Noah arrived home late. He directly went inside their room, cleaned up, and then changed into his sleepwear. He looked at the empty bed and heaved a long deep sigh.

A week or more? He wondered if he could wait for that long, that empty bed was making him feel so uneasy, he was already so used to his wife being around, bantering or making those funny and sometimes lame jokes that surprisingly could still make him laugh.

Noah did his best to sleep but ended up feeling restless and having a sleepless night.

The next morning, Luo, on the other hand, woke up early to do her usual thing, like running outside the park.

She was sweating hard after some running and decided to sit and drink her water.

“I knew it… It’s you sis,” a familiar voice said and sat beside her.

“Bri..?!” she gasped but Brione signaled her not to say her name loudly. So Luo pressed her lips that instant. Her sister-in-law was in a hoodie and wearing sunglasses even when the sun was still not up.

She knew Brione was disguising herself but, she recognized her easily from a close distance with her voice. It was possible to bump into her since Brione got a new place inside their residential area, she said she wanted to be near her more than her boring brother Noah.

“Why are you alone? Where’s my brother? How come you didn’t say you’ll be with uncle and auntie, that way it won’t be shameless to crash at their house for meals…” Brione childishly mumbled.

Luo chuckled and said, “Didn’t my mom say you can disturb them every day you want? So why not eat there whenever you want?”

“Oh but I feel shy… Anyway, where’s bro?” Brione asked.

“He… Uhm… I’m alone. I suddenly missed my parents so I visited them last night. I’m planning to stay for some days so we can hang out together if you are available.”

“Oh, that would be great! I will make sure I make time… Hehehe. Yes, I can now eat aunties dishes again.” Brione excitedly commented like a child and that made Luo chuckle.

“So, did you usually jog here alone? I mean, when you were still single and living with your parents?” Brione asked.

“Nope, I was always with a good friend of mine. Almost like my best buddy.”

She would usually do it with Daryl who also lived nearby but now she could no longer disturb him like before because she knew he was still hurting.

“Oh… Why did you run alone today? Where is she? Or he?”

“Well, we have some mishaps… It would be best for him not to stay with me.” Luo murmured in a sad tone.

“Oh, a guy. Is it because you are already married and my possessive brother has a pea-size mind?” Brione nonchalantly asked in jest.

Luo laughed and said, “No. Just some… you know… Things…”

“Tell me, sis. I’m curious to know. I like hearing real-life stories…” Brione pondered. It was the first time she got the chance to bond with her sister-in-law and she wanted Luo to feel at ease with her, like a sister.

Luo, a talkative person as she was, especially with people she liked, started narrating what happened between her and Daryl.

“Oh, that’s sad. I hope you two reconcile soon… I mean I hope he can get over it soon and the friendship stays somehow…” Brione commented as she suddenly fell in her own deep thought.

“Yeah I hope so too, but then there’s no assurance that we can be like how we used to be and it really feels sad. Like now… I feel like I lost a really good friend of mine.” Luo voiced out.

She then stood up and stretched her arms as the sun started to shine so brightly.

“Ah! This is why friends should not fall in love with one another…” she blurted out with a crumpled face.

Well, if the feeling is mutual, it could be a different story, but if not then the friendship sometimes can’t endure it.

Brione heaved a long deep sigh and murmured, “I agree… It’s better to preserve the friendship because you never know what could happen if each other’s expectations did not meet. It will be too sad to lose that friendship, that you treasured for so long.

It’s so hard to risk everything, especially when you do not want to lose that someone because of that love which most often than not destroys that friendship…”

Luo’s forehead wrinkled, hearing Brione’s words.

She hastily turned around to look at Brione and straightforwardly asked, “Hey, why do I feel like your words have some meaning. Well, some emotions within yourself like, as if you’re not just referring to me and Daryl…”

Her eyes rounded seeing the guilty look onBrione’s face. She had noticed that already somehow but…

“OMG… Are you in love with your best friend?!” Luo burst out.

Meanwhile, Noah was driving his car on his way to the office when he suddenly stopped at the side of the road.

He grabbed his mobile phone and stared at it then looked at the time.

It was still early and he was sure Luo was still not having breakfast just yet. He called her but her mobile phone just kept on ringing.

Noah heaved a long deep sigh and stepped on the gas to go back to the road and make a U-turn. He would have breakfast with his wife this morning at his in-laws or else he would definitely go crazy from missing her smiles and lame jokes.

He shook his head and scoffed, “I think I was bewitched by my wife.”

He felt that he was being too clingy which really surprised him.

“I will just visit and leave after I have breakfast,” he whispered because he must honor his wife’s wish to stay with her parents for a while.

Well, he tried to give Luo a hint last night about sleeping there as well but her reply was too firm and he no longer pursued that matter. So maybe, what he should do was join her for breakfast or dinner every once in a while, for the time she was there. At least he would be able to see her everyday that way.