Chapter 7

　　Her heart is racing wild with thoughts when she feels a pair of hands around her. They are firm and are protecting her from the madding crowd.

　　That cologne is so familiar. She doesn't have the heart to open her eyes to look at this person, but the person is so familiar.

　　"Relax, Edna. You are okay." A voice sounds.

　　It's Malik's. She can pick his voice out of a group of hundreds of people.

　　He holds her and leads her through a hall, the security blocks out the crowd from going into the restricted area with them.

　　Finally, Dimore and Malik let go of her. She is shaking very terribly and moves into the corner of the room.

　　Malik goes to help her and so does Dimore.

　　She sinks into one of the seats. And feverishly searches through her bag.

　　"There is Valium in her bag," Dimore says. " It's going to help with her anxiety attack."

　　"Go get her things on the plane. I will take care of her." Malik directs him.

　　Malik squats on the ground and takes her bag from her and begins to search her for her drugs.

　　Dimore leaves after hesitating for a bit. She seems to be in good hands.

　　Malik takes out the tablet and places it on her palm. He grabs an unopened water beside him and gives it to her.

　　She throws the drug into her mouth and uses the water to get it down into her stomach. It only takes a few minutes and then her pulse comes back to normal and so does the rate of her heartbeat.

　　Malik is observing her carefully, with his hands on her back.

　　"Are you alright, now?" He asks and she nods.

　　"Drink some more water." He urges her.

　　"Don't worry about me, I am fine." She tells him.

　　Now that the danger has passed. She suddenly remembers that she feels awkward around Malik.

　　He sits beside her and she holds on to her bag tightly.

　　"We are going to get you to a doctor as soon as we get to South Korea." He tells her.

　　"Please." She huffs. " I have been to the doctor and I was given this."

　　He doesn't say anything else. He runs his hands over his thighs, but he doesn't say anything.

　　In the process of her getting the anxiety attack, her glasses had come off and Malik noticed the abnormal layer of makeup on her left eye.

　　He reaches out to touch it and she moves away and gives him a puzzled look.

　　" Why are you wearing so much makeup?" He asks.

　　"Why not?" She raises her eyebrow. " I am a woman and I like to apply make-up."

　　" You hardly do." He points out. His point takes her aback, she never knew he knows so much about her.

　　" I changed." She says.

　　He nods. She indeed has. She is not the same girl he knew in high school.

　　"How come we grew apart?" He asks.

　　She turns to look at him briefly, pretending that she doesn't know what he is talking about.

　　"We have never been close." She tells him.

　　"But we were friends."

　　"We weren't." She disagrees.

　　"Yeah, at least I was trying to be your friend." He sighs.

　　Oh, God. She wishes that he would drop this already. This has been why she has been avoiding him all this time.

　　" Since the incident in the bathroom." He doesn't look at her.

　　"Please..."

　　She slightly shut her eyes.

　　The incident in the bathroom in high school only brings about bad memories and she doesn't want any of that.

　　"Malik, let's keep this strictly to business." She says.

　　He gives her a glance and shrugs. There is a lot of pain in that shrug. A lot of unsaid things between them.