Erik walked into the kitchen after he was done with prepping himself. In any minutes, the guests will fill the house and he secretly dreaded the moment. It meant a lot of bumping and interaction with the guests.
Not that Erik hated them but it was in his nature that he was not a talker, moreover a greeter.
Erik folded his shirt's sleeves and sighed as he saw his brother helping his fiancée with whatever it was on the plate. It seemed to him that they were all good so he just made his way to the living room. There, he saw Hana and Jessica conversing as if they were old friends. He smiled, amused by his sister's friendliness.
"Hana…" Erik called his sister. The younger girl looked up and smiled widely at the sight of her favourite older brother.
"Erik! Come sit with us!" she gestured her brother to sit by her side, patting the empty space on the sofa.
Erik shook his head and smiled. "It's okay Hana. I just hope I didn't interrupt your conversation. I'm just going to head out and see who else are coming." He said and left them to continue their talk.
Just as he predicted, in just a few minutes, the house were already full with his relatives and other guests, probably family of their family's friend. There were some of them that he knew well but then there were those that he really did not have a clue who.
Like a question mark on each unknown person's face.
However, even though it was not up to his level of comfort, he was glad that none of them was paying attention to him. Otherwise, Erik would have fainted in the middle of the crowd. Though Maddox were there, the boy disappeared halfway, leaving him alone.
At one point, after long hours of wandering alone, finally his stomach screamed for food. Just as Erik was about to go and fill it with food, Hana came and surprised him. "Have you eaten? Where's Jessica?"
Hana shrugged and pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. "She's with Maddox. I'm hungry, that's why I'm here, duh." She said sassily, which caused the older boy to laugh at her attitude. "And you, I saw some baby prawns and nuts in the foods. Beware of what you're going to pick."
Erik's eyes widened. Perhaps it was a good thing that Maddox took Jessica away from Hana for a while. At least the little girl can help him picking his meal. "Then, can you help me pick out the food. Just anything as long as it doesn't kill me."
Hana nodded. "Sure. Just wait there, alright." She pointed at the corner of the house where the grand piano resided. "And I mean it! Don't disappear like the last time. Eat with me."
Erik smiled and patted the girl's head before heading to the place where Hana told him to wait for her. After a few minutes, the girl came with two plates full of food. One of which he could recognised as his because of the many chicken and finger foods and heap of salad. "Wow! Are you mad at me that you decide to stuff me with these?"
Hana laughed. "I do. Now eat. You're a fast eater." She said before sitting next to Erik.
The siblings ate away while chatting and catching up with each other. If it were not for their almost identical features, one would have thought that they were lover. Nevertheless, that could be a different story. Both pranksters each made playful remarks with each sentences thrown to each other. At some points, Erik would mock his sister, giving her a funny look or even ridicule his own face by making an ugly expression.
It was only after Maddox and Jessica came, did they stopped teasing each other, realising and laughed at how foolish they might looked like in the guests' eyes. Both Jessica and Erik's sister then took Maddox with them as they told him they would like Maddox's company with them for their night walk. It was strange but Erik shrugged it off, knowing that Maddox could be their safeguard.
Erik roamed around the house, feeling bored of the whole occasion. He had a small talk with his brother's fiancée but that was it. As Erik was walking around aimlessly, he caught sight of a lonely woman standing at the secluded corner.
Her face was unclear, or to say it correctly, could not be seen due to the sea of people blocking his view. Erik frowned. There was a sense of familiarity. A sense of assurance that he knew who this person was.
The woman was wearing a light pink evening dress that stopped right under her knees. The dress was sleeveless so Erik could see the smooth milky skin of the woman. Perhaps it was the dizziness caused from all the noise, all the murmurings, and all the laughter; Erik felt his body grew light.
Without him realising it, his feet made their way to the woman. Eventually, Erik realised that the woman he saw was Tiffany, the girl he had not seen since his mother hogged her and Jessica.
Strangely enough, instead of turning away, Erik took a few more silent steps and stood beside her. He could not deny that Tiffany looked pretty without the scowl on her face, and with that dress, she absolutely looked stunning.
Erik did not know how long he gawked at the girl, and upon realising, he had not said anything to her, he inhaled deeply. Erik tried not to sound so cliché so he opted to find some words that were not associated with any of those.
Tiffany was surprised to see him and she took a long moment to finally respond to him. It dawned to him that they were in the same boat—not very keen on the idea of being in the company of the crowds. Upon hearing her words, Erik came up with an idea he thought for a while. Just before he could say it aloud, the corner of his eyes caught sight of his father's colleague's notorious son.
Erik knew what the Thai-borne man was up to, as he seemed to approach Tiffany. Therefore, doing what he always do, Erik shielded Tiffany from his side and placed one of his hand on the wall beside her head.
"Okay." She said and it was all it took Erik to drag her out of the place.
…
"You know, I never knew you were the type that hated being in the crowd too." Erik asked. "I thought you're like a…people-person?"
Both of them found themselves walking along the shore, occasionally kicking the water underneath their and feeling the wet sands engulfing their feet with every of their steps. It was a lucky thing that the breeze was not that cold that night, so it was a good thing for them to take a walk and get some fresh air.
"And I have the same thought about you too." Tiffany said with a small smile as she watched her feet drowned in the water and sands. "You know, for a few seconds there, I thought you were someone's father. Were you always that close to your sister?"
Erik laughed and looked at Tiffany with an amused expression. "I don't know if I should be happy or offended by your words." He said to which the girl replied with a snort. "To answer your question, yes. I am much closer to Hana than Josef."
Tiffany hummed. "And why is that?"
"I don't know." The boy shrugged, hands in his pockets. "But I think it's probably because Hana and I is much closer in age…and maybe because she's a ball of one cheerful girl." He said, smiling at the sky.
Seeing him looking serenely pleased, Tiffany just kept mum. Somehow, being in his presence, in this situation, with this atmosphere, calmed her raging heart. It relaxed her body all over and she never knew the reason for it. "You've got a big crowd of guests there. All of them are your relatives and family's friends?"
Erik shook his head and smiled. "No. Some are, probably most of them, but there are also my father's close friends, not family's friends, just my dad's friends." He said. "If you noticed, there was this guy with massive brows…he was approaching you."
Tiffany's eyebrows cocked upward. "Really? I didn't see him at all." she frowned, trying to remember anything related to the said man.
"Of course you didn't. I covered him out of your view.." Erik grumbled, picking up a stone and threw it into the sea. Somehow, Tiffany could feel that he was throwing the rock out of frustration.
"Name's Buck. An asshole since he came here."
"Why do you sound like you hate him so much?" Tiffany stopped walking and looked at his side-profile. Erik looked as if he has a lot to thought about before picking up another stone, attempting to make it skip on the water surface. "I won't mind if you—"
"Hate is a strong word because I only dislike him." Erik began, throwing another stone.
"He's a year older than us. Yes, he is handsome, and yes, he could speak many foreign languages. Hot and drop-dead-gorgeous as all the infatuated girls would say but that was it. Buck's like the sexy and handsome bad-boy with no brain at all, but he could get any girl he wants. The one thing I could not stand is that he kept on taking my girlfriends away as if he was trying to prove something to me…"
Tiffany kept mum as Erik continued talking. At every point, he would stop and skip more stones.
"I'm not saying that I loved those girls because I don't, but it'd be a lie if I say that I don't feel anything for them throughout our relationship." He paused. "Perhaps they were too bored of me because I wasn't adventurous, not as buff as him, too."
"You can call me weird, but I told the girls that I dated that I won't go a step further than kissing and hugging unless I'm sure of what I felt for them." Erik sighed deeply, pulling back his hair that was bothering his temple. "I know it's unfair for me to be in a relationship when I don't even have the same amount of attraction for them the same as they did for me, but I foolishly thought that maybe long enough, I'd feel something strong for them. Maybe you can call me an idiotic, hopeless romantic."
Erik laughed but Tiffany noticed the lines of frowns on his forehead and the lack of emotion in his eyes. She felt as if she had to say something at that moment but her mind was too blank to form any kind of words. Instead, Tiffany kept quiet and listened to him, still.
"…but I guess they got impatient while waiting for me so they went to Buck who could give them everything that I can't." Erik chuckled before taking a huge amount of air and then letting it out with a loud groan. "Well, it's all in the past now. Memories in my secondary school's year. Besides, I don't want to compete with someone that comes with massive, bushy brows."
Tiffany burst into laughter in the midst of it all and Erik laughed too because he thought that somehow, Tiffany looked too adorable with her eyes smiling upside down, her soundless laughter.
Why this devil looks so damn cute when she laughs?
Erik kept his thought to himself and smiled after they stopped laughing. "But I've learnt it all. The only thing I regret and still regret is not punching him in the face every time he caught my girl and flaunting them as if he won some priceless trophy. It hurt my pride, you know!" he exclaimed, angrily throwing the last stone into the sea.
As Tiffany stared into the darkness of the seamless ocean, Erik turned to her and smiled, brows knitted. "Never knew you're such a good listener. You kept quiet the whole time."
Tiffany turned to him and smiled, albeit awkward. "Well, I would have interrupted you if it was boring but since you're too engrossed and it sounded interesting, I just kept listening. Besides, if you haven't noticed it yet, it's the first time we're having a decent conversation." She said, burying her feet in the warm sand.
Erik laughed, realising the situation. "Now that you mentioned it, I only noticed that just now." He said, grinning widely. "Well, if you haven't realised it too, aside from you being sick, this is the first time I'm seeing you without a scowl on your face."
"That's because you're the host here and I'm the guest." Tiffany retaliated. She looked forward, sight set on the seemed to be never-ending ocean. It was all calm and the soft sound of the breeze kept her heart steady. "You know, I never meant to hate you in the first place. Well, I really don't—maybe just a tiny bit. It's just—"
"Just the way you are. I know. Jessica told me." Erik chuckled and sighed. "You were such a pain in the arse but I don't hate you too. Just that…it's been keeping me wondering why'd you…" he trailed off, watching as Tiffany stared off into the sky with such longing and an unreadable expression on her face. It was all too clear although they were illuminated with just a hint of moonlight.
"I'm not good with people being close to me. Literally and emotionally. I felt like it suffocated me when they're close which made it took a lot of time to finally adjusting to them." Tiffany said, timidly as she was staring down her feet in the sand. She then turned to look at Erik and cocked her head sideways. "Even if it wasn't you, even if in the first place you're a girl, I would still be as I was to you. I just…" Tiffany shrugged and sighing.
Erik smiled and put his hands in his pocket. "It's like your way of creating a self-defence or something."
Tiffany laughed, nodding her head to the words he said. "You can say that. I'm not fond of the idea of having someone so close to me but I also hate the thought of being all alone."
Erik bobbed his head in acknowledgement to her statement. For a moment, there was a pregnant pause in the air before Erik broke the silence. "How about this, since you've said it that way, I guess I could be that person you don't want to keep close and I could also be the person who would be there for you. Well, when you need a company."
The girl looked at him with an amused smile and brows cocked upwards. "You had an agreement with my father." She said, stating the matter of fact.
"I had your father's full blessing and consent. Although I was unwilling at first, seeing how much of an arse you were…" he laughed when Tiffany scoffed, "but now we could have this arrangement with our own consent. Do you get me?"
Tiffany hummed and looked up, her index finger on her chin. "So you're saying that you're willing to be insulted and bullied upon, then come and be there for me when I call you?" she summarised. Seeing Erik nodded, Tiffany laughed. "What are you, a masochist?"
The boy gasped then cast her a disgusted look. "My God!"
"I'm not even thinking of anything, you idiot!" Tiffany yelled, laughing. "I was just stating that you sound like you're a masochistic man!"
"I'm not!" Erik laughed too, replying with the same high tone and then he groaned realising that fighting might not be wise at that moment. "What I meant was that, when you're not comfortable with our closeness, you could simply tell me. The same goes to when you need my company."
Tiffany laughed and shook her head. "You're unbelievable, you know that?" she said and then nodded. "But alright. So, truce?" Tiffany held out her hand.
Erik smiled, taking Tiffany's hand in his. "Truce."
And, Erik was hoping that this could lead to something good.
…
They continued their walk until they met the coast that was almost full with piles of large rocks. With the perfect sea breeze and the calming sound of waves crashing, it was the perfect atmosphere for couples to hang out there. However, both Erik and Tiffany could care less, as long as they could get the same enjoyment of the night air.
"I haven't seen Maddox and those girls along the way. Did I missed them or they really did not passed us?" Tiffany asked as she sat on the largest rock, as Erik claimed it. She looked up to see him chuckling and frowned. "What?"
"Perhaps you were to far deep into your thoughts but they actually passed us ten-minutes ago," he said and sat next to Tiffany. "Hana was sleeping on Maddox's back and at a glance, I thought they were just some family out for a nice ocean breeze."
Tiffany smiled, picturing the image of Jessica's fantasy, or so perhaps. Then she grinned, mischievous thought on leaking about her friend's fondness of Erik's best friend crossed her mind. "Erik," she called him. The boy hummed and looked at her curiously. "Since we're on a good term now, and this matter involve your friend, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret."
Erik's brows raised as his lips curled into a smile. "What is it?"
Before Tiffany could say anything, she remembered what she used to do with Jessica whenever they shared a secret. It sounded and seemed childish but Tiffany thought it as a stamp for Erik to keep his mouth shut. "Promise me you won't tell anyone?"
Erik laughed when he saw Tiffany held out her pinkie, however, seeing the determined look on Tiffany's face, he sucked it up and intertwined their pinkie. "Promise you with all my heart."
It was Tiffany's turn to frown and she almost smiled. Almost.
"Jessica's having a crush on Maddox for a while now, and if I count it correctly, I think it's been about a year..?" Tiffany let out in a harsh whisper. It all came out smooth but her body was now covered in a cold sweat.
"You're joking, right?" Erik asked words laced with surprise in his heavy accent. He was about to laugh it off as one of Tiffany's attempt to fool him but stopped shortly when he made sense out of his judgement. "You're not joking!"
"Of course not! I wouldn't let you know this secret that could end my life!" Tiffany frowned at his response. "You don't seemed to like the idea—"
"No, no, no. I'm sorry… I was just surprised! Wow!" Erik exclaimed, running his fingers through his locks and pushed it back as his eyes and mouth wide opened. "All this while, I thought Jessica was the kind of girl who was naturally shy around boys but I thought it was weird since she talked just fine to me and Maddox…or did she?"
Tiffany smiled. "Jessica IS the kind of girl who's awkward around boys." She made sure to emphasize the on 'is', "…but she's especially shy around the one that she likes. She's just comfortable around you, that's why she's just okay when talking with you, but I guess you've never seen her talking with Maddox prior to this night."
Erik hummed and nodded his head, "Maybe you're right…" he mumbled, rubbing his chin that was void with any facial hair.
Tiffany felt her hand itched to touch his jaw but that would be too outrageous to even think about.
"You know, since you told me about Jessica, perhaps I'm free to say that her feelings are reciprocated unconsciously." Erik suddenly said, a wide grin spread over his handsome face.
This time, it was Tiffany's turn to gasp in surprise as she sat on her place. "Really?" she asked, almost refusing to believe in Erik's words but somehow the way that he looked so solemnly cute with his brows knitted, Tiffany decided to believe him. "…but how?"
Erik shrugged, "I don't know how it started but Maddox's been crushing on her since last year, too, surprisingly." He started. "He has been talking about her to me since he first saw her. Said that 'she was such an enigma but there's so much innocence radiating from her'. Exact line. Every. Single. Day."
Both of them laughed before Erik continued. "Then he had a brother who lived in the States with his wife. Turns out that his brother's family and Jessica's are neighbours. The whole time he stayed there, Maddox knew it was Jessica even though he never saw her upfront." He paused. "Maddox was determined that he really likes your friend. Just a few days ago he told me that he might be in love."
"Jessica said the same thing too!" Tiffany exclaimed. "I can't believe there's such thing exist…"
"What such thing?" Erik asked, tilting his head as he looked at Tiffany.
"Things such as crushing on someone who has been crushing on you and not knowing about it but it turns out that your crush is crushing on you too." Tiffany explained, giggling in delight. "It's refreshing…" Tiffany said with a small smile on her face.
"They'd make a cute couple." The young woman said timidly, her voice was quickly carried away by the wind but it did not go unheard by Erik who also smiled serenely by her side.
"Agreed…"
Erik did not know for how did they were walking by the shore but when they came home later in the night, only a few of his relatives still hanging around, chatting away and drinking. His soon-to-be sister-in-law has long gone to her family house, along with her family.
"You're here! Where have you been?" The old woman exclaimed, squishing her son's face between her hands before letting him go after a second. Madame Kim then looked behind him and saw Tiffany sporting a guilty smile. She derived a conclusion and grinned when she assumed she knew what was going on with them. "Now, now. You naughty kids should have let me know where you went…"
Erik frowned. "What…?" his mother kept giving him the dirty look until her realised what his old woman was implying. Erik grimaced, his frown deepened. "What?! No, mother. I know what is in your head but I am dead serious that it's not what you're thinking of now."
"Oh dear, don't be shy now." Madame Kim giggled and winked at the now red-faced Tiffany. The sleeveless dress she wore showed her obvious blush. "Just remember, no dirty deeds in this holy house unless you're married." She said and then paused for a few seconds, "Or you know what? Just do whatever you want, I don't care." Madame Kim giggled before she walked off to have another chatting session with her friends.
Both Erik and Tiffany were left bewildered. It was such a turn of event for them. That was the thing that they least expected from Erik's seemingly stoic mother. Just when Erik was about to pronounce his apology to Tiffany, Josef came from behind them and hooked his arms around their neck.
"I got into the same situation before with Mary-Ann." The tall man said and chuckled. "Mother assumed the most right things. Mostly on things that you don't expect at all…" Then Josef patted Erik's back before letting them go and walked off to a different direction.
"They're weird. Both of them, and I'm sorry you had to experience that." Erik said after he was out of his stupor. Tiffany's arms and face were in deep shade of red, and Erik knew she was beyond embarrassed. His stomach dropped and he felt really bad that Tiffany had to witness that. Erik gently held her forearm and gave Tiffany an apologetic look. "J-just ignore them."
It startled her when his skin touched hers for the second time that night. Tiffany was barely in her right mind when she nodded and after a while, her skin colour went back to normal although it took a long time. "I'm going to go to sleep." She paused to look at Erik. "Can I?" she asked out of courtesy. Erik nodded and smiled.
As her silhouette disappear from his sight, Erik exhaled slowly, letting out his breath. It was only then that Erik realised he had been holding it in as he watched Tiffany walk away from him. Erik hated to admit it but from when he laid his eyes on her earlier than night, he found himself losing the ability to breathe. The walk on the beach should have been relaxing to him, and indeed, it was but just physically. His heart was in a havoc, however.
So much for fresh air, he thought, had to calm myself down before my heart explode.