A wash of orange light was beautifully painted across the sky, which still looked dark on one side. Even the sun peeked out shyly, as if it had forgotten that it was its duty to shine over this perpetually gloomy city of London. I sighed softly as I tried to remove Will’s arm from around me, feeling his heartbeat against my back.
Ah, how much God loved to toy with human fate. I slowly tried to free myself from Will’s embrace, but instead, Will pulled me closer and softly inhaled the air around my neck. I could only groan at his teasing antics.
“Stop it, Will.” I gently nudged his head away. But he only took my hand and kissed it softly.
“Where are you going?” he asked in the hoarse voice typical of someone who had just woken up. I was sure he was acting like this with his eyes still closed.
“Will, you know we have class. Come on, wake up, sleepyhead,” I said, turning toward him and giving him a quick morning kiss.
He smiled faintly, his eyes still closed. My face instantly flushed. I had fallen under the spell of his handsome face countless times before. I quickly jumped out of bed and walked toward the bathroom, occasionally tugging at Will’s shirt, which did not quite cover my long legs.
Not long afterward, I came out while rubbing my wet black hair and saw that the bed was empty. I walked toward the kitchen, where a sweet smell had begun to tempt my taste buds.
But all I did was lean against the wall and stare at Will’s back, which I could have recognized with ease after more than two years. Yet now, seeing him from a distance was enough to make my heart want to move away from him. A faint smile appeared, hinting at the still-fresh wound engraved in both our hearts.
“I’ve made you breakfast, Che. Go change your clothes first.” Will turned toward me, his face still sleepy. In one hand, he carried a pancake covered in pink sauce, which he then placed on the dining table. I walked over, tugged on his shirt collar, and rested my head against his chest. I felt Will flinch slightly at my behavior.
“Che, your hair’s still wet, and it’s really bothering me, you know?” Will joked. But I didn’t smile. I didn’t want my wet hair or Will’s complaint to distract me. I only wanted to hold him. As I closed my eyes, I felt Will’s fingers gently stroke the crown of my wet black hair.
“Weren’t you the one who said we had class this morning? So, my queen, lemme clean my face and all of my body,” he said as he pushed me away. Those calm blue eyes pierced my dark eyes again, returning me to the reality I had to face.
“Hah. Fine, fine. Actually, I can’t stand your smell anymore either.” I pushed him toward the bathroom. Not long after changing clothes, I returned to the kitchen and enjoyed the pancakes Will had made, my favorite pancakes—the kind I couldn’t find even in the most famous cafés.
As I looked out at the city of London from Will’s apartment, I felt the gray clouds hanging over London also weighing down the sky of my heart. The smiles, laughter, and jokes we had shared all this time became so strange once I realized that the status between Will and me had changed. The strawberry syrup that should have been sweet turned terribly bitter, hurting me and making my eyes ache.
Suddenly, I felt an arm lift the spoonful of pancake pieces that was supposed to enter my mouth even higher. I looked up and found my favorite pancake disappearing into Will’s mouth.