Luna's POV
Amidst all the noise coming from all over the room, mainly because of these playful boys, my ears can still recognize that low-toned voice of Devon.
"You came." he said to me smiling.
"I've been here for almost two hours and you just noticed?" I teased him. His cheeks turned red. I figured out that it was mainly because of having a bottle of beer.
I came in while he, Jack and Jiro were busy playing around oblivious to what's happening around them.
I laughed out loud earlier when I heard them having a serious argument to whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, or which comes first, the egg or the chicken. I swear these guys are a bunch of weirdos.
My cheeks turned red when I noticed him scanned my body from top to toe.
Contrary to what Natalie had told me, I decided to just wear something comfortable instead of going out for something sexy.
Besides, there is a kid in the house and a bunch of grown up men, to begin with. So now, I am simply wearing a pair of black pajamas with prints of places on it, since I love traveling and all.
"Yah, Devon, stop guarding her. We don't bite." I heard Joseph exclaimed.
So earlier, I met all the others including Sylver and Joseph who prefer that I call him Joseph.
I must say, Jiro had found a bunch of good looking guys to be friends with.
"I told you she's his girlfriend," Jack exclaimed, a little tipsy as he drank two bottles of beer earlier, saying something about finally being an adult.
The rest drank a little but they were more interested in the food.
Then I felt a hand on my shoulders. I looked beside me and saw Jiro grinning at me. And then he whispered something on, my ear.
"Okay, but I can't go until after my shift," I muttered. He had reminded me of our dinner with our grandparents.
"Where are you two going?"
My eyes turned back to Devon. He looked irritated.
"We have a date," Jiro responded. I had to hit his side with my elbows.
"Awwww" he yelps in pain. That's what he gets for messing with me.
"No they are cou-" I looked around and saw Joshua covering Jack's mouth.
These two.
"Looks like Dev is jealous!" Noah snickered and I laugh as I saw Noah and Joseph hugged each other, cringing.
Devon just rolled his eyes.
"Tssss." He scoffed. “Shut up!”
"Why can't you admit that you really like her?" Sylver asked while sitting on the couch.
After two hours of staying with them, I finally noticed that Sylver wouldn't really go around the house. He'd been sitting on the couch the whole time and I was sure I caught him sleeping a little while.
"I don't like her." Devon responded after sitting beside Sylver.
I don't know but I feel like my heart ached a little by what he said, I didn't notice my face frowning.
"Ow, look what you did. You made her upset. " Joseph hit Devon on the shoulder while the other looked at me checking if indeed I was upset. I just smiled at him to let him know that I was okay.
"You seriously don't like her?" Joshua asked. "Okay, can I get your number then?" Joshua said as he gives me his phone.
"No, give me your number instead." Noah pushed Joshua's hands.
"It's my birthday so I get to have her number."
"She's your noona, Jack, Shut it." Joshua screamed and before I knew it, these guys started to throw rock paper scissors deciding who would be getting my number.
Then I heard a door shut too loudly. Everyone looked around in shocked.
"Sarah..." I heard Devon muttered. Before he can stand up, I stopped him and pushed Jiro beside.
"Let me," I told him. Sarah probably saw me with the boys.
He seems a little reluctant but he then gave in after I smiled at him reassuringly.
I am never good with kids but seeing how I most probably will be hanging out with them almost every day, might as well get this over with.
Plus, I don't want to upset the kid even more. She needs someone right now.
I turned the doorknob open and saw her sitting on her bed, her casted ankle visible in my eyes.
My eyes wandered around her room. Contrary to what I expected, her room was filled with pictures of nature. I was expecting that her room would be pink with a lot of dolls and all but I was wrong.
Again, I felt the guilt slowly eating me inside.
I moved forward and sat at the edge of her bed. She didn't look at me. Instead, she focused on the pictures that are scattered around her bed.
I looked at them and noticed that these are postcards of different places around the world.
I guess the kid has a taste.
"You know, I thought I'll die when I did skydiving in Jumeirah," I told her checking her reaction. My eyes tugged into a smile when I noticed her eyes landed on a postcard of Jumeirah.
The landscape is so beautiful I can still remember when I spend my time traveling there.
Good, she knows what she's looking at.
"The pictures don't do any justice to its beauty," I added.
Her left hand landed on a picture with a beautiful sunset, specifically in Queensland, Australia.
"Is it true that sunsets are prettier when you have someone with you?"
I was taken aback with how heavy her voice sounded. It feels like she's thinking deeply. For a moment, I actually forgot that she’s just a child.
"It depends," I replied. "Sometimes, sunsets are more meaningful if you're with someone you cherish. But it doesn't mean that you can't appreciate it when you're alone."
I notice that she took another picture.
"Why would you go somewhere alone? It's boring." she pouted.
I moved closer to her and tucked the strands of hair that is covering her face.
"Hmm, may be because they need peace for themselves?" I told her. I look at the ceiling and think for an answer. Or because they need time to be alone and appreciate what's given to them. Or maybe, because they need to see what's ahead of them without being influenced by other people."
She looked up and stared right through me.
"Does it makes you happy? I mean, seeing these places?" her eyes look a little teary. I was taken aback by her questions. I’m not really sure why she was asking those. And those questions, there is a certain heaviness on how she delivers them.
"It does," I said truthfully. "But sometimes, you don't always have to travel around the world to be happy. Sometimes, just being with the people who cares for you is more than enough."
I pulled her closer when I saw drops of tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Oh, baby,” I whispered. I felt something tugging on my chest seeing her breaking down like this.
My heart breaks a little. She's too young but I feel like she has a lot of things hurting her inside.
"But they all go away. They don't like me," she said. I felt my eyes get teary. I hate it when I see people cry, especially kids. I almost scoffed when I remember that I made her cry before though.
"I'll tell you a little secret," I told her as I lift her face so she can see me. "My mom and dad are also abroad too."
Her eyes shine a little as if thinking someone finally understood how she felt.
"Don't you miss them?"
"I do. Every single day."
"Aren't you mad that they are not there on your birthday, or when you're sick?"
I felt my heart break into tiny pieces. So that's how she's feeling.
"Of course I do. But sometimes, I also think that maybe my mom and dad are also crying at night because they can't see me on my birthday. I think that maybe, my mom and dad can't sleep well at night because they are worried that I haven't eaten."
I saw her eyes soften. It was as if she was thinking deeply about something. After a few minutes, she suddenly spoke.
"I am a bad girl." she said as I felt her cry and hug me tight.
"No sweetie" I patted her back as she continues to cry.
"You were mad because you love them so much. Because if you don't love them enough, you wouldn't care."
She continued to cry while I coo her.
I never thought that our next encounter would be emotional. To be honest, I was expecting that she would be shouting at me like the last time.
I guess I judged her too early.
After a while, I felt her stop crying.
"Aren't you hungry? Do you want to go out?" I asked her. I never saw her out earlier.
"No. I want to sleep." she said.
"Okay, I'll go outside," I told her but before I was able to stand up, I felt her soft hand on my wrist, stopping me from moving.
"Can you wait before I get to sleep? I'm afraid I might get another nightmare."
My face softens.
Why do I feel like this little had been through a lot more than I have?
"Of course." I adjusted her position then I climb on her bed so I can lay beside her. I was caught off-guard when I felt her arms wrapped around me. But of course, I didn't mind.
I softly tap her side so she can go to sleep.
I didn't realize that I was so exhausted and darkness eat through me. I didn't even notice when the door opened while a pair of eyes was gazing lovingly towards our direction.