EMILY
In the morning, I tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen slowly, afraid I’d have to face Seth. I’d spent half the night thinking about his naked body and the next half constructing scenarios of how the conversation would go.
The bottom line is, I hadn’t slept much. I had to dab some concealer and the pressed powder to hide my tired eyes. It was a good thing that my makeup skills were at a pro level. My winged liner had game.
I rounded the corner and walked into the kitchen stealthily.
But this was my house, so why was I walking like a burglar?
Seth was nowhere in sight. Then I remembered he usually went to school early because of the Ice-hockey practices. Their season was coming up soon so that meant he would be busy in the games again.
The aroma of fresh food wafted from the kitchen island. There was some food left on the counter covered in saran wrapped plates and bowls.
I removed the foils carefully and stared at the breakfast spread before me in amazement.
On one plate there was an apple that was sliced and constructed to look like a Swan. Every slice so thin and precise, layered one behind the other, the Swan’s beak was carved into the edge of the fruit. The seed as the eye. Two carved pineapple slices on a stick with melon, kiwi, and strawberry fused like beautiful flowers.
I opened the other and there was the brown bread that was spread with peanut butter and topped with slices of banana. A stuffed omelet cupcake sat beside that which looked equally appetizing.
How early had he woken up to turn into a fruit ninja and then head over to practice?
I hated pineapples on or off pizza, but the effort that Seth had put into it pushed my hatred for the fruit away. I started picking up the fruit flower stick but then reached out for my phone and took some Instagram worthy pictures.
It took me like fifteen clicks before I was happy.
I captioned it ′Woke up to this breakfast today. Good morning! #TGIF 💛
I started eating my breastfast. I would eat all of it because Seth made it for me. I felt special, and I let myself be deluded that we were both together, living in this house as a couple and he’d been a good boyfriend and prepared breakfast for his bae.
Yeah, I liked the sound of that.
I giggled to myself, feeling giddy for no reason at all.
I was alone in the room save for Chanel who was relaxing in her cat tree bed, she passed me a smug look before going back to sleep.
I shall forget the real reason he’d prepared breakfast for me which were, a) obligation and duty, b) my dad was paying him, c) he felt guilty for yesterday and didn’t want to get into trouble.
When I polished off the last bit of food, I saw a note scrawled next to it that read:
I’m sorry.
I folded the paper and put it inside my Fendi purse.
He’d also packed me lunch in a brown bag.
I fed Chanel the cat food, changed the water, and picked up my lunch before walking out of the door.
* * *
I managed to ignore Seth for a total of three days. He’d tried talking to me several times between classes but I’d successfully evaded him. When I came home, I would lock myself in my room with rock music blaring in my ears. When I saw the light of his studio turn on and off, I went downstairs and ate the dinner he saved for me on the kitchen counter.
Also, breakfast was never better. He made owl’s out of Apples, teddy-bears out of oranges, butterflies, and various other animals. He was a talented cook, and I started to look forward to the mornings.
Ruth would hate me if I said this but I liked her son cooking for me better. I was going to take this secret to the grave. Okay, maybe I was a little biased? But can you blame me? I was falling harder for him, each animal he carved out of the fruits, he was carving places into my heart that would never belong to anyone else.
But he likes another girl, Emily!
That was okay, mine was going to remain an unrequited love and so be it. I would still try my best. I had a chance until he got together with the girl and finally started dating.
It was the fourth day, and I was starting to feel lonely. I wanted to talk to him but I also didn’t know what to say or how to react.
I was stuffing books inside my locker, the bell had already rung. I was late for my class. There was a salami sandwich for lunch that I was excited about, boiled eggs, and some fancy broccoli salad that I would have hated but since it was prepared by Seth, I was going to eat every last morsel of it. He needed to see that my lunch boxes were clean and that I enjoyed his food immensely.
I shut the locker door, my mind trying to come up with more tactics to avoid him.
“Hey!”
I hadn’t even noticed that he was standing there.
“Whoa! You scared me!” I said, hugging the book to my chest.
Seth stared straight into my eyes. I had to glance away quickly as images of his face drowned in ecstasy came to my mind.
I looked behind him, “I think someone is calling you.”
He folded his arms across his chest, “no one’s calling me, Emily-Mae. You’re just trying to get rid of me.”
I stepped right, he stepped right. I took a step to the left, and he did the same, blocking me from leaving.
“I’m getting late for my class!” I said, refusing to meet his eyes.
Seth blocked my way completely with his body. The sun streaming from the windows made his emerald eyes shine brightly causing them to look like some rare gems. He was wearing his varsity jacket and a wicked teasing smile.
He looked down at me adorably, “I just want to talk. It will only take a couple of minutes.”
I guess there was no more escape because I couldn’t push his gigantic Titan body aside.
“Fine!”
“I’m sorry.” He said digging his hands in his pockets, but keeping his gaze locked with mine, “First I’m sorry for calling your nightgown inappropriate. It’s none of my business what you wear, and secondly...,” this time he looked away, shyly.
Seth being shy was a sight to behold. “I’m sorry you had to see me doing that...”
We both knew what ‘that’ meant.
“It’s my fault.” I admitted, “I should be the one saying sorry. That’s your room and as I’ve told you before, you have your privacy. I should have just called the landline phone...so I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep so I wanted you to stay in the guestroom that night.”
He smiled, “Are we cool?” Raising his hand out for me to take.
I nodded, “yeah.” I shook his hand.
He gave my hand a deliberate squeeze. Was that something I imagined?
He indicated at the books in my arms, “I’ll take that.” Without a word, he took a load off from my hands as he carried some of my books.
We walked next to each other, “For real though, did you enjoy it?”
“Oh my god, shut up...”
“What? I was the one with the pants down, why do you look so embarrassed?”
“I’m embarrassed for you.” I hit him with my book playfully.
“Tell you what, we could get even so you wouldn’t have to be embarrassed for me.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, “What does that mean?”
He leaned closer to me and in his gruff voice he whispered into my ear, “You touch yourself tonight and I’ll watch.”