Reading Between the Lines

Chapter 16: Delicacies

3 am...

You know I can't resist a cute guy making a parfait.

Now, here I am. Eating this wonderfully made delicacy on the sofa as Prashanth just sits next to me silently, not saying a word at all for the past 2 minutes. But he smiles to himself in amusement as I enjoy my snack.

"So, uh... how are you?" I break the silence, internally slapping myself for what I just said. He breaks out of his daze as he scratches the back of his neck and clenches his teeth.

"Wow, love the icebreaker," he responds smugly while he plays with his fingers in stress. I give him a glare before I shrug at him. "Just joking. I'm good, just letting my jetlag kill me," he teases before returning the question.

"I'm also good. Really tired, though," I exaggerate and laugh to lighten the mood, but all he does is give me a pursed  smile with no eye contact.

Dang, this guy is not much of a talker with me, is he? I can't be that bad to talk to.

"Do you like it? It probably needs more strawberries, right?" he checks in nervously, his voice not sounding like that typical dead-inside tone he always sports.

"Do I like what?"

"Your snack," he points to my cup.

"No, it's really good! I feel bad though, you didn't have to give me yours like that," I express sadly before he does an unexpected reaction. His lips coil into a little lazy smile, lying back on the sofa with his hands crossed across his chest.

Someone is getting confident, I see.

"It's already yours," he confesses casually, acting as if it's the most normal thing. My dude, no one stays up at 3 am to make a yogurt parfait for their supposed soulmate that they only met 3 days ago.

"What? You made this for me?"

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"But how did you even know I was coming downstairs?"

"I heard you."

"You heard me?"

It's always the quiet ones, I guess.

"Um... yeah?" he says with his voice back to that distinct sound, as if I said the dumbest thing ever.

"And how did you do that? I was so quiet! I... tiptoed!" I justify while he raises an eyebrow.

"You tiptoed?"

"Yeah!" I squeal to which he gives me a little scoff, finally letting me see his ivory teeth as they crack into a little smile.

"That's cute. But you're talking to someone who has heightened senses. I can hear everything," he confesses with a playful smirk on his face. I'm starting to see glimpses of the lively Prashanth now, so I guess I'm doing something right.

"Heightened senses?"

"My ability. It also includes hypersensitive hearing. I heard you from the moment you stepped out of your door. I also heard your footsteps outside my door the first day I arrived. When you called me an asshole," he clarifies while I give him a concerned look.

Damn, I really thought I did something there, did I? Nah, he already knew!

"Sorry," I hide my face, clearly embarrassed as anything.

He raises an eyebrow unconvinced and looks at me intensely. Fuck, I must've really offended him. This is why you watch what you say, Sarvani. So you avoid situations like this!

I look back at him to try and apologize, but he opens his mouth. "I wouldn't have made this snack for you if I cared. Don't worry, I didn't take it personally. I know I'm an ass. Besides, I deserved it," he tells me confidently while cracking his knuckles and giving me a playful smile.