Chapter 19

NOLAN’S POV.

Grrr!.

My phone rang loudly.

I stretched my left hand sleepily to pick it up from the table.

“ Hello.” I whispered into the phone after picking without necessarily looking at the caller. I knew the only one who could call me by this time would be Trevor or Alyssa.

“ Hi, Nolan. Did I wake you?.” The soft feminine voice asked.

It was Julia’s.

“ Not really.” I replied in a low voice. Tired as hell. Sleepy as well.

“ Ummm I’m so sorry I called you so late into the night. I need to get some groceries this night and I don’t know any where around this place. I ran out of what to eat and I am starving at hell. I tried calling Alyssa’s but it wasn’t going through so you were my last resort.” She explained.

“ Okay. I’m coming. Where do you stay?.” I asked and mentally jotted it when she told me. “ Be right there in few minutes.” I added and ended the call.

I dropped the phone beside and grumbled loudly before pushing myself out of bed. I let out a yawn and headed towards the bathroom to wash off my sleepy face. Soon I was done and I picked my car key before heading out of my condominium straight into the car.

I pulled up in front of her home and switched off my car ignition. I walked up to her door step and knocked on it gently.

Soon the door pulled backwards and she stepped out, dressed in a Black hood and a bum short.

“ I never thought you were really going to show up.” She said.

“ Well I did. Couldn’t let you starve.” I responded.

“ Thank you, I will just get my purse.” She said and stepped in. Few minutes later, she was out and in the car with me.

“ So what are we getting first?.” I asked, curious to know where to head first.

“ I don’t know. Just a place with varieties of things to buy.” She responded.

“ I know just the perfect place.” I replied and the rest of the trip became a quiet one.

Was I to try make a conversation first? What was I to start with?.

I asked myself as I tried to keep my eyes on the road.

I pulled up in front of the big shopping mall and turned the car engine off.

“ We are here.” I informed and stepped out of the car. She did the same too.

All Rounder.

It read.

“ All rounder? Well, that’s a weird name.” She commented.

“ Hmm hmm.” I hummed and immediately regretted it when she said nothing more as she stepped inside.

Dumbass!.

I cussed inside my head, almost wanting to hit myself in the face for having zero balls to hold a conversation with a she-wolf.

I stepped in after her and followed her as she walked through the sections, picking the ones she wanted one after the other.

“ I will hold that.” I volunteered and all she did was send me a smile before handing it to me.

That was the least I could do after all.

I carried it and walked behind her.

I knew I needed to start a conversation, a proper one since the atmosphere between us was starting to get too uncomfortable.

“ So how do you know the things to buy?.” It escaped my lips before I could stop it. She paused as she attempted to pick up the next item, her hand hanging in the air.

It took her a while to respond to me.

“ You just know.” She responded coldly and picked it up.

I hummed in response and decided to say nothing more since all my brain do is embarrass me by processing the weirdest and most awkward words.

How was that anything proper?.”

I thought and sighed.

We headed towards the counter and I dropped the basket of groceries on the table. I watched as the teenage girl processed them, swiping them over the machine one after the other.

“ Your bill is 5000 bucks.” She informed.

I watched Julie dip her hand into her hood pocket to pull out her purse, proceeding to pay.

I immediately knew now was my chance.

“ I will pay.” I said and watched her raise my head to look at me then back at her wallet.

“ You don’t have to, it’s my groceries so I will pay.” She responded, opened the wallet and pulled the money out.

“ I insist.” I said and pulled her right hand backwards to fall by her side.

Perfect!. It’s working.

I muttered in my head.

Dipping my hand into my left pocket, I find it empty. I do the same for my right and weirdly it’s empty. I paused to process it all for a while, feeling her cold eyes on me.

I slowly looked up and confirmed it. She was really staring hard at me.

Now how was I to tell her?.

Shit!.

I just ruined in my chances.

“ Ummm!.” I cleared my throat. “ Might have left my wallet in the car. If you can just wait for me to get it and….” I was saying.

“ No, you don’t have to bother. I will pay.” She cut in and stretched the money towards the cashier.

She had the groceries handed to her and embarrassed as hell I couldn’t take them from her.

Not because I don’t want to. But because my hands are shaking. My legs are too. From the embarrassment I had just put myself through.

Who takes a lady out on a date and forgets his wallet in a car? Whether it was getting groceries or not, it was still a date right?.

Yep. You are right.

A dummy!.

JULIA’S POV.

The ride back to my place was exceptionally quiet and I almost blamed myself for it, for being too uptight, too cold.

He pulled the car in front of my place and switched the ignition off.

I was unsure of what to say next.

Was I to say thank you and step out of the car? Or invite him into the house?.

“ I will help you with the groceries.” He said before I could come up with something and I didn’t try to decline.

He helped with two of the grocery bags and I had one in my hand. I pushed the door open for him and watched him step in first.

“ Where should I do it?.” He asked and I pointed towards the table.

” Just drop it there. I will sort it out later.” I responded and watched him do as I say. His muscular back holding the bags so well that I almost imagined myself in his arms.

He dropped it and turned around to face me.

“ I will go now. You should get something to eat.” He said and proceeded to leave.

The thoughts of what to say next ran through my mind as I watched his back.

“ Stay!.” I screamed after him and watched him stop in his tracks.

“ Huh!.” He exclaimed, turning his head to look my way.

“ For dinner, I mean.” I quickly corrected.

“ Never mind. I’m fine and I can always get something to eat on the way back home.” He responded.

I could sense his shyness so I decided to push it further.

“ I insist.” I said, repeating his own words.

“ I really am fine, Julie. You don’t have to bother……” He was saying when his stomach made a very loud sound and I almost burst out laughing.

“ Well your stomach clearly disagrees.” I joked and quickly added, “ See it as a ‘thank you for attending to my call’ kind of gift.” to not make things awkward.

He heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

“ Okay. Just few minutes won’t kill.” He said and I sent him a warm smile before heading towards the kitchen.

Few minutes later, I showed up with two cup of tea and hand one over to him.

“ Have this first. The food is on fire.” I informed and watched him take it.

“ Thank you.” He responded and attempted to sip it.

“ It’s hot.” I quickly said and watched him blow air on it as he sipped.

I sat beside him on the couch, his eyes roaming the room.

“ The whole is a mess for now. Yet to fully settle in.” I said.

He nodded.

“ I was just admiring the setting. It seems like something that would look so good when done.” He responded.

“ Did you…”

“ Do you…”

We said at the same time and I let out a chuckle.

“ You go first. I will wait.” He offered.

“ No. You go first. I insist.” I responded.

His eyes held mine for a while before he looked away.

“ Did you get a tour of this own town yet?.” He asked.

“ Nope. Not yet. I haven’t had anyone to show me around.” I replied and laughed softly to conceal the sadness in my voice. The pain I felt from having to feel so alone all the time. Having no one that was actually mine.

“ Can I?.” He asked.

“ Huh!.” I responded, not getting what he meant so I passed him my cup.

“ Sorry. I mean, can I give you a tour of the kingdom any day you are free?.” He asked and I found myself smiling against the cup that was now in between my lips.

“ I would love to.” I replied and watched him smile at me.

A strong smell hit my nose and I jumped out of the couch quickly and run into the kitchen. I stared at the burnt toast and sighed heavily.

Where was I to start from now? Do another one maybe?.

“ Are you fine? You ran from…” His words trailed from when his eyes landed on the top burnt toast.

“ It got burnt. Sorry that I wasted your time.” I said, my voice unable to conceal my sadness.

“ Come on. Who said we couldn’t have burnt toast?. People eat under cooked food, don’t they? So baby girl, it’s burnt toast on the menu today.” He joked and I let out a laugh, relieved.

I dished it out in two plates and watched him from the side of my eyes as we sat across each other on the table. I picked up my burnt toast and put it in my mouth, chewed on it and pushed it down with the gulp of the pineapple juice.

He munched on it.

“ Hmm it’s actually goo.” He said.

“ Thank you but you don’t have to pretend to like it.” I replied.

“ No, Julia. I mean it. It really do taste good. I think I need to start burning up all my toasts. I love it.” He responded and I paused to lock gazes with him.

“ You for real?.” I asked them added. “ You really like it.”

” Yes. Yes I do.” He replied and I almost screamed right in his face.