"Nothing, I just miss home all of a sudden." Leena sniffed. Her voice was husky. Her words didn't sound all that convincing to Kevin.
"Really? You're just homesick? Leena, don't lie to me, that doesn't sound like you." Kevin got out of bed and walked to the terrace. He wanted the cold breeze to wake him up more.
"I really just want to be home with --" Before Leena finished talking, the cough betrayed her and exposed her true condition. There was no hiding that she had a cold.
"You're sick. Is it serious? Have you taken anything for it?" He fired a battery of questions at her, with a look of worry on his handsome face.
"I'm okay, I will feel better after a good night's sleep." Hearing his worried voice, Leena felt warmer, and less sad in her heart.
"Weren't you alright this morning? Why did you suddenly get sick?" Kevin frowned. He was not with her so he didn't know whether it was serious or not.
"Because I got wet." Leena took some tissue to wipe her runny nose. She felt her body becoming hot and her head dizzy. She even didn't have any strength to speak now. The cold was trying to have its way with her.
"Wet? How?" From the rain? Or did you go for a swim?" Hearing her trailing voice, Kevin paced to and fro anxiously.
"No, I accidentally fell into the Seine. Nothing serious." Leena coughed. She didn't know how to lie, so she just frankly told him the truth.
"What? Are you alright? Have you seen the doctor?" Leena's words worried Kevin even more. He felt helpless. She was so far away, and he was unable to reach her, to hold her, and be with her. He was agitated like an ant in a hot pan. When he heard she fell into the river, he could imagine how frightened she was at the moment. His heart trembled at the thought. But he thought it had something to do with the fact that he felt guilty as well.
"Not yet. Kevin, I miss you. But I can barely keep my eyes open. I want to sleep. Talk to you when I get up, okay?" Leena became more dizzy, she couldn't think clearly now. Her hand which held the phone started drooping, as she was too weak to hold it to her ear.
"Leena, don't sleep now. Take some medicine before you nod off, okay? Leena..." Kevin constantly called her name, but he heard only silence in return. Although she didn't hang up, she didn't speak either. He listened carefully, and could hear loud breathing through a clogged nose.
Kevin had never felt so scared before. It was the first time that Leena had said she missed him. But she was having a miserable time right now. Should he feel sad or touched?
The annoying ringtones pulled Duke from his dreams. He reached out his hand to fumble for his cellphone on the bedside table, eyes still closed. When his fumbling finally produced the cellphone, he put it to his ear and said hello. The phone still rang in his ear, which confounded him. Then he realized what he'd done. He frowned and accepted the call.
"Hi..." Duke was still in a daze. The call also woke up Belinda. She opened his sleepy eyes and asked, "Who is calling?"
"Duke, it's me, Kevin. I'm so sorry to call you so late." This was the best way Kevin could think of to deal with Leena. Kevin wasn't very familiar with Paris, nor did he have any friends there. But Duke was different. He was a businessman, so Kevin assumed that he must know a lot of people around the world.
"What happened?" Duke patted Belinda's back and leaned on the back of the bed.
"Here's the thing. Leena just called me. She is sick, and she passed out during the call. I think you might be familiar with Paris. Could you find someone you know in Paris and ask him or her to check whether Leena is okay?" Clad in a casual suit, Kevin no longer felt sleepy after he got Leena's call.
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