Ace's Point of View
"I remember the days when you're here with me."
I closed my eyes and let all the happy parts of our past come back to me. With each flashback of yesterday, I felt more and more regret. I wish I was next to you now...
"Those laughters and tears we shared for years, hmmm..."
I strummed the guitar chords again. I wish you were here. I wish I could bring back the time when we were still happy. I would give my all... just please, come home.
"I don't wanna lose you girl, I need you back to me. I don't wanna lose you baby, can't you see..." I bit my lip. What have I done? "Oh, I need you, you've been a part of me. I wish someday you'll be back home 'cause I really miss you, darling..."
I took a deep breath before stopping strumming the guitar.
"Please come home..."
I felt a hand wipe my cheek, making me almost jump in shock.
"Darling, I'm home..."
Shit!
"Fuck you, Cedric Lastimosa Lee!" I was stunned.
I gave him the guitar but he just laughed in return.
Damn!
"Darling... I'm, Zein."
"Stop the gay shit, asshole."
I left the guitar in my room and marched out. I don't know why this guy is here again. He always visits me to tease and tease me. Sometimes, I'm just surprised when I wake up and he's right next to me. The hair on my body almost stood up at that time and the fact that he was still hugging me.
"Just like Ace! Don't we even have breakfast?" He asked while checking the empty dining table.
I just got some water from the fridge and poured it. Damn it! Why do you always have to act out, but he always shows up. I was reminiscing.
"Eat yourself..."
"Gah!"
I left him in the kitchen and went to the living room to get my laptop that I left open. I still felt like he was following me. I didn't know if I was amused by what he was doing or annoyed.
Is it funny? Because at least it relieves my sadness because of his nauseating trips. It's annoying because he always has his tail up.
"You like Dora, right?"
"Don't touch that!"
I threw a throw pillow at him when he was about to grab a Dora throw pillow. It was a personalized throw pillow with both of Zein's and my names written on it.
I shook my head. I will never cry again for the woman I know will come back to me. No. Wherever Zein is now, I know she is safe. She can handle herself but I still want it to be me. I will still be the one to protect her even if she can handle herself.
I missed my queen...
"If Zein were Dora..." He grinned. "Therefore, I conclude... you're Diego."
It laughed again.
Shit, man. We have Raze version 2.0 here.
I shook my head before taking off the T-shirt I was wearing and throwing it somewhere. I took my laptop and placed it on my lap. I still have many projects and proposals to finish.
"You are Diego!"
"I'm Boots."
"What the fuck?!" He laughed and almost died of laughter while holding his stomach.
Die... just die.
I grinned in annoyance because nothing was entering my mind while I was staring at the laptop. I was losing focus because of the noise of this creature. How to get rid of this shit? He's annoying.
"Gah! Ace the Boots also known as the monkey!"
I ignored it. I leaned on the sofa. I only just noticed that I was no longer in the documents because I was in an album that contained almost all stolen shots of Zein. And if I did have any, it was only a few selfies with him.
There are stolen shots of her sleeping while hugging her Dora pillow. There are also shots of her eating. There are also shots of her just wearing a towel. I suddenly laughed when she was wearing a towel and ordered me to buy shampoo because we ran out of stock.
"Scandal?"
I quickly put my laptop away when Cedric was about to look at the screen. I don't want anyone to see these photos. No. These photos were all mine and exclusively for my eyes only.
"Share your porns, dude."
"This is not porn, idiot. These are my... addictions."
She is my kind of drug.
I smiled inside. No matter what happens, I won't cry anymore. Those were the words I told myself that night. I'll be sad but I won't cry. I don't want Zein to see me crying. He'll come back...
"You're boring."
After a while, Cedric fell silent, so I looked at him. He was holding his cellphone and staring at the screen. He shook his head.
I just nodded and returned my gaze to my laptop screen.
Somehow, some things are already coming to my mind. When I finish the projects, I make another proposal where my financial statements calculations reach millions.
I was in the middle of computing when my Facebook message rang. I was stunned and hesitated whether to open it or not.
I shifted the tab. A red number appeared above me named Hell. I knew it was from the asshole.
I clicked the message.
"I got what you lost. I have your life. Uh, wait... Do you smell that? Fire! Burn! Hahahaha."
I frowned.
"Father, are you cooking curtains?"
Cedric asked, sniffing the air.
"Gah! I think something's burning." He said in surprise.
"Gah?" He said this. I don't know if it was his expression or if he meant something.
"Gah? As in gago. British accent, dude."
I just shook my head. I really can't make sense of this man. There's something strange in the air. Cedric was right, it looks like something is burning.
I was momentarily stunned when I realized what Hell meant. I quickly went to my room and my suspicion was correct. There was a thick black smoke outside the window that was probably coming from a unit below us.
"Damn!"
I grabbed my t-shirt again and ran outside. I could hear people screaming and the sirens of the police and firefighters. Everyone was in a commotion, scrambling to get down, so I couldn't really get in.
"It looks like something is burning," Cedric said. "Oh, miss, easy." Cedric said to the woman carrying the teddy bear who was also hurrying downstairs.
"Are we going down too?"
I wanted to respond more bluntly but I ran out of time. I quickly went down one floor from the floor of our unit.
I was stunned as I watched the firefighters put out the fire from the unit I bought. A secret unit I bought for investigation. I had a secret way into my unit so Zein wouldn't notice.
All the important documents I gathered are now being consumed by fire.
Damn that Hell! I know he did all this.
I quickly spotted a person wearing a blazer and with a hood covering his head.
I couldn't see his face because he was also wearing shades covering his eyes.
Even though I can't clearly see who his eyes are focused on, I feel like he's looking at me.
He put both his hands in his pockets and walked away. I was about to follow him when Cedric stopped me with a sneer.
"Someone is looking for you."
Suddenly, a woman wearing glasses looked up at me. "Hi. Are you Mr. Ace Craige?" She asked. I couldn't answer right away because I turned my gaze back to the direction the mysterious person had gone.
There's something different about him. I feel like he's the reason this unit burned down.
"Darling, you are being asked."
I looked back at the woman who had laughed because of what Cedric had called me, smiling. "I am." I replied.
"Can I talk to you since you are the owner of the unit that is on fire?"
"If I refuse, will you never talk to me again?" I asked.
I heard Cedric's soft laughter.
"Actually, you're responsible for the incident. We'd better talk to you."
"Miss, don't hit him, okay? You might want your life to be shortened." Cedric whispered.
I just shook my head and glanced at the extinguished fire again. Back to one, again. All my hard work was gone.
My interview didn't last long either because I was just asked where I was when the unit was on fire and who else knew the passcode for my unit, which was only me.
I felt sleepy as soon as I left their office. I just went back to my unit. Cedric was gone, probably bored with the wait.
'I hate boring...' is that idiot's motto.
Tired, I threw my body on the sofa. I closed my eyes and let my mind rest because I felt like I was going crazy just thinking about it.
I felt my eyelids getting heavy but everything disappeared when I heard that voice.
I suddenly woke up and looked at Zein's room, which was open.
I didn't open it and I didn't let Mr. Lee open it.
I heard a voice as the guitar was being strung. Its voice was so calming. I just realized I was standing in front of the door.
My heart is pounding.
"Z-Zein..."
He paused at the sound of the guitar and wiped his eyes before looking at me. He smiled.
"A-Ace..."
In an instant, I hugged him so tightly. It was as if all my longing for him and all my tiredness had disappeared. All I knew was that I wasn't dreaming.
Here is Zein, I'm hugging him. This is not a dream and if it is a dream I hope I never wake up. I would rather live in my dreams with Zein than in reality without her.
"A-Ace... I'm sorry." His voice trembled and I could feel the sadness in his voice.
"You scared me." I faced him. I wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Just try to leave, Zein. You won't like what I'm going to do to you." I threatened.
He laughed. "Are you going to tie me up? No need, Ace. I'm already tied to you." He said with a smile.
I just smiled.
"Darling, I'll tie you on my bed." His jaw dropped. I brought my mouth close to his ear. "Both of us... naked." I whispered.