"I think I messed up." I sighed as I stared at the tire that was in front of me. I was underneath a car, standing up and looking around.
I felt so bad about last night, that it kept me awake all night. I might have gotten an hour of sleep, but I was mostly tossing and turning.
Chad came under the car, and stopped as he looked around. "You didn't mess up. You did good." He moves the tire around then looked back at me. "It's stable."
"I'm not talking about the car."
"Then what?"
I looked at him before shrugging. I turned my attention to another tire, and saw Chad come around to block me.
"What?"
"It's nothing." I said, making him walk with me. I sighed before looking at him as he was staring at me, waiting for me to speak. "Amaya."
Chad furrows his eyebrows. "Who's Amaya?"
"That woman.. in the wheelchair."
"Ok?" He asked, clearly confused.
I sighed before looking around, then looked back at him. "I hung out with her last night. We went out and-"
"On a date?" He asked, smiling.
"I guess." I said, not sure if it was a date or not. "But.. I messed up."
"How?"
"Cause.. she's religious, and I'm not."
Chad slowly nods. "Ok.. explain why you messed up."
"She wanted me to read a page from the Bible.. and I didn't. She asked why, and I said that I didn't believe that."
"And she got mad?"
"No.. she was unhappy about it. Like it hurt her." I thought about her face before sighing. "I messed up."
"You really like her?"
"Yes. A lot." I said, making him smile.
He looks around before motioning for me to follow him. I followed him out of the shop towards his truck, then stopped on the other side.
He leans on the truck then lights a cigarette. "Can I ask why you don't believe?"
"In God?"
"Yeah."
I shrugged as he looked at me. "I just.. never really believed in that."
"So, you neve read the Bible?"
"No." I said, looking around as a car drove down the road. "I didn't know Amaya was religious." I sighed.
"Does that make you not like her anymore?"
I looked at Chad before shaking my head. "No. I still like her the same. That doesn't change anything."
After learning that Amaya was religious, and believed in that, it didn't make me like her any less. I still liked her a lot, but I look over that.
It's something I never really understood.
The wind outside was getting a little rough, and the coldness in the air was ridiculous. I crossed my arms before shaking a little, then saw Chad look at me.
"Where's your jacket?"
"Amaya has it."
"Aww." He smiles, making me walk away from him.
I ignored him, and got the rest of my work done.
After noon came around, everyone went out to eat somewhere. I was left alone, with Chad cause he didn't go anywhere as well.
When I asked him about it, he said he wasn't hungry. I didn't know if he was saying that cause I wasn't eating or he didn't want to go anywhere.
But I ignored it, and got the rest of the work done.
Amaya came to mind after a few minutes, making me not get much work done. I was already in a slump cause of last night, now I can't get her face out of my head.
It was going to be a long day.
"Hey." Chad said as he came back into the shop after a few minutes. I look over at him as I was wiping my hands, and saw him slightly smile. "She's here."
"Who?" I said, feeling my heart thump.
"Amaya."
I look towards outside before nodding, and tossing the rag on a chair. I saw Chad watch me as I walked past him, and outside.
When I looked around, I saw thhe familiar vehicle pulled up, and I saw Alina in the driver seat. She rolls the window down as I walked to her, then motioned to the passenger side.
I walked over, then saw Amaya sitting in the passenger side, looking at me. I saw her look down for a moment before pulling out my jacket, and hold it towards me.
"You forgot your jacket. It's a little cool today, so I figured you needed it."
After I grabbed it, I nodded before looking down at it. I looked back up at her as she was watching me, making me a take a breath before speaking.
"I'm sorry about last night."
She looks over at her sister, and I saw Alina getting out of the vehicle. She walks around it before looking at me and smiling. "I need drink from inside."
After she was done, Amaya looked at me. "It's ok, Remi."
"It's not."
"How come?" She asked.
"Because.. I hurt you."
"You didn't hurt me." She smiles. "I admit that maybe I was hoping for something different when I handed you that book, but.. that doesn't make me like you any less."
I saw her look at me with a smile, and I felt a relief run through me. "Really?"
"Of course." She smiles. "Do you want to come over tonight?"
"Yeah." I said, making her smile.
"I'll see you tonight."
Alina came back, and Amaya waves at me as they were leaving the driveway. I stared after her, before sighing, and wanting this day to end faster now.
-
When I pulled up at the house, I stared at it for a moment before finally getting out. I had my phone in my pocket, and the shakiness in my hands as I was walking up to the front door.
Every time I come near her, I feel a weird emotion run through my body that makes me act like an idiot.
That's how I know I like her.
When I went home to get ready, and take a shower, Kate was already asking where I was going. I had to tell her the truth, and she only asked more questions about Amaya.
"When can I meet her?"
"We're not dating."
"It's serious though, right? You've been seeing her a lot."
"Not really."
"Do you love her?"
She was acting like I was a teenager, and she was my mom. She was hounding me with questions, and it was driving me insane.
But I got out of the house before she asked anymore questions.
In all honesty, I really do like Amaya. More than I like myself, and anyone else I've dated. Although we're not dating, but it's something I've never felt before.
As I knocked, I waited until Alina opened the door. I saw her smiling at me before allowing me to walk inside, and she closed the door behind me.
I followed her to the living room where Amaya was sitting next to the bookshelf. I saw her reading her Bible, then she looks up to meet my eyes with a smile on her face.
As I sat down, she closed her book, and her eyes remained on mine. "Hi, Remi." She said, making me want to smile but I didn't.
"Hi."
Alina came into the living room after a moment, then asked if we wanted anything to eat. I looked over at her before looking at Amaya, who was looking at her sister.
"Yes." Amaya looks at me. "Do you want something to eat?"
I kept looking at her before looking at Alina, who was looking at us, waiting for an answer. I didn't want to say no, but I didn't want to say yes then not eat anything.
"Sure." I said, feeling defeated.
After Alina left, Amaya looks at me before smiling. "How was work?" She asked.
"It was good. How was your day?"
That made her smile. "It was good. Nothing really happened, but I'm glad I woke up this morning."
That made me nod as I looked around the living room, then focused on the bookshelf. I noticed there were a lot of books, but I never read any of them.
I never was a big book person, but I've read a few in my life.
"Do you read?" Amaya asks, seeing that I was looking at the bookshelf.
"Somewhat."
"What's your favorite book?"
I had to think about that cause I couldn't remember the last time I read. I was in high school when I was required to read, but didn't read for fun after I graduated.
"I can't remember."
"That's ok." She smiles.
"What's your favorite book?"
She smiles at me before holding up her Bible. I look at it before looking at her, seeing her look at it with a smile on her face.
"This is my favorite book."
"Why?" I asked, making her look at me.
She looks at me before looking back at the Bible. She didn't say anything for a few moments, then her sister walked back into the living room.
"Dinner is ready."
Amaya looks at me before placing the Bible in her lap. I stood up as she was moving out of the living room, and I was following behind her.
Once we were in the kitchen, I looked at the table that was set with food. I saw Amaya stop in front of it as I walked in, and saw down next to her.
The food on the table looked amazing, and I finally felt my stomach rumble. I looked over at Alina as she was placing drinks on the table, and Amaya was thanking her.
As she sat down, Amaya grabbed Alina's hand then turned her attention towards me. I saw her reach over towards me with her hand out, and I looked down at it for a moment.
Then, after I didn't grab her hand the next few moments, Amaya pulls her hand away. I could see something in her eyes as she looks towards her sister, who was looking at us.
As I was sitting there, they started praying together, and I looked away. I glanced around the kitchen as they were praying, then after they were done, I looked back at them.
Amaya handed me a plate, and I stared at it for a moment before grabbing it, and placing it on the table. I stare at it before watching Amaya and Alina as they were setting their plates, which made me look down at the food.
As they were placing food onto their plate, I was sitting there with an empty plate then saw Amaya look over at me.
"Are you going to eat?"
"Yeah." I said, making her look at me a little longer before looking away. I slowly started placing food onto my plate, then sat there after a moment.
As they were eating, I was messing around with the food on my plate. I looked around at them before looking back at the plate as I was pushing around the food.
They started talking about something, which made me look over at them before looking back at the food. I swirled the noodles around my fork before bringing it to my mouth.
I took a bite then looked over to see Amaya watching me, which made me look at her before swallowing.
She looked away after a moment as I continued to eat, which was actually really good. I took more bites as Amaya was talking to Alina.
After a few minutes, I looked down at the plate that was no empty. I stared at it before leaning back, then looked over at Amaya and Alina.
Alina stood up to place her plate in the sink, then came back and asked if we were done. I saw Amaya look over at me before grabbing my plate and hers, then handed it to Alina.
"My sister is a really good cook."
"That was the best I've had actually." I said, making Amaya smile. I saw her turn her attention back towards her sister as I leaned back, feeling my stomach start rumbling again.
I tried covering it up with a cough, which caught Amaya's attention as she looked over at me. I look over at Alina as she was walking back, placing everything away.
"Do you need help?" I ask, standing up.
"No, that's ok. Thank you, Remi." She smiles at me.
Amaya came to me, and stopped before motioning for me to follow her.
We left the kitchen then came into the living room, where she went back to the bookshelf. I sat down next to her as she looks at me with a smile on her face.
"Do you want me to read you anything?" She asks before looking over at the bookshelf. "We have a lot of books."
I glanced over at them before turning my attention back to her. I saw the Bible on the table between us, then grabbed it and handed it to her.
"Can you read me this?"
She looks down at it before slowly grabbing it from my hands. I saw her look at me before slightly smiling as she was opening the book.
"Sure. Where do you want me to begin?"
"Wherever you were."
"You don't want to start from the beginning?" She asks.
"Sure."
She smiles before turning the pages to the very first page. I leaned back as she was looking at me, then looked down at the book before reading.
My eyes were focused on her as she was reading, making me actually enjoy it. I glanced down at the book before looking back at her face as her lips were moving, and her eyes were fixated on the book in her hands.
Then she looks over at me, and caught me staring. She smiled before tucking her hair behind her ear then continued reading.
After a few minutes, she stopped reading then looked over at me. "That was Genisis one. Do you want to continue?"
"That was chapter one?"
She smiles. "Well, there's no chapters in the Bible. It's not a regular book. But we just finished a small part." I leaned over to see her opening the book to reveal how large it is.
"Wow."
"Amazing, right?"
"How far are you?"
She flips to a page that she has marked, then showed me.
"Wow, so you're almost done."
She chuckles, which made me look at her. "You can never be done with the Bible. You simply read it over, and over again. You learn, study, and live by it. Nobody that I know has ever finished the Bible, and stopped reading it."
"So, you continue to read it?"
"Everyday."
"Even when you finished it?"
"Yes." She smiles.
I nodded, kind of understanding but not really. I looked down at it before seeing her stare at me, which made her look away with a smile on her face.
Alina came back in, asking Amaya if she was ready to take a bath. I look over at Amaya as she glances at me before looking back at her sister.
"Yes." She looks at me as her sister walks out of the living room. "Do you think you can come over tomorrow?"
"Yeah." I said, making her smile.
We sat there in silence for a moment before she places the Bible on the table. I saw her move closer to me before grabbing my hand and holding it as she was looking down at our hands.
I stared at her, wondering what she was thinking about before she looks up and meets my eyes. I saw a slight smile on her face as she looks back down at our hands.
"I really like you, Remi." She spoke as she looks back up at me. "I can't explain how.. I was brought to you in a way that I couldn't understand then but now I do."
As I was looking at her and listening, I realized that she felt the same way that I did when I couldn't understand why we kept being brought together.
I might not fully understand why, but I know that we were meant to be together.
Amaya was holding our hands before bringing our hands to her mouth, and gently kissing mine. I saw her smile at me before looking at me with so much emotion in her eyes.
"Amaya," I heard Alina come back into the living room. "bath time."
Amaya looks at me before smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow, Remi."
"Yeah." I said once I stood up, and Alina walked towards me. She told me she would walk me out, and I said goodbye to Amaya once more before following Alina out of the living room.
Once we were outside, Alina said her goodbye and said she would see me tomorrow.
"Bye, Alina."
After she walked back inside, I went to my Jeep and got inside. I sat there for a few moments before heading home, and having Amaya on my mind.