3 Idiots

16

"Hmm... what time is it?" Shirley twirled lazily in her bed, her eyes struggling to open against the bright sunlight pouring in.

"Good afternoon, sweetie."

She smiled at the sound of her man’s voice—her love, her lifeline. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Rayan sitting on the edge of the bed. She raised her arms to him, and without hesitation, he pulled her closer and enveloped her in his embrace. Shirley relaxed in his hold, letting out a contented sigh.

"Are you feeling okay now, baby?" Rayan caressed her hair fondly.

"Much better," she mumbled, clinging to him more tightly. He chuckled and tightened his grip around her.

"I'm sorry, but you have to give me my kiss now. You were exhausted when you landed yesterday; that’s why I let you sleep, you know," Rayan playfully insisted.

"Aww, I love you, baby." With that, Shirley kissed him, and he responded without a care for her morning breath.

"So, how was the trip?" he asked after pulling away.

"It was..." Shirley paused, trying to find the right words to describe their trip.

"Eventful."

"Hm. I guessed as much," Rayan nodded, understanding. Shirley sighed heavily, her mood dimming with each passing moment.

"So, Larra made it difficult, right?"

"It wasn’t completely her fault; I played a part too," Shirley admitted, feeling guilty. Rayan looked at her, puzzled. She went on to explain the things that happened during the last two days of their trip, which she hadn’t had the chance to share over the phone. After hearing the entire story, Rayan sighed heavily as well.

"You know it must be very difficult for her. We can’t imagine what she’s going through. But is she really not planning to attend our wedding?" Rayan asked, grabbing her hands.

Shirley nodded sadly.

"That can't happen. I won’t let her do that," Rayan said, his expression offended.

"Do you really think I’ll let that happen?" He shook his head in response.

"But she is so stubborn, Rayan. I thought things would change when she came to our wedding. But I don’t know... I really don’t want to think about it right now," Shirley said, rubbing her temple.

"Don’t stress about it. I’m sure she will come," Rayan said, patting her face reassuringly. Shirley simply shrugged.

"Come on, get up and freshen up. I made lunch for us," Rayan said, pulling Shirley out of bed. She stood up with a groan and walked toward the washroom.

Rayan closed the door after she went in and headed to their living room. He picked up his phone and dialled the last number on his call log, but as expected, the call went straight to voicemail. He sighed in defeat as he looked at the screen.

Best idiot 👫

*****

Riley sipped her hot coffee after removing her gloves, the fragrant aroma bringing her a heavenly feeling in the cold weather. She opened her phone to check a particular chat and rolled her eyes. Her messages had been seen but received no replies!

"Bitch," she muttered under her breath as she looked outside. Fall was approaching, and people had already begun relying on hot coffees. Her gaze fell on two girls walking down the street, chatting and laughing together. The scene further fueled her annoyance, and she picked up her phone again.

"You better reply to me, bitch 😡"

She sent one last message and locked her screen, then turned her attention to two men entering the café. A bright smile spread across her face when she realized it was them whom she had been waiting for.