CHAPTER NINETEEN : Butterflies Awakening
It’s been a week since that getaway at San Narciso. Tessa was out of town for nearly three weeks now, they are in Cebu working on an advertisement that showcases the beauty of the place. Well Vera, since she started at that grand production house, she was always out of reach, I am afraid for her actually, I know how parlous the spot light and the high end living could be.
I am sat the kitchen stool, trying to find something to try at the kitchen through the World Wide Web. I am honestly unreliable when it comes to cooking but at least I can fry.
Feeling hopeless, I decided to go out and have my lunch somewhere at the mall. Well, yeah, Aunt Mika left our car here, but I am hopeless driver, I can’t understand the basics or I just don’t like to know.
I am riding the cab to the mall. When I saw Matt, he is striding across the pedestrian. Oh good heavens, he is so hot. He wears a navy blue shirt and those jeans hanging from his hips. Oh, those hips. I am biting my lips deeply, I paid the cab and went out, I walk to the pedestrian to his side, but he does not seem to notice me, he has earphones attached to his ears and he stares blankly at his way. I gulp the tension and compose myself,
“Hey, Matt.” I somehow manage to touch his arm, he look down at me, his eyes blank and he looks boring. He just raise an eyebrow as his appreciation of my existence, he took out one of the earphones and said,
“Can I help you?” he sounded so distant, I feel the sweating at my feet and hands, geez, this is embarrassing.
“A-I am headed to the mall, nice to see you though.” And I walk pass him, I walk robotically, I screwed it, I screwed it!!! Then firm hand drags me by the waist and there is a deafening honk in the air, the other people at the island are staring at me with amusement and irritation, the sweating is getting way worst than ever. My palpitating heart is rebelling inside my rib cage. I feel unable to make a step or stand firmly by my own.
I am afraid to look at anyone anymore. Vanna the Accident Magnet. I sighed inwardly. As the light turns green at front of us, I am surprise that Matt held me by the waist and we walk our way to the entrance of the mall.
I ate in total silence, sat in front of me was the spacing out Matt, he still has his earphones attached and eating almost everything on his plate. I find the awkwardness really unbearable so I talk up.
“Don’t you think it’s rude to have your earphones attached when you are obviously with a companion?” I said still twirling the pasta with the fork. He lifted his gaze to me and detaches one of it,
“What?” he snapped. Oh boy... Where did your manners go?
“I said it is rude to have earphones attached when you are with a companion.” I state it again, his brows furrowed and have his hands entwined where his chin rested.
“Doesn’t bother you right?” he eyed me manipulatively. His gaze making me melt, I break eye contact and stare at my food, I remembered the day when Harold drove me home. Oh no!
“Look, about what happened a week ago—“
“Doesn’t matter.” And he eats the remains of his food. I feel so dumbstruck of his behaviour. Was he pissed of what he saw before? I tried to eat but I already lost appetite. I am feeling a great deal of dismay. I tried to chew some bread but I seriously lost the desire to eat.
We are walking by the mini garden at the third level of the mall; I am deep in thought when I realize I am walking all alone. I have the greatest feeling of crying at the middle of this people loaded place. I sat at one of the stone seats and stare at nowhere. I feel so lost once again.
Drowning in loneliness, a man sat beside me with a loud thud. Instead of caring to look at him, I moved away and stoop my head lower this time.
His hand moved to the back and to my surprise cup my right shoulder. With the contact, I suddenly lifted my head and was about to go ultraviolent when a pool of deep gray ascent me from my thoughts. Suddenly the crumbling inside my stomach started again, I don’t know I because the hunger returned or because of the sight of this man.
“H-how?” I stutter.
“You know, you don’t own the place so don’t be rude. It so happen that I was strolling around and I found you here sulking. Come on, it’s a happy place.” I shiver as I let out a sigh. He’s right. This place is loaded of happy people.
“You here alone?” he asked his hand still at my shoulder, thank God it’s the sleeves that he’s touching but I can still feel a bit tingling. I nodded; I just want to erase the image of Matt simply despising me. I bite my lower lip.
“Let’s watch a movie. My treat!” he sounds so happy right now, so I favoured his happiness. We watched Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. I am seriously surprised of how much we have similar interests. We both love cartoons. We both like to travel. We both like music though I am more on the Pop and R&B while he was interested in Aerosmith and Rock. He laughs freely every time the characters done such a crazy antic, at first, it is the movie that entertains me but at the middle of it Archer broke into a fit of laughter that is in fact infectious. He laughs like six years old, how odd? Since then, it is he that I stare to from time to time because he has this smirk on his face that I really find fascinating. Thank goodness it’s dark.
The earlier feeling of humiliation has vanished, we both sat at the park outside the mall with ice cream at hand. I never saw him so carefree like this, before, he’s so clipped and quiet and so strange.
“Can I tell you something?” he nodded,
“You look cute when you are like this.” He almost drops the scoop of ice cream to his pants with my remark. I laugh at his surprise.
“I thought you would say you have fallen in love with my handsomeness.” I almost choke from laughing with his answer... He what?
“Just kidding.” And he smirks at me like it has double meaning on it. We finished our ice cream and talk for I think about two hours? I never thought Archer or Harold, as I first met him, was this carefree and easy to be with... He’s so different. And I like this difference. It’s a good difference.
“How odd? It’s just striking hot earlier now it’s too dark.” I stare at the sky with his concern, he’s right. It looks like it’s going to rain. I remember that moment when he insists on driving me home. I know there is a smile creeping at my face as I sleekly savour the memory.
“Come now sweetie, Aeolus breathing strong winds here.”
Sweetie? Who? Me?
I stare at his profile as a frown forms into his face, why is it too easy for him to say or call me with this damn sweet endearments. I hug myself. The wind is harsh. He lend his hand to me while he is busy searching something. Then the fluttering inside me started, here goes my heart again. Thumping loudly inside my ribcage and my stomach, I feel it contracting I don’t know if it’s with the coldness or if the butterflies are now awake and doing rounds inside me.
I hold on tight to myself. This should stop. I can’t. I don’t know how to handle this feeling... It’s suffocating me...
“Hey.” Firm hands enveloped me, I breathe in his heavenly summer musk. So heavenly, it makes my heart race more than expected. What is wrong with me? I struggle out of his hold leaving him with puzzled look. But unfortunately, he closed the gap between us, I can feel, seriously feel his toned body.
“Archer...Please...” It’s almost a whisper.
“Please what?” mirroring my tone. I stare at his face. I don’t know how to say this. And heavy rain poured down, I squeal in surprise and he cuss. We both run towards the waiting area which very available to the soaked us.
I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand and shake the wetness off. He is doing the same with his now body soaked shirt. As he continuously wags his wet shirt, fine masculinity is surfacing out from his wet shirt. I am feeling the heat on my cheeks so I stare away and give him my back.
I hate myself for being this vulnerable around him.
Vulnerable. On what? His fine masculinity? His deep gray eyes? His breathtaking smirk? His heavenly summer scent? His unruly dishevelled sexy mane of brown hair? What?
“Vanna what’s wrong?” I hear him ask. I suddenly turn around but my checks are already crimson, he is staring at me like he discovered that I am a boy. The fudge!!
“I-I don’t know.” I stutter. Why am I trembling in front of him?
“Tell me.” He holds me by my wrist and the tingling is there again. I try to withdraw my hand but he holds it tightly.
“We are just fine a while ago and now you are treating me like a stranger. What is it now that I’ve done?” he asks me while he is running a hand through his hair and the other on his resting on his hip.
I swallowed at his sight. What’s wrong with me? There is the urge inside me that forces me to step forward and hug him but why would I do that?
I lean at the metal banister, I breathe heavily out.
“Hey.” And we are close again, he held me by my shoulder but I don’t want to stare at him, because if I do, I will seriously make the third record to my kiss list. I sighed again. He bent down until he is squatting in front of me. He holds my hand and somehow I can feel I calm down.
He looks me deep in my eyes,
“We’ll talk when we are comfortably dry. Is it okay if we proceed to your place?” I nodded in approval. And we went off.