RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't fall for the tutor

Chapter 5

Fred stared at the sleeping girl and sighed, he had tried his best, there is nothing else he can do, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and left for his flat but when he stood by the door, he looked back at the sleeping girl and sighed once more before walking back to her. He tapped her softly on the shoulder thrice before she opened her eyes, and on seeing him, she sat up immediately.

"I don't think he is coming back tonight."

Melissa looked at the door behind her and sighed, "I can wait."

"You are sleeping on the floor," he reminded, "don't you have a place to stay and then come back tomorrow?"

Melissa bit her lip, "it's already late and besides…" she stopped, she didn't want to admit that she doesn't want to spend too much.

Fred ran his fingers through his blonde hair and let out a deep breath, "why don't you come stay with me for the night."

Melissa felt alerted immediately, she grabbed onto her top and shrink away, "I'm fine out here, thank you."

"The more late it gets, the colder the floor will be and Henry won't be coming home until early in the morning, you might catch a cold before he does. Don't worry, I won’t do anything to you, I promise, I have a girlfriend," he smiled, feeling the need to add that.

Melissa bit her lower lip and looked at the long hallway, then back at him, she was already cold just sitting on the floor and she knew she would catch a cold by morning so she nodded after a long time and Fred helped her stand on her feet and carried her bag before walking to his door.

He put in his code and Melissa instinctively looked away. He chuckled softly and pushed open the door, going in first to turn on the light.

"That's the bedroom, you can use the bathroom if you want," he pointed at a door.

Melissa looked around the living room, she hasn't been in a place so beautiful and her face revealed it, the living room was so big and they were many art works on the walls that added a beauty to it.

Fred caught her staring and answered, "I’m an artist, I love drawing. If you are hungry, that's the kitchen, you are welcome to fix something up for yourself," he pointed to another door.

"Thank you," she mumbled, she was really hungry.

"You are welcome," he smiled and walked to the corner of the living room where there was a canvas with a few sketches on it. He sat down on the chair opposite it and began looking at the paper he had picked from the floor, totally forgetting about her presence.

Melissa dropped her bag on the floor, she didn't want to place it on the sofas lest she dirty them for him, she heaved a sigh and made her way to the door that leads to the kitchen, she was so damn hungry.

Melissa got up in the morning, she heaved a deep sigh and remembering she was not in her house nor in Henry's, she sat up immediately and looked around the room, she was lying in the bed and it was the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in.

She had fallen asleep immediately her head touched the pillow. Fred had been kind enough to give her the bed and took the couch, even though she was the intruder.

She climbed out of the bed and readied her things; Henry should be back from wherever he went, right? She thought and walked out of the bedroom to find Fred still sleeping on the couch.

She approached him gently and didn’t know if he would be angry that she woke him up from his sleep but she really has to go and it would be wrong if she left without telling him, he was a kind soul and she would never forget that.

After staring at him for a few minutes, she finally cleared her throat and his eyelid flickered before he opened them to stare at her. "I-I-I m sorry to wake you, is j-just that I should leave now. I don't want Henry looking for me when he gets back.”

Fred yawned and sat up on the couch, he rubbed his hand on his eyes before ruffling his hair with his fingers, looking up to her, he said, "good morning, slept well?"

Melissa looked away and nodded softly, "yes, thank you."

Fred stared at her and sighed, looking away from her for a moment, "you are more than just someone he wants to help, right?"

"I don't understand," she answered.

Fred thought about it, what's his business? If they are more than friends, it has nothing to do with him, right? He has done his part, gave her a place to sleep in and his bed.

He sighed and stood up, "never mind. I’m sure he will be home by now, just don't knock and use the bell so that he could hear you. It was nice knowing you…"

"Melissa," she filled in.

Fred smiled, "great name, rare but great. You can call me Fred," he offered, "see you some other time, Melissa, hopefully," he added before making his way into his bedroom, he still needed some more sleep after sleeping so late last night.

"Yea," Melissa nodded and walked to the front door, she turned back to look at the beautiful living room filled with different kinds of art, smiling, she opened the door and left. The door closed gently behind her and she heaved a deep sigh before walking to Henry's door. She took Fred’s advice and pressed the bell.

It took three minutes for the door to open to reveal yawning Henry, he was rubbing his eyes and his hair looked disheveled. When he finally took in the person in front of him, he was surprised, "Melissa, you-you-you are here," he looked back into the house and then at her, "I thought you were gone. Where were you last night?"

"I-I waited till late in the night but you didn't come back and then your neighbor came over and offered me to stay in his place, so…"

"What?" Frank interrupted with a scowl, "you came to find me and you slept in another man's house, really Melissa, is that how it is?"

"N-n-no, I waited but you weren't coming back, it was cold out here and I didn't know when you would be back, that was why I left with him."

"Is that so? Why couldn't you wait for me, Melissa? Do you know how worried I was? It's not like there is any way I could contact you. Do you have any idea how worried sick I was? The only hope I gave to myself was that maybe you went back home and it turned out that you slept with my neighbor?"

"I didn't sleep with him, I only slept in his place," Melissa rushed to defend herself.

Henry placed his hand on his temple and pretended to be calming down, "so you are trying to tell me that two grownups of opposite s*x, slept together in the same room, under one roof and nothing happened? Really, what do you take me for, Melissa, a fool?"

"No, why can't you just trust me? I will never do that. Listen, if you don't believe me, we can go over and ask him, he is right there," she pointed to Fred's door.

"Oh yeah, like he would just tell me, what if you two planned to make a fool out of me?"Henry!" Melissa called in disbelief, her eyes had already welled up and it wasn't long the tears started falling.

Henry sighed, "listen, why don't you wait for me downstairs, I will dress up and come meet you. You are leaving today aren't you?" When she nodded, he continued, "good, we can grab breakfast together and then I will see you off. I need to go to the office as well."

Melissa only nodded again and he sighed, "great, I will be done in a few," he said and with that he closed the door. Melissa stared at the closed door and sighed, he wouldn't even let her in, she wondered why but stopped herself, maybe it's because he needs to dress as soon as possible and wouldn't need the distraction, yes, that has to be the reason. She lowered her height beside the door and hugged her knees to her chest, she would prefer waiting there for him than going downstairs.