Miss No Label

   C H A P T E R  T E N   

POV:

        I felt lightweight after I said those words to Krystal. I have never felt such passion and affection for anyone else before, not even with that first one. I looked at her as she laid close to me, right on the same bed, with my arms around her delicate body. I can smell her sweet vanilla scent, caress her soft hair and see her breathe beside me. I could not help but smile - one that is caused by euphoria. I looked at her as she slept peacefully beside me, wondering if I was present with her in dreamland. 

       I stared at her for too long, that numerous thoughts ran through my mind. It pained me to think of the future that might separate us. I wished time would freeze and make that very moment be our eternity. The mysteries and secrets I kept from her haunted me with fear that I might cause her the pain that my life had cursed upon me. I looked at Krystal and shook those thoughts away. 

        I was looking at Krystal and yes, I knew I have the one in front of me. This is the girl I will do anything for. This is the girl I want to spend forever with. At that very moment, I was certain of what I felt. It was love. 

        I caressed her face, and her eyes opened halfway. 

       "Why aren't you asleep yet?" She asked in her bedroom voice.

       "Can't sleep." I replied as I tucked in a few strands of her hair to her ear. "Just go back to sleep." I kissed her forehead, earning a genuinely gorgeous smile from her as she went back to dreamland.

        I woke up with a turn, realizing that the space beside me was empty. 

       "Krystal!" I screamed, hoping for a response from her. To my dismay, there was none. "Krystal." I called again. Still there was no response. With tension coupled by negative thoughts on my head, I jolted out of the bed and searched for her literally on every corner of the condominium unit. She was nowhere to be found. 

       "Relax, Lay." I told myself. "She might be out for some walk." I tried convincing myself. 

       I reached out for my phone, in hope that her voice will welcome me at the end of the line as I called her. First call, unanswered. Second call, I panicked as it remained unanswered. Third call, I paced back and forth like a lunatic and almost threw a vase in extreme tension. 

       I was stopped as the door opened. "Lay!" A voiced called on me.

       "K-Krystal?" I uttered as my tension subsided. I quickly ran to the door and saw her right in front of me, struggling with several large plastic bags in hand. "Hey! Where have you been?!" I madly questioned her.

        She looked at me unknowingly, obviously unaware of my sudden loud voice. "Did something happen?" She asked.

       "Yes!" I replied, making her drop the plastic bags she was holding. "I woke up and you were nowhere to be found. I called you, but you did not answer. Not even once, Krystal. Where have you been?"

        "Grocery." She replied. "I woke up early and decided not to wake you up, considering that you slept late last night. I wanted to cook breakfast, but realized we barely have anything left." She explained.

       "You should have left a note or answered my calls." I told her, calmly this time.

       "Sorry." She apologized. "I didn't know you'd be so worried."

       "Who told you I was worried?" I defended my pride.

       She did not mind me and chuckled. "Can you at least help me with these bags, Lay? These are heavy." 

       "I'm sorry for being mad. I was just worried." I whispered in her ear as she was washing the dished after our thick-aired breakfast. 

       "So now you're admitting that you're worried?" She questioned in a merry manner.

       "Yes." I admitted. There's no use of denying it anyway. "I expected to wake up seeing your face first thing in the morning, but you weren't there."

       "In the first place, I was not mad, Lay." She giggled. "I found it sweet actually. Now, can you please excuse me? I'm washing the dishes here." She said, referring to the way I was back hugging her tightly with my head resting on her shoulder.

       "Isn't this sweet for you?" I playfully asked.

       "It's too much for me to handle, Mr. Zhang." She replied, making me grin like an idiot. "Don't be too sweet. I might get used to it."

       "Then just get used to it." I said as I turned her around so that she was facing me. "I don't have any plans to stop this anyway."