Lost in his embrace

Chapter 6

There are messages from Britney and other people. I heave a sigh as I see none of them are from Tyler. I turn off my phone, put it on my bare chest and look above the ceiling. I sigh. I want to reflect on productive things that I did recently but I don't think I did anything productive aside from being a lazy ass always. Besides, I can't think properly right now because my mind is somewhere else. The ceiling fan above makes me feel dizzy and sleepy. I divert my gaze to none in particular as I start to yawn. I don't want to fall asleep again because I feel like once I drift off to sleep, I'll miss something important.

There are creases forming between my eyebrows as I notice the house is relatively quiet. Usually, I would wake up by a deafening song banging all over the house. I doubt that they are still fast asleep because they are all a six-a.m person, even weekends. My eyes catch a black hoodie rest around the arm of the couch across. I know it isn't mine nor my brothers because they don't like wearing hoodies and I only have few and they are all maroon. I put my phone off my chest and stand on my feet before I head over the hoodie. I bring it on my nose and smell it. It reeks of brand new, Like it was just purchased yesterday or this morning.

“Your boyfriend is in your room.” My body flinches, making the hoodie slip off my hand.

I pivot. “Who?” My dad wears a plain white T-shirt and a checkered short pants that doesn't reach his knees.

He gives me a smile that only him knows what it means. “How many boyfriends do you have?”

He asks with a teasing smile across his face. He probably caught me smelling the hoodie because he casts a glance on it.

“Tyler wore that yesterday. . . So that definitely his if you are wondering.”

I just stand frozen on the floor as my mind fails to process everything he says. I want to clutch my stomach and laugh hard.

Tyler is in my room? I don't have any boyfriends aside from Tyler but. . . him inside my room? He doesn't even want to go in our house, let alone in my room. It doesn't make sense at all. My dad is probably pulling a prank on me. I take a few steps forward and put my hands on his shoulders, suck in a deep breath as though he is not my dad at all. I look straight into his eyes and smile.

“Dad, I know him too well and it's still eight in the morning for your daily pranks.”

There's a small part of me hoping that he is really in my room even though it sounds uncanny and hard to believe. But I also want my dad to burst out laughing right now just like what he does everytime he sees my usual epic reaction on his pranks before I start to fully believe him but he doesn't.

He heaves a sigh before he says seriously, “I'm not pranking you this time. Something happened to him so you better head to your room now.”

I look him in his eyes for a second before I nod. I hate that there's a small part of me that really believes him.

“Take his hoodie with you.” I hear him say behind my back as I start to head for my room upstairs. I turn around to see him smile that doesn't reach his eyes—his eyes that tell otherwise. I hope he's all right but I also can't help myself but think negatively about our relationship because I'm afraid he might decide things out of his current predicament. What I notice about him is that sometimes he decides things impulsively. My dad hands me the hoodie before he gently taps my shoulder with his hand. His expression is making me nervous even more.

“Dad, you're making me nervous.” I'm about to ask him where's mom and my brothers but he waves me off and gently pushes me, beckoning me to go up the stairs. I give him a one last glance and rub the edge of my eyebrow. My steps are slow unlike my heartbeats that seem to leap out of my ribcage anytime soon. and I hold the hoodie rather tightly. Why do I need to bring this with me? My family is acting weird today, aren't they? Are they up to a surprise or something?

The door of my room creaks as I slowly push it open.

Am I going to welcome with a man whose name is Tyler, on his one knee while he puts his hand out, showing me a small red box, proposing a marriage?

Of course! That's just a wishful thinking because no one is in my room aside from pictures hang on the wall, a king size bed, two nightstands, a closet, and a door that leads to my bathroom which means my dad succeeds in pranking me this time.

My room is slightly lit by the sun that leaks through the transparent, floor-to-ceiling door, draped with a curtain towards the balcony. I head to the bathroom. I can't believe I easily fell for my dad's prank this time.

I'm going to congratulate him for being adept at acting. I close the door behind me and strip the remaining clothes off my body I have. I lay the hoodie across the vanity top and place my phone beside it. Whose hoodie is this? Britney texted if we could meet at around twelve p.m because she has something to say and I just responded her with OK. I think it's about the upcoming event tomorrow because Bryan decided to partner us up for the opening. Somehow, I don't feel anything.

I mean, there will be students from other known schools too so I should be feeling nervous by now. Going back to Tyler, whom I haven't seen for almost a week and whose number I can't contact, maybe that's the reason why I don't feel nervous towards the event because my mind is occupied with the thoughts of him.

After I clean my teeth and wash my face, I head back to my room naked. I stand motionless on my feet as my eyes spot a man's figure on the balcony.

Sure, dad wasn't pranking me. He was wrong though about him in my room but still, this doesn't answer their weird actions today. First off: My mom and my brothers are out of sight. It's impossible that they head off to work because they promised me that their weekends should be spent with me. Second, my dad's expression is rather weird and what he said about Tyler makes me spiral into countless negative thoughts.

I'm sure Tyler can't see me inside because the door is not transparent from the outside. Did he sleep in my room? Why didn't they wake me up? That's when I remember the other voice I heard when my parents arrived late, Which I'm sure it wasn't my father nor my brothers. Did he really come here with my parents? How's that possible? I have countless questions on my mind right now, including his sudden disappearance that I trot towards the door of the balcony forgetting that I don't have any clothes on.

As though he can feel my presence, I catch him whip around and move slowly towards the door which makes my steps halt. Sunbeams come flooding my room as he pushes the door open. I feel like my naked body is exposed to the whole world and the word 'embarrassment' just crawls across my skin.

I don't cover myself though it's not that he hasn't seen me naked before. His eyes flare in surprise when he sees me and he immediately shuts the door behind him like he's afraid someone might see his precious possession.

Well, I'm all his and he doesn't need to worry at all.

I still wonder what does my dad mean when he told me something happened to Tyler. Looking at him, he appears paler than he was before and there are subtle dark circles underneath his eyes which make me worried even more. Up until now, I still can't believe he's here. I want to interrogate him the moment he stands just inches away from me about his sudden disappearance but I decide against it. He will tell me if he wants to. Plus, I don't want to add to his burden If ever something bad has really happened to him.

He stares at my naked body for a second. He then laughs while he puts a fist on his mouth, finding something amusing about my nakedness. I can feel my cheeks redden a bit by it.

I beckon him to sit on my bed before I go over the door to lock it up. When I turn around, I see him look away. He's already on the bed. He lies half-body; His feet touch the floor while his arms rest at his sides on the bed and his eyes are trained on the ceiling, seemingly in a deep thought. I guess he's pondering what to tell me and so do I. I'm thinking what to ask him.

I have a lot of questions running on my mind but I don't know when to ask him or should I ask him. Should I just ask how is he? I'm waiting for him to say something first.

As though he can read my mind. He heaves a sigh and says, “I'm fine.” But he's not. I can see it. I can feel it. He looks me in the eyes. He wants to know if I believe him but I don't and I know he can see it through my eyes. He wants to say something the way he looks at me but something seems to hold him back. He props his elbow and turns on his side to face me. He taps his hand on the bed beckoning me to come over.

“I'll tell you something.” He sits on his butt and brings his feet on the bed, Crossing them on his thighs, Like what a child does. I go over. Each step somehow feels heavy. I almost forget that I'm still naked but he seemingly doesn't mind though.

When I reach the edge of the bed, I can feel him hesitate for a moment before he says, “I didn't expect that. How come yours appears more packing than mine.” he laughs, Albeit a bit force. However, I can't deny the fact that his laughter is contagious and has always been intoxicating. It makes his pale face redden a bit. And somehow, it kind of drops my worry to a certain level.

“There are people who are really blessed and I'm one of them.” He always asks me about it every time he sees me naked and it makes me comfortably uncomfortable. If that even makes sense. We continue to talk some nonsense things. I don't ask him about where he was in the past few days and why he just showed up now.

A moment later, he suddenly turns quiet. I restrain myself from asking questions because I'm firmed that he will tell me and I will cling into that belief even though there's small part of me that wants everything to just stay untold.