SARAYA’S POV.
“Mom, don’t tell me, he is sleeping already?” I asked the moment Mary walked in.
“Trust me, he is snoring as we speak.” She replied. “The flight must have taken it toll on him.”
I nodded. “You’re right.”
I took a sip of my juice, letting the coolness calm my nerves. My phone buzzed on the table, and I glanced down at the screen. Dominic’s name flashed, and I recalled I had almost forgotten about him.
Dominic: Looking forward to tomorrow. Hope your family won’t mind me tagging along.
After a quick exchange of messages, I looked up at Mary.
“Is it okay if a friend of mine joins us for the funeral tomorrow?” I asked.
Mary raised her eyebrows. “Your friend is coming?”
“Yeah,” I said. “If it’s a problem, I could just cancel, you know?”
She let out a soft laugh. “And that would be rude. Besides, why would it be a problem? I’m not going to pass up the chance to meet your friend. It’s about time, honestly.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, feigning ignorance.
“It means,” she said, leaning forward with a grin, “you’ve never brought a friend home before. I mean, I wish it were under better circumstances, but still, I’d love to meet her.”
I gave out a small laugh. “I see you’re trying so hard to sound me out, mom. I never said my friend was a ‘her.'”
That made her pause. Her eyes widened, and then she glanced at Dad, who was already smirking.
“Don’t,” I warned, holding up a hand. “Don’t start.”
“What is your friend’s name?” Dad asked me.
“His name is Dominic.”
“Dominic,” my dad repeated.
“Hmmm.” Daddy and Mary said in unison.
I folded my hands facing the couples as they ganged up against me. “What is it this time?”
“We didn’t say anything,” Mary said, though her grin said otherwise.
Dad chuckled. “We’re just thinking. That’s all.”
“Thinking what?” I asked, knowing fully well they were in sync teasing me. So I decided to play along as well.
Mary waved a hand in the air. “Oh, nothing. Just… Arlan and Matilda said the same thing, remember? ‘Just friends.’ Look where that ended up.”
I felt my stomach twist at the mention of Arlan’s name. “This isn’t the same,” I said quickly. “Dominic and I are just friends.”
I groaned again. “Why did I even bring this up?”
Mary smiled warmly. “Relax, Saraya. I’m glad you have someone. Even if it’s just a friend.” She emphasized on each word.
“Sure,” Dad said, drawing out the word like he didn’t believe me.
“Stop it,” I snapped, trying to ignore the heat rising to my face.
Dad exchanged another look with Mary before casually adding, “By the way, Arlan and Matilda will be in Brisbane in the morning.”
My heart sank. “What?”
Mary nodded. “They called earlier. They’re coming in for the funeral.”
I clenched my fists under the table, staring at my glass of juice. I haven’t thought of him in hours-eighteen, to be exact. And now, thanks to them, I couldn’t stop.
I set my glass down carefully, trying to keep my expression neutral. “That’s… nice,” I said, though my voice sounded far from convincing.
Mary tilted her head, studying me. “You okay, Saraya?”
“Of course,” I replied quickly. Too quickly. “Why wouldn’t I be?” I feigned yawning. “I think I should retire for the night.”
I hugged the both of them and retired to the my room for the night.
I shut the door to my room and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath. The tears I had been holding came rolling down my cheeks without any constrain.
“Arlan and Matilda will be in Brisbane,” Dad’s words replayed in my head, over and over again.
I groaned softly, pushing off the door and pacing the room. “Why?” I muttered. “Why do they have to come?”
Sitting on the bed with my head running with ideas of what to do to avoid their path, I grabbed my phone, scrolling aimlessly through messages. My thumb hovered over Dominic’s name and I typed.
Me: Hey, can you stick by me tomorrow so I don’t lose my mind?
But when it was time to send the message, I hesitated. “This so crazy?” I told myself. “I should delete this, it’s not fair to drag him into this mess.” But before I could, I mistakenly pressed the send button.
“Oh, my god!” I panicked but before I could delete the message, Dominic had read the message.
I stared at the “read” notification, my heart racing.
“Great. Just great,” I muttered, throwing my phone onto the bed. “Why can’t I ever think before acting?”
It buzzed almost immediately, and I snatched it back up. Dominic’s reply appeared on the screen.
Dominic: Of course. Are you okay?
I sighed, flopping back onto the bed. How do I even respond to his message? The truth?
“Definitely not.” I told myself. I stared at his message, chewing on my bottom lip. Finally, I typed back:
Me: Sorry, that was a mistake. I didn’t mean to send it.
I hit send before I could second-guess myself. The moment I did, my phone buzzed again.
Dominic: A mistake? You sure? You sounded serious.
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. Why couldn’t he just let it slide? I sat up, taking a deep breath, and typed again.
Me: Yeah, I’m fine. I was just venting. Ignore it.
This time, the reply came slower.
Dominic: Saraya, if something’s bothering you, you can talk to me. What are friends for?
I stared at the message, feeling both grateful and cornered. “He is a good person.” But this wasn’t something I wanted to talk about, not with him.
Me: It’s nothing, really. Just family stuff. I’ll be fine. Thanks for asking.
I set the phone down and rubbed my temples. The guilt sat heavy in my chest. Dragging Dominic into my tangled mess wasn’t fair, but lying to him didn’t feel right either.
Another buzz.
Dominic: Alright. But if you change your mind, I’m here.
I exhaled a long breath, staring at his words. He didn’t push, and that made me felt bad somehow.
Me: Thanks, it means a lot.
I stared at the message for a moment before hitting send. This time, I didn’t hesitate.
The reply came almost instantly.
Dominic: You’re welcome. Remember to text me if you need anything before tomorrow.
I smiled despite myself. Dominic was reliable, no questions asked. That was more than I could say for Arlan.
I set the phone aside, exhaling a long breath. “At this rate, I just might stick to Dominic throughout the funeral.” I murmured, sighed and shook my head again. “Snap out of it, Saraya. Dominic does not deserved this, stop the comparison already.” I chastised myself.
But as I lay there, the memories came flooding back. Arlan’s voice, his laugh, his kiss, his touch. The way his gaze rested on me just a second too long when he thought no one noticed. I pressed my palms to my face.
“Stop,” I whispered. “You’re over him. You’ve moved on.”
But the ache in my chest said otherwise.
I rolled onto my side, pulling the blanket over me. “Tomorrow will be fine,” I told myself. “It has to be.”
Still, as my eyes grew heavy, I couldn’t shake the feeling that seeing Arlan again might tear open wounds I wasn’t ready to face.