Chapter 14

Darryl woke up at 5am to hear the alarm ringing. He promptly silenced it and got up from the bed. He stretched his long frame and went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. He usually run on weekends and about three times during the weekdays to hep him stay fit. He quickly changed into his running gear and headed downstairs.

He debated upon whether to text or call Raina but found out he didn't have to as she lay curled up on the sofa in the hall. He was surprised to see her there. He clearly remembered leading her to bed last night before going to sleep. He covered her with the blanket and his hands lightly brushed against her cheeks. Her skin felt smooth and so warm. He wrote a note down and pinned it to the fridge. He hoped she didn't get scared when she woke up. He headed towards the door and opened the bolts. The bolts made a sharp sound and Darryl winced. The noise it made was loud enough to raise the dead.

He heard the rustle of the blankets behind him and feet landing on the floor. She sat up and looked around her surroundings yawning loudly.

'Hey Darryl,' she said. ‘How come you are awake so early? Where are you off to?'

'Sorry I woke you up. I am going for my morning run. I will be back soon. Go back to bed.'

'Really, let me come along then. I was unable to sleep for most of the night. So, I decided to come downstairs. I nearly came to your room to join you but I guess I dozed off before then. Maybe it is because this is an unfamiliar place.'

Darryl looked at his watch. The sun will be rising soon. He had wanted to think through his current situation while jogging. She had wanted to join him in bed? It’s just as well she didn’t. They will both be asleep by now if she had. He found himself saying, 'Sure, I will be waiting for you. Do you have running gear? If not I could lend you some clothes.'

'I do have something to wear. Will be back shortly.'

Raina raced up the stairs and was back in 7 minutes. Darryl locked the door behind them. They broke into a gentle jog with Darryl leading the way. It was silent except for the sound of their feet on the pavement. After a while, they began to meet one or two people who lived in the neighbourhood also going for their normal run. Usually, Darryl run for about 5km but he was unaware of Raina's exercising habits so he slowed down to a walk after 1km as he noticed she was having trouble keeping up. It was more of a speed-walk for Raina as Darryl's strides were longer.

Raina was glad Darryl had slowed down for she was out of breath. She would have loved nothing better than to rest but she decided to keep on. No pain, no gain. The 25 minutes it took to get back home seemed like forever to Raina. She took off her shoes and sat on the floor upon arrival. Darryl only shook his head at her.

'Hey, you might as well do some stretching exercises. Else, the pain would be unbearable.'

She looked at Darryl in dismay and got up to join him. He took her through a routine of simple exercises.

'I need a deep massage after this. How often do you do this?'

'Three times a week at least. At most five. I try to keep myself in shape. Just for your information though, I am very good at giving massages. Besides, I feel more relaxed after exercising.'

'Oh okay. I used to take parts in sports at school. I guess I am getting out of shape. All the sitting down. At times my waist and back hurt so much. I guess I need to incorporate that into my daily routine.'

'You do. I am going to take a shower. I think you should too.' Darryl headed on to his room with Raina following shortly. By the time she arrived back downstairs, Darryl was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She crept up behind him hoping to give him a fright only to be stopped in her tracks.

'Don't you dare try that. I know you are there.'

'How did you know I was behind you?’

‘I just had this strong sensation of being watched. Besides the house was too quiet. Also I expected you to be back by now.

Raina blew a raspberry and came to stand beside him.

'So what's cooking chef? Leroy says you are quite handy in the kitchen. I have my doubts but I am willing to give you a chance to clear them.'

Darryl only arched one eyebrow at her. No fair! She had never been able to do the one-eyebrow arch.

'We can do that some other time. I will give you a real treat. This is just breakfast. Nothing extraordinary. We are having milo and sandwiches for breakfast. I do hope you enjoy them.'

Raina couldn't help but look over his shoulder as he sliced the bread expertly and put the filling in. It looked delicious! Wheat bread with pear and luncheon meat! All her favourites in one meal. When she saw him sprinkle salt lightly on the pear, that's when she knew she had met her soulmate. Her mouth watered hungrily.

'Let me go and set the table then. I am so hungry.'

Darryl laughed as she left the kitchen. He had enjoyed her nearness. She was amusing and cool to hang around with. Thankfully, they were not playing any brother-sister roles. It was almost like they were becoming genuine friends. He sent up a silent prayer to heaven that things will continue this way. He wouldn't mind getting to spend time with Raina every now and then. It wasn’t like he wanted anything to happen though. It was just refreshing.

‘Are you going back today? Leroy called earlier. Said you can come home if you want to and that he has some meetings today.’

‘No. My parents are not home. If Leroy is not around, I will end up being bored to death at home.’

‘Won’t the silence help you to draw up some new designs at least? I like to study my lines when I am alone. It helps me to bond with the character and know my lines better.’

‘Well, I draw better designs with music. Right now, I believe I have more designs than I can deal with. I am now figuring how to bring my designs to life.’

‘Alright. What do you want us to do now? I would have gone back to bed to sleep after breakfast.’

Raina let out a loud yawn in response and Darryl grinned. ‘I guess it is time to take a nap.’

Raina opened her mouth to protest but only yawned once again. Darryl grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs. ‘Come on, we need to rest. I will take you out later in the day. Just try and sleep for now.’

‘Really, would you? I can’t wait to hit my bed then. I will hold you to your promise so don’t cook up any excuses.’

‘Sure thing, Rain.’

Raina slept almost immediately upon getting to her room. She had woken up a bit too early in the morning plus the added stress from jogging. She hoped Darryl would keep his promise though. She enjoyed spending time with him. There was a smile plastered to her face as she drifted off to sleep.