Love Isn't...

4. A Challenge

CHAPTER – 4

LOVE ISN'T A CHALLENGE

If there is one thing I can be thankful for to my birth parents is the same fact for which I hate them - their drug addiction. I hate them for obvious reasons, but I'm thankful because just because of them I'm still habitual to sleep in no matter how much noises surround me. The only thing that needs to be quiet is my brain. So, fortunately, while I was dwelling about that night of four months back, I fell asleep and woke up after about an hour or so. The moment my eyes opened, I registered the fact that loud music was being played in my room. I frowned and got up to turn it off. And just as I was about to turn it off, another fact registered in my head.

She was here. In my apartment. And no, it wasn't a dream.

My hands went up to brush my hair as a sigh escaped my lips. I turned off the music once I had freshened up. It was time to face her.

No matter how much I tried to make sense of things, it seemed as if it was all beyond me. This had to be the biggest coincidence of my entire life.

What could I say to her? How was I supposed to act? I couldn't just ask her to stay still for a while so I could complete the painting that I had started few days back. I didn't want anyone who knew me to know that I was an artist by profession. And it was obvious that she would go and announce it to her entire office, especially my mother. I couldn't even begin to imagine the many scenarios it could bring upon me.

So, I decided to do one thing that could make her get out of this place and hence, my life, for good. I had to be rude to her. As rude as rude could ever be. I had to make her say 'no' from doing this foolish assignment. Yes, that was it. And I was fairly certain that it wasn't going to difficult for me to achieve.

After all, I had been a pro at making people run away from me. Ms. Liana Moore was not going to be any different, I was sure of that.

With determination, I turned off the music and stepped out of my room. My eyebrows furrowed as I watched her lying on my couch as if it was her bedroom. "Don't worry, Steph. I'm perfectly fine as I was spending the last two hours with myself and trust me, I so needed this 'me time' since such a long time. How would I ever thank the Mr. Parker for being so grateful to me?" she said sarcastically and I realized that she was talking to someone on phone.

Steph... Stephanie was the girl at whose apartment I had dropped her that night.

Focusing back on the situation at hand, I interrupted her. "You can start by making lunch for me."

"How is making lunch for you and thanking him related?" she questioned her friend, making me raise my eyebrows in amusement. She was probably the least observant person I had ever met. "And, why do you sound like him, Steph?"

Her friend said something while I tried to patiently wait for Ms. Moore to realize that that was my voice and I was here now, waiting for her to end her call. The key word being 'tried'. So, I interrupted her yet again. "A dumb, romantic fool."

Her head snapped towards me and her eyes widened dramatically. "Oh... finally!" She breathed out in relief while sitting down on the couch. She focused back on her phone and told her friend. "I've to go. Talk to you later."

"Now you decide to come out?" she asked as if she was my Mom and was about to tell me that I was grounded.

Rolling my eyes at her dramatics, I yawned, stretched, and groaned, all at the same time. "I'm so hungry." With that I turned around and walked towards the kitchen. But two steps away from the couch and I noticed something different.