Living together

After drinking two more bottles of beer silently. Natalie stood up and looked at Mikael with a frown.

''What?'' He asked her.

''Did you come to take me home or to make me pay for your drinks?''

She shook her head and stuffed her hand into her bag to remove her wallet as she walked over to the truck.

Mikael walked behind her closely and stood behind her and watched as she struggled to remove the wallet from her bag. He furrowed his brows, remembering the time at the airport and chuckled. He asked her, ''why? Can't find your wallet?''

Natalie gave a dry chuckle and said to him embarrassedly. ''I think I left my wallet at the office. Can you lend me some money?''

''This will be the second time I will be lending you money, Miss Jun. Are you sure you want to owe me something?'' He asked with a cocked brow.

''Huh? Second time?'' Natalie frowned.

Mikael stepped closer to her and she moved back, hitting her back against the hood of the truck. He looked at her while taking out his wallet from his side pocket. He removed a few​ bills and placed it on the counter. Their proximity was very close but it seemed he didn't mind that or maybe his actions were involuntary and natural but Natalie whose face was just an inch from touching his chest turned red and she flushed. She could smell his cologne that he wore.

''The airport on the day Thomas was travelling, after seeing him off you went to buy ice cream without any money on you.'' He said softly.

''Oh, how did you know about that?'' Natalie covered her mouth in shock.

Mikael said shook his head. ''Didn't you bump into a man wearing a black hoodie that day?''

Natalie looked at him shocked as she remembered it clearly. After bumping into that man, she had found some money in her pocket. After realising he was that man in the hoodie, she pointed at him and asked, ''you were the one?''

Mikael leaned closer and looked into her small face before he turned and started walking away as if it was normal for him to get close to her in that manner.

In fact, the way he moved closer to her just now was more like him invading into her personal space.

''What are you waiting for? Are you not coming?'' Mikael turned to ask her.

''No!'' Natalie shook her head and pointed at the sidewalk, ''I am going to take a walk to digest the alcohol in me. You… you can go without me. I will just pick a taxi when I'm tired.''

''Natalie Jun, you might not know this but I don't mind carrying you to that car, so it will be in your best interest to get into​ the car while you still have a choice.''

Looking at his serious gaze, Natalie frowned and pouted her lips as she started walking towards the car. Why was he so bossy? And why was she helpless against him? She was clearly older than him, why did he always act like he was the elder one?

Natalie got into the front seat and closed the door banging it as a sign of rebellion.

Mikael's lips curved and he got into the car and started it. He looked at her face and drove away.

….

The Villa.

Mikael pulled over and turned to find Natalie sleeping. He chuckled. ''The more I get to know you the more I feel I don't even know you yet. What kind of woman are you, Natalie Jun?''

Mikael got down and went to the other side. He opened the door and tried to wake her up but she didn't even bulge. He sighed and decided to carry her into the villa. He lifted her up and carried her inside.

Mikael placed her on the bed and removed her shoes and bag. He placed them on the dressing table and covered her up with the quilt before leaving the room.

He went to the fridge to get a glass of water and was shocked to find boiled eggs in zipper bags in the fridge. Apart from the bottles of water, there were alcohol and eggs and a single bottle of fruit juice. He suddenly became worried about her health.

''Does she even eat at all? No wonder she looks so slim and doesn't weigh much.''

Mikael frowned and shook his head. ''What is wrong with you, Mikael? Are you actually worried about her right now? No, don't, she is not your business.''

He muttered to himself before closing the fridge and left the villa.

.....

Early the next morning, Natalie finished dressing up for work and picked her bag. She looked at the shoes and frowned. ''Did I bring my shoes here myself? I must have been really drunk. How did I even end up on my bed, anyways?''

Natalie looked at her wall clock. ''No time to think about this. I am getting late.''

She ran out to the hall and changed into her white sneakers to match with her black lace pants and green blouse before leaving the villa.

''I thought you never planned to leave the house in the first place.''

Natalie stood in her strides when she heard the familiar voice. She looked up and saw Mikael leaning against the front seat as he looked at her.

''Oh…'' She walked up to him and pretended to be indifferent as she asked, ''to what do I owe this early morning visit from the second young master of the Sun family?''

''You weren't so proud when you were in my arms last night?'' Mikael said ambiguously and Natalie's face turned red.

''Huh? I… I was what?'' Natalie asked as her face distorted.

''Who did you think carried you inside when we arrived?''

''Huh? I didn't go in by myself?''

''You are quite heavy for your small body.'' He said as he sized her up.

''I'm getting late for work, excuse me!''

''Get in!''

''I can…'' Natalie swallowed back her words and went to get into the front seat when she saw the face he was giving her.

''For the record, this is my mother's orders and not mine. She made me promise her that I will take you to and bring you back from work, so if you don't want the arrangement you can have a talk with her later on.''

''Okay.''

Mikael's phone buzzed and he kept his hands free into his ears and answered the call as he drove.

''Speak!'' He said into the phone.

Natalie turned to look at him as he spoke solemnly over the phone. She didn't know what he was talking about it seemed to have something doing with the company.

Natalie sighed and suddenly found him pitiful.

He was not better off in anyway. They had both lost someone who meant the whole world to them but unlike her, he was getting the shorter end of it as he had to work in the company he didn't like and still find time to do the thing he loved.

Now that she was looking at him, she realised that he looked tired and worn out. Maybe a little malnourished. She wondered if he even had time to take his meals.

Natalie frowned. She was thinking too much again.

They were enemies as long as it came to her. She didn't have to care about him. She shook her head and looked away, deciding not to think about him anymore. She had her own full plate so she didn't have the luxury to think about another person.

Natalie got down from the car and waited for him to drive away before she went into the building. She went straight to her department and started her day's work.

When it was time for her to close, Natalie intentionally left the office earlier than the time she had told Mikael to come and pick her.

This was because she wanted to get home before calling to tell him she had already gone home.

She realised carpooling with him was an uncomfortable journey she didn't want to embark on. She preferred leaving a low key life. She didn't want him to be recognised and then her name will start trending again for the wrong reasons.

Talking about her name trending, Natalie looked at her phone as she got down from the taxi and walked towards​ the villa.

Since that day a week ago, those people haven't gotten in touch with her. She didn't know how Mikael handled it but she felt grateful to him.

At least, he was able to get them off her back, even though she didn't know for how long.

When Natalie arrived at her villa, she saw the lights in the hall turned on and became alarmed. She rushed over and opened the door with her key.

She saw a pair of male shoes on the porch and the TV on and frowned as she picked up one of the high heeled shoes that she had.

Natalie walked with steadied steps until she got to the hall and paused the moment she saw Mikael in just a towel around her waist as he spoke on the phone. She looked at his bare chest right down to the towel that was tied against her waist and her face turned red.