One Decision

24. Marshmallows

The effects of the lightning were amazing. The frequency of it was the only way I could see his frame and it was like looking at a model walking in camera flashes, his grey eyes glimmering with each stroke of light.

I stared as he sat down next to me on the sofa. I slowly pushed the cup towards him and he nodded in a silent thanks, before I took my own.

It was a satisfactory silence. We kept sipping on our drinks while watching the storm rage outside, feeling his piercing gaze on me.

I was mad, don't get confused. I was still furious at him, but somehow I couldn't help but make him comfortable. My heart warmed, at least a bit knowing that he was worried for me.

"So... do the pants fit you?" I asked when I felt the comfortable silence go a bit heavier.

"Yeah, perfectly." Ace replied in his typical monotone. But even in that, there was a hint of tiredness which he tried to conceal but slipped out.

I sighed when more moments passed with silence. I decided to speak up since I knew he wasn't someone to start a talk or explain themselves.

"Why are you here Ace?" I asked, finishing up my drink, and lifted my one leg up on the sofa, to my chest so that I faced him.

He kept his face blank while looking out the large glass window, coolly taking a sip of his drink. Oh, now he is gonna ignore me?

"Why didn't you pick up my calls?" He asked instead, making me grit my teeth. "Someone told me once answering a question with a question was not good." I replied instead, making him look at me.

Finally.

"To be precise, that someone told his wife about talking to him like that."

"Then now the wife is asking him to not talk to her like that." I fired back, making the end of his lips twitch but no more than that.

Since I was the one who was dying for answers, I chose to give in.

"The electricity cut off, I was late to know about the storm, my phone had only two percent and then it died." He nodded at my answer absentmindedly, still staring out into the thick downpour and flashing bolts.

A loud crash rumbled and echoed between the skies above, making me wince harder than before as my leg shot up from the floor, my arms wrapping around my thighs tightly.

Urg, that noise was the worst. I wasn't astrophobic, but I always imagined the terrible noise would being the skies down on the earth which cause destruction.

I know it's not scientifically possible, since something called sky is actually not there but well, my mind is weird.

And being trapped under the sky was what scared me. I may not be astrophobic, but I was claustrophobic.

"You are afraid of thunder?" Ace's voice cut the noise of the storm, which seemed to rage outside. It was starting to feel unsafe even inside.

I scoffed at his question.

"You still haven't answered mine so you can't ask yet another question, Ace." I frowned at him making him sigh.

"I didn't know where you were, and your parents and neither your friend knew. I panicked, obviously." Did he check with everyone?

"Were you worried for me?" I gaped at him, but I couldn't see his face well because of the extreme darkness when the lightning did stop.

"I might look like I don't care. I actually don't, but at the same time I don't want you dead." He confessed, making my heart flutter.