3

JODY

Today marks the 4,745th day my real mother told me that I wasn't planned...that I was a disgrace to her. I acted that I was happy when I heard it from her. I mean, it’s all the same. The cycle won’t break. She hated me, and every time she sees me, she goes hysterical and hurt me. Nothing’s new, everything is the same when I was still a child. My mother was diagnosed of mental illness and currently on a mental facility now.

I was going to visit her after I’m done with the groceries. I went inside of the nearest store I saw and bought things I need. After that I went out and scrolled in my phone. I am waiting for the taxicab that I booked.

I pulled the cardigan to let it hug my body more when I felt the wind penetrating inside of my bones.

Minutes had passed and I am now inside of a taxicab, and I didn’t realize that I fell asleep while I was going to my mother’s hospital. The sun is already down, and the blinding lights of the city are the ones that keep the city alive. It’s kind of shocking to know that there are only a few people strolling in the city. I mean, this is the only time this place doesn’t have a large number of people.

I looked out the window and saw that we’d already passed the city and only a few houses were here. Yes, I still come to my mother. Despite what she did to me, I still want to repay her for just bringing me to this world.

I thought that it would be a majestic visit, but it turned out to be a hell of a night. I was wide awake when I realized we were on a different path. The driver should have turned left when we were in the intersection. I'm at loss of words. The sweat is starting to build up and my knees are beginning to tremble. I won’t say that after everything I went through, this is just a piece of cake for me. Because after all of it, this kind of situation still scares me. What am I going to do?

There’s one thing going on inside of my mind. I need to call Roberto.

As I was trying to get my phone out of my purse, I silently cursed when I found out that the battery was dead. Why does my life always suck? Did I do something today that resulted in my unluckiness? God.

"Uhm... Mr.?"

I found him looking at me when I said it. Why am I still acting as if I’m not panicking? Don’t let me begin. I have no idea why I am. Maybe because I have already perfected the act of staying calm.

"I’m sorry, miss. I was told to do this. It's just pure business." This was the last thing I heard before everything went blurry.

I wasn’t totally unconscious because I could still hear and see some of the actions of the people in front of me. I tried moving to see where I was. My head hurts, and it’s not a good thing for me as it can trigger the incident that happened twenty years ago.

Realization hits me that I am still in the car, and I was transferred to the back seat, and two people are fighting. They seemed to be experts in their own ways. I watched a lot of films and even acted in some of them—action scenes.

What is happening? The last thing I remember is that the driver made me smell something from his handkerchief.

The movement stopped and the car is at peace.

The door opened and I saw a guy with a mask and a hoodie. My eyes couldn’t deny that I felt an undeniably attraction towards him, even though I could only see the upper part of his face and his hypnotizing green eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I couldn’t open my mouth and just stared at him. His arm went to my waist, and not long after that, I was already in the air.

"You don’t need to answer. It’s better for you to sleep so that the effects of the drug won’t be severe. It’ll help with your headaches." I find myself nodding and smiling at him. I am in a dangerous situation, and I still have the nerve to be comfortable with this guy. I don’t even know him.

The pain that I felt earlier seemed to be more bearable... Maybe because he releases a good and soothing smell.

Shoot! He smells very nice. A mixture of sandalwood and fresh mint. I didn’t know that I would be a sucker for someone else’s scent.

I woke up with a severe headache. I massaged my forehead and opened my eyes. I sat and walked to my kitchen and was surprised when I couldn’t find my own cupboard. Also, I almost hit my head on the wall. What the hell? Did someone renovate my house without me knowing?

You're silly, Jody. No one knows where you live, aside from Roberto. I calmed myself and took deep breaths.

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when I figured out that I wasn’t in my own home. It’s a different condo. Shit, shit, shit! What happened yesterday?

Think, Jody. You need to know what happened to you last night.

Okay, I was supposed to be going to my mother’s isolation facility when the taxicab that I booked tried to harm me and then… then... what happened next?

The creak of the sudden door opening made me almost jump. My gaze moved from the feet to the head. Why does this man look familiar? I jerked my head from side to side to think and to dig into my memory bank. But I couldn’t find it. He looks oddly familiar.

He was so gorgeous, and he looked like a sculpture of the God of Greece. He’s perfectly done and cultivated by the artist.

"I think you’re already okay. You may go after eating this." My eyes went to the plastic bag and up to his arms. His biceps are showing, and it’s enough to make me gulp.

"Hey," I heard him softly calling my attention, but I was busy checking his arms. How often does he go to the gym?

"Boo!"

"Oh, you frogging b*t**!" Wtf? Why did I say that? I bet he’s already turned off.

"You’re not answering earlier that’s why I need to call your attention. We need to sort things out." He brought the plastic bag and then put it above the table. It’s a typical congee and a cup of coffee. I’m not a morning person, but my mouth is watering from the steamy smell of the food and the sweet chocolaty aroma of the coffee.

There’s something about him that awakens the factors that should be in deep sleep inside my body. He’s special… at least to me.

“Thanks for this,” I paused for a while because I don’t know his name, and hoping he’ll get what I am pertaining to when I didn’t say anything after thanking him.

“Leo.” He answered.

I only nodded to acknowledge. I mean, I shouldn’t be too obvious that I am into him…wait. Who said I am into him? I am not! It’s true that I appreciate his beauty, but it’s not enough for me to drool from it.

“Yes, yes,” I mumbled lowly while nodding my head. I also opened the plastic bag to get the food out it, and because I wasn’t at my best state, I didn’t know that he already took out the container as well as its lid—leaving my hand to be drowned in the hot soup. I didn’t scream, but my face shows it all. I was in deep hurt, but it didn’t penetrate my shattered soul. I calmly retrieved my soaked hand from the container and look for some tissue to wipe it off. When I couldn’t find any, I decided to walk towards the sink, opened the faucet, and just let the tap water runs towards my hand. Actually, it wasn’t that burning hot yet it’s enough for a person to wince when it makes contact with your skin. I don’t know how many minutes it took, but when I was ambling back to the table that’s when I realized that I wasn’t alone. That I was with someone, a stranger who’s intently looking at me, down to my burnt hand and back to my emotionless face. I didn’t move for a second and just stared at him.

“Ah- I’m okay.” I said to ease the awkwardness.

He didn’t react but went to the bathroom. Maybe he was shocked by how I reacted? I don’t know.

I was lost at my thoughts when someone touched my hand. I felt a cold thing touching my blister. It was Leo, putting some sort of gel to my burn. It came into my shock when instead of continually circling the gel on my hand, his other fingers wiped the tears falling down from my cheek.

He didn’t say something when I am silently crying. It was comforting to have someone…to take care of your bruises, to accompany you without asking what happened, and to let you cry without judgment. I feel warmth from him, he was like Roberto, but I think he’s more than my friend. He was more on the silent side. He also helped me when I was in verge of being kidnapped. What are the odds of meeting someone like him? I think he is my angel. The one that I was asking the heavens ever since I was a child.