CHAPTER 9 - A NIGHT LIKE THIS

 

 

Where was I? A loud thunder blazed just a moment ago. I hate thunder. So much.

 

As someone who detest thunder, it's only normal if I grabbed onto everything around me, including people. As long as I could remember, everyone enjoyed my embrace. But usually it was either Sunny or Sooyoung; hardly anyone, a stranger that I ever held onto.

 

But today, I did. To Jessica.

 

We were sealed in a tight, warm embrace of my hands hugging her waist while she- maybe she was still aghast to ever react. Her waist was so tiny. This was my first time to get to touch her hair, it's as silky as a satin sheet. Her sweet scent wafted freely into my nostrils. Oh wait, this smelled like my shampoo.

 

A soft whisper muttered my name, waking me up from my reverie.

 

"Fany?"

 

I was alarmed when another lightning, followed by a thunderous sound, bolted in. I immediately tightened the hug, burying my head in her crook.

 

Jessica began to understand what was all this about. She began to rub my back gently, soothing me.

 

 

*

 

 

"Jessica."

 

 

"What?"

 

 

My eyes almost popped out of its socket. Did I just hear someone talk to me? I darted my eyes to Jessica who was in front of my door. She just closed the door, hand still on the handle bar. She looked at me, expressionless. Where did the happy-go-round-yet-weird Jessica go? Great. The moment I started to like the new her, she decided to go back to her old self.

 

 

"What are you doing here?" I raised my tone and crossed my arms. I forgot that I should be angry at her for practically intruding my peace and my room.

 

"Uh.." Jessica froze. She seemed hesitant. Out of nowhere, words slipped off from my mouth.

 

"If you gonna say sorry for what happened.. Nevermind. I already forgave you."

 

"No, actually.." Jessica scratched the back of her neck. Something felt off. A bundle of clothes in her embrace and a towel hanging on her shoulder caught my attention.

 

 

"The water plumbing installed in my bathroom is broken. Can I use yours?"

 

 

Oh my. Her face was priceless, she looked so helpless. I almost burst out of laugh if not because I quickly covered my mouth, feigning a cough. I rose up from the bed when she eyed me carefully, hoping for an approval. I never knew this side of her. Keep it going Jessica, keep surprising me.

 

"Well, it’s right there." I tilted my head to a door on my left. She excused herself and headed to my bathroom.

 

"Thanks."

 

 

'Wait, why does she have to borrow mine? Doesn't she know there's a guest bathroom?' I shook my head and huffed. 'Well maybe she doesn't know.'

 

'Or she's just making an excuse to go to your room.'

 

'What? No!'

 

'Don't deny this; you like it.'

 

'No! Who are you? What are you doing in my mind? Get out!!'

 

 

"Tiffany?"

 

"Y-yes?"

 

"Can you do me a favor?"

 

"Wh- what?"

 

"My clothes- they're all- I don't know how- but-"

 

"Just tell me what happened in there!" I snarled.

 

"Can you get new clothes from my room? My clothes fell to the tub and got wet."

 

 

I threw my head back and laughed. How can you be so ridiculous, Jessica? I knew this sounded lame but, come on. First, you were open to me when we went to the beach. And now this. Borrowing my freaking bathroom, with an additional stunt of her clothes fell to the tub. How?

 

I left the room without saying anything to Jessica while biting my lip. Poor her, she must've thought I neglected her. I hurried to her room and took the first thing I saw from her drawer.

 

This was weird, but when I strode back to my room I realized that I had put on a smile for the longest time today. Is it a bad thing to laugh upon someone's unfortunate?

 

 

*

 

 

"Thank you."

 

Jessica beamed at me. I hated to admit, but she looked pretty. I felt intimidated. Her hair fell on her back perfectly, becoming darker because it's wet. No, I'm not looking at her body, she had dressed nicely.

 

"I think I should go."

 

"Wait."

 

Wait, who said wait? I didn't. My mouth did, subconsciously. Now Jessica turned around and cast her gaze at me.

 

"Can we talk?"

 

Oh God, what did I just say?

 

'Please say no.'

 

And much to my chagrin, Jessica nodded. Now I really didn't know what to do, what to ask. I just wanted her to stay, though. Her presence is enough to cure my loneliness in this big house.

 

"Just say what's on your mind, Miyoung."

 

I sent her daggers when she nonchalantly said my ugly nickname. That name pierced my ears, I detest that name. I forgot the reason, but myself just couldn't take it; that name.

 

"Where do you know that name-you-should-not-be-mentioned?"

 

"Huh?" She was puzzled.

 

"Nevermind. Just don't call me Miyoung ever again."

 

I hugged my arms and frowned, looking outside the window. I hoped she noticed my changing of expression, but she just walked away with a shrug and a small smile on her lips. How dare she?

 

 

I could see her taking her steps toward the exit from the corner of my eye. Somehow, she halted, unmoving. I was looking out to the dark cloudy sky where rain started to pour when Jessica mumbled something to me.

 

“Thanks.”

 

I glanced at her, looking bewildered. She sighed.

 

“I have never been assigned to watch an heiress before. I’m sorry if my stay here only brings you hard time.”

 

I side-eyed her. She was smiling widely to me. There was this strange feeling every time I saw her smile, like the desire to see that smile every time I set my eyes on her. I wanted her to keep smiling. The positive, radiating aura that came off within the smile lightened me up a little bit more.

 

“Good night. Nice dream.”

 

I jolted in my position, not because of her words, but because a deafening thunder which just cracked with a faint path of lightning behind me.

 

 

*

 

 

“I’m here, It’s okay.”

 

I pulled away from her and I could not bring myself to look straight at her eyes. She didn’t let me go fully, though. Her right hand still wrapped around my shoulder. This is not good, if we stayed like this, I’m afraid I couldn’t hold myself and do reckless thing, like…

 

“Afraid of thunder?”

 

“.. Yes.” I said with a shudder.

 

“Too bad, I guess tonight there’ll be series of it.”

 

She released me free and surprisingly, I had already missed our closeness a moment ago.

 

‘Ew Tiffany, stop thinking that way.’

 

“You think so?” I queried, which she answered with a humming.

 

“So, Thunder, huh?”

 

I blinked, I still didn't get what she meant.

 

"Thunder is your weakness." She explained as if answering my unsaid question. I smiled sheepishly.

 

“Just go to bed. And sleep. You won’t hear them, then.”

 

 

Suddenly, Boom stormed into the room. Out of all times, why did he have to walk in when I was alone with Jessica?

 

“Oppa?”

 

“Tiffany are you okay?”

 

His face was pale and sweating. Perhaps he fell asleep and then when he heard thunder he dashed to my room. Well, his untidy suit could tell that.

 

“Oppa, I’m fine. I’m here with-“

 

I paused and saw him nodded understandingly while forming a big O with his mouth. Did he get it wrongly? It’s not like what he thought…

 

“I’m sorry to disturb you.” Good to know you realize it. “If you need me, I’ll be downstairs.” Go away and leave us.

 

And he was out of our sight.

 

 

Jessica proceeded toward the door, bundling up her dirty clothes. No, I didn’t want her to leave yet. Not with loud thunder threat out there. I flew my hand to grab her arm clad long sleeved shirt. She took a moment to look at my hand grasping her arm before she returned to me. I swallowed the knot down my throat, searching for an appropriate reason to ask her to stay. Well, I could just ask her to stay, I’m her employer anyway. But still, now it’d be hard to do with those dark pools stared down at me.

 

 

“I can stay if you want to.”

 

And before I said it, she beat me to it. She held my hand and led me to the bed. Her hand was warm and tender.

 

“Maybe your highness wants me to tell bedtime story?” She pulled a chair to sit beside my bed but I shook my head and patted an empty space beside me.

 

“Get on here, Jessica. We can tell each other about our story, instead.” She obliged and joined me on the bed.

 

 

*

 

 

2.13 AM. Time passed so fast. We talked a lot and there were times when we errupted into laughter together. At first, It was only an awkward, getting to know better time, but soon, it turned into gag showdown or something. Maybe, just maybe, we were getting a little closer each other. My mouth formed an amused smile when I heard faint snore beside me. Jessica. She was sleeping peacefully, her chest moving up and down steadily breathing. Her lips parted and I involuntarily brought my hand to close it. She was even cuter when she was asleep. We were on my bed, doing nothing in particular. We were—she was just sleeping. It was not like we were gonna do anything if given the chance, anyway. Hah. I was being honest here.

 

The limp body beside me made abrupt move, tossing her leg over my body. 

 

 

“Jessi, Sica-yah!” Move your damn leg, dammit. It was a wonder that for someone small, her leg could weigh this heavy. “I’m not your bolster!” I grumbled irritatingly.

 

 

 

 

“Krystal, I’m sorry.”

 

 

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED