CHAPTER 12

HE could feel the coldness of Yvonne’s treatment toward him after the missing cat incident. Rohan didn’t know why she acted like that when the cat had returned home already. He even tried helping her find it, didn’t he? So, why in the world did she seem to be tormenting him?

Rohan let out a long sigh as he stirred the food he was cooking.

“Maybe she’s giving me the cold shoulder because I haven’t apologized yet,” he whispered. “I hope that preparing her a meal is enough token of apology.”

“What are you saying?”

Rohan almost burned himself when he heard Yvonne’s voice inside the kitchen. When he turned in her direction, he found her sauntering toward him with the cat in her arms. She was carrying it as though it was a baby.

“I’m glad you’re awake.” He turned off the stove. “You were still sound asleep when I brought your breakfast upstairs.”

“I was writing all night. It was already morning when I was able to get myself to sleep.”

She yawned and sat on the stool, still carrying her cat. Rohan didn’t mind it because he feared that she’d be mad if he told her to put the cat down. He realized he was a little insensitive when it came to her cat. She seemed to love the pet so much that she was willing to do everything just to defend it from anyone.

Rohan prepared her meal and served it on the counter top afterward.

“Here, I cooked lunch. You must be starving.”

“I am.” She put the cat down on the vacant stool beside her.

The cat just sat there, well-behaved. It occasionally peeked at Yvonne’s meal, but with just one call on its name, it would behave again. She was right when he told her that the cat wasn’t stupid. Rohan’s judgment was wrong.

“He’s a good cat.”

His remark made Yvonne raise her head and look at him. “And now you think of him that way?”

“Y-yes…” Rohan scratched the side of his neck. “Why? Is there something wrong with it?”

“Nothing.” Yvonne shrugged. “It’s just that… I didn’t expect you to change your mind that fast.”

“I must admit I was wrong. Me and my prejudice just because I’m allergic to cats.” Rohan heaved a sigh. When he looked at Yvonne again, he found her staring at him intently. “What?”

Yvonne just beamed at him in response and resumed eating her brunch. He then turned in the cat’s direction when he heard it meow.

“Aren’t you going to feed him?”

“I just fed him his breakfast before we came here.” She looked at her cat and caressed its cheek. “Don’t be fooled by this glutton. Bean has the tendency to make you believe he hasn’t eaten a kibble since yesterday because he’s so charming.”

“I don’t find him that charming—” Rohan cut his sentence when she turned to him. Yvonne was scowling at him, and for some reason, it gave him chills. “I-I mean… he’s kinda cute, yeah.”

He realized it was wrong to badmouth the cat in front of Yvonne. She considered it as her child, after all.

“Are you… still mad at me about what happened?” Rohan asked when she didn’t speak a word again.

She halted from eating and looked at him. But for some reason, he couldn’t read any emotion on her face at that moment. Could it be that she was masking it so he wouldn’t know?

Yvonne put the spoon down and folded her arms over her chest.

“What do you think?” She raised a brow.

“Well…” Rohan let out a sigh. “I think you are.”

“It’s a good thing that you know.”

He propped his hands on the counter.

“It’s just that… I don’t understand why you hate me that much—”

“It’s really hard to understand when you haven’t worn someone else’s shoes yet, Rohan.” Yvonne heaved a sigh and brought her cat onto her lap. She gently caressed its head, and the cat seemed to like it. “There’s a deeper reason why I’m too attached to this little creature.”

“What is it then?”

She looked at him with furrowed brows.

Yes, Rohan really meant it. He wanted to know more about her.

“I found Bean at the side of the road inside a plastic bag. He was crying for help as he held on for his dear life. When I opened the plastic bag, I found out he had a sibling that was already dead. The vet said he was just about two weeks old, and he needed immediate care, or else he’d die just like his brother. He was literally alone, and right at that moment, I saw myself in him.”

“You’re not alone. You still have your parents—”

“Who are both old,” She cut him off. “Time will come… I’ll be alone just like Bean.”

“Are you that afraid to be alone?” he asked curiously. “I think there’s nothing wrong with that, especially when you’re used to it.”

Yvonne slowly shook her head.

“I think you don’t understand, Rohan. You’ll never be alone.”

“I did feel alone. You just didn’t know that.”

“Well, I think your case’s different from mine.”

His forehead creased. “What do you mean?”

“I’m an only child, Rohan. Once my parents leave this world, I’ll be left on my own. You, on the other hand, have siblings you can count on.”

It wasn’t hard to understand her point. “Ah…” He nodded his head consecutively. “That’s right.”

“See? That’s why… I’m afraid of losing Bean. He’s the best companion I ever had.”

“But you’ll outlive him. A cat’s lifespan isn’t that long.”

“We just have to make the most of it.” She smiled at him, making his stomach flutter. “I know you love solitude, Rohan, but it’s a different thing. You should learn to let people in.”

He was quite unsure what she meant by that, but it was too late for him to ask because she had already left the kitchen with her cat. Rohan just heaved a sigh and started cleaning the mess in the kitchen. Maybe that’d help him clear his head because, at that moment, a lot of thoughts started to flood his mind.

***

ROHAN read a book on the veranda for hours. When he came back inside the villa, he found Yvonne sitting on the living room floor with a pillow on her lap, and above it was her laptop. She was facing the opposite direction and wearing a headphone at that moment, so she didn’t notice him. She must be writing, Rohan thought. So, he walked silently so he wouldn’t disturb her. But when he was just a few steps away from her, his eyes caught a glimpse of her laptop screen and found out she was only watching. And to his astonishment, she was watching something that wasn’t suitable for very young audiences.

Yvonne stretched her arms afterward, and her fingers moved as though they were typing in the air. Without the explicit video playing on her laptop, he’d think she was internalizing.

“Yvonne.”

Rohan saw how she flinched at the sound of her voice. She then closed her laptop and slowly turned in his direction with wide eyes. Shocked, yes. But she looked like she was caught red-handed.

“I-it’s not what you think it is!” She blinked consecutively with her lips firmly pressed against each other.

“Ah…” He pocketed a hand and tilted his head to the side. If truth be told, he didn’t mind at all. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t watched one. But he had this urge to tease her. “I thought you’re—”

“I had to… not because I like it, but because I had to write.” Yvonne let out a sigh.

“Write what?”

“A love scene… in male’s perspective.” She leaned against the sofa and groaned. “I had no choice but to watch.”

Now he was intrigued. Suddenly, he had a glimpse of Yvonne’s secret life not everyone knew about.

Rohan crossed their distance and sat on the floor beside her. “May I?”

She turned to him with a deep knot on her forehead. “What?”

“Read what you’re writing.”

She picked up her laptop and hugged it. “No.”

“You said you were struggling to write. Well, maybe I can be of help—”

“You’re a virgin, aren’t you?” She stared at him intently.

He swallowed hard and looked away. “Well, yeah.”

“How can you be of help then?”

He turned his gaze at Yvonne again. “I’m a male specie. Somehow, I know a thing or two.” Rohan raised a brow. “And besides, you’re a virgin as well, right? How come you can write from a female’s perspective when you don’t have any hands-on experience—”

“I watch… you know.”

“We’re the same then.”

She stood up. “No, I can’t let you read my writing.”

“Why?”

“How can I let you read my writing when it’s about you and me?”

He saw how her cheeks turned red. Yvonne must be feeling shy, but all he could think about was that she looked cute, blushing in front of him like that.

Yvonne then turned around and marched toward the stairs.