Hacker

Chapter 10 - Fragile

"Why don't you just go?" The last tears were drying off my cheeks. "You're not supposed to see me like this." I folded my arms and averted my gaze.

"Come with me tonight." He said while closing our distance.

Unexpectedly my stomach filled with butterfly. "To where?" I furrowed my brows, trying my hardest to hide the effects he gave me.

He shook his head, signing that he couldn't tell. "Be ready at 9. Wear something casual." With those last words, he curved a half smile and left.

**

We're taking the elevator to floor 14th of a condominium. To say that I was worried would be an understatement. It was a bunch of negative possibilities and questions towards my sanity every time I kept following this guy to anywhere.

He unlocked one room while I glanced at the quiet hallway. The door clicked. I still hesitated even after he got in. It seemed like there would only be two of us here. My eyes moved to where the elevator at. It's not too late to run back down, I thought.

"Rae?" He called. His figure appeared in front of the door seconds after. He looked left and right, probably wondering what's playing in my mind. Finally, his eyes stopped at me. "Trust me when I said it's safer inside rather than outside."

That statement somehow gave me chill. I fidgeted my arms and stepped in with a silent prayer.

One word - wow.

"Uh, whose is this place again?" I asked, absorbing all the design and accessories in the room.

"Cal." He answered. "Don't forget to close the door." He added before walking to the kitchen.

I snapped out of my amazement and locked the door behind me. Zack walked back with a glass of water and sat on one of the sofa. As he drank, I took a seat not too far away from him.

"So, where's Cal?" I asked.

"Out." He stated.

Yet Zack had the keys. Guess they're really good friends.

"He lives here alone?"

He shook his head. "With his sister," He answered. "And girlfriend, sometimes." He smirked and shrugged before drinking again.

I coughed a bit to ease the awkwardness I felt and nodded slightly. "Are we waiting for anyone?" I shoot another.

"No." He said.

"Okay..." So, what are we going to do here?

It was like a big, bold question that I didn't even need to voice out. Zack put the glass on the table and took a remote beside it. He pointed it to a wall. Pushing a button, there was a sound and the wall turned around, showing hundreds of books. He did the same towards the tv and a drawer moved out, exposing cd's and video games equipment.

My mouth gapped watching the luxury. Zack's cough took me back to reality and I darted my eyes to him.

"I figured that your problem might be a very private matter, as you called your brother yesterday." There we have the unnecessary Sherlock again. "It's alright if you don't want to share it with me. Doesn't mean I'm going to let you stay in that mood, though. Here we have books, movies, games, and for the food, you can either call for delivery or ask me to cook one for you." He smiled.

Cook. It's tempting. I wondered what he'd cook for me. But spending a night together, in a cozy place, doing things I loved, that's already too much of a romantic and ideal date for me. Let's not make it more typical especially with this guy, shall we?

"I'd call pizza." I decided.

He chuckled at my choice, but let it slide anyway.

**

We watched two movies and this would be the third one, The Butterfly Effect.

This sofa bed was so cozy, I was already sleepy through half of the story. Zack was at the very far of the other side so we had the 'halal gap' in the middle which we put the boxes of pizza and drinks.

Noticing I was sleepy, he tried to make a conversation, "Rae, if you can travel back in time, which chapter of the past would you choose?" The tv was showing the scene where Evan read his journal to figure out how he could stop the explosion.

I yawned but with my mouth covered. "To where I could tell Ed he's such a stupid geek and made us hate each other." I said. "He had caused the deepest scar in my heart... and I forever wished to not experience such heartbreak from an unworthy guy." My voice became gradually slow. "You?" I asked back.

"None."

My brows creased and I looked at him in that minimal light. "Don't you want to have your mother back?"

He ignored my question. I turned to lie on my right side, facing him. I was no longer expecting any answer, just making myself comfortable as my eyes were getting heavy.

It was probably just a part of my drowsy imagination, but I noticed him looking at me. "If any of this didn't happen, I wouldn't have met you." He muttered before I was transferred to another blank dream.