The Price Of Sincerity
Care Or Not

Jane wakes. His eyes blinked softly a few times due to the glare of his lights that were on the ceiling. She turned to Shara who was asleep in a sitting position by her bed. Jane surveyed her surroundings, and back she was in a place she did not know. But for sure he was sure he was in the hospital because his hand was attached to an infusion and nearby there was a series of medical devices. He will not be unfamiliar with the smell of the treatment room, will not be unfamiliar with the patient's bed and medical devices. Just the different rooms did not make him unable to recognize where he was. Hospitals.

The clockwork on the wall sounded very clear. Eleven o'clock at night. Jane recalled what happened and why she was in the hospital with an intravenous tube attached to her hand. But his memory is blurred, he doesn't remember much. What popped up in his mind was that he woke up in Max's place and after that—apa. “Ashh,” Jane hisses in pain as she moves her legs, feeling sore.

******* that woke Shara up. His eyes grew to see Jane.

“Jane.. Thank goodness you are conscious. Does it feel better? What are you feeling? Does it still hurt?” Shara held Jane's palm in two fists.

“Shara, hem... What happened?”

“You don't remember? You fainted and your leg was hurt. And that's broken glass, how can there be glass attached to your feet. But do you really remember nothing?”

“I—thahlah. Did you pick me up?”

“How can I pick you up when I don't know where you are. I came to your apartment this morning, but you're not there. On the phone too your phone is off, I asked Devan because you said it was dropped off by his friend. But he didn't even know you were coming. You know how worried I was about seeing 3 empty glasses of alcohol on that table. I can't imagine if you'd come back and the drugs you're taking won't do any good. I panicked right away. Good thing after that the hospital nurse called me saying you're in the hospital.”

The nurse? Didn't that guy go home? But how am I supposed to be here. Inner Jane. He just cleared his throat hearing a lengthy explanation from Shara.

“Rest, I'll call Dev. He's been waiting for you all day, and I just managed to get him home, it's been night and he hasn't eaten anything since he came. Wait a minute, yes.”

Shara took her phone and walked out of the room.

“You waiting for me? Wh-wh-what for? You're making everything difficult for me, Dev.” Jane put her arm over her eyes. She really wanted to cry out of her sadness because last night she couldn't cry. Maybe if Shara didn't mention the man's name she wouldn't think about it, even if it was just for a moment. But at least he could forget that person. Although briefly.

**

“Jane Morgan? You mean Max was with him last night?” Devan clenched his hand.

“No-no. He wanted to deliver the woman last night, but she fell asleep without mentioning her address. You know, he had to rush back to your party for last night's presents. And she left it at her apartment.” Dye explained what she knew.

“Then why did he get knocked out and injured?” The fist in his hand was weakened. Devan sets his breath slowly.

“He doesn't know either. By the time he arrived, the woman had already fainted on the floor. Wait... Why do you know he fainted and got hurt? I haven't said anything.” Dye looked at Devan demanding an answer. “Oh, yes. You're director. No wonder you know.”

“What? You investigated?”

“Oh. Okay.”

Devan averted his gaze from Dye, he glanced at Max who was lying unconscious on the bed. “So, did he get sick from remembering that woman?”

“Hemm. As you can see, he's not stopping talking about his name. Plus he can't stand the smell of the hospital, hopefully he won't be sick for a week like that.”

“That's his fault for putting too deep a heart on a woman.” Devan stood up with both hands into his pants pocket. “He trusted him too much.”

Dye and Devan leave Max unconscious, and turn off the lights before closing the door and exiting the man's apartment. While Max is still delirious about naming a woman, Rose.

Rose. Rose, you're gonna be fine. Trust me.

Memories of the past appear in his sleep.

“Can't you stop following me?” Rose turned her body and snapped at Max who was quite close behind her. Max smiled and stepped forward towards the woman, she stood before Rose so as to block her path.

“Why do you always avoid me, did I make a mistake with you?”

“I don't want to deal with those women who always stick with you, so stop bothering me. And just laden it up with your women. Okay.” Rose emphasized her sentence in order to be well understood by her interlocutor.

“The women? Are you jealous? I won't be close to another woman, as long as you're my lover. Whatever you want I'll give you, how?”

“Crazy. Really, why am I jealous. After all what you expected of me, I have no interest in selling my body to you. And also I'm not interested in your money.” Rose shifted her body and walked past Max, but the man still followed her and asked her to speak.

Max Miller, that name has spread all over the campus. There was not a woman who did not know him. And Max's initial annoyance was when they accidentally collided in the cafeteria and Rose had no idea who he was, and Max had since found out how there were women who didn't know him. And finally he was attracted to the arrogance of the woman who was not interested in him.

Day after day passed, the two slowly came close because Max often appeared nearby so that Rose could eventually accept Max's existence. Although from the beginning he had indeed put his heart on when he first met the man. But the closeness they started was only limited to a relationship without status, until when both graduated at the same time they agreed to establish a relationship. Lovers' relationship. Their love story begins.

Back then, Max returned from his business trip from Italy, of course he missed his beloved lover after not meeting for almost two weeks. And she was already impatient to meet him and had already prepared a huge rose for the woman. Until he was in front of Rose's house, he received a call if her boyfriend had an accident.

He got into the car and threw a flower he was holding onto the seat next to the steering wheel. One by one the crowns of roses fell down. When you only care about one thing then you will forget all. Max is traveling very fast at high speed.

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