Chapter 22

I still can't get over the fact that I finally got Travis to meet my parent. Man I was getting tired. My parents kept yelling at me everytime I needed to go out. Dad started calling him names, he kept labeling him. He once said that Travis seems like a guy with too many secrets, "Maybe he doesn't have a leg, no no no, an eye", I had to roll my eyes all the time. Mum said she's starting to hate his behavior. She thinks he comes pick me up late at night and takes me to clubs, get me drunk. "Is this the life you've chose for yourself? Do you think this guy will marry you?", she used to asked. Kourtney got upset everytime our parents got like that. He even had to try and stop me from leaving everytime Travis comes pick me up. "Tell your boyfriend to man up, or else you'll have to sneak out so I don't see you when he's here to pick you up". Dammit I was getting tired.

Thursday: 19 November 2020

It's a long day and I just knocked out from work. I'm super tired like always. As I walk down the terminals steps which leads down to where we wait for the bus, my phone rings. Its Nolan. I'm not in any mood for him so I let it ring. But then suddenly I start missing my boyfriend. I feel like seeing him this instant. I check my phone and stare at the missed call. I'm just not up to Nolan's 'I dont wanna be your friend' games. Or maybe if I play along I'll have company while I wait for my boyfriend. I press the dail button on my phone and wait till Nolan picks up.

"Hey, where are you?", he asks.

"Bus terminals", I reply.

"Me too. Listen", he pauses for a few seconds then says, "I'm off tomorrow so I was thinking-",

I cut his words short by saying, "I can't hear a thing you're saying, come over here", he knows the section I'm at so he replies with "Okay", then hangs up.

In a minute Nolan taps my shoulder from behind me, and damn he's short. He's an inch taller than me and that just isn't my type. Travis is way taller. I reach his chest when standing close to him.

"Oh hey", he smiles at me.

"Hey, emm-",

"You wanna hang?", he asks before I could say anything. Without hesitation I nod.

"Yes, doesn't sound like a bad idea", I reply as I get up from where I'm sitting. It's a bit crowded so I ask him if he wants us to go sit at his section of the bus terminal.

"Alright", he leads the way. But as we walk there my mood suddenly drops and I don't know why.

"Are you okay?", he asks as we settle on the bench.

"I don't know. I've been fine all day but now I feel a bit down", I rwply.

He stares at me for a while then nods, "I see".

We chill, watch people as they rush for their buses back home. I check my watch and it's a few minutes to 6 PM. Without thinking too much I dail his numbers hoping that he'll pick up. The line goes quiet so I know that he's picked up.

"Should I wait for you?", I ask.

"I dont know. Do you wanna wait for me?", he asks. I hate it when he does that. He always wants to do what I want. "Where are you anyway?", he whispers, which tells me he's not out yet.

"Bus terminals", I reply. "Look, I'll wait for you", I add.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit", he says then hangs up. Nolan says nothing after the conversation I just had on the phone, and suddenly our chitchat becomes awkward. We try to look past it and pick up on a conversation but hell no, this isn't working.

"My bus is here", he points at a bus. "I gotta go", he gets up.

"Alright", I nod. "Have a safe trip home",

He stares at me and I look away. I think he wants a goodbye hug but I'm just not feeling it, so he doesn't even push for it.

"Why are you still sitting?", he asks as he walks closer to the bus door. "Go",

I laugh. I know why I'm still sitting so he better get on that bus and leave me the heck alone. After a few seconds, when everyone is in the bus my phone rings. I check it thinking its Travis but it's not. Its Nolan. I try not to roll my eyes and answer.

"You still sitting", I think of what to say but decided not to say it. "Who exactly are you waiting for?", he likes acting like he's my boyfriend or something. "Its the guy you were on the phone with huh?", I guess playing dumb has always been his favorite game strategy. "He's the one you're waiting for", he adds as if he just figured that out.

"Oh come on", I roll my eyes. "He said I shouldn't wait for him, didn't you hear", I play along with his game.

"I wasn't listening to your conversation", he replies quickly. His bus is gone now, so I get up and walk to my bus section.

"Alright",

"Why do you act like I'm dumb?", he snaps.

"Look", I take a deep breath in and let it out. "If you already think I'm gonna lie about something you'll ask then don't ask", I'm just sick of him acting like my side nigga.

"Okay cool", he says calmly. "Its just that I don't want you using me to wait up for-",

"I wasn't using you", yes you were, my inner voice scolds me.

"Cool. I'll see you on Saturday then", he says.

"Cool", I reply with a smile.

"Right. Love you", he says. He actually got this all 'love you game' from me. I don't know why I say it.

"Love you too",

Nolan and I are just friends, juat to clarify. We won't be anything more than that.

I check my watch and it's a few minutes after 6. I log on my WhatsApp and send a message to Travis.

"Where are you?-",

"Bus terminals, I'm queuing at the B section-", he replies.

"But I'm waiting here at the A section, I'm holding a spot for you-",

"You come over here. I want us to go get my car at C, so let's go queue at C section-",

"Okay-", I walk my way to the B section to find him there with his friend from his work. He sees me and walks over to me.

"Let's go my babe", he says throwing his hand over my shoulder. I smile and we walk to the C section. The bus is already waiting so we waste no time and get in. We sit on the two seats side and I place my head on Travis shoulder as we get comfortable.

I couldn't stop talking on our way back home. I'm the type of person that doesn't shut up about anything. I like to let my feelings out when it comes to someone I'm comfortable around. But since Travis isn't the type that talks, he's a quiet guy and that makes me talkative.

As we get close to our suburb I ask, "you're so quiet, am I irritating you?", I ask.

"No babe, I just like listening to you", he replies.

Since the bus stops almost everywhere making the whole ride feel like it's almost an hour, we finally drop off. We walk to his mum's house and I wait for him to get his car standing a few houses away. His mum doesn't know about me so this isn't the time to meet her.

It's dark out here, his nosy neighbors are eye balling the heck out of me so I decide to pull my phone out of my back pocket and light it up. As I browse through my app, light brights me and I look up to see Travis's car. He's right infront of me, his passager door opens and he says, "get in babe", he smiles his dimpled smile which I adore very much so I quickly in.

"I'm running from my son", he says as I settle in my seat.

He drives to his Gran's place and parks at his driveway. We get in only to find the house really dusty. I throw my tiny body on the couch and put my feet on the table. He walks passed me, disappearing in the hallway and comes back with a broom. He starts sweeping while I play a game on my phone.

"Babe really?", I give him a questioning look. "Do you really have to do it now?",

"I'll be done in a minute", he replies.

I minimize my game and logon to WhatsApp. I start texting my friends to see what they're up to. He sweeps till the living room looks clean.

...

Sunday: 22 November

He's from work, and it's very important that he pass by at my house to give me money for the next week transportation. I ran out of transport fee and he made a plan to make sure I still go to work, good boyfriend isn't he? Since it's a sunday he came back from work around 4 p.m and had to run some of his errands. Its basically what he does on weekends when he's from work.

So I relax, my babe's got my back.

Around 7:50 p.m he calls me to let me know that he's already waiting outside.

"You look very tired", I say as he gets closer. He does look very tired. He's carry his laptop bag and its probably heavy since he's added a few of his clothes in his laptop bag.

"I been walking all day and you know we slept late last night", he replies.

"Come on in then", I point back at my house. I know it's an offer he always denies.

"No, I can't", he says. He's a man of respect and he believes walking in a man's house while he isn't around is seriously disrespectful.

"Oh come on, he won't see you", I beg, pulling his hand.

"No, he still isn't asleep, that's for sure", he really is afraid to go in, but since it's me I end up convincing him.

I sneak him in like I always do. Though I don't really care who sees us.

Finally we laying on my bed facing the ceiling. I get on top of him and kiss his left cheek.

"Oh oh", he smiles.

"What? What's with 'Oh oh'?", I ask, blushing like the girl in love that I am.

"You're turning me on", he whispers, and I start to notice that his whole face is turning into a pink color. Literally.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to. I'm only hugging you", I lay my head on his chest making my butt to pop up since my legs are on each side of his thighs.

In a few minutes his breathing slows and I can tell his falling asleep. I don't check him to confirm that he is really sleeping since I can tell by the change of his breathing.

I get up but he grabs hold of me, "where you going?", his voice has changed. It's all deep and slow, filled with tiredness.

"Sleep babe, I'll wake you up around 9 p.m.", I say.

"Let's go sleep at my gran's", he replies. We getting used to sleeping in each others arms now, I guess that's why he doesn't wanna go back to his mum's.

"Sleep, I'll wake you up so we can go", I brush his face to calm him down, to make him relax since he doesn't relax when he's here.

I grab my phone and play some music from spotify. I've been singing Sedilaka by The Soil all day so now I thought why not play it on Spotify.

Trevis relaxes in my arms and finally I get to watch his peaceful face as I sing along with The Soil. He doesn't wake up but his hands are still tight on me. I try to move, but he grabs on.

"I'll be back", I whisper.

"Where you going?", his deep, hoarse voice asks.

"To get some coffee that will wake you up and some snack", I answer.

He let's go off me and I slowly get off him. I walk out of the bedroom and come back with green salad, 2 pieces of chicken drumsticks and his cup of coffee.

"Wake up", I whisper as I close the door behind me.

"I'm awake", he gets up and sits straight. I hand him his piece of chicken drumstick.

"Its nice", he says with a smile as he takes a bite and I smile back at him.

After eating we decide to sneak out. My dad has already made sure that he's locked all doors and the gate so that's when we sneak out.