**ROSEANA**
My mind wanders while eating. In a bustling and cacophonous fast-food restaurant, sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on me as I absentmindedly twirled the spaghetti. My fork dances between reality and reverie, weaving tales of far-off places with each mouthful. The clatter of dishes and the busy people faded into the background as my daydreams took center stage, turning the supposedly simple meal with Ric into a journey in my mind.
The savory food in front of me turned tasteless in my mouth as I reckoned the encounter I had with Damon. I can still feel his piercing stare at me. I feel like he's still watching me, even though I don't see him around.
I can't swallow food properly. In the end, Ric decided to take out food from that restaurant. He took me to Macy's apartment.
We were supposed to stroll on the mall, but that didn't happen. Someone suddenly called him. Just by the looks of it, that call seemed to be important.
My body sought refuge in the comforting layers of the mattress as soon as I got home, surrendering to the weariness that draped every movement with heaviness. I stare at the ceiling. I saw two lizards on the ceiling. I glared at it, pouring out my high emotions on the naive lizard.
"No, my decision was right." I talked to myself, trying to lure myself to believe in that idea I was convincing my brain to believe.
I took a deep breath. I tried to close my eyes, trying to forget Damon's face staring intently at me. But every time I close my eyes and every time I force myself not to think about him, that man keeps pushing himself into my mind.
I didn't realize that I had fallen asleep. When I woke up, the sun was already shining brightly in the sky.
I winced when I saw how bright it was outside. The light came in from the bedroom window, so even if I didn't look at the wall clock, I was sure it was noon.
I entered the bathroom. I couldn't catch up with Macy's. I think she went to work early. I couldn't wait for her to come home last night. I saw the plastic container that contained the food that I brought for her in the trash can, so I knew that she had eaten it.
I looked at the cabinet, checking the stocks. I intend to buy groceries today. I will make the most of the fact that I have money first so that I can buy food for Macy and me.
I texted her, telling her that I would take care of our groceries this week and, at the same time, asking her if she wanted to buy anything. I immediately got a reply from her. My smile widened when she agreed to my wish.
I ate breakfast before I decided to leave the apartment. I didn't even bother to shower myself. I won't stay long at the grocery store. Besides, we buy supplies near Macy's apartment. It was a small grocery store, not like a supermarket. Having that thought, I opted to wear the oversized white long-sleeve I got from a thrift shop and paired it with black shorts. On my feet are funny-looking yet cute yellow slippers. I took my wallet inside the room and made my way to the grocery store.
"Good morning, Nana Sela." I greeted the old woman who owned an eatery in front of the apartment building. We rely on her when we can't cook a dish. Her home-cooked dishes are delicious but reasonably priced.
She waved at me. Even her son waved at me.
"Where are you going, Rose?" Manuel, Nana Sela's son, asked me. We are almost the same age. The man is so kind that Macy and I have become friends with him.
"At the grocery store," I answered.
"Do you need help? Are you going to buy a lot?”
I was about to answer his question when Nana Sela spoke, cutting my worries off. "You should ask my son for help if the things you buy are heavy. Don't be shy with us; we are like family here," Nana Sela said. She turned her eyes to her son. "You better help her. A kind and respectful woman like her should not be allowed to carry things on her own!” she told her son.
I laughed when Manuel couldn't object to what his mother said. He can only nod his head.
I approached Nana Sela. I anchored my arm to her arm and gently rested my head on her shoulder.
"I'm not going to buy much, Nana," I answered.
She is one of those people that I highly respect. This old man is very kind. I feel like I had a grandmother in her person. She doesn't know me well yet, but she treats me very well.
I took a push cart when I entered the grocery store. I looked at my shopping list. I almost bumped into a grocery store clerk when someone suddenly passed behind me and slightly pushed me.
"I'm sorry, sir." I apologized to the staff. My brows furrowed when, instead of getting angry, the male staff smiled at me. The blush on the man's cheeks did not escape my eyes either. but when his eyes looked behind me, his smile dropped, his face drained with color, and it seemed he saw a ghost in his expression now.
I shrugged my shoulders, then proceeded to the aisle of food. I was busy shopping when I felt the familiar feeling that someone was watching me. I roamed my eyes, checking if I was just paranoid or if someone was watching me.
I puffed out a deep breath when I saw that no one was looking at me. There are many people in the grocery store, and each of them is minding their own business. Because of what happened last night and yesterday, I became paranoid.
I continued what I was doing. I was pushing my cart, searching for the aisle of biscuits, when I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket.
I was using it again. I checked it last night to see if Damon tried to message or even call again, but he didn't. His last message to me was last week. Maybe he's gotten tired of calling me and sending me messages.
I fish the device from my pocket. My brows furrowed when the name of the man I was thinking about appeared on the screen of my cellphone. I was having second thoughts about whether or not I should answer his call. I watched the call end without answering it. I almost threw the phone away when it rang again. He sent me a message.
"Answer it."
I winced at his message. Those were just two words, but that was enough to make my knees go weak with nervousness. It's annoying because I can't even imagine how he would say those two words.
I shook my head. Stop it, Roseana. You are only scaring yourself.
Damon's caller ID flashed on the screen again. I filled my lungs with air before I accepted his call as if the air were giving me the courage to talk to him. I put my cell phone in my ear. I stopped my hand from shaking because of nervousness. The breaths I let out were one after the other.
I completely stopped walking. I didn't care if someone bumped into me because I was standing in the middle of the aisle. “H-Hello?” I tightly closed my eyes. I tried not to stutter, but my tongue betrayed me.
I heard violent breathing on the other line. I waited a minute for Damon to speak, but he remained silent. Only his violent breathing on the other line was my basis for believing that he had not yet hung up.
"I'll end the call if you don't speak."
I can hear myself mentally clapping because I finally didn't stutter.
"What are you wearing?" Damon dangerously asked. His baritone voice is deep and restrained.
I instantly looked at my clothes after hearing what he said. I wanted to sarcastically answer him that what I was wearing was a piece of clothing, but I stopped myself.
"Huh?" I asked. I realized that, based on his question, he seemed to be watching me.
"I just let you go for a few weeks, and now I'm going to see you showing off so much skin?" he grimly asked. I can picture his lips pressed into a thin line, while his eyes can be as sharp as a knife.
"You are showing too much skin. Fuck!”
"Are you following me?"
"That's not the issue, Roseana," he said. “Don't ever try to touch or approach any man. I am telling you, I can break their necks if they try to touch my property."