I wake up in the morning with a headache that is killing me. After a while, I noticed that there was something in my arms. It's slim, curvy, and warm, like a female body but what does a woman do on my bed? I ran my hand on her back but I stopped on her lower back when I heard a familiar voice.
"Hey! Where are your hands going?" The voice sounds like Anna but what is she doing here? I didn't call her; I didn't tell her about my whereabouts. Am I dreaming?
"You're awake? Can you let go of me now?" She asked me through my chest. I can feel her warm breath on my bare skin, it tickled me. "Hey!" She pats my back to wake me up. I looked down at her side and realized that I'm not dreaming she was here beside me.
I immediately pushed myself away from her but I ended up falling to the floor. "Ouch!" I complained while massaging my lower back which was in pain due to my fall.
"You, okay?" She looks at me from the end of the couch. I nod my head while I try to stand up. I was standing on my feet when my surroundings started to twirl around. I'm going to fall again when someone catches me on time. "Geez, don't immediately stand up like that. Sit here first. I'm going to prepare a hangover soup for you."
I'm not dreaming. She's here, at my house? Wait! This is not my house! "You don't remember anything, do you?" She asked me. My vision is clearer now compared to earlier. Is this where she lives? What am I doing here? "No, what happened?" I put my hand on my head to massage my temples which are hurting so badly.
"You just disturbs the whole neighborhood with your loud knocks last night and fell asleep on our doorstep," shame on me! I don't remember anything. How did I end up here in her place?
My eyes followed her when she went to the kitchen to prepare the soup. She's wearing a black fitted silk sleeveless top and shorts showing her pearly white skin and her long, slim arms and legs. Her figure becomes more obvious when she raises her hands to tie her hair.
She has this perfect curvy shape that every woman desires. I almost drooled on the view but I woke up from my fantasy when she spoke. "So, how did you know where I live?" I don't know what to say, I don't know either myself. I'm about to speak when I hear footsteps from the staircase. "Oh, good morning muscle man," Elaine greeted me.
I forgot that I was half-naked, I looked for my shirt everywhere but I couldn't find it. I just grab the blanket on the couch and use it to cover myself. "I'm going to the café now. Don't do naughty things when I leave, ok?" She winked at me before she opened the door and left. Naughty things?
"Anna?" I went to the kitchen to look for her. She's wearing an apron then her hair is pulled back in a ponytail. She looks like a wife that is cooking breakfast for her husband. When she turns around, her hair swings and lands on her shoulder. "Yes?" She asked me plainly while putting down the plates of pancakes and a bowl of soup on the table.
"Last night?" I don't know how I should ask about what happened last night, she just raises an eyebrow at me while waiting for me to complete my question. She leans against the counter and her arms are crossed on her chest. I collected enough courage before I finally asked the question that stuck in my throat. "Did something happen to us last night?" I didn't look straight into her eyes when I'm asking, I feel embarrassed by my stupidity.
"Don't worry, I-I will take responsibility for you," I stopped what I'm saying when I saw her covering her mouth. She also has these teary eyes. My confusion made her burst into laughter. She pats the table in front of her while holding her stomach.
"I'm sorry," she said while wiping her eyes, "you're so cute when you are embarrassed," after she stands up straight, she flattens her clothes again and looks at me while wearing a big smile on her face.
"You're worrying too much, Kyle. Here, eat and drink this. I'll tell you everything that happened to us last night," she emphasizes the word 'to us' meaning something really must have happened to us. She told me everything from the start. From the start, I mean from when they thought I was a bad guy until I hugged her like a teddy bear. I felt my face burning up because of embarrassment.
"Argh! Then why do you have to wear that serious look on your face?" I slouch and put my head down to hide my face. I already forgot this feeling of too much joy whenever we tease each other. I can't help but smile along with her laughter but I'm relieved that I didn't do that to her. I know I love her but she's already taken. How dare I touch someone that does not belong to me?
Pain struck me because of the sudden realization of the reason why I drowned myself with alcohol for a week. The pain of reality that I can't be with her because she already has someone special to her while I am still as miserable as ever.
This is the first time that I felt so much pain in my whole life. Is this how important Anna is to me? That I almost die by drinking too much alcohol to remove the pain? I'm now confused about whether I really loved Stephanie or just used her as my scapegoat for what I feel for Anna. The line between us is getting farther and farther and I can't get a hold of it.
"You told me earlier that you will take responsibility for me, right? We're going to be late at work, you should send me to the clinic before you go to your office," she's now calm from laughing so hard and eating her pancake.
After a few moments of silence, she started to talk again. "Kyle? Can I ask you something?" She looked at me with a serious look on her face. I don't know if I should believe her expression this time, what if she's bluffing me again?
"What is it?" She looks hesitant. Did I say something last night while I'm asleep? "Are you still in love with Stephanie?" I almost choke myself to what I hear. I didn't respond to her instantly so she continued talking. "You're crying all night and you're begging her to come back to you, to be with you always, to not come with him. I'm not sure if you're dreaming about her but do you still have feelings for her?"
I remembered my dream that I'm begging someone to stay by my side but instead of Stephanie, it was Anna who I'm begging to not go with the man and to stay with me. Should I tell her that it's not Stephanie who I'm dreaming about but her? I'm going to open my mouth to answer her question when her phone rings. She sighs heavily before she excuses herself.
Should I tell her that I have feelings for her? But how about her relationship with her boyfriend? Am I willing to destroy a happy relationship for my selfishness? My stomach is now full of butterflies that are fluttering around.
"Kyle, I think you can't fulfill your responsibility to me. Something happened in the clinic, you can go now if you want but if you still feel unwell, you can stay for a while. You can fulfill your responsibility to me next time," she said and smiled weakly at me.