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"I'm outside your house," Nino's face contorted into a growl at the sound of his voice. The voice that once meant everything to her. "Can I have a word with you face to face?"
The corner of her lips quirk. From the day she heard those words from his bedroom door, seeing him wasn't something she was thrilled about anymore. She kept avoiding him instead of confronting him. What was she afraid of? Afraid that it might be true if she confronts him. Her heart started to race impulsively as a knot built in the pit of her stomach. Though she heard those words herself, she wants to believe they are false. She wants everything to be just one big nightmare.
"Nino? Are you still there?" Her heart thawed at the worry and longing in his voice. Dazzled by her pain, she didn't try to find out from the horse's mouth if he did all that.
"Yes," she heaved a sigh and fumbled the words out. "A sec, I'm coming out." She ended the call and raked her hands in her wardrobe, pulling out a long cardigan. It ran down to her knees. She wore her flip-flops and dash out. She draped the cardigan over her night dress and raced the stairs to the sitting area, her heart banging against her ribs.
She locks eyes with Toro when she alighted the stairs, and he emerged from the kitchen. Carrying a bottled drink. She instantly looks away from him. The memory of what happened in the bathroom flooded in and a chill pass down her spine. She tried to steady her steps out of the door but she could feel his goring gaze on her, which made walking difficult for her. She opens the door but was immediately greeted by a sudden wave of the cold breeze of the night.
It swept her bangs across her face, she felt her body quiver under her coat as she shoved back her bangs from her eyes. She tried to adjust her eyes to the thickness of the dark. She darted her eyes all around until she saw a shadow emerge from the dark corner of the alley and started making its way toward her. For a minute the hairs on her back prick up in fear but she prayed silently for that figure to be Marcus. The racing in her heart came to a halt when the figure near the light emitting from a house three blocks down.
His lips curled into a sweet smile at the sight of her but deflated when he saw she wasn't returning the favour. "Hi," came a low mumble from her.
"Nino, how are you?" He inquired, maintaining eye contact but she suddenly looks away. Staring into the dark space. The cold gentle breeze continued messing up her hair and was threatening to penetrate her skin. She clutched her coat tightly against her body, shielding herself from the coldness but suddenly her face was obscured when he stood before her.
Each time she sees his face, she was reminded of that night. She wanted to stay away but she can't keep running forever. "Why do you want to see me face to face?" Her low unsympathetic voice asked. This time she willed her nerves to look right into his eyes. She wanted to find a clue that all she heard that night was false but worry and hurt lurked behind those alluring eyes of his. His eyes were the first thing that captivated her to him.
"Nino, I came to have a healthy face-to-face talk with you," he answered, noticing her undesired attitude to speak. "Won't let me in the house?"
"We can talk here," her voice remained aloof. "What do you want to talk about? Go on, I'm listening." She pushed back a couple of her hair which covered half of her face when the wind slammed on them the second time.
"Nino, I'm worried about your recent behaviour towards me," Marcus sighed and tucked his hands in his pants pockets. Afraid she might lash out at him if he tries to grab her. He's worried about her recent behaviour after his birthday, he was surprised she didn't come to visit him that day. She never missed his birthday or missed celebrating his birthday. She's always the one to remind him of his birthdays but his recent birthday. He didn't even get a glimpse of her near his apartment.
"What happened to us?" He added, wearing a troubled look across his face. "You suddenly started keeping your distance from me, on my birthday. I understood you were busy with work and couldn't make out time for me that day and it also rained that day. I also understood if the rain hindered you from coming to see me later on but you started to bail out on me left me puzzled."
Nino made a satirical sound under her breath. He should quit acting like he didn't know the reason why he never saw her on his doorpost that day. Wait she did come but never went in because the pain was intolerable. Her chest tightened as the breeze messed up her hair and clothes. "I will never know what is going on if you don't tell me what is going on?"
"I came to your house that day," he lifted his brow. Urging her to be more explicit in her words. "I showed up on your doorpost on your birthdayβ¦.."
"You did?" A smile crept on his lips and he pulled out his hands from his pockets and took a step closer to her. Breaking the law of distance between them. With her two walks away from him feels like she was drifting away from him. "Why didn't you come in then? I was waiting for you the whole day."
"Iβ¦..I..ya..," she gnaws her lower lip. Felt a lump grow in her throat. Halting her on her words. She held back the emotions threatening to burst out. And the invisible tears stinging her eyes. She lowered her head, blinking back the tears clouding her eyes. "I want to know if you still..." she licked her lips and lifted her head.
She gave him a flitting look before continuing. "I want to know if you still feel anything for me."
Marcus was taken aback by the question that flew out of her mouth. He wondered where that question came from. What provoked her into asking that? He tilts his head backwards. Confused at her question. "Nino, did something happen? Is something going on, that I'm not aware of?"
She hesitated for a brief minute, she opened her lips to say something when she was caught off by the abrupt pull of the door. She and Marcus whirl their head to the door and saw a figure emerge out of the house.
Nino turned to Marcus and saw his eyebrows pulled together in a frown. A glance at his face already told her what must be going on in his head. Toro walks near them. In his grip was the gas lighter, ignoring the look on Marcus' face and the death glare that lingered in his eyes. He channelled his attention on Nino. "What's wrong with your lighter? I have been trying to switch it on the gas with it but it's not working."
Nino sniffed back the tears in her eyes, watching the man in front of her. Why does he show up when she needed an excuse to get away from her boyfriend? She wasn't yet ready to tell Marcus what she heard that day. Reminiscing that day shattered her heart into pieces. Marcus' eyes stayed on him, he remembered him on the day he came to her house drenched in the rain. And he was at the restaurant earlier today. Who is this guy, and why does he keep seeing him anywhere Nino is?
"Nino, I asked you again, who is this guy and what is he doing in your house?" He asked in arrant anger.
"What's wrong with it?" Toro wriggled the gas lighter in his hold. Ignoring Marcus. "I need to make of the gas, now."
Nino turns to him ( Marcus ) "Can we talk some other time?"
"Why?" Marcus raised his voice a little at her. Annoyed she's trying to ditch him for a guy he knew nothing about of or where he appeared from. "Who is he? Why is he more important than me? And you haven't answered my question.....who is he?"
"Are you seeing someone?" He pressured, balling a fist. "Are you tired of me? Is he the reason you asked me those weird questions?"
Nino raked a hand through her hair in frustration, torn between two men before her. One is demanded her service in the house and the other is concerned about if she's cheating on him. She let out a wry chuckle at her situation when Toro yanked her right arm and attempts to pull her in with him but Marcus stopped him by placing his hand on her wrist.
"Hey, you can't just come out from nowhere and take away the woman with me!" Marcus barked, throwing daggers at him with his eyes. Who the fuck are you and what right do you have over her?
"Me?" Toro's curled his face into a devilish smile before keeping a stoic face. "I'm the owner of this house as well as her." He shook Marcus's hand off her wrist.
All this while, Nino couldn't grab a thing about what is going on with these men. Her mind was in deep unrest but her attack struck immediately. Her chest tightened and her lungs felt like they were going to shut down any minute. She started coughing hysterically, catching the two men's attention.
"Nino, are you okay?" Marcus queried in concern. She coughed and tries to grasp few airs but it worsened her situation, he reached out to her but She points towards the house.
"Myβ¦..inβ¦hal...er, Iβ¦" She gasped more. Toro took the hint of what she was talking about and led her inside the house leaving behind the stunned Marcus glued to the ground.