It was a rainy night.
The air conditioning had the room at just the right temperature, but Ranita woke up feeling hot and uncomfortable. She reached out and felt a furry head next to her.
What was it? Her mind was foggy as she touched skin, warm skin with a small round bone…
After about ten seconds, she screamed in fright and almost fell off the bed.
“What’s wrong?” Thankfully Brendon reached out to steady her. “What happened?”
The familiar voice didn’t calm Ranita down; instead it made her heart race even faster. She turned on the bedside lamp and saw Brendon half-hugging her, right there in front of her eyes.
“Why are you in my room? And on my bed?” she asked incredulously.
Brendon looked dazed for a moment before finally saying softly, “I must have sleepwalked or something…”
He really didn’t know how to explain himself because he had been waiting for the rain to stop outside when he suddenly felt relaxed with Ranita nearby. He must have dozed off sitting there until he got up groggily to go use the bathroom… and then…
“Sleepwalking? I didn’t know you had that problem!” Ranita rolled her eyes at his excuse.
“Is it too hard to believe?” Brendon huffed indignantly.
His warm breath added an extra layer of ambiguity in this rainy night as he leaned closer towards Ranita’s face. Her back started heating up from all this commotion while her brain struggled to keep up with everything happening around them.
“Aren’t you going outside yet?” She focused on his hand which was wrapped tightly around her waist, too intimate for comfort!
Brendon lazily sat upright and ran his fingers through his hair; clearly not feeling well either, “Sorry.”
“You should go now since it looks like it stopped raining.”
“And leave like this?” Brendon wanted to leave but hearing that tone from Ranita only made him more stubborn than ever before! He lay back down immediately, “I’m too tired… let me sleep some more.”
Ranita couldn’t believe what she was seeing!
“Brendon! Are you even listening?! This is my room! My bed! If you want somewhere else comfortable, then go home!”
But Brendon remained silent while holding onto their current position without any intention of moving anytime soon…
Brendon seemed really tired, he lifted his eyelids and looked at her, grabbing her hand with a hoarse voice. “Ranita, I’m so tired. Let me sleep.” He spoke softly, even sounding a bit whiny.
Ranita’s heart immediately softened.
“Brendon… but…”
Brendon didn’t answer her and had already fallen into a deep sleep. He lay on his side facing her, his arm pressing down on hers. He was still wearing the clothes he wore during the day which were now wrinkled beyond recognition.
There were no more words left to say.
Ranita’s eyes turned red.
“You climbed up here without changing your clothes? You’re so dirty!” Ranita whispered softly to herself feeling both helpless and heartbroken for him.
Brendon was always serious and meticulous about everything he did including keeping his clothes neat every day. It was the first time she had ever seen him fall asleep without changing out of them first like this.
He must be really exhausted.
Was it because of Shannon?
Ranita pursed her lips as she felt tangled up inside like a ball of yarn in disarray.
“Sleep well, goodnight.” Ranita lay next to Brendon but couldn’t sleep much during the second half of the night as she kept watching him instead. She thought that she would remember many things from their past together but surprisingly nothing came to mind; all that filled her thoughts were Brendon’s face in front of hers again and again.