ALIYA TORRES
'Do you love him?" I asked watching her shift uncomfortably in the arm chair situated just by the fan.
'It doesn't matter, I already broke things off with him. You are all that matters, Aliya",my mother said and I felt bad.
The whole car ride Ray was quick to inform me about how selfish I was being for not letting my mother atleast be happy with a man she loved.
When I did get home, sure mom looked happy to see me but even I knew how terribly sad she was and how she was trying to pretend she was okay infront of me.
'I don't want you to be lonely because of me. If you love him then I'll support your relationship but on one condition"
'What condition is that?" She chirped.
'Dinner. I want you to invite him to dinner so that I can get to know more about this Vince", I brooded watching her stand up from the couch with new found energy and going to get her phone.
'I'll call him",she shouted from the bed room.
'Didn't you just say you broke things off with him? Will he pick your calls?" I asked warily.
'Ooh. Did I say we broke things off? I meant we took a week off from seeing each other",she explained and I rolled my eyes.
I didn't like Vance, Vince or whatever name he went by but I would try to like him for the sake of my mother.
She came back few minutes later with the biggest grin I had ever seen.
'He said yes. Calisle Restaurant at nine pm. He'll make reservations", mom boomed.
'I'll bring Ray along", I mentioned.
Because truth be told, if I was somehow going to be calm throughout the entire dinner I needed someone to lighten and lift the tension in the room.
'Ooh"
'Is that a problem? I mean if Vance can't handle a one plus then it's best we cancel the dinner", I chided.
'Oh no. No. You are not getting out of this dinner even if you were to bring a whole zoo with you", mom warned and I chuckled.
'A zoo could also be arranged", I retorted watching her glare at me," Relax, it was a joke"
'I hope so"
xXxXxXxX
'Honestly, am glad you thought if this dinner. It's a good way if starting to know each other if we are going to be family",Vince spoke and I narrowed my eyes into slits staring at him.
'It's just dinner, doesn't mean you are part of the family yet or wait… don't tell me you are planning to propose?" I questioned earning a scowl from my mother sho was seated next to him.
She sure was dressed to impress. She wore a black satin floor length dress that hugged her body tightly and I seemed to recall the dress as the one dad bought her for her birthday.
All the more research that made me upset than I ought to have thought. And Vince, the guy was handsome for a man in his late forties. Heck I had seen even the waitress ogle at him while she came to get our orders.
And that right there, was a red flag. Liking a handsome man was a red flag,what if he cheated on her with a younger woman? And what about Vince, didn't he have a wife or any children?
The fact that he had mentioned about being part of the family made me fume. Did he just think he would love my mom and I would immediately let him prance into our lives just like that?
' I'm not planning to propose", he said and my mom glared at him.
Atleast he was honest, he wasn't going to propose not was he interested in a long term relationship of growing old together. I don't even know why I was worried about Vince in the first place. He was certainly a doctor but as dumb as they came.
'I'm not planning to propose yet but trust me I will…in due time",he corrected and my mother's brows rose in admiration.
Ooh for the love of God…
'With or without my permission right?" I asked.
'Aliya!" My mother scolded but I didn't flinch not in the least bit.
'It's okay Carr, rest assured Aliya, I will seek your blessing before I do so"
Carr? That nickname didn't even match Karen and for some reason my mother seemed to gobble his advances up
'What about your family? Any kids I need to know of? Any wicked ex wife I need to know about?"
I asked yet again pissing my mother off. What did she expect? We were getting to know each other better, were we not?
'I don't have any kids. Unfortunately never had time to settle down either",he commented.
'And why is that?" I questioned feeling Ray's hand squeeze mine.
'I think that's enough, don't you?" He whispered in my ear.
'She's straight to the point, I like that about her. The reason as to why I never settled down is because of my career. I wanted to become a cardiologist to make my dad proud of me so romance was never part of my life",he explained and for a brief moment I believed him.
The waiter came back with what we had ordered and I asked a few more questions while we munched on the chicken adobo, mango salad and the black truffle soup.
By the time dinner ended, I knew where Vince lived, his age, where his parents lived, how many siblings he had and his plans with my mother.
'You did great",Ray commented as we walked down the potholed road.
I was going to be all alone in the house today seeing as to how my mother went with Vince to his place. I didn't even want to think about what they would be doing because to me it all sounded gross in my head.
'No I didn't. I almost lost my temper with Vince"
'I know but you did great nonetheless. In the end you did was right and that's putting your mother's happiness first"
'She deserves the world", I acknowledged hitting a pebble with my sneakers.
'You didn't need me. I was like a silent pillar during the whole thing",he joked.
'I did need you because you are my strong pillar that I can always lean on", I said holding onto his forearm.
He stopped walking and he turned to his side so much that we were facing each other squarely.
'And I would like to be more than that. Aliya I-I would like to be here for you everytime, everyday for the rest of your life. I would like to be your partner not just as friends but as-'
'Ray, I-you know that", I lacked words watching his eyes get filled with hurt.
I should have never kissed him.. kissing him was leading him on and the last thing I wanted was to do that.
'I know…am just a friend but I can't help feeling this way. I know you'll never see me that way but maybe you could try? Mittens I would do anything just to make you happy",he said, his hand creeping on my cheek, his eyes glued to mine.
He leaned closer, bending before his soft lips brushed mine gently. His hand flung around my waist and before I knew it, I was in his arms kissing him.
We were probably too occupied to notice the man behind Ray who roughly pulled Ray behind delivering a hefty blow to his jaw. I stepped back in surprise watching Ray on the floor with a bloody nose.
My eyes went back to the assaulter and I was surprised to see a fuming Ethan Carter.
