Un-Arranged Love

Chapter 32

Alex POV:

I don't recall much from last night. It seems strange that I was hit on the head, and left there until a passer-by found me and rushed to my aid, yet none of my belongings was taken from me. I had already given the police a statement in the hospital, and they said they might not be able to do much since there was not much on the CCTV surveillance. I was relieved that Alaya had already left and that nothing terrible had happened to her. If she had been attacked, I'm not sure what I would have done.

 My mother had driven Alaya and me back to my flat. I felt horrible for her having to rush down from her home in the countryside. The hospital had no choice but to notify her because she is on my emergency contact list. At the very least, something positive came out of it. She met Alaya, and they appear to get along well. In the car, they couldn't stop talking to one another. Alaya sat next to me in the back, clutching my hand. I just sat there listening to Alaya and my mother talking about who knows what during the drive. I didn't pay attention to the topic of talk because I was enjoying the proximity with my girl seated next to me.

I would occasionally rest my head on Alaya's shoulder. I could tell this pleased her because she would sigh contentedly. As she emanated a lovely aroma, I relished the intimacy.  Because my head was so close to hers, I noticed that her hair smelled like an almond and coconut combination, which was quite exquisite. Perhaps it was the concussion, but everything about Alaya today was beautiful.

We made it to my flat in one piece. I was suffering from a severe headache and the doctor stated this was normal. Regardless, it still hurt! Alaya assisted me in getting out of my seat by opening the car door for me. I thought it was adorable that she supported me by putting my arm over her shoulder even though she wasn't very tall. I had no problems walking, but I didn't tell her this, otherwise she wouldn't treat me with such gentle affection and care if I did. I figured I'd take advantage of the situation and enjoy this side of Alaya.

I sat down on the couch in the living room. My girl sat next to me. My mothers face was filled with disgust as she looked around the room. My mother was a bit of a control freak. She had certain expectations, and my flat did not match them.

"I know what you're going to say, Mum. Yes, the flat is filthy and needs to be cleaned ", I responded to her thoughts. "I'm barely here, and I'll try to tidy up. My roommate is a total pigsty, and this is actually his mess." I added this as I pointed to the piles of takeout boxes that had been left on the damaged coffee table, which my mother was staring at. "I've already told him about cleaning up after himself."

"This is why me and Amar wanted you to live in a dorm on campus, because they have House Marshalls who check on things like cleanliness on a frequent basis! But you didn't want to live on campus. And the first location you picked was a dump!"  My mum replied angrily.

It was the first time mum had seen the flat, so her reaction was understandable. "Right, the first thing I'm going to do tomorrow is order you a new sofa. I can't believe you're sitting on that mouldy green sofa or whatever colour it is! It seems like you found it on the street." 

She was correct; we did pick it up off the street, but I wasn't going to tell her that. The murky yellow armchair, on the other hand, was already here when I moved in. I didn't want to live in a dorm since I found it too crowded. This is why I chose to rent privately. " The place is in need of a fresh coat of paint, so I'll have those ordered as well."  My mother had left me to find my own place, which I can tell she is regretting now. "Do you have any preferences for paint colours, or should I just pick whatever?" My mother inquired further.

"Mum, pick whatever you want." I succumbed to her requests since I lacked the energy to argue with her while rubbing my temples.

"All right then, I'll make a list of everything you need, order it online and have it delivered. As you won't be able to do much until you feel better, I'll have to look for local decorators in the area," my mother remarked.