She Was Here . . .

Chapter 21.

I glance at Alestine from behind the kitchen counter as I brew the two of us some coffee.

Although I don't really like coffee, I need it. To deal with a woman as eccentric as Alestine, anyone would need it.

She's sitting in front of the TV, the remote in her hand as she skims through the channels, finding nothing good enough to settle on.

"There." I say as I hand her the cup. "Careful. It's hot."

"Thank you!" She grins as she grabs it off me. She pats the space next to her. "Sit down."

I eye the plentiful space right next to her and then the armchair. I settle with the armchair.

"Okay then," she says as she looks back at the TV, trying to act cool about it.

But I don't miss the offended look in her eyes. Not even for a second.

I slowly try to take a sip of the coffee, but I put it down again. Too hot for me.

I look up at Alestine. She's finally found something to watch, her eyes now fixated at the TV, concentrating hard on whatever reality show she is watching.

Say it. Ask her. I urge myself. Now or never.

Surprisingly, I can't find my voice.

I fidget around with the hem of my shirt like a shy girl waiting for her boyfriend to pick her up for her first date. I finally stop and call upon my inner man. "So who was he?" I blurt out.

I look at her carefully, thinking for a second that I shouldn't have asked that. Regretting the question and hoping I'd take it back. But then I'd never know. I mean isn't that what she's here for? To explain herself? And no matter how much she avoids talking about it, she eventually has to open up about her boyfriend.

"A friend." She says without looking at me.

I have to say, I am slightly taken aback. Either she's lying or I was acting too jealous.

"He's an old friend." She finally settles her eyes on me. "We'd parted ways since long. So after I came out the club and bumped into him, I was rather taken aback." She looks down at her lap, as if hesitant to continue.

"And?" I urge her to speak.

"And erm... I... Well I didn't mean to but... I started crying."

"Why?" I ask her, confused and astound at the same time.

"I don't really.. know. Maybe it was because I was erm..." She looks down at her lap again.

"You were what?"

She looks at me again. "I missed him?"

I nod at her, showing her that I understood.

However I can't say that for sure. I can't say whether I really understand what it's like to miss a friend. I've never had anything close to a real friend, unless your younger sister counts.

"But more importantly... I felt down." I look at her confusingly, my mind finally concentrating back to the topic at hand.

"Down? Why?" My eyebrows crease.

She looks uncomfortable, clearly not wanting to speak. How very unlike her.

"Because of what happened at the club." She says quietly.

I stare at her blankly, unsure of what to feel about it. Should I be angry or flattered. I'm unsure what to do about it. Should I defend myself or quietly embrace her in my arms.

"What part of what happened at the club made you feel down?" I decide to ask, carefully treading around the uncomfortable topic. 

She looks into my eyes this time. "I think you have good idea what exactly it was." She gets up and heads towards the kitchen to wash up her already finished cup of coffee.

I watch her walk away from me, or escaping the confrontation rather. "So you were . . . jealous?" I ask, feeling a weird sort of giddiness.

She turns to look at me. When she notices the look of amusement on my face, she blushes and looks away.

I smirk, and in that moment, my foul mood melts away into a puddle at my feet.

I grab my cup and drink the now warm cup of coffee. Then I look towards the kitchen, at Alestine standing in front of the sink. She's not only washing her cup, but also all other dishes that had been flowing over in the sink for only god knows how long.

"What are you doing?" I ask as I stand right next to Alestine.

"Washing up the dishes. What else?" She looks at me pointedly.

"Why though? You don't have to."

She grabs my cup out of my hand. "I'd like to."

A smile creeps it's way onto my face. I fold my arms at my chest as I lean against the counter right next to her. She remains quiet, as if washing the dishes requires all her focus.

I poke the side of her arm with a finger. It makes her pause and look at me. "What?" She lets out.

"You're confusing as heck." I say out of nowhere. As I say these words I realise something new.

She is powerful. She is insanely powerful. It seems as though she has some sort of control over me. As if she's put me under some spell. Somehow she can drive me mad one moment and put me at ease the other.

"How so?" She questions as her smile returns.

"Well..." I contemplate voicing my thoughts or not. A tough decision because telling her what I've been thinking sounds awful lot like a confession. As if saying what I'm thinking would kickstart something new.

So right about now, I'd have to decide whether I'd be treading through a minefield in order to reach new grounds or remain where I am with a guaranteed safety.

"Well?" She questions.

"Well I think I'm starting like you." I confess, feeling awfully confident.

On April 29 2017, I step my foot into the minefield. I have started a romance that I suppose will take all sorts of cliche twists and turns.

Maybe I confessed to spice up our relationship. Maybe I confessed because I was getting lonely.

Or maybe soon I'd realise it was mere youthful stupidity.

A/N:

OMG! Hey how are you? It's been a long time my  friends. Yeah I know. Long time. Long time no see. Long time no updates.

Well I decided that today shall be the day I dropped my update bomb which has turned into a rarity. Actually I just stumbled upon this draft and my mouth gaped open because I had written this AGES ago, only, I didn't publish it.