Love By Design

Chapter 47

“Mahalia.”

A puff of white escapes his lips as August exhales a sigh of relief.

I blink repeatedly, scanning his entire figure as he stands in front of me.

Wearing a long khaki trench coat over a black turtleneck and matching black trousers, he’s bundled up with a red checkered scarf and a brown woollen trapper hat that most definitely looks out of place for the likes of his wardrobe. The scarf wrapped around him is thick and the hat covering his head is dusted with snowflakes. I glance down at his black leather oxfords that are most definitely not meant for the snow.

August offers me a frozen smile, the tip of his nose tinted pink.

“You…” I look up at him, my eyes widening. “What are you–”

“Can I come in?” He interrupts me, gesturing towards the front door.

“No!” I exclaim. “I–I mean, you can’t–”

“No?” He blinks at me, slowly.

I glimpse a look behind me before immediately stepping out into the foyer and closing the door.

“What are you doing here?” I turn to him, quizzically.

“Trying not to freeze to death,” He replies flatly, eyelids drooping. “Can I explain inside?”

“Of course, I just—” I watch as he shivers, his entire body shuddering in the cold. “Wait here.”

I disappear back inside, my mind reeling as I sneak a look out of the window. Outside, August sits shakily on the bench, puffs of white air leaving his mouth.

Suddenly, my grandma pops up in front of me.

“Who was it?” She asks, peering over my shoulder.

I rack my brain to think of an excuse as to why my former nepo baby boss and ex-situationship, if one can even call it that, is currently outside. The thought of how unfavourable that would be from a conservative Asian household makes me wince. I can’t even think of a logical reason as to why he would be in this country, let alone a believable enough excuse for why he would be standing in front of this house.

“Ma, there’s–”

“It’s Jack Frost!” Dayna exclaims excitedly as she climbs up the window sill ledge, pressing her face against the glass. “He’s so tall!”

“The snowman?” Russ blinks.

“No!!” She giggles. “The boy!”

“A boy?” Alexa peeks her head out from the hallway.

“Lia brought a boy?” One of my aunt’s questions aloud and I inwardly wince.

A gush of voices expressing approval choruses as everyone begins to filter out of the living room. Different pairs of eyes are suddenly looking at me, interests and curiosity piqued as I shake my head, attempting to block everyone from the hallway.

“No! He’s…” I stall, trying to think of a convincing explanation without raising any questions. “A colleague, at work. Old workplace. Not the restaurant, the studio. I–”

“They’re making you do work?”

“Over Christmas?”

“But it’s the holiday season!”

Another collective chatter erupts, this time of disapproval as they attempt to look outside. Dayna and the younger children are all waving at August from the inside, my other cousins glancing over curiously as he waves back at them.

“Why is he still outside?” My grandpa pipes up. “You can’t leave the poor boy out there. A snowstorm is on the way, Lia.”

My grandma disappears into the living room as I try to keep the hallway blocked.

“Yes, Pa. I just need to—”

“Everyone in the living room!” My grandma calls out as she comes back to the front door, a swaddle of blankets in her arms.

“Wait, Ma, it’s fine.” I shake my head vigorously. “He’s only dropping by. He probably needs to leave soon—”

“The poor boy looks like he’s going to freeze to death, Lia, bring him inside!”

Before I know it, she’s opening the door and gesturing towards August. He looks up from where he’s sitting on the porch before scrambling to his feet.

“Madame Hartt, bonjour.” His teeth chatters as he speaks. “Oder guten tag.”

He takes my grandma’s hand, palm downwards, and presses her knuckles against his forehead. I blink in confusion at the traditional gesture of respect towards Filipino elders.

“Oh hijo, you’re freezing cold!”

She grabs his hands, gloveless and slightly tinged blue, and pats it with concern.

Outside, the blizzard is beginning to pick up, gusts of wind and flurries of little snowflakes drifting inside the house as the door stays open.

“Come in. You’ll freeze to death out here.”

My grandma drags August inside and he sways slightly, tripping over his own feet by the front door.

“Thank you,” August nods politely as my grandma grabs the blanket and wraps it around his tall frame.

“I don’t know why Lia didn’t invite you in the first place.” She shakes her head, sending me a look of disapproval.

“Ma, wait.”

She closes the door behind her and the house is warm again. August steps into the entryway, silence taking over the household as a pair of half a dozen or so eyes all blink at him.

August, tall and towering, turns towards me and I freeze, lost for words.

“Who’s at the door?”

“He’s handsome!”

“Is that your boyfriend?”

I gape in mortification as more and more faces pop up from the archway of the living room watching August and I.

Shaking my head, I move to grab his arm and pull him towards the stairs.

“August,” I say. “Shoes.”

He blinks at me, slightly dazed as his eyes fall on the piles of shoes by the entrance, and nods. His movements are listless, almost clumsy as he shuffles back down the stairs and begin removing his oxfords. Eyebrows knotting, his grey eyes find mine before they flutter close and he stumbles down the stairs.

“August!” I gasp.

Suddenly, the entire room erupts in wild commotion as he falls to the hardwood floor with a resounding thud.

“Oh my god!”

“Lili!”

“Is he dead?”

I glare at 14-year-old Jax hovering over August as everyone begins to crowd around him.

Pushing past the congregation of bodies, I drop to the floor next to August. My hands reach out to lift the back of his head and I gasp at how hot his skin feels against my palm.

“Mama, he’s really warm.” I swallow, turning to my grandma. “I think he’s sick.”

“Give the poor boy room to breathe,” My grandpa’s commanding voice booms in the hallway. “Stop crowding him.”

I watch as my grandma ushers the younger kids away from the stairs and people begin dispersing back into the living room.

“Should I call an ambulance?” I stammer, the worry in my gut slowly building.

“I don’t think any form of vehicle’s going to make it to Lola’s,” Gabe, Jax’s older brother, pipes up. “Look outside.”

I turn my head towards the window, the blizzard fully forming.

“He’ll be okay, Lia.” My grandma pats my arm reassuringly.

I look down at August, assessing his face. His complexion is a lot paler than usual and dark circles are forming under his eyes. He looks exhausted but he still manages to look strikingly handsome.

“Russ, Gabe— help take August upstairs.” My grandma instructs them before turning her attention towards me. “Wrap him up warm, Lia. I’ll make him something to eat, he’s probably just exhausted from travelling.”

Crouching down next to me, Russ takes one of August’s arms and drapes it over his shoulder, leaning his body against him as he pulls him up to a standing position.

“Bloody hell, Lia.” Gabe heaves as he walks over to the other side of August, dragging his other arm around him. “Your boyfriend weighs a ton.”

“He’s not—” I begin but I’m cut off as Russ loses his balance and August sways towards me, his forehead knocking against mine.

“Shit,” Russ winces. “Sorry, Ate.”

“Be careful,” I stress.

I stand behind them as we begin walking up the stairs, keeping a watchful eye so August doesn’t hit himself anywhere because the man is impossibly tall and difficult to manoeuvre.

“Which room?” They ask as we reach the top of the stairs.

I pause for a moment, cursing inwardly as I remember that all the guest rooms are now taken.

“My room,” I answer, nodding towards the door just opposite the stairs on the third floor.

Moving away from August, I open the door quickly and clear my bed as best as possible, mentally grimacing at the mountainous piles of plushies by the headboard as my cousins carefully set August down on the bed.

“You should probably undress him,” Russ suggests, moving August on his back.

“What?” The high-pitched sound I let out is unnatural as they look at me, puzzled. “What??”

“His clothes, Ate.” Gabe blinks at me, a confused expression on his face. “Your boyfriend’s coat is soaked through. The bed’s going to get wet.”

I feel the heat rise to my cheeks.

“Right— right!”

I quickly remove the scarf around August’s neck and the hat on his head. His hair, a little bit longer and even lighter than I remember, is slightly tangled and I can feel him burning up against my palm as I swipe the strands away from his forehead.

“Ate Lia,” Russ turns to me worriedly. “He’s burning up.”

I try not to let my concern show through.

“I know, I know.” I swallow, nervous habits kicking in as I begin undoing the belt of his trench coat. “He doesn’t take kindly to cold weather.”

“The guy sure has a death wish if he was travelling during the snowstorm,” Gabe comments and I wince.

I quickly thank them for helping as they exit my room.

Placing my palm against the skin peeking above his turtleneck, I swallow the lump building in my throat.

His temperature is concerningly high.

“August,” I shake him lightly. “Can you hear me?”

He lets out a quiet hum of acknowledgement but he doesn’t open his eyes, brows furrowing as he begins to shudder a little more violently.

The worry in my gut doubles as he lays in my bed, unresponsive.