I wake up to my phone alarm the next morning. I groan and feel a slight ache in my back as I force my eyes open. I'm still on the couch. "Shut that up." Rafe grumbles making me sit up. I really thought he would've been gone by now. He's sprawled out across the couch, my legs are over his, I don't understand how I didn't feel that before.
"Nara." He moans as I scramble to search for my phone. "Get up, I think you're on my phone." He grumbles under his breath as he gets off the couch and rubs his eyes. "Why do you even have an alarm set?" He asks as he stretches and I find the phone down the couch cushions. "My grandparents should be back in two hours." I say, as I sit back down a second. "So what's with the early alarm?" He asks, "I wanted to make them breakfast." I shrug watching as he runs his hands through his hair.
"You want some?"
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I'm currently in the kitchen as Rafe is freshening up. Crazy, I can't believe we watched a romantic comedy last night, that he actually enjoyed it, that he'd slept over and now we were about to have breakfast together. I don't know how we got here or how to feel about it.
He rejoins me as I'm collecting my eggs. "Do you want an omelette, french toast or pancakes?" I ask as I spot him. He sits opposite me and shrugs, "whatever you want." I bite on the inside of my cheek, "but I asked what you wanted." He looks up at me and I feel silly. "Uh the toast." I grin, nod and get to work.
"So what're your plans for the day?" Rafe asks as he watches me chop up fruit. "Uh I don't think I have much planned, I think my Nana wanted to take me golfing a bit later." He nods and looks like he's about to say something but I turn to check on his toast. It looks perfectly golden so I plate it up with syrup and berries before handing it over. "Thanks," he mumbles as he takes it from me.
"I was actually thinking of going down to the cut today." I say wiping the counters down before resuming my fruit bowl. His brows furrow, "why?" I shrug and put the knife down. "I wanna see my friends, I think we should talk." I was really missing them and it was clear that they weren't coming here so maybe I did need to go to them. "What happened to waiting for them to come to you?" I look away. "I don't think it matters anymore."
"I don't think you should go." He shrugs, "they're dangerous." He adds making me scoff, "they're not dangerous." Now it's his turn to scoff. "They held a gun to Toppers head." He says in disbelief, "he was drowning John B." I counter. "So he deserved it?" He asks.
"I didn't say that."
"But you meant it?"
I stare at him for a second, "so attempted murder is only okay when it's by a kook?" I ask making him roll his eyes, "you're so dramatic." My eyes narrow, "I'm dramatic? Topper is dramatic no one was gonna shoot his bitch ass." Rafe pushes himself up and shakes his head at me. "You really are one of them." What did he mean by that? "Yeah I am, I'm a pogue through and through." I say proudly not really phased by the way he's shaking his head at me in disappointment.
"I think it's time for you to go." I add as we just stand there in silence for a moment.
"Gladly."
I watch his retreating figure and sigh, I guess that was the end of whatever that was. It was unlikely it would've lasted long anyways, we were way too different.
Grabbing the plate of left over french toast, I scrape the remainders into the bin and then resume on making breakfast.
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"Nara beti what's this?" My grandad asks joyfully as he walks into the kitchen and sets his briefcase down. "Anjali come look what our beautiful granddaughter has done for us." He calls out as he gives me a side hug and kisses my forehead. "Thank you so much janu, I'm so hungry." My grandmother then joins us and let's just say she's not as touched as my grandad is.
"What were you up to last night?" She questions looking me up and down as if I'd done something wrong. "I went to a party with Sarah." She glances at my Nana and tilts her head. I look between them as she speaks in Hindi, I don't understand the sentence completely but I pick out how she says I'm just being sneaky, trying to cover something up. I feel dejected, I just wanted to do something nice for her and she couldn't even see that.
She always just thought the worst of me.
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"Janu? Are you okay?" I sigh as my grandfather knocks on my door, after this morning I didn't want to leave my room. "I'm fine Nana." I answer which prompts him to pop his head in, "you sure? You didn't have any breakfast." I nod, "I had some before you got here." He looks at me with a sad look in his eye. "I'm sorry Nara. She doesn't mean it, it's just after your mother... shes still hurt." I don't say anything but I know it's because of this behaviour that my mom chose my dad over her parents.
"Do you still want to go golfing with me or shall I leave you?" I feel bad that he feels bad when he hasn't done anything and I had initially been excited to go out with him. "No I still want to go." He nods and beams, "okay you get ready I'll wait in the car."
Knowing that he would literally go straight to the car I get up straight away and pull myself together. Once I'm pleased enough with my appearance I rush out, trying to avoid my grandmother before I jump into the car.
My Nana smiles at me and makes sure he tells me how beautiful I am before he drives off. Sometimes I feel guilty for wishing that it was just me and my Nana but he was so sweet and caring, he reminded me of my dad sometimes whilst my Nani just acted like she hated me most of the time, like I was a burden on them, like I was the one who ruined my mothers life.