Winter's Dead Bride

Chapter Six

"You live with the Seventh Minister?!" gasped Dhor as I made him a drink.

This was awkward. Especially with Teí sipping his Curiuma and just staring at Dhor. Why is it even so awkward for? Teí is my crush. Dhor is my best friend...

...Who kissed me then told me he liked me right in front of Teí!!!

"This is Dhor Rophal, my best friend ever since we were just children," I introduced briefly, gingerly handing Dhor his drink.

Teí continued to look at Dhor. I felt a little nervous now as he didn't move his eyes from Dhor. What was going on in his mind right now? What if he thought he was my boyfriend instead? What if I can never have any chances with him now? Did I even have any chances, to begin with—? He then briefly smiled at Dhor after some time.

"Nice to meet you, Dhor. How are you doing?" he finally asked, placing his cup down on the table.

"Great. It's an honour to be asked that by the Seventh Minister," replied Dhor, smiling back.

Teí kept quiet after that, continuing to study Dhor and easily creating another eerie silence in the room.

Dhor shifted nervously, obviously trying to figure out what he did wrong. Teí spoke again, leaning over to Dhor's side.

"How'd you get hurt?" he questioned, staring straight into Dhor's eyes.

I gasped, abruptly standing up, amazed by how sharp he was.

"Um... Come help me clean up my herbs room, Dhor! I made a mess out of it," I said quickly, not wanting Teí to know the reason behind Dhor's limp arm.

Dhor began to stand up but was stopped by Teí who noticed Dhor whimpering in pain.

"I can help and after all, Dhor's still hurt," shrugged Teí, putting his mug on the wooden table.

I blushed then slowly nodded.

"It's really messy though," I warned, chewing my lip nervously.

"Doesn't matter," he replied, although he sounded like he wanted to say something else instead.

_ 

It was worst than I remembered. The valuable glass bottles had broken and the herbs had mixed on the ground.

"What happened?" he questioned, rolling up his sleeves.

I swallowed hard, trying to form an explanation in my head.

"Um...I just wanted to quickly help Dhor with his arm," I mumbled, picking up a shard of glass from the floor.

I caught a reflection of myself on it and I looked terrible! My eyes were still red from crying and had rings from no sleep since I had forgotten to make another sleeping potion.

"Oh...you mean your boyfriend?" he questioned, picking up some damp books and shaking them out.

My eyes widened, unable to believe the statement he had made — especially when I had been praying he wouldn't...

"N-no, not at all! He was just really sad...," I explained, speaking quickly.

"What happened?" he asked, glancing at me.

I blushed, catching his eyes before I let out a troubled sigh. I placed the glass on the table and swept my tangled hair back from my face.

"Um...the virus got to his parents and he was so scared to lose anything more so he —," I began, but couldn't find the strength to finish it.

"Right..." he sympathised, "I found out some more about the virus and maybe getting closer to finding an antidote," he informed, returning more books onto the shelves. "Something about flowers...?"

All of a sudden, I felt excited.

"Really? That would mean that people wouldn't die, right?" I inquired, clapping like a small child.

He looked at me, his eyes gentle.

"What else do you think is meant by an antidote?" he teased, smiling a little.

I went red. Somehow, I felt really stupid!!

"Right," I giggled, trying to hide my face.

He remained quiet for a little while. I then understood how Dhor felt back in the kitchen...

"You really care so much about him, huh?" he finally asked, finding a broom in the corner of the room.

I bit my lip, then drew in another deep breath.

"Yeah. He's always been there for me, never leaving me when I felt so alone. He was everything that I could ever ask for," I sadly smiled, thinking back to when my parents died.

He was looking at me, a serious expression on his face.

"He sounds like a really great friend", he sighed, drumming his fingers along the broom's stick.

I beamed, glad that he thought that about my friend.

"Yeah, he's great! Actually, he's feeling depressed about his parents' deaths today but if you knew him really well, you'd really come to like him," I assured, throwing more shards of glass into the bin.

"How'd he become your friend?" he conversed, very interested.

It took me no time at all to think back to the fond memory of our childhood.

"He was a loud kid who would always try to talk to me but back then I was a really bitter child. Trust me. I would ignore him and hope he'd just leave but he never did... It had been a regular day when a group of thugs had broken into my mother's stall for plants. They needed those plants for no good and I had been too afraid to do anything because I was all alone in mother's stall. Out of nowhere, there came the loudest eight-year-old in the neighbourhood, yelling at the top of his lungs...," I remembered, thinking fondly of the memory.

He still gazed at me, urging me to keep going.

"Despite being small at the time, he saved me that day and made sure that the criminals were arrested. That was the first time that I've ever felt safe and I couldn't help but like him. Even though I had been so horrible to him, he came when I needed someone there... So I have to be there for him too... I don't want to ever lose him," I narrated, finally looking properly at Teí.

"That's sweet," he teased, smiling.

My heart skipped a beat and I thought I'd die as I witnessed this handsome smile!

"So him kissing me was because he wanted to remember me in some way...in case we were ever to lose each other," I blushed, breaking our eye contact.

He sighed again.

"No need to explain everything, Azalea," he assured, starting to sweep the floor.

But...

But it's you I like...

You say that but you sound so hurt by it...

I also found dustpan to sweep up the remaining glass.

"You just seemed bothered by it so...," I started, suddenly realising that I had said it out loud.

He stopped in his tracks, quiet.

Damn it.

"Bothered?" he repeated, his voice soft.

I coughed, cursing myself over and over again. Had I just lit a fire?!

"N-no... I wasn't meant to say that. A slip of the tongue," I tried to cover up, but his silence told me that he didn't believe me.

I quickly looked away from him again and decided to shut up, biting my tongue as punishment. It was no use. He heard. That was that. 

"Perhaps I am. I was wondering why I felt so bothered but since you also noticed... I guess I am," he said, making me gasp a little.

My heart thumped hard. Does that mean...?

No. Impossible.