Write Me A Letter

43 | seventh

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE | S E V E N T H

THE LIGHTS AT THEIR FOYER WERE RARELY TURNED ON. It was a known fact at home that Brie's mom had always been passionate about paying less in bills as anyone would probably be, and did take extra measures to make sure that their monthly cost would be at its lowest. Yet, as Brie walked the stone path to their front door with furrowed brows, she was surprised to see that the front of their two-story house was illuminated in the golden glow of their barely-lit wall-mounted light fixtures.

She just got home from the sushi bar downtown with Ollie and the taste of Wasabi was still very much burning on her tongue despite the sweet boba tea that she downed to quell the fire. It was a fun afternoon and Ollie's company was something she thoroughly enjoyed and craved. The text threats aside, today had been almost perfect, and having Ollie drop her off with a quick kiss on her cheek was the perfect way to end it. But the lights... the lights bothered her more than it probably should.

She stood in front of their door, feet pressed close to each other, and keys digging in her palm. It was the second time that she didn't know how to enter her own home. The first time had been after Hugh and her mom's wedding. After a quick three-day trip to California for their honeymoon, the couple decided to head home and work on Hugh moving in. Brie stood in the very same manner back then when she arrived in the afternoon from school that day, with her spine as straight as a rod, feet close together and tight fists.

Somehow, even if there was no really signs of a tragedy, she knew that there was something going on that would flip her world on its axis. Yes, she managed to stay afloat and get past the issue with Hugh, but this time around, she was scared that she wouldn't be able to make it.

The door swung open before she could even ready herself, and there, standing was her mom in a white blouse with a green apron over her. Her lips were set in a grim line. Seeing her well somewhat eased Brie's worries, but the uncertainty still remained.

"What took you so long? You should've been home two hours ago. I've been texting you."

She almost lost her balance from being startled earlier, but she steadied herself and gave her mom a swift kiss on the cheek and went past her to toss her bag on the living room's couch. "I had sushi with Ollie and I turned my phone on silent. Sorry if I didn't tell you that I was gonna head home late."

Truth was, she was scared to receive more texts from the mysterious sender that was why she turned off her ringer and dumped her phone in the deepest part of her backpack. She hoped that it would somewhat protect her from another angry message, or at least, would give her an hour of peace.

After closing the door, her mom turned to her with a disappointed look. "If you were checking your phone, you would've known that Xander has been waiting for you and you should've invited him with you guys instead of making him wait here for two hours."

Xander? She quickly scanned the place but failed to spot him. "What? He's here?"

The sound of hurried footsteps accompanied Hugh's arrival at the living room. Based on the bright blue apron he was wearing, it was obvious that he had been hanging around in the kitchen as well. He must be in the kitchen. "Brie-brie! Xander's been waiting for you. Where have you been?"

"With Ollie," her mom answered for her using the same flat and displeased tone. "They went out to have sushi. I told her they should've invited Xander instead of making him wait."

"Oh, come on, hon," Hugh cooed, pulling his wife for a side-hug like he always did when she was upset. "The kids were probably having fun that's why she missed your messages. Besides, our daughter's home now. She can finally entertain her guest."

Her mom released a breath and gave a brief nod, but the glare she sent Brie told her that she still wasn't pleased. "Talk to him and apologize for making him wait. I didn't raise a rude young lady without any consideration for other people."

She had no choice but to nod and watch the couple head back to the kitchen with Hugh still calming down her mom. She couldn't move. If this happened months ago, she would've probably already ran to the kitchen and asked Xander how he was, but right now she remained rooted to the floor. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew that she was scared; terrified of the reason why he was here, and of the consequences of his presence. 

That was something she was learning just now with Xander. Everything that had to do with him had consequences—loving him, tolerating him, running away from him, staying friends with him—nothing ever left her unscathed. Could she really bite another bullet and risk what she had right now to figure out what he wanted? Could she really open up a can of worms that contained the truth even if she was already living in sweet ignorace.

"Brie."

Xander stood under the archway that separated the dining room and living room. He was in a maroon hoodie and light jeans, smiling at her as if he hadn't been waiting for two hours. With pursed lips, her eyes fell to his hand where he held another envelope and this time, it was yellow.

She felt herself swallow when she remembered the very first time she asked him about the color of paper she'd use for her letter to him, and right now, a hopeful yellow envelope was in her sight, taking up too much of the space in their house despite its size. 

She didn't mean to take a step back, and the immediate disappointment in his eyes at her reaction stopped her from running all the way back. "Sorry," she said, shaking her head and hoping she didn't sound as helpless as she felt. "I'm just surprised to see you here. Have you had dinner?"

He shook his head. "We were waiting for you. I brought a batch of my mom's mooncakes by the way."

There was no way that Brie could explain it properly, but that line made her ache so much that she felt like her heart was being pulled in and out of her chest until the veins that were holding it snapped. He brought her mooncakes at her house; something that she'd always dreamed of back when things were still okay and love haven't scarred her yet in ways that left her never the same. This was the boy she loved, standing in front of her with another envelope in his hand and a smile on his gorgeous face, and yet it only brought her sadness.

She secretly took deep breaths before looking at him in the eyes. "Xander, can we talk?"

The wide grin on his face told her that he liked the idea, but deep inside, she dreaded it. Not because she hated him, but because she knew things would be different after this conversation. 

"Sure. I have something to tell you, too."

Never the same. It would never be the same again, she just knew.

-

Eeeep. Hi. Sorry for making you all wait. Thoughts? Also, I'd like to say thank you to everyone, especially those who leave such heartfelt comments that motivate and push me to write even when I feel like I couldn't. All your love and support mean so much to me. Thank you for making me feel that my words mean so much more than just black letters on a screen.