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.

“Hello?” she asked on the other line, while her eyes were still closed.

“Prepare yourself; I'll be there in a minute.” She suddenly woke up and looked at who the caller was.

“W-What? Why?” she asked hoarsely on the other line.

“Remember, I'll take you out for dinner?” Hugo asks on the other line.

“Omg!” she replied in hurriedly on the other line because she heard the man's sigh.

I don't know if he meant to let me know that sigh.

“Sorry, I forgot. Okay, bye. I'll prepare now. See you.” She said goodbye to Hugo on the other line.

She missed that she and Hugo had a dinner date today. Maybe because she was tired, she forgot about it. She hurried to the bathroom to take a shower. She couldn't help but get excited because this was her second date with Hugo.

Where did I say, “I should shield my heart?” She broke the promise she had made to herself.

It was seven o'clock in the evening when Hugo picked me up at home.

“Take a picture; it'll last longer.” Hugo laughed at what Lara said as she looked up from slicing the Choco sans Rival cake with a fork.

The past hour or so that he'd been with her was fun, engaging, and far from boring. If earlier in the coffee shop the woman was unfamiliar, in the past more than an hour that they have been eating together inside Nepomuceno's coffee, they have easily become acquainted. And he couldn't take his eyes off her since fetching her from the hospital. He looked down and stared at her. He didn't take any more of the desert they were sharing, which was going down as well.

“You're such a weirdo, Hugo,” she said before eating the last piece of cake.

“That I am,” he grinned.

It's not dulled to look at a woman's face. She is mestiza, but the features are not bland. There was something about her face that gave it more character; he just couldn't determine what it was.

“And it's just my luck that you agreed to be with me today.”

She rolled her eyes. “I was actually supposed to say no, but...”

“But you like good-looking, sexy nerds so much that you just can't miss a chance to be with one?” Still smiling, he pointed to himself.

She smirked at him, “But I am not doing anything tonight, and I also don't have anyone at home because mom and the one with us went home to the province,” she said, but then she added, as if as an afterthought. “And that, too.” She pointed to his face with the fork before shaking it down on the plate.

He stared at her for a few seconds. This was the second date he'd ever had with her on which the woman didn't constantly quarrel with him.

Lara hadn't even openly checked him out, batted her lashes, or played footsie with him under the table while they were having dinner. They talked about some basic information about each other, including their university years, careers, and the upcoming elections. Topics that for him were unheard of, but since he was talking to Lara, they became very interesting to him. When they finished eating, the two decided to hang out on the rooftop of the restaurant. The night was quiet. Only city lights twinkle like stars in the sky; Lara screaming at the twinkle. The winds that greeted them caused the wind to blow away Lara's hair.

“Wow! Nice view!” Lara exclaimed as they reached the rooftop.

The view is stunning. I see almost all the inhabitants of the city. She hugged herself as the cold air blew into her.

“Hugo,” she called to him, causing him to turn his gaze to her.

“Hmm?” he said to her while still not removing his smile from his lips.

“I-” Lara's startled introduction

“I?” Hugo's question to her

“I decided not to return you. I'll keep you. I think I like you too. No, I like you,” she muttered to Hugo as he smiled at her.

“I don't know if I like you as a man, but I don't want you to leave my side. I want you to keep calling my n---”

I hadn't finished what I was going to say when he suddenly kissed me. Although it was a simple kiss, it had a different effect on me. Smiling, I looked at him and spontaneously touched him on the cheek before being crushed by another kiss.

I know there are no sparks at all, but I'll take risks. I hope this time my decision is right. Furthermore, I hope I can love him without any doubt, and I hope he can too.