🌼🌻

Elliot thought about ways he could make her smile as he rode on the BRT bus that late evening. Although, he wasn't sure if anything he could do would ease her worries and no matter how many times he told her everything was going to be okay; he knew she couldn't help but worry. A sigh left his lips. One thing was for sure, he would never give up on them, even if the universe said so.

~ ~ ~

Gene brushed her hair and stared at her reflection one last time and when she felt sure of her appearance, she made her way out of the room, tucking away her phone into the pocket of her shorts. The moment she took hold of the doorknob, her phone began ringing and she reached back into her pocket to get it out.

She stared at the caller ID. Soon; she lifted her eyes away from the phone. She'd forgotten about him. Gene wasn't ready to answer, at least not then, so she pressed the switch button, letting the call keep ringing but without the sound. She tossed it back into her pocket and made her way out of the apartment and locked right after. As she made her way downstairs, she could only pray that he soon stopped calling.

Eventually, her phone stopped ringing. In front of Elliot's door, she took in a deep breath before drawing her knuckles close, an attempt to place a knock. Suddenly, the door swung open, and he stood in front of her, as he smiled from ear to ear. The amusement on his face forced a light smile on hers.

"We're in sync, aren't we?" He teased and her smile broadened a bit. He reached for her hand and led her in, shutting the door behind them. He led her towards the dining table where he'd set up a dinner for them. As he took out a seat and helped her seat down, she couldn't help staring at the display in front of her. She left her phone on the table by her side.

On display in front of her was a plate of fried rice, salad and chicken, a glass of water and a carton of orange juice. She lifted her eyes to him, just as he took his seat in front of her.

"You made these?" She queried, amusement still painted across her face.

"Yes and no... I tried, and now it's officially established that I'm not the cooking type, so I bought takeout. Hope you enjoy it." He ended, and she laughed. He watched her with a smile on his face, loving the sound of her laughter and the fact she was at her best.

Slowly, her laughter died as she met his eyes and soon, she wore a smile on her face. "Thank you for the food." She appreciated before picking up her spoon and digging into the dish.

Gene wasn't sure if the dish was the best she'd had, but it definitely felt like it as she kept eating nonstop. Has she always been that hungry? She wondered and eventually, she lifted her eyes to Elliot, who had his elbows on the table and his head rested in his palms as he watched her eat.

Gene swallowed the food in her mouth as she noticed the space in front of him. "You are not eating?" She asked, and he shook his head.

"I'm satisfied just watching you eat, three of you." He commented, a smile curling up in the end. She shyly smiled as she lowered her eyes. He was being sweet, and she wasn't used to that, but she couldn't deny that it made her feel good.

He poured her a glass of juice and urged that she drink some. She picked it up and drank down some. He watched her pick up the chicken with her hands and tore a large piece with her teeth. Gently, she chewed, their eyes fixated on each other.

Gradually, a smile widened on her face. "You're making me uncomfortable." She confessed, and he smiled equally.

"Alright. I'll give you every five seconds for break." He added before lowering his eyes from her. Her smile broadened just staring at him. He lifted his eyes back to her before she knew it. Gene kept eating, smiling as she did as he kept at keeping his word, sparing her five seconds of break.

Once she ended, she stood to her feet and tried to carry her plate, but he stopped her. "You don't need to do that. I'll take care of it." He told her, taking the plate off her hands and turning away to the kitchen before she could say anything.

Gene smiled as she watched him go. Eventually, she left the dining area and made her way to the living room. She'd never spared the area a fitting glance and busied herself looking at every detail of the room. He had no picture on display. No sculptors, paintings or any sort of artwork. In fact, it was more or less empty and Gene could understand, since he hadn't been here for long.

Suddenly, she recollected the fact that his stay in the country was indefinite. She did not know about what his plans were. They'd never talked about it and Gene would lie if she said worry was far from her. She felt scared to bring up the topic. She might not like what she would hear.

A sigh left her lips as she wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. Suddenly, she felt his arms wrap around her from behind.

"What's wrong?" He asked with regard to her sighing. Gene wondered for a second if it was okay for her to state to him the affairs troubling her. She loosened his hold around her as she turned to face him.

Lightly, she shook her head. "Nothing." She lied. Maybe later they could discuss their issues but for then, she wanted to live in the present where everything was alright.

"Are you sure?" He queried, suspicious that she might hide her worries from him and he watched as she nodded, trying her best to assure him she was okay.

Her phone began ringing, and both shifted their eyes to the dining area.

"I'll get it." He told her before heading off, and she made her way to the couch. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind and instantly, she lifted her eyes to him.

"Wait." She called, but it was too late. He already held her phone in his hand and she watched as he stared at the screen. Eventually, he lifted his eyes to her, his expression a shadow of what it used to be. Right away, she knew he'd seen it, but she hoped she was wrong.

She watched as he walked up to her and stretched the phone to her with little as meeting her eyes. "It's Kainye." He stated as she collected it from him. At the mention of Kainye's name, Gene realised her worry was precise.

She spared the phone a glance, and that was when it stopped ringing and when she lifted her eyes, she realised he was walking away.

"Elliot." she called as she took the next few steps after him. He stopped, but he was yet to show her his face. She knew it. She could see that he felt upset and to be honest, that was understandable. Yet, she wasn't sure on what to say, how to explain the situation. She simply felt guilty even though she had done no wrong. She simply knew she was at fault and she didn't want him upset about the situation.

Elliot didn't want to be upset. To be honest, he wasn't sure if he had the right to. She hadn't given him the certainty as to if he had that right. She still had her doubts and it would be okay if she hanged on to someone much suited for her. Yet, he vexed. Maybe with himself. Or maybe with her. Maybe with the man who showed interest in the woman he was in love with.

"It's not what you think. He... we'd talked, and he asked if I wanted to go on another date with him, but I wasn't sure and I told him... we exchanged numbers and he said he would call and..." A light sigh left her lips, as she lowered her eyes. Everything she'd said sounded like an excuse to her own ears. She knew she couldn't convince him about where her heart lied by explaining all that to him.

She needed to tell him the truth, so she drew in a deep breath, lifting her eyes back to him. "I love you." She confessed as her heart raced in her chest. Patiently, she waited for the next few seconds, yet she got no reaction.

"Did you hear what I sai..." The rest of her words trailed away as he'd hurried back to her and locked his lips with hers, sharing a passionate kiss.

The moment he released her from the kiss, his forehead rested on hers. "Will you marry me?"

She lifted her eyes to meet his as it widened with each passing second, surprised at his sudden proposal.