A little less than 8 seconds later a reply came in.
[???]
My eyes glossed over my phone screen, staring at the three question marks. The damage had already been done, way before my slow processor called a brain had time to fully grasp it.
{I'm sorry for that, it wasn't meant for you.}
I nervously typed over the crippling voice in my head telling me how stupid I sounded.
[Okay.]
Once again a monotonous digital reply came through. I fiddled my hair with my index and middle finger, using the fingers on my free hand I asked.
{Did I catch you at a bad time?}
[Not at all, I just thought the message was random.]
I nodded my head in the dark.
[About our meeting tomorrow, can you text me the address? I'll meet you there.]
My thumbs stayed mid-air, hovering above my phone screen waiting for my brain to deliver the impulse for it to dance across the keyboard to type out a reply.
My mind paid no mind, rather it engaged in a slightly long moment of deliberation. After a while, I sent out a text.
{We could head there together instead... if you wouldn't mind.}
My two thumbs clasped together, nervously anticipating his response.
[That's fine, you'll come to get me at my studio?]
{Yes.}
[*smiling emoji*]
He sent his address afterward despite the lack thereof a need to, the GPS in my car had stored the location from the days prior.
The next day. I had breakfast in the dining with Maria. She took it upon herself to comment how silent the house was without 'the prince.'
"A silent house is not a good sign for happiness," Maria lamented. I looked up at her with a slice of whole wheat bread toast in my mouth, shrugged then chewed my toast wholeheartedly.
"Silence is not bad." I countered after swallowing, my hands reached for the fresh orange juice in a glass cup situated beside my now empty breakfast plate.
She paused her eating and glanced at me, appearing as though there was something cut in her tongue that she wanted to express. Seemingly deciding against it, she dabbled no further into what might have led to an ultimate difference in opinion.
I took my glass upstairs and got ready. In my mind, I held no doubt that I was in fact right. Silence is pleasant at least in comparison to the mean antics that would be present in its stead.
In the sky outside Haziel's apartment, the clouds had begun to turn grey, encompassing the peaking sun that struggled to display its glory. The air outside was light and moist.
My rose-colored glasses hid the gray to some extent but in return took some sunshine as its compensation.
The car was parked out in front. My body leaned against it. The ankle-length black summer dress that I decided to wear during an increasing growing cold weather swayed in the direction of the wimpy breeze.
[I'm almost down.]
I viewed Haziel's text looking down at my phone, by the time I lifted my head, his silhouette peaked out of the build and walked towards me. His strides were model like and his expression was passive until the moment he got closer to me.
We exchanged polite greetings first. Haziel offered a sweet smile that softened his eyes. Naturally, I reciprocated before we both got into the car and drove off.
"..."
Silence was the worst.
Silence was a phenomenon crafted by the devil to make people's minds wander.
Silence!
I hated silence!
Since the start of the car trip, that being 10 minutes in, neither Haziel nor I had pronounced a syllable.
Through the corner of my eye, I could see Haziel reclined back on the passenger seat with his eyes fixed on the fast-paced views outside the window.
Fuck Silence! My mind roared internally.
"You look tired. Were you up all night?" My question broke through the dead air in the car once and for all.
Haziel shifted in his seat with no guise of surprised by my inquiry.
"Yeah, I was working on something." He keyed almost instantly.
I nodded my head.
"What were you working on?" I probed further to make small talk, taking my eyes off the scanty road to take a peek at him.
Haziel smirked a little meeting my eyes for a second. The person that seemed solemn a while ago had a glint of cheekiness in his eyes just then.
He leaned over to me ever so slightly revealing, "that's a secret," before returning into an upright position.
I scoffed. "Let's see..." my voice trailed.
"I've seen your face, gone up to your studio, seen a couple of your unfinished art. All with your consent of course."
"Is this secret that critical?" I posed despite not truly being fixated on the secret.
Haziel remained silent for a bit.
"Interesting." He murmured finally, just loud enough to be heard by me.
"What is?" I asked with my eyebrows scrunched up and a mild frown on my lips.
"That Royalty would be interested in the secrets of a mere subject. I'm honored." He said, his tone mocking.
A slight drizzle poured down from the sky at that moment.
This was the first time since his discovery that he has made mentioned my royal status. My mind took this as an invitation to speculate if it would cause him to view me in a different light.
"..." this time around it was my turn to initiate the silence. The meek drizzle developed into a delicate downpour, encasing the quietness with the sound of haste water droplets colliding with the car surface.
"This critic of yours. How sure are you of their ability? " Haziel's voice lifted the iron curtain between us, starting another line of discussion. His fingers traced the raindrops sliding down the window.
My mood lifted a bit as I thought about the little girl.
"I think once you meet them yourself you'll be rest assured open to their perceptions." I offered a vague reply.
Within a few minutes greater than 5, we pulled up into the street of the Orphanage. The paint on the outside appeared a little dull under the grey sky.
Once the sign for the orphanage was in full view, and readable behind the foggy glass rain, Haziel's eyes squinted before raising an eyebrow at me for a good minute. I showed no reaction to it
"Is this the place?" He inquired with a hint of disbelief in his delivery. I directed the car up to their drive before pulling it to a stop.
I nodded a reply, reaching out to the back seat for an umbrella. There was always a spare kept there during the rainy season by Nick.
Dislodging my fastened seat belt, I motioned my body to peer the back seats. I felt the silky material and dragged the object to the front.
Haziel uttered nothing, clearing his expression of surprise to that of wonder.
Haziel faced the rain head-on, getting out of the car before me, I came out shortly after with my bag in one hand, opening the red umbrella in another.
Lifting the umbrella over my head, I rushed over to offer him a cover.
Not even half a minute later, the doors of the orphanage opened and the bony Miss Riley approached us with 2 pairs of umbrellas.
The woman's long legs to even longer strides towards us to meet up in no time.
"Welcome your highness." She greeted softly, she looked up at Haziel meeting his eyes then looked away in an instant. Underneath the rain perhaps I thought I saw a red hue form on her cheeks. She handed him a gray umbrella whilst carefully avoiding his face.
Flustered, she focused on me. "Please come in." She uttered at the both of us, her hand gestured to the direction of the door.
"Thank you," I replied with a soft smile plastered on my lips before walking towards the Orphanage.
Inside was warmer opposed to the cooler weather we had come in from. Leaving the umbrellas by the door we were approached by Gerald, the Orphanage director.
"A pleasure to have you here again." He cheered offering me a handshake. I took his hand in mine for a brief moment accepting the polite gesture.
Haziel waved his offer away is a curt nod. My eyes peered up at him in observation.
A sound of slight laughter and floor banging was loud enough to be heard for downstairs.
"The kids are up playing, sorry if it's a bit rowdy." Miss Riley took it upon herself to explain.
I smiled, it was nice to hear them having fun.
"Is Yena up with them?" I questioned. Dr. Gerald promptly shook his head.
"She is the art room, she never leaves there. The sweet girl has been drawing all afternoon." He said.
"I would like to see her for something." I divulged.
Miss Riley and Dr. Gerald shared a nod before leading Haziel and me to her.
The little girl sat at the corner of the room looking at the rainy view and stroking her pencil on a piece of paper.
Haziel glanced at her briefly before pulling out his phone from his pocket to check a notification.
I didn't mean to eavesdrop, however, I caught the message.
It read...
[Babe I missed you I'm at your apartment.]
Haziel showed no reaction to the text-only somewhat lifting his lips lightly at it.