The heat didn't bother him which Cassie had momentarily forgotten but before she could voice it out, she recalled his condition and fell silent as he declared that it was done.
The two enjoyed their lunch to which once again, he took the initiative of cleaning up once more. After he was done, he crashed hard onto the sofa to which Cassie was waiting for him. Know that she knew as to how he operated, she felt free around him unlike before.
"Don't bother apologizing Cassie. It was perfectly rational for you to react the way you did. I'm actually thankful that you didn't call the cops the first time." Before she could open her mouth, she was met with such a statement leaving her mouth completely wide open before closing it.
"But still, thank you." She urged on. "If you want to truly thank me, promise me that you'll take care of yourself. You're too weak as is right now and I'll appreciate it." She glanced at the medication at the counter to which she took.
"Well let's go out for a stroll. It's much better than staying couped up in here from your words."He didn't react as he rose to his feet and the two left the apartment. Walking down the street, they took a turn and after a while came to the park to which the two sat on an empty bench.
"What was the point of you coming outside if you're going to keep wearing your hoodie? We might as well not have left to begin with." He urged as he glanced at Cassie who was donned in her blue hoodie that masked her upper torso, leaving her lower face exposed and the rest hidden.
She gave a light sigh as she dropped her head cover letting her unkempt hair fall free. It wasn't unsightly to look at but rather all over the place and irregular. It completely covered her neck and shoulders, leaving the only exposed part being the right side of her face but even that was barely.
She looked like a mole underground, afraid of poking her head out and embracing what was out there while Andrew was dressed in a light white shirt that overshadowed his physique, making him look less of a martial artist expert and more of an average person.
The two were easy to consider as background filler given that there was nothing interesting about them at first glance thus they failed to attract attention to themselves.
"Are you up for a party? Hector's hosting one this weekend." He started off. "I'm not that into parties or places with a lot of people. I'm comfortable within my own lane but I guess I can start to delve into new things."
"There'll be a shooting incident that will land Hector in the hospital, Leaving him unable to walk." Taken aback by what he had just said, she propped up. "Wait, if you know this then why don't you stop him from throwing it to begin with. Or call the cops on the person who'll shoot him."
"I have told him not to throw it, just not why." He brushed it off as he glanced at the surface of the lake, reflecting the calm blue sky before ripples could be seen. The ducks from afar fluttered their wings as they made their presence known with their quacks.
'I guess you don't have the need for urgency to stop him to begin with. But still, it would be better to save him than face such a fate.' She looked over at Andrew, his face calm as always before he looked at her to which she shifted her attention elsewhere.
"Why don't you text him and warn him in clearer details of it? Just like the way you told me." She urged, actively trying to avoid his eyes. "You can tell him. I thought that it would be better given that you have the morale to do it but he'll ignore it either way so don't waste your time."
Handing over his phone to her, she picked it up before calling Hector. After a few exchanges, she got to the point.
"Look! Just cancel the party all together Hector! There's a person who'll shoot you!" She urged however Hector remained adamant. "I don't know how you and Andrew are friends Cassie, but I'm doing it either way! And stop with the bullshit of me getting shot. Don't bother calling me again!"
And with that, he ended the call making her slightly annoyed. She had good intentions for him but he failed to see so and it was understandable. Telling him that he'll be shot at a party sounded ridiculous if not lunacy to begin with.
"I don't understand as to why you are so bothered with Hector like this. What happened to sticking to your own lane?" Andrew posed as he put his phone back into his pocket. She fell silent, her brain startled into making an answer. It was strange that she, the same person who urged Andrew to stay away from her cared out of the blue.
"If you already know what I'm going to say then why are you even asking me?" She mused, trying to change the subject however his beady eyes, calm demanded a proper answer than that.
"Because his pain will be in my hands if I don't intervene. Sure I don't care about him but just letting him suffer like that would be too inhumane." Andrew however seemed unfazed by her answer.
"You know what, don't tell me who is going to suffer of die, okay because that isn't my expertise. Shouldn't you be telling this to the police?"
"Because they'll believe me." His tone flat however she could tell that his intention was sarcasm. "Just keep all of those outcomes and probabilities in your head, and far away from me is all." She finalized her thoughts as she too glanced at the lake.
The two sat there in strange silence making the situation peaceful. The calm breeze, the faint cheers of kids playing in the background and the serene sight, it was one to take in an admire to the point she lost herself however Andrew remained sober through it all.
It was beautiful but seeing it didn't elicit any form of shock or wonder from him but rather indifference. He gave a final sigh as he rose to his feet and extending his arm to her. "There's more to see than this." She could only take his hand and the two took their leave.
Front there the day was wasted away with the two engaging in all kinds of thrills. Andrew with his pockets full spoilt Cassie to her fill, showing her the wonders of what the world had to offer while he remained passive about it.
As hypocritical as it felt to Cassie, she enjoyed it nonetheless before the two called it a day as they headed back to her apartment.
"Wait, there's no way that we're heading inside and you still haven't smiled through all that." She mused as Andrew's hand rested on the door nob. She took out her phone and encasing both herself and Andrew in the same photo, she took a selfie however his face remained the same.
"Come on Andrew, I'm sure that you can surely muster a smile." She urged however he didn't respond but he did give in to her antics and another photo shortly followed. The image of the two, both smiling with the dim lights if the city in the background, leaning on the rails of the apartment.
The two looked like a couple together. "See, it wasn't that hard, now was it?" She asked as she looked at the photo. His face had a natural smile to it, it didn't look forced or out of place but natural and fit the photo perfectly. But that didn't mean that it was genuine.
To him, it felt like donning a mask and making a smile to impress her, nothing more than that. The two walked inside and Cassie crashed hard onto the sofa. They were full thus they didn't need to worry about supper.
"There's been a question on my mind that has been bothering me. But I'm sure you already know what it is so..." Andrew paused for a minute as he gauged whether to indulge with her antics or not. In the end, he decided to yield.
"Yes I can but I won't feel anything. Do you want to try it now?" Her face tensed with her frantic demeanor. "No! No! No! I was just curious is all." She hastily responded as she glanced away from him, her cheeks slightly blushing.
"It's time I took my leave." He mused as he rose to his feet. "Oh! Well I'll see you tomorrow then." She urged as she too stood up and escorted him to the door. "I've got training to do for the tournament and the clinic. I'll see you on Monday."
"Right... Then I'll see you on Monday." She mused however her tone was evidently downcast. He knew what was running through her head however he didn't bring it up and left the premise and made his way back home.
'Having me as your love interest isn't plausible, Cassie. It would be better to find someone else who would reciprocate the love that you would feel for him.' Saying this at her apartment would complicate matters, not that he wouldn't say it but saying it now would be detrimental to his progress.
Sure he could put on his best mask and entertain her antics to the point that she wouldn't be able to discern whether it was an act or not but both of them would know that it wasn't genuine. It would be better for her to find someone else other than him.
The reason as to why he got so close to her was to prevent her from offing herself to begin with and give her a reason to stay.
Thus he initially settled her financial problems by having her win the lottery and have her take proper care for herself, the latter a result that would stem if she kept on pushing. The reason as to why. 'Isn't it within the best interest of humanity to preserve human life?'
His excuse but even he knew that that was pure delusionality. It was another act that he had lied to himself and the worst part, unlike a hysterical person who would fall into lunacy due to the benefit of the doubt, he knew that it was lunacy to begin with and went with it.
'Maybe I'm just wasting my time.' He concluded as he arrived home and opened the door to meet his mother who was waiting for her. "Oh welcome home, sweetie." Her tone warm as she gestured her in.