Helpless
Cold water splashed across her face, but it didn't cool her down. I do. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and found a person she couldn't exactly recognize right now—they had the stupidest smile on their face along with a rosy glow. I do.
I like you too.
Her face had grown flushed now that she didn't need to hide it from him.
Would it be alright to dunk her head into an icebox? Could she try flushing herself in the toilet. A resigned and long sigh escaped her lips crossed with a derisive snicker. She really had said that didn't she? I do. I do, I like you. She could still feel the brush of his lips on her skin.
Did Xue even know what they were trying to say?
She shook her head. Did she know the repercussions of what she answered to him? She had said it without much thinking, spurred by the moment and the atmosphere.
Brought on by the way he had rambled on and held her stare as he did.
I do.
Prompted and impelled with how her heart rammed tightly in her chest when he hugged her earlier, influenced by when she squeezed his hand and when he kissed hers.
I do.
What else could she have said?
I'm quite into you.
There was only one possible answer to his question and she was prompted to speak the truth. She promised him that and they managed to use it to their advantage.
Insane. She shook her head and took a deep breath. Was there a way to fast-forward time? Once she went out the door—he'd be there.
She slapped her hands over her face. "Shower first, worry later."
It was right after that shower did she realize that she only brought her towel and had no spare clothes. "Way to go Chan Lee." She bit her lip and opened the door by a bit and popped her head out. And there he was, sitting at her bed and hugging her pillow as he stared out the window. His long white hair pooled by her bed and framed his gentle features.
If she had a camera, this was the moment where she would have snapped a picture. They seemed to be so captivated by the sights that he hadn't even noticed her when she opened the door.
What was so wrong if she went out the bathroom in a towel?
She had never done it before, but maybe she could sneak past him? Would it be too much to ask him to get her clothes? Would he question her choice of undergarments. Chan Lee wanted to hit her head on the wall.
She was being too silly.
She went out the door and began to tiptoe towards the closet.
"Oh, Miss Chan Lee, you've finished taking a shower. You were a bit longer than usual?" He glanced at her with a tilt of the head. He was probably questioning why she was even trying to not get noticed by him.
She laughed and dashed towards her closet, "Yeah, funny business. I'll just go get changed—" It was another sprint back into the bathroom. It was only after that she was appropriately dressed did she regain a sense of control.
He was now waiting for her when she went out the bathroom, though he was still seated on her bed.
Now that she thought about it, could she actually still sleep in the same room as him? She scratched her cheek, "How about we order food? I don't think there are any available restaurants if we try to go out for dinner."
"Oh, that's alright with me." He smiled at her.
It wasn't all that different when he used to smile at her. It didn't feel like anything new occurred—like she started viewing him through rose-shaded glasses. She grabbed her phone from the table and plopped over her bed. It was still her bed after all, even if he was currently occupying it.
She maintained at least a person's distance away from him as she sat at the edge of her own bed. A small plonk could be heard as Xue moved closer to her. "Will you be ordering fast food again, Miss Chan Lee? I know you're quite young, but you still need to be wary of your salt and sugar intake."
Had he gotten over his confession?
Had she been overreacting over his statements earlier? She shook her head, it wouldn't be the first time. "I'm fine, thanks for the concern."
"Would you mind if I touched you?" His shoulders brushed against her, he was sitting right beside her.
She blinked for a moment, trying to ignore the feeling of him close to her. "What did you just say?"
"Can I please poke your cheek, Miss Chan Lee?" He asked.
He was asking for permission as she had told him, she wasn't sure if she should be happy or worried. "Alright, go knock yourself out." She had to change the subject. "What would you like to eat?"
"Um, anything you'd like to eat?" Xue leaned towards her and pressed a finger to her cheek. He did it a couple more times, poke poke. "I'm fine with anything, Miss Chan Lee." He beamed.
She wasn't sure if she wanted to keep looking at his eyes or lean forward—Guanyin
He smiled and scooted a little closer, "Miss Chan Lee, have I ever told you that you smell so nice?"
This guy was starting to get to her, whether it was annoyance or something else. He wasn't this… flirty? Talkative before? More than ever, she could see how Xue was a happy bunny right now. She turned to him and grabbed his face, squishing his cheeks with her palms. "No. You haven't told me that yet, Xue." His blue eyes twinkled as he looked back at her.
"That's because you've been busy." He told her.
She dropped her hands to her lap and gave him a look. "That's because I'm a university student—" She paused as he leaned towards her, his face close to hers. Chan Lee stared at him, until his hair tickled her face, his breath fanned over her ear.
"Well, would you like to hear more about the things I haven't told you yet?"