Marriage of convenience

Chapter 19

Ray wasn't willing to tell me anything that happened between Hunter and him that morning. No matter how much I pestered him and how much I nagged that I was being kept in the dark, he didn't budge. Either something really bad happened or they must have made up in a day. But then, I noticed a few changes starting from that day. Ray gradually pulled himself away from me, like he knew that we were drifting apart, yet still didn't hold on. If he had gone towards his girlfriend to strengthen their bonds, I would have understood, but Ray was openly avoiding Marilyn. Either they must have fought, or something must have happened between Hunter and Ray which led to his current behavior.

There was also this very creepy feeling of Hunter trying to get close to me. He was very sweet and always helpful. It somehow reminded me of the phrase, 'calm before the storm'. Although it brought upon me the rage of all the female base in the campus and sometimes male too, I couldn't deny that he was being extremely nice.

"So, is it okay with you if I hang out with Hunter?" I once yelled at Ray. He was just being nonchalant about everything.

"Yeah, you can do whatever you want to," he shrugged. "It is your life after all."

"Then why did you ask me not to out with him the other day? Didn't you say that he was dangerous? What was all that about, then?"

"Back then I didn't know that he liked you," he mumbled and walked away.

Yeah, Hunter did like me and everyone knew it. After all, one can't be nice to someone that they hate, so it is a given that he likes me. What about it didn't Ray know that he was behaving this way towards me?

Amidst all this ruckus, vacations floated by.

"I booked you people tickets! We are leaving today in the evening!" Grandma cheered as soon as we stepped inside the house.

"What? Where?" Ray asked.

"Why, back to our hometown, of course!"

"Hometown? But why?" Ray looked irked, but the word hometown brought me so much happiness that I was almost on the verge of doing a happy dance.

"Firstly because your parents are dying to meet you. Secondly, it is a ritual in the house of Kingsley's for the bride to spend three nights in the in-laws house. As we haven't done that yet, it is mandatory for us to go there and finish it. Also, it would be a welcome change for Angela," she looked at me with kind eyes, "although she doesn't show it much, she misses her grandparents more than anything. It is only human that we let her go once in a while."

Ray seemed like he wanted to protest, but looking at my hopeful, yet anxious face, he sighed. "Alright, back to hometown, it is then."

As soon as he said that, I squealed and pounced onto him, hugging him in joy. "Thank you so much, Ray! Oh my God, I love you!" I got off him to see his face, which was pretty red at that moment for God knew what reason, "I'm going to go pack my stuff! Thank you again!"

Things flew by so fast that within no time, we were back in our hometown, with me relishing the feel of my motherland. All the familiar roads and landmarks were passing by us, the same sights I saw all those years of traveling on my bike. Memories of all the times I stopped at those same signals, thinking about random things were popping up in my head. Somehow all the littlest things that I did there brought me happiness. After all, I lived here like myself, without anyone commenting on how I was and whatever I did, I knew I was right.

"You seem to be in high spirits," Ray's grandma said and I turned towards her with a broad grin. 

"Of course, I am! It is not everyday that I get to come back to my old life. Just looking at these familiar sights is giving me a rush!"