Chapter 54: Easier Said Than Done

< Dylan >
What was this feeling? Since when was my pillow this warm and comfy?
I snuggled closer to my pillow, inhaling a deep breath. The pillow smelled different, chocolatey fragrance, soft and lingering. It wasn't my cologne.
Felt like this fragrance belonged to Shirley.
I tried to pull the comforter over me but I couldn't find it. When I tried to reach out for it, I felt some soft thread-like substances on my pillow with an addicting strawberry scent to it.
When did my hair grow so long? Or did I become a beast for lying too much like Mom used to say? I wondered.
My eyes jolted open at the thought. In front of my eyes laid long, beautiful, dark brown hair. I blinked several times to check if I was dreaming or not. Unfortunately, I wasn't.
My chin was resting on someone's shoulder and I was hugging someone. I instantly recognized that milky cream skin color.
Realizing our intimate position, I immediately sat up, unwrapping my arms around her waist.
What the heck is she doing here? Scratch that, what is she doing on my bed, beside me? I thought.
Even so, it felt so comfortable as if I was in my mom's arms. I got that secure warm feeling that I used to get from Mom and Sienna whenever I was young and scared. I put a hand over my chest to calm down my raging fast heartbeat.
Shaking my head, I ran a hand through my messy bed hair. Her eyes fluctuated at my movements and she sat up beside me. She started rubbing her eyes like the cute panda she was.
"Care to explain what you are doing on my bed?" I questioned, trying to seem I wasn't affected by her presence in my bedroom. I always did so—acting like she didn't affect me in the slightest, which wasn't even close to the truth.
I was glaring at Shirley as she looked around cluelessly as if she just landed on earth for the first time. "Don't you understand basic English? If you don't, I can use sign language for you." I let out, trying not to let my eyes hover over her messed up crop top.
"Uh, you were the one who pulled me into the bed," Shirley said and scratched the back of her head shyly, looking away.
"No, I didn't," I defended, crossing my arms against my chest. I had a feeling that it was me who started it, but I wouldn't be Dylan if I were to accept my mistake that easily to Shirley.
Suddenly I was hit with a pillow on my head.
"You dare deny?" Shirley raised an eyebrow in question.
"What's wrong with you, lady?" I snapped, rubbing my head, hissing. "Even if I did pull you into the bed, I don't remember, and you can't charge a person with no memories," I pointed out. "Moreover, what do you think you were doing in my bedroom? I don't remember letting you in." I took the pillow from her hand and hit her on the head, so lightly that it wouldn't hurt at all. In cases like this, I was pretty merciless, yet somehow I found myself being kinder to her than other people.
Frowning, Shirley looked away and started mumbling something incoherent. She looked offended about something. "Anyways, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm sorry," she stated and stood up.
I furrowed my brows in confusion as a playful smile blossomed on her face.
All of a sudden, Shirley pulled me out of the bed by my wrist and started pushing me towards the bathroom.
"Hey, hey!" I tried to protest.
"Go, take a quick shower." Shirley pushed me inside and closed the door on my face, locking it from outside.
"She's so strange and crazy," I muttered and shook my head before cleansing my face and brushing my teeth. After that, I took a relaxing cold shower. I was wiping the water from my hair when I realized I didn't bring any clothes.
That crazy girl...
I knocked on the door and hollered from inside, "Hey, Shirley, pass me a set of clothes." She immediately handed me a few pairs of clothes. "How did you get them so quickly?"
"You ask too many questions. Just wear them or go around naked," she retorted.
I rolled my eyes and rummaged through the clothes to check if she handed over everything. It was a hooded collar long sleeve cotton top, along with black jeans. I guess she was a fashion student for a reason. Surprisingly, she even handed over my boxers.
Wearing the clothes she gave me, I stepped out of the bathroom.
Shirley was sitting on the edge of my bed, reading a business magazine which she took from the coffee table. I rolled my eyes as she never bothers to take my permission as if she owned me and my everything.
I put on my white sneakers and started fixing my hair in front of my dressing table. I played with my hair for a few minutes until Shirley decided to open her mouth. "You look really sexy on the cover of this magazine," she commented, sounding impressed.
Acting like her compliment meant nothing to me, I said, "Not welcome." She should stop giving compliments to me like that. No matter how frequently I heard them from others, her compliments just hit differently. It was like an assurance that I looked perfect.
"Are you ready yet?" Shirley inquired, looking up from the magazine.
I started putting on my favorite Daniel Wellington wristwatch and replied, "No."
"You seem totally ready to me." She frowned and approached me, not before keeping the magazine in its place.
As she stood beside me, something looked really odd about the way we both dressed up. I wondered if there was something wrong with our outfits until she smiled and said, "Don't we look cute in matching outfits?" That's when it hit me like a tsunami.
The hooded collar top I was wearing was the same as Shirley's. Both of us were wearing the same top, the same type of jeans, the same shoes, and the same branded wrist watch. She suddenly entwined our fingers and smiled at the mirror, proud of her work.
"We look perfect," Shirley beamed.
Indeed, we looked perfect just like a couple. However, I couldn't say it out in front of Shirley, which might fuel any sort of feelings towards me.
"No, we don't," I deadpanned. "I'm changing this right now."
"No, please, don't," Shirley pleaded, flashing her famous puppy eyes.
I didn't know why I could never reject those puppy eyes. Besides, she looked really cute when she did that.
Yet, wearing this outfit was out of the question. What if someone from the enemy gang saw us and thought that we were a couple? Her life would totally fall in danger, and I couldn't let that happen.
I blamed Sienna for this situation. She was the one who bought this ridiculous hoodie for me from Italy.
"No," I flat-out declined even after Shirley was trying to persuade me.
Shirley cried out dramatically and blurted out, "I rummaged through your closet to find something similar to match my top. Do you know how hard it was?"
My eyes immediately snapped in my closet's direction. "What the fuck did you do to my closet?" I exclaimed, fuming in anger.
My closet was a mess. Everything was messed up. Some of my clothes were laying on the floor, some were hanging loosely. The doors of the closet were wide open with keys still hanging, which I wondered how she found that from my bedside drawer.
"Sorry, I messed it up a little," she mumbled and bit her tongue sheepishly.
"A little, you say? I would say, a tornado passed by." It took everything within me to not scream my lungs out at her. "You will arrange everything," I ordered, shooting daggers at her.
Shirley put on a wide smile and took a hold of my arm. "I will do it when we come back. For now, let's go."
"You have been talking about taking me somewhere since yesterday. Where are you taking me? To push me off a cliff?" I asked, frowning. I couldn't trust her with matters like this. She was that ridiculous.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Shirley stated in an offended tone. "I want to take you somewhere special today." She winked at me, and my stomach did a flip-flop at that. It was a strange sensation. Whenever she did this sort of stuff, it always made me feel weird.
I tried to brush off those feelings and continued walking. I reached the dining hall where my favorite breakfast was already served. "Won't you have breakfast?" I asked Shirley.
"I'm done with it. And it's already afternoon, so you're having brunch right now." Shirley smiled, making me roll my eyes.
"Then why don't you utilize this time to fix my closet?" I shot her a death glare.
"Later." She shrugged it off.
Anger bubbled in me as I yelled, "Do it right now, Shirley Hamilton!"
There was no way I would let her take this as an opportunity to skip her task. I loved perfection, and I would let no one mess with it and slip by.
Then why didn't you say anything when you found her beside the cupboard in the rooms where you killed Kade Taylor? It was a flaw on her part, right? She didn't fulfill her duty, yet you didn't say anything to her, pointed out my subconscious.
Now that I thought about it, there were a lot of things that I was cutting slacks off for her. I mean, what was wrong with me? Why did I go to help her during shifting? Why did I cook for her? Why did I go grocery shopping with her? Why did I want her to be happy? Why did I want her not to suffer in the long run? The heck, why was I even training her?
I had absolutely no reason for doing anything for Shirley, yet I found myself doing it for her. What was happening to me?
I couldn't be catching feelings for Shirley, could I?
No way. I could never have feelings for her. I and her would never end up well. Therefore, it was better to keep my emotions at bay, no matter how hard it was. I needed to start acting cold like before.
"You have so many maids. They will fix your closet," Shirley said.
"Fine. Have it your way."
However, it was easier said than done.