front of him.

“Close,” said Elina, advancing her body slightly. In his hand was a wet cloth.

Matthew approached awkwardly. His views sought to be diverted to others, though his efforts were in vain. Elina's pink lips, that's what she's seen since. Then, turning on both those sparkling round brown eyes— earnestly, he admired her.

“Au!” screeches Matthew. The daydream was gone, when the pain stung on his cheek. “Please slow down a little.”

Elina jumped, then felt guilty. He nodded, accepting Matthew's request. So, he slowly compressed the wound, although Matthew still grimaced.

But over time Matthew got used to his pain. Elina's eyes and lips caught her attention again. Maybe Matthew didn't realize this, but really, only this time was he so easily attracted to women.

Raima was standing at the door, holding a keychain. “Elin, I'm leaving again, huh? Lo at my house just aja.”

Elina turned her head; after hearing all of Raima's words, she nodded and went back to treating Matthew.

The living room was so small that the atmosphere turned silent. Elina was busy treating Matthew, not realizing that there was a pair of blue eyes that were admiring the power of God that was on him.

But not always Elina's that innocent. Eventually, the eyes met each other and dissolved into a gaze that prompted Matthew to come closer.

Elina is enchanted. He was silent as Matthew hurriedly brought his lips closer to her. At the moment when their lips were only an inch apart, Matthew was fixated. Elina was stunned.

“I told you slowly,” muttered Matthew, then distanced his face. “Already, just treat the wound.”

Elina was stunned for a moment. “Ah, yes,” sahutya stunned, take cotton and red medicine.

Elina still did not understand, a second ago, the man made her hold her breath and her heart beat was racing. Now, he even confused her with a sudden change in attitude. What kind of man is Matthew Aditya Jonathan?

Elina closes Raima's P3K box and says, “Now, we break even.”

Matthews stunned. “You mean?”

“You helped me, and I've treated you. So, I have no debt of gratitude to you,” replied Elina, holding both her arms on top of the P3K box.

Debt money? Matthew frowned, then he smiled after knowing his point. “Oh, the. I never thought a favor was a debt of gratitude.”

Elina fell silent while thinking and then immediately came to a conclusion. “Protection?”

Dor's! Elina's shot pierced Matthew's heart. That was true, and Matthew did not deny it.

Matthew nodded. “You could say so.”

Elina straightened her body. Either he should be disappointed or relieved. On the other hand, he did not have to trouble this man and they could part ways, living life as usual.

“Why should feel guilty?” ask Elina.

“I have desecrated a poor girl like you,” replied Matthew wryly.

Elina wasn't surprised if Matthew found out some things about her.

“I don't care who told you about me, and how much people told me. You don't have to feel guilty about the events of that night, you're the one who chose to sell yourself to you,— Elina said.

“I know,” interrupted Matthew muttering.

“Go, and live quietly. Forget me, our meeting, and ... the incident that night,” said Elina, stuck to the end of the sentence.

Matthew looked quickly. How could it be like that! That night, Elina had legitimately possessed her body. He will always remember it, because it is one of the worst memories. He became a sinful man in one night.

Matthew grabbed both of Elina's arms. “No. I can't forget it,” riled up.

Elina looked at him deeply. In his eyes, there was regret there. “It wasn't your fault.”

“I was wrong too. How's your life going to be after that?”

What to worry about is pregnancy? Elina also thought about that, but she insisted on convincing Matthew with a smile.

“It won't happen. We only do it once. So,” Elina released the grip of both Matthew hands from her arms, “You don't have to think about it.”

Matthew is moving backwards. If it was like that, he could not force it. Elina seems like a very stubborn girl, and she doesn't want to hurt him with the same attitude. But forgetting? It won't be able to. And so is living without burdens. She will continue to worry about Elina.

As he got out of his seat, Matthew said, “I want to go home first.”

Elina nodded, looking at Matthew with her faint smile. “Goodbye.”

Matthew could not hear that. So please Elina, don't say it! His screams in the heart.

Matthew will walk to the door, will touch the door knob. But he only froze in a moment, before turning to face Elina who was still sitting on the sofa.

“Can we see each other again?”

Elina was stunned, then thought while looking at Matthew. Iba, that's what he felt when he saw a hope drawn on Matthew's eyeballs.

Elina answered him with a flat expression and a cold tone of speech. “I hope, this is our last meeting.”[]