Stay with me...please?

I stared blankly at the fireplace in a daze. The heat filled me with warmth and lessened my shivering body though my heart felt hollow. The flickering flames moved harmoniously and looked serene. The sound of the raindrops pouring on the roof and against the window echoed in the apartment.

A trail of water from my damp hair fell across my cheek. I heard light footsteps and stiffened when it stopped behind me.

"Here," said a calming voice. I turned my head slightly to see an outstretched hand holding a mug.

I looked at the mug and then back at Miguel. I muttered a hollow thank you and took the cup.

The delicious aroma of the coffee did nothing to my muted scent. I felt robotic and empty inside. Miguel did not utter a word in the silence and stared at me.

In the still room, we could hear the sound of the rain.

I began wandering my eyes at this place that I assumed was his apartment.

It was not luxurious or fancy-looking, which confused me because I thought he was rich.

Why else would he be able to be at the hotel party and be able to buy me a house and get me a recommendation to work? I didn't ponder further because I felt like it was none of my concern.

I looked around my surrounding, the room looked plain and simple but cozy. There was a fireplace in the center of the room and a tv pinned on the wall above it. Pitch couches surrounded a glass table that faced the fireplace. There were no pictures in the living room but paintings instead. The canvas was those that you could not tell what the object is but had to picture it from your perspective. The walls looked newly painted with white color. I sat on a pillow next to the fireplace and only saw the living room where I am now.

"Would you mind if I give you my clothes to wear? I am sure you are not comfortable wearing your wet clothes," he said.

I didn't reply and continued to stare at the fireplace with a blank expression.

He nodded and left to go to his room, which left me to my thoughts.

'I should call Alex since he may be worried about where I am,' I thought but then realized I left my bag with my phone.

"Here," Miguel spoke behind me. He placed the clothes next to me, and I could feel his body warmth the process. My heart would usually skip a beat, but I felt too empty to feel anything. "

"You can use my phone once you are changed to call someone if you need to. The bathroom is there," Miguel said, as if he knew what I was thinking, and pointed in the direction.

I nodded and watched him enter the doorway to the kitchen.

I looked down at the long-sleeve shirt and shorts that would look large in my built.

I entered the bathroom and made sure to lock the door. The shirt reached my thighs, and the shorts looked like I was wearing pants instead. I analyzed my surroundings once I finished dressing. The bathroom was plain and simple like the rest of the apartment. It was white and black and had a tub, a shower, a toilet, and a sink. The tiles were black, while the walls were white. It did not have any extravagance to it.

I washed my hands after using the bathroom but froze when I glanced at myself in the mirror. My eyes were puffy red, my hair disheveled, and my skin pale. With a shivering hand, I touched my cheek.

'That's right. My daughter Mia is sick, and instead of staying by her side, I left,' I thought and felt my heart feel heavy.

I stared at the mirror and bit my quivering lips. I fought back the tears since I knew I cried enough. Once the rain decreases, I'll go straight to Mia with a cheerful face and not a sad one.

I stiffened when I heard a knock on the door.

"Sasha? Is everything okay?" he asked, his tone laced with worry.

I composed myself and splashed my face with water. I opened the door and managed to say in a steady voice that I am fine.

I walked past him into the living room and could feel him watching me at the back.I sat on the couch and looked anywhere but him. He sat opposite me and gazed at the fireplace.

"I am not going to ask what happened to you. I know you wouldn't tell me anyway since I am not your friend but a person who helped you in the past. You don't have to worry about me bringing it up," he said with a dull voice. I wandered my eyes back at him and gazed at him as he stared at the fire.

My heart clenched when I remembered that Sarah said he must have had his reason to leave suddenly.

The room was silent. "Here," Miguel said out of the blue and handed me the phone. I stared at him as I took it. I dialed Alex's number, but it reached voicemail, so I sent him a text.

"Thank you," I mumbled. Miguel lightly smiled and continued our silence.

Miguel abruptly stood up and said, "I'll leave you alone since you need to collect your thoughts, so I'll-"

"No," I stood up and quickly grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. Miguel glanced at me, confused, and I realized what I had done and let go.

I bit my lips. "I... don't want to be alone with my thoughts. You saw what happened; I was so much in a daze I was almost run over," I looked at Miguel in the eye," This is a one-time thing, but could you stay...please," I said quietly.

I didn't want to let the negative thoughts cloud my mind because I might burst out crying.

Miguel's expression softened and gave me a serene smile. His eyes flickered, which reminded me of the flames. He took my hands on his.

"Sure," he simply said.

***

Dear Readers

I am now in my 50th chapter so may you please start rating this book.