"are you sure you don't mind me staying for the night?" you quietly spoke as he settled your things down. his apartment was everything you had expected, it was small and simple and it looked like it was newly rented. he followed your gaze as he gave you a reassuring smile, "of course. besides, i don't come here often. in fact, i'm not supposed to be here at all." he blinked as his eyes lowered slowly as if he realized the unexpected amount of information he was accidentally revealing. he pursed his lips together, cursing in his mind to shut himself up. you noticed it all though, it was evident in his readable face. you knew that he too, had many secrets up his sleeve, but you were in no position to ask anything as of yet. because right now, all you desperately need is a place to stay at night.
"you can sleep in my room," he gestured you to the door at the end of the small hallway right beside another that seemed like it was his bathroom. everything that was happening was still processing in your head and you still couldn't believe something like this was happening to you. he noticed the way you stared at the door blankly and stood in front of you, looking at the direction of your sight and then back at you, "you alright?" his head tilting to the left as your focus shifted towards his face.
"it's just.. no one has ever tried to help me before," you spoke silently, your head lowering at the release of your syllables. you could see him crack a small smile through your peripheral view and it made you want to listen to what he had to say. "don't sweat about it." you returned him a thankful smile as you watched him carry your bags and into the room. it gave you enough time to observe his whole apartment. it did look like it was newly rented, and you couldn't help but question why it was that way. maybe he had rented it recently?
you suddenly remember what he had told you, or at least accidentally told you just a while ago, that he wasn't supposed to be here. what does he mean by that? could he have rented this with his own money? who knows.
you were shaken out of your thoughts as soon as you heard his footsteps drawing closer to you, "hey, feel at home. if you need anything.. uh.. do you have your cellphone?" he asked you as his hands rummaged through his pockets in search for his. "oh," you uttered as you spin your head and followed his movements in search for your cellphone as well. much to your dismay, your phone wasn't in any of your pockets. it could be hidden somewhere in your bags, and you just hoped it wasn't left behind. he noticed your change of expression as he let out a soft sigh, "okay.. um.. it's okay, i'll just come back tomorrow, okay?" he quickly told you as he rushed his way to the front door, "wait!" you stopped him before his hand could reach the doorknob. "it's.. it's fine, i don't want to trouble you any further, i'll leave as soon as i wake up," you tried to convince him but his face gave an expression of disapproval. "i told you, it's fine. you can't find a place to stay in just a day, i'll come back tomorrow and i'll help you search for one." he placed a hand on your shoulder and you tensed at the slight feeling of his touch, you soon dropped your shoulders in defeat as he reassured you with another smile. "i'll help you, okay? you'll be fine, i promise." he finally said as he took a step towards the door and left you dumbfounded.
though everything seemed brand new to you, you still felt safe. you didn't know him one bit but somehow his words felt so true to you, like as if he meant each and every word he said, and it made you feel special and warm for once like the heavens were finally moving on your side. you felt so comforted by someone you barely even knew and it was at that moment that you actually felt grateful you finally had someone after all the years of suffering alone in your own misery that is your life.
you had so many questions you forgot to ask, but you knew it was best to keep it all to yourself, especially when it seemed like he was rushing his way out to do something else. you brushed your curiosity off as you slowly made your way into his room. your bags were placed at the corner of the small room and you made your way to them in search of your cellphone. luckily for you, it was located right at the bottom of your purple luggage, under all the crumpled up clothes that seemed like they were pushed into your bag in a harsh manner, probably by the workers of the apartment building you once lived in. you quickly dialed the number of your older brother, and seeing the time, it was probably morning in italy. you needed to know how he was doing before you can drive yourself to sleep but all hope was lost when his line sent you directly to voicemail. "hey, how are you doing out there? i miss you, please call me back." you managed to say as you put the call back down. you moved to the bed, still staring at your cellphone as you sat on the corner of the bed slowly.
the memory of what happened a while ago came back to mind, his face that seemed to draw you appeared in your mind as a smile unknowingly formed on your face. you still couldn't understand why someone like him, who looked like he had just escaped from a recent beat-up session, go all the way just to help you and invite you over to his place that seemed like it was still new? as you thought about him, you realized you had yet to catch that name of his, and that made you feel guilty for not expressing your gratitude towards him properly. you needed to properly thank him for taking his time and effort to help you after all the trouble you've caused him.
you slowly lay on his bed, pulling up the covers to hug your body tightly. it was the first time in so long that you felt calm, and it was all thanks to the boy with the thick jacket that felt so comfortable against your skin. god knows how much you needed this feeling, and he finally gave in to you for once. you smiled softly to yourself, feeling your eyelids dropping slowly as you finally drifted off to sleep.
