Echoes of Us

1.

Leo's POV

I love it when I catch her staring at me. And it's for all the wrong reasons. Worse, when she quickly removes her gaze and begins a quest with her eyes of anything else in the room that wasn't me. So flustered.

Better that than the alternative, where she doesn't look away and she chooses to challenge me to a stare-down.

It builds up something in me. Something... fiery.

I would wonder what exactly was going on in her twisted mind; if she was thinking what I was thinking, if it was the exact memory she was replaying in that exact moment. If we were mentally in tune like that.

Or if she just knew she could still have that effect on me.

I honestly did not know she still could.

'This is bad.' I thought as I awkwardly blink away. And it was really bad. Nyssa had only been gone for three days and I could feel the dynamic in our Townhome changing.

Keithan currently didn't have Nyssa to annoy and pull around to accompany him on his absurd errands, resulting in him constantly getting on my last nerve by frequently being in my space indulging me in "bro-tivities" as he calls it.

Now we shared a friendship stronger than the cordiality between housemates, as I initially would have preferred. Especially as his birthday was fast approaching and his "besties" Demi and Hannah are adamant about throwing him a surprise party in his very home.

Our very home.

Suddenly, I was part of the planning committee. And so was his other co-housemate-turned-friend, Ahvi. So was she. That was the beginning of this downfall.

"Well," Demi says, breaking the awkward silence that procured since the tension from a mere eye contact. She lifts her hand up in a vote. "If Leo won't say anything... I support Ahvi's idea. We should definitely spend more on décor and a DJ-"

"And liquor," Hannah chirps in from the living room taking only a second away from her TV show. "We need a ton of it."

Demi makes sure to roll her eyes before continuing. "And liquor."

"Than food though? That's crazy," Hannah pipes in again, earning a growl from Demi that was followed by a complaint which led to a damn near brawl.

I look up at Ahvi to see if she was witnessing the escalation between the two friends and we lock eyes yet again.

This time, I didn't budge. With Hannah and Demi bickering about Hannah's low level of participation in the planning, I didn't have to. No, this time, I could take my time. And so, I did– we did.

We took our time, probably mostly wondering what the other person was thinking, what effect we had on each other, and why that effect was still possible given everything that has happened.

She was probably the one housemate we had that, was just that. A housemate. We never speak to each other except it was concerning the house, and even then, most times we don't see eye to eye.

Most times, I'll admit, I just give her a hard time. And those times, I tell myself she deserves it because when it came to giving the other a hard time, the scoreboard could never be equal.

And it worked. It created a type of balance that helped keep me sane. She stays out of my way, I stay out hers.

But, here she is, right across the table from me... looking at me looking at her.

It wasn't until her lips parted as she took a deep breath in that I tore my gaze away from her honey-brown eyes. Now, I had a new center of focus.

Plump, chapped lips.

She notices my gaze drifts, and immediately licks her dry lips moist before calling for the girls' attention. "Guys, please, enough. Let's wrap this up. You both could fight all day." I chuckled. She wasn't wrong. "Demi, I trust your talent acquisition skills. Handle the DJ and someone for décor. Hannah, baby girl, get all the liquor you want. Except Vodka, please. And tell your friends too. No vodka allowed."

"Just tequila!" Demi sang.

"Yes," Ahvi nodded, "and maybe some scotch, for our picky gentleman over here." She gestured towards me.

I wasn't mad at it. Her pointing it out was almost... nice.

I throw them the shaka sign and let Ahvi continue commanding the room. The sooner this was all sorted and over, the sooner I could leave the table to go about my day and pretend all these questionable feelings did not come up today.

"As for food, we could mix up some flour and shit together, toss it in the oven and whip out tons of finger foods and pastry." Pretty sure that's not how that works, but she was on a roll so I let her have it. "Leo and I will handle that-"

"Whoa, Leo did not agree to that." She had me up until that point. I had to speak up.

She raises her brows at me like I was the crazy one all of a sudden. "Look, I'm not so thrilled to be baking with you either. You're no Nyssa. But she's back home with family right now. And you're the only other person who resides here, asides from Keithan. So, suck it up, princess. It's for our friend."

The room falls quiet with curious eyes on me, waiting to see how I respond.

There was no way I was spending hours of baking time in the kitchen with Ahvi. I could already picture it. This same insolent remarks from time to time, passive aggressiveness. To top it all, we would be lucky if distasteful pastries were the worst thing to happen with our pair.

Just thinking back to a little cupcake I received on my birthday two years ago. One bite down, two meals out.

It was my fault for trying to mask the revulsion so I could spare her feelings. After all, it was the thought that would count.

"So good" were my last words before my body disagreed with it, gushing out a pile of vomit onto her lap.

I was no Nyssa, yes. But at least I could stand tall and say I was no Ahvi.

That would have been a good comeback; the best response for Hannah's and Demi's drama-hungry eyes. But at what cost? It was a memory they knew nothing about. And it would remain the same. It would remain between Ahvi and I.

I look at Ahvi and this time it was clear as day. We were thinking the same thing.

The guilt, yet disgust, she felt for making me sick. Not having to think twice before stripping out of our nasty clothes. How chilly it was while we waited for the bath to fill up.

Just in case you were wondering, it was in fact not chilly at all, just a mere excuse to hold each other closely for a second. Body against body, skin to skin.

Filthy.

We sat in that bath, joint lit with stories to tell about lives we've lived that made our lungs hurt from laughter... till the hot water turned cold. What more could we need?

I shake my head at her, although now it's bent over and I'm no longer looking at her. "I'm not doing this with you," I mutter.

In one swift move, I get up off my seat. "Order a food tray or whatever you guys need. I'd cover the costs."

Before I walk away, I flash Hannah and Demi peace signs. "I'm out."

I couldn't fathom why I was so worked up or how I let it happen. I had been doing so good. So good forgetting her. Hard to do when you live under the same roof, but I did.

I shook it off. It was just withdrawals. It was Nyssa I was missing. Nyssa. Nyssa. Nyssa.

"Fuck! Ahvi..." I sighed in frustration once I got up to my room and shut the door behind me.

This was not good. And you know who was to blame for all this?

Keithan.