Hope had called Tayo on her way over to let her know she was coming and she'd been thrilled to learn her friend's dad was away on a business trip and her mum had left to attend a wedding so they had the whole house to themselves.
"She's going to be so freaked!" Hope squealed excitedly as she knocked heavily and continuously on the door to her friend's house.
Paul chuckled at the level of her excitement. If one didn't know better, they'd think she had won the lottery of something.
The door swung open and Tayo appeared.
"Do you want to break down -- " The words died in her throat and her hand hung midair. Her eyes bulged and she seemed frozen to the spot as she gaped at Paul.
"What's up?" He greeted with a small wave.
That seemed to break the spell as Tayo let out the shrillest shriek that had Hope hastening to protect her ears with her hands. Tayo flung herself at Paul who stumbled back on collision.
"Paul!!!" Tayo screamed, hitting him hard on the back of his head. She jumped off him before he could recover. "Oh my God! It's actually you. See how tall and fine you've become!" She then turned sharply to Hope and pointed an accusing finger at her. "And you, why didn't you tell me he was coming?!"
Hope rolled her eyes but said nothing. She shoved her way past her friend who was blocking the entryway and went on to make herself comfortable on a seat.
"Hope didn't know until this morning that I was around either. It was meant to be a surprise," Paul explained. He took her hand in his and twirled her. "Wow. The last time I saw you, you were skinny and spotting missing teeth."
Hope laughed and flashed her teeth at him. "My teeth's all complete now."
"So I've noticed," he teased.
She laughed again and engulfed him into another hug; one that she gave him the chance to reciprocate this time. "It's so good to see you again."
"Same here," Paul replied, squeezing her shoulder lightly.
She pulled back from him only to take his hand and pull him in, shutting the door behind them. "We have so much to gossip about."
"Yes, but before you start," Hope spoke, interrupting them. "Feed me. I'm starving."
"Are you ever not starving?" Tayo demanded, scoffing. "See ehn you can't just come here and be bossing me around in my house. It's not me that asked you not to eat in your own house."
Hope's mouth dropped open and she gaped unbelievingly at her friend. "So it's like that now?"
Tayo ignored her. She sat and pulled Paul down beside her.
"You're seriously not going to feed me?" Hope demanded, flabbergasted at the level of betrayal.
Tayo threw her an annoyed look. "Go and fix something yourself 'cause there's no quick action food in that kitchen."
"You know I don't like cooking!" Hope whined.
Tayo let out an exaggerated gasp, her hands flying to cover her mouth. She dropped them back and made sure to give her friend a sarcastic eye roll before completely ignoring her.
Hope huffed and plummeted back on her seat, grumbling. It was times like this she wanted to kill her friend. She tuned her friends out as she imagined herself holding a feast, losing herself in the world of what would have been lots of delicious food. Her stomach grumbled and she groaned, realizing she was only just making things worse for herself. Her phone vibrated and grateful for the distraction, she brought it out and flipped it open.
Her eyebrows flew all the way up her face as she saw it was a direct text from Raymond.
Where are you?
Hope chuckled. She was about to close the text when another followed.
Where did you go off to with that guy?
Hope stared amusedly at the text, not quite sure what to make of it. She contemplated just ignoring him, but then another text came in.
You better not be ignoring me.
Hope scoffed although she couldn't resist the small smile that blossomed on her face. Instead of texting him back, she opted to send him a reply via WhatsApp instead.
Yes, I'm ignoring you so go away.
11:17
His reply was instant, much to her surprise.
Where are you?
11:17
Exasperated, she typed back a reply.
Although I don't see how that concerns you, I'm at my friend's place.
11:18
That boy you left with?
11:18
Hope released a dry chuckle. Did he just call Paul a boy?
Paul is 24 years old. He's not a boy.
11:18
I don't see how that answers my question.
11:19
???
11:19
What's that supposed to mean?
11:19
Before she could even think of replying, another text followed.
Doesn't matter. Come here. Right now.
11:19
Hope's brows traveled all the way up her head. Was that a joke or what?
Excuse me?
11:20
His reply had her jaw hitting the ground.
If you don't, I'm going to tell everyone you're working at Momalicious.
11:20
Her fingers worked fast on her phone screen.
No way, you wouldn't...
11:21
She'd hardly sent the message when he replied.
Alright then.
11:21
"He really wouldn't . . . " she muttered to herself. That jerk! He was flat out threatening her and she wasn't sure it'd be a good idea to test if the threat was real or not.
Reluctantly, she asked,
Where's 'here'?
11:22
My place.
11:23
Jerk.
11:23
She didn't wait for his reply before closing the chat. She turned her attention back to her friends who were chatting away, totally oblivious to her existence. Leaving suddenly didn't seem that much of a bad idea.
"I'm leaving!" She announced loudly.
Tayo halted her narration and they both turned to her.
"Why? Where are you off to?" Paul inquired.
Hope shrugged and stood up. "Since you've refused to feed me, I have no reason to be here. It's not as if you people even remembered I was here in the first place."
Tayo rolled her eyes and in a very obnoxious manner, ushered her to the door. "Bye."
Hope's eyes narrowed at her friend. "Don't worry. Paul will soon leave, then it'll be just you and I again. We'll see who'd have the last laugh."
In response, Tayo stuck her tongue out at her and Hope did the same while Paul chuckled at their childish exchange. Hope waved briefly at him as she headed for the door.
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Raymond inwardly cringed as he reread the text he just sent Hope.
If you don't, I'm going to tell everyone you're working at Momalicious.
11:20
He wasn't sure what had possessed him to do that, but something about the way she had smiled so brightly at the Paul boy and then went off with him unsettled him. It was a biting feeling deep in his gut that he just couldn't shake.
Her reply came in and it just had his blood boiling the more.
No way, you wouldn't...
11:21
His seething anger propelled his fingers across the screen. He refused to think of that feeling as something other than that.
Alright then.
11:21
Let her make of that whatever she chose. He knew he wouldn't be able to go through with the threat if she called his bluff.
"Raymond, are you listening?"
"Uh . . . what?" With difficulty, he took his attention off his phone to Val who was staring at him skeptically, frustration and maybe anger evident on her features. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I was saying . . . "
He tuned out as his attention returned to his phone to read Hope's reply.
Where's here?
11:22
Heavy relief washed over him, the intensity of it surprising him as his breath left in a whoosh. He thought about asking her to come back home but he knew there was no way he was going to be satisfied confronting her with Val present.
My place.
11:23
Her response was immediate.
Jerk.
11:23
His brows rose in surprise and amusement.
What?
11:24
He saw then she'd already gone offline. Did that mean she was coming or had she called his bluff? He really hoped it wasn't the latter.
He heard a heavy sigh next to him. He turned back to Val who was now staring at him in resignation. He felt guilty for ignoring her, but he knew he was way too distracted to key into a conversation with her.
"I'm sorry, I have to leave," he announced.
If he'd thought she was disappointed before, it was even more glaring now. Her voice was small as she asked, "Really?"
"Yes, I . . . " He leapt to his feet before he could feel any worse. "Something came up. See you later." And before she could make a move to probably see him off, he hightailed it out of there.
On his way back home, his mind kept alternating between his complicated feelings for Val and Hope. Val's presence made him uncomfortable the more time passed and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.
Hope on the other hand . . . he found himself throughout the week thinking of her at the oddest moments. Even when he was swamped with work, she was always at the back of his mind, waiting for the slightest chance to crawl her way into his consciousness, and the way he had reacted to her that morning . . . he absolutely did not want to reflect on that. Not to mention how he was currently speeding over to his house, hoping to meet her there.
He knew he was taking on his guardian role a little too seriously and as much as he tried to convince himself that staying away from her was probably the best decision to make, he couldn't shake the feeling that something really was going on with her and it made him feel overly protective and in charge of her.
Surprisingly when he got home, he found Hope leaning against the door and glaring at his approaching car as if willing it to combust in that instant.
He slowly got out of his car and made his way over to her.
"You know after blackmailing a person into hurrying over to your house, the least you could do is be home," she chided.
She didn't sound angry, at least that was a good sign. He found he had nothing to say and he felt himself staring at her for a second too long.
"Are you going to open the door or what?" She snapped. She didn't wait for a reply before snatching the key he was holding from him and opening the door herself.
She walked in and her eyes took in the expanse of the living room. Her lips curled up distastefully. "I see your house is still as boring as ever."
Raymond smiled, stepping in and closing the door behind them.
She turned around to face him. "So, is there a particular reason you called me here?"
He thought about cooking something up, but then opted against the idea. "No."
"No?"
"No." When she kept staring at him like he'd lost his mind, he added, "You left with some strange guy to his house. I didn't feel comfortable about it." That sounded ridiculous, even to his ears.
"Seriously? What are you now, my mum?" She quipped.
He shrugged. "You could say that."
"You're a guy and I'm in your house." Hope felt the need to point that out since it seemed to her he was forgetting what his gender was.
Raymond's lips parted to deliver a befitting argument but even he knew she had a point. At the end, he opted for the national excuse. "It's different."
"Hmm." She scoffed. Somehow, his response didn't surprise her in the least bit."Different. Yeah, right. Of course."
"Really," he insisted and crossed his arms stubbornly. "You're safe with me."
"I'm probably safer with Paul than I am with you," she mused aloud.
"What? Why would you think that?" He asked, seemingly offended.
Hope's eyes scanned the length of him. From his low cut dark hair right down to his slippers. It wasn't anything she was new to yet somehow it had her heart beating faster than normal. And he thought she was safe with him? She sighed. She really didn't want to deal with her blooming feelings for him.
"Feed me."
"What?" He blinked, disoriented at the abrupt change in the conversation.
"Food," she clarified. "I was actually at Tayo's place when you demanded so rudely for me to get over here. Well, I'm here now and I'm hungry so I demand you feed me."
He stared at her for a full five seconds before shaking his head at her. "You're just so . . . "
Her brows raised and she brought her hand up, gesturing for him to carry on.
"I left your mum's soup in the car. I'll get it."
"I want noodles," she countered. He raised his eyebrows at her and she returned the gesture, her arms crossed over her chest. He chuckled, breaking the spell.
"Fine."
"Good. I'll help you get the soup. Keys." She stretched her hand out to him and he handed over his car keys. She immediately turned and walked back out to the car. She retrieved the package that was similar to that her mum had sent her. The aroma of the soup hit her nose and she knew instantly it was vegetable soup. She sighed when her stomach protested even louder.
"Hang in there," she encouraged, patting it gently as she walked back inside. Raymond wasn't in the sitting room so she walked over to the kitchen and found him already making preparations to make the noodles. He had even put on an apron. That had her chuckling even though she reasoned he looked kind of cute in it.
She stocked the soup in the freezer and went over to him.
"Awww, aren't you sweet?" She cooed as she made herself comfortable on the kitchen island, right next to where he was chopping tomatoes.
He shot her a look and she gave him a smile she considered endearing in return.
Raymond cleared his throat which had suddenly gone dry. "Get out of here if you're only going to pose as a distraction."
Hope chuckled. "It's just ordinary noodles you want to cook that you're acting like this. Even world renowned chefs don't make this much fuss."
"And which world renowned chef have you had the privilege to be in the same kitchen with?"
Touché. Lacking a good retort, she stuck her tongue out at him.
"It's not too late to change my mind," he threatened, shooting her a stern look.
She made a show of zipping her mouth shut with her fingers and then sewing her lips together, earning a chuckle from him. He turned his attention back to his assigned task and Hope's lips tugged upwards as she internally swooned over how concentrated he seemed on making noodles. For her. The thought had her smiling even wider as she felt a warm content feeling spread all over her. She was filled with the sudden urge to wrap her arms around herself to keep the feeling from melting away.
She lost track of time as she just sat there, staring at his face. She noticed every little change in his expression. The way his brows slightly furrowed as he chopped onions, the way his tongue darted out briefly to wet his lips once in a while. The thought of what it would be like to kiss those lips filled her head and she felt the temperature of the kitchen suddenly turn up several notches.
"Stop staring at me like that."
His voice sounded very foreign in contrast to her thoughts and it took her a second to bring herself back to the now and process what he'd said. He was still focused on the meal he was making and he wasn't even looking at her. How had he known she was staring?
"How am I staring at you?" She asked, a bit surprised at how soft the words sounded coming from her. She knew exactly how she was staring at him, and she was well aware she was playing with fire waiting for him to call her out on it.
He turned to her and his eyes seemed clouded, but she couldn't place what he was thinking. Her heart picked up as she held her breath, waiting for his response.
He stared at her and she saw the struggle in his eyes, it was like he was having an inner battle with himself and she was more than a little bit curious as to what it was about.
Their eyes held for the longest minute as they both tried to guess what the other was thinking. Were the feelings all hers or was something going on for him as well?
He conceded first, sighing. "Just . . . like that. I don't know. Just stop, okay?"
Hope wasn't sure why she felt so disappointed. All she knew was that she'd wanted something from him and even though she wasn't sure what it was, she felt a huge sense of loss anyway. Still, some things were better left unaddressed. "Okay."
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That's it.
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