Rabbit Hole (Romantic-Suspense)

Chapter 5: Fiftieth Floor

Chapter 5: Fiftieth Floor

Moving towards the door, my heart keeps pounding harder and harder as the bell rings continuously, making it almost feel like my mind is stuck on vibrate. Can't calm it down, I accidentally tapped and scrolled down my screen, revealing the rest of the message. I instinctively put my eyes on it.

Now, it's time to pay the price.

I've paid mine; I've rolled my dice,

Now, it's your turn; either you save,

Or, kill him; it's up to you. Be brave.

Feeling uneasy because of the poem’s first stanza, I check the intercom's screen to see who's outside impatiently ringing the bell. But, I can't see anyone, doubtful, as there isn't anyone standing outside yet the bell still continues to ring.

I stepped back, as my heart pounded harder.

"Who the heck—"before I could finish what I was about to utter, my eyes rolled down, looking at my phone, reading the last stanza of the poem dove sent with his letter.

You, who keeps feeding his dreams,

You, who drives him to the extremes,

I wish you good luck...that is,

If luck itself would suffice.

Right after that, the loud, repetitive bells started getting blocked by my pounding pulse in my ear. Blocking every noise for a brief moment, I found myself washed with unimaginable tension that suppressed my breathing until I scoffed, releasing the air I held in.

"This must be just some sort of prank," I said, suspicious of what was happening with the impeccable timing of the poem and the arrival of an unknown person behind the door. Fully convinced that behind the door in front of me awaits an unpleasant surprise, I stood there recovering from the sudden shock when, as if not giving me further time to waste, the bell got faster, washing me more with pressure. Trying to get a hold of myself before I made a mistake due to impulse, I exhaled, closing my eyes hard before twisting the doorknob.

Really? What am I trembling for? Whoever's pranking me—sure really took the effort but, unfortunately for this motherf*cking dove—he pranked the wrong person.

I thought, mustering up my courage, clenching my fist. Remembering I don't have to be afraid when, in the first place, I know how to defend myself.

Finally, I calmly twist the doorknob open, not until soon after the door opens a few inches someone suddenly grabbed it and pulled the door wide open when I haven't pushed it far. Alarming myself, expecting anything bad soon, I put on a defensive posture—this prankster will soon cry—

"Dang, girl! What took you so long?" All of a sudden, Mae appeared, barged inside, and, despite the irritation written all over her face, seeing her immediately calmed down my nerves at once.

Shaking my head in disbelief, gasping. I put off my stance and relaxed my muscles. Good thing I waited to see who was behind the door because just a second ago, I was prepared to tackle, down someone. I may not be someone with a built-up body, but I know d*mn well how to outsmart someone in size.

But what the hell? Did I overthink and assume this letter was real? Did I trust someone I don't even know?

"Oh? What’s wrong? Are you alright?" Mae asked, looking worried when she noticed me breathing heavily from the nervousness earlier.

Ugh how gullible I can be.

"Yes, I'm fine," I said, walking straight to the refrigerator in the kitchen, grabbing bottled water to drink.

I can't believe I just got swayed by some anonymous sender. Anyway, I'm sure it's just some chain message or mail or whatever. Ugh, I don’t want to know any of it. I knew it! I should've just blocked him!

"You sure? You look pale, though?" Mae asked, nudging my side when she caught me staring blank at the sink right beside the refrigerator.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine—hey, I thought you had a date? What happened?" I asked, then she rolled her eyes back and sighed irritably.

"Oh, he's a trash! I was already on the way, but he called and canceled our date—oh, I'm so done with him! I'm so going to block him!" She said, marching her heavy feet towards the couch we were just sitting a while ago, sitting harshly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

I just shook my head in response, thinking that even if she says that now for sure, with just one text from her date, she'll come running at him, wearing the sweetest smile she has.

"Oh?" I said sarcastically, heading towards the couch from hers. Getting what I mean, she puts up a sulking face, then—

"Oh, hey, I'm hungry. Have you eaten already?" She asked when she felt her tummy grumble. At that time, it hit me that I had forgotten to order my lunch just because of that letter.

Hmm, in fairness, that person almost got me there considering I let him send me those poems for all the past years.

Hmm, four years, huh?

Alright, consistency! I'd give him that.

"Nah, want to dine-in somewhere near here? Since you dressed up nicely, want to flaunt it at least outside?" I asked, since she must have made the effort to dress up nicely. Thinking about it, she still hasn't shown me the date she was seeing.

Anyways, it's not my problem, since she always has a lot of them. I can’t even remember the first guy he introduced me as to his date. So, she’ll recover from this date that bombed her just like what she did from the previous ones.

"Argh, you're right. Let's go—oh, hey! I have some hot news for you!" She said, suddenly squealing, shifting her voice from being sad into an excited one as if she just recalled something interesting. She raised both brows as her grin stretched from ear to ear, eyes sparkling like she had some exciting gossip to share.

"What is it?" I asked uninterestingly, having already wasted some energy from earlier this morning. Because of all the moving and unpacking, I couldn’t reach the level of enthusiasm she has now.

"Oh, my goodness! You're going to love this!" Squealing, she moved from her couch to my couch and jumped right on my side.

"What is it?" I asked, still uninterested, eyes still on the phone checking reviews online about one of the restaurants I had just seen.

"Do you know that there's a hottie living just above you?! Oh, my goodness! Just by thinking he's on top—anyway! The whole fiftieth floor—as in the penthouse on the fiftieth floor! OMG! This is juicy! Imagine a hottie! I happened to overhear some conversation between staff earlier while I was on my way back here, and goodness! This might be your chance to finally break that record of 'no boyfriend since birth'!" she said excitedly, jumping on the couch beside me.

Alright, alright, a hottie—wait, I’m on the forty-ninth—the highest floor of a unit condo—then where is that guy from earlier headed to?

I paused when I remember the only person I saw going up to the fiftieth floor as his face flashes in my mind.

Could it be that he’s the hottie—

"Ugh! My lonely single best friend! This might be the work of God! Imagine, coincidentally—on a whim. Mr. Gomez just bought a condominium unit just above a hottie! d*mn—“

"Stop right there, Mae.” There, I cut her gently but in a stern manner. Feeling the seriousness in my tone, she stops what she’s doing. Indeed, we don't know yet why dad would suddenly buy this unit for me. Even though my birthday's coming up, but his reactions yesterday didn't convince me.

And I know deep inside he's hiding something from me. Knowing how honest and strict he is in his investing and with his principles, this has not to be on just a pure whim.

There has to be something.

"Hey, come on are you still suspicious of your father? Aren’t you just being too analytic? Maybe Mr. Gomez's just spoiling you? Maybe he finally realizes that he has too many riches in his hands that he didn't know what to do with them—"

"You're right, I should probably pay him back for the expenses. My goodness, where on earth will I start looking for an architectural firm now? are you familiar with this city?" Understanding I have to repay my father for everything he bought, the stress of job-hunting then instantly struck me in the head again.

Mae, on the other hand, sighs and looks at me with her eyelids falling down half her eyes forming into horizontal lines as her mouth hangs in disbelief.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure that ‘you need to pay your father for all of this’ wasn't in everything I just said. And for your information, no, I'm not yet fully familiar with this city. The only places I know so far are your place, the pharmacy, and the mall in front of it." She said, boredom written on her face, giving up in the thought of persuading me.

Yes, right what would she know when we're just both new here?

Mae, just like me, just got relocated from our hometown to here, in the city. Fortunately, she just got promoted and got assigned here, which is also part of why she will stay here with me until she finds her own place.

I tried persuading her to stay with me here, but she put my offer down and insisted on staying temporarily until she finds her own. Well, her determination on staying shortly here with me become pretty evident now that she only brought a single luggage with her that she now puts into the guest room.

"Anyways! Going back with Mr. hottie on the thirteenth floor." She said, eyes lighting up again as she continued squealing, hugging the pillow beside her. Giggling, she looks at me with sparkles in her eyes that took my focus back before I could stress myself out of job hunting.

Ugh, this is going to be a long hunt—‘Mr. hottie on the fiftieth floor.'

Mr. hottie, huh?—I stopped scrolling when all of a sudden, that handsome ma’s face couldn’t get out of my head since I realized he went up to the fiftieth floor earlier.

He has these hard features, muscular drawn-back shoulders that emphasize and give justice to his dry-fit shirt, a strong jawline, and impressive cheekbones with shapely hollows beneath, a pair of gentle-looking — curious eyes looking at me.

Feeling the heat rushing on my face, I remember how weird I felt back there. Dang, could he really be that hottie on the fiftieth floor? Well, he's the only hottie I could think of—but sure, he's hot, but he's a bit—creepy?

I thought, still thinking of the creeps I felt inside the elevator before it opens. Unconsciously, running my fingers on my nape again, thinking if what I thought happened back there really happened. Nonetheless, out of everything, what I was sure of is that what I've felt there. If my senses weren't lying, then for sure, he's a pervert who took a sniff behind my back.

A handsome pervert—but then again, my thoughts backfired at me when I remember wanting to do the same.

"Hey!" Mae said, waving her hands in front of me, calling me back to my senses.

"Were you spacing out? Any—oh, my goodness! What's with you?! Are you blushing?! What the heck? Is this real? You? Blushing? Wait?...could it be? You already saw him? The Mr. fiftieth floor hottie?!" She blurted out enthusiastically as her eyes budge in interest. I pushed her off a bit when she started leaning closer to me, waiting for me to spill everything as she keeps on asking more and more the more I try to ignore her by searching for another restaurant.

Minutes passed, she gave up. And after deciding and booking a particular restaurant, we stood up from our seats and immediately headed out of my unit with our stomachs grumbling.

Dragging our feet off to the elevator's lobby, and while we get closer to it my eyes stay pinned on the screen where suddenly an arrow from the fiftieth floor comes down making me remember what Mae had told me earlier.

A hottie, huh? I thought, as the man's face earlier overlapped and flashed in my mind again.

Remembering how good looking he was, I wouldn't be surprised if he is that ‘hottie’. but just when I was about to fell for his looks again, the strange feeling running on my nape struck me again reminding me of that weird incident.

Frowning, as I could still feel it on me I sigh of the thought I wouldn't want to see him again after what happened, suddenly, Mae let out a grunt. Probably still whining because I keep on ignoring her questions about that guy I assumed to be the fiftieth-floor resident.

"What's taking it so long?" Mae then muttered, pressing random elevator button when the elevator stayed quite long on the fiftieth floor—but she doesn’t seem to realizes it yet because her eyes are on the phone reading reviews on the restaurant’s menu on it. Irritated, she keeps on pressing it hard until it finally comes down to this floor and when it finally rings—about to open—her patience snapped.

Glancing over me, she said. "Hey, we’re not yet finished on that hottie okay? You meanie! You still don't answer me! So? How hot is he? Rate him! From one to ten… "Suddenly, her mouth gasps hang open once she looks inside at the elevator. Eyes widen, in shocked and in awe, stacked looking straight in the elevator. Then, I instinctively followed her gaze—revealing the person inside.

And speaking of the devil, there he is, standing, keeping his hands on the buttons. Wearing clean black slack pants, coat and white polo underneath, looking at us—

"It's a ten…" Mae, star-struck, blurted out in front of him and at that moment, no matter how embarrassed I am for her, I found myself not disagreeing with what she said.

Both of us looking dazed, yet our eyes met and locked. As he kept his gaze steady, my heart keeps on pounding faster.

Darn it. I cursed inwardly, trying to keep calm as I couldn't help myself get drown in those deep dark eyes—Ugh, he’s uselessly handsome.

"Are you guys going in?" He asked softly, breaking the momentary blank air that caught me back then he gently smiles at us, with that—Mae, as if hypnotized, pulls me inside.

"Knock it off," I whispered when she looks at me mischievously.

"So, Uhm. Hi!" without any warning, she tapped the guy's shoulder. In return, he smiles back, anticipating what she has to say.

"Yes?" He said, subtly sneaking a peek at me that sent me an excited rush I hadn't felt until now.

Is this what they call flirting? D*mn, how do I know—Mae—

"Are you single? On what floor do you live—oh, are you from the fiftieth floor? Hehe, my gorgeous friend right here~" She said, pushing me next to him as I forced myself not to be pushed too close to him.

Feeling where this conversation was going, I looked at her sharply, sending daggers at her sneering, giggling face.

"Just happened to move in and is single!" She added, showing her naughty smile at us with her eyes maliciously looking at me.

Ugh—really?

Getting more embarrassed by each passing second, I stepped back a little to keep a distance between him and I.

"Mae! What are you doing?!—"I whispered through gritted teeth and glanced back at him.

"Hi! Uhm, we met earlier this morning. I'm sorry for my friend—"I tried to apologize but—

"I'm single." He suddenly said, cutting my system off to rumble with his smiling eyes.

And just like that—with his innocent, enthralling smile, he…got me—d*mn it.