Chapter 25
Title: Hang out with Lily
Maybelline Walter POV
My phone rang and when I checked the caller, I realized it was my sweetheart.
“Hey, babe. I’ll be there with you shortly,” I said to Lily on the phone, but her scoff greeted me instead.
“Don’t keep me waiting,” She said coldly and the call disconnected immediately.
Just one last glance at my reflection in the mirror was all I needed before I left my room and headed outside to meet her. She was leaning against her white jeep outside the gate with a deep frown on her face.
“What’s with that frown? Are you not happy to be here?” I teased her, and she scoffed.
“You of all people should know that I’m not happy to be here. For goodness sake, why are you married and yet not allowing me to find a man for myself?” She rolled her eyes as she pulled the car door open.
“Point of correction, I’m not married for real. We are contracted couples,” I argued with her.
“Don’t forget you are carrying his child,” She reminded me as I hopped inside the car, and I scoffed sarcastically.
“Help yourself with the seatbelt. Don’t make it too tight. You wouldn’t want to suffocate our darling baby,” She said sweetly as she fastened her seatbelt, and I did mine too.
“Why did you want to hang out? What about your husband?” She asked on our way, and I rolled my eyes.
“You know his name, Lily. You don’t need to call him my husband,” I glared hard at her, and she shrugged.
“That’s the easiest thing to call him. Besides, you two are married. So, where is he? I bet you didn’t tell him you were going out, right?” She glanced at me and asked, and it was so annoying that she actually guessed it right. I was still mad at him and couldn’t stand his presence, so why should I tell him about my going out? So he would stop me from leaving?
“What did he do this time, sweetheart?” She asked when I didn’t answer her question, and I told her everything.
“You needed to see the way he shut me up and told me to stay out of his business. That was so mean,” I complained, pained as the thought of it played in my head.
“Couples do fight, so I think you should sort it out and not stay mad at each other. Besides, I see nothing wrong with what he did. He was just being protective of you. I bet every woman would kill to have that kind of man to themselves,” She said nonchalantly, and I scoffed.
“We are not couples. We are together because of a contract…”
“And you are carrying his baby, so that automatically makes you two couples…”
“He doesn’t know about the child, and I’m not planning to ever tell him about it, so quit thinking about that,” I cut her off, and she shook her head.
“You are so unbelievable, May. Why am I friends with someone like you?” She clicked her tongue and shook her head again.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“Whatever! Even if he was trying to protect me, I still think he shouldn’t have fired the young lady, and also, he shouldn’t have treated me like that,” I still stood my ground.
“And I still insist that you should be happy. At least that should assure you that if you two eventually get married in the future, you won’t have to worry about him being around other women,” She had a point there, but that was never going to happen.
“Which will never happen. We won’t ever get married for real,”
“Whatever!”
We finally arrived at the park after what seemed like forever, and she pulled over at the parking lot. We alighted from the car and headed to where they were selling ice cream.
“That reminds me… Have you heard from Oscar after the incident that day?” She asked out of the blue moon just before we got to the ice cream joint, and it was at that moment that I thought about him. After the incident that day, I hadn’t set eyes on him and didn’t hear from him.
“I haven’t heard from him either,” I replied to her, and she pulled a puzzled look.
“Could it be that something bad happened to him?” I gasped and covered my mouth, and she rolled her eyes.
“Good for him. After what he did to us that day, he deserves the worst thing in this world. Gosh! I can’t stand someone like him,” She cringed, and I sighed.
“Don’t think about that asshole. Let’s talk about my in-law instead. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” She asked with a mischievous smile on her face.
“What are you thinking?” By now, we were standing in front of the ice cream shop and ready to order ice cream.
“I was thinking…”
“What would you like to have?” She was saying, when the young lady selling ice cream distracted us.
“Two pieces of cone ice cream and two chocolate bars,” Lily placed the order.
“Is it good for the baby?” I leaned close to her and whispered as I held my stomach, and she rolled her eyes.
“I wouldn’t order it for you if it’s not safe for my little angel. I’m more cautious than you are,” She smirked at me, and I breathed out.
“Here,” The lady handed us our order.
“You should pay for it. You asked us to hang out,” Lily turned to me and smirked.
“Ugh! You are unbelievable,” After I paid the young lady, we left to take a walk.
“You were saying something…” I reminded her, and she snapped her fingers.
“Yes! Now I remember. So, I was thinking… Don’t you think Mr. Miles has fallen for you?” She asked, whispering the last part, and I choked on the ice cream as it smeared on my nose and cheek.
“Ugh! You are so clumsy. Why are you nervous?” She snorted as she brought out her handkerchief and handed it to me.
“You should clean your face with that. I only said what I noticed,” She muttered.
“That’s not true… He is not in love with me,” My voice betrayed me as I tried to defend that because I didn’t know what to think. He has been nice to me ever since we started living together, but that doesn’t mean he had feelings for me, right?
“How sure are you about that?” She asked, and I sighed briefly.
“I don’t need to be sure, Lily. I know there is nothing like that,” I insisted, and she shrugged.
Lily’s phone started ringing, and she answered the call.
“Really? Oh, my goodness! I’m so sorry. I’m on my way now,” She said to whoever she was talking on the phone with.
“Babe, I forgot I didn’t cancel my date with Miguel, and he is waiting for me at home. What should I do?” She whined and ran her fingers through her hair like she was losing her mind. Who knows, maybe she was really losing it. Lily was so fucking into Miguel like they’d known each other for years, and I couldn’t spoil their date for them.
“Don’t worry about me, you can go meet him. I will take a cab from here,” I said to her, and she pouted her lips.
“Let me drop you at your house first. I need to be sure that you are safe…”
“You are going to keep him waiting for long if you go drop me at home. I will find my way around here. Besides, it’s not my first time being here,” I assured her.
“Are you really sure you’ll be fine?” She asked yet again, and I nodded.
“Alright, darling. I will call you later. Make sure you text me when you get home. I love you,” She rushed her words then hugged me and rushed off without waiting for a single word from me.
“Crazy girl,” I muttered and shook my head as I tucked my hands in the pockets of my coat.
“What a beautiful night,” I looked up at the beautiful stars in the sky as a smile formed on my lips. If only my life was twinkling and beautiful as those stars, then I wouldn’t ask for anything else from life.
I breathed in and out before I turned to go take a cab home when I collided with a hard chest, and I staggered back. I thought I was going to fall, but someone held me by my waist.
“Are you ok?” His deep baritone voice sounded through my ears as those pair of blue eyes pierced into mine. I blinked my eyes a few times to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating, but when I finally opened them, I realized that it was reality. It was really him. He still looked almost the same even after many years.
“May?” He called surprisingly…