After shift, instead of going back to their own love nest, Cayenne decided to bring Stefan to the apartment where she stayed with her family. It's nearer to the hotel and she can spend time with her family as well. Stefan didn't refuse her idea, in fact, he welcomed it. He can spend more time with her family and they can get to know more of each other.
Time quickly passed and New Year came. Just like last on Christmas Day, Stefan spent time with them again. They went to a nearby church and attended a Holy Mass. When midnight came, they lighted some fireworks in the neighborhood after getting a permit.
The sounds of honking horns, the banging metals, blown trumpet, fireworks, laughter, giggles, showed that it's a great start of the year. Stefan had dinner with Cayenne's family. This time, Luna didn't come over. She's having fun with her boyfriend, in Clover Beach Resort.
Stefan's stitches on his head weren't taken off yet. His doctor told him that they needed to wait for two weeks. But they can still change his gauze to make sure that they keep it clean and disinfected.
"I'll have to come home tomorrow." Stefan murmured. The two of them were now lying on her bed. Cayenne was lying her head on his chest; her hand was wrapped around his waist. Stefan had his hand wrapped around her as well. His other free hand was combing her hair. "My parents wanted me to come over.
They wanted me to meet their preferred daughter-in-law."
"Will you be okay?" she asked. She's sleepy and was closing her eyes but her consciousness remained awake so that she can continue to converse with him. "Don't let them bully you."
"Who do you think your boyfriend is? There's no way I'd let them bully us. No one can separate us."
"I know. I just want to remind you." Cayenne stated. Her words came out as mumbled and Stefan could barely hear her.
He kissed the top of her head and caressed her hair. "Let's just go to sleep."
"Good night." Cayenne's eyelashes fluttered as she tried to open her eyes. She brushed her lips on the underside of his jaw and went to sleep.
Stefan wasn't sleepy yet. He was just staring on to the ceiling while sliding his fingers through her hair. He likes the silky soft touch of her hair and she smelled really good. 'Strawberry.' Stefan thought. The scent of her body wash was strawberry and it's the same one that she bought for her personal use in his house.
He looked at her face, took hold of her hand and kissed the inner wrist and the back of her palm. His deep-set eyes held many secrets and no one knew what he was thinking at all.
On the next day, the sun shone brightly over the horizon. When she stirred in her sleep, she felt the cold space beside her which made her open her eyes instantly. 'He left?' She questioned mentally. She was a bit disappointed that he didn't wait for her to wake up or at least, he could've woken her up and told her that he's leaving.
Now, she didn't even know when he left.
She got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She found Stefan's towel hanging on the side and she could only sigh. 'Loving someone like him; I'll be facing a lot of issues in the future.' This was her thought but she never thought of giving up. Stefan hadn't given up on her yet. When she looked to herself in the mirror, she was surprised.
"Did I put on this lipstick last night?" she questioned herself with a frown. She touched her lips with her finger tips as she tried to think back of what happened the day before. However, she couldn't remember putting such kind of lipstick. True, she'd wear lipsticks whenever she likes but it would always be light pink or a light orange. She would never wear a deep shade of red lipstick.
Thinking that she might have put it on by mistake, she brushed the thought and decided to wash her face. But while putting on her facial wash, she remembered that she washed her face last night before going to sleep and she was one hundred percent sure that she didn't wear any lipstick.
"Did I put this on while I was sleeping?" Cayenne whispered while spreading the foam of her facial wash all over her face. It was really baffling her.
After washing up, she wiped her face and went out of the bathroom to get her phone, "Half past eleven", she muttered and went out of her room. Her brothers were currently cleaning the living room and her mother was in the kitchen, cooking their food for lunch.
"Ma, why are you the one cooking? I can do that." Cayenne told her mother and took the ladle from her. "You need to rest. You cannot work so much because it's bad for you."
Emerald flicked her daughter's forehead and took the ladle back. "I can only cook once a day – the only work I do every single day of the week. Are you going to take it against me, too?"
Cayenne looked towards her brothers. "Is it true? While I'm gone, our mother didn't do anything?"
Kyle and Luiz nodded their heads together. "We didn't let her do any work but mama keeps saying that she wanted to do something to help us so, we agreed for her to cook a meal once a day." Kyle added to help her mother get out of her predicament. They knew that it's difficult to pacify their angry sister.
Cayenne looked back towards her mother and then back to her brothers. "Just once a day, alright. I won't be against this ma. I just want you to rest and depend on us." She poured a glass of water for herself and sat on a chair. "When did Stefan leave?"
"An hour ago." Luiz responded. "He told us not to wake you up since you were tired and we know that you'd come out once you're hungry so, we didn't disturb you."
"Who helped him redress his wound? Did you see him take his medicine?"
"Duh. You sound like a nagging mother." Kyle snorted with faint laughter.