Reminding HER

CHAPTER 5

FLASHBACK (2/2)

Author's POV

After ending the call with her boyfriend, Anntonia gently closed the door and turned her gaze towards the room. There, seated upright on her bed, was Michelle who was already changed in a loose shirt, back rested on the headboard, blankets covering her slender legs with a laptop on it. The glow from the laptop screen illuminated Michelle's face. A bottle of wine sat on her bedside table next to her, half-empty, with a glass in her hand.

The Thai beauty studied the woman before her and there is it again, that too familiar but strange feeling. Anntonia, despite her confusion and denial, could not ignore the strange flutter in her heart whenever the Filipina beauty was around.

Quietly, she walked over to the bed and sat down next to the woman on the bed, who's watching Grey's Anatomy on her laptop.

"What are you watching?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

Michelle glanced at her, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Just some movie," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "Want to join?"

Anntonia nodded, but before that she went to the bathroom to put her clothes on as she was still in her bathrobe. She then also went under the blanket beside Michelle after pouring herself a glass of wine. The room was filled with the soft sounds of the movie, the occasional sip of wine, and the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.

As they watched the movie,  Anntonia could feel Michelle's presence next to her, their shoulders almost touching. It was a simple gesture, but it was enough to ignite the confusing feelings within her. She stole a glance at Michelle, her heart pounding in her chest. She was now clouded with questions again on what's happening with her, on why does Michelle affect her so much, but for now, she chose to stay in this moment, with Michelle by her side, pushing those questions at the back of her mind.
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The Filipina beauty on the other hand, has been trying her best to focus on what she was watching, however even before she started to watch, her mind was somewhere else. The thought of Anntonia being in a relationship keeps on playing on her mind.

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Michelle feeling Ann's gaze, diverted her attention to the woman next to her, their eyes met, and for a brief moment, everything else faded into the background. It was just them, their shared silence, and the unspoken feelings that lingered in the air. However the Filipina was the one who remove her gaze first.

After the third bottle of wine and several episodes of Grey's Anatomy it was already past seven o'clock, Anntonia and Michelle found themselves in a state of not so comfortable intoxication. The room was filled with an unspoken tension. The reason is that Michelle barely acknowledge Anntonia's presence, only talking to her when the Thai beauty asked something. This made the latter confused as to what had gotten to the woman next to her. She has been wanting to asked what's the problem was, but don't have enough courage to do so. However now that she was somehow kind of drunk, the wine amplifying their emotions and lowering their inhibitions.

She was about to open her mouth when...

"Maybe we should call it a night," Michelle suggested, her words slightly slurred. Hesitating, Anntonia agreed, but with a small condition. "Can I sleep next to you?" she asked, her cheeks flushing a deep red.

Michelle looked at her, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Of course," she replied, the acceptance in her voice warming Anntonia's heart.

As they settled into the bed side by side, both looking at the ceiling, shoulders slightly brushing. Anntonia spoke " Why we're you ignoring me?"