His Precious Lies

07

I thought he was really annoyed, but when I followed him, he told me he was just kidding. It was eight o'clock in the morning when Hugo drove me to our house. We even messed up earlier in his car about coffee and him. He asked me what he didn't have other than coffee.

“What's in the coffee that I don't have?” Hugo asked me a frustrating question while driving.

Although his attention was on the road, she only now noticed that his face was perfectly made for a human being. From his smooth face, red lips, sharp nose, thick eyebrows, and long eyelashes. Even though his hair is messy, and it looks like he hasn't been bathed yet, he still looks fragrant.

“You are way more than coffee, Hugo,” I jokingly replied to him.

“You, ah! You're a little better than me. Is this the effect of your night shift?”

“Maybe so,” I replied with a smile. “Why?”

“I hope you're always on night shift, so we can talk like this.” Hugo smiled bitterly at Lara while the attention was still on the road.

I bit my lip and looked out of the car. I know what he means, that we can talk without interrupting each other, or am I just the one who likes to interrupt him?

Ever since I heard those women talking, I haven't taken his pick-up lines very seriously.

I make a vow to myself that this time I will shield my heart from those who want to hurt it. But, I guess, it's hard to shield your heart from this man. Even if I shield my heart hard, he could easily break it. I should stay away, but how? If my heart says stay, If my heart says yes.

The reason I'm blocking Hugo's pickup lines is to avoid the thrill. Every time he speaks, I get hope—hope that what he says is true. But I felt nothing. I remember the first time I saw him; it's like I'm hypnotized every time our eyes meet, just like when we first met. And then I realized that our sparks weren't there at all.

“I'll take you out for dinner,” Hugo said to her before she could enter the house.

“I haven't said yes,” she said.

“Who will refuse a free dinner?” he asked, pretending to be even more surprised.

“What if I have other plans later?”

“Great!” Hugo stepped closer. “I'll see you then, Lara,” he said in a low voice. He leaned to kiss her cheek, but it landed on the side of her lips.

Oh, my God!

She didn't seem to be breathing because the man seemed to intend to prolong his kiss there. If she hadn't heard her mom's sneezing, she wouldn't have thought to push Hugo away, who then seemed like no one was looking at her. Then he slowly and playfully smiled.

“Did you mean that?”

When she was about to punch him, he raised a peace sign before saying goodbye.

“Later!” he said before exiting the gate.

“I think he's a good man,” her mom began.

She just looked at her in disbelief. She didn't expect her mother's praise Hugo, sincerely that way. This was the first time she had heard praise from her mother, and for Hugo.

“What?” her mom asked, smiling.

“Nothing,” she replied before kissing her cheek and going inside.

Lara felt tired and awake when she got to her room, so she was immediately visited by drowsiness. She did not even bother to get dressed and take a bath. It was late afternoon when she was startled by the sound of her cellphone.