Chapter 3

I walked back to my bedroom, not believing all I just saw in my dad's office room. I can't believe he's still hung up on his beliefs that werewolves exist. He might as well believe vampire's or witches exist. He's been hanging up researches in his office room for as far back as I can remember. I couldn't believe he still does that. 

Retrieving my phone back from my back pocket, I dialed Millie's number, laying back down on my bed to listen to it ring. After a few seconds,she picked up and her voice boomed from the other side.

"Hey girlfriend!"

"Hey Millie"

"How was your flight trip, girl? How's LA?!"

I smiled slowly and replied " it's all good. Arrived like thirty minutes ago and stopped at my dad's hospital"

"Really? How is he? He must be so psyched to see you!"

"You bet" I smiled at the memory, rising up from the bed to walk to the window. Facing out the window, I could see the houses around, the houses I was used to, the neighbours I was used to walking around their busy day, some teenagers walking with their dogs on leashes. A pizza delivery guy stops in front of the house right next to mine.

"Well I'm still stuck in this old dorm," Millie broke through my thoughts " Tony's picking me up tonight and I have absolutely nothing to wear"

I laughed at her before replying " going on some formal date or something?"

"Not really. . . . . . We're just tryna have a spiked night tonight, you know the drill"

"Yikes! I know Millie. Have a nice time together"

"Thanks love. Say hi to your dad for me. He home with you?"

"No," I grunted, walking back to my bed to sit down " he's still at the hospital. Hopefully he'd be home for the soup I wanna make for him"

"Did you tell him yet?"

I bit on my lip for a second before replying " no. . . . I'm gonna tell him over dinner"

"That could work. I think he'll be more than glad to have you work for him"

"I guess. . . . But you would not believe my dad is still wrapped up about these things"

"What things?"

"Some. . . . Werewolves. He still makes researches about them and he has it all over his office room!"

"Seriously?" I heard her laugh loudly " now he's the real deal, Lexy"

"Don't support him, Millie. You know where I'm coming from"

"Totally, Lex, I got it. But why does he does that? You think werewolves are perhaps real?"

"From my experience on the medical fields, I know that. . . Wolves exists, even werewolves may exist. . . And quote the word 'may' but werewolves who actually belongs to a particular pack that lives in human ways and shape shift? And search for mates so they could have sex with them and procreate?"

"Hush, Lexy, I don't think it's appropriate to use "sex" for it. I think 'mate' is the accepted and mostly used word"

"God, Millie, don't tell me you believe that shit too"

"Of course not. I'm just saying. . . . . Maybe your father just believes they exist and is trying to show that to the world. You know how scientists are. Don't get too hard on him"

"You're right, Millie. I should go, really tired from all the long flight"

"Yeah, you should rest. I'll catch you later"

"Yeah, bye"

I put my phone away before lying back down. I laid there for another thirty minutes, sleep refusing to take over me. That's when I decided to check the kitchen out to see what I can prepare for lunch.

I walked into the kitchen and barely found any food at all. The cabinet was empty, so was the fridge except for a few bottles of drinks. All dad's energy boosters. I sighed distastefully before sighting a spaghetti pack on the dinning table in the center of the kitchen. In the end, I was able to scrap up a few things together, making a mental note to go grocery shopping as early as possible tomorrow morning. 

Just then, I heard a loud knock on the door.

"Coming!" I yelled before walking out to get it. I pulled the door open and came face to face with a brown skinned guy. He's probably a few inches taller than me and a year or two . . . or three older too. His skin is brown in a bright way, telling me instantly that he was either a latina or an African American who had more whites in his family than blacks. He's dressed in a deep brown collar shirt with white pants, his black hair well cut and lowered on his head, giving him a rather young look than his eyes gave out. He has small sets of eyes and a moderately long nose with a dark upper lip and a bright pink lower lip. He has a confused look on his face the moment he saw me.

"Yes?" I asked, trying really hard to recognize him. Obviously, he wasn't from this neighborhood. I'd know one of I saw one.

"Ah. . . . Hi, you're the person I'm asked to meet . . . right?" He asks, unsure.

"I don't understand"

"You're doctor Bronte's daughter right?"

"Yes. . . How may I help you?"

He holds a car keys up between our faces before replying " I got his car fixed for him and he asked me to leave in his garage for him," he shifts a bit so I could see my Dad's grey sub compact SUV car parked behind me just before the lawn. " Said his daughter would let me in?" 

"Oh. . . Yeah, totally. I'll just go back in and open the garage for you"

He nodded before I stepped back in, letting out the air I hadn't realized I was holding all along. What the hell was that? Well damn if he wasn't a walking hottie.

I hurried back through the back and into the garage. I switched on the light before pressing the button that sent the garage gate shifting up till the guy at the door came into view. He's already in the car and was turning around to drive into the the garage.

He drives in and stops after getting it parked. I pushed the button again and the garage door came rolling back down before I realized I should've kept it up for him to go out again. Oh well, I guess he could go through the inside door then.

He stepped out of the car and shut the door, walking around it till he got to me.

"Thanks " I told him awkwardly.

He smiled and replied "it's nothing. But. . . . I didn't know doc had a daughter"

I smiled for no particular reason before replying "well he does. Apparently you don't live here or else you'd know me"

"I just moved to the house across from yours, haven't been around much."

"Oh. . . . "

"Yeah, am Adam," he pointed a hand out to me " Adam scott"

Slowly taking his hand, I replied " Lexy."

"Beautiful name. That doesn't come around in handy"

I laughed, even though I couldn't catch the sarcasm there. "Thanks" I replied anyway.

"Alright. . . I. . . Do you smell something?" He scrunched his nose behind me.

"What? Nah. . . " Oh shit. My spaghetti.

"Oh my gosh! I have something on the stove!" I yelled, turning around and leaping for the door.

"Is everything alright?" I heard his faint voice as I went but I didn't stop to answer.

I got to the kitchen and found my spaghetti burning on the pot, it's burning smell choking me. I quickly put out the fire and tried to put down the pot.

"You're gonna burn your hands" Adam said from behind me, holding my hand and stepping up.

He reaches for the pot with a glove and puts it down.

"Thanks Adam, for a minute there I would've burnt my hand" I told him gratefully.

"That's alright" he replied, turning around to face me. He doesn't speak again and I just watched him too. Okay this is just awkward. And creepy. I just let a complete stranger into my house! I cannot believe I just did that. But there was something strange about him, about how he looked at me, about how he smiled, about how he talked. About him completely.

"Sorry, I. . . Shut the gate already. You can leave through the front door if you want" I told him.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I had to come up without your permission"

"No, that's totally alright"

He turns to look at my burnt spaghetti, turns back to me and asked " you gonna eat that?"

"No, of course not. I guess I'm just gonna starve then" I replied jokingly.

"Oh. . . . I could. . . Take you to go grab something to eat"

"What? Don't be ridiculous, I was just joking okay? Sure there's plenty of things to eat in this house" I chuckled.

"Then. . . . . How about dinner then?"

"Dinner?" I didn't know why I found this very normal and surprisingly sweet of him. I mean I just met him a few minutes ago, I should probably tell him to get out already, I do not know why I'm hesitating. He looked really fun and all. He couldn't be bad, right? But it's a shame I couldn't say yes to the dinner.

"I'm sorry. . . I'm having dinner with my Dad tonight" I told him.

"Oh yeah, that's right. You probably just got back from somewhere. Sorry for. . . You know"

"It's really okay. And it was nice of you to ask"

"I hope you'd still consider it though. I'll see myself out then" he smiled sweetly before walking back into the sitting room and shutting the door behind him. I was left thinking to myself. What the hell just happened?

At 6:30p.m, I already got dad's favorite soup made. I couldn't wait to tell him the news. I was seated on the couch, eyes perched on the TV when a call came in from my Dad. I picked up immediately.

"Dad!"

"How are you Lexy?" His voice sounded grugy and tired.

"I'm great. You?"

"Ah. . . Fine sweetie. I. . ." He hesitates, then continued "I'm really sorry sweetheart but I won't be home tonight. Another patient just got in and he needs an urgent surgery. It's gonna take a while"

I felt my heart drop into my stomach. This wasn't new. I was used to it. So why do I feel this way? 

I decided I wasn't gonna let this feeling eat its way through me so I put up a smile and replied "that's totally okay Dad. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"It's a promise. Take care okay?"

"I love you"

" I love you too sweetie"

The disconnecting sounds never hurt my ears this bad before.