How The Bad Became Beautiful

Part 26 The Lake

Raya's POV: 

We drive for a while until Nathan pulls up to a woodland area "so is this where you kill me?" I laugh with a cheeky smile on my face "no Raya" says Nathan laughing a little "by the way if I was a psychopath you'd have been dead at the flowerbed last Saturday" I look at Nathan wide-eyed with the little warning look that I get from my Auntie Mollie Nathan laughs "you fucking better not joke like that" I say laughing "I wouldn't do that anyway babe haven't got the will power to" says Nathan "so we going to get out the car or what?" I say "yeah come on then," says Nathan, he gets out as do I before Nathan goes to the back of the car and pulls out a tartan blue and green picnic blanket from the boot of the car, he shuts the boot and locks up the car before we find a place to sit on the ground "so what's the story with this spot?" I ask "I used to come here a lot when I was a kid just a nice place to go and to think and to just watch the world go by gets you in a calmer mood," says Nathan as we watch the water just still and calm nothing could change it except a pebble creating ripples in the water, ringlets just growing and growing until they stop, I take in everything from the grey sky, the water in front of us, the grass below the blanket and all around us, "so what set you off?" asks Nathan "I don't know that stupid bitch I had to cover for on Friday came in and started being all thankful when really I know the truth why she doesn't work other than she's a skiver and a racist slag, so as you can imagine not fun," I say my eyes roll "there's that eye roll again," says Nathan through a laugh in his voice, he turns to me "but seriously fuck it off don't let her get to you as she's the one with the problem, not you Raya so I'd let it wash over you to be honest" "I know but it annoys me I never wanted to work in a coffee shop I mean yeah it's money but it's not where I wanted to be" I say "why what did you want to do Raya?" asks Nathan "I wanted to work with special needs and mental health rather than some shitty cafe" I say as I stare up at the sky almost lost in the abyss "well I'd hope it happens you've got so much more to you Raya and you're worth more than what you think" says Nathan "it's just something about you Raya-Leigh I can't work out what it is but your far more than some broken beauty, it's your honest tongue, its the way you present yourself the no acting about the no nonsense approach, everything's straight to the point with you, and no one I've dated in the past is like that" I shrug, look at Nathan my bottom lip quivers "I've always been like it there's no other way with me" I sad, my head bows down, I feel Nathan's hand on my cheek "never be ashamed of who you are Raya or what you've come from as honestly I'd give anything to have what you have babe and I mean that a proper background although troubled" says Nathan his eyes staring deeper and deeper into the broken soul of me "and I'd give anything to have what you have been through" I say tearfully "what you'd rather have been 14-15 in a mental hospital?" says Nathan almost disgusted "there's been people in my life that if anyone could have sucked the pain out of their soul they'd have done it like that" I say with a click of my finger "and you well you seem like one of those people I'd do it for if it meant the pain had have gone in the blink of eye I'd have done it for you" I sigh Nathan's other hand begins to cradle my face "Raya-Leigh you really are one of the most beautiful women inside and out babe" says Nathan, my eyes blink slowly down, I feel the warmth of Nathan's hands on my face and I almost melt in it.

Nathan's POV:

Just looking at her vulnerable state that is behind her blink and all over her face "would it be in any way inappropriate if we kissed now?" I ask gently "not at all" whispers Raya a little shake of the head, I go slow letting the tension build until I meet her lips and by god, I don't know what it is with Raya and those lips put some random witchcraft-like spell over me as, as soon as my lips are pressed against hers and I'm under that spell for seconds, minutes even an hour if she let me get that far but she has that perfect spell and once I'm under her spell it's a curse that can't be broken and I'd stay there for days, weeks, months and years she's like the most perfect most beautiful enchantress ever. 
Eventually, I feel the droplets of water coming down onto my hair, my clothes I stop the kiss "babe is it me or is it raining?" says Raya "it's raining well try to rain" I say as I stand up before a large number of droplets races to the ground, "fuck!" shouts Raya, she raises from the picnic blanket and pick it up as she gets off it "oh the joys" I say sarcastically "does it always rain here Nate?" says Raya "no this was my stupidity" I say a smile across my face "fuck sake let's get dry then" says Raya "alright" I say the rain carries on heavier than heavy "shit" says Raya and me in unison, "quick in that weird stone gazebo" I say we run in the rain Raya's long, dark hair dripping with the raindrops that have soaked her hair through and through, Raya's squealing like that pig that's just been chosen for bacon or sausages and I'm too busy laughing "I hate rain!" shouts Raya "you're almost at the stone gazebo now babe!" I laugh breathless I want to know how weird it would be if video game characters like the soldiers in Call Of Duty or Resident Evil would feel if they had to stop running every five minutes to catch a breath? probably very.
Once we're at the stone gazebo, "I'd give it five to ten minutes babe as I don't like driving in heavy rain but then again I think I get that from Julian as something happened in the past to Julian that I'm not going to tell you" I say I've probably said too much "yeah that's fine you don't have to tell me everything Nathan" says Raya, I feel her hand pressed against my shoulder, just a touch of her hand and that's the best reassurance I have but I do want to know why the hell it's always when I'm wet maybe it's that cleansing feeling that Raya gets as well as I do. I feel her lips against my ear "fancy a ciggy" whispers Raya, I smile "sure" I say Raya goes in her bag, pulls out her packet of cigarettes and her oil spill lighter "I swear I used to have a lighter just like that" "haha I think everyone has a favourite lighter thought really" laughs Raya, she takes out two cigarettes, hands me one, I take it and Raya lights the cigarette up for me I think she owes me it in a way as I've lit two for her over the weekend I find it weird that when she's with me she doesn't smoke one after the other its almost like I'm her new addiction and I think I could live with that every single day. I just watch her light her cigarette, the cigarette hanging from her clenched teeth as the lighter sparks a flame she raises the flame to the beginning of the cigarette, Raya's pretty mouth just staining the butt of the cigarette with her spit as she takes her first inhale it's a long drag, the way she drags the smoke into her mouth to her lungs for her to take a later on, exhale which through a tiny O in her lips she exhales the smoke, her eyes blink down I just stare at her with my cigarette that's lit but not been placed in my mouth "why do you have to stare?" asks Raya as her eyes look up at me "I don't stare I admire" I say "I'm nothing to admire" says Raya I stub out the cigarette and put it in my pocket for later I walk towards Raya, I put my hands on her waist "Raya I won't lie to you, you are one of the most beautiful women I know and I know we only met in the cafe a week ago but I think we're somewhat made for each other" I say Raya's eyes look up as I feel her fingers touch my hips "Nate I like you, you've got something I've never seen before but I'm worst than a firework" says Raya "what do you mean?" I question "you know like a bomb that wants to go off but there's some sort of technical difficulty?" says Raya I nod yes "well that's me and love and I, are something that goes along like drowning and a swimming pool, I'm like a bomb ready to set off in Iraq hence why I'm on my own and why I keep a wall up and it'd take something bigger than a wrecking ball, grenades or a bulldozer could take down you have to do a lot to get to my heart and I don't think you could do that", I take Raya's chin in my hand, her eyes look up at me "Raya I'm telling you this now I would do everything in my heart, power and soul and give everything and anything I have to get to your heart and I'll promise I won't let you down" I whisper "you can try" whispers Raya back to me, I just take her in my arms and kiss her softly.