How The Bad Became Beautiful

Part 48 Raya's Surprise!

Raya's POV:

The next day, with my makeup done, my hair down but added a few little curls to the bottom of my hair, my outfit a lilac coloured top with ripped jeans and the always lucky biker boots I swear these boots are just the best pair I've had (haha), I grab my grey handbag, grab the letter and my keys from the dining table and head off for my last day.

The moment my first two sessions are finished I go up to Eleanor's office, I knock on the door "yes come in please" says Eleanor's voice, I open the door and shut it behind me, "oh yes Raya Bennett" "hi Eleanor" I say "hello Raya what did you want?" asks Eleanor "nothing much just a quick visit" I say "I see you've got something in your hand" says Eleanor pointing at the note in my hand "yes it's just a letter that I've written for the company as today's my last day of the trial run" I say, I hand Eleanor the letter "thank you Raya" says Eleanor "can you sit down for a minute please Raya?" I take a seat in the chair in front of Eleanor's desk I watch as Eleanor puts the letter to the side of her computer "I think you should know, miss Bennett that I have been getting some really, really good feedback from James, as well as the clients you've seen over the past two weeks and they all, have given some really good feedback miss Bennett and I think you really have proved yourself and I hope you have enjoyed your experience with us here" says Eleanor I know what she's going to say next which is the old favourite of "we'll be in touch" "I'm glad to hear that and if I'm not good enough for this job then I understand if this is the end of the road" I say "Raya Bennett you could be in for a surprise sooner than you think" says Eleanor a cheeky wink at me "but we'll in touch soon" "aww thought you were going to say you've got the job then" I say laughing "not yet miss Bennett" laughs Eleanor back, I get up shake eleanor's hand before going back to finish the next 4 clients before my finishing time of 12:00 pm today.

Nathan's POV:

I am sat at home when I get a text from Raya "hey babe can you come and keep me company tonight as my auntie Mollie's out of town and I don't want to be on my own xxxxx" reads the message "sure babe isn't it, your last day at Inside a Mind today?" reads my text back to Raya I put my phone down for a minute until I get a response "yeah babe" says Raya's message "did you get it or?.... xxxxxx" I text back hoping for the best for Raya as that woman deserves the world, then I get a text back "I don't know they don't tell you straight away but from what the deputy manager told me there's a chance :) xxxx" says Raya's message "aww babe that's great" I text back "I'll buy a Chinese tonight if you want xxxx" "okay babe love you xxxx" says Raya's message back "love you too xxxxx".

I decided to take a drive to drive to a small homemade gifts shop. When I get there "hiya love," says the store clerk "hiya I'm just wondering if you can show me any gifts that would be good for my girlfriend if that's okay," I say "yes, of course, we've got plenty of artificial flower bouquets in colours from red to grey," says the clerk "I was wondering if I can get a bouquet of the blue roses please as Raya's favourite colours blue," I say "sure," says the shop clerk, the shop clerk then goes to make a regular bouquet of blue roses, I'm probably waiting about 3 minutes until the store clerk has finished the artificial bouquet, she soon reappears with a cute bouquet and a small card with the business "A Little Something For You" written on the card I am really impressed with the bouquet "aww they're brilliant them quality," I say "thank you," says the clerk "would you like to write a little something on the card?" she hands me this gift tag and on it, I write:

"Raya, these flowers are from me to you babe so proud of you 

Love always Nathan xxxxx" 

The clerk then puts the flowers in a gift bag ready for me to take in my car to go and pick Raya up from where she's working, I pay the clerk the money for the flowers, when I'm done I exit the shop and enter my car, put the flowers on the floor of the passenger side so that when Raya gets in my car she'll see them straight away. God I just hope she likes them, I then start the car and begin to drive the music from the InfinityFM radio station plays, the radio announcer comes on "now next song coming up is from Ashley to Coltan this is Stuck On U Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber" says the announcer "fuck" I mouth as I continue to drive.

When I get to the destination I send Raya a text message saying "hey babe take a small walk up the street ;) xxxx" I send the text.

Raya's POV:

I feel my phone vibrate in my bag, I pull my phone out and see that I have a message from Nathan "take a small walk up the street?" I say to myself quietly, I take the miniature walk and that's when I see my man, Nathan Daniel Walker, my heart flutters, I walk over "hiya" I say as I go over for a cuddle and a kiss from Nathan "how are you darling?" says Nathan "I'm good this is a really good surprise" I say, my hands hold his arms and I feel the leather jacket he's wearing, the smell of his aftershave under my nostrils he's perfect, "you're looking particularly gorgeous today Raya" says Nathan "thank you babe" I say I can't seem to take my eyes away from him, his soft, thick head of hair, his perfectly trimmed beard, his tall, handsome stature that intimidates me but I wouldn't have it any other way "Nathan I was meaning to ask you last night but..." I stop in my tracks again like some stupid kid, "come on in the car" says Nathan with a wink, he gets back in the driver's side and I slowly, but carefully make my way to the passenger side, and that's when I find it "is this for me?" I say with a smile, Nathan smiles back "yeah" says Nathan a silly nod comes over him, his hands on the steering wheel, as he watches me open the gift bag, a massive smile comes over my face "aww Nathan they're so beautiful" I squeak "do you like them?" asks Nathan "I love them babe aww come here" I say, I lean in and give him a hug followed by a kiss on the cheek, before holding his shoulder "thank you babe" I whisper to him as my eyes blink slowly, my long lashes fall gently with each blink "you're welcome babe" says Nathan, we slowly go towards each other my hand resting on Nathan's shoulder, and we kissed, my butterflies in my belly making me go to jelly-like they have done since the first kiss on that Friday night.

Nathan soon starts driving, "so what did you want to ask me babe?" says Nathan as I take a photo of my flowers that Nathan got me for Snapchat, "oh right my auntie Mollie's gone out of town and I've got the house to myself for a few days so I was wondering if..." I say again I stop in my tracks as Nathan finishes off my sentence "if I would stop with you for a few days" says Nathan "well...yeah" I say "sure what's happened why's she had to go out of town like?" asks Nathan "she said that a family member wasn't well and so they needed Mollie's help but the look on Mollie's face when she was saying it was almost like a state of worried horror if I'm honest" I explain "Jesus!" exclaims Nathan "I know I don't know what's happened but I know Mollie would do anything for any family members really" I say "yeah" says Nathan, "how's your Levi?" "Levi's alright I think didn't hear anything from him this week," I say "yeah well don't get worried Raya you know what he's like," says Nathan "I do but there is something that's troubling me it's about the weekend he stayed," I say, with saying that I picture all those terrible scars on top of scars on top of more scars that I saw on his arms "what do you mean?" asks Nathan, "I think he's been cutting again in fact, no I know he's been cutting again," I say "he's been like that for how long though?" says Nathan "since the age of 13-14 because I used to find broken glass in his bedroom and just the thought makes me want to throw up," I say "Raya I wasn't going to tell you this but..." says Nathan before stopping in his tracks "what?" I say Nathan takes a deep breath before telling me "basically you remember when I went outside to have a cigarette?" says Nathan "yeah I'd gone to the bar after that with Mollie" I say "yeah well your Levi followed me out and we had a chat" says Nathan "right" I say "basically told me to always look after you Raya and I said I will and I always will and that I care about you and just chatted about shit" says Nathan "yeah he's always like that any partner I'd have gotten with babe so don't worry" I say "no I'm not" says Nathan "good" I say "I know he's only looking out for you I'd be the same if it was my sister babe" says Nathan I nod "I know" I say and we drive on with the radio playing.