Perfect timing, Raymond thought as Hope's call came through just as soon as he stepped out of his car.
"Hi."
"You left me on read," was the greeting he got in return.
Right. They'd been texting until he'd gotten distracted by work and forgotten to text her back.
Raymond hummed, unperturbed by the storm he could sense coming on. She'd obviously called to sulk, but that was fine with him; He just loved talking to her either ways, all ways. "Hm. Just as expected, hearing your voice is the highlight of my day."
There was a second pause, followed immediately by a scoff. "That's not going to work on me."
Raymond's brows rose even though there was no way she could see. He could have bet his entire fortune that she was smiling. "Are you saying you've gotten tired of me then?"
Deciding not to answer, she asked instead, "Are you still at work?"
"No--"
Click.
For a moment, Raymond stood, surprised at how abruptly she'd hung up on him. Was that payback? He chuckled, a thought on how he'd have to get a manual to understand her running through his head.
Balancing his bag on his shoulder, he headed for the door, exhaustion from the day's work finally catching up with him. It'd been a long day, and coupled with how he'd barely gotten a speck of sleep courtesy of what was becoming frequent late night calls with Hope, it was very much expected.
A smile crept over his face immediately he stepped into the house; a warm feeling he'd already accustomed to a specific someone washing over him. He briefly scanned the room, before abruptly turning around and yelling, "Boom!" erupting a scream from Hope whose hands were raised, probably to tap him, or God knows what else she had running through her mind.
The look on her face had him wheezing in silent laughter.
"It's not funny!" She whined, smacking him hard on the arm.
"Hey!" It took a few seconds for his laughter to reduce to a small smile instead. "Why would you even get scared? You were the one hiding behind a locked door."
She pouted, taking on a stance he immediately recognized as her preparing to make an unreasonable argument. "Exactly. I was, but you weren't supposed to know that. I was the one supposed to jump out from behind and scare you."
"Yeah? When I gave you a key, it wasn't so you could hide behind a locked door to 'scare' me either but then things don't usually go the way we expect them to, do they?" he retorted, everything about his stance breathing sarcasm.
More than a little pissed to be on the losing end, Hope scowled, crossing her arms indignantly. "How did you even know I was here? I locked the door and even made sure I called to erase all suspicions."
So that was it. An endearing smile overtook his face and Hope just knew he was about to say something cringe worthy. "I don't know, Hope. It's like my whole system just gets alerted whenever you're around me. Is it because I'm crazy about you?"
Hope scoffed in a bit to hide the heat now growing in her cheeks, muttering words that had no coherence even to herself.
His smile shifted into a knowing smirk as his free arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her slightly closer as he whispered, "Mm. Has anyone ever told you that you have a very peculiar scent?"
"Good peculiar or bad peculiar?" She demanded, leaning back to watch his face as he answered. A slight frown marred her face and Raymond almost died right there just from how cute she was.
His gaze roamed her face until they settled on her lips. They became slightly hooded as he replied, "Which do you think?"
Drawn by his gaze on her, she leaned forward until their lips were a breath away from each other. "I missed you."
Smitten, he nulled the remaining distance between them as he kissed her, hearts alligned and fingers entwining.
Pulling away from each other, Raymond touched his forehead to hers instead. "I swear you make my day ten times better."
"Just ten times?" Hope teased, pulling away from him completely.
Playing along, Raymond tilted his head, "Too much?"
She scoffed, walking away from him to plop herself on a seat. "I'd for a moment there forgotten I'm not speaking to you."
"And when did this start?"
"Now."
"Of course." It was barely even a week into their relationship and she'd broken up about a hundred times already so no surprises there. He chuckled as he headed for his room, "What would my life be without the excitement you bring into it?"
"Exactly why I wonder just how you've managed all these years without me!" She called back.
Exactly. How?
It's amazing how he'd never in all his twenty nine years had a problem with his life, but she'd come into the picture and just like that, everything else he did seemed dull in comparison to the time he spent with her. She was that big piece that without realizing had been missing in his life, only that she seemed to overshadow everything else.
He quickly showered, changed and headed back to the sitting room where Hope was now sprawled on the couch, watching a teen show on TV, and looking extremely comfortable.
"It doesn't matter, you're here right now."
Hope shot him a dubious look before shaking her head slightly, her attention going back to the TV.
"What was that?"
She didn't bother sparing him another glance as she replied, "That conversation expired like one hour ago. Weirdo."
Raymond frowned, not very happy she was more focused on the TV after he'd taken what would surely enter his record as his quickest shower ever because of her. "I see you've finally gotten really comfortable with me. Or is it just your true colors finally manifesting?"
The only response he got was a distracted hum. Yes, she found the TV much more entertaining.
"Did you come all the way here to watch TV?"
"Yeah, and you're distracting me," she dismissed. "Now shhh."
Feeling every bit a child, Raymond did what any attention seeking three year old would -- Place himself right in front of her, blocking her view of the TV with both hands outstretched.
"Really?" She shook her head, trying to peek around him. "Now you're just acting like a child."
He shrugged. "Add attention deprived to that."
Hope rolled her eyes before reluctantly sitting up, making space for him beside her. Patting the space next to her, she eyed him. "Fine. Just don't distract me."
As if. She should have known better. Less than three seconds after she spoke, he was playing with her hair, and by playing with it, that meant tugging on it not-so-mercifully.
"Stop it!" She whined, turning to glare at him.
"You're all I think about these days."
Hope cleared her throat, trying to ignore her flipping insides. "That's very . . . random."
He smiled, shrugging. One would think she'd have gotten used to his dimpled smile over the years, but it felt like the first time she was seeing it every time. And it always got her, way more than was healthy. "So you like it?"
Hope laughed. "What's there to like?"
"You're really beautiful when you laugh," he whispered, stars shooting from his eyes.
"Okay, stop it," she chided, chuckling.
"Stop what? Hm?" Hope was determined to keep a straight face but he just had to wink. Unable to help it, unrestrained laughter bellowed out of her and the offended look on Raymond's face only served to fuel it. "This is the part where you're supposed to go all, awwwwnnnn."
"Awn," Hope mimicked, snorting.
"I hate you," Raymond fumed, the small smile on his face a clear contrast to his claim.
She did what she did best, ignore it. "I'm suddenly reminded. Who was that woman that was at the restaurant with you the other day?"
"What woman?" Raymond asked.
"The other day when I was with my friends and we saw you and a woman . . . "
It took him awhile before he realized who she was referring to. "Oh. Just a friend from secondary school I ran into recently. She told me about her new restaurant and I decided to check it out."
"Hm. A friend . . . " Hope repeated, a skeptic look taking over her face.
He chuckled. "What are you thinking now?"
"Nothing o. A friend. I hear you."
"Jealousy looks amazing on you, Hope," Raymond teased.
She shot him what could only be interpreted as a superior look. "Why would I be jealous? She's not the one you're crazy over."
Her response stunned him, for sure, but it also incited a whole new wave of adoration in him. "Ohh. So I'm crazy about you now?"
"You said it yourself," she responded confidently, smirking. She'd gotten him this time.
"Touché," Raymond conceded. "I honestly don't know what to do with you most of the time."
"Good. Besides, her food was terrible. That's repelling enough." She shrugged at the astonished look on Raymond's face. "What? It's the truth, isn't it?"
He shook his head, unwilling to confirm what he knew was the truth. He was saved by what would have been further grilling when the door suddenly burst open -- literally, the ever enigmatic Efe strolling in like he owned the space.
"Hello, prince--"
His greeting stopped abruptly when he saw there was someone else in the house besides Raymond. His brows rose all the way up his head. He stood, looking between the both of them for a few seconds before his lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Well. Hello, there."
Then he did something that had Raymond glaring daggers at him. He not-so-gently shoved Raymond-- who didn't see it coming-- off the seat and proceeded to sit instead, facing Hope and wearing what could only be described as a predatory smile. "Hello, you must be Hope. Very nice to meet you."
"Yes, and you are Efe," Hope replied, looking confused. "We've met like a dozen times."
"Really? We have?" Efe asked, glancing at Raymond as if he needed confirmation. Even Raymond would have been fooled if he didn't know just how much of an idiot his friend was.
"Yeah?" Hope replied, now beginning to wonder if Raymond's friend had at some point hit his head on something hard.
"And were you this beautiful the other times?"
Hope blinked, taken aback. "What?"
"Ignore him," Raymond hissed, hitting his friend on the shoulder without holding back. "What are you doing here?"
"Interesting. You used to love seeing me, but I guess you've finally grown up," Efe teased.
"It's all in your head, Efe," Raymond retorted.
Hope's gaze alternated between the both of them as she tried to make sense of the sprouting conversation -- and to think she thought she and Tayo were weird. She stood, ready to leave the two to their bickering. "Well, excuse me."
"Wait, where are you going?" Raymond asked, momentarily disappointed she was just going to leave like that. "If it's because of Efe, I'll gladly kick him out right now."
Hope chuckled at the exaggerated look of betrayal on his friend's face, but Raymond didn't even bother sparing him a glance.
"I'm only going to fix me something to eat. I actually bought some stuff and I'm getting kind of hungry." She turned to Efe. "Would you like for me to make you something as well?"
"I don't know. I'm a bit heartbroken right now," he replied, glaring at Raymond like he was suddenly the cause of all his problems.
Hope plastered on an appeasing smile, catching on as she replied. "Don't worry, it'll be just you and I."
"Perfect." He grinned, raising his hand for an high five which Hope responded to before skipping over to the kitchen.
Raymond scoffed at the exchange, taking the seat Hope had vacated.
Efe whistled, "I'd never looked, because you would have killed me if I had, but I see now why you're smitten."
"Of course you do," Raymond chuckled, even as his eyes shot daggers at his friend. "Just keep not-looking."
Efe laughed, shaking his head amusedly. "So . . . It's really happening, huh?"
Raymond smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is."
Efe stared at him for a while before tsking. "You should see your face right now. You're too gone, princess."
"Yeah?" Raymond returned the stare, trying to figure out what to make of his friend's comment. "Well, it's fine 'cause I like it."
"Shoot me," Efe demanded, face stoic.
"Not today," Raymond shot back, his face turning grim. "I managed to convince her that we need to inform her family about us, but honestly I'm terrified. What if her mum or Sophie says no? I don't know what I'd do then."
Efe nodded, understanding where his friend was coming from. "I can only imagine. You respect them too much to see her behind their backs but you really like the girl, don't you?"
"I do," Raymond answered, a faraway look of adoration clouding his face. "I really do, Efe, and it seems to get better everyday."
"In that case," Efe started, smiling encouragingly as Raymond's attention shifted back to him. "All you have to do -- literally is just stand there looking as love crazy as you do right now. That would be more than enough to clear any doubt from anyone's mind."
Raymond stared at him for a few seconds before saying, "You have a way of complimenting people in the most insultive ways."
"What are you talking about?" Efe demanded, laughing. "That was an insult. Straight and direct."
Raymond chuckled, shaking his head. "Whatever. I'll take what I get."
"Hm. For what it's worth anyway, I think you made the right choice," Efe finally admitted.
"Yeah?" Raymond smiled.
Efe shrugged, smirking. "Yeah, I mean, I was skeptical at first but then look at you looking so . . . Happy? Like a total moron."
Raymond's shoulders heaved with suppressed laughter as he replied, "You know . . . I'll be right here that day you meet someone and fall so hard you'll never be able to get back up."
Raymond wasn't sure if that was meant as a threat or promise but it had no effect on his friend who laughed like that was the funniest joke of the century.
"Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to it as well," Efe replied with a nonchalant wink.
Well, what was he supposed to say to that?
â¢Â  ~  â¢Â  ~  â¢
So I took the longest hiatus on this book, and I'm so sorry I've kept you all waiting for so long.
Considering how frustrated I get waiting for updates as well, I can imagine how most of you might have felt.
I've just had a lot going on the past few months and I found it really hard to write.
I know some might have forgotten a lot about this book, but all the same...
Updates from now on would be consistent (at least twice a week) as I intend to finish this book before the year runs out.
Again, I'm sorry for taking so long.
Hope you still enjoy reading, and thank you all for supporting me this far.