After dinner, Adrian helped Joey go through the routine of cleaning up the kitchen, locking up all the doors and windows, and activating the new alarm system. As he followed her up to the second floor where he was shown his designated bathroom and then to the third floor to his room, the full reality of it set in. Paglaom entrusted him with Joey's safety for two whole weeks and God help him if he fouls up.
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Adrian woke up as the early morning glow showed through his window. He looked around his room, feeling disoriented, before remembering whose house this was. He checked his phone – it was just after 6:00 AM. Quietly, he went out of his room and paused near the staircase, waiting for any sign of movement from Joey's bedroom and bathroom at the other end of the hallway. Nothing.
Thinking that she could still be asleep, he passed by the second floor bathroom to freshen up before going down to the kitchen. Joey had given him the rundown of the house's every nook and cranny, kitchen included, so he knew where everything was kept. He had just plugged in the electric thermos when he noticed the safety bolt on the kitchen door was open. He stared at it, clearly remembering that he locked it in Joey's presence last night. Deciding to check outside, he opened the door. To his surprise, Joey was right outside, walking on the sidewalk towards the house.
"Where have you been?" Adrian creased his brows at her as she entered through the low-rise gate. She was cradling a huge sketchpad in one arm. He noticed that she was wearing shorts.
"At the park.", she replied matter-of-factly.
"This early? And wearing that?" Adrian pointed to her shorts.
Joey narrowed her eyes at him and stepped into the kitchen, saying nothing. But Adrian was not to be ignored.
"Will you please answer my questions?", he persisted.
She lifted her brows at him. "I usually wake up early to walk around the park and to sketch. And so what if I wear shorts? Is it illegal?"
Adrian frowned. "Next time, you should tell me where you're going."
Joey watched him in disbelief as he quietly made himself coffee and a cheese sandwich while his ears turned bright pink and his jaw stiffened. Was he angry? He sat himself at the dining table and sipped his coffee, apparently in deep thought. She shook her head and turned her back to him to open the cupboard, debating which cereal she'd have today. Plain cornflakes or frosties? Or fruit loops?
Adrian gazed at her back as he chewed on his sandwich. He didn't know what had gotten into him – why he suddenly felt angry. And he wasn't sure if he was angry at her or at himself or both. Maybe it was the thought that he didn't count on Joey going out alone this early in the morning. Or the fact that he didn't know where she was and if anything happened to her he would be skinned alive by Paglaom. His gaze travelled down to her bare legs, swallowing hard at the sight. Words such as Flawless and Silky entered his mind. Damn! He looked away just as she turned to join him at the table.
"Are you angry?" Joey broke the silence.
He looked up from his coffee and shook his head. "Next time, just let me know where you're going. I don't like the idea of you suddenly disappearing into God-knows-where."
"Whoa, you're even worse than my uncle. May I remind you that I don't need a bodyguard?"
"Let's just say I'm guarding my own ass. 'Cause it'll be my ass on the line if something happens to you." He stood up and quickly washed his coffee mug, her crossed legs a vision in white at the corner of his eye. "And I'm going ahead to school. I got a full day ahead." With that, he turned on his heel and hurried up the stairs.
Chapter 7
Start from the beginning
