His Touch Remains

4. Touch

"Hey!"

I gasped for air after waking up from a bad dream. My body felt like I ran a hundred miles that I couldn't keep up with my breath.

"Uhh." I crumpled the bedsheet with my hands, still caught up with the seemingly realistic feeling from that recurring dream.

"You're having a nightmare in the middle of the day." I turned my head on the side only to see Apollo standing there.

I rolled my eyes at him because he was not what I expected to see. "Where is Alex?" I asked with my still sleepy voice.

He sat down on the other bed. The curtain dividing our beds was now rolled up.

"She went to her class," he drawled.

"I slept that long? Why didn't you wake me up?!"

That said made me fully awakened. I immediately got up and slid my sneakers as fast as I could, I couldn't even wear them properly because of what he said.

"Well, you seem like you needed a lot of sleep."

I glared at him. That's true except that our first subject this afternoon was our major class and if I even miss one session from the terror professor, I might end up failed!

"s**t!" I looked at my watch only to see that I was thirty minutes late. I bit my lower lip, feeling rattled now that I couldn't find my bag!

"Where's my bag?" I looked under the bed.

"Alex brought it with her."

I exhaled when he said that. He was chill while watching me rumble so I wondered if he didn't have a class.

"You don't have a class?" He shook his head while looking at me intently. Great. And I hate those stares!

I ran. I didn't even bid my goodbye to him but who cared?

I ended up gasping when I reached the back door of our classroom. I took a second there to relax before peeking inside.

"Oh no, why is this happening to me?" I blurted when I saw them having a quiz.

I massaged my forehead, feeling helpless. The plan was to sneak from here but the professor was roaming around and everyone was silent.

Because I was focused on thinking what I should do, I jumped when someone tapped my shoulder. My forehead creased when I saw Apollo.

"Why are you following me?"

"I forgot to tell. Alex took your excuse slip," Apollo said.

My blood boiled even with the good news. "You should have told me sooner! I even ran as if my college life depended on this subject!"

He just shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not done with you yet," he said mysteriously and walked away. I sneered at him while looking at his tall physique and broad shoulders.

He was annoying. And what was that? A threat?

I walked to the canteen to grab a drink and just wait there until our second class. Fortunately, I feel a lot better now.

Alex followed me to the clinic a while ago so I sent her to get me my extra jogging pants and shirt on my locker. She was also shocked that she saw Apollo there but I didn't pay much attention because I needed to sleep.

But now, it was bothering me. What was Apollo doing there for the rest of the hour that passed? And what was he doing there in the first place? And the thing he said. Was it because I slapped him again? I only remembered that now. Ugh! I shook my head. Stop thinking about it!

I sat at the table near the entrance. There weren't many students here yet except for some higher year who were doing their papers near my table. That's when I noticed they were looking in my direction.

"Did you hear it? Louisa and Venice pulled a prank on her a while ago." I heard someone told the group.

"Really?" someone laughed. "I thought she's stopping their bullying. It ends up she's the one being bullied."

I raised my eyebrow at them and they immediately turned their head back to what they were doing when they saw me.

I didn't care because I promised myself I would get back at them. For the rest of the minute, I just sat there staring blankly and my thoughts running from the past to the present. I exhaled and stood when the bell rang.

"Leslie Merril A. Cervantes!" I smirked when Alex even mentioned my complete name when she saw me seated in our next classroom. I was the one who arrived first.

"What do you need Alexis Gomez?"

"Are you okay now?" she sat on the chair beside me and the back of her palm went to my forehead.

"I'm okay now." I moved her hand away. "What?" I asked when she narrowed her eyes like she was suspicious of something.

"What are you doing with Apollo in the clinic?"

I rolled my eyes. Sure it was a big deal, knowing that she knew I didn't like him and Apollo being the Apollo of St. Clare University.

"I don't know. He was there first. Why didn't you ask him a while ago? You had the chance to talk."

"Me? Talking to Apollo? Are you hearing yourself? In my dreams!" She said that like it was a very impossible thing.

"You're saying it like he is someone so highly." It cringed me. I crossed my arms over my chest. I was probably the only person in the university who thought of him the other way around. He was annoying and I want to see him going down!

"Because he is," she said. We turned our heads to the door when the professor arrived. "You know, let's talk after class."

I nodded. What will we talk about after class? Is she going to lecture me about Apollo? What the hell! I don't need it.

"Let's just talk tomorrow. And please, I don't want to hear his name anymore." I waved Alex goodbye before she could even start her litany.

I walked to the town center for a few minutes before arriving at the library.

"Good noon," the lady in uniform greeted me while wiping the table near the door. The coffee shop has few customers inside. I nodded at her and went straight to the second floor.

This building was quite old so it gives off a vintage ambiance. Even the things you can see around like hanging decors looked old. I even saw the first prints of old books in the library.

"Just continue arranging the books in the fiction section," Glaiza said, a part-timer.

"Okay. Is that it?" I put my bag on the top of the drawer and logged in to the record book placed on the librarian's desk.

"Yeah. You can also clean if you're done. I haven't arranged the newspapers yet."

I nodded. She got her bag and went down.

There's no one in the library yet. Mostly, college students flock here in the early evening just before my schedule ends. And I'm thankful because of that. The library is still peaceful during my duty except when students gather in the other building to play at the Game Zone.

I walked on the farthest bookshelves to arrange the fiction books. This is the most used section. It also has the most number of books.

Somehow, arranging them relaxed me every time. I put on my earphones and my mp3 player on the back of my pocket. I began to pick those books which weren't placed back on the shelves.

I was humming with the songs on my playlist the whole time when I felt tired. I decided to take a break. I sat down on the floor and picked whatever book on the shelf in front of me.

I scanned the pages while singing softly. "When it gets hard, I get a little stronger now. I get a little braver now. And when it gets dark, I get a little brighter now. I get a little wiser now. Before I give my heart away." My body swayed while singing it. But I immediately stopped when a man's sneakers appeared just right across my feet.

"You're blocking my way," he said with his deep voice.

My eyes widened when I saw Apollo looking down at me. His hands were on his pockets and his eyes registered to me dangerously.

"You are following me!" I accused him. I stood and stepped away from him when my inside churned.

"Don't assume. I have no reason to follow you." He diverted his gaze to the shelf.

"Well then, disappear!" The word came out like a magic chant especially when I pointed at him, wishing that he would be gone in front of me.

He smirked while grabbing a book like he already knew he got the correct one when I saw that he hasn't even read the title of the book yet!

"Do you know what I hate the most?" he asked. He pierced me with his sharp eyes. The way he swiftly caught my hand pointing at him made me shiver and stepped back.

"I've had enough of you today. Just please, stay away from me!" I was able to get away from him and strode towards the librarian's desk. But it wasn't enough for him as he followed me with a bigger leap. He caught my hand and placed me back in front of him before I could even arrive at the desk.

"Ah!" I almost lost my balance when he pulled me too hard. I ended up bumping on his chest. I felt how hard that was and it annoyed me that he kept pulling my hands! So I pulled it back. "What do you want?!"

His eyes that were illuminated by the yellow light of the small and old chandelier above us shifted from one corner to the other as he looked at mine, as if he was recognizing the emotion I had towards him.

"I hate the way your eyes look at me," he gritted his teeth. "You're glaring at me and you slapped me twice. You're not getting away this time. Explain."

"Don't tell me what to do! I don't owe you an explanation!" I pointed at him with my other hand. But it was a very wrong move when he caught it using his other hand.

"You owe me twice. No one ever slapped for no reason." The way he let out those words were like a ghost from the past that's haunting me until today.

My face heated with fear when the memories suddenly played at the back of my mind. I wasn't able to retract because the voice... was familiar too.

"Release me," my voice trembled when I failed to control my sobs.

I closed my eyes while gritting my teeth because I hate being seen weak. But I was so lousy of controlling it in front of him.

"I told you. Release me!"

He breathed in disbelief and said, "And now you're crying. Don't play the victim here. Explain."

Victim? "No... no," I bit my lower lip as my sobbing hitched. He just touched the most lethal part inside me with the word. Pain stabbed me on my chest. The feeling was heavy like he just drowned me back to hell. How could he say that? How could he make me cry twice?

"Ah. You're a tough one. Stop crying. That wouldn't make me feel better after what you did." He loosened his grip on mine. "Let's clear things out first before I let you go. I don't want someone looking at me like you do."

This was nonsense. He just told me that he also hated the way I looked at him but he was looking at me the whole time I was trying to calm myself!

And how could I explain this when clearly, I was having a real delusion towards him! This was crazy! Why did everything about him reminded me of that guy?!

I did not respond. I know I was unreasonable and I couldn't give him the explanation that he wanted. I didn't think I would come to this part where saying my sorry was the easiest thing to say even if in fact, it was hard.

"I-I'm sorry," I said sincerely while I looked at him in the eyes. That's what he wanted, right? Even at the park, he wanted to hear it sincerely so I was giving both of us the favor to end this thing.

We stared at each other for few seconds. I began to feel annoyed again. If he wanted to clear things out, I needed his answer!

"I said I'm sorry. Don't make me kneel in front of you because I won't!"

He let out a sigh and nodded. The tension on his face calmed upon hearing what I said but he looked like the guy especially his eyes.

"You're a transferee?" He asked out of nowhere.

A blink made the tears that formed around my eyes slid on my cheeks. His eyes followed it but he didn't let me go to shed the tears. He's just comfortably holding both of my hands.

"W-Why are you suddenly asking? Let's remain just strangers." What the hell? That question just made me think wild again!

His reddish lips pouted a bit. "You make me curious." His voice drifted with the passing of a loud motor on the street but I heard it loud and clear!

His gaze diverted on the window so I got the chance to push him to get away from his grip. It did work! He almost stumbled backward.

"Don't be. It's better if you don't just appear so suddenly. Don't annoy me because I won't let you invalidate what I am feeling next time! I might just punch you instead!"

His forehead creased, probably didn't get what I said again. I left him there and just went down to the coffee shop to breathe the bullshit that happened.

Seriously, this interaction should stop before everything gets worse. I am pretty sure it won't benefit me for two reasons. First, he is the cause of my sudden nightmares, and second, Louisa is her friend. I need them to just seat where they belong and I do not want them stirring up my sanity.