Pineapples

"Do you want them out of the apartment then?"

Her back straightened, and her shoulders squared.

"No." She said abruptly but she also wanted to say 'yes' desperately.

She continued with false calm as she pointed at the gift basket on display at their kitchen table, "I don't want to be rude when they brought a lot of stuff—even a basket of pineapples. What would I do with those?"

"Maybe, there was some kind of meaning to it." Edward rubbed his chin as they both stared at the pineapples.

Gift baskets are often sent for special occasions—such as holidays—or as a thank-you or congratulations gift.

What event was there to celebrate?

Cathryn didn't invite them.

Mild Savagery invited themselves in their apartment.

Edward and Justin were good hosts since they didn't turn them down when they showed up at their doorstep unannounced.

It was fine but she had to suffer because of her room mates' generosity.

Cathryn didn't even know why they were here.

As if there was an imaginary light bulb in his head, Edward brightened up as if he had figured out the missing piece of the puzzle.

He grinned slyly as he repeatedly tapped a finger on her shoulder. "If you eat or drink pineapple, I heard it will taste good."

Cathryn almost stepped backward, her eyes widening in surprise then narrowed suspiciously at her best friend, "What do you mean it will taste good?"

"You," Edward whispered, smirking.

"What?" She said it out loud and she glanced around the kitchen, making sure that nobody was around to hear their conversation.

Cathryn lowered her voice, steeping closer to Edward. "Blake must have bought them as a joke."

Edward replied as he stared at the direction of the living room as if any minute by now, Blake would materialize beside them. "But you never know, maybe he had a desire to eat you."

Great.

Now they were talking about him behind his back.

"Stupid." Blushing, Cathryn slapped his chest playfully and squeezed his elbow in disapproval. "Don't put dirty thoughts in my head, Edward."

He chuckled as he flicked her nose. "Then get your head out of the gutter."

"I was supposed to sleep but I tried earlier. I couldn't when Alex kept on distracting me." Cathryn once again glanced over her shoulder in case Alexander was behind them, eavesdropping.

She mentally face-palmed when she remembered the moment Alexander uncovered an unfinished painting of him in her bedroom.

Cathryn didn't even expect that the guy would find it.

It was crazy.

She didn't even imagine that Alexander was there in her room and both of them were alone in there.

Never in her wildest imagination and now it happened in real life.

When she created the painting, Cathryn had trusted that if she put her feelings in the canvas it would dull her memory of Alexander last summer: from a longing ache in her heart until it was just nothing.

Instead, Alexander remained along the edges of her consciousness, like the ghost of a painting that shadowed the wall long after the canvas had been put away in some forgotten attic.

The passion between them had been hot and demanding, as powerful as a force of nature and even more destructive but Cathryn never believed in love or the concept of happily-ever-after.

Whatever she felt for Alexander would ruin her in the long run.

She didn't have a desire to get played by a player.

Cathryn drove her thoughts of Alexander away as she clenched her fists in annoyance, continuing, "I should have asked you to punch my lights out so that I could be unconscious."

Edward guffawed at that, clutching his stomach and wiping happy tears in his eyes.

"Wait." When Edward calmed down and recovered from the joke, he strode towards the cupboard to get some wine glass, popped the cork, poured some wine, and handed it to her. "Here, drink this and it will help you relax. It wouldn't give you a headache, trust me."

Cathryn was tired but she needed to sleep.

Badly.

She was willing to do anything.

"Is this your cure for insomnia?" She sniffed the wine to take its distinctive aroma, gently swirled them into her wine glass, and took a sip.

She let it roll around her tongue for a moment, taking some time to assess the intense flavor. "I think I like this."

"If you still can't sleep, stuff food into your mouth and go into another food coma," Edward said. "Like what you did earlier."

Cathryn sighed heavily, "Yeah, I was almost asleep that was why I didn't want to move but when Mild Savagery arrived, it was already rowdy in the living room."

"Edward assured her. "You will sleep better."

Cathryn shook her head as she drank the remaining contents of her wine before grimacing at the spicy, tangy taste, "Right. I would die from indigestion and I wouldn't be able to wake up."

She proceeded towards the kitchen counter and placed the empty wine glass carefully on the sink.

Cathryn turned to look at Edward as he leaned on the kitchen table.

Edward arched his eyebrows questioningly after they stared at each other blankly for seconds.

"I should go outside, you know, get some fresh air." Cathryn blurted the idea out.

She didn't want to stay in here for too long, the loud beats from the speakers getting in her head felt like it would give her seizures. "I will walk to the park for a while."

"Alone?" Edward asked, his grey eyes filled with worry. "It's already dark."

"I like long walks."

"Interesting." Edward said sarcastically, "You hate exercising."

"I need to clear my head out." Cathryn rushed out of the kitchen and hollered at Edward as he started to prepare more food and drinks for the guests. "I will be back in thirty minutes."