The aroma of delicious food soothes Bryce's nose and make his stomach growls.
Usually, he wouldn't have anything in the morning aside from having his expresso coffee because he's afraid to lose his muscles in place. He didn't want to be called 'fat' instead of having a 'fit' body.
That is also the reason why he usually go to gym at night after having a heavy meal in the afternoon.
It looks like his diet will be altered because of this woman!
Nia showed up as of on cue and tap his left shoulder to get his attention. He faked typing something before turning around.
"Aren't you hungry? I'm waiting on the dinning table for five minutes now. I thought if you would smell the food, you will get up and went to the table by yourself.", Her lips in a pout like a child.
"I told you to call me, right? When I work, I won't notice the time until I finished it."
He got up and walk with her towards the arranged table. He secretly prayed that the food should be tasteless so he doesn't need to eat much.
There are egg omelette, fried bacon, ham, some toasted bread and sliced fruits on the side.
He sigh deeply and secretly thanked her. He will not get fat with those foods easily but he still need to go to gym later. He mentally note to himself.
"Don't you have rice grains? I didn't see any in your food cabinets. I'm craving of having a heavy meal but I guess, this will do."
She sliced the omelette with the knife on her plate and chew her food slowly. She eat like it's her first time tasting a delicious food in her life!
Bryce shook his head and start to make his plate full by putting two toasted bread, half of the omelette and a couple of bacon and ham. Surprisingly, she didn't bother to get his strawberry jam or peanut butter on his refrigerator for the toasted bread fillings.
He eat until he felt his stomach full and just watch her finished all the remaining food on the serving plates.
He got up and get a bottle of water in the fridge and drink straight from it. He sigh again seeing the women massaging her full tummy.
He got a glass and pour some cold orange juice from the carton and handed it to her.
"I had a lot of sweet and salty food from this breakfast so I just need a water. But thanks, anyway." She smiled and got the glass, slightly brushing his fingers.
He swallowed again. He felt that the woman was slowly making her move to seduce her but he shrugged the thought out of his mind quickly. She was not in the condition to do that since he saw her earlier. Why would he think of that?
He put the plates on top of each other before putting them on the sink but Nia hold his hand on his attempt to wash the dishes.
"You'll get a hand tremor if you wash the plates. It's not good for your hand since your always working and typing on your laptop. I'll do the dishes."
Without any hesitation, he handed her the red gloves. He put his arms on his chest and watched her finished putting the plates back to the dish rack.
"You made me realize how careless I was. I wouldn't know about that tremor until now. Thank you.", Then he turned around and get back to his work.
After eating breakfast, Nia got back to her tempting bed, making her feel sleepy again. She didn't have a habit of falling asleep after eating but she guess that is the right thing to do and she did.
Maybe because she was tired doing the cooking alone or she still need plenty of sleep because of jet lag.
****
Bryce cannot focus on checking important documents and doing some revisions. It's been four hours since their delicious breakfast and its already two in the afternoon but the woman is still in her room.
He mindlessly stand up and get his door keys and run towards her bedroom only to see her in a deep slumber.
He quietly walk towards the other end of the bed and sit on the edge of it. She's sleeping peacefully and she looked like an angel sleeping.
He noticed her face is as innocent as a baby. Her chinky eyes looks cute even when closed and her brows are not in sync. Even without lipstick, her lips are pinkish and urging her to kiss her.
He smiled. For the first time after a couple of years, she made him chuckled and make him feel mixed emotions.
He huff and had an urge to lie down and take a nap for a couple of minutes. He's so sure to himself that he can wake up before she wake up. He set an alarm with the side table clock at five since he need to go to their office and personally submit the paperwork he just finished.
He mentally planned to take her out at night, tour her a little bit and eat in a fancy restaurant.
You're strangers to each other, right? Why would you take her out on a night date?
"Because you look like as fragile as I am.", he said loudly before lying down beside her and let his eye lids rest for a while.
****
Nia carelessly jump out of her bed after hearing a sound of siren. She look around and her bedroom door is open and there is no signs of smoke or fire.
She even inspect the house if she left the stove open but it's closed. She also went to the balcony and carefully get down to the path she saw earlier to check if there were nearby fire in the building but none.
She decided to admire the beauty of the surrounding from that small space fifty floors above the ground. She felt at peace in that place. Nobody will ask her why she's there and nobody will look think that she will go there. It's a perfect place to be her sanctuary.
Are you out of your mind? A hidden sanctuary at the edge of a high building? With that tiny space that she can only sit having her legs hanging down and with a careless move, she will fall down face flat on the ground?
"I don't care. I just feel like this will be a perfect place to escape the world." She smiled bitterly as she remember her father's smilling face etched on the clouds in the sky.
Bryce carefully stretched his left arm towards the other side of the bed, afraid that Nia will woke up if he will touch her without opening his eyes.He silently turn around to face the side table and open his left eye to see the time on the clock. It's quarter to six in the evening!He quickly jump out of the bed and his butt bounced on the carpeted floor."Ouch!", he rub his aching butt with his right hand before he continue to stand up and glance on the bed but he only saw some hair strands on the other pillow.Why didn't I wake up with the fire alam sound of the clock? It didn't happen before to him! He will usually woke up with the sound of it, thinking there will be a fire in the house!Or maybe Nia woke up because of its sound and didn't bother to wake him up? Or is it because the woman didn't notice him sleeping beside her on her own bed?Argh! I don't know what to think now! Where did she go without even checking her housemate? Did she le
Nia didn't know how long she's staring at the bright, perfectly shaped moon with a couple of stars in the sky.Her heart beats faster than normal--indicating that she's very nervous. The trauma she had experienced made her comfortable in the dark before the therapy. But after the psychologist confirmed that she can handle it without the therapy, her doctor also explained that there will be an instance that she may have an attack due to her own actions and emotions.In short, she needs to manage her emotions to stay calm all the time. In that way, she won't have an attack anymore.She sigh deeply, shrugged and closed her eyes.This is the situation that she need to conquer by herself without any help of others. She doesn't need to be dependent on someone since all the things, people and place she's currently in will only be temporary.How about Bryce, will he be just a man she met a few mon
In Bryce's eyes, having a man as your best friend is not suitable if you were a woman--he always tell that to his girlfriend Maristal Chavez.He actually dislikes seeing her best friend Dylan around them during their outdoor dates. Maristal always argue that its better for them to have her best friend accompany in exchange of having a good public image. And he disapproved of it but she is always the one who wins the argument in the end.Why? Because he loves her so much. She was his world. She accept him wholeheartedly when he needs someone beside him. She made her feel loved and let him believe that they will be the one for each other forever.Bryce is a field journalist and he has his own office in the publication company--even though he's mostly out for field reports--where he met Maristal being the Editor-in-Chief's secretary.Maristal is very defensive, always rude when he talks to her but when he got into her submissive side, they unexpectedly clicked.
Nia felt like she was in a deep slumber for a long time and she just woke up with ease.She tried to remember what had happen but she can't. She had no memory but she's happy.Without thinking anything, she get up from the bed only to be surprised. Her body remains on the bed but when she double checked, she's also standing straight next to her body!When her eyes roam around, there are other patients lying on the beds nearby and her bed is near the glass window.The room has a light coming from the fluorescent light on the ceiling and there are two doctors and three nurses around her bed. One of the doctors is currently pumping her heart, the two nurses are checking her vital signs and putting some liquid medicine from the vials to her dextrose using a long syringe.She cringed. If she's conscious right now, she won't let them stung her with that.She's the type of pers
Surprisingly, Nia noticed that Bryce do all the things to make her comfortable on her stay in the hospital. Bryce didn't say anything after she woke up the following day. He volunteered to help her get up, to guide her in going to the bathroom and even feed her. Nia is very touched by his gestures and realized he's a warm, loving and caring person although he say otherwise. It's her third day in the hospital and still waiting for other examination test results. Bryce did all the walking and talking with the doctors the whole day and at night, he will stay awake until the last doctor's visit to check if her vital signs are stable. Nia smiled at the thought of having him as her boyfriend. She can imagine his pale lips twitching when he will talk back at her every whims but he will give up on the end and he will still give what she wants. She sigh and silently pray that she can stay
Nia is clueless as to how Bryce manage to bring her home with a wheelchair. She's very uncomfortable sitting on it while all the passersby judgemental eyes were on her until they reached the parking lot. The doctor recommended for her not to think deeply of anything for two whole weeks to avoid stress and not to wash her hair because the fresh wound might open up--the water may came inside her brain and it will decay in less than a year that can cause her death. She still wants to live. She wants to explore, experience adventure and travel--with Bryce if possible. "Why are you smiling while staring at your hands? Care to tell me what is interesting there?", his brows were in a thin line together while his eyes shows he's oblivious of her thoughts. Nia rolled her eyes and murmured to herself, "I thought women are the only busybody." The wheelchair stopped in front of the elevator abruptly. "What? I heard something about busybody
Bryce was left slumped on the tiled floor while staring at his bleeding wound on his palm. When Nia left him, he tighten the small piece of cloth around his hand and since he cannot tie it, he just told the excess inside the other roll. He knew that it was his fault. He shouldn't blame her to what happen on him. It was not her fault that his past is now backfiring. He glance at the messy house. All the things he managed to buy using his own money by earning a living is now a waste. The white antic jar with bulge flowering design that he purchased from his friend--that came from thailand--was shattered into tiny pieces. All the kitchen utensils were cut into half and thrown into a nearby garbage. The couch cushions and pillows were sliced in half. Most of his electric gadgets looks like it was hammered merciless into thin soda cans.
Nia nearly crumble down on the busy high way when the window she leaned on suddenly burst open. Her right foot slide down and she lost her balance. She got scared thinking that she will fell off face first on the cold pavement down the busy street without even saying anything to her mother for the past few days! Her heart sank when she didn't even hold on to the window pane! Nia closed her eyes to think straight--to clear the anxiety that is starting to build up--when a hand grabs her before she could go down further. "Jeez, woman! What are you thinking when you decide to hang out here? It's very dangerous when it's twenty floors downwards!" She abruptly hold on to the man's hand for her to survive. The man instantaneously tighten the grip on her knuckles and pull her up the window. She careen on the floor after touching the other unit's floor. Her breathing