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CHAPTER 7

She opened the door, stepped off of her shoes and hung her jacket then walked inside the living room. She put her back on the couch and made her way to the kitchen.

She set down her take away Chinese food, took the chopstick inside the plastic bag then began to chew. The cook was really tasty. The place was her favorite restaurant near the hospital.

It was still a few hours before Earn came home. The thought of it somehow troubled her. The stillness crepes her out. A few hours in this house without her was- in one way to another was way too long. She was unaccustomed to being alone in her house ever since Earn moved in- at least not for five hours long,

I'll be home after 8. Don't skip meals.

She read the message over and over again. After eight she said. She sighed inwardly. She got home early because she planned to do her proposal in a peaceful place. The hospital definitely wasn't a peaceful place to stay. There were too many heart post cards, pink stuff and all since it was Valentines day.

She got a headache just looked at it.

But...who would've thought that she'd felt weirder in her house just because the person who she said she loathed was absent.
 
She took back her bag, turned off the lamp then stamped out of her apartment and went back to her second home- the hospital. She'd locked herself in her office to prevent the headache.

*****

The horn from her back made her turn around. A familiar car approached her not far from where she was standing. She stood with her hand in her jeans pocket waiting for the car to stop perfectly in front of her.

It was really cold. Her nose and cheeks are reddened by the weather. 

The driver lowered the window. "I thought you'd be home by 3?" 

"Don't feel like going home at 3" Lada lied through her teeth. 

"Come on in, it's freezing outside." She clicked open the lock. 

"Whew." She sighed. "You're right. It's really cold," 

"You shouldn't be walking at this hour." Earn said as she drove away. 

"Earn, it's 9 p.m. nothing to worry about," 

"Just don't argue with me. We both know how unsafe it is," 

"I learned Taekwondo when I was in junior high school"

"Yeah, like! believe it." The lawyer snorted. 

"'Yah! I'm telling the truth!" 

"Show me, then." Earn challenged her.

"I will. Just you wait and see" She huffed cutely not aware of the smile Earn made because of her act. "Can we buy ice cream first?"

"It's cold! Why would you eat ice cream in the weather like this?" 

"I just want it. We run out of it, we need to buy another bucket." 

"We? You mean you?" 

"Whatever. Just stop at the nearest ice cream shop, okay." 

"Have you had dinner?"

"Yes I have. There...there, stop there, I'll be quick" She pointed at the Baskin Robbin sign.

Earn pulled up the hand brake and stopped the over excited Fahlada before she could escape.

"We can eat here, if you want" The taller girl offered. 

"Really, You're not tired?"

"Not really. Let's just eat it here. But only one scoop, P'Mor. One scoop."

Both of the women walked out of the car then stepped into the shop earning a warm welcome from the staff. They nodded a little as they reached the counter and ordered.

"Hmmm, I'll have vanilla ice cream and..."

"One chocolate flavored ice cream, please." Earn cut her. "Only one, P'Mor. We can buy a bucket later,"

"Fine. You're such a dictator. Geez"

They sat at the table closest to the window so they could see people doing whatever they were doing. There were a few people at the shop though it wasn't that packed. Most of them were couples, real couples, from all ages.

Lada busied herself in digging her ice cream. Earn had a small smile on her face every time she watched Lada eat her favorite food in the world. She secretly liked the moment because it was just pure. The girl in front of her right now wasn't the annoying, arrogant girl. She was just Fahlada and her ice cream. Pure and innocent.

"P'Mor.."

"Hmm?"

"I got something for you."

"Hmm?" She was still occupied with her thing, and did not notice what Earn had pulled out from her bag.

"Here you go."

Lada glanced at the yellow box then to Earn. She actually stopped eating, tilted her head-thinking.

"What's this for?" She finally asked.

"Don't you want to open it first?" She kept her voice steady, in spite of the fact that she was afraid Lada would reject it.

"Is it for Valentines? Because I don't celebrate Valentine's day." Her tone was cold.

"No, no that's not for the Valentines." She quickly said. "I went to the mall today and I saw that, I thought yours is already- you know it has a lot of stain and kind of ripped here and there so I just bought it." She rambled. Lada's reaction was totally taken her by surprise.

"What's this?"

"Phone case," There was no use to play since Lada seemed too distant.

"Oh." Lada took the box and opened the yellow wrapped paper and withdrew the content.

She stared at the clear yellow phone case on her hand. She quietly removed her old phone case and changed it to the new one.

"Thanks," she looked closely at the later. "It looks good, thanks." She said, still reserved.

"No problem," Earn said coolly. Mentally noted to herself to never give Lada an impromptu present on common celebration days ever again.

The situation was unpleasantly quiet for Earn's liking. She cursed herself for being too forward and unfortunately Lada wasn't even that delighted to receive her gift.

"I'm done." Lada leaned against the chair- stroking her tummy. "I'm so full." She said cheerfully, grinning satisfiedly.

Okay, now Earn is confused again. Lada was gloomy one minute ago and now she acted like nothing happened.

"Are you done with that?" She pointed at the leftover cake. "Cause if you are, I can finish it."

Earn just handed her the plate.

Fahlada, I can never understand you.