The Right One

Twenty three

There were days even the normal, everyday routine felt exhausting; it was one of those days for Raymond. After what he considered had been a stressful week -- mostly emotionally,-- he'd been looking forward to a chill weekend, no work, no distractions, and especially no thoughts of Hope. It was a something he desperately needed considering how his life seemed to be steering itself in a direction he couldn't control.

He'd succeeded -- for the most part. Still, he reasoned that was the best he could get. At least in the confines of his own space, he had some semblance of control over himself, however short lived it might end up being. He'd already come to accept he lost all semblance of reasoning around Hope.

He knew he was already far too gone when it came to her. It wasn't easy to admit, but he had to at least be honest with himself; he had no idea what he was doing anymore. He'd as good as handed himself to her on a platter the minute he'd admitted his feelings to her. Looking back, it hadn't been the smartest decision, and he could only hope she didn't realize the extent of the power she held over him.  He wasn't even sure he was fully aware of it either, and he wasn't too thrilled at the prospect of finding out.

Raymond wasn't sure how long he'd zoned out for, but he barely caught the screen light of his phone going off. He'd long since set the phone to silence, determined to have his peace. Picking up the phone, he saw he had three missed calls. His mouth curled in distaste on seeing the name displayed on the screen. Rose. What did she want from him now? As far as he was concerned, they'd said all that had to be said between them.

He tried to ignore it, but it was as if a spell had been broken. Rose had managed to sneak her slimy self into what had been his serenity and was now a dark cloud hovering over his day. It couldn't be good. Whatever had urged her to call him could not have been good. He released an exasperated breath, annoyed at himself for letting himself get bothered by her.

His back stiffened when the doorbell rang. He knew without doubt that it was her. He again contemplated ignoring it, but the ringing persisted, fervent knocks following. Knowing she wouldn't go away unless he granted her audience, he stood and strolled over to open the door, stepping outside and shutting the door behind himself.

As expected, the Rose stood before him, wearing a provocative red gown and a fake smile, one that'd held the power to bewitch him at some point, but now only succeeded in causing him to recoil even further.

"What are you doing here, Rose? I honestly was of the mind we were done with each other for real this time," he said, cutting to the chase.

Her smile slipped off, replaced by an exaggerated pout. "Not even a 'hello, Rose'? That's not very nice, Ray."

"What do you want?"

She scoffed, dropping the act. She gestured at the door. "At least let me in first."

"What do you want, Rose?" He repeated, his tone stern and unyielding.

She stared at him in awe for a long second, pondering. He kept showing her a side she hadn't known existed, and it made her see Raymond in a light she'd never seen him in before. It made him so much more attractive to her.

She subtly moved forward, reaching out and taking his hand. She made her voice low as she drawled, "Wow, Raymond. Is it really like this between us now?"

Raymond shook her off, his irritation growing. "I'm one second away from slamming the door in your face."

Her gaze hardened, followed by her crossing her arms indignantly. "Fine, let's talk here then."

She stared at him, expecting some sort of response. He nodded.

She sighed, uncrossing her arms and staring at him in obvious frustration. He was like a brick wall and it frustrated her she wasn't getting through. "Look. I miss you, okay?"