All At Once

Chapter IV

Wednesday, 16th of July (5:30pm)

The air smells of oranges and honeysuckle. I breathe in and let the scent fill my nose until my body is  intoxicate of it. My vision adjusted to a glint of a messy brown hair reflected by blinding incandescent lights.

"Hey. I brought you some food. We'll be moving in a new house now, Natty."

"Oh, Will. Thanks. I'm so hungry. How long have I been out?"

"A week at most. You okay now?"

"Yeah, I'd just feel like I didn't have a body anymore."

"Well, that's because you're too skinny to feel your bones."

I laugh out loud. "You're overreacting. Okay, so where are we going? Did the doctor permitted me to go?"

"Yes, of course. I talked with him just a few minutes ago and he said that you can be moved into a place in peace away from things that can take the disease back at you."

"Don't worry about me anymore. So, where exactly are we moving?"

"Don't mind the place. You'll love it when we get there."

"Pretty suspense, huh?"

"Yes, of course."

 Wednesday, 16th of July (8:00pm)

"Here we are. The best apartment in town. I rented this space just a few days ago and well, the location will also be pretty convenient for you."

"Why it's convenient for me?"

"Because, as you can see, you're work is just a shorter distance from here."

"Oh, I did not think about that."

He laughs and I join him. He push past the door and head to the kitchen while I arrange some things in my new room. After dinner, we watch a comical movie and I almost die out of laughter. As the credits roll into the screen, I bid Will goodbye and I head back to my room.

Wednesday, 16th of July (12:00am)

After that movie marathon with Will, I pretend to fall asleep when he tries to call after me in my room. What I'm exactly doing is gazing above, staring right through the ceiling painted with different floral patterns.

I turn around to peek a glance at my clock that reads twelve o'clock in the morning. Walking downstairs in the middle of the night feels like a little bit terrifying but I stride across the room in careful steps trying not to wake Will.

My throat is so dry that I feel like I can't my find my voice anymore. As I was trying to open the fridge, a silhouette appeared beside me. Not a silhouette Nor a ghost. But a person. Will.

"You should have just wake me up so that I can cook you a midnight treat." His voice is so sleepy that I almost think that he's sleepwalking. But, he brush a hand through his hair and I push the thought away.

"Oh, well. I don't want to interrupt a moment in your sleep. So, I suppose it's better to make a treat for myself alone."

He smirks at me and says, "Uh-huh. Well... pancakes or brownies? Chef Will can make anything. As long as there's equipment, of course." 

"I don't know why but I feel like I should try eat some brownies."

"Okay. Coming up. That would be five to ten  minutes, tops. You can wait here while listening to..."

"My favorite radio station." I finish, giggling while covering my mouth with a hand. He grins at me and turns up the microwave oven.

"Behold! The Will's Sweet Brownies. The best in the world." He scowls proudly while raising a plate of fluffy, deliciously looking brownies.

They didn't look cheflike so I simply blurt out, "These are the best brownies you have ever cook?"

"Nah, oh please. Don't get disgusted by the way it looks 'cause I can guarantee you for a hundred percent that it's tasty."

"Uh-huh. Okay, I'll try it." 

I pick up a brownie and pop it into my mouth. 

"It's quite good, Chef Will." I admitted while beaming at him.

"Told you. Whoa, this song's pretty good. Let's dance, baby Natty."

"Wait, Will. Dance?"

"You heard me. So, my lady?"

He reaches out his hand and I take it willingly. We take steps toward the refrigerator that illuminates the room faintly and we started to sway our bodies to the soothing music coming from the classic radio. 

"Dancing in the refrigerator light, Will?"

"Isn't it romantic?"

I laugh and say to him jokingly, "Have you done this before to any of your twenty-five girfriends?"

"I haven't, of course. Why would you even think of it?"

"Just asking. Nevermind about it."

"Hmm... Apparently, you can't admit to yourself that you don't want to be a second or a third. You're wondering if you're the first girl that I've done these things with, am I right?"

I'm grateful for the fuzzy light of the fridge because my face heats up. Probably blushing from what Will had said. "Nope. It's just that... I'm trying to make sure that we never done these things before to people who didn't love us so seriously than what we think."

As the song ends, I rest my head in his shoulder and embrace the moment. Trying to catch it, but then Will says all of a sudden, "I love you, Natty."

But I'm already lost in myself hugging him that I didn't even recognize those words spilling from his mouth. My reverie ends and I pull away saying, "I love you, Will. For being a friend so true to me. I'm always there for you."

"I'm always there for you too. Good night, Natty."

He kiss me right on the lips and I started to close my eyes. Holding on for it. A kiss filled with emotions I can't understand. A kiss with feelings so vague I can't even understand each one of them. When we pull away, I turn and get back to my room while Will tries to say some night things like 'Sweet dreams' to me. I didn't even notice that I'm smiling so widely he might have seen it.

As I slump into my most cozy, scented pillow, I didn't fall into darkness instead there are colors flying around me everywhere that I feel like I'm dying out of euphoria. And, I realize, I'm beginning to fall in love. Again. For the second time.