Chapter 32: Thirty two
'I drive myself crazy because I can't escape the gravity. I'm holding on; why is everything so heavy?'
–Linkin Park-
***
Being here with glimpses of Andre's conversation with someone I don't know makes my heart even more anxious. In the morning, I lay down without being able to close my eyes until the bedroom door opened. Suddenly, I woke up, covered myself with a blanket, and my eyes widened. The man raised an eyebrow as he carried a tray containing... a cup of hot chocolate that was steaming and tempting, a plate of pancakes decorated with honey, and several fruits such as strawberries and blueberries.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, putting the tray on the nightstand and then sitting on the edge of the bed. "How does your wound hurt?"
"Why are you investigating my friend?" I said, ignoring his question.
Just one sentence significantly changed Andre's face as his jaw tightened. Just from the look in his eyes, I could tell he must be wondering and mixed with anger. I glanced at the pancakes without interest, even though stomach acid had already crept into my esophagus. The most important thing now is why Andre has the heart to investigate Emilia. If my roommate is suspected today, it could be that tomorrow or next week, Margaretha's mother and doctor will also be involved.
Apart from that, I was the victim, and it wasn't Andre's right to interfere, even though he had repeatedly helped me deal with Billy, who had disappeared somewhere. If he could respect someone's privacy, Andre should have talked to me about it instead of playing around and pretending to be a hero, oversleeping.
"I accidentally heard you talking to someone last night," I said honestly. "Don't you know the meaning of privacy, huh!"
"You wouldn't be able to do anything without me, Elizabeth. You have to sit here and wait for what I get later." Andre mocked me as if I was just a cowardly girl who couldn't do anything but faint and cry.
"What!" I screamed in disapproval. "So you think of me as a weak, helpless girl?"
"Yes!" Andre shouted with his eyes bulging. "At least respect what I'm doing, Elizabeth Khan!"
"I don't need your help, Alexandre Johnson!" I turned and walked quickly away from him with a roar that filled my chest.
The pain in my arm wasn't that bad compared to him taking me for granted and shouting like that. I never asked for help from him even though Billy, who is now somewhere, is always lurking and terrorizing him non-stop. While holding back the tears that were about to fall, I packed up my things. I will never set foot here again, no matter what happens next. Fuck that meddling guy!
"Who are you?" Andre's question made me stunned. "You. Elizabeth Khan. How come you have a past relationship with Billy?"
Turning my head while carrying a bag, looking at his face in disbelief as if he didn't have the empathy to pry into the other side of my life again and again. It took me quite a long time to form the answer in my head until, finally, my lips couldn't say it. It's too complicated, and the bitter flashes don't need to be recalled. It's enough for God and me to know instead of a company leader I've only known for a few months.
"And you?" I asked him the same question. Those thin lips were also kept silent as if no one could understand the implied meaning of all his actions.
"I'm not sure you'll accept me later," Andre said softly, but it echoed in my ears.
"So do you. After you have dug up all aspects of my past life, are you still willing to accept me as you often say?"
"Of course."
"Tch! I don't believe it."
It doesn't seem like it will take much time to survive in this place. I rushed out, but he grabbed my left arm; the look in his eyes had now changed again, which implied he was paying particular attention without expecting anything in return. Those irises... I turned away to avoid them, but Andre touched my chin, turning my face so that our eyes locked, sending out that there was a reciprocal relationship behind all the tiring arguments.
Andre's left hand caressed my cheek, sending millions of electricity that paralyzed all the nerve cells in my body. Unfortunately, these legs can barely support the body's weight if he always wins these disputes with his eyes.
"I don't want us to fight, Lizzie," he whispered.
I held my breath. Completely blocking the oxygen supply in my chest as his fingers traced the lines of my face down to my lips. My brain automatically told my lips to open when his thumb brushed these lips as if preparing to receive his sweet kiss. Again.
"You just need to trust me," continued Andre, so close to my face, I could feel his breath smelling of mint toothpaste.
Without realizing it, I closed my eyes; I couldn't think anymore when he pulled my bag and grabbed my waist to get into his warm embrace. His lips greeted mine, biting gently and sending millions of feelings to vibrate through my chest again. Wrapping both arms around his neck, I returned Andre's kiss to muffle the pounding of my heart, which was already going crazy and showing that I'm not a weak woman who can be trampled on and belittled so quickly even though I was mentally beaten up and down by Billy.
"You'll regret it, Andre," I hissed between our kisses.
He smiled crookedly, cupping my face with his warm hands. "Never."
"Stop your investigation of my friend," I asked, stopping the hot kiss which could spread to other things.
Andre shook his head hard. "No, and you will never once threaten me. If you don't like it, shut up!"
"Fuck you!" I put up my middle finger, picked up the bag, and left it.
"Lizzie!" Andre shouted.
###
I returned to the apartment and found a memo on the table that Emilia had to work overtime for a few days at the office while my mother had gone home to Florida. They left a pot of cold soup and a plate of cut fruit stored in the refrigerator.
I sighed as I turned on the stove to heat the soup and make a toast to fill my empty stomach. In silence, my mind drifted back to the figures of Andre, Billy, and their younger brother--Sam. The closer I get here, the more I feel like our relationship is getting more complicated and something I'm afraid of is happening.
What if there is a close relationship between the two brothers and Billy? What if Andre investigates Emilia to protect Billy? Why would he ask me to believe that he is hiding many layers of secrets?
Ah, my head feels like it's going to explode!
The aroma of the soup that I memorized my mother made wafted through the kitchen as the cell phone rang from inside the room. Hastily turned off the stove and ran into the room to answer the urgent-sounding call.
Immediately, my eyebrows furrowed at the secret call. Between fear and fear, my thumb swiped the green icon and pressed the loudspeaker when the caller said,
"Hello, Lizzie, don't you miss me?"
At that moment, the doorbell sounded so loud that it made me jump and drop my cell phone on the floor.
"I'm already at your apartment door, darling."