Un-Arranged Love

Chapter 39

Alayas POV

My heart sprang out of my body as I walked out of the bathroom. Alex was sitting on my bed, his elbows leaning back, and his face was bright with a huge smile. 

His suitcase was on top of the other bed. I raced up to him, embracing him by the neck and squealing with delight. "What are you doing here, Alex?" I realised I was on top of him as he fell back onto the bed. Maybe this wasn't such a smart idea after all. I stepped back onto my feet as soon as I realised what I had done.

"Sorry Alex, I didn't mean to do that," I apologised, my face flushed with embarrassment.

He replied with a sly grin, "I didn't mind Alaya."

I needed to change the topic, so I blurted "How did you get in? My roommate hasn't arrived yet and the door was closed," I remarked, pointing to his suitcase. "Why is your suitcase here?"

Alex raised one hand, revealing a key card labelled 'cabin two.' I was still confused, and my brows furrowed in bewilderment, which Alex caught up on.

"Alaya, Roxy and I have switched rooms. Roxy is someone I befriended last year. She was supposed to be in her second year of university, but she had to repeat this year again because she didn't pass. The signal is so bad here that I knew I wouldn't be able to function without communication with you, so I requested her to switch rooms, which she gladly agreed to. Do you want me to go back to my cabin. I can't tell if you are pleased with this idea or not?"  In a hesitant tone, he inquired.

"No Alex, of course I'm pleased. I can't believe you went out of your way to make sure we see each other over the weekend. Obviously, there will have to be some ground rules, as I've never shared a room with a boy before. Technically I shouldn't be in a room with you alone, but since you're here, we can always set some boundaries. What do you think?"  I informed him, trying to be firm but failing since I was overjoyed that he was here.

"Yes, of course Peanut. I will agree to whatever you say", he answered.

"First and foremost, Alex Scott, you will sleep in your own bed. Don't expect any funny business. I'm a clean freak who won't put up with messiness. So make sure you clean up after yourself. Please keep in mind that you will most likely see me praying in the room. And the most important thing is to keep the toilet seat down ", I informed him in a serious tone, but he smiled the entire time.

"Is that all, Peanut? Phew! I was expecting you to go all army commander on me. Will you now come here and take a seat next to me? You are too far away from me ."   He remarked, as he tapped the spot next to him on the bed.

I was only a foot away from him at the time. But I got what he was saying when he stated I was far away. I felt the same way when I was with him. I joined him and took a seat next to him. His nose squatted at the base of my neck, absorbing my scent. I felt a pang of shivers travel down my spine. To break him out of his daze, I gently patted his upper arm. 

"Alex, what are you doing?" I questioned him.

"Sorry Alaya. Its just your my new favourite scent and you've also showered. So when you ran up to me earlier, I couldn't help but inhale your freshness. It's so enticing. Plus, look at how gorgeous you are. You can't blame me for feeling this way, can you?"     He replied, still lost in his thoughts.

"You've already broken the first rule, Alex. It appears that staying in this cabin together will be more difficult than I thought. So, I'm going to move up a little for some distance. I know what we can do?" I was a little too happy when I said it.

"Wait, what?" Alex inquired, finally emerging from his reverie.

"We can unpack your things. Yes that's what we are going to do"   I said trying to divert his attention.

"But," he insisted, "I want to sit with you and hold you."   I declined because I knew it would tempt him to do things with me that he shouldn't. I must say, he came off as adorably charming as he tried to persuade me, but I stood firm in my beliefs.

I was helping Alex with his unpacking, and every time we crossed paths, he would purposefully bump into me or bring his face near mine in an attempt to lure me. I was having a hard time focusing because I was feeling the same way, but I had to stay strong and not allow my emotions get the best of me.

"Alex, what if Professor Green discovers you have switched rooms? We're going to be in big trouble." I voiced my worry, as I helped him hang his clothes in the wardrobe.

"Peanut, don't worry, he won't find out. All we have to do now is be careful when we leave the cabin together. Roxy isn't going to tell anyone, either. In fact, when I asked if we could switch, she was more than eager to do so because she and my roommate are, let's just say, acquainted" With a mischievous grin on his face, he said.

"Alex, thank you for that image. Then I suppose we'll have to be careful."  A knock came at the door just as I finished speaking, and I jumped out of panic.

Alex dashed over to me, whispering, "It's just our evening dinner, babe. Remember how I said they were going to serve it in the cabins because we arrived later than usual?", he caressed my arms to soothe me, "simply answer the door and get the meal while I hide in the bathroom."   I nodded in agreement with his suggestion. The thought of it being Professor Green made my heart race.

While Alex went to hide in the bathroom, I went to answer the door. It was a woman wearing a black tabard and a blue elasticated skull hat who knocked. Pat was her name, as I learned from her badge. "What would you like for your evening meal tonight?", she said, smiling. "We have steak glazed with mushroom sauce, chips and veggies on the side. For vegetarians, we have baked courgette and feta risotto, and apple crumble with custard or ice cream for dessert", she added.

Despite my fears that we might be caught, I managed to ask, "Is the steak halal by any chance?"

"It is", she replied, smiling.

"Can we please have steak and chips for me and my roommate, as well as one apple crumble and one ice cream," I said. I wasn't in the mood for vegetarian food today, so I went with the meat dish. I'm hoping I made the right choice for Alex. Because I'm not a huge lover of desserts, I asked for one of each so Alex could sample them both.

Pat handed me both our meals as well as a bottles of water. I brought each tray in one by one. She strolled away and went to the next cabin. With a sigh of relief, I exhaled deeply.

When Alex emerged from the bathroom, he could see that I was still anxious. "Hey...hey.... Breathe in and out for me, Alaya. I promise we're not going to get caught. Even if we do, the repercussions will fall on me, not you ". As he kissed my hand, he whispered. "Now, come on, let's eat and sleep because we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

This is one of the reasons I knew I had fallen in love with him. When I was apprehensive about something, he was always there to pick me up. With him, I felt at ease and secure. Oh, how I wish I could express my feelings to him.

Hey Lovelies,

I hope you are liking the story so far. There's so much more to come-S