CHAPTER 7 - Grew

The days passed quickly. It felt like time was running too fast again. Sometimes, I would just stare blankly into space without realizing it, wondering how my heart was doing.

It's too happy to give a damn about anything.

"Babe, have you thought of a title defense for your research yet?" Seven asked one time as we headed home. We were going home early today because he said we were going somewhere. Somewhere very special.

Oh my! My kiffy is acting up again, and it's getting wet. Is he finally going to take me to heaven? Ugh. It's been a while. We haven't even tried it yet.

I stopped and thought for a moment. The only thing I've done these past few days is flirt and be lazy. I didn't even think about starting my research. Maybe because I'm too in love.

As always, riding on his old bicycle, feeling the cold breeze of the afternoon air. The tip of my ponytailed hair slams against his muscled arm while he holds the bike's handlebars. I glance at him while he balances, still smiling even though his forehead is sweaty.

Does he look like this too if he's riding me nonstop? I giggled. The evil in me said hello at the back of my head again.

"Yeah! It's called 'Why Procrastination is the Key to Last-Minute Genius.'" I proudly said.

He glanced at me, looking as if he couldn't believe my answer. Probably, he wasn't expecting that.

"Are you serious? You're full of nonsense. And yet you still manage to think of that? Isn't your defense coming up soon?"

"Yes, babe, so fckng what?" I proudly said, especially when I remembered how many projects I had finished on the day of submission. "My hypothesis is that stress-induced panic unlocks hidden brain powers."

He laughed at my answer. I was pleased.

"And your methodology?"

"That's easy! Step one: Ignore the research until the night before. Step two: Cry a little. Step three: Write like your life depends on it."

"You really have something loose in your head. And what about your conclusion?"

"Sleep deprivation and caffeine can turn anyone into a temporary genius—until they pass out."

He laughed so hard that we swerved a little, making me shriek.

"I'm not sure if you'll pass or get a wellness intervention."

"Oh yeah, that's true." I laughed at the thought. "Either way, it's groundbreaking, right? I could push for that if I wanted to. I'd defend it with confidence and honor." Long preparations give me headaches. I don't like them. I prefer cramming.

I noticed that the road looked familiar. I had been here before. I came here when I was dumb and young.

A quiet cemetery in the late afternoon. The sun casts a golden glow over the gravestones. The air is still, but peaceful. We got off the bike, and he gently held my arm as we made our way to a particular spot he seemed familiar with. I stayed silent because I could feel that this moment was precious to him.

Seven held my hand as we stood in front of a simple yet well-kept grave. I looked around, and the place was so silent that I could hear my heartbeat. Why do I feel excited and nervous? I turned to look at him, filled with questions. Was it his mom's birthday? Or her death anniversary? This was my first time here.

He looked at me and smiled. When he saw my confused face, he chuckled.

"So… this is it. Not exactly a fancy introduction, huh?" He scratched the back of his head.

"You didn't even tell me so I could have brought flowers!" I lightly punched his shoulder. He never really opened to me about his mom. Now I feel happy. Maybe I really do mean a lot to him. He's willing to cross our boundaries to bring me closer. I smiled.

"There's no need. This is just an ordinary with two special girls in front of me." He caught my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it.

I'm not 80 years old yet, but my knees went weak with that.

I pouted. "It's perfect," I said as I squeezed his hand. I looked at the name written on the stone, and my heart warmed when I saw his mother's name. I was just happy that I finally got to meet her. I cleared my throat.

"Hi, Mrs. Harper. I'm Achaia. I've finally got to meet you."

I stole a glance at him, and he was looking at me intently. I smiled again. This time, I think I'll be honest with myself.

"I'm his girlfriend. We've been together for almost six months, and I'm so happy that I met him. Not once has he ever thought of hurting me." My gaze shifted to him. "That's why I'm thankful to you for bringing him into this world. Even though your son is cheesy, he's the coolest person I know. To me, he's a hero."

I recalled how he took care of me over the past months. Even though I kept fighting with him at school, we were sweet whenever we were alone.

There were still so many things I wanted to say, but I didn't want to steal the moment because it seemed like he had things to say too.

"Sorry, Mom. It took me so long to come here. I've been a bit busy… with her. I'm really sorry, but I hope you don't mind my schedule because you know it's hard to be alone. Now that you're gone, it's not easy. But since Aki is here, I always feel like you never really left me. You were an angel to me, Mom. And I am happy to know that when you left, another angel came."

He looked at me and held my hand tightly. A pause followed as the wind stirred the leaves.

I kneeled slightly, tracing the name on the headstone with my fingers.

"Seven enhanced the house you both shared since it's the only place he had in remembrance of you."

Seven laughed lightly. "It was Dad who insisted. He wanted me to live with him, but I didn't want to leave the house. It was our home."

Another gentle silence. Seven exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I wish you could've met her. You always said I'd find someone who'd make my world brighter. And, well…" He glanced at me, his eyes soft. "You were right."

A breeze rustled through the trees, almost like a whisper. I leaned my head on his broad shoulder, and we both stood there, feeling a quiet kind of peace.

"I think she'd be really proud of you, babe." I was sure of it. There wouldn't be a trace of disappointment in her because she raised him well.

"I hope so," he responded, almost a whisper.

For a few minutes, we let the silence reign, savoring the moment that felt so light and comforting.

The sun started to lose its glowing light, casting warm shade over us as we stayed a little longer, hand in hand. A moment later, we slowly made our way back to our parked bicycle.

"Did you know I went here when I was twelve?" I suddenly said. I used to come here almost every day for months. I smiled at the memory. I think he deserves to know some delicate parts of me.

"What were you doing here?" He stopped walking, his forehead creased.

"I was having a witchcraft session here," I said seriously.

Disbelief was written all over his face, and I burst out laughing.

"You should have seen your face. I was just kidding! Get a life, bro." I laughed so hard until it gradually faded. "I came here to check if my mom's name was on any tombstones. I know it's bad of me to wish she was dead, but I hoped her name was here. At least then, I could understand why she couldn't see me anymore—because she was gone."

My chest tightened at the memory of how much I pitied my dad… and myself. I looked up to stop my tears from falling. They were starting to build up.

When I saw a bench nearby, I pulled him with me, and we sat down.

Seven watched me patiently before finally speaking.

"You're doing that thing again."

"What thing?" I glanced at him, brows furrowed.

"Building walls. Locking everything inside." He nudged me lightly. "You can try, but I see through you, babe."

Damn. He always knew what to say.

Rubbing my hands together, I sigh. "She left me, babe. Eight years. Not a single call, not a letter. Nothing. And now, it irritates me to realize that she still has this effect on me."

 "Yeah… she does." He nodded slowly.

"She wasn't there when I needed her. I learned to live without her. I was fine without her." My voice thick with emotion.

 "Were you?"

Seven gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I swallowed hard looking away.

 "I don't know."

"Aki, I know she hurt you. And I know no apology can make up for those lost years. But… I know for sure she's in pain also. Don't you think you owe yourself the chance to heal?"

The idea of forgiving her? My mind went blank. It doesn't seem to fit. "I don't know if I can."

He held my hand and squeezed it. "You don't have to do it all at once. Forgiveness isn't instant—it's a choice you make every day. And if you ever feel like it's too much… I'll be right here."

Annoying. I don't want to think about it, but what Seven is saying is slowly getting to me. "You always know what to say, don't you?" I stared at him, pouting, my eyes glassy but warm.

"It's part of the boyfriend package." He said grinning.

"Okay. I'll… think about it." I chuckled then a took a deep breath.

Seven kissed my hand. "That's all you need to do for now."

The sun continues to set, casting a little golden light over us as I leaned into Seven, a small weightlifting from my heart.

A taste of peace.

Then I glared at him. Checking if he's real as he was talking about how airplanes are built when one red light blink in slow repetitive motion in the night sky appeared.

I shouldn't feel this way.

I shouldn't be staring at him like this—watching the way his fingers drum absently against the edge of the bench, how his brows furrow when he's deep in thought, how the corners of his lips twitch upward when he's about to prove someone wrong.

It was supposed to be a game. A calculated move. Avenge myself, humiliate Oric through him. That was the plan. The only plan.

And yet, here I am, seated peacefully beside him in his old, crooked bench, barely absorbing a single word he's saying because my heart is too busy pounding like a trapped thing inside my chest.

"Are you even listening?" Seven's voice pulls me out of my spiraling thoughts. He's looking at me now, expectant, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"I—" I blink, frantically searching for something clever to say, something that isn't the truth. But the truth is cruel, and I hate the way it gnaws at me.

His smirk fades slightly. "You okay?"

No. I'm not. Because the more time I spend with him, the more I forget why I started this in the first place. And that terrifies me. How many times must have I be terrified with the idea of me falling for him yet losing him scares the hell out of me, too.

I force out a laugh, light, careless—like I always do when the walls threaten to crack. "Of course. Just… zoning out."

He doesn't buy it. Seven isn't stupid. If anything, he's too perceptive for his own good. His gaze lingers, assessing, searching for something in my expression. And for a fleeting second, I wonder if he can see it—the guilt, the hesitation, the war waging inside me.

I drop my gaze to the beautifully crafted nails I have with the help of a little light from a lamp post afar, pretending to be amazed by how it was intricately designed by my nail artist, pretending I'm not falling apart over something that shouldn't even be real.

But it is.

It is, and I don't know how to stop it.

I glanced at him, hesitated, then said, "Come home with me."

He turned his head slightly, studying me. "What?"

"Home," I repeated, a little more forcefully, as if I needed to convince myself as much as him. "Come over. Just for a little while."

A beat of silence. Then, "Why?"

Because I need you to. Because I can't be alone with my thoughts. Because—

"I don't know," I muttered instead, hating the way my voice wavered. "Do you need a reason?"

Seven's lips curved slightly, not quite a smile, but something close. "With you? Yeah, I do."

I exhaled sharply, rolling my eyes to mask the strange warmth blooming in my chest. "So dramatic."

He didn't press, though. He just nodded. "Alright."

Relief. That's what I felt. Relief mixed with something dangerously close to gratitude.

The little walk back was quiet, the kind that felt heavy with unsaid things. Seven rubbing his palms together, his gaze flickering toward me every now and then as if waiting for me to break the silence.

I almost did.

The words curled on my tongue, bitter and trembling. I could tell him. Right now. The truth about why I sought him out in the first place. The truth about Oric. About me. About everything.

I gripped the helm of my top tightly.

Seven focused his gaze towards me me. "Achaia?"

My breath hitched.

Tell him.

Tell him before it's too late.

But I swallowed it down, the same way I had swallowed every doubt, every hesitation, every shred of guilt since this all began.

"I need to tell you something." I said, forcing my voice to be smooth, light.

"What is it?"

"I—uhhh" How will I start this? How?!

He studied me for a second longer before shaking holding my hand. "Tell me baby, what is it?"

I turned my focus back to the grassy way, pretending the tightness in my chest was something I could ignore.

"Uhh, I change my mind. Let's go to my house next time. I'm not ready to let you meet my dad. He'll be shocked and confused and would be against me bringing a guy home." Dad is home, I just can't tell him something about Oric yet.

He seemed convince about it; he nodded.

Lies were easy.

The truth was terrifying.

And I wasn't ready for it yet.