A Lover To Him

Chapter Twenty-three, An explanation?

"I could've paid too, you know. I don't mind paying for something too," I tell Caine, who takes place on the other side of the booth. He looks at me, clearly disagreeing with what I said because his eyes look at me with some kind of expression that says he doesn't want to argue this. It's not the fact that he pays for me, I don't mind if he pays for the ice cream or anything else, but he always pays. I want to pay for something too sometimes. I thought relationships were a little fifty-fifty like that, but Caine refuses to let me pay for anything. 

"But you don't need to pay for something, my love. I don't mind paying for the both of us at all, don't worry. Why can't I spoil you, Mia?" He says, looking at me with a certain curiosity as to why I don't let him just pay. I'm grateful he pays for me, I truly am, but it doesn't sit well with me that he pays for everything. I work too, and I make a good amount of money to spend on whatever I want. 

"Look, I'm grateful, I truly am, but I can pay too sometimes, you know. I make a good amount of money I can spend on whatever I want, and I want to pay too sometimes." I explain to him, making a frown appear on his face. He doesn't seem to agree at all with me, but slowly he nods. 

A small smile appears on my face as I take a small bite from my ice cream, closing my eyes when I taste the flavors melting on my tongue. For me, this is the best ice cream in town you can get, and I don't like it that they're closing next week for the rest of the winter. They won't open until April again, which is more than four months away from now. Caine looks at me, a small smirk of amusement on his lips as his eyes show me an emotion I can't quite place. 

"Is it good, my love?" He asks me, taking a bite of his own ice cream. I take another bite, the flavors melting on my tongue as I feel the sour taste of the lemon mixed with the sweet taste of mango at the back of my throat. I swear, this ice cream has a taste you'd never get tired of. 

"It is so good, I swear. I should get myself another ice cream tomorrow since they're closing next week and won't open again until April. I'm going to miss this amazing ice cream flavor." I say, slowly taking bites from my ice cream to enjoy it longer. Caine takes another bite, leaving the spoon in his mouth as he nods his head, agreeing with me.

"I have to agree, I really like this flavor too. Normally, I'm not fond of ice cream, but this one is really good. It's just something with the flavors, I suppose." He tells me, and I agree with him completely, except for the part where he isn't fond of ice cream because I have been very fond of ice cream ever since I was a little girl. My favorite flavor for ice cream was always cookie dough, but since I've tasted this mango-lemon flavor, my favorite flavor for ice cream changed. 

"I know, right? I love the mixture of the sour taste of the lemon and the sweet taste of the mango. It's somehow refreshing and sweet at the same time." I tell him, taking another bite of my ice cream. Caine looks at me taking a bite before taking another bite himself. We continue to eat in comfortable silence, both listening to the jazz music in the background. 

My thoughts wander all over the place, thinking about multiple things at the same time. I wonder why they chose this old retro style for the parlor. I wonder how they can make this ice cream flavor so good. I wonder what Caine's thinking about, and that last thought is stuck in my mind. 

Do I ever cross his mind in the way he crosses mine? 

Ever since he stumbled back into my life, he almost crosses my mind a thousand times daily. He doesn't just cross it, he lingers there for a while. Before I saw him in the hospital for the first time, I didn't think of him that often. Every now and then, whenever I was alone, my thoughts would travel towards the memory of him, making either a small smile appear on my lips or a sudden sadness wash over me.