February 3, 2021: Anteros

A blink into reality, the eclipse that blanketed her vision slowly said its farewell, making way for a sliver of luminescence to let the lady observe her surroundings.

She yearned to be guided by the pain that her whole body woefully caged, granting her a guilt-free time to sink further down the mattress that nestled her. However, she earned no comfort from persisting to do so. The forsooth nagging voice that woke her up, relentlessly throbbing at the back of her mind, was urging her to run away. The question was, from where?

If the lady paid attention to this voice, would she be liberated from the void that her heart had been brewing?

Plastered on the walls that created the room, the rambunctious silence would make the sound of a small leaf, straddling the gentle wind to reach the autumn ground, reverberate louder than the longing of lovers who were separated by an eternal rest. Embracing her skin, the warmth of the spring sun would have been a delight if not for the coldness that sprung up from inside her body.

However, not even the union of silence and warmth could not fill up the hollow space that she was harnessing. Not even the tingling impression that his touches left all over her body, the lasting pleasure that overwhelmed her senses, and the satisfaction that came with them could satiate the horizonless pit that pretended to be an emotion. The guilt that should have been eating her up was, in turn, devoured by that same void.

In essence, she felt as empty as the space of the bed beside her. Although somehow, Syn preferred the linger in the sensation that gave her a break from the thoughts that were in turmoil, gradually wearing out the trove of her sanity.

Tasting the trails of his kisses, she let a sigh of fatigue escape her lips. In the fullness of time, she anchored her upper body with her elbows as she raised herself up. The instant that the white silk blanket cascaded, it revealed her naked physique. Owing to the fact that she had such a pale complexion, the marks that Konrad rewarded on her body were all the more noticeable.

Disregarding her muscles that were aching with tension, she dangled her feet to the side of the bed. Soon, she took a stand, but as she did so, she fell on the floor. The lady was late to discern that her limbs were quivering.

Whilst lamenting on her situation, she gazed at the digital clock that was mounted on the wall right above the door.

'It's already half past four in the morning. I've been sleeping for a couple of hours then.'

With renewed determination to get herself on her feet, she used the nightstand as support. Struggling and stumbling a tad, she was able to stand up. At that point, she looked down on the bedside table and saw a piece of paper. When she saw that her name was written on its top left corner, she picked it up and read the contents.

[[[ Miss Rosenfeldt, how was your sleep?

You are welcome to stay in that room until you are able to move.

Feel free to use the other rooms in the unit. You can procure some spare clothes from the bedroom's closet. I placed your things on the living room couch.

Contact me when you are in need of help.]]]

It was nothing but a brief message. He didn't even explain with regards to his departure. If Syn wasn't privy of the limitations of their various encounters, she might have felt that the letter was lacking in concern. Withal, she was aware to some degree that both of them had put up a wall thereafter their first meeting. Mayhaps, it was to protect themselves or simply a matter of preference apropos to relationships.

Syn folded the sheet of paper into half, bringing it with her as she sauntered towards the cabinets that covered the entire left wall of the room. Upon reaching the triple-door facade, she got a hold of the handle of the middle one, pulling it open without delay.

Immediately, her eyes scrutinized the garments that had yet to be taken out from their own packaging. From undergarments to tops, jeans to dresses, the cabinet contained a myriad of clothing - Each labelled with the specificity of the outfit, brand, and size.

'As I thought, this is that kind of room. It's too barren to be considered a home.' Syn acknowledged her intuition during which time she was trying to find a simple shirt to compensate for her ruined knitted top. She proceeded to look for a pair of underwears that would fit her.

'I was not wrong to think that he's a stud. I hope he doesn't marry. That woman will suffer from dealing with his mistresses.'

Once she found the two necessities, her eyes roamed around the room. Curious, she muttered, "Where are my jeans even?"

As luck would have it, she quickly saw that it was at the bottom part of the bed, neatly folded. She made her way to its direction, then dropped the items she was holding on to the mattress.

'I shouldn't stay longer than I have already done. I'll take a shower in my room instead.'

Following her contemplation, she opened the bag of the undergarments, putting them on that very minute. She went ahead and got dressed in her jeans before the shirt.

Directly after fully clothing herself, Syn went out of the bedroom and walked en route the living room. She had no difficulty in pinpointing where it was since it's the first room that one would see upon entering the condo unit.

Syn unzipped the bag to get her phone. Thereafter, she hung it on her right shoulder. Under the influence of her emptiness and a hint of disappointment, she finally exited Konrad's unit.

Absentmindedly and laggardly, the lady plodded on the marbled flooring to arrive at the elevator.

In the nick of time, she remarked the doors of the second elevator sliding open from afar. She increased her pace, albeit slightly, to be able to catch it. As she was set to step inside the lift, a woman, busy on her phone, suddenly emerged in her sight.

The woman ambulated her path out of the elevator, not taking an ounce of heed to the lady in front of her. Syn didn't care about the stranger's demeanour, minding more of her desire to sleep in her room. Be that as it may, one word that came out of the woman's mouth earned her interest.

"Konrad, why did you cancel our night together? I was excited to meet up with you after a week! You better make up for it! I missed you so mu- What?! Over?! Are you kidding me?!" The woman hollered, not giving a damn if her boisterousness would disturb the tenants.

"No- That's not what I mean! Why does it matter if I always want to see you?! We have good chemistry so I was planning to take it up a notch. Don't you a- Why did he hang up?!"

A childish manner of speaking, not the least bit endearing. But, there was one thing that retained in Syn's mind.

'Oh, so he dislikes women who are desperate. Noted for our next encounter.'