Don't Mess with my Love

Fourteen

"WHAT'S this?"

Maya saw a box in Reeve's living room. It was open and she can see what's inside. She picked one the handkerchief and it doesn't look new.

"Nothing." He took the hankie on her and threw it back inside the box. He pulled her into the kitchen. "I visited my sister yesterday and they gave me baked macaroni. They gave me a lot and I can't eat it alone, so help me consume it."

"Ah, okay. Where is it and let's start to dig it in?"

"I'll heat it in the oven first. Just sit there and relax."

She did. She sat feeling like a princess in the house while Reeve was working in the kitchen. He arranged the plates and forks on the table as he waited for the oven to announce the baked macaroni were ready.

"Why did you invite me here in your house and eat with you now? What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just realized last night when I was eating alone that it's boring so I didn't finished my food."

"Then you should have invited me here last night. I'm not that busy."

"It's already late when I came home and I'm sure you're already asleep so I don't want to wake you up."

Oh, gosh! Does that mean that he's planning on inviting her last night? And if Maya was not mistaken, having dinner together at night is called 'date'. Too bad!

She sat on the dining when the food is ready. The baked macaroni smelled heavenly. But just looking at his handsome face already makes her full.

"It's delicious; you're good at heating baked mac." She commented.

"I'm happy you liked it. I'll tell my sister to just send me food that I can just re-heat."

"Do you mean that this is not the only time you'll invite me here?"

"Why not? If you're not busy."

She devoured the macaroni in her mouth. Wow! That's why I love this guy. He always made me happy.

"Why are you quiet?" He asked. "You don't like the taste?"

"Of course not. Haven't I told you its delicious? My tongue got burnt because of my greediness."

"You got burnt?" He stood up and attended her. "Let me see."

Even before she could speak, he had touched his forefinger to her chin and forced her to look up at him. And looking at him, she was lost. She can easily recognize how her heart beats now. She can now de-code her own heartbeat. Isn't that great? This was what it felt like when someone love this much. That's when one can't even notice what's going on with them. The only thing they felt is contentment and happiness in life whenever they were with the person they love. And that's exactly what she's feeling right now.

Especially when his face was slowly going down close to hers. And when his lips touched hers, she felt like she can shout to the world that she's in love with this guy.

It was just a quick brush of their lips but it was enough for her to know he also had feelings for her. Maybe not as strong as her feelings towards him but that's okay. What's important is at least she already showed him her feelings and she understood the meaning of that smacked kiss. And when he gave her his mysterious smile after.

That smile reached his beautiful eyes even before it reached his lips and that hit her until the bottom of her heart.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Ha? What?"

His eyes twinkled. "Your burnt…"

"Am I?"

He chuckled and dipped his head towards her waiting lips. But before his lips reached hers, with a wrong timing, the doorbell rang. She could also feel frustration from him when he sighs.

"Wait here."

"Okay."

Before he opened the door, he once again looked at her with that mysterious glow in his eyes and brushed his thumb on the side of her lips.

"You seem to be really enjoying the baked mac."

"Of course." She smiled and bit his thumb. "Go and see your visitor before they got annoyed."

He just laughed. It was his first laugh she heard from him and it was like music in her ears. She forgot the food and just tried to fix herself using the spoon as the mirror.

"You're really pretty, Maya." She praised herself. "You seduced the snob heart of that grumpy yet handsome neighbor."

Now that she knew Reeve also had feelings for her, at least because of that kiss, she declared to do her best to pursue him. She had never felt this exhilarated before - so flushed, so much in love. It's a good thing that she didn't ignore her heartbeat despite of her dedication not to marry before. Now she's free to feel that lovely feeling. She was like she's in cloud 9 especially when she remembers his kiss. She can already go into heaven, but of course not for now.

"What is taking him so long?" She asked when Reeve didn't return yet. "Who is his annoying visitor that took Revski meloves so long to return?"

She decided to go out of the kitchen and check. But just to be froze on her tracks because she didn't expect that she would see that scene and she's not prepared.

It's Reeve and his ex Maricel, talking… and hug each other! But Maya saw that Maricel initiated it. But why is he not even budging in? Isn't it that he's already move on from her? Why didn't he even tried to distance himself from her?

"Reeve?"

They both turn to her. The mysterious emotions she saw from his facial a while ago were gone. It was back to his serious face he used to see on him. Does that mean his feelings were back to that girl again? Or maybe he just made her feel a glimpse of it because of her persistent on bugging him that his feelings for Maricel didn't really fade or gone?

"Reeve?  Who is she?" Maricel asked and didn't budge to remove her hands around him. "Is she your maid?"

"Maid? For your information---."

"Maya, can you leave us first? We just needed to talk."

Maya felt a knife on her heart. He openly chose Maricel over her! And it hurt like hell! Before she leaved, she made sure that Reeve would see the pain he had caused her. Take that to your conscience!

"Maya…" he stopped her holding her arm. "This will only be for a while."

"Even if it takes a thousand years, it's okay. I don't care." She tried to take back her armed and when she did she didn't stop himself to smacked his chest but it backfired because she was the one hurt. "Ouch!" But that didn't matched the pain she felt in her heart. "Forget what happened to us, Reeve. I hope you'll be happy now."