Zaria was still in the clutches of her memories when someone broke her out from her reverie.
"It's amazing, right?" A low and hoarse voice entered her ear.
"Yes, it is... very amazing." She was still picturing Elian.
Elian, laughing with her.
Elian, smiling at her.
Elian, holding her hands.
Elian's face getting closer to her.
But other than herself, who could talk with her in her fantasies?
Hold on.
The revelation dawned on her suddenly.
She was crouching down on the floor, face to face to his level. Amidst lost in the memories of past, she did not even realize she was on the floor at this moment and he was leaning down.
He was smiling at her with half-lidded eyes indicating that he had awoken just now.
She looked at him with wide eyes that shook a little, not moving an inch.
Her heart skipped a beat. What a beautiful and wonderful sight.
"I meant this room. It is just how it was used to be. Not a thing has been moved over." Elian moved back and felt that he had frightened the girl, so he explained a bit to make her less awkward.
Ever since he had come back, her reactions made him feel as they were just mere strangers.
Zaria was still in her own world.
Of course, everything was the same.
She did not let her aunt or anyone touch this room of his. She was taking care of it in his place.
Dusted every corner, cleaned the table, shelves, chairs and everything in the room which belonged to him was handled only and only by her. She wanted to do this and did not like anyone else doing this.
She was allergic to dusting, but she still would do it for him as he liked cleanliness in everything.
Getting sick for one whole week did not even matter. Doing all this became a new normal.
"Again lost in your imaginations?"
"Yes." She also smiled gazing at him, but it froze.
Wait, why were they so close again!?
His face was near hers and hers, his.
Oh, Lord!
"Aaah!"
She yelped and moved backwards. She looked in her hands, the tray was not in her hands anymore.
Seeing her jolting, he was now fully awake and looking at her.
She vigorously glanced around and sighed when she saw the breakfast tray on the side table. She stood up abruptly.
She had wasted so much time saying this. What would he be thinking of her!
"I..This.." She could not say coherent words anymore. She was fumbling over them. She was so nervous that almost her heart came to her throat.
Before she could say anything else, his chuckle startled her. The voice was also fascinating like him.
"You.. what happened to you?" She looked at him with bewilderment when he asked this question while laughing.
"What?"
What was there to laugh about? But, his low-frequency voice sounded nice.
Is there something wrong with me or with my dress? She looked at her dress which she was wearing today. It was surely eye-catching and no one could dislike it, that she was certain about.
"Where did that cat go who was protecting her kittens yesterday?"
She wanted to cry. She should have shut her mouth that day. Now he was making fun of her again.
Zaria very much knew well what he was talking about. Of course, her flowers were like her own children. She was the one who nurtured them like a mother to her children.
"Aunt sent you some tea." She looked down at the ground. It seemed more interesting to her.
She dared not look at him. What if she blurted something which should never be said this early?
Was she always this silent? Or was it because of his teasing?
"I'm sorry. I think I should stop this now. Lest you become upset with me." His tone was sober now, light but a little deep, magical and perfect.
Concisely, music to her ears.
She wanted to say that she could never be upset with him, but she did not think it was appropriate because he still did not know her feelings for him.
What if he told her that she was a freak?
The last thing she ever wanted was anything but his rejection.
"It's okay. Um... It is getting cold." She pointed at the English breakfast tea. He looked at the tray and smiled. He held the cup and inhaled.
The aroma coming out of it was definitely his mother's tea made for him. His mother remembered that this tea was the start of his day.
When he was out of the country studying, even making it a thousand times by his mother's given recipe, he still could not bring out this taste.
'Every hand has its own taste.' He thought and took a sip of it.
Although he knew his mother could not cook perfectly, she could make his favourite tea for him and was learning to make new ones. It always turned out to be awesome for him, but his father was unquestionably forever jealous of him.
His wife still could not make his favourite one.
"Thanks for bringing it. As compensation for scaring you earlier, I'll take you outside with me. You can be my tour guide, you won't mind that, would you, little lady?" He wanted to see the new changes in the city.
He missed it and what could be the better opportunity to make her feel less afraid of him?
Zaria was dazed when he heard his request. When she cognized she still had not answered him, she nodded her head quickly forgetting that she still had to stop, otherwise her head would fall off.
"Sure. Sure." Her head ached. She must have made a fool out of herself in front of her Elian.
"Take care," She quietly said and bolted from his room not giving him a chance to say anything back.
Leaving his room and closing the door behind, she put a hand on her chest. Her heart...
It was beating very fast. She was not a child.
She was an adult! She should act like one.
Get a grip!
Yes!
She slapped her both cheeks lightly and nodded to herself and went to Lisa to tell her about the interaction between her knight and her.
Whenever she thought of it, unexpectedly something ironic would happen.
"He's so cool, isn't he?" Ria's eyes were sparkling with adoring love.
Lisa only shook her head helplessly.
The pigs will start to fly, but this little girl will never change.
She was still the similar Zaria Smith when she was in her childhood, the same girl who had a blabbing mouth when it came to the love of her life. In just these few minutes she had narrated the whole incident to her best friend.
Her obsession with knights was also similar to her obsession with Elian Anderson. It was becoming increasingly alarming.
Lisa silently prayed in her heart that the fragile and bubbling heart of this little girl would not get broken by the person she cared for the most.
"Don't you want to go to the Madam now? She must be waiting for you at the dining table. You haven't eaten breakfast yet. Go now. Shoo." Lisa quickly urged Zaria to go downstairs and indulged herself in chores.
"Good morning, everyone." Zaria greeted her aunt and uncle and sat down on her chair.
"Good morning, everyone," Elian repeated when he also came to eat his fill. He looked refreshed and full of energy as he took his seat beside Ria.
Zaria froze.
He would sit beside her in his childhood. It was a habit.
The black polo shirt and blue jeans suited him with his black hair which had fallen on his forehead. He looked like a handsome man who had come out of the comic world.
And to top of all, he sat with Ria.
His aftershave and cologne scent engulfed her as she inhaled a little not wanting anyone to see her looking like an obsessive lover.
After that she bowed her head down, eating. This did not get unnoticed by the Old Anderson couple. Both had a light but knowing smiles on their faces.
Ah, these two...
'They look like a nice couple, don't you think?' Madam Anderson glanced at her husband who only sighed.
She could feel herself blushing. She had never ever sat with any man from the male population other than her uncle before even if he was her closest friend.
Men and women must keep their distance. She always believed in this saying. It was true and beneficial.
In this way, no one harboured feelings for her.
Both Elian and her were children when they loved to sit together, but now they were adults. They had grown up and like how they were sitting together.. they matched with the Old Anderson couple.
Things were different now, or were they really?
"So, shall we go now?" After finishing his morning breakfast of bread toasts and fried egg, he wiped his face from the table napkin gracefully. His movement was so elegant that it could be recorded in a camera and put on a replay button. "Are you both going somewhere?" Her aunt Mia was curious. She had not even started her plan, yet all the tides were going in her direction? Elian nodded happily. "Yes, she promised to take me out on a city tour today." His mother nodded, too, pleased with the progress. "Dear, are you planning to take a day off from campus then?" Mia Anderson looked at Zaria with an adored countenance. She really dotted on her. Her grandchildren would be so cute considering both Zaria and her son's genes. Zaria Smith faltered. The silvery knife and fork in her hand stilled. She actually
"Ah! Mathematics is complicated and tiring. Mr Alfred was boring people out." Sofia yawned, "In the whole class I was thinking of wanting to see the newly released movie, so when are we going there exactly?" Sofia Brown stretched her arms. The sun rays kept hitting her skin. With her natural auburn red hair and golden tanned skin tone, she looked radiant in the sunlight. Just like an enchantress. Her charm was overwhelming. So much beautiful that she unknowingly made a guy nosebleed and stumbled while walking straight. "I really had fun today! Chemistry is so interesting. Imagine everything being made up of tiny atoms, and then whoosh! The tiny atoms get formed into molecules and elements and at last, the compounds! Our body is made just like that! Can you all believe it?" Mason Waters was the nerd of the group. He was from another section but had a great friendship with Zaria's g
As a girl, Ria had no problem in telling everything in a long story short. This thing only took some of the minutes. Sofia was stupefied. She did not know her best friend who was only eighteen was in that deep. Deep enough to think of settling with only one person. She never took a man seriously. Thought of only a single man bored her. "As long as you're up for it." Jessica patted on her shoulder stiffly. She often got awkward real quick when cheering for and comforting people. "Are you guys done?" "Yes." Zaria nodded with ecstasy. The tense atmosphere between her and Elian had diminished a little and now she did not feel much of a stuttering person. Elian was easy-going and he made things easy-going. According to her girl friends, they could be like an ideal couple.
"Lisa, come on! You have to come with us. We can also bring along Felicia." Lisa shook her head. Just like Madam Anderson, she also wanted to give them space for their relation to bloom. Only by creating such opportunities, could the outcome they wanted be fruitful. At last, she had seen this Elian Anderson who was in her best friend's heart, and the one whose name she never got tired of from calling. Zaria was right. He was like a person who had come from a fantasy world. He treated them with respect, and not once with disdain that they were just mere servants working for him and his family. This made Elizabeth relieved with her best friend's choice. He was a good man. Zaria sighed at the person who knew her the best. When she asked Felicia, she also said she had some studies to do. Now, how could she go alone w
"This is what happened." Madam Anderson explained the whole matter to her cousin. They both were women and mothers. They wanted the best for their children. "Oh Cousin Mia, your situation is dire. Your son is so oblivious and slow-witted. So unlike you and my brother-in-law," Amelia White did not look up, so she did not detect the expressions on her cousin's face and continued observing her nails, "If it were me I would have taken Zaria as my daughter-in-law already the moment I saw her first. She could have looked more compatible with my son." Amelia White sighed. She needed to visit a spa and get her nails done again. All of a sudden, she felt an aura coming out from her cold-hearted cousin. Black! It was purple! It was purple she saw, not black. Wait. No, it was bo
"Elian?" Today, Zaria Smith brewed the coffee herself and delivered it to Elian's room in the early morning, ignoring the curious looks she was receiving from the maids working at the upper floor of the mansion.She thought he would be still sleeping, but never she thought he would be staring at his ceiling, staying awake with eyes open wide.It was so opposite of him.She knocked on the door twice, but he was deep in his thoughts. He did not notice her entering his room.Zaria looked at him with concern. Was Elian not well?Why he seemed so lifeless? Today, his eyes had no light. There was only dullness, and dark eyebags.Did he not sleep well?She wanted to find that out, but she did not have the audacity to ask. What if Elian said it was not her business?But, she had to try her luck."Elian?" She came closer to him a
"Have anyone of you heard from Ria?" Alec was anxious when Ria did not come to campus for last two days.She was fine, right?"I have no idea where she is and who is she with," Sofia out of a habit said without thinking about the consequences.As expected, Alec's eyes darkened and his fists clenched as the despair fell over him. Someone?His friends all gave him a look filled with pity.He told himself again and again that he was happy as long as she was happy, but his heart was not contented.He was a mortal. A selfish being.His heart was empty.Sixth grade was the time he first saw her.Alec Williams belonged to the affluent family of another country, the third and the youngest child of the Williams'. He was brought up in a strict environment where he had to be perfect in everything
Alec Williams was restless.She was with him throughout his childhood. Never in their life Zaria had taken a day off without telling anyone of their group of five.Becoming anxious and worried, as a person having feelings for her was inappropriate, since it could be interpreted as going overboard.But becoming anxious and worried, as a friend was correct. He had the right to feel the anxiety for her.Sensing the restlessness in their gentle prince of the group, Jessica suggested, "How about we all go and see her together in her house?"A smile emerged on Alec's face.That was right.He could go and see her.Mason jerked his head at Jessica, visibly shook, "Can we not go there, please!"Jessica rolled her eyes and turned away from him. Mason's mouth was astringent. She did not even acknowledge him! This