18 Warming

My heart is beating as fast as it possibly can. This has got to be the worst time for her to come home.

In front of Adrian, Anita stands tall and proud. She has a wide grin on her face. The Sun is shadowing her, highlighting her alluring silhouette, with a black suit and a skirt that reaches just above her knee. Her hands are resting on her hips. Without any warning, Anita lunges at Adrian, taking him by surprise.

I gasp, as Anita hugs me, wrapping her arms over my body, and brushing her hand through the hair at the back of my head in a repeated motion, like she felt relief. She pulls back for a brief moment before finally speaking,

"So? How'd you like my surprise?"

I look at her with a puzzled expression.

"I saw your text!! I knew you'd be home since you messaged me that you had a day off from all those stupid and boring lectures.", Anita finally reveals with a happy tone.

"I thought it'd be nice to spend lunch with you, so here I am~", Anita says as she takes off her shoes, putting one hand on my shoulder while leaning into me and taking off her heels with her dormant hand. 

"Ugh, work was so rough today, you know that? My boss kept pestering me to get some calls done on her behalf. Some random case that I'm not even associated with", she vents putting her heels down.

I listen to her ramblings nervously, hoping she doesn't go for her room or anything.

"Ah! That reminds me!!", Anita yells out, pulling me back into reality.

"Could you make me a drink? I love me some Mango Punch"

She leaves a slight pause as she sits on the couch laying one leg over the other.

"Especially on hot days like these~", Anita declares as she puts her hair in a bun, using the help of a hair tie.

God. She looks flawlessly gorgeous, without even trying.

"Of course, honeybug.", I heave a relieved sigh.

-

"She's just here for lunch. That's it. After that, she'll be on her way to work. End of story. I'll pretend like I never saw that stupid box, and keep it away.", I talk to myself in my mind, as I prepare a plate of fresh delicious food for Anita.

"But you have to ask her about this, don't you? She was stalking you for fucks sake!! You have to get closure. You're gonna bring a stop to this creepy behavior of hers, aren't you?!", another voice in my mind talks back to me. It's like there are two wolves inside me, having completely opposite personalities trading blows back and forth.

I shrug it off and finally go out with a smile, holding the tray containing a plate of food, and an ice-cold mango drink, like Anita ordered. I walk into the living room with a calm and peaceful demeanor.

But that same demeanor shatters and Adrian is shocked beyond belief when he doesn't find Anita sitting in the living room, where she should have been.

Adrian places the tray on a nearby table cautiously and instantly makes a run for her bedroom. Adrian reaches the bedroom, and the scene unfolds right before his eyes.

Anita is holding some of the photos as if she were reminiscing something. I down a huge gulp and clear my throat, crossing both my arms putting up the angriest face I could ever put up.

*ahem*

Anita gets startled and looks up at me with surprise. She sighs and walks up to me elegantly, taking my arm and leading me to the bed before patting the space lying next to her.

I hesitate, before I lay down against the headboard, with my thighs making contact with hers as she lays next to me.

The atmosphere is heavy. Anita keeps going through the photos, while Adrian looks at her with a determined face. He has a furrowed brow, looking at Anita as if she had committed murder.

-

"Since when?", I demand.

"Since when have you been stalking me, huh?", my voice raises a tad bit, flinching her arms.

Anita tilts her head at me, with her smile dissipating she rotates.

"I don't remember."

Anita puts a finger to her chin and looks up at the ceiling as if she's remembering something.

"I think it was snowing. And I saw you on my way home from the library.", she looks back down, swapping through the photos with a playful mood.

"That was the first time I ever laid my eyes on you. And I just knew it.", Anita exhales a sigh.

"Knew what...?", I ponder further.

Anita faces me with a sorrowful smile. She brings her hands up to my face, moving my bangs out of the way. Her touch feels like the hands of an angel as she caresses my face with unparalleled affection.

"That you were the one for me.

-

I listen attentively with a slight frown showing displeasure as she starts explaining all the times she followed me home, and on her days off as best as she could.

"I even mapped out your entire timetable, you know? It was difficult, taking a week off. But they let me have it since it was my last semester, haha~", Anita giggles, lightening up the mood.

There's a brief bonding between the couple despite it being an unorthodox situation.

I brace myself as I finally make up my mind.

"Hey, Anita?"

Anita looks at me before her giggling dies out.

"That day. The one at the cafe, where we bumped into each other and met for the first time?", I dig deeper. 

Anita's gaze lowers and her face starts to look guilty.

"You planned that too, right?"

She glances up at me, raising her eyebrows and a faint smirk spreading across her pretty face

"What do you think, honeybee?~"