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LEA FEELS THE other side of the bed empty. Her sleep-filled eyes roam around the room to locate a familiar face but she winces realizing that it is nowhere to be found.
She pulls out the sheets and pushes her body to lift herself up from the bed. Lazily, she ties her hair into a bun and leaves the room after brushing her teeth to enter into the dining room.
She watches Bash with a newspaper tucked in his hand with a mug of steaming hot coffee in the other. The waves of heat travel through the air to enter into her nostrils that produce a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach, calming her nerves.
"Good morning, Lea," he greets her with a refrained smile on his face. His hair is messy with a morning attire and a hint of sleepiness laces his voice.
"Morning," she smiles back. She walks to the table to sit next to him to pour herself a cup of coffee. "You woke up so soon," she blurts.
"I-I couldn't sleep," he replies instantly.
She feels regret flood her body realizing that she shouldn't have asked the question. She nods nevertheless.
"Besides, I need to rent a suit. There's a nearby shop and I called in to tell that I'll be visiting soon."
She smiles processing his words. Sipping her coffee, she feels the hot material of her mug warm her hands. "Where's Alec?"
His features tense instantly. "He's gone out for a run. He said he wanted to take his mind off of things. He always does that. Running helps him."
"Oh," she says. They stay silent for a while for neither of them try to make an attempt to continue the conversation. Lea devours the crisp taste of coffee that calms her nerves and Bash sips the last portion of his coffee, leaving a satisfied sigh.
"I know this isn't the right time to ask this," he blurts all of a sudden. She lifts her head to meet his eyes. "Do you like Alec?"
She flutters her eyelashes in surprise. Brushing her fingers on her mug nervously, she opens her mouth to stutter, "B-Bash."
"You can be honest," he says, throwing a smile on his face. "I mean, you did actually drive from New York all the way to Poughkeepsie on a harsh, rainy night just so he wouldn't go through all of that alone."
"You're exaggerating, Bash."
"I'm stating the truth."
She shakes her head speechlessly. His face looks serious, his lips set into a thin line and his brows furrowed. She softens her voice, low of a whisper, and says, "I came here to be here for you too."
His jaw drops slightly open but shuts close immediately.
"I didn't want the two of you to be alone," she says. "What you're going through is torturous and I know what it feels like. You don't have to go through all of that alone because I'm here for you guys."
