Pierre was already outside the house he used to live before. He even still have the keys with him. After some hesitations, the man decided to go inside and opened the door.
A young lady was waiting for him for almost half an hour at the couch. Both of her eyebrows were about to touch. She was more ruthless than before. Even before the two of them met at the station.
Her heart still aches up to this day… and it's all because of him. It was him who made her heart go wild everytime someone visits the house, thinking it was Pierre. She was constantly spending 30 minutes at the terminal everyday, trying to see if he arrives coincidentally. She even tried to get hands on his personal information at the ICT Office, however they were strict in the confidentiality of the students' information. In the end, she always go home with a sad look on her face.
Every morning, Maricar tried to turn the doorknob and knock on her housemate's room to see if he came back late at night. But no one opened the door. She even tried hard to clean the entire house, hoping that he left a note that was lost when she came home. But in the end, no notes were found. She was trying to guess what was his reason for leaving. It was when after the week when she still haven't seen Pierre. Maricar tried so hard until she got exhausted. Her exhaustion turned into anger and despise. Her efforts were hopeless as the man had no intention to show up.
Opening the door, Pierre saw the house was clean and arranged. It didn't take long when he saw Maricar sitting on the couch. After closing it, he slowly walked towards her, every step seems to be quite new to her ears at this point. They were not talking to each other, however their stares could tell that there was a heavy atmosphere.
He sat on the single sofa and initiated the talk after a few seconds of silence. “How's your life recently?”
Yet instead of a direct response, Maricar slammed her hand on the coffee table and angrily asked him back.
“You have the guts to ask me that?” her voice was full of bitterness.
Pierre looked down and fiddled with his fingers. He didn't expect she had become a harsher person after his departure. Without anything to say, the young man proceeded to apologize to her.
“I-I'm sorry for leaving without a notice. I didn't–”
“Pierre. Stop giving me explanations, okay? Stop being such a jerk. You left without a notice because you think I'm not worthy of it. You kissed when I was drunk back then and fled from it. Tell me, Pierre. Am I that unimportant to you?” Maricar was serious about everything yet she felt like she was just toyed by him.
The young man replied in a soft tone, “Maricar, don't be like this. Just listen to my explanation. I promise, you will understand me.”
She rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Just answer the damn question, Pierre! Is it that hard to say?!” Maricar stood up and walked towards the kitchen to drink some water.
Pierre gulped his saliva and shook his head even when she wasn't looking. Maricar was really angry and he didn't expect that it was that bad. However all he wanted was for her to hear his side. To believe that everything was just a misunderstanding.
The guy stood up and went to her before answering, “That's not the case, Maricar. Please, just hear me out.”
Maricar furiously turned around and splashed Pierre's chest with water. He was all wet in front together with his face. The young lady forcefully threw the glass to the sink. Luckily, it didn't shatter into pieces. He wiped his face and looked at Maricar.
“I'm sorry, please listen to me for once…” his voice hinted desperation towards her. He tried to grab her hand but she wasn't letting him get a grip of it.
She dropped another question. “Do you like me then?” her eyes were telling him that she was eager to have an answer. Instead of giving in to him, she asked a new question.
Pierre's heart beat faster after she asked the question. It was his moment already to confess to her. That he like her for a long time. But he was not speaking up. His tongue won't move to utter a single word of ‘yes’.
Maricar took a step forward, causing him to step backward instinctively. With that simple gesture, her heart slowly ached.
“Tell me, did you have feelings for me?” she calmly asked once again after taking another step. Her eyes were full of hope yet Pierre can't read it.
Pierre stepped back and replied, “Let's not talk about this… please.”
The tango-like situation continued until Pierre can step no more. He was cornered yet Maricar won't stop. They were already so close to each other, so close they could hear each other's breaths.
A few seconds later, Maricar moved away and went out of the kitchen. She was already crying while going back to the living area.
“I don't understand you, Pierre…” she weeped.
Pierre stared at her back, he knew she was already crying. But how can he comfort her if she would just give him a beating for touching her?
“Why can't you answer such a simple question?! You're making it hard for me not to be angry with you, okay!?” the young man was silent. He don't have anything to say at her.
She wiped her tears before turning around and yelled, “I hate you so much for leaving me! I hate you for making me worried all this time just to see you come back! I feel like a fool, Pierre…” Maricar continued crying.
Her housemate stopped in front of her and tried to dry her cheeks yet his hand was flicked away. She continued on scolding him.
“Everyday, I am checking the house for your presence. I did my best to ask around about you, to find you, to see if you are still out there! I always fail. I'm exhausted and hopeless!” she sat back on the big couch.
Pierre looked at her with sadness in his eyes. His eyes are also watering up but didn't want to let it out. “Maricar, I understand about your grudges towards me. But I didn't leave because I'm not responsible. It's because–”
“You don't need to explain–”
“Just please listen to me!” he yelled back to cut her off.
‘Pierre, just be courageous.’
He sat by her side, however Maricar pushed him away. It wasn't that hard to make him move.
“Maricar, don't be a hardheaded person, I'm begging you. Open your ears, will you?!” he didn't notice that he was already crying again.
“I'm the one who suffered here, Pierre!”
“But I also suffered back there, too! Maricar, do you really know why I went back to my hometown? My mom came back. She was in danger and I have to save her!” the young lady froze on her spot.
Maricar glanced at Pierre. He was looking away from her to hide his tears. He doesn't want her to see him crying. But he failed. He already cried for his mom earlier, now he cried because of Maricar. She was the second woman he shed tears.
“Y-Your mom?” Maricar stuttered mentioning about his parent for the first time. He never mentioned her ever since they met. He was so secretive of his family. But it seems that she broke into his world, finally.
“Mm,” Pierre responded shortly.
Maricar's attitude suddenly softened. “What happened to your mom? I promise I will listen.” the other person eventually agreed after a few thoughts.
Pierre told her everything that happened while he was away. From the moment he got a call from his aunt up to the moment he got separated again with her. She kept her promise. She finally understand the other side she was neglecting.
Maricar carefully listened everything he said. Every sentence he tells holds a story of his sufferings.
There was a silence between them after Pierre finished. Maricar was trying to compose herself. It was not hard for her not to understand that. But she felt like she was a bad person. A very bad one. It was her close mindedness that made her unable to account for Pierre's suffering.
“Pierre, I'm sorry. I did it again…”
“Did what?”
Their eyes met, however unlike earlier, coated with sadness and regret. Maricar wanted to admit in front of him that she misunderstood him again. But it seems that he knew it already. They broke the stares after a while.
She shook her head, “Nothing. I just felt like I'm a bad person…” Maricar chortled and wiped her tears dry before speaking, “Pierre, I know you think the same too. Everyone sees me as a villain, a bitch. I'm the antagonist in every Laurentian's life. How could you not think about it?”
Pierre don't know what to say. How can he add oil to the flame in her heart? It was another long silence that Pierre couldn't bear. In order to kill the dead air, he asked a different question.
“Will you forgive me now?”
Maricar suddenly went to him up close, “I still want you to answer my question, Pierre… do you like me?”
Jude's words earlier echoed in his mind. ‘You still like her. You are bluffing yourself.’
Even though he never denied himself that he likes her, he haven't confess to anyone about it. The closest thing to his confession was when he did a blind item way before. It was the safest thing to do to prevent himself from being impulsive.
But with all the hiding and keeping it to himself, he can't escape his heart from beating at the woman he likes. The same woman who misunderstood him many times. The same woman who grew dependent on him. And now, she's in front of him, asking to be honest.
He wanted to be honest. The only thing he's afraid of is that she will be burdened by his personal problems. The people around her will also criticize her badly. Especially if they knew that both of them lived in the same roof for two months. Maricar grew hopeless every second that passed, until she retracted the question back.
“I'm just kidding. I knew you like someone else.” she stood up, leaving him hanging.
But the young man couldn't control himself anymore. Pierre pulled Maricar back, making her sit on his lap. As fast as it went, the young lady didn't have time to react. She only knew that Pierre pressed his lips against hers. She was in shock. But with his warm lips, she couldn't resist. Few seconds later, she responded from his initiation.
He was still wet from the water she threw at him, but she doesn't care. She just want to taste his lips again. Their hearts beat in unison. The rhythm of their kisses became more and more similar.
Each of them wanted to eat up the other, however they both understood on one thing: they don't want to finish it earlier.
For months, they don't have an interaction, only the growing desire towards each other. It was hard for them to wait even for a week, let alone a month and half.
Pierre who thought his liking towards Maricar slowly faded proved himself wrong with only a glance of her. And it seems like his feelings gotten a lot deeper.
They paused from the kiss, catching their breaths after almost three minutes of continuous kissing. It's obvious that they really like each other, it seems that the confession is drawing near.
“I never said I liked someone else…” he said while panting.
“Then why did you denied it when your friends asked if you like me?” her voice was as sweet as a candy.
“I don't want to be impulsive… before.” he continued after his eyes wandered to her fiery crests.
Pierre owned her lips once again. Maricar never bothered to force him to answer.
She hold onto his nape comfortably, securing him. In her mind, ‘as long as I'm the only one whom he kiss, he's the only one who's going to taste my lips.’
Maricar suddenly bit his lower lip, which he let out a grunt. But he didn't stop, even they already tasted his blood.
‘His kissing improved,’ she thought.
Yet during their hot scene, someone opened the door, startling them. They were fast enough to do such an act but they are not fast enough to compose and fix themselves before someone sees them.
“Maricar, why did you—holy!”
It was Mr. Geron.