"So, what is peace of mind to you?" I asked Raymond.
"I already told you." He said to me with a smile.
"Okay, fine. You can forgive yourself after my family and my best friend forgives you. If that's what you want and wish for, be my guest." I said to him and sighed.
"Yes, that's what I want to do." He said as he quit playing with my hair and returned his arm to the back of his head so that he could support his head.
"Okay, suit yourself." I muttered.
We fell into silence again as the cool and refreshing breeze blew past and vice versa.
I didn't know how, but I fell asleep.
I didn't know and wasn't sure about how long I had slept but I woke up when I heard my phone ringing.
I gently stood up from Raymond's body as he was fast asleep too and tiptoed towards the rock, where we kept our clothes.
I grabbed my trouser and reached for my phone, without checking the screen to see who was calling, I paced the phone on my ear. It automatically receives calls when you place it on your ear, as long as it hasn't timed out and is still ringing.
I just don't care about who is calling right now, but what really matters is why he or she is calling and what he or she has to say.
"Hel….." I was going to say
HELLO and ask who was calling but the rude punk interrupted me.
"Eunice, where are you?" The caller asked.
"Lizzy?" I asked as I removed the phone from my ear to check the caller id. Lo and behold, it was Lizzy.
"No, your ass." She replied.
Why is she calling me now of all times?
Is something going on?
Did something bad happen at home?
I kissed my teeth and asked
"Why did you call?"
"Did you just hissed at me?" She asked.
"Yes. Are you going to beat me?" I asked.
"Tomorrow is your birthday, where the hell are you at this hour?" She asked, concerned.
"Me, I am at….. I am at….." I don't even know where I was, even if I knew I wouldn't want to tell her. This place is a secret only between me and Raymond.
A place we will continuously come secretly until everything is down.
"Nevermind if you don't know where you are but don't get lost." She cautioned.
"Noted! Wait! Why are you telling me this?" I asked as I was a bit confused.
"You don't need to know. You have to quit whatever you are doing right now and get your ass down here before I kick it, now." She ordered and ended the call before I could say anything else.
I remember she wasn't home herself before I left.
Where the hell has she been too?
She has no right to order me around or to tell me what to do because she couldn't find me because I didn't disturb her own peace too.
Wait! She didn't go with Hale and went with Genevieve instead.
Where the hell has she been?
The best way to find out is to go home and ask her?
She shouldn't be moving around as she likes, she is carrying my god child and nephew or niece.
Anyways she must have a reason for wanting to see me but I haven't spent enough or a quality time with Raymond.
I checked my phone screen and the time was nine thirty pm.
What?
How did time fly so fast?
I thought the maximum time we had spent here wouldn't be more than an hour.
Seeing the time made me realize that I am really an ass. But whose ass am I? Whatever, who cares?
I just have to go home now, tomorrow is going to be a big day, my birthday.
It's going to be the first birthday I will be having without my grandma being around.
I quickly looked towards Raymond and the jerk was still sleeping, peacefully.
Is he resting in peace?
I quickly rushed towards him and gently tapped him on his right shoulder.
He partly opened his eyes, sat up and asked,
"What is it?" He began rubbing his eyes, then yawned and stretching at the same time, revealing his neatly shaved and clean armpit.
Did he have time to do that?
I haven't done mine and the one downstairs too for…. For…. No, I haven't shaved at all since I resurrected or since that night, the night I fell and blacked out.
That's about three months ago, I haven't even thought about it.
I wonder if Raymond's downstairs is neatly shaved and clean too.
I didn't know he practices personal hygiene.
Do guys practice personal hygiene?
I didn't know since I haven't been super close to one until recently.
Why am I thinking about personal hygiene now of all time?
Ugh!
I have to sound serious, I cleared my throat twice, made a straight face and said,
"We have to go home now."
"Why? We just got here." He said as he brushed his fingers through his hair, revealing his armpits this time.
I cleared my throat again and showed him my phone screen.
"Check the time." I said and cleared my throat again as he was yawning again.
"Shit!" He exclaimed and laughed softly.
"What's funny?" I asked as I didn't understand why he laughed.
"Nothing. It's late. Why don't we just spend the night here?" He asked amidst a grin.
"No, you can stay here if you want to but I want to go home. Remember, tomorrow is my birthday." I reminded him.
"Shit!" He exclaimed again without saying anything else as he began to rub his neck, back and waist.
I cleared my throat twice again, brought down my arm and cleared my throat one more time.
"Why do you keep clearing your throat?" He asked with a smile, staring at me as if he could see through me.
"I think something got stuck on my throat." I said and began beating my chest and quickly walked away from him.
I got to the rock again, gently placed my phone on top of the rock and began to wear my clothes.
Raymond walked up to me, towards the rock and started to wear his clothes too.
We finished wearing our clothes and were set to leave.
"If there is anything else you want to do, please do. We have to leave here before ten." I said to him, breaking the silence that we have built together.
"Yes, there is." He said as he walked closer to me, standing in front of me.
He slid an arm around my waist, placed the other in my back and drew me closer to himself. He wanted us to kiss and we were going to, in fact we were about to when our phones rang at the same time.
Those psychos.
Those psycho friends of ours.
"Hello." We said in unison after bringing our phones to our ears.
"Where the hell are you?" Lizzy asked angrily, she was obviously panicking, I could feel it.
"Me?" I asked as I was confused, not knowing what to say since I didn't want to lie to her.
"No, my ass." She replied.
"Don't worry, I will come. In Fact, I will be there soon. Give me an hour….or two." I said to her,
"No, I give you just thirty minutes or you are getting kicked out."
"Kicked out?" I asked.
"Yes, if you don't get here in the next thirty minutes, you are getting kicked out of my house." She said and ended the call, again.
Seriously?
I slid the phone into my back pocket and waited for Raymond to end his call. He was standing at the bridge, he wasn't looking happy.
He nodded at me when our eyes met.
He finished and walked up to me with a straight face and leaned on the biggest rock and bowed his head.
"What?" I asked.
"My grandma just died." He said.
"What?" I asked as I was shocked.
"Yes. My sister just told me." He said with his head raised up, staring at me, as a tear rolled down his cheek.
"I am sorry." I said as I walked closer to him and stood in front of him.
"It's fine. I won't be able to return with you tonight. I am sorry, you will have to return alone." He said as he slid his arms around my waist.
"No, it's not. Why?" I asked as I hugged him.
"I can't leave my sister with my father." He explained.
"I don't understand. Why?" I asked again, curiously.
"He abuses her. Why do you think she leaves with me and my grandma without him?" He asked as he began to cry for real this time.
"But, she is his daughter. Why would he try to harm his own daughter?" I asked.
"He believes my mom cheated on him when she conceived my baby sister." He explained it to me.
No wonder I haven't seen him in person before.
"Oh, I see. Don't worry, everything will be okay. So what do we do now?" I asked, concerned.
"We? No, just go back home. Remember, tomorrow is your birthday and you can't miss tonight's preparation for it. I need to go home. Don't worry about me, I will be fine." He said to me,
Nonsense.
I must go with you whether you like it or not.
"No, I want to go with you." I said to him as I grabbed his shirt and held onto it as tight as I could.
"I know you care about me but this is risky, I might fight with my dad tonight if need be." He said, trying to convince me to leave him.
No, never.
"That is enough distraction for him, I will be able to carry your sister and run away without neither of you noticing." I said to him,
"Are you sure you can do this?" He asked.
"Yes, why not. What am I a vamp for if I can't carry out a task that is as simple as this?" I asked and laughed softly.
"Thank you." He said as he pulled me away from himself, staring at my face with his glittery eyes and continued,
"Now I know why I am head over heels in love with you.You are not just beautiful, but kind as well. Thank you once again." He said and pressed a kiss on my forehead and smiled.
I smiled back at him and asked,
"What are you thanking me for? What am I your girlfriend for?" I asked and pouted.
"My girlfriend?" He asked, a bit confused as he raised his brows in confusion.
"What? Am I not your girlfriend already?" I asked as I withdrew myself from him and walked away.
He began to follow me just like the way he did in the party, during my mother's wedding anniversary with my stepdad, Mike, that deceitful jerk.
"But…." I didn't allow him to complete his sentence before disrupting him.
"But what? After everything we have shared today? You are unbelievable." I said as I increased my pace so that he wouldn't catch up with me.
"Okay, yes. Of course, you are my girlfriend, but I haven't proposed to you yet." He said.
"You have, twice. But I have let you down on both." I said to him and laughed softly.
"You see? I haven't asked again this time." He said.
"Don't worry, you will do that later, maybe tomorrow." I said as I began to slow down.
I want him to catch up with me so that we can walk together.
"Okay. Thank you. I think you should stop walking."
"Why?" I asked as I stopped walking, turned and faced him.
"I think you. No, we. I think we are going in the wrong direction." He said, winded, placed his palms on his knees.