Helena was about to close the door, but the man was fast enough to block it. "Back off," she said sternly.

"Hey, I only have a question. Don't be scared. I'm not here to harm you." The man said as he was blocking the door from closing.

What pissed her off was the man acted like he didn't recognize her. "I said back off. You only bring a bad aura around me. Wasn't it enough that you ruined my day in the market?"

Arthur laughed as he seemed to recognize Helena. "Oh, it was you again. I'm sorry about what happened in the market. I didn't mean to bump into you, and besides, I offered to help, but you refused to let me."

"Shut up and leave," Helena said, pointing to the road.

"Okay, just answer one question, please. I need to get to a certain place tonight; I have nowhere to stay." Arthur took out a piece of paper with an address on it.

Helena pushed the door again.

"I apologize; I mean it. I'm so sorry, please."

Helena felt the sincerity in Arthur's voice that she stopped pushing the door. Helena eyed the man in front of him and released a heavy sigh. "Alright, just one question."

"Tell me where this place is," Arthur showed the paper again.

Helena took the paper and read what was in it. "There's no motel here, and this is the only house in this area. I chose this to isolate myself from nasty and noisy people." Helena said, eyeing Arthur like she was referring to the man as nasty and noisy.

"Are you sure about that?"

"I may hate you, but I'm not a liar," Helena said quickly.

Arthur's heart sank. His shoulders sagged, he felt tired, and all his energy abandoned him. He lost hope, and just as he was about to leave, the heavy rain started pouring down. He looked back at Helena as if begging her to let him stay for a night. It melts Helena's heart. She may be isolating herself from people, but she is not a bad person - far from it.

"Fine, get inside. But you'll have to leave when the rain stops."

"I will," Arthur raised his hand, swearing.

The rain wasn't Helena's friend as it didn't stop even at midnight. It's still pouring heavily as they are sitting in the living room without making a noise. Only the sound of the raindrops on the roof could be heard.

Helena left Arthur in the living room to make herself a coffee in the kitchen and returned with two mugs.

"Coffee?" Helena offered as she put the coffee on the center table near Arthur.

"Thank you," Arthur said, but no response from Helena. Silence dominated again.
"Are you really this quiet if you are mad?"

Helena glared at Arthur. She knew the man was trying to be funny, but he failed miserably.

"By the way, can I stay for the night? I have nowhere to go." Arthur asked.

Helena stared at him. "You can sleep on the sofa," she said, finally.

It was almost one in the morning as she checked the clock. She can't throw the man outside while it is raining heavily, so she must have him stay.

"Really?" Arthur asked and was elated that Helena had agreed.

"Just tonight, and you must leave first thing in the morning."

"Sure," Arthur nodded.

"If you need to use the bathroom, it's in there," Helena said, pointing to the right side just after the kitchen.

"And let's make things clear, you are not allowed to enter my room. I warn you, I have a gun and know how to use it to protect myself. If you are here for some dark plan, you better think twice. I'm not the type who gives up without putting up a fight."

Arthur chuckled a little bit. He thought Helena was cute and funny even when threatening him.

"It's not a threat," Helena said sternly.

Arthur chose to keep quiet, trying not to awaken the beast inside Helena. He knew the woman would be triggered if he said anything against her narrative.

Helena left Arthur and went to her room. She came back with a blanket and handed it over to Arthur. "Here, you can use this tonight. It's thick enough for the cold weather."

Arthur reached to get the blanket. "This is a nice blanket."

"Have a good night," she said, turned her back, and left. Still giving Arthur the cold shoulder.

Arthur shrugged, seeming a little used to Helena's cold treatment the whole night, even after the Farmer's market incident.

He unpacked his huge travel backpack to get his skincare. He tidied up himself in the bathroom before getting into his underwear. Yes, he sleeps with only underwear on, even on a cold night, as long as it's not winter.

The blanket Helena gave him was cozy enough to cover his body. He liked the feminine smells on it and wondered if it was the same smell as Helena. Looking around the corner of the house, Arthur thought Helena was the kind who cared for everything. He thought Helena was independent and almost didn't need the help of a man.

He found it an attractive attribute of a woman. He slept with a smile, covering the pink blanket a beautiful stranger gave him.

Meanwhile, Helena can't find her sleeping atmosphere. She tossed and turned but was of no use falling asleep. She tried closing her eyes, but they only hurt.

She got up at one in the morning and continued her novel. She suddenly has the motivation to write, especially since the main character of her book is staying in the same house. She giggled at the thought of having Arthur discover that he is making a novel based on his story. She will see that Arthur in her book is naughty, and his character suffers before he claims victory at the end of his journey.

Around three in the morning, Helena is urged to check on her main character sleeping in the living room. She debated whether it would be a good idea, but ultimately, she gave in.

Helena tip-toed on her way to the door to twist the knob slowly until she peeked into the living room. Her sight landed on Arthur's body, wearing only his underwear. Helena covered her mouth. Her eyes bulged, sticking at the odd view in her living room.

At that exact moment, the memory of Israel flashed back as they were both naked under the moon's silhouette. It was the night they owned each other for the first time when they vowed not to let the moment end for the rest of their lives.

Her tears were dripping down her face as she regained her senses. Helena clutched her chest. "Israel," she uttered his name with a trace of pain. Helena wiped her tears as she tried to calm herself.

The man lying on the sofa moved his hand, uncovering the blanket which exposed his entire body. Arthur sleeps with the lights open, allowing Helena to gaze at the man's body. From his long and thick curly hair, defined jawline face, 6-pack abs, the bulge in his lower midsection to his long hairy arms and legs. The man was a sight to behold.

It melts Helena's heart seeing Arthur is too big to fit on the sofa. "His neck must hurt the next day," she said with a hint of concern.

She didn't want to wake the man sleeping soundly, so she closed the door slowly. She lay in her bed, covered herself with the blanket, and curved into a ball. It's her way of warming herself since Israel was gone.

It scares Helena how the presence of Arthur brings back the memory of Israel. It's not that she doesn't want to remember her dear Israel, but the memory of him brings pain, which she was trying to avoid all along. Helena falls asleep with Israel and Arthur in her mind.