Resolve

As I woke up, I could feel his hands around my waist and my face snuggled on his chest. He has a t-shirt on, what a shame. I felt calm, I feel calm?

I looked up to see his face. He looked tired. As his under eyes getting darker. Why it's getting darker every single time I saw him. But as soon as I remembered what happened yesterday, I quickly pushed him down from the bed. He groaned in pain but he didn't even stand up or even sat up. Not even an attempt. He falls back to sleep.

And I was pissed as I saw that. Tch! Fucking sleepy head!

I stepped out of the bed, went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. Before I walked out of the room, I glanced at him, yawning and scratching his stomach. Half asleep.

"Jerk." I said before stepping out to the kitchen. I saw Diana's humming and she gave me big smiles when she saw me. Tch, another reason why I have a bad mood. I'm sorry, Diana, but looking at you, dancing all happy, make me wanna punch you in the face.

"Marry Nick or Mac?" she asked. And I smile. If you wonder who Nick is and who Mac is, Nick is a chef at our favourite Thai's restaurant in Manchester. Mac is our favourite chef at our breakfast and dessert cafe in London.

Both of them are quite good looking and good at cooking and we always go around saying that we might propose to one of them one day.

"In London? Mac of course." I said, sitting down facing her. Now I know why she's so happy. Mac, huh? She is still humming, putting a classic English breakfast in front of me. "We're eating Mac's?

"Not you, me! I craved some of Mac's. Jade said you should ask Ayden to buy some for you. You guys need to talk." She said, dancing groove in front of me. I looked at her with a pout. I just pushed that man from the bed, and he didn't even say anything at all to me.

Ask him to buy what? No fucking way!

"Can you just tell him to get some for me?" I plead.

"Get you what? I could go get them for you." As soon as I heard that voice, I was completely exhausted.

"Mac's. She loves his indulgence choco waffle and Belgian Waff Wich! Wicked was it, Maddie?" she winked as she said that.

"Indeed, it is wicked, it was absolutely rich with…" I paused myself as I realised that I was looking at him, all excited to tell him how good Mac Steven waffles are. He looked at me with a big smile, soft gaze, resting his chin on his hand. He was waiting for me to finish what I wanted to say. "...chocolates."

I quickly averted my eyes back to my English breakfast.

"How do I get there?" He asked. And I heard Diana's giggles.

"Let me get some paper and draw you the map. It's closed but let me draw the map for you." She left for a second and came back with a pen and paper. She scribbles the map, I mean doodle the map.

She even explained how to get there, I wonder if Ayden understood. She's really bad at explaining directions and she's bad at drawing.

And he nodded, stood up and went to the bedroom. He comes back after a minute, kissing the top of my head, peeking into my face with a smile.

"What else do you want?" he asked. I just rolled my eyes and give him a silent treatment.

"She loves brownies too. She loves everything."

"Brownies?" he asked me directly. I glanced at him and he smiled even wider. "Brownies," he said, in a very certain voice.

And thus, he went for Mac's. And I already think I could forgive him for that.

No! He needs to apologise for what he said!

----

I glanced at the paper bag he gave me, Mac's logo was stamped on it. And I could smell the sweet coming from it, along with his good scent. But I can't be weak against this!

"I even bought this." He gave me a bouquet, I'm not sure what it is since I'm not a flower person but I do love beautiful things or anything that he gives me. I love everything. I closed the book I borrowed from Diana and looked up at him.

He slowly kneels and presents his bribes to me. Tch, not working, dude!

"Baby, I'm sorry for hurting you. Again, I broke my promise and ended up hurting you again. I'm a foolish man, who keeps promising and yet, none of it I hold. I deserve to be punished but your silent treatment is killing me. I rather you curse and punch me hard, princess. I rather you yelled at me, but again, I make you drop your tears when I already promised you that I will be the one who will wipe it off. I'm sorry."

"About last night, when I said it was a vision? I was a foolish man, I should have jumped and run straight to the security room when you said that. I should have stared at the CCTV footage when you said it for the first time and instead, I said it was your vision. I know you're mad at me, and I deserve it. I'm sorry. I am sorry. I'm sorry." he said.

"I went back to our house last night, I should tell you a word before I left. But your brother told me, it will be better if I let you calm down first. I'm sorry if I hurt you by that too. I went and checked them by myself. But baby, the CCTV at the parking lot, it's broken. And how unfortunate, the one in the lift was also broken. I tried to check the one at our foyer, but it only shows you, princess. It showed that you're run out from the lift to our house. I see no man, Maddie," he said. And I glare at him. What?

"So I need you to tell me more about it. What shirt did he wear? So I could search the whole parking lot. Maybe the whole building too. How tall is he? What did he look like?"

I frowned.

"I believe you, baby. I just need to know what shirt he wears. Talk to me, baby."

"The CCTV in a luxury apartment building is broken? Not one but two? And one of them is in a place that it needed the most?" I asked him in disbelief. What if other women got harassed in the lift?!

"Unfortunately, darling."

I stared at him. Trying to read his expression. And I could see, he is anxious and serious when he said it is broken.

"Black hoodie, blue jeans. He wears a cap." I said. I tried to think what else I could tell him. And I realised that he got off at floor level thirty-two. "He got off at level thirty-two. When he got in the lift, he pressed the button to our house. I panicked. So I pushed the random button, thirty-two."

He frowned and nodded. He took out his phone and dialled someone. "You sure? Thirty-two?"

I nodded. I stared at Mac's paper bag.

"Andy? Yeah, my girl just told me that he probably got off on floor level thirty-two." he paused for a second, rubbing my knees softly. "Yeah, I'm not sure what time I'll be there. But can you check them for me? Yeah. Thirty-two. Right. Big thanks, man."

He hung up and silence fell upon us. I glanced at the paper bag again. So I thought to myself.

How long am I going to be upset with him? I don't know. I am hurting. Inside out. With everyone, to be honest, he already apologised and he checked the CCTV, and he called Andy, whoever that would be, to check level thirty-two. But wounds won't stop bleeding by an apologise. I think.

"It's hurt so much when you said it was a vision. I felt...betrayed." I said, breaking the silence. He looked up at me with a faint smile.

"I'm sorry. I should check the CCTV right away. I'm sorry."

"It's hurt even more when you left me without a word,"

"I'm sorry, I should tell you before I left," he said, grabbing my hands and kissed them softly. "You waited for me."

I nodded. I know he said that as a statement. But I still nodding, admitting that I waited for him.

"I'm sorry, princess," he said, kissing my hands gently. Softly. And putting his bribe on my laps.

"Thank you," I said, bashfully, accepting what I get, and more excited for Mac's. As I slowly opened the bag, I could feel that I'm drooling. I was holding my back when I saw Diana eat this because I know he went out to buy some for me. Play hard to get, what a laugh, Maddie. I could hear him laughing, kissing me on my forehead.

"Let me get you a plate." I glanced at him who went to the kitchen and back to me with a plate. I quickly tied up my hair into a ponytail, put the book on the table and took out my indulgence choco waffle, boy, look at that chocolate, it's dripping! Ayden quickly put a plate underneath my hands, preventing the chocolate drop to the laps.

"Woopsie, careful there," he said, all calm. He is being sexy for no reason, how absurd. It's so hard to keep sulking. And without further ado, I took my first bite and I could feel like I was at cloud nine!

Holy grail, Mac Steven, we all love you! I could run and propose to him right now! How can he be so perfect? Tall, handsome, nice and good at cooking, especially dessert? I hope he opens his branch in Manchester!

"Can I ask a question?" he broke the silence and my moment, but I still nodded, mood all good now. "We're good? Are you still upset?"

I stared at him, biting into my treats. "A little."

"Diana said that you used to take three-bite on everything. What's that supposed to mean?"

"She said that?" He nodded. I looked at my waffle and took another bite. So Diana said that huh?

"I don't usually eat, barely actually and I don't cook. Just instant food is enough for me, I think maybe because I used to eat in small amounts, so it's become a habit. I only eat a lot when Diana cooks or when she orders Thai's food at our fav restaurant. Jade's cooking is quite nice but I live with him almost…"I paused as I counted. How many years? I feel like forever now. But we started living together, just the two of us when we were fifteen so… "We lived on First Street at the age of fifteen, so eleven years, so when he cooked, it just felt okay now."

"Just the two of you? In one house?" he sounds a bit stiff there.

"Yeah." I took another bite. It's so good!

And silence fell upon us. I glanced at him who looked like having a war with himself.

"So...you and Jade are just like siblings, right? Nothing more?"

I looked at him, munching. "Yes, brother, father, and mother to me, and I'm his sister, father and mother to him. We rely on each other. And protecting each other. He is my treasure and I'm his treasure. I will protect him no matter what happens, and I know he will do too. And I'm happy for him and I know he is happy for me too."

He nodded, smiling faintly.

"And you barely eat because…?"

"Hm? Because it's hard for us to find a house, we slept at an abandoned house, then we moved into my boss' house? We don't have enough money so we need to save up for our first house. We barely eat, and it's become a habit. That's all. Jade used to be chubby. And he became thinner because of that. It's hurt me to see that…" I almost choked with emotion when I remembered. "It has become our habit, that's all. Jade just ate whatever he could, even though the food was already spoiled, and he used to hardly eat, but he started to force himself to eat even more because he needed to. He needs to use a lot of energy so he needs to eat more. And I'm on the other hand just don't eat much."

I finished my indulgence waffle and started to take out my Belgian Waffle Wich. God! This is heaven.

"What about Diana, she doesn't look like she had the same outcome."

"She's not an orphan, we met her when we were seventeen? She helped us a lot that time, giving us clothes, food, drinks, and blankets. Thanks to her, we started to feel better."

He nodded again, wiping my mouth softly. I smeared the chocolate on myself.

"But you ate just fine with me, princess, which I don't quite understand."

He is right! I do eat a lot when I'm with him. I swallowed the waffle and looked at him.

"Because you force me to eat, and eventually I got used to it. At first, I felt like I'm about to explode. I was about to vomit every single time you forced me to eat. Eventually, I think I adapted to it. You influenced me, and I don't quite understand too." he smiled when I said that. "Thank you."

"What would you do if you find him?" I asked him, I want to know what would he do.

"What about you?" he asked me back. "Report it to the police? Because we don't have enough evidence to present too. I wish we could charge him as a stalker but yet we don't have any footage. And, I don't know who he is too…" he said. And I stop munching. That wasn't what I tried to ask but now he asked me, I don't know either. I don't know what I'm running from. I didn't do anything wrong.

He did.

And Ayden's right too. I glanced at him who was staring at me, with that beautiful pair of eyes.

"I don't even know what he wants, or why he suddenly shows up. But for some reason, he knows where I am, where I live and what I do for a living. He knows about most of the things that happened to me. It's creeping me out," I continued eating my food, and he leaned on the sofa, crossing his legs, and one of his arms, resting on the sofa head. He looked effortlessly stunning in his black t-shirt and black jeans. That's what he wore last night too.

I sneakily looked down at myself, who wore Diana's Mickey Mouse pants and her pink t-shirt. My messy hair and my lips smudged with the chocolate. I looked hideous. Damn it!

"He didn't touch you, right?" he asked, calm. But I could see something inside him flipped.

"No."

"He said he'll come for you?"

I nodded. I clenched into a waffle. And silence meets us.

"Baby, I need to go back home, to check something. And I need you to come with me. To make sure things. But if you're not ready, you can stay here, I will come back with the copy of the footage and we can check the footage together, here." he said, softly. He grabbed my waffle and put them on the coffee table. "What do you say?"

I looked down. I should go, right? To prove that I am right. "I will, but can we go after I talked with Jade?"

"I will cook you dinner, after that?"

Dinner? He? Cook? I swallowed my saliva and bit my lower lips. He persuades me with food, and now with the one that he cooks.

"Tuna Tataki...what do you say." He smirks, tilting his head, looking all gorgeous. "Ah, you haven't eaten my curry rice yet, huh? Should I do that one? Curry rice? Karrarice?" He even pronounces it in Japanese, and his tone just drops lower. That was...hot for no reason.

"I need to talk with Jade, later. Remember." I said, slowly eating my brownies.

He smirks wider, leaning his face closer to me and I bite into my brownies, locking his gaze.

"Your eyes gleamed when you heard about the food, princess. I guess your love language is food huh?"

Love language? What's that? I don't know and could care less. But his eyes gleamed too.

"Should we run away from Jade?"

I almost smiled when he said that. Why would I run away from Jade?

"I promised him."

"Hmm...after that, we're going home," he said, smiling. "Karrarice." he pronounced it in Japanese again. Or is it?

He is still smiling, flashing his dimples as his grey-blueish eyes shimmering, reflecting the sunlight. He rested his head on the sofa head as his eyes, staring at me, eating the brownies that he bought from Mac Steven's cafe.

Now that I think, I am weak against food.