A ROYAL SURPRISE

🎀Chapter 11🎀

"The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart."

-Helen Keller

*~*~*

Knock knock knock

The sound resonates around the the living room and I furrow my eyebrows in thought. I'm not expecting anyone. And barely anybody knows I live here. Except... Ale.

I leave the pot of mashed potatoes and throw the napkin beside the stove and quickly round the kicthen area to open the door.

"Hey" I greet when I see him and open the door a bit further so he could enter.

"You know, I don't like it when a woman slips out of my bed in the morning with nothing as much as a goodbye" he says, throwing his arm over my loveseat sofa as he plops on it.

"I didn't slip out of your bed, we fell asleep on the couch" I correct, remembering how I practically I had to ran out this morning remembering it was a working day and I was late. Dr. Corben almost had my head for it. Besides, I was completely mortified when I woke up with my head on his chest, and his arm wrapped tight around my waist with both of us so close on the couch, it was way too intimate.

"At least you could have left a note. I was worried and startled when I woke up and saw no one. Came out here to check but your door was locked"

"You didn't think I'd leave it open did you?" I ask with a scoff, marinating the steak and placing it in the oven to grill.

"No. But a guy could try just as a girl could dream." He shrugs and I decide that's the end of the topic.

He's a bit more talkative today than most times, much more sassy.

Maybe he's beginning to get a little bit more comfortable around me.

"I'm sorry. Next time I'll leave a note or something"

"So you're expecting a next time where you'll fall asleep in my arms?"

I stop short at what I'm doing and turn to look at him with narrowed eyes

"Ale, are you flirting with me?" He gets up from the sofa he's on and comes close to me, a bit too close actually.

"Maybe" he whispers in my ear and I clear my throat, taking a step back

"So how was your day?" I ask, changing the topic to which he chuckles amusedly at, but doesn't comment on it.

"Boring. Very boring. But it's exciting now that I've seen your pretty face" he winks and I smile. Not knowing what to say.

I'm a black girl. I don't blush. But I can literally feel the heat rising in my cheeks. Matteo wasn't the one for compliments or sweet sayings like that, so I haven't felt that much appreciation for my beauty in a while. I nod my head to snap me out of my trance and take the potato off the stove.

"I made dinner. Wanna stay for it? I have some wine you could add"

"Is that an invitation Ms. Johnson?"

"Call it whatever you want Ale. Let's just say I'm returning the favour for you cooking for me yesterday" He nods and moves to the dining table I just put up

I had to buy another, didn't want to be eating on the same table that I dined with that bastard. Like I said, everything should be new.

"You don't have to repay the favour. Since you're expecting a next time, I'd gladly cook for you again" he says and I chuckle

Funny guy.

During the dinner, he's talking about something, but I swear I can't concentrate on any other thing than his looks. Never knew a man could be this fine. Kendra would say these are the type of people God took extra time creating. I feel myself getting attracted to him, but I know I have to backoff. We can never happen. Besides, I'm pregnant and it's no time for relationships.

"-had anything this good" he says and I snap out of my daze

"Huh?"

"I said I've never had anything this good" he says, although there's a smirk playing at the corner of his lips, as though he knew I was checking him out.

"Oh thanks" I smile and take a bite of my steak and take the plate to the sink. Can't stomach anything more. At his statement, I woefully remembered my mother, the woman who raised and cared for me. Sometimes it hurts, I wish it didn't have to be like this. She taught me everything I knew, including preparing a meal, and to have someone say how great it tasted was like complimenting my mother in her absence even though it was cooked by my hands. I just wish things hadn't taken a turn the way they did. I wish she had heard me out, understood me like she always did. Not disown me and call Scarlett to inform her like an immature gossip behind my back. What went wrong?

"Thanks for the meal. It was amazing" he says, appearing behind me at the sink. His fingers graze my skin and I shudder.

I am trying to get rid of my attraction towards him and he's not helping.

I need Kendra!!

"Um... yeah. You've said that. I'm about to retire to bed early. I'm extremely tired. You want to me walk you out?" I ask, knowing it very rude of me to dismiss him, that too so quickly in such manner, but I want an atmosphere I can breathe in without his presence. He stills for a moment but doesn't say anything.

"Sure. Goodnight Eufy"

I follow him to the door, but before he moves out, he does the unexpected. He kisses me briefly on the forehead

"Sweet dreams" and he's out like a light.

My poor heart!

🎀🌺🎀

All night I toss and turn, not being able to sleep. I blame Ale for capturing my thoughts and deciding not to walk out of them. The past weeks of meeting him play in my mind like a movie. Weeks where I've met him on just a few number of occasions that I can count on one hand. Yet, that didn't stop me from pouring my heart out to him like I did yesterday.
I hadn't expected him to understand, heck, I didn't expect anything from him but then I just started ranting and I couldn't stop. But when he understood me, that's when I knew that it's something I've been aching for for a while.

Someone who would keep quiet and listen, but yet understand and not misunderstand, would encourage you and not mince your words, would be there for you.

It would all be so much easier.

And it was.

Talking to him was easy, everything was easy. And I barely know him or anything about him.

Why?