You.

Chapter 19 - Frustration

After a day of work, the girls close their business for the night and head home. When they walk through the front door, Rose couldn't believe her eyes.

"Ahem," She utters.

Veronica looks over, waits a second with a blank face, then says, "Oh hey! There you are!" Her and Lonokai were sitting on the couch talking. They were sitting closer than close. Practically body on body. What the hell? Rose thought. They both stood up and walked over.

"Oh, hah. Hey, Rose." Lonokai rubs the back of his neck. Zoya whispers, "That's my cue." And leaves.

Veronica lifts her eyebrows, glances at Lonokai, then at Rose and says, "Oh I'm sorry, are you two together?" It almost sounded like she was making a sny remark.

Rose and Lonokai's eyes meet.

Roses POV:

Are we? I mean, does he even feel the same..? Oh my... this is not helping. The way he stares at me. I-I don't know what to say. I feel I can't speak. Come on! Say something! Answer Veronica! It feels like... tension...between him and I.

Lonokai's POV:

What are we? Her and I? Looking at her...was she always this beautiful? Those words Veronica said, are they true? Does Rose feel it too? This tension...?

"No." Rose finally speaks. "No, we're not together. We're just," She looks to him. "really good friends."

Lonokai could see it in her eyes that she wanted to say something else.

"Well, that's good 'cuz I kinda like him haha," She flirts while looking him up and down and smiles. She sees the slight discomfort on Lonokai's face, "I'm just kidding!" She places her hand on his bicep. He lets it go and Veronica sparks another conversation with him. She leads him to the couch. He looks back.

"Rose."

She turns around, walks backwards, points a thumbs up hand behind her and fake smiles, "I'm gonna go to bed. Good night. Enjoy your...talk." He watches her disappear around the corner.

She walks up the multiple stairs to her room. Ugh, why is she here? With him? She's too close. Is she doing this on purpose? Why am I getting so upset about this? Do I..like him? Those four words. The ones that stood out were 'I like him'. She arrives at her bedroom door and pauses. She turns in the direction of the downstairs and sighs.

"I think I like him...again." She opens her door and gets ready for bed.

"Haha! You're so funny, Lonokai." Veronica playfully flirts with him.

"Thank you, haha." He checks the time. "Well, it's getting late, I think you should go."

She pouts, "Aw, but I don't want to leave just yet!" She bats her eyelashes."Can't I stay for just five more minutes?"

He hesitates, "Hm, okay fine."

"Yay!" She pecks him on the cheek. He looks at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, haha. It just happened..."

"It's okay."

~~

It's morning time and Rose bolts awake. She dreamt of Lonokai. And it wasn't a bad dream. It was a really good one, and it almost felt real. She gets out of bed and combs her hair, she's dressed in her usual silk, lingerie-type gown. She walks downstairs and spots Lonokai lying on the couch. He must have slept down here.

He starts waking up, "Mm," he stretches. "Oh..hey."

"Hey." She looks around."Oh, she didn't stay the night?" Rose says but doesn't really want to know.

"No, she left late into the night." He stares at Rose for an extra second and then asks, "Do you want to make breakfast with me?"

Rose was taken aback. She was more aware of him now. "Don't you have work today?"

His face darkens, "Yeah, but I don't have to go until later in the day."

"Alright. I'll make breakfast with you."

Lonokai's expression immediately brightens, "Really? Okay."

Rose's feels butterflies in her stomach. He gets up from the couch and makes his way to the kitchen, where Rose stands. Rose goes into the pantry to get waffle mix but struggles to reach the bag on the top shelf. Rose feels a presence behind her and sees a hand reach above her to the bag. She turns around and her back is pressed against the pantry shelves. She looks up at him.

"Shortie." He jokes.

She pouts, "I'm not short! You're just tall."

He chuckles and follows her out of the pantry. They gather all the other ingredients necessary for making the waffles and decide to make eggs and bacon too. While Lonokai was making the waffles, Rose was cooking the bacon on the stove. Lonokai turns around and leans on the counter and looks at Rose. He has an urge to hug her from the back.

"Hey," He spoke. "Can I hug you?"

Rose pauses and stops flipping the bacon. The sizzling of the bacon fills the quiet kitchen. Rose doesn't turn around, she's too nervous to face him after what he said and what she's about to say.

"Yeah." She breathes.

A second later, she hears shuffling behind her and then slightly flinches after feeling his hands embrace her figure from behind. His head rests on her shoulder and he closes his eyes. They stay like that for awhile.

She looks down at the bacon, "I-is there a reason why you wanted to hug me?" Rose stutters.

He keeps his eyes closed, "There's tons of reasons why. I've wanted to do this for awhile.."

Rose's heart beats uncontrollaby. Later that day, Lonokai heads to work.