Chapter Fifteen

"So, what is this? You were with a boy this whole night?"

Hugo just stood there, thinking about what to say. Rhea looked unbothered. But she did regret listening to Hugo when he said that he would not let her go alone back home and decided to go together. Hugo was supposed to leave after Rhea went back, but for some reason, Ronan was standing right in front of the front door.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Rhea asked.

"Why are you not in your room and with a boy?"

"Because I went to his place. That's why," Rhea replied.

"Why did you go to his place?"

"Do I ask you why you go to Rose's place?"

"She is my girlfriend, Rhea. But Hugo is not your boyfriend?"

"Who cares? Even before you started dating her, I never asked you where you went when you left in the middle of the night. I am not obliged to answer you," Rhea said, then turned to Hugo. "Will it be okay if you leave with me in the morning for school?"

"Your brother seems angry. I don't think it will be okay."

"It's not his house. It's our parents'. He has no right to say no if I wanted someone in," Rhea said.

"Talk to me, Riri!"

"Move out of the way, Ronan. Come in, Hugh," Rhea said. "And leave your shoes and wipe your feet before entering."

Rhea walked past Ronan. Her cool-headedness fascinated Hugo as much as it intrigued him in a scary way. He went after her but kept a distance between them as he suspected her brother might explode.

"She is asexual," Ronan whispered.

Hugo stopped and looked at him. "I am not in a romantic relationship with her," Hugo said. "We are merely friends."

"But you like her."

"… It is one-sided. I am not asking for something else," he said.

"Well, I am not worried that my sister will like you. I just don't want you to do anything harmful to her. Not just you, but anyone."

"That's enough of how much you care about me, Ronan," Rhea said from the top of the stairs. "It's weird."

Hugo's heart started thumping in his chest. They were talking in whispers, but how did Rhea hear him from so far? Did she also hear what he said?

Hugo started preparing answers in his head if Rhea asked him about it. Hugo had realized his feelings, not long ago and he also realized that he had been unknowingly in love with her since the moment he had first seen her.

No matter how many girls liked him, his eyes were only for one.

He gave Ronan one last look before following Rhea upstairs. Rhea took him to her room and closed the room behind them.

He was surprised when Rhea closed the door. It bothered him how less Rhea considered him a man.

But that bad feeling went out of his mind right away the moment he took a look around the room.

He had never seen a darker room before. Almost everything was black, starting from the wall to the floor and all the furniture. Color would only make chaos.

"Your obsession with black is worrying," Hugo muttered.

"I would call it a fascination," Rhea said. "It is deep and mysterious. And I don't look good in any other color."

"Have you tried?" Hugo asked. He was certain Rhea would look good in any color. But if a person did not like themselves in a color, they should just wear whatever they liked; nothing was greater than wearing whatever made themselves comfortable and confident.

"I don't want to," Rhea said. "Color makes me feel sick."

"On others too?"

"I don't care about others," Rhea said. "Take a seat."

"Why are there two cups in the room?" Hugo asked, looking at the cups on the bedside table as he sat down on the bed.

"One of them is for me and the other one is already used by me," she replied, taking her hoodie off. She was wearing a black camisole underneath. "I don't want to get up many times, so I got two at once."

"You like tea?"

"That's for coffee. I use mugs, but Ronan told me to use the cups instead because the mugs were not clean. He washes the dishes."

"I am not a cruel sister who keeps making her brother do all the chores. Ronan just doesn't let me do much of a thing. He thinks I suck at household chores," she added. "I am saying this so you don't think just because we are friends, I will make you do everything that I don't like to do."

Hugo chuckled. "Are we really friends?" he asked. "Don't you want something from me?"

"You don't have anything that I will ever need," Rhea shrugged. "I just wanted to keep you close."

"Why?"

"To be honest, I thought someone might try to kill you just like it happened earlier," she said.

'That too, and I also want to make sure you are actually not the murderer. Not like you need to know that yet.'

"You were worried?"

"I usually am not. But I don't think I will like it if someone died out of nowhere, especially when I could prevent it," she muttered. She was not empathetic and would not feel anything if someone died, but she probably did not like it that much. Even she did not understand why she felt that way. "Along the way, I think you are not as annoying as most people since you don't talk way too much and you and I have some similarities, although the number is little. I think it won't be bad to truly be friends unless you are uncomfortable, or don't like it."

"No, it's alright," he said. "I will like that."

"This is the last warning. I am a toxic person, a walking red flag," she said. "I know it too, and I know why people don't want to be near me. I am selfish. If I had to choose between you and a cat, I will choose the cat, even if it is the last choice I can make. I don't like to talk much, but since that is the only thing you asked for, I will try it. I can sacrifice anything to reach my goal. You cannot expect anything from me. If I want to give you something, that's up to me, but you cannot ask for anything. What I mean is, you cannot ask me to change myself for you or for anyone. I will be myself. If you want to be my friend, you need to accept me as I am. So, what's your choice?"

Hugo almost let out the words the typewriter in his head was writing. He had never loved anyone more.

"Then, can I add something to the contract of our friendship?" Hugo asked.

"This is a contract? Alright, go ahead."

"First of all, you will talk to me more. That's the only thing I ask of you to do and you said you will try. And I have some toxic traits as well. You will accept them, while I will accept yours."

"Will you stalk me?"

"No. I am not a creep."

"Will you kill me?"

"That's not toxic. That's literally murdering someone."

"Will you peek at me while I shower?"

"I am not a pervert."

"Will you hit me?"

"I am not abusive."

"Then, it's alright," Rhea said.

"Let's be friends for real then."

"Okay…," Rhea muttered. She knew he was making a mistake.

But, probably she was making the bigger mistake.

"So, why am I in your room now?"

"Let's be logical. There is a possibility of someone killing you if you are alone. Your father doesn't care enough for you to be with you since he has someone he cares more about," Rhea said. Hugo felt attacked, but he knew she was right. "I think you should stay with someone as long as possible. Have you told your father?"

"No," Hugo shook his head.

"I figured," Rhea mumbled. "You can be with me for quite a big part of the day if you promise to be quiet. Then, other times, you can be with those friends of yours- Verdell and that girl…"

"Clara."

"Right."

"That said, the Rose that you talked about…"

"Yes, you are right. She is our classmate," Rhea said. "Ronan and she are dating for two years now. But it's supposed to be a secret, so they will appreciate it if you remain quiet about it."

"Why is it a secret?"

"I don't know. It's their thing. I don't care."