Chapter 17 - Seventeen

Daniel dashed to the door as soon as he heard the knock.

It's was Alora.

"Hey." She called softly.

"What happened?." She asked. Alora's nose flinched at the stench of Alcohol coming from Daniel.

"He moved out. Well, that's what it looks like." Daniel said.

Alora looked around as she walked into the apartment.

"Just like that?. Were you guys not in good terms?." Alora asked.

Daniel sighed.

"We were. I..I think it's because of what we did."

Alora turned to him.

"What do you mean?."

"What are we doing?." Daniel asked hoarsely.

Alora looked confused.

She turned away from Daniel.

"I don't understand." Alora asked now gazing at him.

Daniel stood up. He started pacing around.

"Ever since that kiss, my mind has been in a fog. I have been hoping and feeling some stupid things that I am not supposed to. Trying to fool myself that I was over sia.

Talking about how I did something about my feelings and even asking to try a relationship with you...why am I so stupid!." He yelped out.

Alora just watched, feeling shitty herself.

Daniel sighed.

"We should never have met, My life was...my life was perfect.. before you came. You..you've ruined everything." Daniel spat out. He staggered slightly.

Alora gasped. She felt her eyes turn blurry.

"We..we were friends. Until you decided to ruin it yourself by acting stupidly that night."

"You kissed me back. We were both stu..pid, Alora." Daniel said. He was obviously drunk.

"And..and you are not only stupid, you are cheap too. Veeeeery cheap." Daniel said drunkingly.

Alora gasped out with tears.

She quickly walked out of the apartment, slamming the door loudly behind her but came to an halt when a lady blocked her way.

It's was Daniels mom.

"So it's you, Alora. You were at our place that day too."

Alora nodded slowly and confusedly. Holding her sob.

"My son was finally starting to get himself together. He also stopped drinking. Daniel has been sober for a year now since Sia died. But guess what happened, he drank today because of a wench like you. You caused all this." Daniel's mom yelled out.

Alora gasped out with uncontrollable tears.with her hands on her mouth, she ran away.

___^

It was late. She was lost but she just kept walking, she was lost in a deep thought, it almost looked like she was sleep walking.

She fell to her knees, crying out.

'It's was all my fault'

'None of this would be happening if I had stopped Daniel from kissing me the other night'

'If i had also not agreed to try dating him, he was obviously not on his right mind and his feelings played him wrong'

'so much for a day.'

'David was right, i could have controlled it rightly but I didn't. I failed myself. I let herself get humiliated.'

Alora cried out even more at these thoughts.

"Alora?." A voice called from behind her.

Alora turned to see who it was.

"Andres?." She called, Startled.

"What are you doing out here?." He asked as he held her arm and helped her up.

"Are you crying?." He asked.

Alora nodded slowly. " Am sorry. Am so sorry." She cried out.

___^

With a big comfy towel wrapped around her shoulders and a cup of coffee in her hands, Alora gazed around the apartment at the right end of couch where she sat curled up.

The apartment was a bit smaller than the one he shared with Daniel, but it looked better.

'how was he able to set up a place so fast in just barely half a day.' she wondered.

"How are you feeling now." Andres asked as he walked into the sitting room.

Alora smiled slightly. "Am okay. Thank you."

Andres nodded. He sat down on the couch.

"So what were you doing out so late?." Alora asked. She was uncomfortable with the silence.

Andres chuckled weakly.

"I could ask you the same thing.Well, as you can see I just moved, I had to get some things." He replied.

Alora nodded.

Andres gazed at her for a few seconds.

"What about you?."

"Huh?."

" I won't ask why you were crying. But you seemed lost and far from home."

"What?."

"I Know where I moved to and it is definitely not close to your apartment. You got lost, didn't you?."

"I..I guess so. I don't even know how I got here."

Andres nodded with a slight smile.

Alora sighed.

"You don't have to pretend like everything Is Okay. I know I messed up big time and am so sor..."

"Alora." Andres chimed in with a very dry chuckle.

"Am not Daniel. Yes, am mad at you but what happened still has nothing to do with me and I want it to be that way."

Alora nodded slowly. "Got it."

Andres nodded too. "Good."

"Can I ask why you moved out?." Alora asked.

Andres was quite for a few seconds as if pondering.

"I just wanted to. It seemed like the best choice for me. Maybe as time goes, a more clearer reason will come." He stated.

Few minutes later, Alora was on her feet.

"What are you doing?." Andres asked as he watched her put down the cup of coffee and the towel.

"Am about leaving." She replied.

"Do you even know what time it is?."

"Around 1am."

"That's right. You aren't going anywhere.

I can sleep on the couch, you take the room."

"There is no need for that. I can just order a cap and I will be home in no time."

"I know but you really shouldn't be alone right now. And I know you can't go to David's place."

Alora sighed.

"Okay. Thank you but am taking the couch."

Andres chuckled. "Lucky me." He stood up on his feet.

Just then Alora's phone rang.

"What's wrong?." Andres asked as he noticed the terrified look on her face.

"Um..it's ..it's." Alora stuttered.

Andres took the cellphone from her hand.

"Daniel?." He said aloud, in shock.

"Are you going to answer it?." He asked.

Alora shook her head.

"No."

Andres smiled slightly as he handed her back the phone.

"Good night Alora." Andres said as he walked to his room and shut the door.

Alora slumped on couch.

Andres came back out with a pillow and a big blanket on his hands.

"Here." He handed them to her.

Alora face light up with a smile as she took them from his grasp.

"Thank you." She said softly.

Andres smiled too. "That smile, don't let anyone unworthy take it away from you Alora. Good night." Andres said and walked away.

Alora beamed with smile.

"Thank you." She muttered.

___^

David flinched slightly as he heard his phone rang.

It took him a while to get loose from Jeffery's arms around him.

The caller called again.

It was Daniel.

'why is he calling me by this time.'

He answered.

"Alora isn't picking up my calls." Daniel quickly said.

David sat up.

"What do you mean?."

"I think my mom said some mean words to her before she left. And..and I have been calling her but she hasn't been picking up.

I swear I didn't say or do anything to her."

David ended the phone call.

For the first time, hearing Daniel's voice made him feel pure anger.

He sighed out.

"Is something wrong?" Jeffery asked sleepily.

David turned to him quickly.

"No. Not at all."

Jeffery nodded with an almost closed eyes.

"Come to bed."

"Give me a minute." David said as he quickly texted Alora. 'Call me when you see this message.'

With that, he drop his phone on the bed side table and sank into Jeffery's open arms as he lied back down on the bed.

'i hope she is okay." He thought to himself.