Map of the Lost

40

Cute.

My smile vanishing in an instant when she caught me off guard. "Hello! Ikaw naman! How was your day?"

My heart thumps as I gaze through her brown twinkling eyes that stared back at me with expectant. She smiles so brightly that I believe has illuminated the night more than the moon and stars have.

"Girlfriend?" I asked as soon as we dropped her off in her dormitory. Kei slide his hand in his pockets and yawned as he spoke, "No." He looked bored as if he was tired of having to answer the same question again and again.

It got me thinking.

We rode the elevator together and my thoughts were invading the silence between us.

"Interested?" I nearly choked on my own saliva by his nonchalant question. I tilted my head, not getting what he meant but he only smirked. "She's single." The last words he said before he could drop off at his floor.

I was surprised to keep seeing her in the same place as I am. We keep bumping into each other a lot to the point that I got accused of stalking her. It intrigued me more seeing such an attitude from her then her cheeks gets flushed immediately after embarrassingly realizing her mistake. It made me want to tease her.

She was on her way to Kei's place and I was lucky to be walking with her. It was getting late and she doesn't seem to be comfortable in walking alone in the streets. Seeing her in distress and the once twinkling eyes that glistens in fear, my heart ached. I offered to walk with her.

I had the urge to hug her or hold her hand, seeing her chest rise up then down in a speed that sensed panic and her attempts of squeezing her nails, but I knew it would only freak her out more.

Other than the friends she had in her block, I've noticed the relationship she had with two other guys. I could tell that she, Kei and their other friend, Red, shared a bond that's unbreakable. I almost thought Red was potentially someone she was seeing.

"El!" The tall guy with dimples greeted her with a hug as soon as the door opened.

El? L? As in.. Love? Is that an endearment?

But Kei said she was single. But why did it matter if she was single or not? Why was this bugging me?

She lightly chuckled before leaning her back on the railings, arms crossed against her chest. "Why? Are you interested in me now?"

I guess I was.

I locked my eyes with her, trying to figure her out. What was it about her that caught my attention?

She was way bolder than I thought. Her comebacks would surprise me all the time, some would catch me off guard. For someone who had an adorable first impression, she continues to draw me closer, wanting to get to know more sides of her. And with this I knew, she was different.

I locked eyes with her, I wanted to see where this will take me. She was a tease I was willing to accept. The corners of my lips rose to a sly smirk while I slipped my hands in my pockets. I took a step closer until I was only inches away from her. She craned her neck just so she could level her eyes with me.

"And what if I am, Miss Sabrina Elaine Buenavista?" I knew I was setting myself up with a trap. But I just wanted to see where all this would lead. Who would have who at their mercy at the end. "What will you do about it?"

She raised her hand and gently caressed my cheek with her fingers, tracing into my jawline before answering, "Then I'll make sure to keep you interested that you won't even be able to sleep a wink just thinking about me... Good luck with that, Mr. Hernandez."