Chapter Twelve

AVON could not believe what greeted her when she went out of the lobby. The rain started pouring the moment her feet stepped outside. She had to run back inside the lobby.

She brought an umbrella. But it was raining cats and dogs at that moment. Even with an umbrella, she will definitely get wet. And the worst part, the streets were getting flooded. All she could do was heave a sigh. It will be difficult to get home now at that rate.

She looked up at the dark grey sky.

“It seems to me that you are playing your tricks on me. Why? Because I mentioned earlier that it’s gonna rain? So, here you are pouring all the water you got there?” She scoffed. “Maybe my mom was right after all, that I should be mindful of the words I say because it might come true one day—”

 Avon suddenly remembered the wish that she pasted on the Kismet wall. What if her wish did come true?

“It looks like the rain won’t stop.”

She was startled when she heard Roeden’s voice just behind her.

“W-when did you get here?” She turned to face him. Did he hear her monologue a while ago? For some reason, Avon was shy about it.

“Just a while ago.” He beamed. 

“If the rain continues to pour like this, the streets would get heavily flooded. I think I should check in to the nearest hotel and go home tomorrow.” She heaved a sigh.

“Why check in to a hotel when you can spend the night in my condo? I live near-by.”

“I prefer to stay in a hotel—”

“Stay in the hotel that will cost you thousands. If you stay in my condo tonight, you don’t have to pay for anything.” Roeden seemed determined to win the argument.

Avon looked at him firmly. It seemed that he has no hidden agenda, and he really wanted to help her out.

He looks harmless, though. You are the harmful one, said the voice at the back of her head.

“Convince me more,” she said, wagging her brows. “I’m almost convinced.”

“Silly.” Roeden laughed and held her by the hand. He tugged her in the direction of the elevator.

“Where are we going?”

“Basement parking. That’s where my car is.”

“How far is your condo?” Avon looked down at their hands that were now entwined. She did not know why he had to hold her hand like that. It made her feel hopeful and scared at the same time.

“It’s a twenty-minute drive. But since the streets are flooded, I think it will take us an hour.”

“I see.”

They stepped out of the elevator and got into his car.

Roeden’s assumption was right. It took them an hour before they could reach his place. Heavy rain and flooded streets caused traffic that seemed to drain all the energy that was left in her body. Ah, her stomach was rumbling too.

Avon checked her wristwatch and saw that it was already past seven in the evening. No wonder she was starving.

The door to her side opened, and Roeden assisted her in getting off of his car. He then ushered her to the elevator that will take them to his floor.

He pushed the eighth floor, and the elevator moved up.

The eighth floor once again. Is this a coincidence or what? Avon asked herself.

The elevator stopped on the ground floor, and a lot of people went in. Avon was left with no choice but to adjust closer to Roeden. They were now so close with each other, face to face. It felt awkward, especially when there was this particular memory that kept flashing in her mind. Good thing, passengers went out one by one on each floor, bringing back the distance between them. Her heartbeat was already back to normal when they got out of the elevator.

“Are you hungry?” Roeden asked while keying in his passcode.

She palmed her rumbling stomach. “Yeah. I haven’t eaten anything this afternoon. You only gave me coffee.”

He turned to her as he pushed the door open.

“You should have told me that you want to eat something.”

“Isn’t that common sense?” She arched a brow.

“What?”

“To feed your visitor.”

“I served you coffee.”

“That’s a drink.”

Roeden raised his hands as a sign of defeat. “Okay, you win. I’ll just change my clothes and feed you.”

“Good,” she said and stepped inside his condo unit. Her eyes wandered around immediately.

She was kinda expecting a dim interior since he was a guy, but mint green and white greeted her. Everything inside his unit was clean and organized. She wondered how come he managed to keep his house that way when he was always busy with work. Perhaps he has someone doing all the house chores.

Avon smiled widely when her eyes reverted to a floor to ceiling shelf on the right side of the living room. It was full of books, manga, and chibi figures of anime and computer game characters. Well, it did not surprise her, though. Roeden has been a fan of those since they were in high school. She could still remember that she watched his favorite anime back then so that she could talk to him every night. And she could still recall how she gets mad whenever Roeden would choose to play computer games with the boys instead of going out with her.

But if there was one thing that really got her attention, it was the mini-bar at the corner. As far as she could remember, Roeden has a low alcohol tolerance. But recently, she discovered that he was no longer the Roeden who falls asleep in the middle of the night just because he got drunk in four shots.

“I guess people do change…” she whispered.

Then, she heard her stomach rumbled once again.

Avon looked in the direction of the bedroom where Roeden entered a while ago. He said he will change his clothes, but minutes had passed, yet he was still inside his bedroom.

“What’s taking him so long?”

She headed to the kitchen and opened his fridge. But all she could see were lettuce, carrot, and corn.

“Is this all he has here?” She drew a breath. “I can make a veggie salad with this, anyway.”

She was about to take the vegetables out of the fridge when she felt Roeden’s presence behind her.

“Hey.”

She slowly turned in his direction. He was now wearing shorts and sando, exposing his legs that were way sexier than hers. Ah, he made her feel insecure about them. And why did that sight made her starve even more? She turned her gaze back to the fridge. It’s better to be a glutton than a pervert. Avon would repent for her sins tomorrow.

“I-I’m sorry. I had to look for food because I’m really starving.” She pretended that her full attention was on the fridge.

“What do you want to eat?” Roeden asked and crouched beside her.

You! She shook her head to delete that perverted thought in her brain.

Gosh… Roeden looked like a drop-dead gorgeous CEO in an erotic romance novel that came to life.

She cleared her throat when she suddenly felt thirsty. She then grabbed the bottled water inside the fridge and drank it immediately.

“I’ll make you a veggie salad and cooked something delicious later.” Roeden stood up, carrying the vegetables in his hands.

“That sounds great.” She beamed. “If you have tuna, please put some.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll wait for it in the living room.”

“Okay.”

“I still love you, Roeden,” Avon said out of the blue. Yeah, she managed to say that.

“Okay,” he said and sauntered towards the sink.

She heaved a sigh and went to the living room.