8

Laura

I twirled and turned in bed, stretching at full length before slowly opening my eyes which was met by the stinging ray of sunlight that had found its way through the little opening of my curtain.

I squinted my eyes before turning away from the sun and sleeping on my side.

I stared blankly ahead with a glimmer of sleep still hovering over me while my mind juggled back to the previous night.

He had just presented his heart in his hands, offering them to me without remorse or holding back. He wouldn't even think twice as to this offering if it was a great choice or otherwise, he just plainly trusted me with his all.

I have never imagined myself in a situation like this; a situation where I would have all of my thoughts wafting all about a man—a man I had lied to.

I quickly felt a pang of guilt but I was too selfish to dwell in that feeling. Adlan loved me, at least, he has shown to love me within just a few days. Even when I had tried to be nonchalant about his feelings. Even when I was undeserving and unmatched by his feelings towards me, he had just recklessly shown love towards me.

My thoughts were all about him. I mean, for the past few days, it had been only about him and now that I wasn't going to the diner anymore, I had plenty of time to sink myself in his thoughts and that was what I was doing this morning.

A picture of the gallery played again in my head, accompanied by his words. He was willing to love me with everything he had? How could anyone love someone so much? Or how could anyone love me that much?

I was conflicted between the thoughts of the Laura George he met that night and the Laura George he later met at the restaurant. Was it the lady he saw that night that dwelled in his heart so much that he showered me with this much love? Or was it all after that night?

I turned over to my other side and my eyes glided over to my phone's screen, going on and off. I quickly grabbed it and checked the screen only to see Adlan calling.

I hurriedly sat up on my bed and took in a deep breath before picking up the call but the call dropped before I could swipe my screen.

I was going to call him back when a knock sounded repeatedly on my door.

"Adlan?" I said to myself before hurrying up from my bed.

I rushed to the bathroom to wash my face and hastily gargled my mouth with my mouthwash before rushing downstairs.

"Hey," I said with a smile as I flung the door open but my smile dropped when I saw the unfamiliar face standing by my door.

"Hello." she flashed a broad smile at me and I feigned one back at her.

She looked unfamiliar but beautiful. She had a crop top on that barely covered her stomach and also revealed a large part of her cleavage. She wore a baggy jean that made her look like a pop star but that only contrasted her hairdo—a piggy tail with a kitty cat bow.

"Hello." uncertain by my response and her bubbly smile, I looked behind her but no one was with her.

"I am uhmm...Jasmine."

"Nice."

"I'm a friend to your new neighbour."

Oh. I always forgot I had a neighbour now and every now and then when I heard the stomping sound from above, I was reminded that I now had one but having someone from her stand before me was incidental.

"Hi. I'm Laura." I said to her with a handshake while I masked my disappointment with a smile.

She took my hand with a broad smile before she spoke again. "Do you by chance have a toolbox? She lost hers while moving in."

"Yeah, sure." I moved away from the door to the kitchen and she walked in.

"You have a nice place," she said as I dunked by the kitchen counter to check through the cupboards.

"I tried to make it my home."

"How old are you?"

She caught me by surprise and I looked up at her from the kitchen counter.

"Do you feel comfortable asking strangers about their age?"

"I mean, you're no longer a stranger. We're practically neighbours."

I got up with the toolbox in hand and walked towards her.

"Here you go," I handed her the box and she stared at me a bit before she took it with a smile.

"I mean no harm. Don't be too serious."

"I appreciate you," I said in return and she shrugged her shoulders before walking to the door.

"If you need anything..." she said before I shut my door.

"I appreciate," I said over the door and I could hear her scoff before walking off.

I wasn't a morning person and I haven't ever been faced with a situation like this in the morning so my action might come off as mean but that was how I knew to act in the morning to someone like her.

My hand was still resting on the doorknob when a knock came again. I sighed "I do not need..." I stopped mid-sentence when I saw a delivery man.

"Miss Laura..." he looked at a sheet in his hand before he looked back up at me. "Miss Laura George?"

With a furrowed eyebrow, skeptical, I nodded. "Yes, I am."

"You have a package." he handed a huge box over to me and I staggered a bit as I took it.

"Sorry. It's pretty heavy." he flashed a consoling smile and I grinned back at him.

"Who's the package from, please?"

"I only deliver, ma'am." 

I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, if it was condescending or genuine but it sure as hell didn't answer my question so I just nodded instead.

"Can you please sign here under received?" he pointed at a column on the sheet in his hand and I signed before he scurried off.

I shut my door and thought for a while who could send a package to me when I obviously didn't order anything online and I could only think about Adlan.

I dropped the box on the ground and stared at it for a few seconds before I ripped the box open.

As I did the unboxing, I was first greeted by a card with a handwritten note whose ink looked familiar. 'Everything you need to make you more beautiful than you already are for tonight. I will pick you up by 8:30.'

Oh, yeah! The dinner.

I smiled at the familiarity of the handwritten note, setting it aside before grabbing the dress which was laid neatly next to a jewellery box and a pair of rose-gold heels.

I checked the dress out, staring at my reflection in the mirror and a tear rolled down my cheeks at how beautiful I looked even before I used the jewellery or applied makeup.

I have never felt so loved, I have never met anyone as thoughtful as he was and I will forever appreciate that.