Say You Love Me [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER SEVEN: AWAY FROM A MAN'S HEART

The more he thought about it, the more he became certain that there was something wrong. Two days had passed since the “credit card’ episode and Rhea had stayed clearly out of his way since then. It was certainly not a coincidence that they had not crossed each other’s path while they were living in the same house.

The only few seconds he had heard of her was when he had called her like every morning to tell her that he loved her. Except that it had been a one-sided conversation and he had to try after several disconnected calls as usual.

On top of that, Adam had had his share of furtive looks from Zoey during those past few days and he suspected that they were cooking something up. Except he never realized how right he was until he returned home that evening and found Rhea already in his kitchen. Cooking!

And now he was sure that he was right well at least literally. Rhea Palmer cooking in the kitchen was definitely something out of place. As far as he remembered, she had never been able to manage a decent dish in her entire life and had never fail to emphasize how much she hated cooking.

Putting it that way, Rhea was the kind of person who would cook only if it was a matter of life and death. So Adam became damned sure that there was something amiss. A person could not change that much in only two years.

“Hi, what’s up?” he asked casually trying to bade some time before his attack. He needed a confirmation that there was something else behind her latest behavior. And then he would confront the Cooper girl.  Zoey would surely know what Rhea was up to.

“Nothing much,” she replied. “I’m trying to cook us dinner.”

He nodded. She was stating the obvious. “What happened to Jane?” he probed still opting for the casualness he was far from feeling. It was certainly not showing in his voice thankfully.

“Oh, she had asked for the day off,” she replied flapping her hand casually – a gesture which was self-incriminating in itself. Adam was no longer sure if he wanted to know what the hype was all about after all. Because whatever it was he was sure not going to like it.

“Alright,” he said in a calm voice which was in total contrast to where his thoughts were leading him. “And where’s Zoey?”

“Oh she and Zach are out for dinner,” she replied still trying for a pure and innocent tone which Adam knew was laced with huskiness. And he could not associate it with any particular emotion. Damn! All that suspense was exciting him but at the same time he was feeling wary of what would happen next. It was either she was making an effort to be near him which he seriously doubted. Or she was plotting something to drive him far away from her.

Adam was smart enough to conclude that it was the latter option most probably. Rhea would never admit so easily that she even liked him. And she certainly had not shown him any positive vibes. Come to think of it, she had done her best to behave like she was a weak creature or something. An attribute he had never associated with Rhea before since she had always been strong and independent . Pretending to play with his mobile phone perched on the kitchen table, he opted for a casual pose while his thoughts were in riots.

And something clicked inside his head. It had the same effect as if lightning had struck him. Of course he would not know the comparison but he had a pretty idea he would feel like that if electricity rippled through him.

And the more he pondered over that fact, the more the puzzle seemed to fit. For example during their dinner date, every time he had expected her to say something, she had done the exact opposite. Her weak feminine side had been a novelty for him; her insecurities and her efforts to make him look macho looked now uncanny.