Painting Paper Hearts | ✔

Chapter 5- The Summer Rain Effect

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I'd been tossing and turning in my bed countless times. I couldn't go back to sleep even though I didn't really get enough so I let out a small curse under my breath and decided to get up. According to my phone's clock, it was only six in the morning.

Why not start the day bright and early instead of trying to hurt my eyes from forcing myself to go back to sleep, right?

Erin was still sound asleep so I crept to the walk-in closet, changed into my dark capris yoga pants and paired with a comfortable plain lavender tee. After brushing my teeth, I slipped in a ten-dollar-bill in my pocket, grabbed my iPod and took off for a morning jog.

The sun's apricot beam gradually swallowed the velvety sky, creating this beautiful gradient effect of orange and dark blue. I breathed in slowly as I stretched my body out with a slight tiptoe, inhaling the dawn's splendid mid-spring breeze.

A sudden blow of frigid wind hit my skin but quickly ignored it since I'd be drenched in sweat and burning after jogging. A popular song by Avril Lavigne immediately played as soon as I hit the play button of my iPod Nano. Hesitant of which way to go, I picked the path to my right. You could never go wrong with going the right way.

As I ran to the quiet neighborhood, the thought of our unlikely visitor from yesterday clouded my mind. Marcus Don Valentine was not the CEO I thought he'd be. He was too... nice and laid-back.

He brought Chinese food and only wanted to "get to know" us. I called him bluff so I locked myself in the studio until he left. Erin, on the other hand, being the business student that she was, took the opportunity to network with him.

Staring into those eyes any longer than two seconds screams trouble. How the heck did she last long?

The thought of him made me dash down the concrete road instead of just taking it slow. When a strong arm suddenly grabbed a hold of me, I let out a piercing scream.

"Ah! Unhand me you freak!" When I recognized the face, I took my earphones out to give the person a piece of my mind. Then, a familiar face from last night's encounter was smiling at me.

"Do you really want to get kicked in the balls? You scared me!" I scolded Marcus. He wore a gray hoodie and black track pants. I didn't know if he heard me because he, too, was wearing earphones. When he pulled it out of his ear, he only beamed.

"Sorry, I was just finishing my morning jog when I saw you. I was calling your name but it looks like your music was on blast." I couldn't help but notice the beads of sweat running down the side of his face and the forming sweat marks around his chest, tinting his gray hoodie a dark color.

I only shook my head. "It's fine. Sorry, I didn't notice you."

More like I was too preoccupied to notice anybody right now.

"Hey, wanna grab coffee? I know a place from here." Marcus chirped as I continued to jog.

"Don't you have a place to be? Like, oh I don't know, the office?"

He chuckled. "It's only six thirty and I don't have to be in the office until nine."

"So you just happen to be around the area at this time of the day?"

"I'll live in this neighborhood sooner or later, so I might as well familiarize myself, right?"

"More like you own the neighborhood,"