--
"Still thinking about it?" Said her older brother. They are currently on the veranda of their house, almost midnight after their heart-to-heart talks about her childhood memories.
"Why did he suffer alone?" she asked her brother about Perth.
"Life is not about happiness ... it’s about suffering and knowledge and pain and heartache ... without any of that, you might as well as just be an empty soul" Ernaline let out a deep sigh as she overlooked the moonlight. "He chooses his path baby and I don't have the right to answer that"
Maybe she should ask him for herself.
A scattered suitcase welcomed her as she entered their apartment. She walked into the house to the kitchen. Ernaline saw Sav, Jasper, Kaizen, Senri, Kyle, and Perth.
Wait, Perth?
"What are you doing here?" She said in surprise, Saviel turned to her before she greeted her with a hug.
"I thought you couldn't come home alive, did the reporters stop you?" Saviel said.
"No. My brother took me."
"It's okay then," Saviel led her to the vacant seat right in front of Perth's seat.
"Whose belongings are you in the living room?" She asked her companions.
"It's Dezrail’s things," Ernaline turned to Perth's side of just quietly eating. "He's moving here,"
"Is he coming back to the band?" Ernaline seemed to feel sad if ever Perth returned to the band but she’s happy about it.
"Nope. He will have to go through a lot of punishment before he regains our trust," Jasper and Kaizen interjected as they talked as they threw a death glare at the man who didn't care what they said.
"Quit that childish act you bastards," Saviel giggled next to Ernaline as if amused by what was happening now while Ernaline was clueless.
"You're crazy Jasper," Kaizen blurted out of nowhere.
"Why are you blaming me?" Jasper answered.
"I don't know about you, you're the only one who's mad at D, why are you dragging me on those shitty acts of yours?"
"Why you--"
Saviel laughed next to Ernaline. Jasper's face could no longer be painted because of what Kaizen was saying.
"Err. Did I miss something?" Ernaline asked hesitantly.
To her surprise, Perth got up from his seat and approached Ernaline. The man grabbed her arm upright from the seat before pulling her until they could enter the room she and Sav were occupying.
"What's going on?" Ernaline just went home like this when she arrived, another house she seems to have gone to.
"I’ll stay here," Perth said.
Ernaline drops her jaw like she can’t believe what she has heard. "Seriously?"
"I can't let my guard down Ashleigh," now he's calling her on her second name. She crosses her arms in front of her chest as she looks at him.
"Did something happen when I was away?" Perth's eyes stared at Ernaline, the mixed emotions he had just seen.
Perth looks frustrated than she is. "I'm going back to the band,"
"What?" Ernaline's ejaculation was unbelievable.
"I'm just kidding," Ernaline backed away in shock. She seemed to want to grab Perth and punch him pretentiously.
Perth laughs at her as he took her hands before leading her to the bed and making her sit there. Perth knelt in front of Ernaline while still holding her hands.
"You're too dense Ernaline, I was just kidding. I can't fulfill my duty if I'm going back to where I used to be," Ernaline recovered from the shock and faced the guy.
"My Mom told me everything about what happened when we were little" Ernaline pulled her hair covering her face as he looks at her like she's a precious gem he saw in his whole life. "What happened to you after that?"
The man did not say a word but just looked at her.
"Do you wanna know?" Perth question and Ernaline nodded in response.
She wants to know him better. Ernaline didn't know why but there was a part of her that she wanted to know him better.
When Perth entered the scene, she already forgot the man who she talked to when she was in the park, she had already forgotten also the man who saved her in Palawan.
"I'll tell you everything, but on one condition?"
"What's that?"
"This," even before the girl could breathe, Perth's soft lips landed on hers. If Ernaline hadn't just sat down, her knees would have weakened because of the mind-blowing kiss given by Perth.
Ernaline did not realize that she had closed her eyes because of shock. Perth’s kiss is gentle, full of caution as if she were a fragile crystal.
"Oh fuck! Wrong room," Ernaline pushed Perth as Sav suddenly entered the room. Ernaline was about to climb into bed out of embarrassment. She even heard Perth’s crisp cheap because of Sav’s sudden interruption.
"I'm sorry D, I'm in the other room. Next time, know how to lock, okay?" Saviel's mockery of the man.
"Thanks for the reminders," Ernaline closed her eyes because of the embarrassment, the man's voice showed amusement because of what she is right now.
"I will pursue what you intend to do, do not forget the protection."
"Just get out already, you're embarrassing her," Ernalin heard the door close, as well as Saviel, laugh as the woman walked away from the room where they were. That woman is crazy.
She felt Perth’s hands on her head as he gently caressed her.
"Hey," Perth said. But she didn’t make a single move, she’s too shy to face him because of what happened. "Look at me, baby,"
Her eyes widened as Perth pulled her horizontally on the bed and it landed on top of her. He was holding her wrist above her head.
"What the hell?" Ernaline struggles with Perth but she can't move because of the man's weight.
Perth grin at her. "Don't be shy; you will be my wife in the future,"
"Don’t be silly," even though Ernaline was embarrassed, she still managed to resist him. "Get off me, Perth."
"No. Until you say yes to me."
"What yes are you saying?"
"That you will be my wife?"
"No!"
"Oh, fierce. I like that but you can't say no this time," the man covered her lips again with his kiss. It made her feel different than the first kiss Perth gave her.
She feels the butterfly inside her stomach. Her world shattered as he explores her whole. His kiss went down to her neck, to her ear until it came back to her lips again. They were almost out of breath when Perth released her. Their foreheads touch as they catch each other's breath.
"Still no? I will kiss you again until you beg for more,"
"Moron! Yes, just let me go," Ernaline blushed and pushed Perth away from her and the man didn't say a word anymore. Ernaline adjusted herself after she sat up in bed, damn him for giving those kinds of feelings! She's going crazy, can they do that again? Kidding you useless brain!
"I'll just take my things to the living room. I'll sleep here," as if Ernaline saw a ghost. She just wants to disappear from the world because of that man’s flirtation.
Ernaline eyes widen when she realizes that he's her boyfriend already? Or is it not? Oh, damn innocence!
Why does she have to give in because of his kisses? Why? Ernaline just wants to know what his life was like when his parents died.
*****
Calvin brought them a private resort, they need a break for the time being. They can't always be in the spotlight, especially since the issue about the three of them, Renal and Perth, is still hot.
Social media is like a fiesta today and a lot of fake news is spreading about them.
Saviel approached Ernaline with a smile after they entered the hotel where they were staying. The two of them are together in the bedroom with Sinji while the boys have their respective rooms here.
This private resort was owned by one of Calvin’s friends whose name was Trevon Dwayne, Ernaline met him already with Luther. Along with their other friends, even her brother is here with them to have a vacation. Even other HuPoFEL members are here.
"Have Perth had a home run yet?" Sav inquired as she arranged the suitcase she was carrying in the closet.
"Hey what's that home run? Is there a pregnancy going on?" Sinji shouted from the comfort room. This woman thought like didn't always know the news, she's not at the base because of which country she goes to.
"What home run are you talking about? Stop me Sav, I'll call Luther for you." Ernaline threatened but the woman just squealed loudly. Ernaline feels her eardrums cracked because of Saviel’s scream as if there was no tomorrow.
"Don't include Luther in this. And at least he's a sharpshooter, your Dezrail is even slower than a turtle," Ernaline dropped her jaw and turned to the woman.
Sharpshooter?
Goodness, as much as this woman knows!
Sinji came out of the comfort room wearing her swimsuit covered only with see-through clothes.
"You flirted with my brother again. If I were you Sav you would have given up on him." Sinji said before sitting at the end of the bed.
"I'll just give up when he says I've stopped." Ernaline stared at Sav. Ernaline knows her as a happy-go-lucky person but this time her eyes are full of sadness.
"Don't expect anything from him, Mars. He's like a rock. Even I, his sister, can't understand the way his brain works."
"You can't understand him you are you and him as him. You have different perspectives on life,"
Ernaline stopped unpacking her things due to a serious conversation between the two. They only have a heart-to-heart talk once and this is the chance for her to recover but she doesn't know what Saviel went through so she will just listen.
"I saw myself in him and I feel like we are in the same boat where we suffer from pain and agony" Sinji didn't say a word but just shrugged.
"Everybody goes through in pain Sav," Ernaline said to the woman.
"I know. But why did the conversation go to me? D's home run is what we're talking about here!" Ernaline was just overwhelmed by the absence, she thought Saviel had forgotten about it because of their serious conversation but here they are, going back to the corner.
People are suffering because of their bad experiences, but sometimes experience is the best teacher.
*****