𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑙𝑦.

#43

-D.F

A shiver runs through my body as a breeze surfaces on my skin. When I realize that I don't have a blanket on my body I spread my arms out looking for one. I groan when nothing in reach touches my hands. My eyes open to a dark room, I follow the breeze and catch the window to my right wide open.

"You've got to be kidding me," I say stretching out in the fluffy bed, the comfort makes me dread stepping out of the bed and placing my feet on the cold floor, "ugh," I say curling my toes when cold shoots through my legs.

I look around Emilio's vacant room before booting to the window to close it. My teeth chatter when a final breeze blows past me.

I take in a deep breath as I scan the room for any signs of Emilio. When I see the bathroom light off I head towards the door that leads to a hallway. Goosebumps now appear on my bare legs, all I had was a large shirt on my body and a pair of loose shorts that I held up with one hand.

"Which way was it again," I ask myself looking down two hallways. Emilio's house was like a maze and now that he wasn't guiding me through it I just had to side with fate. I decide to go left hoping for the best but when I come across unfamiliar photos on the wall I know I should have gone the other way.

The pictures get more interesting as I walk down the hallway, I can't stop myself from smiling at the family photos. There's a reoccurring little boy in each one and as the age progresses with each frame I can confirm it as Emilio.

He's smiling in every photo until he hits his teens, in every photo after that his face seems completely emotionless and still, the same Emilio I first met.

When I hit the end of the hallway I bite my lip deciphering if I should go back or continue exploring. When a yawn hits me I decide to cut my curiosity off and head the way I was going to initially with the chances of sleep coming out of it. I rub my eyes as I search for a set of stairs.

"Emilio," I call out from the top of the staircase. My voice cracks which stop me from repeating the yell, instead, I head down the stairs in search.

"Why is it always so cold?" I whisper wrapping my hands around myself when I feel a breeze. How many windows are open? I narrow my eyes out to find where the breezes are coming from. "Emilio?"

"Hm?" A hum calls out, I follow the sound till I reach Emilio's living room. The space is just as big as every other place in the house and just as cold. My eyes go from Emilio who's on the couch to the door at his right wide open, the sounds of the outside echo through the room.

"What time is it?" I ask rubbing my arms. When Emilio realizes I'm here he shuts his laptop that lays on his lap and places it aside.

"4:30 in the morning," he says knotting his brows, "why are you up?"

"Me? Why are you?" I chuckle and walk to sit next to him. His arm is already stretched out and the moment I sit it wraps around my shoulder caging me in his heat.

"I had some work," his fingers run through the hair that rests on my shoulder. I rest my head on his shoulder which causes my eyes to fall.

"Why are all the windows and doors open, it's freezing," I whisper cuddling closer to stop the chills that run through my body.

"I like listening to the outside at night," his breath becomes heavier the moment his head lands on top of mine.

"Why?" I find myself scrunching my face even though my eyes are closed and he's not watching me. He doesn't respond to my question right away leading me to wonder the possible reasons as to why he likes it.

"Occupies my mind I guess." He leaves it at that which shocks me when I sit waiting for more. There's a pause in our conversation from this which makes me embarrassed to continue it any further.