Opposites attract

Chapter 11(Ashika)

I found this cute dress of Yakshi this morning on the hook behind her bathroom door. It smelled clean so I decided wear his instead of Neil's clothes. That's when I get a call from my neighbour, Sidhi informing that there was a short circuit in our building last night because of the rain. The damage is supposedly brutal and the electricity will not be available for at least 48 hrs. This means that either I have to live my life without electricity for the next 48hrs or find a place to crash for 2 days.

 So yes, the only day of the week that I get to relax a bit is ruined. What worse can happen? Oh yes it can. It's like universe is trying to prove me that my life and day can be worse, because as I am standing in the kitchen making myself a lousy sandwich for the breakfast and thinking about what to do for the next 2 days. Neil walks in on me and starts staring at my back. I can feel his presence before I see him. His gaze is ripping a hole in my back. My first reaction is to turn around and ask him to stop behaving like a pervert. But then I get glimpses from last night and how he helped me.

He doesn't deserve my rudeness. So I plaster the fakest smile possible and turn around to face him.

My smile falls immediately. He is wearing nothing but a pair of cargo shorts. The last time I saw him shirtless, he at least had an apron hanging on the chest but right now I am looking at a 30 or so man who has an amazing body without a single piece of clothing on his upper body. His shorts are hanging so low on his waist that I wouldn't be surprised if they fell off any moment now.

"Good morning", I somehow manage to get the words out of my mouth.

"Hey, good morning", okay enough I have looked at him for 20 seconds straight and that not rude at all, so I turn back to my sandwich, desperate for anything to look at except for his perfectly crafted body.

How many hours does this person I spend in the gym. A lot I know since he has got a job or anything.

He walks towards me and stands just a couple inches away. He is so close to me I can actually feel his breath. I am getting goosebumps. I don't like how my body is reacting this closeness. There are millions. No billions of butterflies in pit the pit of my stomach right now. I pick up my sandwich from the kitchen slap and try to step away without banging into him but he holds my arm by the elbow to keep me from moving.

I give him the side eye look as my heart does cartwheels. Act normal, please Ashu act normal. He can't know about this new profound vulnerability of yours.

"Did I do something to piss you off?", he asks. That catches me off guard. I expected him to pass some snarky ass comment about me checking him out.

"No, why would you think that?"

"Nothing, it's just the way you are looking at me. Like I have ruined your day......your life."

"My day is already ruined, and just to be clear it's not because of you."

He realizes my elbow and leans against the counter crossing his hands over his chest. I am free to go but I don't move.

"What happened?", I want to tell him about everything that went since this morning. But I can't, he is not my friend who I share my problems with. Hell he is not even a well-wisher. He is just my best friend's annoying brother.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Common not again, see last night you shared your problem with me and felt better, why not do the same today?", he is right but I can't let my guards down again.

"Last night was a moment of weakness, never going to happen again." I don't want to be rude but he has left me no other option. "Moreover, if you want people to open up to you maybe you should open up to them as well.