Forbidden Love (Book One)

Chapter 5

You know the feeling you get when you've liked someone for ever and you're so afraid to tell them because you're afraid you'd get hurt but they find out and you realize they've loved you all along?
Well, that could never be me.
-A.E

I turned on my bed and glanced at my bedside clock. It was just after ten in the morning, a record in my case. I yawned and stretched my body to remove the stiffness from the night before. Getting up, I walked to the bathroom and turned on the lights. Washing my hands, I stared at myself in the mirror; I looked a mess... And who could blame me, I spent the remainder of last night thinking about what was going on in the room next to mine. Try as I might I couldn't hear a thing.

When I finally fell asleep, I was haunted by visions of her perfect body. She was taunting me, begging me to take her as mine... But even in my dreams I couldn't escape the reality. She wasn't mine, she never was and never will be.
I washed my face and tried to wipe away the bags. It was futile. Instead I took a quick shower and headed downstairs to make some breakfast.

My nose was assaulted by the delectable smell wafting towards me from the kitchen. I approached slowly. To my surprise Roni was there putting ripe plantain and scrambled eggs onto two plates and throwing some orange juice into two glasses.

Probably for Anthony.

She was, unfortunately, fully dressed.

I entered the kitchen and went straight for the papers to see the headlines. I sat in an empty chair far away from where they were to sit.

"Aren't you going to sit here?"

I looked up from my papers and saw that she was pointing to the seat with the plate opposite hers.

"Oh! Yeah, sure. I just wanted to read the papers first." I replied cautiously and got up from my seat to go sit where she wanted me to.

I glanced at her before quickly returning my eyes to my papers. After a few minutes of reading the same depressing things everyday I folded the papers and placed it on the table beside me. Looking up I caught Roni staring at me before hastily looking away.

"So." she said breaking the awkward silence. "How'd you sleep?"

I almost choked on my plantains as her question caught me off guard. I swallowed some of the Orange juice before answering.

"It was okay. You?"

"Yeah, same."

"Well I should get going." I stood up and took my wares to the sink, washing them.

"You're leaving?!" She asked bewildered.

"No, I'm just going out back to finish off my chores." I looked over at her as I reassured her. She nodded as she remembered that my parents wanted me to clear the backyard before they got home. After I finished I wiped my hands on the towel and went through the back door.

What was up with her?

I pondered as I took the rake and cleared the grass. Was she feeling guilty for her and Anthony last night? Was that why she made me breakfast? Did she make him leave in the middle of the night? My mind was filled with so many questions and I hadn't the energy nor the time to ask them.

I spent the remainder of the morning raking the grass, packing away old stuff, dusting, weeding, etc. by the time I was done my body was passed its capacity to do work. I stretched and held my back as I re-entered the kitchen. Roni wasn't in there and I was thankful. I went over to the fridge and got a bottle of water which I quickly emptied.
Panting I took a seat on one of the chairs and let out a loud moan.