His Caramel

Chapter 23: I'm always the loner

Scarlet POV

I decided to turn on my phone after three days turned it off. Answering questions from everyone about 'what happened' is the last thing that I want to do right now. I just want to let it pass and not give a thought about it anymore as I had decided to erase everything and start a new life. It's not that I never did this before; that was how I convinced myself over the past few days.

I walked alongside the beach while I let my bare feet enjoyed the cool water that splashed by the wave. I held onto my sandal in my hand while the other one was occupied with my phone. The beeping sound kept seeking my attention.

It was no one other than Cassandra and him; the one that I wanted to avoid or forced to do so. I looked at the screen without having any intention to reply to any of them.

I was into my own thought at the moment I felt someone jabbing on my shoulder. I immediately averted my eyes away from the screen and turned my gaze to the person standing behind me. It made me realized that coincident sometimes happened at absurd timing.

"Raymond?" I called out, surprised that he was here.

"Yeah, that's me. I didn't change my name and I thought you've forgotten me." He feigned a sad face.

"That will never happen. I'm sorry; I didn't inform you before I leave the last few months. It happened too sudden," I showed him an apologetic look. I felt bad for treating him like that.

"I guess you need to redeem that with an explanation." He raised his brow, one side of his mouth lifting into a semblance of a smile.

"I will," I returned his smile with relief.

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah, I'm always the loner." I shrugged, answered him in a joking way but it was the truth after all.

"Seem like we make a perfect match." I could sense his satisfaction, having the chance to be alone with me but I ignored it, refused to touch anything that involves feeling. My heart can't bear it anymore.

"Want to grab some drinks?" He offered and I accepted it immediately. We walked together side by side looking for a place to settle down.

We stopped at the unoccupied sun loungers, and he helped to order drinks. I took off the hat that covered my hair as the parasol above my head doing its better job to avoid Grandpa to hit my skin directly. My mind suddenly wandered to the memories of my quarrel with Miguel every time he woke me for sports. I sound pathetically like a girlfriend that missed her lover.

"Back to the earth, Scarlet," I blushed as Raymond's came to my sight with two glasses of fresh orange juice. He handed me one glass before taking a seat on the empty sun lounger next to me.

"Thank you," I immediately moved my lips closer to the straw and allowing the liquid to cool me down. The fresh taste of the fruit hit my tongue and it made me mourned unintentionally. "This is just perfect!" I muttered leaving a grin on my face.

"So, tell me about your missing in action thingy and how you ended up here? Are you some kind of creature that turns to mermaid at night and human in the day time? You know just like what happened in the mermaid movie." His words made me let out a belly laugh. The seriousness covered his face.

"How I wish that could be true, so I wouldn't be stuck at the place that I don't want to be."

"Still, you can be a mermaid in any way that you like." I'm not sure what the meaning behind it was but he probably wanted to pass me the message that I can choose my own life, in any way that I liked.

"Ok, back to our topic." I rested my back on the lounger. He just sat there facing me with his eyes observing my every moment like a kid waiting for his mom for story time.

I sighed before telling him the story from the time I got the news someone bought the café until today. I can't stop myself from leaving a sigh at the end of my story. I didn't tell him about the reason I left and returned to London.

"Are you sure you didn't miss out on anything? I got the feeling that the story is not complete." He narrowed his eyes at me but I pretended not to understand him. "Anyway, you can always tell me when you're ready." His words sound too familiar. The same sentence that Miguel said last few nights made me voluntarily pulled myself in his embrace. A sudden sadness hit me but I quickly waved it away. I don't want to be the emotional girl again.

"Maybe you are right but not something important." I hide my real emotion with a grin.

"How long you will be here?" I inquired, purposely changed the subject. I'm here to forget not to remember, I reminded myself.

"I took a week off and still have three days left." He made his eyes gazing at the sky. "You?" And now he landed his eyes on me.

"I'm luckier than you. No boss at the moment, meaning unlimited times." I haven't thought about a new job.

"I can be your partner for three more days if you are not against it." He winked at me.

"Sound like I have been forgiven!" I exclaimed happily to which it made him chuckled. I knew he wasn't mad at me but just a little disappointed.

"I'm glad I met you here, Raymond. I did feel better after talking to you." I confessed. I kept everything inside for the last three days and to be frank it wasn't easy for me. I usually talked to Cassandra about my problem but I'm not ready to spill everything to her knowing that she will be the first person Miguel inquires about my whereabouts. I don't want to put her in a hard position.

"How about dinner tonight?" I quickly nodded my head as the offer sounds great, a good way of distraction.

I smiled genuinely before allowing my eyes to mesmerize the beauty of God's creation around me. I felt at ease for the time being.

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