Should Have Not Asked - New Adult Romance (Wattys 2014)

Chapter 18 - In Their Eyes

All is set. I hurry downstairs wearing a knee-length floral sundress Dad gave me as a birthday slash graduation present. He and Mom still don't have the slightest idea that I won't be graduating. In all sincerity, I do intend to tell them... on the right time. I just don't think both of them are ready to hear about this mega disappointment. They've been expecting a lot from me, and I'll be breaking their heart when I tell them. Dad might have a heart attack.

Skipping steps on the stairs and flipping my hair to the side as I take glances in the mirror, I hear Ray's voice yelling about his chocolate muffins being charred in the oven.

"Seriously, you have to buy a new oven!" he hisses, his nose crinkling and his eyes hooded in disgust over his burned food. "It ruined my baking skills!" Ray always take pride in his so-called baking skills. Well, he has all the right to brag about it since he's got a certificate on baking through an online tutorial agency.

"That oven is older than me!" I chuckle. "Are they even edible?"

"You pierced my heart!" A frown on his face shows just how deeply frustrated he is. "I just want Mrs. Mohr to taste it. She makes excellent pastries!"

I wrap my arm around his neck and quickly smack a kiss on his cheek when he shudders and starts whining. "I hate it when you start doing lovey-dovey things on me, Angel!" He hastily dabs his cheek with his palm as his face turns sour. "You know I only like boys! I hate the effect of that kiss on me! Seriously? Don't you have someone else far dangerous of a target than me?"

"My lips are saved for my Mr. Right!" I tease.

"I'm absolutely not your Mr. Right!"

"But you said once..."

He cuts me immediately after his face turned pink. "I just said that because you were depressed," he explains.

"I wasn't depressed!"

"Then what do you call that? Some state of confusion?" Raising his eyebrow at me, I discern that he is going beyond teasing. "You love to play the blind victim, sweetie!"

"I do not!" I fear that when he goes any further, I will lose my temper, and Ray would be sorry. The last time I was honestly angry at him was in junior high. I prefer not to narrate that awful incident. Just the memory of it makes my blood boil. But we already forgave each other. I just don't want a piece of it loitering around my serene mind again.

"The perfect guy could be near. You just didn't notice or chose not to," he utters in a whisper, rolling away his eyes from me to the tray of charred muffins.

"I heard you," I warn.

"The truth stings, right?" His eyes gleam.

"I will hear nothing from you for the rest of the day!" I start walking away from him when Ray begins his flair at annoying me.

"It could be the hot doctor!" Trailing behind me, he talks nonstop. I sense my ears starting to heat up. Does he have to remind me about Eric, especially the cruelty I did to him?

"Or it could be the cutie Colin!"

"Shut up!" We reach the living room in no time. I quickly reach for Ray's bag and toss it to him.

Smirking, he pitches a blue throw pillow from a nearby couch, and it lands right away to my face.

"Or the super gorgeous, sexy, hot Etheridge!"

"One more word from you, and I'll kick you out of here!" I am serious.

"It's not good to kick an honored guest out!"