The three continued exchanging looks. Scarlett's gaze locked with Edric's while Dylan was switching his eyes from his friend to the boy standing at the entrance then back at the girl.
"Hello, Kitty", Edric's lips that were pressed in a straight line at the party being hosted in his condo changed into a curve, a small genuine smile laying on them. Was he this desperate to see the girl?
"Scarlett", the professor thought he had forgotten her name that wouldn't be shocking as they didn't meet after the night she told the boy her name. The night when Edric walked with the girl to the club, she wanted to ask him for his phone number.
Well, not getting her wrong. The boy gave her an elegant necklace. She could offer him lunch at the very least. But Edric didn't stay there. It looked as if he was in hurry. As a matter of fact, he was. He drove to the cemetery to share the news with his mom.
Flashback
"I just walked into this place a few hours ago with the necklace. I could never think I'd be coming here with an empty hand tonight", standing at some distance from the headstone, he gulped the lump that started forming in his throat. It had been long since he felt this feeling. Almost two years. The last time he cried was clutching the dead body of his mom in his arms. His dad wasn't there with them. He was on a business trip.
"I gave your necklace to someone", his vision got blurry with tears forming in his eyes.
"I don't know why I chose her. It just happened", blinking back the tears, he faced the dark sky up.
"I'm feeling...I don't even know what I'm feeling right now. I wish you would stay a little longer, mom", biting on the inner cheek, he closed his eyes as tears flowed out of them. He let them wet his face. In the darkness, he let them take away the sadness that was squeezing his chest tight.
Flashback Ends
"Okay, Scarlett", how could he forget the name of the girl he gave his mom's necklace. Seeing the girl at his door, he was glad that he let Alex use his condo for his birthday party. Not that he would show up at the party held somewhere else.
"Who is...oh, my guests are here", slightly pushing him away, Alex appeared from behind, smiling brightly upon seeing the two standing at the door, especially his boyfriend. His sweet, bright nature was quite opposite of his rugged personality.
"Happy birthday, Alex", Dylan roughly took two steps to peck the lips of the birthday boy but he had his ways. The peck turned into a kiss, their emotions poured into it. Longing, desire, excitement. They hadn't met for days. Every day, Alex had longed to touch the boy, feel him in his arms.
It was crazy seeing how attached he had grown to him in the short amount of time. The craving to have his boyfriend with him in the same bed, entangled in sheets, skin against skin had driven him too insane that he almost ended climbing over a tree next to Dylan's room window to get inside as the boy was continuously refusing to meet because of being busted in exam's preparation. Well, almost.
After knocking some stones on the window, he was slipping off his shoes when a wide-eyed boy came rushing to the window.
Before Alex drove there at the midnight, they were talking on the phone, Alex warning Dylan that if he wouldn't come to meet him tomorrow, he would climb his way into his room. Dylan laughed it off and ended the call after saying goodnight. He thought to research some case studies their teacher had asked them to go through before exams.
CLICK
Just right when he grasped onto the flow, he heard a sound. Shrugging it off as caused by wind, he focused back on the screen of the laptop.
CLICK
CLICK
CLICK
That was not a wind. Walking over to the window, he peered out and saw Alex positioning his hands on the tree. Before anybody would see the boy from his neighborhood, he whispered-shout at him, telling him to wait as he was coming down. A bone-crushing hug. How advanced the humans had evolved, the warmth and touch could never be teleported over a facetime.
Alex threw his arms around him, an act that kids would pull up in front of their parents after messing around thinking that the cute antics would behavior from the scolding that was likely to come at them. Dylan could only sigh over the childish behavior of his boyfriend.
Alex was forced back into the car after the hug that lasted for a good few minutes with Alex rubbing his nose in Dylan's neck, inhaling his scent, his hands travelling down the latter's back. Before Dylan would also lose his control standing outside his house, he pushed him. Alex drove off not before smooching his lips.
"I'm glad you came", encircling his arm around the waist of his boyfriend, he welcomed the girl who was feeling like a third wheel there. Edric could be the fourth wheel if he was also feeling that way. Judging by the look on his face, she assumed he wasn't.
"Well, happy birthday. I couldn't get you a gift. This short-head always drags me along on short notices", glaring at Dylan, the professor returned the smile.
"It's okay. I'm happy that you are here. Let's get inside. We wouldn't want the teeth of a pretty lady clattering", the breeze was chilly and the short dress the girl was wearing didn't help at all.
"Thanks a lot, someone is nice enough to let the guests inside the house instead of staring at them", Edric chuckled as the three of them entered through the door.
"Don't mind Edric. He's not used to many people showing at his door", Alex replied, walking through the hallway.
"His door?", Dylan asked. He also didn't know that it wasn't his boyfriend's house. He just sent him the location of the party.
"Yeah, this is his place", passing through the living area, Alex made his way to a staircase, Dylan still in his arms while Scarlett was following them.
"Why are you using his house for your birthday party?", it was now the professor's turn to ask.
"Our parents have some guests invited over at dinner at our house. So, I thought to throw the party here instead of a club where we go almost daily. And why not? I also have some rights to use my brother's things", the girl stopped in her track. Dylan also stopped walking as he looked at Alex, waiting for him to clarify what he just revealed.
"Brother?", as the professor's voice was trapped in her throat, the shocked Dylan somehow managed to ask.
"Yup, he's my brother."