Just when Amara decided to peek inside the door that leads to her friend's quarter, the front door chimed and her attention was caught by the sound of the bells. She whirled around and saw Vida panting as though she had been running away from someone.
"Vida!"
The lady wearing a plaid blue dress with her long silky black hair tied in a single braid looked up and when her eyes recognized Amara, relief washed over her face.
"Ara," Vida said. She walked to her and gripped her shoulders, scanning her whole body as if checking her for anything.
"Where have you been?" Amara asked her. She wiped the sweat that trickled down her friend's forehead. "Did you run? Is someone chasing you?"
The concern in her voice was evident, thus, Vida shook her head greatly and instead threw a glare at her.
"I should be the one telling you that!" Vida exclaimed. "You suddenly disappeared for three days! When I went to your shop to check on my orders, I was told that you hadn't been open for days. I knocked at your back door and even threw some pebbles on your window, but no one was answering!"
Vida shook her shoulders so that her tiny mask almost fell out, "Then I bumped into that blasted annoying shit named Gerard hopping in the plaza! I asked him where you were, he trembled and spouted obvious lies then ran away!"
"Oh." She answered calmly, fixing her mask.
Vida grimaced and screamed, "Don't give me that 'oh'! You have to tell me—wait, 'oh'? What happened to 'the' Amara who would smile sweetly upon the mention of her beloved boyfriend's name?"
Vida narrowed her eyes and inched closer to her face. If Amara hadn't perceived the genuine concern and a bit of anger in her friend's voice, she would have laughed at the situation where her eyes almost crossed as she stared at her closer and without blinking.
She wet her lips and answered Vida, "First…can we talk while sitting? I just finished arranging the vases and I delivered them myself."
Vida shifted her sight behind her and saw the opened boxes of ceramics. But then, her eyebrow raised upon realizing her words.
"By yourself? What happened to that piece of shit?"
Before, Amara would slightly get upset with her friend whenever she heard her talk like that about Gerard. She would constantly list his good points to Vida and convince her to see him in another light the way she did.
But right now, she wanted to curse him with her.
"That…piece of shit was now gone in my life," Amara answered coldly.
Vida's hands on her shoulders froze and her mouth went wide open. She unbelievably looked at Amara as though she was witnessing something very impossible to happen.
Yet it did happen.
"Congratulations, girl!" Vida exclaimed in ecstasy. She hopped in joy and hugged Amara a few times. "You did the right thing, Ara. Though I wonder what happened?"
"Let's sit and talk."
"Oh, right!"
They sat in the customer's waiting area and she started telling Vida of what happened to her. She was focused on sharing that she didn't see how her friend's eyes darkened as if her already paled green eyes had become paler.
"You should have killed him."
Amara flinched at the coldness that she felt from Vida's voice. It wasn't just dull and cold, but she felt danger as well. She nervously looked up. However, before she could see her face, Vida abruptly stood and spun around, walking to the back door.
"Wait a minute." She mumbled before disappearing from her sight.
Amara was left dumbfounded. She thought to herself, 'Is she mad?'
Vida was a cheerful and energetic person, although she was a bit of a foul-mouthed, she was kind and very affectionate. But sometimes, Amara couldn't help but feel like all of those traits were just a mere mask. A hide that Vida kept wearing.
It was as though she was pretending, trying to erase something innate to her.
"I'm back!" The front door opened and Vida dashed in. Her braided hair was disheveled and the upper buttons of her plaid dress were unbuttoned, revealing a two-inches wide black satin choker wrapped around her neck.
Amara noticed the choker, and she wondered what was the need for the accessory when her dress had a turtleneck. However, she didn't voice out her thoughts, instead, "Huh? You went out?"
Vida shrugged her shoulders and tucked her loose hair behind her ears, "Yeah, I suddenly remembered to do something urgent."
"Oh. Then, I should leave. You seem busy." Amara stood.
"No! Not at all. You've been missing for three days, let's talk something positive."
They talked about random things. Vida also talked about her new neighbor, which she noticed when she went out before. She excitedly talked about the bread and desserts, and never mentioned about the two guys manning the shop.
It seemed that her friend wasn't interested in men. Amara thought to herself.
After eating lunch together, she decided to go back home. Vida gave her a bunch of flowers, properly and beautifully designed, free of charge. She was hesitant to accept, but she was threatened that the bouquet would end up in the bin if she didn't take it.
In the end, she was walking back home with a big bouquet in her hand. The cart she brought with her was taken by Vida's employee and had already been sent to her shop before her.
As she walked, people glanced at her and congratulated her though their eyes were full of wonder. They probably thought that the flowers were given to her by some suitor, and then they wondered what kind of man would fall for her.
She turned on the corner. Only a few blocks and she will soon arrive. Her face was already beet red from all the greetings and teasing she received on the street. Thus, she walked with her head bowed.
Unbeknownst to her, a man was standing in her way, just a few steps away from her shop's front door.
"Ah!"
Amara bumped into that person. The flowers she held were crushed between them, and because of the impact, she almost turned over if only the man's arm had not quickly caught her waist.
Some of the petals fell to the ground, she felt disheartened that the flowers were ruined. But the shock that she felt from the man's touch made her jolted, and she looked up to confirm who those hands belonged.
After all, she could only feel that way towards one person.
Her purple eyes locked with his grey orbs. And on his crystal-clear irises reflected the colors of the flowers. Amara was drawn to those pretty eyes as though she was looking at a painting where each stroke was seen, just like his long eyelashes.
Azer was looking at the flowers with a frown. On his other hand was a basket. He was told that humans give something to their new neighbors as a way of introducing themselves. Thus, he was standing at the front of her shop to deliver a lunch made by Hans.
"W-What are you doing here?" Amara stuttered as she spoke. She quickly stepped away from the man.
Azer didn't answer. Instead, he showed her the basket.
Confused by his actions, she asked again, "What?"
Azer replied, "Lunch."
She furrowed her brows as she still failed to comprehend what the guy meant. Was he asking her to have lunch together? Or was he simply showing off his luncheon meal to her?
Azer stared at her amusingly. He could easily tell what she was thinking, so he made it clear, "This is for you."
"Huh...? But…I had lunch already." Amara answered, quite taken aback by the unexpected answer.
"Then eat this for dinner," Azer said and took her hand, placing the covered basket in her hand.
Amara had no choice but to accept, as the guy seemed like he wouldn't take no for an answer.
He turned around after giving the basket and glaring at the flowers, so Amara thought that he was about to leave. She mumbled her gratitude and spun around. She put the basket down and fished out her keys in her pocket.
As soon as the door clicked open, another shadow loomed behind her. She smelled the scent of a forest and her heart raced as she recognized who it was. Calming her raging nerves, she slightly titled her head and at the corner of her eyes, she saw Azer looking down at her.
"What?" Amara muttered under her breath.
"…"
"Is there anything else?" She asked again when all she received from him was an intense stare.
Azer's jaw clenched tightly as he uttered his reply, "Are you hurt?"
"No…" Amara answered truthfully, albeit confused.
"You smell of blood," Azer inched closer which made Amara lean closer to the glass door of her shop. Their images were reflected on the door, but it was as though time stopped and they were the only two people existing on that street.
Amara felt butterflies but she immediately shooed them away. Her attention was again caught by the man closing in on her.
"Is it your time of the month, perhaps?"