Arthur almost shivers, afraid Helena might eat him alive. "I'm sorry, the book slipped out of the box. I'm returning this now," Arthur immediately returned the photo to the book.

Helena was all eyes on him. "No need. I'll take care of this box and that book," she grabbed the box and the book. "Please get the last box so we can start cleaning this room to set up a place you can sleep."

Arthur was relieved when Helena wasn't that mad after explaining it wasn't his intention to get his hands on her personal belongings. He was trying hard to remember who the man in the photo was. He was sure he had seen the man before. He drew a long breath, unable to recall who was the man next to Helena.

He followed Helena carrying the last piece of the box to the garage. They work together to arrange all the bags and boxes in a way that won't fall off easily.

From the garage, they move back to the bedroom to dust it up, remove the cobwebs, and then vacuum it all. While Helena cleaned the old paintings, Arthur volunteered to mop the floor to thoroughly remove the dirt.

Silence dominated the atmosphere after the photo incident. Arthur kept an eye on Helena while Helena was all eyes on her job. She couldn't care less about how Arthur thinks of her for the sudden outburst of her photo with Israel beside her.

"Did you paint all of these?" Arthur held the abstract painting to hang it on the wall. He finally broke the silence between them.

Helena nodded casually. "Yeah, I made all of these when my parents were very supportive of my artwork," the spark in her eyes dimmed as she mentioned her parents.

"How about now? Are they not supportive anymore?"

"They passed away when I was 20 in a car accident. They were my backbone in pursuing my passion for painting, so it kind of died along with them."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Losing someone, especially your family, is such a terrible thing. Hopefully, one of these days, you'll find the hunger to paint again."

"No. Not anymore," Helena handed the second painting to Arthur. "Put this one on the other side, and then we can start bringing in the mattress and other things we need in this room."

Arthur was curious if there was more about not wanting to paint, but Helena turned her back and left the room. He sighed deeply, saddened by how Helena again showed him the cold shoulder. He thought it was a great experience having breakfast with her in the morning. It was the only event he kept repeating in his head. He could only hope Helena would return to being friendly towards him again.

They had a lunch break which they prepared together before getting things done in the bedroom. Just like their breakfast, Arthur was enjoying the meal while Helena was uncomfortable having an eye on her while eating. She had to eat fast to get away from Arthur's scrutinizing eyes. She felt under surveillance while having a meal.

Helena walked on the shore after a meal to help her digestion. Arthur considered it an advantage to spend time with Helena again. He knew Helena would be annoyed, but he couldn't help teasing the woman whenever he could. Every time she gets annoyed, it amounts to Helena giving him the attention he needs. It sounds childish, but that's how it works.

A small smile played in the corners of Arthur's mouth as he approached Helena on the shore. "The weather is nice, perfect for a short walk," he said as he finally joined Helena in a walk.

"It was supposed to be nice until you came," Helena kept walking with a straight face.

Arthur chuckled a little. "If this is about the photo incident, I'm really sorry…."

"Don't mention it anymore. Leave it," she commanded.

"If you say so. We can just walk here in silence."

Helena never spoke again as they continued walking on the shore. Soaking their feet on the warm sand, smelling the fresh ocean breeze as the wind blows their face.

As they continued fixing the guest bedroom, they needed to see if there was enough space for Arthur's clothes and belongings for his comfortable stay. Good thing there was an old built-in cabinet. They also put up a small table and a chair he can use when working with his photos. The last thing they brought in was the old mattress for Arthur to use.

"I'm afraid you'll use a light pink bedsheet, pillowcase, and blanket. There are no more white sheets you can use. I need to wash some of them tomorrow," Helena said apologetically.

Arthur just laughed at it. "I don't mind. I'll help you put the bedsheets on," Arthur the other hem of the bedsheet, but Helena held on to them.

"I got it. I should be doing this as part of the accommodation you're paying for. In fact, I should be paying you for helping me clean and arrange this room.

"Helping you is not a problem for me. I'd grab every chance I can to spend time with you," Arthur said without hesitation while making eye contact with Helena.

Helena just shook her head and went on making the bed. Helena was pleased with their guest room renovation as it kept its classic look. She's an old soul, and keeping things as vintage as possible is her style.

"What do you think? Can you possibly rest well in this space? I know I'm too old-fashioned regarding style, but this is just me. I Love vintage."

"You don't have to explain yourself. I appreciate your sense of style. This looks so refreshing to me. I see that you love keeping things that store a lot of memories. That's rare these days."

As Arthur said it, a smirk played in the corner of Helena's lips. Arthur wondered how the woman would look if he put a gentle smile on her face. Would she look even better when she's annoyed? He wondered.

"Thanks, but I just bought this house. We haven't built and owned this for years."

Arthur was surprised to hear what he heard. "Oh, I didn't know that you're new here," Arthur would love to ask more questions when Helena turned her back. He knew the woman didn't want to push the conversation, so he chose to stay quiet.

Arthur chose to stay for the rest of the afternoon to fix his things in the closet, clean his camera and then stare at Helena whenever he could.

Helena made a cookie for their afternoon tea which she thought of offering to Arthur as thank you for helping her clean the guest room. She brought it to Arthur, sitting on the bench outside. Arthur had the widest smile as Helena approached him.

"Care for some tea and cookies?" Helena put the tray beside Arthur. There were two teas and enough cookies for the two of them.

"I'd love to," Arthur didn't hesitate to take 1 cookie and pair it with the tea.

"This is the best pair of tea and cookies I've ever had," he immediately devoured the second piece of cookie and got another one after sipping his tea.

"Stop lying to me," Helena was sitting on the other edge of the bench.

"I'm not lying. Everything is about the experience. I've had good cookies and tea before, but this is the best because I have it with you."

"Shut up and eat." They ended their day watching the sunset on the shore.

Arthur stole a look at Helena and couldn't help but wonder how a beautiful woman like her chose to stay in a secluded place where no man would ever want to live anymore. He had an internal struggle to understand what was going on. The conversation they had earlier was troubling him.