Chapter 13: Coincidence

It's Saturday today and here I am sitting at my sofa with an annoyed and tired expression as Shan is repeating everything that he's saying. He is making me come with him today at the market and help him buy his groceries. There's fog in my brain after being woken up by him early in the morning when I planned to stay in bed until ten o’clock.

“Please, Solene . . .” He pleaded as he stared at me with the cute puppy eyes where he did his best to make.

“I don't want to.” I blandly said, not bothering to look at him as I leaned back on the couch.

“Please, Solene. If you go with me just this once, I will no longer bother you everyday for cooking my meals.”

I looked at him as he caught my attention by what he just said. It's been two weeks since I started cooking for him. Two weeks have also already passed since Fire brought me to that Italian restaurant but he makes sure to send me a bouquet of flowers everyday. He also grew extra naughty and playful around me these past two weeks. He has abandoned the serious part of him I saw when I first met him.

I sat straight and my lips curled into a wide smile. “Deal!”

My brows arched when Shan slightly pouted. “Look at you, you seemed very happy to not see me every day.” His tone was like that of a sulking five year old boy.

I scoffed. “Is there a reason for me to feel sad about it?”

He tilted his head. “You won't get to see this handsome face everyday.” Pertaining to his face.

“What's there to regret not seeing it?” I jokingly said.

After our conversation, Shan left and told me that he’ll come back later this afternoon to pick me up, then we'll go shopping for his pantry. He needs to attend something important this morning so we can't go yet.

After eating my brunch I took a quick shower. While I was drying my hair, I received a text message from Lillian.

**Lillian:** *Sol, are you free today? Let's go shopping!

**You:** *Oh, I’m sorry Lee. I have something important to do this afternoon. I can't go with you today.

**Lillian:** *Stop calling me Lee! Ok, let's just go tomorrow then. See ya!

**You:** *Sure, see ya!

I smiled as I put down my phone above my vanity table. It's been a while since we saw each other due to our own busy schedules. I’m already starting to miss her. If I didn't seal that deal with Shan this morning, I would definitely go out with Lillian today, but a deal is a deal.

After my chat with Lillian, I browsed through my social media account and thought of visiting Fire’s profile. I saw his latest post. It was a picture of him and Lovelle together. It was posted last night. *So the reason he was unable to drop me home last night was because he was with her?* I looked at Fire. He was staring lovingly at Lovelle in their picture. It pains me to stare at him while he.is staring at another girl. And a question popped up in my mind. *Will there be a time when Fire will stare at me in the same way with his eyes?

I felt a lump forming in my throat. This required me to do some deep breathing before I let go of my phone at the table. After doing my skincare routine, I forced myself to fall asleep just even though something had been disturbing my mind.


I woke up from the ringing sound of my phone resting on my nightstand. I picked it up to answer it but the ringing has already ended. Then a text notification popped up on my screen. I took a quick glance at my alarm clock and saw that it's already exactly three in the afternoon.

**Fire:** *I’ll pick you up at four.

I was unable to reply because I quickly stumbled up from bed and started to fix myself. *Why did Shan just text me now? Doesn't he know that girls take a long time to prepare themselves before going out?

I just picked out casual clothing, a white blouse and denim pants. I paired it with my white shoes and my go-to shoulder bag. I finished preparing in time when I heard Shan’s car honking outside.

“Looking ugly today?” Is what Shan greeted me right after I sat down beside him in the front passenger seat.

"Do you have a plan to destroy my baby?" He screamed so it was my turn to grin at him.

It took us almost an hour before reaching the mall. I thought our destination was at the wet market but I forgot that I’m helping a Martinez with his grocery shopping. He would surely despise the stench of raw fish and meat. He’ll be disgusted by the big flies flying around as we browse every stall for fruits amd vegetables.

As we entered the mall, Shan pulled me into the restaurant section. He complained that he was really starving.

“Didn't you eat your lunch?” I asked him as we looked for a vacant seat in my favorite fast food chain that we ended up at after finding the que lines in the restaurants we first looked at to be long.

“No, I didn't.” He casually said as we finally found an empty chair and table.

“Because you didn't cooked for me.” He added before I could even ask him for a reason.

My brows arched. *Is this man dumb?

He then chuckled. “Kidding, I was so busy this noon and afternoon that I was unable to take my lunch. You don't have anything to do with it.”

Shan ordered a meal with chicken and rice, he also added a serving of mashed potatoes for his side dish. As for me, I just ordered a single serving of Spaghetti, no side dishes, and the same dessert that Shan got, a peach mango pie and a choco hazelnut sundae.

After eating we decided to stroll around the mall first before heading to the supermarket section and start grocery shopping.

We were casually walking as we looked into the displays of each store inside the mall through their glass doors. I was in a light mood after getting out of my room.

We were about to leave for the supermarket when I heard a familiar voice from my back. I swallowed as I felt my throat dry. I took a deep breath bedore turning around to confirm who is it that’s calling my name.

I blinked my eyes a few times before being sure that it is Fire that I’m seeing looking at us.

“Someone’s calling you.” Shan looked at me.

I felt my blood drained from my veins. I was weak on my knees that I started to feel a slight trembling throughout my body. A wave of tension and anxiety rushed through my body as I watched Fire close his distance from us.

“Fire . . .” I breathed.

*What an unlucky coincidence.