At the end of the day, the two of us ended up in a hotel.
DON'T GET ME WRONG! ...
Let me explain before you jump to conclusions.
Well, the thing is, I can't bring her to my apartment since all of my neighbors are close to my family and they are all aware of the absolute unchanging fact that "I am single", so, me bringing a woman back would be a grand event for them to gossip about. Adding to that, it won't be good for her reputation if people were to find out, because it won't be believable that I just wanted to help her and that I won't make any use of her, especially taking into big consideration that she is wayyyyy far from "bad looking".
So, staying in a hotel where no one knows "us", is the optimal option... For now...
However, this "now" should not go on for too long, which is exactly why I was trying to get any sort of information from her throughout the day.
Failing at it miserably.. Sad enough, it's not a first.
Her eyes started to get heavier as the two of us were sitting at separate beds; with me STILL trying to make her talk and her merely and barely looking at me through her hooded eyes... Next thing I know she fell backward onto the bed like her soul left her body...
I never knew of such a thing but I guess I have a knack for boring people to sleep.
If we were in another situation I would have busted out laughing at the way her body gave up and plunged back, but here I was, devastated from the fact that she refused to talk, putting me in a world where I was lost, without any sort of lead on what to do next...
Just what am I to do with her?
The least she can do is talk.
LIKE! At least her name! that could be some sort of a clue in itself.
Just... " What is your name ?" I whispered looking at her sleeping form, telling myself to just call it a night already; the girl is down and out so there's nothing worth me staying up for.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
What is this sound?
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Why can't it just stop?!!
My eyes fluttered open as my brain was activated; looking around me searching for the source, I found her beside me with my watch in her hand. She was focused on it; listening to its ticking, bringing it to my ear to make me listen to it too.
"You like it?" I asked her in my sleepy voice. And all I can do after is thank god that it didn't scare her how deep and grumpy it sounded. She nodded, her simple action gave me hope of finding out more about her. I sat up excited that this could be the time to solve this whole mystery "Is that why you followed me? Do you want to have it?" I threw the first questions that came to my head at her. She shook her head, pointed at my wrist with her right hand, and handed me the watch with the other.
"Should I wear it?" I asked her to which she grinned and nodded. So I, gladly, took it from her and put it on, waiting for the right time to ask her more. however, she beat me up to it, "Pa" she uttered, making my whole body as an entirety tense as a response.
SHE SPOKE!!
"What?!" I tried my best to control my tone so I don't freak her out and make her go back to her silent show. But honestly, I was the one freaking out!!
She pointed at it and looked back at me "Pa"
"Your father?!"I asked and she nodded.
Ok! We're getting somewhere!
"Does he sell watches?" Her eyebrows furrowed and she shook her head "Then?". I was waiting for an answer, however, she just kept looking at me with her furrowed eyebrows ... Then, all of a sudden, pointed at my face.
"What? Is there something on my face?" I asked as I reached my hands to my face trying to sense what could have grabbed her attention.
She got her pointing finger closer to my face, and that is when It hit me that I was the one with the furrowed brows and she was just mirroring my expressions. I smiled when she touched in between my eyebrows and it didn't take her long to mirror my smile, following it with a little giggle, lightening and uplifting my mood; making the frustration that came upon me yesterday with her lack of speech vanish into thin air like a lie that never existed.
She seemed to notice her effect on me since she started jumping up and down while seated on my bed mattress. I shook my head smiling at the way she was acting when all of a sudden she stopped. She glanced down at her stomach for a while before I decided to voice out her thoughts "Hungry?" to which she lifted her head and hummed in response.
At least I'm getting more than a head movement now.
The second I opened the door to get the food service that I called for, she ran and gripped my shirt, hiding behind me. The server was creeped out and didn't even try to hide it, which made me conscious of her as I pushed her gently to the side with my left hand and hid her behind me "I would appreciate it if you didn't look at her that way. She gets uncomfortable"
"Oh! My apologies, sir"
I took the food thanked him and closed the door behind me. Just then, she lets go of my shirt and remains still like a rock, but keeps looking at me as if waiting for me to move... And so I did. I went and took a seat at the end of the bed waiting for her to sit on the bed across.
She walked towards me... Sat across from me... but right on the ground!.
"Get up or you'll get sick" I asked of her with a slightly whiny tone hoping she doesn't perceive it as an annoyance. Yet, she just kept looking at me "*sigh*Just get up, please"
After quite the negotiation and patience, I managed to convince her to sit beside me and handed her the food I had ordered but all she did was grimace when she got it in her mouth and refused to swallow it. I ran like an idiot, bringing her water to just swallow what she already had in her mouth, afraid that she would choke on it. But after that, she refused to eat more.
"You said you were hungry" I was starting to feel the frustration build up inside of me.
"Nana"
"Nana? Your nanny??"
She shook her head and facepalmed herself.
Did I mention anything about frustration? Never mind me, I just chuckled.
She took the piece of bread and brought it to my face "nana"
"Nana?..... HANNAH?!!" I yelled with excitement to get the answer not thinking that that would startle her, which it did, as she jumped back, almost falling from the bed. her reaction and sweet expressions made me burst out laughing for a second before I could stop at the idea of her misunderstanding it for mocking her, which could get her pissed at me. However, all I saw was a huge smile on her face and a couple of pure innocent eyes looking at my every move.
I cleared my throat as I composed myself "Eee. Are you trying to say that you want a sandwich?" I asked her and for that, she answered by humming. "You should have said so earlier" I spoke as I moved the plate away from her "I wouldn't have spent money on this if I knew".
Her face fell and she looked at the plate in front of me ... Reading all of the signs and realizing my stupidity, I can tell for sure that she was going to cry...
But I was wrong...
She pulled the plate towards her and took a spoon, filled it, then brought it to her lips and ate it with no hesitation... Well, there was a bit of discomfort since she grimaced when it got into her mouth but she managed to mask it with an awkward smile at the end.
And here I am, on the other hand, unable to take my eyes off of her every move...
Why was she doing this?
What was she even doing?...
But that was merely the beginning of the day, the stupid, ignorant me, didn't know what was coming for him.
"Why are you scratching?" I heard Hannah ask from behind me, so I turned to see the woman that was holding my shirt, scratching her hands, face, and neck.
"What's wrong?" I inquired. She looked uncomfortable but she kept holding my shirt with a hand and scratching with the other, discomfort and pain written all over her face. I took a closer look at her face and hands noticing a bit of a rash "Allergies? Do you have allergies?!"
She nodded slowly like she was scared of me.
Why would she be scared now?
What did I do?
"Control your tone! you're scaring her." Hannah hissed at me then turned to her, asking her softly "Allergies from what?"
She didn't answer her, with her lips fully sealed, she just kept staring at me.
"WHAT ALLERGIES DO YOU HAVE?!" I yelled at her frustrated by her silence, however, my outburst wasn't followed by answers, on the contrary, it created fear, which she expressed quite well as she flinched and loosened her grip, making her hands fall to her sides. "I'll go get medicine... Stay here!" I pointed my finger to her face making sure that she understands but her tear-filled eyes kept looking at me making me drop my hand and my pointing rude finger and turn around in a hurry.
Hannah stopped me before I was able to go out "You were harsh on her, maybe she doesn't know what allergy she has"
"I know. I need to get her medicine for now"
"i-"
"Take care of her while I'm out" I sprinted out of there not giving a care about how she felt now, her health was my responsibility, at least till the day I find her family...
"Open up" I said while I was on my knees to face her as she was sitting on a chair fidgeting with her hands. "Aah" I added and I waited for her to open up and take the pill but she was being stubborn, she wasn't even looking at me... But I was; I was looking at her and I was fully aware of how red her skin had gotten, also quite aware of how her breath intakes are becoming shorter and harder for her to take.
I brought my hand up and got a hold of her jaw, opening her mouth forcefully ignoring the fact that she started pushing my hand away with hers and tightening my grip as a reaction to her behavior. She kept fighting me but so did I, till she shrieked "NO!" I felt her tears on the tip of my fingers and I pulled my hand away as if I was burned.
I breathed in and out calming myself, knowing there was no way I could force her now, I had to convince her to take it by her own will...
"I'm sorry.." I breathed in and out before I spoke again "I'm sorry. But you need to take this. You are hurt now, so you need medicine. So please stop being stubborn because you're making me worry about you "
She didn't move for a couple of seconds, therefore, I was about to force her to open up again, there was no other way!. Before I could, she parted her lips and shot her tongue out looking at the pill in my hand.
I was surprised but I still moved my hand up, slowly put the pill on her tongue, looking at her eyes all along, only she refused to look at mine. The ground seemed to be more interesting to her now. That hurt, but the hurt didn't last long, because the moment the pill was on her tongue she grimaced and tried to remove it. "Oh! wait! wait! wait! " I held her hands to stop her, picking up the water cup and pushing it to her lips so she can use it to swallow, which took her quite the effort, but in the end, the mission was accomplished.
For the rest of the day, she was mad at me. Obviously! Yesterday she was the one following me, now I was the one stuck to her; following her every move while I was working...well... Hardly working.
I need to do something, we can't keep going like this...
Flowers!
I noticed her amazement at each flower and arrangement we made. Yet she never once interrupted our work or messed around, she looked and never dared to touch a thing. So, maybe a flower can help mend things between us.
I scanned the flowers around me, and a delicate white Tulip caught my attention. So I chose it as the destined flower for this mission.
The amazement was there, written on her pretty face when I approached her with the tulip in hand. The pure shine in her eyes was there. The small part of her lips when she pulled air in for a small amazed gasp. It was all perfect. However, she didn't take it from me... She slowly got her nose close and smelled it, then smiled wide, pushing a light giggle out, making me chuckle at her reaction. And god how I hoped I didn't. Because just when I did, she stopped and looked away, hiding her face from me.
"*Sigh* Still mad at me?" I asked her, yet, I was met with silence "I'm sorry" I added, but still no answer "I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise I won't do it again"
She almost snapped her head; turning to look at me, her eyes met mine at that one moment as if searching for sincerity in them. "I promise" I added, hoping that my word would reassure her.
Slowly...
Very slowly.
I followed her hand as it moved, slowly, reached out for my shirt, and gripped it. When I looked back at her and our eyes met, she gave me a to-die-for smile. I just met her yesterday... But she... She is starting to grow on me already.
"Nut"
"Huh?..What?"
"Nut" she repeated and scratched her cheek as a hint when she noticed the puzzlement on my face.
"Nut allergy? Today's breakfast?!!" She hummed and nodded affirmingly "*Sigh*... You shouldn't have eaten it if you had allergies"
"You bought it" she muttered looking down, biting her bottom lip, and fidgeting with her clothes with her free hand.
She's speaking!..
"So. You ate it for me?" She nodded when I had hoped that she would speak more. "Well.. Thank you, I guess". She looked back up at me and bit her lip grinning. My heart felt at ease but also kind of warm and fuzzy; a feeling I wanted to savor for so so long, maybe that is why my eyes held hers and refused to let go.
Her appearance in my life pulled me to her, without her knowing. And in the same state as hers, I let her pull me and hoped she would not escape my hold.
"Can you..." I started, with the hope for an answer; as I had high hopes in my heart but stopped before I could even utter the question; due to the state of no hope in my mind. But at the end of this eternal confusion of mine, my heart had won and the question was thrown "Can you tell me What your name is now?"
"Jasmine" she uttered, then pointed at me, probably asking me the same question
"Toby"