It was already getting dark, but they could still see the path leading back to the hut. They arrived quickly and went inside immediately.
Alas laid the pandan mat on the floor, then placed the pillows and the blanket on top.
Yna sat on the opposite side. "What should I do now? I can't sleep without light," Yna complained. She wasn't used to living like this. She grew up in comfort, with a nice house and huge, soft beds, but now she was living worse than the poorest of the poor.
Alas smiled and tapped the mat. "You can sleep if you want to. Don't think about things that will bother you. Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to you. I'm here to protect you."
"But… I still can't sleep in this place. I miss my room, the soft bed I used to sleep on." Alas sighed heavily. "It's your fault, you brought me here," she blamed him.
"Shhh. I'm sorry. Stop complaining now, okay? Think of this as an adventure. Isn't that good?"
"How is this an adventure? For me, it's just bad luck and struggle." She hissed in annoyance.
Alas laughed at her behavior. She was so kind earlier when talking to the villagers, but now she was back to her real attitude.
"Shhh. That's enough. We are going to build hotels here. For now, just be patient, okay?" he said reassuringly.
"Okay," she answered lifelessly and sat down on the mat.
"You better get used to this setup. It's actually a good thing your dad didn't abandon you in a place like this, or else you probably wouldn't survive," Alas chuckled, joking with her. She just rolled her eyes at him.
Alas fixed their bedding. He laid down first. "Let's go to sleep now. Come here," he invited her to lie down.
She felt grumpy. She regretted coming to this place. It was awkward sleeping together on the same mat under the same blanket, but she had no choice. She couldn't stand the cold anymore. She had forgotten to borrow a jacket.
It started raining hard again, accompanied by thunder and lightning. "Come here, aren't you scared?"
"Of course I'm scared, I have a phobia," she said shivering, hugging herself tightly.
"Come here, I'll just hug you again so you won't be afraid."
"No, who knows what you might do to me," she stubbornly refused. Suddenly, a loud thunderclap startled her, causing her to instinctively run to Alas' side and hug him.
"See? You wouldn't listen to me. Don't worry, I'm right here. Stop being scared, okay?" She just nodded in response.
Yna didn't know why she had become so obedient to him lately. She felt so weak whenever they were together.
"Good girl," he said and pinched her nose. She moved away and turned her back on him, resisting the urge to hit him.
Alas remembered their childhood memories. Yna had always been afraid of thunder and lightning. He felt pity for her. He wanted to hug her tightly to help ease her fear, but he was holding back his feelings.
Alas tapped her shoulder. "Come closer. I won't hurt you. Or maybe you're the one who will hurt me? Am I right?" he smiled teasingly. He just wanted to make her laugh, but it only made her angrier.
"Sorry. Come on."
She hissed and rolled her eyes again.
Another loud thunder and flash of lightning frightened her. She almost cried. "I want to go home," she said.
Alas felt pity for her. He moved closer and wrapped the blanket securely around her. She faced him. Their eyes met, and she was the first one to look away. She felt a little awkward.
Her mind wandered. No, the things she watched on TV were nothing like their situation right now. She let out a deep breath.
"So far, I have nothing to do but rest. Good night," Alas said and closed his eyes. He fell asleep easily, but Yna couldn't.
She kept looking outside. She still felt cold even under the blanket. She was worried that Jomari might get mad at her for not coming home. This was already the second time she had done this—the first was that night she gave herself to a stranger. Her eyes felt heavy, but she was still awake. She couldn't stop thinking about Alas. Would he really not hurt her? How could she be sure?
The rain had stopped, but the thunder and lightning were still raging outside.
It was 10:00 PM when she checked her wristwatch. She yawned repeatedly and finally felt drowsy. But she thought it wasn't right to sleep next to a man. She tried sleeping on the floor, but the cold felt like it was biting her skin.
She stood up and smirked, looking at Alas who was sleeping soundly. Why was she being so choosy? He was handsome and smelled good—why not? Before, she had even made a move on a total stranger, so why hesitate now? She knew Alas, and this was just an adventure. "Argh, what are you thinking Yna? You're so stupid to think like that. That's not the solution, it's just cold," she scolded herself for her own foolishness.
Slowly, she lay down beside him, careful not to wake him up with her movements. She also fixed the other side of the blanket to cover him properly. She didn't want to be selfish.
Alas' face was very handsome. She stared at him for a while. They were so close. His nose and lips were perfectly shaped—damn, they looked so sexy. She felt something strange. She wanted to claim his lips, but she knew it wasn't a good idea. She didn't know why she was tempted to kiss this man. "No, it can't be," she whispered, forcing herself to stay alert. She didn't come here to flirt; she was here for the project, for a specific reason.
Finally, she yawned again. Her vision started to blur. Yna slowly closed her eyes. She was almost asleep when she felt Alas' arms wrap around her waist. She felt that electrifying sensation again. She gasped. She wanted to protest, but she liked it. She wanted someone to hug her, to make her feel special. She wanted to open her eyes, but sleepiness took over.
If Alas was the man she loved, she would be so lucky, but it wasn't him. It was Janus, who never valued her even once. He was such a fool for letting Yna slip away from his life.
This was the second time she felt something strange for Alas. She couldn't find a reason why. She knew her heart belonged only to Janus, yet she was drowning in lustful thoughts every time Alas touched her skin. She even remembered the stranger she had slept with two months ago.