AROUND THE HEART IN 80 DAYS

Nineteen

It was almost six in the evening, he knew because Callum had given him a call the moment the car came to a halt in front of his house. A call he ignored.

No thoughts of work.
No thoughts on work.

Approaching his door, he heard it before he even heard it. Some inaudible song with a sort of nostalgic familiar lyrics seeping outside from inside his own house. He blew out a breath.

This girl!

The lyrics became clear as day when he opened the front door, striking up some memory whatsoever that he might have heard it from.

'Too leg-it. Too legit to quit.'

His eyes shut tight.

This. GIRL!

"Hey. Welcome." She didn't come out immediately to meet him as she was still in the kitchen. She must have heard the door close behind him.
"How was work?"

He didn't answer. He doubted she would mind. His focus went to the source of the music, a phone placed on the arm of his couch in the living room.

"How was work?" She repeated, this time coming out. As usual, hair up in a bun, a large gray T-shirt and even larger dark shorts. Keeping it comfy, he could tell.

"Fine."

"O-kay? I guess you're not up for words this evening." She reached past him to get her phone, quickly turning off the music which she must have guessed irritated him.
He caught a whiff of her soapy scent. He couldn't wait for a shower.
"There's rice with fresh vegetable sauce in the oven. In case you're hungry. I went grocery shopping, thanks for the money. The kitchen's stacked."

As much as he didn't feel like answering, he didn't want to relive her constant demand for fixing communications with them sharing a roof. So he faced her and kept his face un-pissed. "That's good. How did your day go?"

"I went down to the estate's community center. I got a probable job as a yogi, hurray. I just need to get the place ready, get good customers within my probation period-"

"How long is the probation?"

"I dunno. The man in charge said I have to be there tomorrow to sort all these out. When I'm done tomorrow, my order of chairs and tables will be arriving at my bakery. It's stressful but the whole entrepreneur thing gets my heart pumping."

Oh no she was keeping a conversation. Could she not see he was still standing in the middle of the room, tired as hell, briefcase still in hand?

"Oh! You should rest first before I bore you out, I'm sorry. Do you eat before you bathe or the other way around?"

Great! She's psychic.

"I eat then bathe. I'll be right back."

Was he sounding too mean, he thought as he walked away. Edrei turned to face her before proceeding to his room. "And thank you. For going to the market, for cooking. I promise, I'd also assist. I can cook a thing or two too." He quickly forced a lazy smile then went to his room.

Of course, he's seen her grin satisfactorily. It made him a little satisfied.

When he had taken off his jacket and returned to the dining cum kitchen, she was unsurprisingly seated opposite what would have been his seat. She was looking to her phone, swiping at something with all focus. A cup with very visible steam sat before her. He could promise himself that she didn't recognise his presence. Edrei gratefully walked to the oven to pull out his dinner then returned to the said chair.

She immediately raised her eyes to meet his seated stature but stayed wordless. Then she took a long sip from the hot mug.

He felt just a little guilty once more. He had many things to be guilty of when it came to Jacqueline Hernandez. Like how she had tried to put more effort in making the house suitable for them to be comfortable.