Chapter 2: The morning After

"The dress compliments your beautiful face Ruby" I looked up to see Ray staring at me.

I was really tipsy at this point, but I managed to smile back, I stood up and lean on him, "you look so good yourself, Mr Sphinx" I whispered in his ears.

I could feel his arms around my waist, "You want to go somewhere quiet?" he asked, I just nodded, too drunk to say a word, judging from the way he walked, I knew he was tipsy as well.

Ray led me to a room, that looked gloomy, yet appealing to all senses in my body. The furnitures,wall papers and interior decor were all black in color. I turned to see Raymond staring at me.

"I love you Ava" he said, my eyes widened, I may be a little drunk but my hearing was working perfectly. I blinked twice, searching for the right word to say, as soon as I opened my mouth to say something, he placed his index finger on my lips,

"shush, hear me out please, I love you so much, I have always loved you, since the first day of junior high when you bumped into me, spilling ice-cream all over my shirt, I love the way your light brown eyes glow in the sun, I love how you blink 50 zillion times a second, I love how your hair dance on your shoulder, the way you smile, the way you care about others. I don't know why it took me moving out of the country to get the courage to talk to you, still I want you to know that, I love you so much Ava, I can't say the words enough, you don't have to love me back, I came back here tonight to let you know how I feel, I'm sorry for all these years" he said

I just leaned up and kissed him, he didn't kiss me back at First, after some seconds, he did, taking charge of the kiss, he held the nape of my neck and deepened the kiss, and in few minutes, our clothes were scattered on the floor.

I woke up alone with my head aching badly, I tried to stand up, but I felt pain all over my body, the house was quiet and when I looked around and saw the dark interior decor, that was when it all came rushing back to me, everything that happened last night.

I looked around and saw no sign of Raymond, I sat up, and saw a written note on the bedstand, typical Raymond, I opened the note,

"Hey, I had to leave, I'm sorry for everything, I wish it had played out differently, I didn't know you were a virgin,I wouldn't have taken you last night, I wasn't in the right frame of mind, I'm sorry, I know it's probably nothing, but I am gifting you the House to show you how sorry I am, my lawyer will be there by noon, I hope you accept it. I meant every single word I said,Ruby, I love you. Raymond"

I read the note over and over again, I didn't even realize I was crying now, it took the teardrop on the paper to realize that. I was crying cos I love Raymond too, it's the reason I had put up with all his antics all these years, i wish he had said something sooner and not be a jerk all the time.

my phone rang bringing me back to reality, it was summer calling, I didn't pick up, when I saw how many calls and text messages she had left, I quickly called her back.

"where are you so I can come pick you up" she said, her voice was shaky like she had been crying.

I told her I was still at Ray's Mansion, she disconnected the call immediately.

I tried standing up, but I couldn't, I looked at the clock on the bed stand, it was already past 11am. I heard the door to the Mansion opened, I quickly sent her a text stating that I was in one of the rooms. I heard her open the door to the room I was in.

"you are lucky I love you, why didn't you pick your calls or reply the messages I left you, I was so scared, how could you be so cruel, do you know..."

she stopped when she saw me crying, she quickly came to my side of the bed and hugged me, "it's ok, I'm not mad anymore"she said.

When I stopped crying, she stood up and opened the curtain, I don't know if it was her presence or the sun ray on my face, but, I suddenly had the strength to stand up. That's when Summer looked at me with wide eyes, "why are you naked", She raised the quilt and gasped when she saw the dark red stain, she hugged me again and repeatedly kept saying she was sorry she brought me to the party.

I walked to the shower as soon as I could free myself from Summer's embrace. This time the memories of our love making came flooding my head. I quickly freshened up and left,

I saw a different dress laid out on the bed, summer already changed the bedsheet and there was a fresh cup of coffee sitting on the bed stand.

"I ordered food for us, you need the strength, cos I need you to tell me what happened last night and also explain this note" she said raising the note up.

I just nodded, got dressed and drank the coffee.

I then explained everything to Summer, who was staring at me in disbelief.

" This sounds like something out of a romance movie, I always knew there was more to Raymond's action, just didn't know it's this deep. Chad told me, Raymond moved to England to take over his father's business and you won't like this part" she stopped and looked at my face.

"Just tell me, I already know he was leaving, so what could be so bad?" I said

"Ok, just don't freak out, or cry, or do anything stupid, Raymond is engaged to Bella, Bella Scott" she said looking at me cautiously.

"wait, what!!?, Bella who?, Bella Scott from high school?, how?, when?, are you joking rn?," I could feel my world crashing down, I was already daydreaming of how he would come back to me and we can start our own 'happy ever after'.

"Chad said they've been engaged for almost 3 months now, I'm sorry Babe, you deserve better than that jerk. Please don't cry over that loser,it's his loss anyway" summer said, holding my hands.

"He can keep his mansion, I don't want anything that reminds me of him" I said angrily.