CHAPTER SIX

The next day was a pretty good one, at least by Bryan's standards. He felt lighter than he had in months, as though a huge weight had been lifted off him. In retrospect, it probably had. He had been alone for so long, the weight had settled in the depths of his heart, shutting down his feelings. But he remembered who he was and what he was meant to be doing, all because of a mysterious lady he met suddenly. He tried his best to hold back the whistles that tried to escape from his lips due to how happy he was but it seemed like a failing task. He couldn't believe his luck and if he'd believed in the phenomenon called love, he'd have said he loved Beverly. She was sweet, too sweet for the dangers lurking in the earth.

He resolved to show her the side of humanity kept hidden due to the fact that people often took them for granted. Humans thrive on recognition and more often than most try to create a bubble in their heads where they're the most important beings in existence. That mentality drew them beyond their limits and more often than most, stalled their movements. They were like children starting to crawl but trying to run instead. For some, they pulled it off after a few trials while others saw themselves as failures for not keeping up with the expectations they created for themselves. It would have seemed pathetic if he didn't fall headfirst into the merry-go-round called life and self-importance.

But seeing Beverly, talking to her, the little gestures she made, everything released a weight from his shoulders, weights he didn't know he carried. She made him feel like a child again, one willing to run into the sunset. He made the bed as soon as he woke up from one of the best night's rest he'd ever had. It was as though her presence in the house purified everything impure, made him feel brand new. She was like a balm, soothing the innermost parts of his thoughts. He resolved that even if she was going to leave that day, he'd at least make her feel like the most priceless treasure on earth.

He whistled airily as he walked out of his room to see her seated in the parlor, wearing one of his sister's clothes. He didn't say anything as he watched her from where he stood and watched as her face constricted, too focused on the book she was reading to look at him or notice his presence. He knew that it was something he could easily get used to, it felt like it was right. Watching her do whatever she did didn't seem like a novelty that was going to wear off. In fact, he suspected that it was going to take a long time for such an occurrence to happen.

"See something you like? Good morning by the way." Bryan said as he walked up to where Beverly sat perusing the book she held in her hand.

"Good morning, sorry about this," Beverly said gesturing at the book she held, turning to look at a smiling Bryan, looking at her with something akin to puzzlement on his face.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry? Everyone loves a healthy reading habit." Bryan said, waving her apology away. He had probably read the book she held a dozen times but he also wanted to see life from her perspective.

"Thanks for not throwing a fit. I've always been an avid reader since I was a child and I consumed books like I'd never see them again. My best friend always said I had a voracious appetite due to my book consumption and I agree. So, since I woke up a little earlier than I planned, I decided to read the first book I came across."

She said as her way of explanation and Bryan nodded, smiling from ear to ear. The particular book he chose held a special place in his heart but she didn't know that yet. She just read, consuming everything in her path. He knew there and then that she was the one for him, the one who could finally complete him. He was a recluse because he could never really concentrate whenever he was outdoors, mind stuck in his cozy apartment where a world of books awaited his consumption. Since he shied away from the public and their prying eyes, he never found someone who could match his reading appetite. But watching Beverly was like watching the pages of a book flip, like an adventure waiting to be unraveled.

"That's so beautiful. Can you tell me about the book you're reading? I want to hear about it from your perspective." Bryan said, winking at Beverly as she felt hot even though the sitting room was air-conditioned. She tried to catch her breath and waved the feeling off before it got the better of her.

"Okay but be warned. I've read only a portion of it, slightly over halfway. Do I still tell you?" She asked and he smiled, gesturing for her to go on.

"Go on please, just to hear from your perspective." He said as she hesitated slightly, spurring her on with his words of encouragement.

"Okay, here goes. The beginning of the book started fairly well enough, the twists and turns were shocking to watch. At first, I assumed it was a book about romance until the love interest died, throwing the whole thing into another twist. I expected the main character to pursue revenge but sadly, he gave up on it and went back to what he did before she came into his life. The love story was beautiful yet ended abruptly. I kept expecting something to click for him, something to remind him of what she meant to him. But nothing, there was nothing to signify that he knew about her existence. He never mentioned her again and honestly, I was pissed off at first. But then, I noticed the patterns his actions created, they were monotonic, like a robot. He was living, yet not alive. Everything he did was drained out of life and it felt as though he was going through the motions. He died, while alive. Does that even make sense? After losing her, he lost himself. Even though outwardly he did everything he used to do before, it just wasn't the same. It was stripped of life, stripped of color. Am I making sense?"

As Beverly spoke, Bryan just watched with opened mouthed wonder. She picked the core of the story apart, without even getting to the end and the big revelation. He watched her with a smile playing at the edge of his lips, knowing that since she was someone with such deep insights, he could have intellectual discussions about books with her.

"Yes, totally. Please do go on. I'm listening." He replied, attention fully on her by then. She heaved a sigh before she continued, a sigh of content, a sigh of dreams fulfilled. There was no sadness in the sigh, no wistfulness whatsoever. It was just perfect, like all things should be.

"Anyways, he met a new girl and tried to recreate everything he lost with his dead girlfriend. But he felt like an echo, like sounds cut off but still playing. He wasn't there, just a shell of who he was. He was loved by the new girl but there was no way for him to reciprocate her love when in actuality, he was inexistent, at least his heart was. He didn't become a playboy like the clichés, he didn't stay true to his ideals as expected. He was... lost."

She finished, eyes misting with tears. Bryan looked at her and the emotions running through her. How was he supposed to tell her that the book she was reading was his? It was under a pseudonym to keep his private life under lock and key and it worked flawlessly well until then. She beautified his story, picking it apart like it was made of the most beautiful threads ever woven. She handled it with care and he could feel his heart fill with warmth. She was one of a kind, the only one of her kind.

"You did pick the book apart, beautifully if I might add. Now, I hope you are famished because I'm going to prepare something for you to eat, you and I of course." He corrected at the last minute when she raised her eyebrow as though asking a question.

"US." She corrected and he corrected himself immediately.

"Yes, for us. I'll be right back. Do make yourself at home," He said as he escaped to the kitchen, thinking about what to prepare on such short notice.

"Oh? Can I help? I'd love to. At least, to thank you for housing me." She spoke, as courteous as ever. Ever since she was a child, she'd been taught courtesy and she made ample use of it but only when it was well deserved by the recipient of it. Most people didn't deserve the time of the day. She never tried to be overly courteous to someone who saw courtesy as a green light to act on any perverted fantasy. She knew that some people often mistook courtesy for interest and attraction which was why she made her intentions clear from the onset. But Bryan wasn't like that, she was sure of it. He was kind and caring, taking her in without prying unnecessarily. He took the room farthest from her and made sure to lock his door as she locked hers. It was to keep his credibility and she admired it immensely.

"Nah, that's nothing. I only helped because you needed it. You don't have to feel obligated to help or whatever. By the way, your car."

As soon as he mentioned her car, her mind was cast back on what happened the night before and where she left her car parked. Since it was on the roadside, it had a 99% probability of being towed.

"Oh my God. What if it's towed?" She face-palmed herself as she thought about the paperwork and the stress that was to follow. It was enough to give her a migraine.

"Relax. I called in a few favors. Your car would be here soon." Bryan said as she felt her racing heart calm considerably. He was so thoughtful, it brought tears to her eyes, though she wiped them away before he could see. He always knew what to do even before she did, always planned ahead. She knew that she could get used to it and she tried not to, she didn't really know anything about him asides from what he told her. But deep down, she wanted to get to know him, explore the dark crevices of his heart.

"How can I thank you for everything you've done?" Beverly said after a few moments of silence, already lost for words. He was perfect, a little too perfect in fact.

"How you can thank me?" He rubbed his chin in a thinking gesture and she saw that he was already sporting a five o'clock shadow. He was a beautiful man, his thoughtfulness was off the charts.

"Well, yes. How can I?" She asked again and he took a few moments to respond.

"I don't think you need to thank me but if you are inclined to, you could have dinner with me weekly. It gets pretty lonely here sometimes so if you could drop by once you get a chance to, I'd appreciate it."

Beverly stared at the man in front of her, not believing that he was asking for something so trivial. Since she was naturally distrustful of men, she tried so hard to see the angle he was coming from but couldn't for the life of her, figure it out. It wasn't that he had another agenda, it was the fact that he genuinely wanted one thing from her that disturbed her to no end. She didn't expect men to be so understanding, so beautiful and so enticing. He was like an exotic wine, refined to perfection after a few decades. She didn't want to drink too much from him because his very presence was intoxicating, at least to her.

"If that's all, it would be an honor to have dinner with you as often as I can. We're friends aren't we?" She smiled, speaking the last part as a question of which she was trying to convince herself of the answer.

"Thank you very much, I truly appreciate. Now, shall we get to cooking?" He flashed her a brilliant smiled that warmed her to her toes as she walked up to where he was and stood beside him, spatula in hand.

"As the Chef commands." She raised her spatula up high as he looked at her and shook his head from side to side, the corner of his lips forming into a smile that gave way to a laugh.

"Let's do this!" She proclaimed again and this time, she wasn't alone.