Kidnapped Love

Chapter 16

"Tell me about your night." My eagerness to hear her story was as palpable as the salty air between us.

"Well, Ron and I made it official," she said, her voice escalating into a squeal as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"I'm so happy for you!" I exclaimed, my own happiness mirroring hers. "You finally decided to give him a chance?"

"Yes. After we talked about it, I realized that I couldn't live my life in fear of men anymore," she confessed, her vulnerability showing through her usually bright demeanor.

I gave her a small hug. "I am so happy for you guys. You two are end game, no doubt in my mind." I said reassuringly.

"Thank you so much! We better get back in there, because my 'boyfriend' is waiting." She shrieked once more just before opening the door. She maintained her composure quickly and went back to her seated position next to Ron like nothing had happened. He instinctively put his arm around her on the couch and looked over her shoulder at me, gesturing to his arm, without him noticing. I silently laughed to myself and gave her a thumbs up before retreating upstairs.

I laid on my bed checking my cell phone for any new messages. Alas! A message from Derek was waiting to be opened by me. I opened the message and it read " I had a wonderful evening. I can't stop thinking about that kiss. I look forward to seeing you again!" My heart skipped a beat. I was happy to know I wasn't the only one thinking about that kiss.

I opened a blank message space to reply back, when my message was interrupted by an incoming call. I recognized the number being local.

"Hello?" I answered. Through the other line I heard the old withered voice of Mitchell.

"Good morning Akila. Sorry if I woke you up." He said.

"No, I was already awake. What can I do for you?" I asked.

"Well, I was hoping you could come out to the farm tomorrow. We have a new delivery of feed and some of these animal stalls are a mess." He said, in the background I could hear a tractor motor.

"Of course, I can come out tomorrow. Any specific time?" I asked.

"Come out whenever you can. Thanks a lot. See you tomorrow," Mitchell's voice brought me back to reality, the sound of his tractor humming in the background like a stubborn bee.

"Thank you. Bye," I replied, ending the call with a soft click. The farm would have to wait until tomorrow, for today still hummed with the echoes of last night's magic and the promise of more to come.

Slipping into a comfortable pair of jeans and a soft, flowy blouse, I made my way downstairs. The aroma of brewing coffee greeted me, a reminder that the world outside my whirlwind of emotions was carrying on as usual. In the living room, Trish and Ron were a portrait of new love, nestled together on the couch in an effortless tangle of limbs. Trish's head rested on Ron's shoulder, her hand finding his with such natural ease it was as if their fingers were intertwined by design.

Their connection was tangible, a visible current that flowed between them. With each laugh shared over the low hum of the movie's ending credits, they seemed to draw closer, their bubble of intimacy unbothered by the rest of the world. As the screen faded to black, they rose in unison, Ron's hand lingering at the small of Trish's back as they disappeared into his bedroom. I felt a twinge of something akin to envy, not for their blossoming relationship, but for the certainty with which they embraced it.

Turning back to the kitchen, I busied myself with breakfast, pushing thoughts of Ron and Trish aside. The toaster sprang to life, its mechanical clunk a mundane yet comforting sound. Golden-brown toast leaped up, and as I reached out to catch it, the familiar jingle of my phone interrupted the quiet morning ritual. I looked at the screen and read the name on the caller Id. It was Derek!