Facade (Romola 1)

51: Discolouration

Romola pressed pause on the laptop keypad. She yawned, flipping through the collections of movies on the page to find something she liked. Nothing appealed to her.

She could almost guess the entire plot by watching a few scenes of the movie. The characters were becoming less and less relatable and it felt weird to spend so much time watching movies about people she did not care about. Just like when she woke in the hospital and everyone around her was a stranger.

"Olumide," She called, turning to the warm body beides hers. One of his hands draped across her waist and his leg lay between hers.

"Hmm." He turned to her. His eyes remained shut.

"Are you still asleep?"

He nooded.

"If you are asleep. How can you hear me?" She poked his rib.

He opened both of his honey coloured eyes and allowed them to settle on her face. "I will always listen to you."

She kept her gaze on his, wishing she could place her lips against his but the thought of how brusquely yersterday's attempt ended stopped her.

"What is it, Romola?"

She bent her head while her fingers traced circular patterns on the bedsheet. "What if I remember and I.. I don't like you?"

His hand curled around her waist till he brought her closer and then over him. His free hand traced the frame of her face. "Is this about the phone?"

She buried her head in his neck. She did not trust herself not to soak his bed with her tears. They had charged the phone overnight but the battery remained on 1%. Everytime she tried to use it, the lights went out. He said it was a battery problem. Was it really?

"If only the sim card was as small as the one on my phone but don't worry Romola. I will fix this."

His hands tightened around her and a surge of heat flashed underneath her skin. An explosion of her body cells was not too far away. She was sure of it. She rolled out of his reach instead of placing her lips against his like she itched to. She couldn't bear another rejection.

"I need to go and make breakfast."

"How many times will I tell you not to worry? I've got it covered." He linked her fingers through his. "I don't want you to stress or worry about a thing."

Romola's eyes strolled to pizza box jotting out of the net bin at a corner of the room. How did he have breakfast covered if he was still lying on the bed.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me baby. I'll order something."

"I hope it is not chicke pizza again." She sent him a teasing gaze. "You'll keep eating it till it grows on your head."

"That's good. I'll always have free pizza."

"Mumu." She muttered under her breath.

"It is not my fault that I can't think properly when you're around."

"Let me think for you. I'm hungry."

"Give me a minute."

He turned to the other side and her eyes ran over his bare back. Just like the day before, he slept in his boxers even though the air conditioner was on full blast. She had swathed herself in his jacket as well as the blanket and only the heat of his body made the cold bearable. Her eyes lit on the discoloration on his waist and she found her fingers brushing the patch. The muscles under her finger tightened.

"What's this?" She stroked the discoloration but he turned around and puhed her fingers away.

"It's nothing."

She knew that tone. It was the same way he spoke about his parent. She was not to cross this area. She curled up beside the headboard of the bed and watched him place an order on his phone for bread, sausage and orange juice. He put down the phone, then crawled towards her.

"Are we really going to stay inside all day and do nothing? I was inside all day at the hospital. I'm tired."

He enveloped her in his hand. "Do you have any place in mind that you would like to go to?"

"The beach."

"The beach?"

She smiled, allowing her head to fall to his arm. One of the movies had  had two character reconciling on the beach. She liked the way the sun and the water looked. She had already seen herself dressed in white and saying ' I do' to Olumide at night on the beach.

"Yes." Her facial features dimmed. "But I have nothig to wear."

He let her go. "That is not a problem."

She fell to the bed and threw her arm in either direction as he got off the bed, picking his phone again. Her eyes focused on the intricate swirls of metal across the ceiling. So, she would be going to the beach afterall. Maybe she could sell him on the idea of a beach wedding. Just like in the movie.

He returned to the bed with a slim dark blue laptop and set it on the bed. He took the mini table to his wardrobe before sitting beside her. A knock on the door roused him again and he opened the door to allow the gateman drop the food on the bed.

Food in one hand and eyes on the screen, they ate and shopped from a catalogue on a brighty designed flower themed website. She choose what she wanted, then he made some suggestions before he proceeded to the checkout page.

He entered his card details then picked up his phone in the next second. "Hello Lola. Hii. Yes. My sister is fine... That's not why I called. I just bought some clothes off your site. Is it posible for me to get them today... This evening?... No? Tomorow is not an option... Okay, this evening then."

Olumide pouted as he turned to her. "The clothes will be delivered this evening. I'm sorry. I would've loved to take you to the beach today but, First thing tomorrow morning. I promise."