True Love's Bite

02 // Hands On

The smell of cigarettes was overwhelming, I couldn't wear the sweater for longer than a minute. As if reading my mind, he said, "Sorry."

I handed the sweater back to him and he put it on, covering his face with the hoodie yet again.

"It's okay, thanks for the warm gesture though," I said, and he laughed.

I could never get used to that rumbling laughter. "Was that pun intended?"

My cheeks warmed up. "Maybe."

"I'm Silas, by the way. And you are?"

We stopped outside me and Esra's room.

"I'm Yvonne."

"Well, nice to meet you, Yvonne." He held out his hand, and I stared at him before linking our hands in a handshake.

I gasped as a familiar feeling of electricity shot up my arm, and I snatched my hand away. I wanted to ask him if we had met earlier, but I couldn't find the words.

We stood there awkwardly, until he cleared his throat. "Well then, goodnight," He said and walked away.

"Wait!" I called out before I could stop myself, and he stopped without turning around. "Would you like to come in?"

He seemed taken aback, if his rigid posture was anything to go by. For a moment, I thought he was going to refuse, but he dropped his hands in a relaxed manner and tilted his body slightly in my direction.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, and I replied with a nod as my mouth had suddenly gone dry.

Silas walked over to me with his hands in his pockets.

I quickly averted my eyes and distracted myself with unlocking the door. I have no idea why I invited him in, perhaps it was because I have a long night ahead, since I will be all alone and I don't feel sleepy since I slept for long hours earlier today. If I had my painting equipment here, boredom would be the last thing on my mind, I would have spent the night pouring my heart on a canvas.

Once we were inside, I realised that although Silas was chatty, his eyes were downcast all the time.

"Uhm... would you like something to drink or eat?"

There was a pause for a moment, and then he shook his head. "No, thanks."

Okay, that was sad because I was hungry and there was no way I was going to eat in front of him, it would be much better if we were both nibbling on something.

"I-"

"Or maybe some snacks," he quipped. "Do you mind?"

I was about to say I did not mind ordering some snacks for him when I noticed the cigarette in his hand. "Of course not, uhm... go through to the pool area. I'll order us some food in the meantime."

He nodded and left through the sliding glass doors, and I watched him make his way to a bench a few feet from the pool before he lit his cigarette and took a long drag, smoke filling his mouth before he exhaled through his nose.

I don't know why I got the feeling that he smoked a lot, as if there weren't enough people already dying from lung cancer. My body shivered at the thought.

Stop being a creep, I chastened myself, my feet paddling to the phone. I ordered us some food and drinks.

Hopefully, he did not plan on staying out there all night, it was really cold. If he wanted to, he could even choose not to return to my room and leave.

Honestly, I was dying to hang out with someone who didn't know who I was, a complete stranger who wouldn't make fun of my life and try to advice me out of the predicament I found myself in.