3
You look beautiful
Standing in the desert
There you are
A miracle
I can hear you call my name
I'm soaring high
—Who are you(RAIGN)
HE STROLLED towards me and instantly held me in his arms as he took us somewhere out of the hall and into an elevator.
Tears pooled my eyes as I struggled to breathe. He was running a hand up and down my back which felt soothing but did nothing to calm the turmoil of emotions that I felt inside.
We made our way to a car. The valet recognised me and made his way towards me but he was stopped by the same hand that was running through my back.
I was put in the passenger seat and the door was closed as the man I didn't even knew the name of, turned to talk with the young valet guy.
They talked for a minute as the young guy nodded and moved away. Forest eyes, who I realised, was helping me for the second time in twenty-four hours moved towards the driver's side and sat inside the car.
He drove out of the hotel with one hand continuously running down my back. I was sweating heavenly as I took in large amounts of air.
The tears in my eyes threatened to escape as I whimpered. The car escalated as the car sped through the highway if it would have been some other time I would have applauded his driving abilities but all I could I think about was how to get air in and out of me.
Slowly as if my air ducts were slowly opening their gates again, the breathing part became easier. But his hand was steady as it went up and down my back.
I wanted to cry on just how good he was being.
I looked at him, his beautiful green eyes focusing on the road with his hand resting on the steering wheel and his other never leaving my back. I felt high on some emotion that I couldn't describe but could only feel.
"You know you're staring." Forest eyes broke me from my reverie and I blinked and looked away.
"Are you feeling better now?"
My heart was still beating from my chest and I was in the same situation as before. So no.
But he meant physically.
"Yes." I mumbled as I ran a hand through my hair.
"You look beautiful." He said out of a sudden.
I glanced at him focusing on the road with a smile on his face.
Somehow that made me smile too.
"Thanks." I decided to look at him. He had a navy blue three piece suit on. Navy! We match! I giggled childishly at the this and even surprised myself by my antics.
"What's so funny?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me smiling.
"We match." I grinned.
He looked down at both of us and laughed as well.
"Well you are my date tonight, so we are kind of supposed to be."
Guilt made its way to me and I bit my lip.
"I am sorry, I shouldn't have just barged in like that. I probably ruined your whole night and I don't know what happened back there, I was just really sad and then out of a sudden I am, I am struggling to breathe and well you know the rest... I am really sorry." I vented and meant every single word.
"You had a panic attack."
"What?"
"A panic attack."
That got me thinking, one, how does he know so much about this and two, they were back? I used to have them when I was in primary school. But never after that.
"I used to have them when I was little." I blurted.
Forest eyes glanced at me and that's when I realised that I needed his name.
"What's your name?" I asked, feeling a bit weird asking him this now.
But better late than never, right?
"Raymond Fernsby."
I laughed.
Fernsby.
"What? You were born by the ferns or something." I chortled.
He glared at me at first but then he joined me.
"You're more creative than my bullies, I would say." He said dryly.
"Oh no." I eyed him carefully. This man who looked like he could take four men together and melt the fifth one with his hotness, was bullied. It was hard to believe but sad nonetheless.
I bet he could scare most of them away now.
More like kick their ass.
"You didn't beat them up or something?"
"Well I am not really into violence. Plus, that's their parent's job, not mine."
"What, to beat them up?" I squinted my eyes.
"No, to teach them a lesson, if they would have done that properly their kids wouldn't be going around ruining people's childhoods."
"Yeah well, some people really wanna be bad, Ray." I said I remembered the guy at my school who would lift girl's skirts and say it was the wind that did it.
Boys.
I rolled my eyes at the memory when he tried to do it with me I punched him in the eye. Let's just say two weeks of having a purple eye learnt him a lesson.
"Ray?" He raised an eyebrow and glanced at me with amused eyes.
"Yup." I smiled.
Unlike Ray, I believed in teaching others the lesson, especially if the person is dealing with me.
'Oh no, shouldn't have done that. Now have a punch for a treat!'
I am really violent and the scratches on my cousin sister's hands after a good fight are a good example.
I winced at the memory when I had broken her hand.
How does my family tolerate me?
Ray pulled into the familiar parking lot of his apartment building.
I looked at him and he turned towards me at the same time.
I knew that I had been to his apartment before, but this time it was different. This time I had a choice. I wasn't drunk. If I said yes, chances are we might become something. Or the beginning of becoming something.
It seemed like he was thinking the same thing that I was. I mean I did know that I was still not over Zach and I didn't want to use Ray as a rebound. I don't think Ray could ever be a rebound. He was just not meant to be one. He was meant to be the guy-to-be. The boyfriend all girls were jealous of. And the husband that only existed in movies.
And it wasn't my opinion, on our way to his place I asked for his social media and I went through it. It was filled with nature appreciation and social hangouts. He had even posted several posts dedicated to some people that seemed important to him. He was a warm-hearted guy. And had no typical guy posts, though even I am not sure what they are...but I know he doesn't have those. Also, he had such a huge female following that seemed kind of overwhelming, but I think he handled it well in his own way.
Did he have a girlfriend?
No, of course not, he wouldn't have asked me on a date if he had.
I had sent him a follow request as well. Though that meant I wanted to be in contact with him.
This was all so confusing.
I took a deep breath and looked at Ray's eyes which seemed greener somehow. He exhaled slowly and checked for some signs of what was going on in my head on my face, but I had poker face that even poker players couldn't comprehend.
"I am hungry." And all of a sudden I jumped out of the car, hissed when my left leg hit the pavement with force and held onto the car door for support.
I heard mutterings from behind me as I heard Ray's door close and he made his way towards me.
"You make me feel guilty every time you do that." He was by my side in seconds and put his hand around my wrist. I welcomed the support with my hand around his shoulder.
"Do what? Be in pain? What do you want me to do, dance in pleasure?" I rolled my eyes as Ray sighed.
We made our way to the elevator and a guy who seemed to be waiting for someone, pressed the button for us. I smiled at him in thanks and he smiled back and nodded at me and did some weird handshake with Ray.
"What's up, Joe? She late again?" Ray poked him on the shoulder.
"Don't ask me man, some time in near the future I am just gonna kill myself out of boredom." Joe pursed his lips.
Ray laughed and Joe slapped Ray on the back.
"You're gonna introduce me to the pretty lady here?" He smirked at me and smiled.
"She's—" Ray found himself thinking when I realised he didn't know my name.
"She's my date." He finally said.
"Okay?" Joe narrowed his eyes at him.
"Emilia." I rolled my eyes at Ray and raised my hand to shake it with Joe. We both shook hands and Joe grinned at me.
"I am Joey." Joey was a handsome man, with short black hair and a smile that I knew too well from experience.
"Why don't you just go up to her man?" Ray asked as if he knew the answer but could still not believe it.
"Because I don't want to, ok! Why would I do that? She was supposed to meet me at the cafe. You know, when I called her, she said she was on her way, now I know her well enough to translate that to: 'I am just gonna get started, I was on my bed wondering what was I missing from my mind until now'. So I came down here and guess what? Not ready yet!"
"Man you have it bad." I muttered.
"Honestly, in the beginning I thought it was cute, you know she was putting all this effort for me. But you know, she looks good in anything. I mean, she could be wearing a garbage bag for all I care and still manage to look amazing."
"Really?" That wasn't me, that wasn't Ray.
I saw a beautiful woman with aviator glasses and red wavy hair with bangs. she had pale pink lipstick on with a yellow summer dress.
Joey looked at her as she stepped from the elevator and towards Joey. They both looked at each other. The young woman in the yellow dress, smiled as she moved forwards to kiss Joey.
I felt Ray move me towards the elevator and I turned to give them some privacy.
My first thought as we entered the elevator was how I never had something like that with Zach. Something so...tender.
***
A/n: And then she looked at the calendar and screamed.
Exams are approaching and coming to wreck havoc in my life, again. Excuse me for being this dramatic, but honestly, I hate exams especially when they don't even test what they should be testing.
You gotta do, what you gotta do.
~Ria
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