CHAPTER 49: A CREEPY STARE

"Good morning Theodore,"

"Good morning Kekoa,"

"Good morning Yuan, isn’t the morning so lovely?"

Everyone had to look up to confirm who was greeting them with such a sweet and happy tone. The daze and fulfillment sitting in her eyes were different from yesterday. She had suddenly transformed into a happy person overnight.

"You seem elated," Yuan took Aaliyah’s hand and led her into a small room where she had spent the night.

"Yeah. Today is a new day, yesterday has passed," Aaliyah replied dreamily, already wondering where Alastair was.

She had seen him walk off with Theodore. It was the first time they had walked side by side without arguing or looking ready to rip each other into shreds.

"I guess you’re right. You must have had a lot of fun. It’s good to see you bright and shining again," Yuan nodded with a smile.

"Lot of fun?" A confused Aaliyah inquired.

"Yeah. You were with Alastair last night, weren’t you?"

Aaliyah wanted to say she was with him every night, instead, she nodded, "I was," She still looked genuinely confused.

Yuan did not know how to say this, and Aaliyah saw her cheeks were slightly colored, "The walls...are not soundproof," Yuan said, clearing her throat.

"What does that mean?"

"Come on. I’m spoon-feeding you this," Yuan arched a brow.

"I really don’t understand,"

Yuan took in a deep breath, "Everyone could hear you screaming last night. We all know what happened between you two. The walls aren’t soundproof,"

It took Aaliyah a full minute for the words to spread and settle in properly, comprehending what she had been told. She could not breathe and had never felt so embarrassed her whole life. The silence stretched for another minute, and Aaliyah felt like crawling under a rock and hiding there forever.

"You’re so pale!" Yuan laughed at her, "Don’t worry, it’s normal,"

Aaliyah was too ashamed to look directly at Yuan. Her eyes kept shifting away from Yuan’s humorous gaze, "It’s not normal. I feel like burying myself and suffocating to death!"

"Yes, it is. Also, you guys are a married couple. We are the ones intruding. We are not supposed to be here...!"

"I can’t believe you guys could hear me. I’ll be quieter next time," Aaliyah pursed her lips, her face red like a tomato.

"I see...," Yuan smirked deviously and leaned into Aaliyah’s face, "So you enjoyed it and want a next time? Huh?" She said, raising her eyebrows.

"W...what? I just meant...," Aaliyah could not meet her eye.

Yuan burst out laughing, "Oh my Friend. I’m just messing with you. If you could see your face right now,"

"I hate you," Aaliyah eyed Yuan.

"Do you remember what I told you the other day?" The laughter in Yuan’s eyes disappeared into a more serious one, "About protecting yourself? About protecting your heart? About not trusting anyone? You have to keep doing...!"

Suddenly, Yuan groaned in pain and gripped her head tightly. As she did, Aaliyah reached out to ask if she was alright when she felt like someone was out there standing, probably listening to what they had been saying.

It was Kekoa Clarkson.

"What’s wrong? Are you alright?" Aaliyah asked. She also glanced to see whether the glowing stone may have slipped out of her pocket to check if it was the cause of the sudden pain but the stone was still hidden.

"Nothing. I’m fine," Yuan replied after a while, "I’m fine,"

"No you’re not," Aaliyah glanced at the door again with a big frown on her face, "Does Kekoa have something to do with this sudden attack?" Aaliyah added all of a sudden.

"Huh? What?" Yuan had not seen that coming, and she stuttered along her sentences, "No, of course not. Why will you even say that?"

"Nothing. Just a mere thought," Aaliyah murmured in a low tone.

If Yuan was trying to warn her about something and they wouldn’t let her...

Wait, how is that even possible? All of these don’t make sense.

Kekoa was outside and should not be able to hear what they were saying, but then Aaliyah had seen a Nightwalker, Undead, the growl under the bridge and had seen a man use his bare hand to hold a car. Plus, her senses were more active than others.

Being suspicious about the weird people living in this house was nothing compared to the rest.

"If you’ll excuse me," Aaliyah uttered and left.

As suspected, Kekoa was on the couch working on a laptop in front of her. She looked up and met Aaliyah’s creased eyes at her then went back to what she was doing.

Aaliyah strode around the living room, just moving around carelessly, refusing to sit with her blue eyes watching Kekoa’s every breath. The woman gave her the creeps like every other person she’d met in the house.

"What is it?" Kekoa could not take it anymore and questioned, looking up again from her computer.

"What’s what?" Aaliyah shrugged.

"What are you doing?"

"Is it a crime to walk around my husband’s living room?"

"Alright then," Kekoa said and went back to work.

Ten minutes later, she looked up again, "What do you want? Why do you keep staring at me?"

"I’m staring at an unwanted guest here. If you don’t want to be stared at, I’m sure you have your own place to live,"

Kekoa breathed, "I’ve been here and I’ve known Alastair longer than you’ve,"

"But did he marry you? No. No, he didn’t,"

Kekoa’s fingers formed a fist, her facial muscles clenching, "Why would he marry me? I’m not you,"

What did she mean by that? "Exactly. You’re not me. Why are you here, then?"

"I’m done having this conversation," Kekoa faced work again.

"I’m not done staring at you,"

About two hours passed and Aaliyah had taken a seat and kept firm eyes on the woman whom was beginning to get uncomfortable under her unyielding gaze. Every few minutes, Kekoa would look up at Aaliyah and Liya would flash her a fake sweet smile.

It was getting creepier to see every time.

"Fine, let’s talk!" Kekoa closed her laptop and crossed her leg, "What would you like to know?"

"Talk about what? I never said I wanted to know anything," Aaliyah cocked her head to the side slightly

"Don’t make this hard. Ask away. I’m listening,"

"It seems you’re getting all this wrong. I’m staring at you because I feel like it,"

"You can’t stare at someone just because you feel like it,"

"Not unless that person is a supermodel billionaire. I’m allowed to admire the beauty of God through you,"

Kekoa did not know what else to say. Not because she was flattered but because it was only getting creepier and she was also beginning to have suspicions of her own, "I didn’t know you were a funny type,"

"I know you’re a weird type," Aaliyah did not even hesitate.

"There has to be something you want. Is it money? You look poor,"

"I am poor," Aaliyah answered, "I don’t have a single penny, but I don’t care. I have way bigger problems than being poor,"

"Let’s have a nice conversation, Liya,"

The only person who calls her Liya is Yuan, so there was a cringe hearing it from someone else’s mouth.

"What would you do if your life was to end... today, per SE ?"

"Why would my life end today? I’m gonna live long enough and achieve a lot of things,"

"It’s just a simple question," Kekoa smiled softly, "If you knew your life was ending today, what would like to do before death comes?"

What an odd question.

"I’ll stare at you," Came Aaliyah’s retort.

Kekoa squeezed her eyes shut. What on earth makes someone this stubborn? "I’m being serious here,"

"Same here. What else will I do? Alastair isn’t home right now, and I wouldn’t want to die while I’m around Yuan and add that hurtful memory to her mind. You’re the last option since we don’t like each other and you won’t feel my death one bit,"

What a bizarre answer. Others would have said something like spending their last moments with the people they love or living their dream a bit.

"Since we are on the death Topic, I’ve been curious to know how you made it out of the hollow. Do you practice magic?"

"Hollow? What’s that?" Aaliyah asked in pretension.

Kekoa kept her cool, "Nothing. Forget I asked,"

"No, I don’t practice magic. Do you?"

Kekoa now understood she had to be careful around Aaliyah. Normally, she’s able to interpret what people are trying to do just by looking at them and if need be, talking with them. But so far, Aaliyah has been the one confusing and whirling questions back to her.

The girl knew what she was doing.

Just then, the front door opened and Alastair walked in.

His eyes found his wife’s first, and a smile formed on her lips to see him.

"Where have you been?" She stood up and walked over to him.

"I was moving around. Get ready," He announced, "We are going for that drive you requested for,"