My family went home first thing in the morning, leaving me with only Anathasia's presence once again.
Except...
"Mnh..."
"Anathasia..."
"...hm.."
"Anathasia, wake up..." I gently shook her, trying to rouse her from sleep.
Some might be wondering what's going on.
Well, shortly after our little moment outside - right after that small small new year's greeting she gave - she just... fell asleep. Completely out.
While still leaning against my shoulder no less.
I still had to carry her to her room, with my family watching the whole thing like it was some kind of drama.
And now? She's completely turned me into her bolster pillow.
Which, apparently, my family found so "endearing" that they decided to leave us alone, saying something about "respecting our time together" or whatever.
"Hey... Wake up, I might do something bad to you, y'know?"
Obviously, I wouldn't - but I had to say something to get her off me.
She didn't move an inch.
Would you look at that? She doesn't care. She just keeps sleeping.
"Five more minutes..." still half-asleep, before wrapping her arms around me and pulling me closer. Her half-lidded eyes met mine for a brief second.
"Oi... I'm going to get pissed.."
"...I don't care."
This girl...
I swear I could feel a vein in my forehead twist because of her.
"What the hell do you mean you don't-" I gritted out, trying to pull away, but she was ridiculously strong for someone her size. "-care?! And why the hell are you so strong?!"
She looked at me, smiling, clearly enjoying herself at my expense.
"Come on... Why do you care? You pat my head all the time - what difference will a small hug make~?"
She wasn't half-asleep at this point. There's no way someone half-asleep would say something like that.
As endearing as she was, I still had other things to do.
I reached out to pinch her cheek - gently, but enough to make her wince and let go.
"Ow ow ow ow ow! Okay okay! I yield!" she said frantically, letting go of me as we both sat up.
"You're getting cheekier each day, is something bothering you?" I mumbled, releasing her cheek.
She froze for a moment, surprise flickering across her face as her eyes met mine.
"It's not that..." she murmured, looking away. Then a small, faint smile tugged at her lips - subtle, but enough for me to notice.
"I just feel... strangely contented?" she said softly, tapping her chin in thought.
"I'm not too sure," her voice dropped, gaze lowering to the sheets she absentmindedly toyed with. "Or something like that."
A comfortable silence followed. Her eyes met mine as she smiled.
"That being said I-"
Just when she was about to say something, the sound of the doorbell ringing cut her off. Her smile dropped instantly.
Without a word, she slipped off the bed and walked out of the room, irritation written all over her face. I followed closely behind her, in case she might think of doing anything drastic.
She didn't bother checking who it was from the peephole - just grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.
"Who the hell is it-"
"Woah..."
The man outside froze, eyes widening slightly at the sight of her.
"Noah?" I blinked, recognizing him as I stepped away from behind Anathasia.
"Yo, long time no see." he greeted with a familiar grin - the kind only an old friend could give.
Looking back, we didn't really get that many chances to meet, so I guess he decided to drop by - which, I honestly appreciate.
Anathasia went still. Her gaze flickered between me and him, her expression unreadable - like she was trying to process something she didn't expect.
She leaned close and whispered.
"Who's this guy? A friend?"
I chuckled softly, understanding her concern.
"He's a close friend of mine."
"A... friend." she echoed, retreating behind me with a slight frown.
I looked back at him with a small smile.
"What brings you here?"
"I asked auntie about where you were staying, so I figured I'd drop by," Noah replied, showing his usual grin, a reminder of his playful personality.
"But man..." he paused, looking at Anathasia's way then back to me. "Since when did you get a girlfriend?"
"I mean, I know you're a pretty boy and all, but you look so feminine-you could come off as a girl." Noah added casually.
Silence. I could almost hear the gears turning in Anathasia's head.
I froze, glancing at Anathasia behind me before looking back at him.
"It's not like that idiot." I sighed. "And the hell you mean pretty boy? I look fine."
My eyes met Anathasia's, signaling "you can go back to your room if you're not feeling well, I'll take care of this." While reaching for her head, ruffling her hair gently.
But instead of nodding, she shook her head - her eyes steady almost determined, though I couldn't tell why.
After a few minutes of back and forths, I found myself sitting on the couch - Noah across from me, Anathasia beside me, quietly sipping her hot cocoa.
"So, you're telling me you also applied at Northern State Global University?" I asked, gently putting my cup down.
"Yeah, lowkey surprised when I found out you also went there. Didn't you say you were applying for community college?" he leaned back, eyeing me up.
"Well, I did say that, yeah," I said quietly, then looked at the table. "That was the plan, I changed my mind halfway though." I forced a smile at him, hoping he wouldn't ask why.
Noah, being the sharp guy he was behind all his playful bravado, probably caught wind of my hesitance towards the topic, and didn't pry.
"That so?" taking a sip off his cup of cocoa, he shifted his gaze towards Anathasia sitting beside me, making her squirm awkwardly while trying to act natural.
His eyes flickered between Anathasia, then back at me.
I sighed, already reading through his intentions.
"Oh, yeah. Meet Anathasia," I wryly smiled, introducing her as she stilled before lowering her head slightly.
"Nice to meet you, I'm his roomma- I mean, family friend, Anathasia Dunaleff." she greeted, then slowly lifted her head, quietly studying him.
"I'm Noah, Noah dela Vega. A long time friend of his, nice to meet ya." he gave her a smile, then looked at me.
"Still, this is pretty crazy, man - you living with a girl..." he trailed off, glancing at Anathasia then back at me. "A certain someone probably wouldn't take this too kindly."
"A certain someone?" Anathasia's ears basically perked up at his cryptic words.
"A certain someone." Noah's tone grew slightly heavier as he looked at me.
I knew all too well who he was talking about.
That one girl who was crazy enough to even go as far as intrude in my life - befriending everyone and making sure no other girl would get near me, my other reason for moving out and applying to a university in the city.
"Her... huh..."
Every memory I had of that girl flickered back in my mind: her smile - deceptive. Her words - a weapon for manipulation, her appearance that seemed to bewitch those who set their eyes on her coupled with her way with words that could easily sway even those who thought themselves as mentally resistant to seduction - all crumbled beneath her feet.
As I fell deeper into thought, reminded by that one girl who was obsessed with me for reasons I didn't know, Anathasia's voice cut through my thoughts and brought me back. Her face full of worry.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked, her tone gentle as her hand reached out to cup my cheek.
Then I remembered - I had her. That's right. Anathasia was here...
"Mhm, I'm fine." placing my hand over hers. I smiled, not wanting her to worry too much. "I just remembered a few unpleasant memories, don't worry."
Lost in our own world, we both jumped a little when Noah cleared his throat.
"Ahem... Get a room you two." he said with mock cough, grinning, but it didn't reach his eyes this time. His grin faded as he reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. "But seriously... she told me to give you this before I left from town."
"A letter? From that girl?"
I hesitated, then took the envelope from his hand, opening it only to see a letter that read:
Hey there, Kyle.
You didn't actually think you'd escape me, did you? You're smarter than that.
You might be wondering why your best friend's delivering this. Simple - I wanted to remind you that no matter where you run, I'll always find my way back to you.
After all, it's your fault, isn't it? You involved yourself in my family's business. You made my parents care. You made me feel.
So really, you can't blame me for wanting you.
I'll be seeing you soon.
- Love: Marianne"
My stomach sank. For a second, I couldn't feel my hands. Memories of that girl flashed through my thoughts once more, her sickeningly sweet words echoed in my ears.
I didn't even realize I'd gone pale until Anathasia's shadow fell over me and took the letter from my hands.
Anathasia stayed silent as she went through the letter, her expression growing colder with each line she read.
The air around her seemed to still. Her usual warmth vanished, replaced by something unreadable—something I couldn't name.
She didn't say anything. Just quietly folded the piece of paper once, twice. Then the sound of paper tearing filled the room.
The air in the room went still—heavy, silent.
Then Noah broke through, standing up and acting as if he couldn't read the room. "Anyway, that's all I came for. See ya later man."
He smiled, walking around the couch before stopping beside me. "Be careful, her parents supports everything she does now without question." his voice dropped to a whisper, a warning of his own.
And with that, he left, waving his hand in goodbye as only Anathasia and I were left alone in the living room.
I didn't move for a while. The sound of the torn letter still rang louder than his footsteps as he left.
After what felt like forever, the warmth of someone pressing against me brought me back.
"Just take your time... As promised, no hiding anything from each other, remember?" Anathasia's voice broke through the coldness, through the silence that threatened to swallow me whole.
"I'll be waiting, so don't rush yourself. I'm right here." she said softly, her embrace warm.
Instinctively, I pressed closer to her, melting into her embrace as I took her offer.
I probably look pathetic, I'm sure. Since when did I start relying on her this much? We've only known each other for about four months - and yet, it felt like she was no longer just another, but someone who actually mattered.
She didn't judge me when I acted vulnerable. She didn't pry, she let me take my time. She never cared about my past - she simply offered comfort.
I know it felt too good to be true, but at the same time it felt right.
This peace - I knew it wouldn't last long.
And that scared me more than it should've.