String of Hearts

Staying home alone with him [1]

Skye’s POV

I drowsily rub my eyes and sit up on the bed. I pick my phone which is lying carelessly on the bed and turn it on. I look at the wall clock and it read the time, '12:45’. I must have slept off while waiting for Aria's message.

I scramble off the bed and slip into my slippers. I open the door of my room and step into the hallway. As I approach the stairway, I hear some particularly loud sounds of swords clashing. It is then I remember there is a guest at home.

'Is he watching movies?’ I think as I begin to go down the stairs. I can already see him the moment I took the fifth step. He is a very tall man, thus, I can see his head even before reaching the living room. His back is turned to me so it is the back of his head I can see.

As I step into the living room, I can finally see him completely. He is sitting in front of the mini TV and surprisingly, playing videogames. By surprisingly, I meant that I never termed him as someone so casual and relaxed. Though, he seemed quite jovial when he talked with my dad the night before. My impression of him has always been a mysterious and unpredictable person. We haven’t interacted much but from our encounters, I can tell he is a very interesting person. 

He was extremely flirty that night as he took me in every was possible, whispered all sorts of things in her ears. I have also seen how polite he is to people he isn’t familiar with.

He seems to notice my presence for he says, without turning to look at me. “You’re awake.”

“Hm,” I reply, taken aback and he nods, returning to his game. I also don’t stand there anymore and make my way to the kitchen. The place is rather neat and clean; a sign that the cleaner came and left.

I contemplate whether to cook or not as I look through the ingredients in the glass cabinets for I know my cooking will take some time. As a big time foodie, I am someone who likes my meal detailed and perfect.

As I stand in a corner of the kitchen, I begin to grab all I need. I've cooked in a while. I move to the fridge and bring out the ground beef stored in it. I prefer fresh meat but I'll have to make do since I'm too hungry to go shopping.

Then, I arrange the rest of the ingredients evenly on the table; the lettuce, black beans, Cheddar cheese, veggies, tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, bell pepper and grilled corn. The table is full and I move to begin cooking. I'm planning to cook my mother's favorite food; taco salad.

I place the beef in a bowl, Brown and season it evenly. Then, I stir in black beans. I turn on the tap and wash the lettuce under the running water before topping it with the beef mixture. I grab a board and cut the cheese in thin slices, chop the onions, bell pepper and likewise, cut the avocado also in slices. 

Afterwards, I top them with the beef like I did with the lettuce. I'm about to scoop the mixture into a plate when I hear the sound of slippers against the floor. I turn to the door only to see him standing there and staring at…me.

His gaze is filled with astonishment and he folds his arms with interest. I decide to look away under his heart gaze before asking, “Do you care for some?”

I can hear him shuffle towards me and soon, he is standing right beside me. He bends over and asks,

“You can cook?”

I pause at the closeness. He is very close to me that I can even smell the faint scent of wood. Like a beautiful flower in the woods. His hot breath lands on my neck at he opens his mouth to ask, tickling the back of my ears. It brushes over my ears and immediately, I feel a shot go straight into my heart.

He seems to notice that something is wrong for he stares at me in silence. I try concentrating on my cooking but the way his gaze is fixed upon me makes me uncomfortable.

I turn to him immediately and say in a not so friendly manner. “If I can’t cook, what am I doing here? Playing with food?”

He looks at me and as though I’m imagining it, I see a tiny smile creeping up on his lips. His gaze is also fixed on me and I can’t help but turn away under such a gaze. 

“Okay. I'll eat.”

I nod in understanding before scooping into three plates. I begin to top with sour cream, tortilla chips and salsa.

He's now leaning on the cabinet and watching me with a focused gaze. I store a bowl of salad just in case dad comes home. Then, grab the two bowls left and walked to the dining room. I place the plates on opposite side of each other and glance in the direction of the kitchen.

'He isn’t coming out yet?’ I think as I approach the kitchen. But, the sight in the kitchen catches me by surprise. I see him grab a napkin and mops the kitchen table, place the plates in the sink and arrange the left over ingredients in the fridge.

He seems so experienced and I can see his pecs faintly jingle as he walks around the kitchen. It is a very beautiful sight and I'm tempted to watch. But a few seconds later, realization dawned upon me.

‘Why do I keep noticing this little details about him? No, this is bad.’