Chapter 1

'Hmm..', Aleah released a short silent moan when she sank her naked body in the bathtub filled with warm waters. She plugged in her earpiece to her both ears. 'Just Like a star' by Corrine Bailey Rae was on repeat on her iPod. She never felt so relaxed after what happened this morning. She had fight with her boyfriend, Jeffery. EX-boyfriend to be exact, it's all over now between them. Aleah can't stand with Jeffery's short-tempered jealousy. Today, Jeff slapped her in the public only because she went to a mini stationery store to buy some items she needed.

Jeffery stormed in the store, grasped Aleah's arm tightly dragged her out the store when she's just about to pay her stuffs at the cashier.

Aleah fell to the pavement outside the store. With her left hand on her left cheek, she can feel the stinging heat that Jeff gave her.

"What the fuck, Jeff!" Aleah shouted at him. She's panting, staring straight to his eyes. Feeling disbelief what he's done. Suddenly, a man came out of no where and with a blink of eyes Jeffery was on the ground. The man has punched him, right to Jeffery's face.

"You do that again, you better pray I'm not around to kick your ass to the ground!" he glowering a warning, bend down his body with his index finger pointing straight to Jeffery's face with daggers stares. His voice was husky. All Aleah can see was his back. Wearing a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans. Broad shoulder, with fine muscular body. Slightly dark-long haired.

Jeffery gets up and ran to his car across the street and drove away. "I promise, I will get you, Leah!", he shout out of his window car. Aleah saw the man who has his back to her, show off both his middle fingers to Jeffery. Aleah scoffed a chuckle, can't believe what she saw. Then he turned around and walked to Aleah, hand out his right hand to help get her up on her feet. Aleah catches his hand.

"You okay?" he asked. "I'm alright, thanks", Aleah replied while sweeping dusts off her back shorts. She looked up his face. He has beady shape eyes. Blue eyes. Thin pair of lips. Nose, perfectly shape. She carved a smile. He bits his bottom lips, all of sudden he become shy with her.

"I'm Aleah. Can call me Leah" she introduced herself.

"Hmm.. Daryl." He replied in low tone with a nod.

Daryl had enough. He always saw her get shouted at and dragged around unwillingly in front of his store he working, by the man he assumed her boyfriend. Everyday, she walks pass by his workplace that sells various of tools just next to the stationery store that Aleah always went to. He can see her face, something have burden her all the time. She never wears a smile. Well, there's once. When Daryl first lay his eyes on her few months ago. She caught him looking at her and she carved a smile. But it was a forced smile which then faded and looked down as she walked pass him.

Since then, Daryl wants to know who was she. Something deep in his heart makes him want to make this girl smiles and happy. But then he finds out she have a man, so he cancelled his intentions. Concealed it tightly. He could only watch her walk by his workplace.

Daryl blow away a punch to the man's face. When he heard voices in distress outside the shop, he quickly walked to front window glass of his store to see what's going on. He saw a man grabbing Aleah's arm and by the expressions of her face, she looked like she's hurt by that. Then, suddenly he slapped her out of reason. Daryl who witnessed the scene, felt his chest built overflowed with anger. He's furious. He automatically stormed out his store, make his way to the couple and the man now stumbled on the ground. He's breathing fast and he can feel his whole body shaking. He feel satisfied. Like he's been wanting to do that a long time ago.

"What y'all lookin' at? Go back to your own business!—Scram!" Daryl scowling when people who saw the incident starting to crowded the scene.

"This is embarrassing." Aleah sighed. "Thanks though." She saw Daryl blushed. And Aleah just smiled.

"Oh, wait here." Aleah suddenly walked in to the stationery store and came out just a few seconds later. She's carrying a small plastic bag with her. She stood facing him and looked for something in the plastic bag. She took out a pen and reached for his left hand, opened up his palm. Then, she wrote something in his palm. Daryl had no idea what she's doing so he just observing her.

"There.." Aleah smiled at him. Then, she walks backwards and make a telephone hand sign and Daryl saw her mouthing 'Call me'.

Daryl looked down to his palm. He read what's written. 'ALEAH W.' with a phone number above the name. He lifted his head up to look for Aleah's sight but she's already gone. Daryl couldn't fight his big smile when he looked at his left palm again. He got back to his store and continued working. The rest of the work hours was relaxing. He never felt overjoyed while working.

Aleah sat down at her dressing table. Took a bottle of hair moisturizer and squeeze out a little amount of the liquid to her palm. She then scrub it with her both hands and rub them into her shoulder-level hair. Then, she took a hair-dryer and started to blow dry her hair while her eyes were locked to her phone at the end of the table.

She released a long sharp sigh and put down her hair-dryer. She took her phone and walked to her bed. Threw herself on the bed laying on her back with her arms spread out. Aleah's phone started to buzz. She looked at her phone screen, Jeffery's name appeared on the screen. He been trying to call her all day but she rejects all his calls right away.

"Ugh! I need to get new number." Aleah complained. She hates him now. She never felt been so humiliated. In public! She whispered some curses. She cannot believe why did she fall for Jeffery in the first place. She tried to remember how they were met when suddenly her phone buzzed again. She was annoyed and gets up in sitting position on her bed and without hesitation, Aleah answered the call.

"What do you want?! Between you and me are now over. So, can you please stop calling me. Do not contact me anymore. I had enough!" she answered the call angrily. But the end of the line remain silent.

"Do you understand me?!" Aleah grunted. She already wanted to hang up the call.

"Hmm, hello? Aleah?.. Perhaps, it is a bad time to call?" A husky wet voice was heard at the other side of the line.

Aleah furrowed her brows in confusion. She looked at her phone screen. It was an unknown number. Puts her phone on her chest with her both hands. Her angers disappeared. She panicked.

'This is not Jeff.' she said to herself. She then stick the phone back to her left ear.

"H-hello?" Aleah called. "Who's this?" she continued.

"Its Daryl" the unknown caller identify himself. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. Maybe I'll call you next time?" he said. Aleah now remembered about Daryl. She gave her number to him this morning and she really completely forgot about it.

"Oh, no no no no! Don't hang up!" Aleah's voice was a little high-pitch.

"I'm sorry, Daryl. I thought you were Jeff. Cause, he been trying to call me all day and I think I'm going insane." Aleah explained herself apologicly to Daryl.

"So, you're not mad at me?" Daryl asked.

"Of course not. Why would I be mad at you?" Aleah replied with a smile engraved on her lips which Daryl cannot see.

"Hmm, okay." Daryl replied gruffly. Then, an awkward silent appears between the lines.

"So, what's up?" Aleah cleared her throat to break the silent.

"I've been thinking. Can we meet tomorrow? Maybe get some coffee and breakfast? If you aren't busy" Daryl asked.

"Oh, I'd love to! And tomorrow's Sunday, so I'm totally free." Aleah widen her eyes and grinned happily.

"What time, by the way? And where do we meet?" She continued.

"Meet me at the outside the stationery store that you always went. Uhm.. maybe at 8 a.m. If thats okay for you or is it too early?" Daryl answered. He sounded nervous.

"No, it's fine. I'll meet you there at 8am sharp." Aleah chuckled.

"Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Leah."

"Alright. Good night to you too, Daryl."

Aleah lay back to her bed. She felt something ticklish inside her stomach. She's smiling to herself, shut her eyes while her hands hugging her flat stomach. She giggled. She opened her eyes wide and rise suddenly.

"Wait…. How did he know which stationery store I always went to?" Aleah talked to herself. Curious. But she rather not to think much about that. She will just have to ask Daryl tomorrow.

Daryl keep looking to his palm. It's getting late. He was nervous. He's been thinking, whether he should call Aleah or not since he left his workplace later that afternoon. Can't make up his mind clearly. His phone was ready on his right hand. Then, he decided to call her.

He shifting tapped his thumb to his phone's screen, starting to input Aleah's phone number. He exhaled a long slow breaths and tapped the CALL button on his screen. The other side of line started to ring. By the third ring he can hear Aleah's picking up the call.

"H-hello..Le –" Daryl was about to start a conversation, but before he was able to finish his line, he was cut out by Aleah's angry voice through his phone. Sounded depressed.

Daryl tried to be calm. His heartbeat beating fast thinking whether he just bothering her at some point. Then, Aleah speak up asked who's calling. He answered her with a lower tone and just want to hang up the call fast but Aleah raised her voice to stop him from doing it.

Daryl heard Aleah's explaining herself about Jeffery. He can feel goosebumps just listening to her voice. They talked just for a few minutes. His mind was blank, when he spontaneously asked her out for breakfast.

'What the fuck did I just said?' He mumbling to softly while he face-palmed himself. But, in fact, he received a positive response from Aleah. Daryl's eyes sparkling, almost dropped his jaw down the floor. Can't believe with his ear.

After Daryl ended their call, he walked out to the kitchen with a smile engraved on his lips. He took out a can of coke from the fridge, and start to gulped down his throat. Daryl cannot wait for the sun to rise tomorrow.

End of Chapter 1

A/N: Hey everyone! So, what you guys thinks about the story? I know, and I am sorry for my bad grammar. But, I'll practice more to improve leave a review so I know what you were thinking. Thanks! Will update the next chapter soon.

xo, lenereedus