"So what are you going to get?" Micah asked, his fingers skimmed over the high shelves.

They were currently shopping together as Mariana slowly pushed the cart along the aisle. She leaned on it as her curls cascaded down her back, and her chocolate eyes wandered over the ceiling. Her mind was in a daze as she was a little distracted until Micah waved a hand in front of her.

"You still there?"

Mariana blinked back into reality and fixed her posture, her eyes ached slightly from staring at the light for too long. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was wondering if you wanted anything from this aisle."

"Yeah I need some spaghetti for my dinner tonight," she said and grabbed some packets.

"What are you going to make?"

"This Italian pasta dish called Carbonara."

"Oh, it sounds delicious."

"Yeah, it was one of my favorite things that my mom used to cook," she looked back at him with a tight-lipped smile and her face glowed brightly.

"Aw, that's so sweet."

"If you want, I can make you some one day," she suggested, walking past the products that were on the bottom.

"Yeah, I would like to try it."

"Okay I will make you some then," she chuckled and continued walking.

They went into another aisle and Mariana got onto her tiptoes to reach the tin tomatoes on the top shelf.

As she grabbed it, Micah wrapped his arms around her waist and gently swayed her from side to side.

"Do you need help?" He asked.

"No, I'm okay." She turned to face him with a rosy smile.

"Okay is that everything you want?"

"Yeah, unless you want to get something?"

"No, I'm good."

"Okay let's go and pay," she said as they headed to the checkout.

When they were done shopping, the pair went to a cafe nearby for lunch.

They sat next to a window. The sun beamed its light across Mariana's floral blue dress and her jeweled, flower scrunchie reflected its pattern onto the wooden table.

"So do you have everything you need?" Micah asked, opening the menu.

"Yes, thanks for coming with me." A wide grin spread across her face, she was so happy to be in Micah's presence.

"You're welcome. I read your article yesterday and I really liked it."

"Really?" Her face lit up with a smile that glimmered like pearls.

"Yep. The information was very interesting. I enjoyed reading it."

"Thanks," her cheeks flushed as she chose what she was going to eat.

Mariana ended up ordering a piece of chicken with slices of vegetables, fries, and a chocolate milkshake. Micah got a burger with fries and a vanilla milkshake.

Mariana sipped her drink, and as the liquid slithered down her throat, her face scrunched up as she became repulsed by the aftertaste. The milkshake tasted less like chocolate and more like coffee.

She slowly put her cup down and frowned at the rest of the food.

"Mariana, are you alright?" He looked up, sensing her discomfort.

"Yeah...just fine," she said and then picked up her fork. She lifted one fry into the bright light and peered at it as if she was trying to see what was under its crispy skin.

"Mari, you look like someone has poisoned your food."

She giggled and then popped the fry into her mouth. She ate a bit of the chicken and drank more of the milkshake, all while having a grimace plastered on her face. She couldn't escape the hidden taste of coffee from the chocolate and it started to bother her a little.

"This thing tastes more like coffee than chocolate." She held it up, with her lips forming a squiggly line.

"Really?"

"Yeah." She put it back down and sipped some more. It was quite nice but it still made her a little bit uncomfortable.

"Do you want to complain?"

"No I'm fine," she said but continued to glare at her food. Her eyes burned into the chicken like it was a stench and even the vegetables started to look unappealing.

"I've never seen someone stare at their food with so much hatred," Micah said, trying not to laugh.

She giggled and got on with eating her food. She popped a piece of chicken into her mouth as her phone vibrated inside her leather jacket. She casually brought it out and her eyes glanced down at the screen.

Keep on laughing and sucking up all the happiness.
For when you least expect it.
I will strike.
- :)

Mariana quickly deleted the message, wanting to be erased from her mind as she put her phone away. She became stiff as her eyes quickly surveyed the place. No one appeared to look suspicious as everyone else was chatting away and eating their food, no one even took a glance in their direction.

She then looked back at Micah who was peacefully eating his fries. Seeing him in front of him with his happy, cheerful smile, spiked a tear in her eye. She loved him so much and didn't want to lose him to a crazy person that won't stop bothering her. She just hoped it was all just a prank.

When they were done, Mariana and Micah went back to her house and he laid down on the couch with her on top. They both stared up at the ceiling while the sound from the TV played lowly in the background.

Micah ran his fingers through her hair, he twirled it around, earning a smile to creep onto Mariana's lips. His touch was soft and soothing. She felt the tip of his finger glide down her scalp, it was like a refreshing wave of water after being heated by the sun.

"Micah," she said with her eyes closed.

"Yeah?" He said, scratching the tip of her scalp, making her moan a little at how good it felt.

"I love you," she said with the widest grin and a giggle coming afterward.

"I love you too," he cupped her face with his free hand and kissed her cheek.

The kiss made her smile like a little girl. His reply was also enough to make her sigh in relief as she buried her head more into his chest. The message earlier no longer bothered her as she knew Micah was all hers no matter what.

****

After her dinner, Mariana came out of the steamy shower and into her warmly-toned room lit by strawberry scented candles. She felt relaxed yet extremely tired and just wanted to sleep.

She changed into her fuzzy pajamas and got out her keyboard from the side of her bed. She had it when she didn't want to go downstairs to play her big piano, but now she wanted to play a quick tune.

Her hands grazed against the keys, slowly pushing down as she started to play 'Crazy In Love'.

I look and stare so deep in your eyes.
I touch on you more and more every time.
When you leave I'm begging you not to go.
Call your name two-three times in a row.

She murmured the words under her breath like a whisper whistling through the ocean of stars. The rhythm played inside her head as the lyrics came to life.

When she was done, she shut the lid over her piano in content. This was a perfect end to her day as she was now her mind and body were ready to sleep.

Her head hit her pillow and her curls sprawled out as she stared at the blank wall. Slowly, her eyes started to close, soon she will be escaping the harsh realities of the day, and into the peace of dreams.

Just when she was about to shut off, a mysterious glow caught her eye. She sat up and peered at her laptop that was on the desk. She let out a huff of annoyance as she got out to turn it off. She found it quite irritating how she was just about to sleep but she had just one, measly little thing to do.

Before she could see what was displayed on the screen, it went all black and the hidden message disappeared out of sight as she pressed the power button.

She went back to bed, knowing that everything was taken care of and nothing was going to disturb her sleep.

Little did she know that her actions only delayed the inevitable.

A/N: Hey guys! I'm extremely sorry for the late update! I hope it was good enough :')