I looked around now, noticing the same shops we had passed by earlier, so I turned to him with another question because he was the one who knew the way.
"Have we passed by here before?"
"Yeah."
"Really? When?" I asked surprised.
"On our way coming."
"On our way coming?"
"Yeah,"
"Are we going back home?"
"Yeah?"
"Why?!!!"
"We've gone round our area."
"I don't want to go home, not now." I pouted, I really didn't want to go home now, then I would have to deal with Nick.
"We have to, I don't want Nick to...."
"Yeah yeah, Nick." I cut him short,"but you haven't showed me everywhere yet." I wanted an excuse for us to keep on walking and not go home.
I didn't want to go home, I wanted to keep walking with him, it felt nice, more than nice. I wanted us to talk more, even if the conversation was about more random than relatable in between, I enjoyed it.
I actually talked with him more than fifteen minutes, that was usually my time limit when talking with anyone but it was Uche, I was free with him, I could ask him all my weird unusual questions and he wouldn't find me weird.
"I did," He chuckled, realizing what I had in mind with my last statement. I pouted more.
"Come on, don't do that." He stopped and made me face him.
"We could go to the park?" I asked hoping he was in on the thought.
"Alright, let's go there." He said holding my face now, he had let go of my hand but that was okay, he could do that if he wanted to hold my face with his warm hands. He rubbed my cheeks making me smile.
"Are we going to turn back?" I asked if we were going to go back in the direction we were returning from.
"No, the park's just here," He pointed southwards.
"Okay." I said and his right palm was back to my cheek.
"I could do this all day." He stopped rubbing my check after a while. I followed his hand with my eyes as it tucked my hair behind my ears.
...
Just one more house and it would be his house, we had gone to the park and we visited the creek again.
I still didn't want to go home but I understood his point. I didn't want the whole drama from yesterday to happen again. We weren't talking as we walked closer to home with every step, not that they weren't things to talk about but I think we both enjoyed the silence of just walking together now.
"Julie?"
"Hmmn?"
"..." He didn't say anything when I looked at him but his eyes went to our hands and I quickly understood; we were home and we couldn't hold hands anymore.
I sighed and freed his hands from mine, slowly and probably a little dramatically from his point of view because I heard him chuckle.
"Why is your face like that?" He smiled a little dryly than usual.
"Isn't it obvious? We are home now and you will go to your house and I will have to also go in....." I trailed off with another sigh but his lips were still curved upwards, he still had his smile.
"We can still talk over the phone," He chuckled."We could chat?"
"Well... it's not the same as been with you."
"I live next door." He said again.
"Still not the same."
"You want me to go in with you?" He asked, ready to head inside with me.
"Yeah?" I nodded slowly.
"Okay then, let's go."He said taking my hands but stopped almost immediately and turned to me."I forgot, I can't hold your hand." He said, letting go, making me sigh again.
"This will be hard." I said out loud to myself rather than him. It was going to be hard to not be close to him in public or in front of Nick and everyone. He was right earlier, what if he wanted to kiss me. I sighed again.
"Uche!" I heard my aunt the moment Uche opened the door for me."Julie, you both come over here, I need you to help me taste these."
I looked at Uche and he returned the look with a shrug. We both walked in with him closing the door behind me.
"I'm so glad you guys just walked in, I need you to...." She paused and looked behind me so I turned too, to know what she was looking at but she was not looking at Uche. "Where's Nick?"
"I don't know." I said honestly.
"He's not here?" Uche asked.
"No, I thought he went out with you both." She slapped her forehead. "He doesn't tell me where he is going lately."
I looked around the kitchen where we were all standing and she was in an apron, they were different baking tools sitting on the little kitchen island.
"Here, you both take one each, have a bite and tell me what you think." She brought a tray to where we both were. They were cupcakes lined uniformly on the tray, but they didn't have any cream or icing on them.
I took one of the cupcakes and she passed the tray to Uche who did same. The cupcakes smelt nice, I haven't had them in a long while so I was happy to try them.
"I didn't know you could bake, aunt." I told her.
"Well, I can. My boss wants an office party, not a party actually just a little get together to congratulate one of my coworkers who is been transferred to another branch and I volunteered to get cupcakes." She said with a profound smile.
I wasn't going to tell her but that was too much information, I didn't even know what she did or where she worked.
"Mnnn, these are good." I heard Uche say with a full month so I tried mine.
"Mnnn." I moaned. They were good like Uche just said. Who knew my aunt knew how to bake."Aunt, this is..." I paused to swallow the piece I was chewing."It's so tasty, so perfectly baked, I mean the texture...." I took another bite.
"Phew," I heard her reply,"I almost thought I've forgotten how to use the oven but I guess I still got it. Thanks kids." She smiled before going back to what she was doing.
"She's baked better." Uche whispered to me.
"Really?" I whispered back and he nodded.
********
Heyy, it's your author geni. Please note that everything written here is nothing but fiction.Please vote as you read, comment your thoughts and don't forget to leave a review, I am very open to constructive criticism. I'm on all socials as @genika3na.