There's Always A Plot Twist | Wattys 2023 ✓

32| The Emergence

Dessert was, well, worse.

Riley helps Lain clear the table, placing the plates, forks and knives in the sink whilst she waits for the water to heat up. "What are you doing?" Lain inquires, looking over her shoulder as she suds up the water.

"Washing up?" she replies, carefully removing the ring on her index finger.

"Not at all." Lain protests, shaking his head as he pulls her hands out of the water. "You're a guest...in fact, you're my favourite guest here tonight. There's no way I'm letting you wash my plates too."

"Seriously, its no problem."

"Except it is. What will happen if people find out I have my guest do manual labour when they come visit?"

Riley shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly, playing into the joke. "I guess they wouldn't come to visit. I bet that was your master plan all along, right? Why you really invited me here?"

Lain whips out a tea towel, carefully drying each of her fingers with his silk like touch. "I invited you here because I like your company...I like you."

Riley stares at Lain whilst he focuses all of his attention on her hands, her mind empty of thought, simply observing the man in front of her for what he is.

"I think this is the first time I've left you speechless, we're usually tick for tat. What, did you not know?" he asks, still talking with the same low, flirty, tone.

"No, I knew, its just...you're different."

"From who? Arlo?"

"Amongst other things." Riley replies, rolling her eyes with a cheeky smile on her face. "You were a plot twist I never saw coming...and I can't quite figure out if that should draw me in or terrify me."

"Why not both?"

That strike a cord in her, plucking the same strings that tell her opposite things.

They finally lock eyes once he is done which only makes them sing louder, trembling at the flick of a wrist.

"Anyways, clearly Germans don't have this rule, but my family are from the Caribbean, and we help in the kitchen."

Lain smirks, used to getting his own way but enjoying a little push back. "Alright, fine. I'll wash up and you can go cut that watermelon I bought this morning." he says, throwing the grey tea towel over his shoulder.

"Good, you're learning." she teases, caressing his chin before prepping the watermelon to be served with coconut flavoured ice-cream.

Riley herself is a sceptic of those two flavours combined but both Jonas and Lain swear by it, so she'll give it a try.

But honestly, she isn't much of a fan when it comes to watermelons, preferring their yellow cousins, the Honeydew melon.

When the desserts are all plated, the pair go in for round two, feeling how some of the tension from earlier has been alleviated with a break from one another.

As Riley takes her first bite, she can feel the eyes of the boys on her, sensing their growing anticipation. "So what do you think?"

Riley squeezes her lips together at Lain's question, figuring out a way to answer without bursting their bubble. "It's okay."

"Just okay?"

"I mean, its nice...but I've had better."

Richard chuckles at the varying offended reactions his sons give once hearing the news. "You see. I knew I liked you."

Issak covers his sly comment with a singular, fake, cough. "Hater."

"Okay, no. I don't hate it." she yells, trying to defend herself.