Chapter 6 Flutter
"I dreamed you turned into Xavier and asked me for this ring!"
"Xavier? Who's Xavier?"
"He's the guy I told you about the other day. The one who intended to buy this ring from me!"
"Oh, so his name is Xavier, huh? I'm surprised you know his name!"
"Of course, that's because he's my classmate from college!"
"Your classmate? Really?"
"He just suddenly appeared in my class, and it turns out he's the younger brother of one of my professors."
"Okay, so his name is Xavier. He's so impressive that you even dreamed about him!" Jacob said, looking somewhat annoyed.
"I didn't plan on dreaming about him at all, Jake! I don't know why he ended up in my dream!"
"It's because you keep thinking about him, which is why he easily entered your dreams!"
"Jake, I wasn't thinking about him at all! I don't care about him at all!"
"You don't care, but you found out that he's the brother of one of your professors. You didn't have to lie to me!"
"What lie? What exactly did you say?"
"He offered a very high price for your old ring. He must be very rich. You thought it wouldn't hurt to become his close friend and date him, maybe!"
Jacob started acting annoying. I don't know what made him act like this. But one thing's for sure, he was being incredibly annoying. I've known him since childhood, you could say, I know him very well. Therefore, I knew all too well that Jacob rarely acted like this.
"Jake, what's wrong with you? Why are you so angry?"
"Nothing happened! I just feel a little annoyed. I've prepared dinner, do you want me to bring it to your room or—"
"I'm not hungry!"
"Whatever! If you don't want to eat, that's up to you!" He said as he left my room with an annoyed expression.
I really didn't understand him or what he was thinking. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and followed him to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Jacob had already set the cutlery on the table and a bowl full of risotto. I know Jacob isn't a great cook, but whenever I have a fever or feel sick, I always crave his risotto. Even though it's not particularly delicious, I somehow find myself liking it.
I pulled up a chair and sat down, seemingly unfazed. He stared at me for a moment, smiling a sly smile as if mocking me.
"Didn't someone just say not hungry, hmm?"
"I can't bear to see you cook a whole pot of food. It's not nice to waste food, is it?"
"Who said I was going to throw it away? I'm going to eat it all!"
"You glutton!"
I couldn't help but laugh, our arguments were hilarious. Even though we argued often, we honestly depended on each other. We never let our arguments drag on too long.
"Jake, I'm sorry if you upset me. I-"
"Forget it!"
"What?"
"Forget it! You need to eat a lot to get better soon, understand?"
"But your cooking doesn't taste very good, I don't eat much like this."
"Then, don't eat it!"
"Hahaha...I was just kidding! You're such a quick-tempered person!"
"Layla!"
"What?"
"Is there something you want?"
"For what?"
"For your birthday present. If there's anything you want, you can tell me. I'll make sure it's for you."
I froze, hearing Jacob's statement, which somehow made my heart beat incredibly fast. There was a strange rumbling inside me, and it left me confused about what I was really feeling inside.
"I don't want anything, Jake. I just want us to live well and be happy forever."
"So, you want to live well and be happy forever with me, is that it?"
"I-I mean, I want us to be happy and—"
"I understand, Layla. You don't need to explain it to me. You're the most important thing to me. That's why I'll try to give you everything I have."
I didn't really understand what Jacob meant. I wondered if he had other feelings for me? Could he love me as a lover?
My heart was pounding, and I couldn't lift my head and look at Jacob. What was happening to me? Why was I acting so strange?
Even after I returned to my room, I could still feel that pounding heart. When I was little, I had really liked Jacob. But as we grew older together, I began to consider him as family. I put those feelings aside and lived with him like a brother.
Knock... knock... knock...
There was a knock on my bedroom door, and I nervously opened it slowly. My eyes widened when I saw Jacob standing there, shirtless and wearing only a towel around his waist.
"W-What is he trying to do? No, no, I'm used to seeing Jake wandering around this house in just a towel. But why am I feeling uneasy now? What's happening to me?" I thought to myself. I was starting to act like a pervert attracted to sensual things. But Jacob in a towel was truly sexy.
"J-Jake, w-what's wrong?"
"I've got warm water in the bathtub. If you want a bath, you can take one now!"
"O-okay, I'll take a bath soon," I stuttered. I even held my breath for 30 seconds.
I couldn't control myself. I'd felt something strange inside me ever since that strange young man named Xavier kissed me yesterday. It wasn't like a human kiss.
"Layla, what's wrong? I noticed you looked strange. Did something happen?"
"N-no! Nothing happened!"
"Really?"
"Yes, really! Nothing happened to me, I just-"
"You know I hate it when you lie to me, right? So, if something happened, you better just tell me straight up!"
I paused for a moment, trying to comprehend the strangeness that was happening to me. I hated the situation where Jacob suspected I might be hiding something from him.
Unconsciously, I pushed myself up slowly and reached for Jacob so I could hug him.
"Layla, what are you—"
"Don't suspect me! Please, Jake!"
"Layla, I—"
"I don't want you to hate me! I don't want to lose you, Jake!"
