The Innocent Lover

Chapter 21: Iris

The museum.

Cafes.

Restaurants.

We went to all of them in a week and I didn't feel exhausted as I thought I would. Except for the fact that I discovered Lucas's bad trait. Jealousy.

I had just started making new friends at work, and it so happened that Brandon was part of the circle. He gave me his contact details and I talked to him here and there. It was enough to get Lucas on the edge for God knows what reason. There was a moment when we were in his car, going back home, my home when he suddenly asked for my phone.

"What do you need it for?" I asked genuinely.

"Just to check something," he said. I gave him the phone without putting my lunch in a fight. Lucas browsed whatever, and then returned my phone a little less fuming now.

"So?" I asked.

"Nothing".

It was only after he had dropped me at my house that I discovered, he had been on my WhatsApp application. I didn't bother with asking him why since he did seem to have that right now. I mean, he gave me his phone to check.

That Saturday, Lucas left the city for work. Mary and I waved him goodbye at the company that morning before he headed to the airport.

"I'll give you updates once I arrive," he said once we stepped out of the car.

It was a

True to his promise, he kept me posted about his journey with pictures and audio, which I replied to far too many times. It got to the extent where Mary took my phone from me and sent Lucas an audio stating he was disturbing us - disturbing us from watching her favorite anime. If there was one thing I regretted, it would have been rejecting Lucas from the start. It made me miss out on a lot, and now that I had accepted him, he was too busy and he had to go away. It might be corny, but I missed him the moment the car he was in drove off, away from my sight. As if to rub it off, the universe decided to get Mary and Big Joe this marvelous idea that they were supposed to meet on a date that night.

Mary decided to cancel our plans since she had to 'prepare' for their date. She dropped me off right inside our yard and immediately left a moment later without even waving at my grandparents who were sitting right by the verandah.

"Where is she rushing to" Grandma asked once the car was out of sight.

" her date," I said, a little bit jealous. My phone chimed and I looked at it to see Lucas's message.

'I'm almost there' the message said. I replied instantly.

'have a safe journey'

" Someone is in love," my grandma said playfully.

"Oh it's nothing, just a message from Lucas"

"We know," the old couple said in unison.

"You're smiling like an idiot whilst looking at your phone. The only time you laugh whilst looking at your phone is when you're watching reels, and they make noise. This time though, my granddaughter isn't watching videos, but rather it seemed a message considering the little sound the phone made," grandma said.

I eyed her for a moment. "You're scary you know? You say your staff as if you're looking at my phone from another dimension, it's kind of unsettling".

" Welcome to woman's intuition," she said.

I smiled at her. " I'll be in my room, sleeping".

"Greet him for me," Grandpa said.

" I will".