Next morning, I woke up to his light breathing on my neck.
Raymond.
Damn. This guy was awesome.
And I loved him even more after yesterday.
Yesterday.
I couldn't stop thinking yesterday. It was the happiest I had been in years.
"Good morning Snow," his husky voice brought me out of my daydream.
"Morning Ray," I said as I turned around to face him.
He gave me a crooked smile and kissed my cheek.
I got out of bed ignoring the huge volcano of desires that would erupt anytime if he touched me again.
I brushed my teeth, took a hot shower and slipped into my favourite jumpsuit.
When I went out of the bathroom, I saw Raymond struggling with his shirt buttons. I reached for him and helped him out. Fireworks sparked inside me as my fingers touched his smooth chest.
I inhaled deeply taking in his sexy cologne and quickly buttoned his shirt, gave him a small smile and rushed out of the room.
"Ash! Give me the details, girl. Did ge get laid last night?" Zach wriggled his eyebrows at me and grinned devilishly.
"Oh shut up. He isn't lucky yet." I chuckled and hugged him.
We talked about last night over breakfast.
No, scratch that.
I talked about last night while Zach ate breakfast giving sounds like 'awww' and 'oooo' every now and then.
"Our flight is in two hours Snow," Raymond said as he entered the kitchen looking just the perfect amount of sexy.
Zach cleared his throat and smirked at me. I kicked him from under the table.
"Ouch!" He glared at me.
"Serves you right." It was my turn to smirk now.
And Raymond's turn to clear his throat.
"Oh sorry. I'll leave you love birds alone for a while." Zach said dramatically before earning a smack on the back of his head from me.
"Yeah I'm going. I'm going." He raised his hands defensively, trotting out of the kitchen.
"Pancakes?" I asked Raymond.
"Sure."
We stuffed ourselves completely and got ready to leave.
Aunt Clair hugged me twice saying one was for her sister a.k.a. my mother and kissed my cheek before finally letting us go. Zach was coming with us to the airport for which I was glad.
"You two look good together," Zach said as we drove.
I was going to ask him to shut up when Raymond said, "We're just friends. Don't get any ideas."
I sighed and looked out of the window. I could feel Zach's disappointed eyes on me.
"Eyes on the road." I told him without looking at him.
Zach engulfed me into a bone crushing hug before Raymond and I boarded the flight.
"I'll miss you!!" He cried.
"I'll miss you more, Zachy!" I giggled.
The journey was quite boring, to be honest. Raymond said he wasn't feeling well and wasn't in a mood to talk so I went to sleep instead.
Back home, the first person to greet me was my mother. She was glad everything was back to normal.
How fake, I thought.
Where as the first and only person to greet Raymond was Blake. She literally jumped on him and he fell on the floor laughing. After which, she dragged him home.
"See you later, Snow!" Raymond shouted behind him.
I went upstairs and knocked at Stacey's door. She opened immediately and pulled me into a tight hug.
"Can't. Breathe." I said in a throaty voice.
"I am NOT talking to you!" She screamed.
"After showing me so much affection and longing?" I snorted.
"That was a mistake. I'm sorry." She said ever so dramatically which made me giggle.
"Okay. I'll give the Jimmy Choo handbag to Em. And the accessories I bought for you? Ah, let me see. I can give them to Blake. She'll like them. Yes," I said, after pretending to think and started walking out of the room.
"Bye Stace!" I made sure not to turn back.
"Ashieee! Wait." I heard her pout.
Gotcha!
I grinned and went back to her and hugged her.
"I don't want a hug. Show me what you've got for me!" She said.
The next few hours I spent with Stacey and Sam. I had bought some video games for Sam too which he loved. I asked Stacey where Jim was and she said she was out with friends so I texted him.
Me : Jim, I'm back home. Where are you?!
Somehow, I was really happy after coming back from New York. I felt different.
Amazing, for that matter.
And it was because of Raymond.
He had changed me. Zach was right.
I liked talking to people, being around everyone, saying what I felt like, sharing my feelings. I liked who I was becoming a lot.
Jim texted back a few minutes later.
Jim : Cupcake! God, I've missed you so much. All I want is the taste that your lips allow!
I giggled as I typed a reply.
Me : Such. A. Flirt.
Jim : I'm coming. Almost there. Knock knock!
Me : Shut up! See you around later.
"Are you talking to Raymond?" Stacey asked.
"No."
"Then why are you giggling so much?"
"So I'm supposed to giggle only when I talk to Raymond?"
"No, but.. Forget it." She waved it off.
Days went off ordinarily and tests neared which got me busy with books.
Everyone studied in groups or pairs.
Stacey with joey. Tyler and Emily with the twins. Jim with his friends.
But I chose to be alone which left Raymond alone too. So sometimes we would just meet up with and excuse of studying together which usually got us ended up lazing around in the park.
So yeah.
Today was one of the days.
Monday.
As per our tradition, we met at the park and sat under and old tree watching kids play. He brought Blake along so asked Sam to come with me and he agreed happily.
"Snow?" Raymond said.
I hummed in response.
"Did you get the answer of this numerical?" He pointed towards a sum in the Chemistry textbook he had in his lap.
"Yeah. You need to place the pH value here, and then just solve the equation. That's all."
"God, you're a saviour!" He sighed and kissed my hand.
Every now and then he would make gestures like that -- tight hugs, kisses on my hand or cheeks -- and would make my heart race faster than ever and make me realise how hopelessly I was in love with him and how he would never know that.
I wondered how easily I fell in love with him.
How I remembered every little thing he did or said.
How happy he made me.
How cute he looked when he poured and said my name.
How annoying yet lovable he could be.
How his hair fell at his face and he deliberately left it be so that I would set it for him.
How he only let me and not anyone touch his hair.
How white t-shirt made him look no less than a sex god.
How he made me feel so comfortable yet so nervous at the same time.
How I loved it when he made me his first priority.
How he always greeted me with that killer smile of his.
How he never, I repeat, never hid anything from me.
How he loves to talk.
How he loves it even more if I talk.
How this and how that.
Man, I was crazy for him.
"Time to go?" He waved his hand in front of me.
"Already?" I frowned.
"Chemistry test tomorrow, Snow!"
"Right." I said getting up and dusting my jeans.
"Sam?" I called out for him and he came running with Blake behind him.
"Ashley, a little longer. Please?" He made a puppy dog face which I couldn't say no to.
"Okay," I said. "But I'm not going to wait for you. I'm heading home and you have to be there in an hour. Got it?"
"Yes, mother."
Ouch.
"Blake, be careful. Okay?" Raymond told her and we started off.
The walk from the park was really short.
"See you at school, Snow." Raymond said and kissed my cheek.
I smiled at him and walked away.
"Hey wait!" I heard him call.
He crossed the road and came to me and handed me a book.
"Your chemistry book. It was with me."
"Thanks." I said and went in.
I took a bowl of ice cream and went upstairs, changed into some comfortable clothes and started studying.
As soon as I opened my Chemistry notebook, -- the one that Raymond returned to me -- a bunch of papers fell from it on the floor. I bent to pick them up and neatly piled them up.
Surprise and shock flooded me when I read what was written on the first page.
It was Raymond's handwriting.
And it was titled with one word.
A name.
My name.
"SNOW"