Chapter 17

Lello and Ziah are preparing the ingredients that they will be using to cook their dinner, while Nally is sitting in one of the chairs in the kitchen. They agreed that Ziah will help Lello cook dinner. The doorbell suddenly rang so they looked at each other. Lello did not said that he is expecting a visitor, and Nally and Ziah are not expecting anyone.

“I’ll get the door.”, Ziah said. She wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. Lello nodded and continued washing the vegetables.

“Neil are you sure this is Lello’s house?”, Shayra asked while looking at the house. The house is not that big, but it was beautiful. She never heard anything about Lello’s family before so she thought that he is living alone. ‘Isn’t it too big for a guy who is leaving alone?’, she thought.

“Yes, this is his house, why?”, Neil said while waiting for the gate to open.

“Don’t you think it is a bit big for a man living alone?”, she asked.

“Nope. My house is even bigger, and I am living alone.”, he answered as a matter of fact.

“But he’s not like you who always wanted to show off. He is a very reserved man. I bet he is very lonely in that house living alone. Once I became his girlfriend, I will make this house livelier!”, she said with great determination in her eyes. Neil just smiled and shook his head feeling helpless with Shayra.

They turned their head when they heard the gate opening. But they just stood there motionless with their mouths hanged open when they saw the person who opened the gate. They saw a very beautiful girl who can be compared into a goddess. She has a flawless white skin, a small and pointed nose, pink luscious lips and a fair of enchanting eyes, with her beautiful straight black hair hanging until the middle of her back and a perfect curvaceous body. She’s standing there elegantly while waiting for them to answer her question.

“Can I do something for you?”, she said politely. Neil was still in a daze and was even amaze with how her voice was beautiful. Her voice is so soft and almost melodic in his ears. He felt Shayra nudging him at his side.

“Yes?”, he asked again.

“Well, if you are done staring at me can you now tell me if there is something I can do for you?”, she said irritation evident on her face.

“Oh, I am sorry, I did not mean to stare.”, he said smiling while scratching the back of his head. “I think I rang the wrong doorbell, I was looking for my friends house, I must have mistook your house as his house, it looks the same and it is in the same neighborhood.” He looked at the house at the back and was about to turn around when he decided to look at the house again.

“Wait, I am sure this is his house.”, he said to himself out loud.

“May I know who you are looking for?”, Ziah asked.

“I am looking for Lello Claveria, I am a friend of his. This is his house, right?”, he said, confused.

“Yes, may I know your name?”

“He’s Neil and I am Shayra, may we come in?”, Shayra said smiling, but it did not reach her eyes.

“No. I still have to confirm if you are really friends with Lello. Please excuse me.” Ziah said coldly. She closed the gate and went back into the house living the two in front of the gate. Neil and Shayra exchanged look and sighed.

“She’s rude. She should have let us in since we already introduced ourselves.” Shayra complained but Neil only shrugged his shoulders.

“Who’s that?”, Lello asked Ziah when she returned from the gate.

“A certain Neil and Shayra, they said that they are your friends. I left them at the gate because I still need to confirm their identity with you since you did not say that you are expecting a visitor.” Ziah said and took some of the vegetables and started slicing it.

“That’s fine. I’ll get to the door.” Lello walked out of the kitchen and went outside.

“You said it’s Neil?”, Nally asked Ziah.

“Hmm.”

“Neil is Lello’s friend, but who’s Shayra? I have not met her before.” Nally asked. Ziah did not respond since she does not know the answer as well.

“Is Shayra beautiful?”, Nally asked.

“Yes.”

“Ohhh. I remember, I think big brother once mentioned a girl before which he thought is beautiful. Maybe that’s her.”, Nally said. Ziah raised her eyebrow. ‘So, he thought she’s beautiful, he have good taste. She’s indeed beautiful.’, Ziah thought.

“What are you doing here?”, Lello said frowning when he saw Neil outside the gate.

“Lello, my man!”, Neil greeted him. “We are here to congratulate you for finishing your residency earlier.”

“No need, you may go now.” He said coldly. He looked at the girl beside Neil displeased. He does not like that Neil brought someone with him without his permission.

“Come on man, we came all the way here, can’t we just come inside and sit for a while?”, Neil said and forced his way in while holding Shayra’s hands. Lello heaved an angry sigh and closed the gate.

Lello is a very private person, he never shared his personal life with anyone. Neil bringing Shayra in his house made him angry but with Neil’s personality, his coldness has no effect. Neil only brushes his cold remarks off. He looked at him walked casually inside his house while dragging Shayra with him. Since he was not able to stop them, he just followed them inside. When he came inside, he found Neil greeting Nally happily. Neil carried Nally to the living room and place her on the sofa he then sat comfortably in one of the sofa and talked happily with Nally.

“Ahm, Lello, I am sorry for intruding, I hope you don’t mind our presence here.” Shayra approach him and tried to explain.

“It’s fine. Make yourself comfortable.” He then turned around and walked towards the kitchen. Shayra looked at him sadly and sighed. She followed him with her eyes and that’s when she saw Lello talking to the girl earlier. She saw him smiled at the girl and took the knife from the girl and began cooking while the girl stood beside him and assisted him like a girlfriend to her boyfriend. She felt her heart ache and felt the urge to cry. How she wanted to be with that girl’s place. Standing beside Lello while watching him cook and assist him. She started to imagine herself replacing that girl that moment but then she felt tears fell down her cheeks. She wiped it and forced a smile on her face before she went towards the living room and joined Neil and Nally who are happily talking.

While they were talking, the beautiful girl who they met at the gate served them a freshly brewed tea.

“Hi there.”, Neil smiled at her and introduced himself once again.

“I am Neil, Lello’s friend, I am sorry for staring at you earlier, I was just shocked to see you. You were not here before.”

“It’s ok.”

“This is Shayra, a friend of mine and Lello’s acquaintance from the student council.” He then introduced Shayra to her who is sitting quietly beside him. Ziah just nodded to her to acknowledge her.

“I am Ziah.”. She doesn’t really want to introduce herself but since Neil introduced themselves, she felt like she needed to return the action. She looked at Neil and Shayra and found that they are staring expectantly from her, like they wanted to hear more than just her name. But she doesn’t intend to share anything to them, so she just excused herself and went back to the kitchen.

“She’s really rude.”, Shayra commented.

“Actually, Z is kind, she just really does not like to talk much.” Nally explained.

“Oh, sorry, I did not intend to give a snide remark, I did not know that I said my thought a loud.”, Shayra apologized while knocking her own forehead. Nally smiled at her understandingly. They continued they chat happily. The three of them goes well with each other since all of them are bubbly and kind. They are laughing happily at each other’s stories.

“You may join them. I’ll finish this up and call you when I am done.” Ziah said when they heard the laughter from the living room.

“No, I am fine, I don’t really like loud crowd.” Lello answered and continue cooking. Ziah was looking at him and lost her focused and cut herself as she was cutting some vegetables for the side dish that they are preparing.

“Ouch.”, she said startled with the stinging pain on her finger.

“What happened? Are you alright?”, Lello went in front of her and held her hand.

“Yes, it’s just a small cut.”, Ziah tried to get her hand back.

“Let’s treat it first.”. He lowered the fire on the stove and then washed her hand on the faucet. He then pulled her to the living room while holding her hand and made her sit down the sofa.

“Big brother is the dinner ready now?”, Nally asked as she felt the presence of Lello.

“No, not yet, a few minutes more and it will be ready.”

“What happened Lello?” Neil asked.

“Nothing major, Z cut herself, so I need to treat her first.”, Lello said while walking towards where the first aid kit is located. He then get down on one knee in front of Ziah and started to treat her wound. Shayra felt pain inside her chest as she watched the man he love taking care of other woman, but she hide the pain and forced herself to smile. Once he finished dressing Ziah’s wound he stood up and went back to the kitchen.

“We are almost finish cooking, no need to go back to the kitchen, you can just get the table ready.”, he instructed to Ziah and Ziah nodded in response. Then they both went out of the living room like nothing happened.