Addicted To You (MAYHEM #1)

Chapter 3

The sun broke through the blinds on the windows, waking me up much sooner than I'd wanted to. I reached for my pillow and covered my face with a groan.

It was already pass three nang tumigil yung ingay sa taas kaya naman nakatulog din ako ng mahimbing kahit papaano. Inaantay kong may manaway o magreklamo para patigilin yung party. Alam kong hindi lang ako ang gustong matulog dahil marami kami sa complex na ito.

But no one came to complain. The music continued blaring, and the banging on my ceiling had only gotten worse.

I hoped they enjoyed themselves, celebrating whatever it was they were celebrating, but I hoped they never did it again. I still had a week before my classes started. Which meant I had a week to get the things I needed and get settled in my apartment.

Even exhaustion couldn't keep the smile from creeping across my face. Wearing panties and a tank top, I was about to get up and go fix myself breakfast. Then, I was going to sit and eat it in on the sofa and not worry about anyone making me feel unwelcomed. I was free. I was finally alone, and there was no one to disapprove of me.

Dali-dali akong bumangon mula sa kama ko at tumingin sa ibaba. Kadalasan, ang ginagawa ko sa tuwing kakagising ko ay ayusin ang aking kama. Ngayon, hindi ko alam kung aayusin ko pa ito.

Napabuntong hininga na lamang ako at tumayo para pumunta sa kusina at magtimpla ng kape at gumawa ng toast para sa aking agahan.

Then I would make a list of things I needed for school and my apartment. Although it had come with furniture that tito had said was part of the monthly payment for electricity, it didn't have things like curtains or a can opener.

Ang plain din ng kurtina sa shower. Gusto ko naman kahit papano ay may kulay iyon because I wasn't supposed to paint the walls that's why I had to add color elsewhere. Maybe I could also find some pillows for the sofa and some pictures for the walls.

Wala rin akong ganun kalaking pera kaya naman kailangan kong mag-ingat sa pagbili ng mga gagamitin ko sa apartment.

At tyaka isa pa, sa susunod na linggo pa ako mag-uumpisang magtrabaho, at aabutin pa ulit ng isang linggo bago ko matanggap ang unang sahod ko.

Siguro nga may mga bagay na kailangan munang mag-antay. Pero pwede akong magsimula ngayon kahit papaano.

Clothes. I needed a few outfits that weren't oversize hand-me-downs or had come from the thrift store. I really needed to buy a few basic things to get me through the next few months of school and work.

I couldn't go to work in what I owned right now. I knew that clothes wouldn't change the way I looked, but they would at least help me appear more presentable.

I decided to keep the pillows that came with the sofa. And the pictures for the walls could wait.

* *

Inabot ako ng isang oras sa paghahanap ng dalawang pares ng shorts at isang denim skirt na puro above the knee ang haba. This will be the first time that I will be wearing something that showed off my legs. It was both terrifying and exhilarating for me.

Even better than leaving my bed unmade. Then I had bought one pair of jeans that actually fit me. Almost too well. Once I had bottoms, I went to look for tops. I had bought four blouses and two tank tops. Finally, I picked out a pair of sneakers that would work best for work and school.

They were all I really needed, but the pretty red high heels kept drawing my attention. I had never had shoes with heels, or shoes that could be considered pretty, for that matter. These weren't very dressy and could be worn with the skirt and two of my blouses. I could even wear them with the shorts. I had seen girls do that before.

I tried several times to walk away from them, but in the end I picked up the box with my size and walked to the register to pay for them before I could change my mind again. I was going to live differently here. These heels were a symbol of that new life.

Carrying all the shopping bags up to my apartment wasn't exactly fun. Even though I was on the first floor, it was really difficult for me because of my small frame. But then my energy was renewed with the thrill of getting to put things in their places.

When I turned to close my apartment door, my eyes locked with the electric blue ones I'd seen yesterday. That guy was standing there again, leaning against the door casing with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.

"Looks like someone went shopping bright and early this morning," he said with that husky voice of his that made my body feel funny things.

Tumango na lamang ako dahil baka may magawa o masabi na naman akong nakakahiya mula sa bibig ko kapag sinubukan kong makipag-usap sa kanya.

I suddenly wished I had put on one of my new outfits and worn it home. Which was silly. I shouldn't care what I looked like for this guy.

"My band plays at Indigo on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. It's a famous club here. You should stop one night and see us. I'll even buy you a drink during my break," he said with that amused grin still on his lips.

Inaasar niya ba ako?

I had to respond this time. Nodding again would be rude.

"Okay. I'll do that one night . . . maybe," I replied. I wasn't sure if I would ever go to Indigo-wherever that was-but telling him no seemed impossible and rude at the same time.

"I'll be expecting you then." He straightened up from his relaxed stance. "I never got your name."

My name. He wanted to know my name. I could answer that easily enough. "Felicity?" I replied, wishing it hadn't sounded like I was asking him instead of telling him.

He grinned. "It really fits you," he replied, then sauntered off without another word.

He hadn't told me his name, but I remembered it from yesterday when his friend had called for him. Kyson.

It was an unusual name. I wondered what it was short for.

Walking over to my door, I closed it and forced all thoughts of how sexy Kyson's eyes had looked without black eyeliner far from my mind.