TO LOVE AGAIN

CHAPTER 8

HOME. 

When I got home, I parked my car and went inside. I'm looking forward to Nicoli's presence but I found nothing. The whole house is empty, the lights are off, deafening silence dominated the whole house so I immediately turned on the light. Where is that man? Why is he still not here? It's already 7:20 PM in the evening.

I get my phone in my pocket and dialed Nicoli's number. It rang right away.

"Nics? Where are you?" I ask straightforward as he answers my call. I didn't even hear what he was saying because of the loud noise that had wrapped my ear across the line. He's in the bar.

"I couldn't hear you!" I scream.

"I'm in my bar, just in a second I'm on my way out here. So, do you hear me now!?" He replies with a little bit of shout.

"Yeah. I can hear you now. Wait-- aren't you going home? It's late!." I exclaimed.

"Are you home??"

"Uhm. Just arrived. Go home now. You know, I'm not used to be alone here."

"Okay. Okay. I'll go home." I heard his footsteps going somewhere, I think he's going to his car. "Anyways, have you eaten? If not yet, I'm going to buy food--"

I cut him off. "No, don't. I'm going to cook here. So, you man, go home right now. OK?"

"Yeah, don't be scared now. I'm on my way." I heard him chuckled.

"TSS. Okay, drive safely. Bye." I hang up the call and threw my phone on the couch.

I was about to walk through the stairs when the doorbell rang.

It is Nicoli? Uh, impossible. I forgot he didn't do that.

I walk towards the door to open it.

As I opened it, my eyes widened at the man who had shown up at me. It's Brent, wearing his wide smile, reason for me to notice his sharp jaw while both hands are in his pocket. "Hey. A pleasant evening." He greeted, with his white teeth exposed on his bright smile.

I raised my brows at him. Is this guy playing me? Why is he here? How did he know my home address?

"What are you doing here?" I ask him with an annoyance.

"Won't you just let me in?"

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because I'm your visitor?" He winks at me which makes me feel more irritated.

"And who the hell told you that you are my visitor?" I rolled my eyes on him. "Leave." I was about to close the door but he stops me, he closed the door with his vengeance hand.

"I just arrived and you're dismissing me right away?" He smiles, and I hate that smile of him. He's annoying Urgh. I don't f*****g know why.

He pulled the door open so I immediately let go of the knob, for him to enters inside. The hell. He's now inside me, I mean in my house!

"Wow. It's huge. Not bad." He says as he carefully observed the whole of my house.

"Leave now, Brent." I seriously said, pointing the main door.

"You're not calling me, Uncle?" He laughs. Another annoyance he brings. "Cause I'm not really your 'uncle', " he says, emphasizing the word 'Uncle'.

"Whatever you say. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in the cafe with your girl?" I shouted at him but not that loud. He turned his gaze to me, wearing the same expression.

"So you came?"

"What!?"

"I thought because I was just having an illusion. So it's true that I saw you." He calmly says. "Why didn't you go to me?" He asks, taking some steps towards me. If earlier his voice was so calm now it wrapped in a serious tone.

To that question, I couldn't answer right away. I want to go through that but I have no reason to think, my brain is suddenly stuck up.

Did he saw me? He does?

C'mon, Ish. Speak out. Why is your tongue fluttering there?

"I was waiting for you for almost 1 hour and a half. Even though I knew there was no certainty you were coming, I waited still, but why--"

I cut his line off. "But why are you with someone else? Is it required that when you wait you need a companion?" bars. Now it's my turn to make him speechless but I failed to do so. I forgot he's full of words.

"I didn't call a companion. Wait. Are you jealous?" His brows raised.

I laugh out loud with his question. Where did he get guts to asks me like that? "What? Me?" I pointed myself. "Are you kidding? Jealous? Me?? For what?" Again I let a laugh. "Over my dead body, no way. Never. I don't see any reasons to get jealous, Brent." I turned away from him and went straight up the stairs. "Leave my house now," I added but I heard his footsteps, following me. Urgh. Is he really won't go to leave?

"Whoa-whoah. So you're getting angry? I'm just asking. Relax. I'm not assuming that you are, but if you are practically jealous, then I will going to explain."

"You! Urgh! Leave now, will you?!" I yelled out to her until I got to my room and my blood got even boiled, as right here in my room he came in. I tried to push him out but I couldn't control win on his strength.

"Won't you really leave?"

"Relax. Why are you so angry." His shoulder lowering on his laugh.

I didn't answer him, instead, I turned him away. I don't even know why my head was burning with him.

I sat in my swivel chair here in my room, I felt a little dizzy. I gently massage my neck and slowly stretch my neck.

"Hey, are you okay?" asks Brent worriedly, with his hand on the back of my neck, but I took it off.

"Keep your hands on me. I'm okay." Maybe it's because of hunger. I haven't eaten yet.

"Did you eat?" He asks.

The hell he asks.

"Of course. Leave now." I uttered.

I grabbed my iPod which was in my desk drawer, but he stopped me. He took my hand and he knelt down in front of me. What is he doing?

My forehead twitches as he did. Wondering what he will be going to do. He lifts his head up, to look at me. His lambent brown eyes were different. It's my first time clearly see his pretty round brown eyes and I just now noticed that he has long eyelids.

"What are you looking at?" He asks, wondering.

I stop fantasizing about his face when he spoke.

"What looking are you talking about? Why are you kneeling there?" I say with annoyance trying to keep my eyes away from his gaze. I hope I'm not obvious.

"I want you to listen to me carefully right now." He says with a serious tone, so I turned my gaze at him again. His face is calm yet filled with seriousness. I didn't speak. Instead, I let myself listen to what he will going to say. He wraps my hands with both hands and gently squeezes it. "Even if it doesn't have to, I'll tell you everything. Even if you are not interested to listen, I will still speak." He pauses, takes a deep breath. "First of all, I want to say sorry to you. I'm sorry, I wasn't there on your side when you wake up. Sorry, I wasn't there for you to lean on. I know you are very hurt and you're having a hard time losing Nathan. I'm so sorry. The reason why I didn't show up because ---"

"Ish?"

Brent's line was cut when we heard Nicoli's voice echoed from downstairs. Damn, he's here!

"Wait. Are you with a guy here?" Brent's eyes widened, left confused as his both brows arch together.

I quickly slipped out of his hands and I stood up. I should have just come out of my room but I remembered Brent. Urgh. I can't leave him here. Nicoli used to come into my room when he comes home.

"Ish? I'm home." I heard Nicoli's voice close to my door. Dammit.

"Hey, you're living here with a man? Seriously?" Brent's exclaim.

I faced Brent again as he still bringing the surprise expression on his face. But I didn't bother to answer him, I quickly pushed him into the comfort room.

"Hey. Hey -- what are you doing?" He mouthed as I pushed him inside the comfort room.

"Can you please just shut up and follow me? Hey! Don't you dare to make a noise! Gets? Sshhhhhh!" After I said that, I closed the door.

"Ish!"

I almost catch my breath when the door had sprung open suddenly, from outside Nicoli showed up. I look like a lizard stuck to the door of my comfort room.

"Nics! You startled me!" I exclaimed in nervousness I felt. He entered my room.

"What are you doing? I was calling you several times-- and while are you talking to?! He asks questioningly as he sat down on my bed, removes his sacks.

"Huh? Who? I'm talking to anything. You know, you're just hungry. Let's go to eat. I'll cook something for you." I come closer to him to pull out his arm. "Let's go. I know you're dead hungry." I wrap my arms on his arm and I lean my head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah." He taps my head and we walk out in my room.

My heartbeat immediately as soon as I left the room.

Ahh. I thought I was caught. I sigh out.

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