Bella's POV
I was shocked when I woke up that morning. I sat on the bed with my eyes closed, holding my head. It stings.
'Jeez, did I drink too much?' I thought.
I suddenly became stunned. I'm in my bedroom at home. My clothes were still there, and I felt fine despite having a headache. I gasped. I first thought Evo would do it, but I remembered Kaycee; she's with me, and maybe she's the one who brought me home.
After I showered, I thought about having breakfast but was surprised to find my uncle inside the house. He was eating takeout food in the dining room with Kaycee. I came right over to them and grabbed a slice of pizza.
"I've called you a few times, but your phone is out of coverage. That's why I returned after work to find out if you were okay." Eduard frowned.
I took my phone out of my pocket. "The battery is empty," I said. I grabbed another mouthful of pizza and walked away from the table. "Kaycee, thank you for last night."
"No problem." I glanced at Kaycee with a warning look, but she continued talking. "It looks like you enjoyed yourself last night because you got drunk."
"Drunk? Did you party again last night?" Uncle Eduard inquired. I took a deep breath and continued to brew dark coffee for the hangover.
"Not exactly a party." I said, "A dinner invitation from..."
"Mr. Tomas Montenegro," Kaycee said. "He invited us for dinner last night."
"And why were you invited? Does he already know about...
"Easy, uncle. We're working with the USBO staff. He thanked everyone because Evo enjoyed being with us, especially in Subic."
"Oh!" Uncle's reaction was like he didn't believe it.
"Well, uncle," Kaycee said, showing the picture on her phone. "Look, uncle, there is a picture of me and Drew."
Uncle grabbed Kaycee's phone and examined the picture. "Hmmm, he's familiar."
"Drew is the vocalist of the international band The Sweet Bandits." Kaycee seemed to be tickled while talking to Uncle Eduard. I just shook my head.
——
Evo's POV
Today, I found myself alone at home. Andrew has an out-of-town photo shoot, and my parents are in a meeting. I was home all day and didn't want to call my friends. It would be silly to spend the entire day at home, and I no longer fit that type of lifestyle. I feel like I'm mature.
I smiled and immediately took out my phone. I called Kaycee and found out she was at Bella's house, so I decided to go there.
-
I was standing in front of Bella's house. I rang the doorbell repeatedly, but Bella didn't open up. Then I repeatedly rang the doorbell until Kaycee left the house and opened the gate.
"I thought you were just joking," Kaycee said as she opened the gate.
"I'm bored at home," I said.
Later, I caught a glimpse of Bella, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV. She is watching a documentary. That's a documentary about a murder that occurred in a different country. Kaycee immediately pulled me inside, then peeked outside again. I know who she's looking for.
"Andrew has a photo shoot, so I'm not with him," I said.
Kaycee frowned as she closed the door. "I thought he was with you."
"Don't worry if he finishes the photoshoot early. I'll bring him here."
"Really?"
"You two should ask for permission from the house owner first. As you can see, I'm here." Bella said.
Kaycee and I didn't say anything, and we both just smiled. "What are you doing here in Montenegro? I'm worn out of seeing you at school every day, but will I still see you on the weekend?"
I chuckled. "You're too allergic to me. Is that a sign that you already have something for me?" I turned to Bella and simultaneously raised my eyebrows.
"Disgusting!" Bella frowned, looked away from me, and watched the TV again.
I sat on the sofa, and Kaycee sat next to me. "Ah, do you want something to eat? You can order online, my treat."
"Are you serious?" Kaycee asked.
"Of course. I plan to stay here all day."
Bella turned toward me with surprise and asked, "What? No."
"Why? We're on a team, so maybe I'll stay here."
"No. If you insist on that, go home." Bella said.
"You're grumpy again," I chuckled.
"Haist, that's right, you're like a dog and a cat," Kaycee said. "It's better, Evo; just watch documentaries. You'll learn a lot about crimes here, as well as how the police solve cases that take several weeks to solve."
"That's because they lack the same abilities as us. You can't compare them to us." I said.
"That makes no difference," Kaycee said. "They are skilled, and we're not. It's akin to beginning anew. Well, it's a different story for Bella, because she's a cheater."
"Excuse me. I'm not a cheater." Bella said.
Kaycee giggled and ignored Bella's anger. Bella shook her head.
—
Kaycee immediately met the delivery man outside the house when he rang the doorbell. Bella and I remained inside the house, continuing to watch documentaries. If other people, especially my friends like Migs and Brian, see us, they will likely laugh and say that what we do is boring, but in reality, I've noticed that watching documentaries can be quite educational. Some cases in the country are very similar to those in documentaries, such as Subic's vampire case.
Bella and I turned around when Kaycee entered the house. Food floated in the air as the door closed. She turned to us, smiling.
"Kaycee, you are not careful. Someone might see you doing that again," Bella said.
Kaycee giggled, and I immediately approached her and helped her. "Has anyone seen you do something like this before?" I asked.
We placed the food on the center table. Kaycee chuckled. "Yes, it's a good thing he's drunk."
"You're lucky. You probably know that scientists are obsessed with people like us."
"I know, but catching me will be difficult for them."
I smirked. "Haist, you know it's better when there's beer. I'd rather buy it at the convenience store outside." I said.
"Nope, no need to go out because there's plenty of beer in the fridge."
I frowned at Kaycee. "Seriously?" I walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Wow, you have another refrigerator for other food, right?"
Kaycee giggled. "That's it for us to go to sleep."
"I'll get it, huh?" I said.
"Okay!" Kaycee waved her hand and helped me get more beer into the refrigerator. Canned beers floated in the air, flying toward Kaycee.
"Hmmm, your ability is enviable," I said.
I sat on the other side of the sofa. "Hmm, Evo, does Andrew currently have a girlfriend?"
"There's nothing yet, but he has many flings," I said, smiling. "Just kidding, he's so busy that he doesn't have time to have a girlfriend."
"So he's NGSB?"
I frowned. "Ah, nope."
"You mean he had a girlfriend?"
"He has exes, but a Filipina? Nope, nothing yet."
Kaycee nodded. We all turned around at the sudden sound of thunder and lightning. Bella abruptly rose and took refuge in the corner, close to the cabinet housing the frames.
"Oh my gosh!" Kaycee immediately moved her hand away, and the blinds closed. Kaycee immediately hugged Bella.
I glanced at them. There was thunder and lightning again, and a heavy downpour followed as Bella covered her ears. I noticed the trembling in Bella's body.
"Bella, can you walk?" Kaycee said. He pulled Bella's hand, and they returned to the sofa together.
I didn't speak to or ask either of them. I don't want Bella to feel frustrated with me, and I found the answer to my question when I delved into Kaycee's thoughts. Bella has astraphobia, meaning she has a phobia of thunder and lightning. Why? I do not know.
"Relax, okay? That's just thunder and lightning. No one else will hurt you here. We're the only ones here." Kaycee said. She glanced at me. "Is there a typhoon?"
"Ah," I said, immediately taking out my phone and searching Google for the weather forecast. "Ahm, just low pressure; no typhoon mentioned," I said.
"I'd better take her to her room," Kaycee said. "Is it okay for you to wait here first?"
"Yes, it's okay." I glanced at Bella. "Do you need help?"
"Nope." Kaycee smiled and winked at me.
I just smiled a little and watched them go up the stairs.
-
A few minutes passed, and Kaycee still did not come down from the second floor. However, I could hear his thoughts. Kaycee calms Bella down. Their conversation prompts me to question whether the thunder and lightning have any connection to Bella's past. I took a deep breath. Looking at the blinds on the window, I didn't know that Bella and I had something in common. Thunder and lightning have a connection to my past, but instead of feeling scared, I'm experiencing a headache. I don't know why, either, but I know that my headache started because of an accident five years ago. This was also the beginning of my telepathia.
I noticed there was only one drawer in the living room. A single cabinet displays a picture. The cabinet is roughly three inches tall and half a meter broad, with a glass window or wall near the door. A plant stands adjacent to the frame. I approached the plant and briefly examined it. Even though I wasn't sure, I assumed the people in the photo were Bella's parents. The image depicts a woman and a man. They were both at an airport, with jets in the background. The lady is a flight attendant, while the male seems like he may be a pilot. I remembered Bella's eyes as well as the way she looked at me.
"I know where you got your eye," I said with a grin.
"They are Bella's parents."
I turned to Kaycee. She came down the stairs, looking at me with a smile.
"Sorry, it took me so long. Bella didn't calm down." Kaycee approached me, moved her head slightly, and invited me to sit on the sofa.
"Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she fell asleep after I gave her medicine." Kaycee took a beer and drank it.
I stopped asking questions and drank a beer. Kaycee glanced at me, frowning while smiling.
"What?" I asked.
It's peculiar that you don't inquire about what transpired with her. Why did she suddenly panic? Aren't you curious?"
"If I ask, I might look like a gossip. Knowing nothing is a beneficial thing." After saying this, I resumed my alcohol consumption. I don't need to ask anymore because I already know the reason.
"In that case, I'll give you a little hint." Kaycee began speaking, echoing the thoughts I had heard earlier in her mind.
"Bella's family was involved in an accident. It was raining and thundering, followed by lightning. Her parents died that night, so the rain is a sad memory for her. The doctor said what happened to her is now a phobia."
I nodded. "Wow, you know her very well."
"Yeah, it's been a long time."
Having said that, Kaycee stopped discussing Bella. Instead, she became interested in knowing more about Andrew.