Love At Last

Be my guestPublished by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Lily

“I think you should leave… please” I’d never seen Cayden in this state before, I’d always known him to be somewhat hard headed and egoistic but the charisma and authority in the tempo of his tone was staggeringly cloying, this new man I was staring at seemed foreign and as badly as I hated to admit it i liked it. Maybe it’s the way he caught my candy and I with god-like speed and still held us firmly with those brawnily chiseled arms of his. He tilts sightly to give the witch a reaper gaze while I scrutinized his jaw line that gave off a nice detail as the corridor lamp reflected on him. I was adoring this fine man in this very moment and I couldn’t help it.

“I’m so sorry Lily, I really do not know what has come over her, are you okay?” he gentle releases one of his arms from the knot he held us in and caresses Jacek’s head.

“I’m… I’m fine…” the words staggered out of my mouth, I was still trying to recollect what was happening. That was one nasty push the witch gave me, Lord knows what I would’ve done if I ended on the floor.

“Wait are you talking to me, are you kicking me out because of this bitch!?” She stares in utter disbelieve.

“I wasn’t speaking gibberish was I? Get out of my space this very minute” he reaffirms

“urrgggg whatever” she let’s out a distorted groan as she makes for chanel handbag and even bumps Cayden as she heads out the doorway.

“Lily I’m…” he attempts to lay another apologize but I cut his words short.

“It’s fine… I’m fine. I actually just came to apologize to you for how I spoke to you earlier, that was very bad of me to shade you in such a manner, your person life should be none of my business and I’m sorry bout that” I rip myself from his grasp, mustering every atom of courage in me to do this and let’s not forget the fact that two of the most important people in my life were not very happy with me, I had to make things right for peace at home at least.

“And here, I brought you your order and added a few of my specials as a peace offering, I’m you’d enjoy them” I gesture my palm to receive the pack from Jacek who had now stopped crying on seeing Cayden, at least that was going well.

“Thank you Lily, my insides are starving! I guess you’re an angel after all…” his hands devoured the souvenir pack briskly from my grip “and oh I’m sorry myself, I admit the way I spoke to you at the bakery was quite prickly of me” he lays the now lukewarm pack on the oak wooden wall table that sat pretty adjacent to the door.

“You two should come in, I’ve got some juice in the fridge for Jacek and an ice coated red wine in the bucket for us to share, consider it my peace offering as well” he twitches his eyes just long enough for miniature wrinkles to form above his eyebrow level and extends the poles of his lips to form a morbid smile that puffed his cheeks in a subtle rise.

“No thank you, I’ll pass. Besides I left thinks to do back at the shop, the bakery isn’t gonna run itself yunno” I wave my fingers in disapproval of his offer, I wasn’t about to let him lure me into his den like the other girls.

“Alright then, I can understand your business is important to you and that’s something I really admire about you” those were nice words for someone who barely ever gave me any, our encounters were always heated, our words sharp and aimed straight for our sanities. “Let me drop you off at the bakery then, that’s the least you should let me do”

“Don’t bother, I’ll take a bus back besides it’s not very far off” I still persisted and so did he

“C’mon Lily don’t be difficult with me now, this is me trying to be nice… how bout some money for the transportation, you can’t possibly refuse that” he buries his hand into his buttocks pocket brings out a leather wallet that had a signature like inscription embedded on its skin, I didn’t quick know which designer’s it was for but it sure looked expensive, probably costed more than everything I was putting on. It had at least a quarter bundle of dollar notes queued in it.

“Look Cayden I don’t need your money, I didn’t come all the way down here with my legs did I, I can comfortable take myself back thank you” his attempt to offer me money for fare back to the shop was just about to trigger the artless Lily he had earlier met at the shop. Did he think I could not afford amenities, what the hell was he driving at?

“Fine, use it to get something for nice for your Granny and Jacek, the poor boy shouldn’t have to cry all the way here for nothing” as badly as I wanted to bruise the audacity in those words, I had to control my anger, I didn’t want to make matters worse.

I rip the neatly pressed mint 100 dollar bills from his fingers and headed off without a goodbye or thank you.

***

I rallied up the stairs that led up to the living room. Granny comfortably sitted in her rocking chair that stood on the opposite side of the room to where the television was, Jacek would normally climb on its body and call it his throne.

“Hello my sweet Candy, how are you?” Granny welcomes Jacek and he sprints into her cuddling bossom “and if it isn’t the firesty Lily” she exclaims in mockery.

“Granny! Is that how you’re gonna welcome your favorite grand daughter?”I give her my grammy winning baby face.

“Well okay then my favorite grand daughter, how your apology session with Cayden go, I hope you didn’t go on reminding him of his private life?”

“it went quite wonderfully actually, he…” just as I’m about myself safely out of this conversation, my Candy manufactures a storm.

“Mummy got in a fight with a lady from Disney land but Cayden…” and just like that, I was back on the hot seat again.

“A what!?” Granny does not let Jacek finished either and now readjust her posture on the chair with Jacek still in her arms “Now that doesn’t sound like a wonderful experience to me, start talking young lady” I rarely saw this kind of seriousness in Granny’s eyes, except she was watching trivial documentary that went against her opinions.

“It’s not like it sounds Granny, there wasn’t any fight… at least I didn’t get to repay the pleasure. I can explain what happened?”

“You had better, I’m listening” she replies in a subtle tone now. I go ahead to explain all but the money Cayden gave to buy the things I had just gotten from Walmart. I didn’t really see the need for that part of the story and besides I spent the money judiciously by getting groceries for the house.

“I’m starting to believe Cayden is not such a good company, especially for my grandchild. I absolutely will not have him getting entangled in anymore of such awful situations that would endanger him and expose h to scenarios that are obviously ot for his age” She takes in an aged breath and continues “I do not want to Jacek or yourself anywhere around that man except he comes to the shop to buy something and that’s it, he might be a nice man but he should also learn to out his affairs in order.

As much as I wanted to feel good about Granny’s new conviction about Cayden, I felt not telling her about the money may have led to this… but hey! I guess it’s for the best.