No, I live alone

No, I live alone
Chaka liked the way her voice sounded. She spoke in a soft, easy way, and without thinking, he lowered his own voice when he replied. He usually talked a bit loudly, but around her, he toned it down.
“I have seen you around the FEB building a few times,” he said with a small laugh. “In the hallway, in the cafeteria too. And you are always with Alvero.”
He kept talking, not letting silence settle between them. Chaka was the kind of person who said whatever came to his mind just to keep things going.
Carissa raised a brow and looked at him while he kept his eyes on the road. “You eat at the FEB cafeteria often?” she asked. After a short pause, she continued, “Why do engineering students like going there so much?”
“I go when I feel like eating something good,” Chaka answered, sounding too excited for someone talking about food. “The food there tastes better. Especially the meatballs. It is the best one there.”
Carissa gave him a teasing look, her lips almost curving into a smile. “Are you sure it is because of the food… or the girls?”
Chaka grinned like he had no shame at all. “Good food and pretty girls at the same time. Most of the sellers are young too, so it is nice to look at.”
Carissa shook her head, trying not to laugh. The irritation she felt toward him earlier slowly faded, even if it was not completely gone. He was kind of funny.
Chaka glanced at his phone, checking the map that showed the route to her place. “Do you live with your parents?” he asked again, not letting silence settle between them.
“No, I live alone,” Carissa said.
Chaka turned his head slightly, just enough to look at her. Her face went blank again. “But you live in a housing area, right? Renting or your own place?”
“I stay in a rented flat that belongs to my friend. She is studying in Manchester right now.”
Chaka nodded.
Before they knew it, the trip was over. His white Jeep stopped in front of her place.
Carissa quickly unfastened her seatbelt, while Chaka looked at the building in front of them. It did not look like any flat he had seen before.
“Are you serious? This is a flat?” he muttered. “This looks more like a house.”
“It is like a house,” Carissa said. “But we still call it a flat. The second floor has a different tenant.”
“So you are on the first floor?”
Carissa nodded. “Yes.”
“I was going to say I could come in for a bit,” she said, then paused. “But it is already late.”
“Then I will come tomorrow…”
“NO!”
She cut him off so fast that Chaka went quiet at once.
Carissa looked a little awkward after that, then quickly tried to fix it. “I mean…”
Chaka narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her face. “Your place is a mess, right?”
“Huh? Oh… yeah,” she said with a small, forced laugh, going along with his guess even though it was not true.
She pressed her lips together for a moment. “I should go now. Thanks for the ride. Drive safely.”
Chaka held back a smile. She was not only pretty, she was also thoughtful. He could not imagine what it would feel like to be her boyfriend.
“Alright, Car. I will not run a red light, even if the road is empty,” he said with a grin.
Carissa laughed again, and it came easily this time. Maybe she really did have a soft spot for jokes like his.
She gave him a sweet smile before stepping out of the car. Just as she closed the door, the passenger window rolled down again.
“I got your number from Dinne,” Chaka said, his voice a little less confident now. “If I text you… is that okay?”
Carissa paused for a moment, letting the silence stretch just a little as she watched him. He looked more nervous than she expected.
Then she nodded, a small smile on her lips. “It is okay.”
Chaka could not hide his grin. It was strange how something so simple made him feel that happy.
“Okay, Car. I will text you. You have to reply, alright? Please.”