Chapter 9

I knew that there was no beer left in the fridge since I've already finished them last time, so I offered to buy the beer for tonight.

I wonder what happened to him.

I already went inside the convenience store located at the ground floor of the condo just now, but the usual beer that we drink was already sold out so I decided to go to the nearest convenience store from the condo. It's just a walking distance from here, so it wouldn't take very long to arrive there.

As I was walking, I suddenly felt like there was someone following me. Am i being paranoid?

I glanced at my back to see if there was actually someone, and I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that there was no one there.

I quickly walked to the convenience store when it was already in sight and grabbed a few cans of beer and some chips. I went to the counter and paid for them. "That would be xx dollars, sir." I handed the exact amount of money the cashier asked for and thanked her before leaving the store.

Is it just me? I feel like somebody's really watching me. I'm starting to get scared. Though, I still doubt that someone's actually following me.

I decided not to mind the weird feeling that I got and quickly walked to the condo. As I was walking, the fear that I felt earlier came back when I heard footsteps behind me.

I started walking faster, but the person behind me started walking faster too.

Is that person really following me...?

I grabbed a can of beer from the plastic bag and prepared myself mentally before facing that person. If something goes wrong, I'm gonna throw this can at his face.

I ran and just as I thought, he ran after me too. I stopped running and turned to face him.

"Huh?" Confusion can be seen all over my face. It's.. my ex, Nathan. What is he doing here?

"Why were you running?" He asked as he panted. "Why were you following me?" I threw a question at him. "Wait, you have to calm down first. Please let go of that can. I think you're gonna throw that at me any time," he said as he raised his hand.

We were quiet for a while, until I finally calmed down. "You good?" He said as he looked at me. I nodded as a response and he just smiled a little. "I was on my way to my friend's house, when I saw you walking alone. I was about to ignore you but I noticed that someone was following you. At first, I didn't think much of it, but as I observed that guy's movements for a while, I knew he had a bad intention towards you. When he noticed that I was looking at him, he left right away. I kept following you so I can make sure that you arrive at your home safely," he explained.

But... "How did you know I was on my way home? We broke up even before I moved into the new place I live in..." I felt my hands getting colder, not because of the night breeze, but because of fear and nervousness.

He just stared at me for a while, and suddenly burst into laughter. Why is he laughing? What's funny? "Come on, don't be like that." He took a few steps closer to me, while I moved backwards on instinct.

He stopped laughing and his face suddenly turned serious. "Stop." I trembled as he said that word firmly. What is he going to do to me?

I moved another step backward. "I said stop!" His voice was full of authority, that I froze on the spot.

I'm scared. I've never seen Nathan like this.

He raised his hand, and I closed my eyes tightly, preparing myself and waiting for his hand to hit me.

But instead of getting hit, I felt nothing. I opened my eyes and saw someone who collapsed behind me. It was a man wearing a black hoodie and a mask.

Because I was so scared, I did not even waste another second there and immediately left. I couldn't care less about Nathan or the other guy on the ground.

I'm so scared that I just want to leave.

When I went back to the unit, I saw Daryl sleeping on the sofa.

"It seems like he has fallen asleep while waiting for me..." I sighed. His eyes were swollen, and he looked like he was crying just moments ago. I walked towards him and stared at his face for a few seconds.

Seeing a very strong person like Daryl break like this... hurts me, too. I don't know why he cried earlier, but I know that whatever the reason is, he was really hurt by it.

I wiped his wet cheeks and smiled gently. "Good night, Daryl."

I put the beer inside the fridge and put the chips inside the cabinet. I went to his bedroom, took his blanket, and went back to the living room to put his blanket over him. He might feel cold later if I don't do this.

I adjusted the temperature of the AC and went back to my room to sleep.

*****

I woke up with the smell of freshly cooked bacon. It's probably Daryl.

I got up from bed and went out of my room. He was cooking breakfast like usual, and he had a smile on his face—very different compared to last night.

"Hey, good morning," he said as he put the plate on the table with a smile on his face. "Good... morning?" I greeted back.

He stopped moving and stared at me for a bit and laughed. "What's with that?" He then shook his head and washed his hands.

"Are you okay?" The sound of the water running from the faucet was the only thing that can be heard. He did not answer me, so I repeated my question.

"Dar, are you okay?"