Stitches and Scars

Chapter 18

"Everyone has their own way of dealing with stuff. Some people seem to handle it better than others, sometimes so well that they look completely fine. Some write, some make music, some drink until they can't anymore, and some eat their feelings in the form of chocolate cake. We all have our ways of coping, but it's worth thinking about whether these ways are really helping or just making things worse."

Karylle hurriedly walked into the lobby of a sleek condo building. Her footsteps echoed off the floors as she made her way to the elevator. She jabbed the button repeatedly, her breath quickening as she waited for the doors to open.

Inside the elevator, she pressed the button for the desired floor and leaned back, trying to steady her nerves.When the doors slid open, she quickly stepped into the hallway, her pace faster.

She counted the unit numbers, her eyes darting from side to side until she finally stopped in front of a familiar door. Her hand hovered over the door, ready to knock — but she hesitated, her heart racing in her chest. Is she out of her mind? What was she really doing here?

She took a step back, her mind warring with itself, and was about to turn away when the door suddenly opened.

It was him. Sid stood in the doorway, his tall frame backlit by the soft glow of the condo's interior. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Hey. What are you doing here? May nakalimutan ka ba last time?"

"N-No," Karylle's breath hitched, her thoughts scattering. She hesitated, searching for the right words. "A-Actually, I came here to ask if you would want us to — pick up where we left off."

Before he could respond, she moved forward, closing the distance between them, and without thinking, she claimed his lips in a kiss. For a moment, there was stillness, then Sid responded, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. The kiss deepened, leaving them both breathless as they stood at the threshold.

As they broke apart, Karylle looked up at Sid, her eyes reflecting a mix of longing and uncertainty. Sid's gaze softened, his fingers gently tracing the line of her jaw. "How about we continue this inside?" he murmured, leading her into the condo and closing the door behind them.

~•~•~•~

Karylle woke up in Sid's bed, the early morning light filtering through the windows. She blinked, momentarily disoriented, before a sudden wave of nausea hit her. She barely had time to wrap a white blanket around her naked body before rushing to the bathroom.

Sid, already up and in the kitchen, heard her retching and hurried in with a cup of coffee in hand. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice as he leaned against the door frame.

Karylle, pale and shaky, rinsed her mouth and nodded weakly. "Yeah, just feeling a bit off."

He handed her the coffee and she took it gratefully, wrapping herself tighter in the blanket as she sat in a chair by the bedside. Sid, topless and with a casual ease, sat on the edge of the bed, watching her intently.

"So, I noticed you're not in a hurry to leave this time. Don't you have work to go to?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Pinapaalis mo na ba ako?"

"Hindi. Of course not," Sid immediately answered, obviously not wanting Karylle to leave.

Karylle sipped the coffee, "It's actually my day off. But I'll be leaving in a while. I don't intend to bother you much more. I'm pretty sure you have a lot of work to do," she said, glancing at the series of missed calls and messages on his phone.

Sid smirked and picked up his phone. "Sandali lang," he dialed a number and put the phone to his ear. "Hey, Jenna. Yes, I need you to cancel all my appointments ngayong araw. Yes, all of them please. Something came up. Thanks."