Becoming Mrs Ashbourne

Twenty-nine

My eyes flicker excitedly and I beam, shaking Cairus' hand violently.

"Look." I point at the ice cream stand a few meters away from us.
I look up at him and he is still wearing a guarded expression.

"I want ice cream." I finally comment and he shakes his head and tries to turn but I hold him still with our interlocked arms.

"Mya, you're not a baby." He frowns and I keep staring at him.
My eyes tear up instantly and I can sense how uncomfortable he is.

The one thing I learnt from living with my family all those years was how to cry on command.

"Fine. Just one scoop and we're done." He says while pulling out his wallet from his pocket and then hands it over to me.

"What?" I ask in disbelief. His arm is extended out and he is still holding the wallet.
"Aren't you going to take it?" He asks and I just keep standing there.

"I can't take everything." I complain honestly.

I can't take everything. I'll feel like I'm spending too much of his money. And I don't want him to see me as a gold digger.

"I can't take everything. Don't you...you  know have to use it for work or something?" I ask, trying to distract him.

"I have my phone, my credit card, the black card I gave you as well as others. This is nothing." He speaks as if the money is like water he just fetches from the beach.

"I'm not taking it." I say and push it back.
A blonde haired girl walks past us and she whispers to her friend.

"He's offering her money, and she doesn't want it. Weirdo." She says and her friend snickers.

"Well, some of us prioritize genuine connections over cash. It's not weird; it's called having different values." Cairus says, shutting them up immediately.

His phone rings and he deliberately hands me the wallet and walks away to pick the call.
I groan frustratedly before walking towards the stand.

I keep sparing secret glances at Cairus as he takes his oh so important phone call.
He looks good in black.

I feel a blush creep onto my face and I suddenly feel scandalous.

"Miss?" The owner of the stand calls out with a calming smile.
"Which flavours please?" He asks and I point at the chocolate, vanilla and mint.

"Thank you." I smile and hand him a crisp hundred dollar note.
"Take the change as a tip." I say and he nods.

I walk back to where Cairus is and quietly lick my ice cream as he makes his phone call.
He keeps looking at me and nodding and it's making me feel awkward.

"Get here within ten minutes." He says and cuts the call.
"You seem happy." He says and stands infront of me. I look up at him and hand him my ice cream.

"I don't eat these type of things. Too sweet." He frowns and shakes his head.
"Hmph. Eat it." I say and he gives in, bending his head to have a taste.

He says it's tastes bad, but I know he is lying by the small smile that creeps onto his face. "Liar", I call  him out.
"Remus will be coming here to look after you. I have a meeting, so I will  get home later", he says and wipes his lips with his handkerchief. "I can take care of myself, I don't need someone to take care of me," I pout. He extends his hand to the corner of my lips and wipes a smudge there.

"You obviously do. You behave like a child...it's cute." He whispers at ear level before turning to leave.
I keep staring at him until he vanishes into the crowd.
"Ma'am, your ice cream." A little boy points at the splatter infront of my shoes.