Linger

Stay

Half an hour in the morning. Kalea still can not close her eyes even though her body has been lying on the mattress since an hour and a half ago. Time passed by so quickly that he and Gavin were moving around, looking at each corner of the house one by one to find out which parts would still have to be repaired, or if there are other things that Kalea wants to add or reduce from the furniture in it. When he woke up, the clock had shown at eleven o'clock in the evening and Gavin was too tired to return to driving. Be a crazy idea to invite Kalea to stay.

And even crazier than the idea that Gavin had come up with was Kalea who agreed to the idea without much thought.

Kalea gave a rough sigh. If Karel knew that he was willing to be invited to stay overnight by a man, the boy would have to graze Kalea's body and take her to the animal slaughterhouse to cut her neck off. From a long time ago, when they were teenagers, the responsibility of not really understanding why men and women should not be in the same room other than those who are married, Karel has often warned Kalea not to obey when there are men who invite him to stay overnight. Karel who incidentally grew up with Kalea did not dare to bring Kalea stay at his house if Ibun was not there.

"Sleep, Kalea." Gavin said in a low voice.

Kalea just cleared her throat in response. Since then, he slept on the right side of the bed, turning his back to Gavin who chose to sleep on the side of the bed close to the door.

It was quiet, so Kalea thought Gavin was asleep. Apparently the man is still awake. Or perhaps, Gavin was just as nervous as he was now.

"If you're afraid I'm going to macem, I can move to the next room." Tawar Gavin's. This time his voice sounded closer. Kalea guessed Gavin was staring at his back right now.

"I'm just having a little trouble sleeping in a new place." Kill Kalea. Not entirely wrong, but not entirely right. He indeed could not sleep easily in the new place, but Gavin's existence here was another problem that Kalea did not know what the solution was.

"If so, I'll take you home."

Kalea felt her bed sway. Looks like Gavin just woke up from his sleeping position. But Kalea still reluctantly turned to check. He forced both of his eyes to close.

"No need, it's night, danger. You look like you're so sleepy." Kalea said with her eyes tightly closed.

"But I don't want to see you fidget like this."

"I'm ok, Gavin. I'll sleep soon."

"Calaea,"

"Good night, Gavin." Cut Kalea fast.

Gavin did not reply and instead stared at Kalea's back for a long time. Until he finally caught his breath and a rough sigh came out from the side of his lips.

"Can't get gini. I know you won't be able to sleep if I'm still here." He said, starting to move from his sitting position. "I slept in the next room." He continued when both of his feet were on the floor. It only takes Kalea's approval and Gavin will be completely out of this room. But after waiting for so long, Kalea did not also give an answer.

"Kalea?"

Silent. There was no word from Kalea that made Gavin frown in confusion. He knew Kalea wasn't asleep. A person who says he or she cannot sleep easily in a new place cannot fall asleep in just a few minutes.

Gavin sighed again. The feet that had been on the floor he raised again on the mattress. He sat cross-legged facing Kalea's back, his hands folded in front of his chest.

"Answer me? I know you haven't slept." Said. However, Kalea did not reply. I don't know what the girl was thinking by pretending to sleep like this.

"Kalea?" call again. His patience began to run out when Kalea actually moved to pull the blanket to cover his entire body and head, but did not answer his call at all.

"I moved into the next room." And Gavin really got out of bed. He was ready to step, but the sound of Kalea muffled by the blanket stopped his movement.

"Don't go anywhere, I'm scared."

Gavin practically turned his head. Completely at a loss for words as Kalea's head slowly poked out from under the covers. The girl turned her head slightly, only to present a facial expression that immediately made Gavin laugh. Today, with boba's eyes staring in frustration at her and cute little lips, Kalea looks more like a five-year-old who whines at her father to read a fairy tale before going to bed.

"Don't laugh!" Kalea glared, but it did not work at all to make Gavin's laughter subside.

The man grew increasingly chuckling as Kalea suddenly rose from her sleep, sitting on the bed glaring.

"Gavin!" the upset.

Gavin's laughter slowly subsided. His fingers moved slowly wiping away a drop of tears that seeped from the corner of his eyes so tight he laughed. His stomach was cramping, but Gavin did not care much about it and instead walked back to the mattress.

"What are you afraid of? A ghost?" gavin asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Emang here there's a ghost?" kalea asked innocently which made Gavin have to take pains to hold back his laughter so as not to explode again.

Gavin shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not an indihome kid."

"Aboutigo!" ketus Calea's. Her bobbing eyes were still glaring and her lips were coming down.

"Yes, that's what I mean." Gavin smiled. "I don't know if there's a ghost or not, but if you're scared, I won't go. I'll keep you until you sleep."

Kalea felt her cheeks hot as Gavin flashed a smile so sweet. The dark manic of the man looked at him in the shade, making him instantly forget at all the fret that had plagued his mind since earlier.

"Sleep, tomorrow we have to go home early."

As bewitched, Kalea according. He put his body back on the bed. But this time he did not turn his back on Gavin. He positioned himself tilted towards Gavin, staring at the man for so long before starting to close his eyes.

"Good night, Gavin." Said.

Kalea would never know, that after she closed her eyes, the bright twinkle in Gavin's eyes as well as the best smile ever since vanished in an instant. The man was now staring at Kalea flat, as if with no interest at all.

For minutes Gavin stayed in his position, observing how Kalea's breathing began to change regularly, indicating the girl had fallen asleep. After believing that Kalea would not wake up, Gavin got up from the bed. He walked out of the room with a sagging step and closed the door in a slow motion, as much as possible not causing any sound that could make Kalea wake up.

Gavin kept going. Down the stairs to the first floor, passing through the kitchen, living room and living room with regular steps. Then when his feet reached the front doorway, Gavin stopped. Removing the phone from the pocket of the pants, long fingers busy sliding the phone screen before finally the flat object was affixed to the ear. Shortly after, the phone was connected.

"Hello, Vin?" greet a female voice from across.

Gavin smiled as the voice softened so softly in his ears. The voice he had longed for was half dead even though he had only heard it a few hours ago during a dinner with the Kalea family.

"Are you asleep?" ask Gavin.

"Why?"

"I miss you, Vin. So much's. Can you come here and let me sleep?"

"Sure. I'm onto you now, just count' Till 120. You get me, babe?"

"yeah. I started the thing after you turned the phone on, yeah. Careful, I'm waiting for you."

"Yes, baby."

The phone disconnects and Gavin steps unhesitatingly out of the house. He was no longer worried that Kalea would wake up from her sleep and bewildered because she was not there with the girl. Because he had prepared many reasonable reasons that would make innocent innocent girls like Kalea believe without asking much questions.

Gavin got into the car, drove his car at a slightly above average speed because he was already impatient to meet his girl.

"I'm coming, babe." She smiles.

********

I don't know what time it was when Kalea first opened her eyes slowly. For sure Kalea sure enough day when the sun slid in through the curtain gap that closed the access door to the balcony.

After gathering his life, Kalea sat down. Then his forehead creased faintly when he did not find the figure of Gavin there. Where did Gavin go? Why didn't the man wake her up when last night he said they had to go home early in the morning? There are so many questions that have shrouded his head when he just opened his eyes, making his head feel dizzy instead of playing.

With staggering steps, Kalea walked out of the room. He climbed down the stairs carefully until the small steps came to a halt on the fifth step as he found Gavin standing in front of the stove, turning his back on him. The man seemed preoccupied with the pot and frying pan, an apron wrapped around his body and somehow it made Kalea feel Gavin looked even more mesmerizing.

Satisfied at Gavin who was busy preparing breakfast, Kalea continued her steps. Approaching Gavin who now began to move food from the pot into a prepared plate near the stove. The man seemed to be seriously cooking until he was unaware of his presence, even when he had arrived right behind the man.

"What are you cooking?" kalea asked as she tilted her head from behind Gavin's broad shoulders, making the man with the beard startled and almost spilled the food he was pouring.

"Geez Kalea! You're ngagetin!" screeches Gavin. Fortunately, his hands were quick to hold the pot in his hand so as not to fall apart. Otherwise, a more serious disaster could have occurred.

Seeing Gavin's reaction, Kalea just giggled. With an innocent look, the girl stepped back then crossed both hands in front of her chest. "Sorry." Said relaxed.

Gavin snorted then turned around, resumed his activities of pouring food and then after finishing, he brought the results of his cooking to the dining table.

"Here, sit." His orders were on Kalea who was still standing near the counter.

Kalea according to him. He sat on one of the chairs Gavin chose. In front of him were various kinds of dishes that made him immediately look in amazement at Gavin. He did not expect a busy man like Gavin could still take the time to hone his cooking skills. Kalea thought, men who are good at making money while taking care of the house only exist in the drama, but apparently in the real world there is also. It's just that Kalea just met him now.

"You're cooking pinter?" kalea asked after Gavin sat down beside her. The apron that had been wrapped around his body was draped to the empty seat next to it.

"From childhood has often helped Mother cook, so understand." Gavin answered. Then before Kalea's chatty mouth again raised the question, Gavin first silenced her by thrusting a piece of nugget into the front of the girl's little mouth.

Kalea resigned herself as the nugget piece was forced into her mouth. Then he chewed the nugget slowly as his eyes watched how Gavin began to spoon the rice onto the plate and then sowed it with various dishes that the man had cooked before. But of the many side dishes that are on the table, there is one menu that attracts the attention of Kalea, namely Korean chicken soup that he had once eaten while visiting the country of ginseng a few years ago.

"Can you cook samgyetang?" kalea asked with her mouth half full.

"Could, could."

"Can't you?"

"What should not be able to?" Gavin turned his head, only to find a twinkle of awe emanating from the two boba eyes belonging to Kalea.

"The recipe is a lot on the internet, just look, do not bother." Gavin said, bringing the chicken soup that made Kalea's eyes sparkle brightly was closer to the girl.

"Eat." Said.

Kalea seemed excited as she scooped the chicken soup into the bowl that Gavin had prepared. While the plate containing rice and side dishes that Gavin had prepared now turned to the man. He who will replace Kalea eat it because Kalea was too tempted with chicken soup whose aroma of spices was so tempting to taste it.

"Don't kid!" Kalea squealed in excitement after one mouthful of gravy managed to touch her tongue. His eyes sparkled and invited Gavin's smile to rise wider.

"Resid." Gavin said, starting to scoop up the food on the plate and devouring it in silence.

In the midst of his activities eating chicken soup, Kalea remembered something. So he put his spoon on the table and started looking at Gavin seriously. The man could only frown when he found himself being stared at to the extent by Kalea. Gavin even to undo his intention to feed the rice into the mouth and put the spoon back on the plate.

"Why?"

"What time did you wake up? How not to fuck me? He said we should go home early."

"Sleeping looks so good, so I don't have the heart to wake up." Again Gavin replied accompanied by a sweet smile.

"Gavin, man,"

"Hmm?"

"Don't smile too often." Kalea's recollected words made Gavin's smile fade in the blink of an eye.

"Your smile is so sweet, it makes me melt. I don't have to look at that smile every day."

The sentence made Gavin speechless for a while. But after that, the man even showed a smile that was unfortunately sweeter than the previous one to make Kalea almost cursed so surprised. Presumably, the man was indeed wanting to prank himself.

"Stop smile!" peekik Kalea's. But Gavin's getting worse. The man even now moved his face forward, like deliberately wanting to let Kalea see his smile more clearly.

Ughhhh!! Gavin is a bitch!