Chapter 20

Reyhan
Nat gives me a bear hug the first I enter school. "Oh, I have missed you so much," she says hugging me.


I laugh at her before tightening our hug, "I have missed you as well Nat."


"How were your vacation?" I ask her removing myself from the hug and we start walking to our locker.


"Amazing Ray. How about yours?" she asks back.


"Same Nat. Had so much fun decorating mum's shop," I say to her.


"Oh yes! After school we are going to her shop," she says excitedly. I agree before going to my first lecture.


Since it was the first day school's reopening, we weren't taught anything in any of the lectures. Just briefing about the syllabus and all.


Nat and I go to mum's shop after school. "Aunty V, this all looks so surreal," Nat says giving my mum a big hug.


My laughs at her and hugs her back. "Thank you dear."


"How were your vacations?' she asks her.


"They were good, Aunty V," she says taking a seat on the couch.


"What will you girls have?" my mum asks both of us.


"Hot chocolate," I say and Nat orders a mint lemonade.


My mum calls Sally for our orders before taking a seat on the sofa besides me.


"So how was today?" she starts the conversation.


"Nothing was taught. I am just waiting what have they planned for this semester," Nat replies.


After hot chocolate and lemonade, Nat decides to leave as she gets a call from her mum regarding some work.


"Aunty V give me your best scent of so far," Nat requests.


My mum gives her a fancy bottle of lavender musk. She goes to pay my mum but mum bits and says it's a gift.


She happily hugs her and I before leaving the store.


"How is today so far mum?" I ask her.


"Fairly enough Ray. I've had few customers coming in," she says smiling at me.


We close the shop at 5.00 pm and go home. I decide to take a nap as there was no homework or study to do.


"Ray, wake up it's dinner time," Inanna whispers to wake me up.


I groggily open my eyes to see that it's 7.45 pm. "Oh no!" I say out loud.


"What happened?" Inanna asks who is seated on my bed.


"I won't be able to fall asleep now," I groan out.


Inanna laughs at me before grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the bed.


I decide to paint after dinner as there was no way I could fall asleep again. "Ray, let's go to the terrace," Inanna knocks on my door.


I look at my half-done drawing before muttering a yes to her. She already has 2 mugs in her hand before we both climb to the terrace.


"What's up?" I ask her as I know something is bothering her that's why she has asked me to come up here with her.


"Do you know Blake Jones?" she asks me.


"That famous junior playboy of our school?" I ask her back.


"Yes him." She says sighing.


Okay. So, it's something to do with Blake Jones. He is a junior at my school and have dated every girl in this town. He has this bad boy vibes radiating off him.


"So, what about him?" I ask her.


"He is trying to hit on me now and it's really irritating. He follows me to the library as well," she says in exasperation.


"Does Isaac know about this?" I look at her.


"No, I haven't mentioned it to him yet." She sighs.


My poor Inanna. I know she seems very quiet and decent to everyone. She might even seem a nerd to someone who doesn't know her, but let me tell you a secret about my sweet little sister.


Once something has reached her level of tolerance, she will blast like a damn volcano. I don't know how much this Blakey boy has gotten on to her nerves, but if things exceed and he doesn't lay out, there won't be sweet and innocent Inanna anymore.


"...what are you smiling about?" she asks me getting me out of my thoughts.


"I was thinking how long can this Blakey boy irritate you until the door of your tolerance level is broken and the Inanna he wouldn't like to see comes out," I say smirking at her.


"That's the thing Ray. He sweet talks to me a lot. He thinks that he can handle me.


Ray, I think he knows how I can be and yet he is able to handle me perfectly," she says looking away.


"What do you mean?" is all I can ask her.


"He told me something that made me tremble on myself Ray," she looks me dead in the eyes.


I wait for her to continue.


"Little sweet Inanna, you are wrong if you think I am everyone. I can see right through those eyes of yours the fire burning inside and the hell locked in that heart. It's about time you let it out on me.


But remember love, it's not going to break me.


He whispered huskily in my ears and left." She says all this to me.


I am shocked at his confession. He can't be serious. "Inanna you better be careful about this guy. If things get out of your hand, you let me know, we will handle this differently." I take her hands in mine.


She nods and gives me a small smile before scooting closer to me and laying her head on my shoulder while whispering, "I will Ray, I will."


I was working at the shop on Saturday morning helping mum out as she had some errands to run.


I cleaned everything and sprayed a fragrance to create a luscious ambience. I was engrossed in reading one of the fragrance magazines that I didn't hear someone enter the shop.


"Hey." the person says waving me out of my reading session.


"Oh hi, I am so sorry. Yes, tell me please, what would you like?" I say hurriedly closing the magazine and placing in the drawer before turning my attention to the customer.


"Zach?" I say as he is watching me amusedly.


"Hi Ray, I hope I didn't disturb you right there," he said gesturing towards the drawer.


I laugh at him saying a no. "So, you work here?" he asks looking around.


"Yes, it's my mum's shop. I partly help her out," I reply to him.


"You have painted all this?" he asks me again.


"Yes, I have done it," I say proudly.


"It looks breath-taking Ray," he says lost in the painting of the walls.


"Thank you," I smile at him while the butterflies explode in my stomach.


"So, tell me, what can I help you with?" I ask him.


"Oh yes, sorry," he says sheepishly. "Well, it's my mother's birthday next week and she loves scents. So, I was thinking to gift her that. What would you suggest?"


"Hmm, well you can gift her our combo pack," I say to him. "What kind of scent does she prefer?" I ask him.


"Urm... I don't know?" he says scratching the back of his head.


I chuckle at his embarrassment before giving him a suggestion. "How about we mix the fruity and woody in one combo? Then she will have many to choose from."


"Yes, that sounds good," he says giving me a big smile.


I take a box out where I place one bottle of white cherry musk and one lavender breeze from the fruity scents and then I pick one boss lady and husk dreams from woody scents and pack them up for him.


I watch him watching me keenly packing the items. "Would you like to smell some?" I ask him.


"Yes, yes I would love to," he says coming out of his haze.


I pack the box and set it aside before removing sexy hulk from the man scent and asking for his wrist.


He lends his wrist forward and I spray a little bit on his wrist. "Wait for few minutes before smelling it," I tell to him.


He listens to me like a small child with his wrist still in my hand. I give him the permission to smell after 5 minutes.


I wait for his reaction when he sniffs on in his wrist. "Ray..." he calls me huskily making me shudder. "This smell so good," he says in the same manner.


I smile at him and nod in response. Mum is a really good maker indeed. She can easily captivate her customers into her lusty scents.


"Pack this one for me please," he says before stopping to sniff.


I pack his scents for him, he hands me the cash before leaving the store.


"Thank you, Ray, I'll see you around," he smiles warmly at me before exiting the store. I watch him sit in his car, look at my direction for few seconds before driving away.


I smile still looking at the empty parking spot.


My mum comes in later all tired and sleepy. "You okay mum?" I ask sitting beside her.


"Yes Ray, I am fine. Would you mind buying me an apple juice from Hot N Cold?" she requests me.


"Of course, not mum. I'll be right back with your juice," I grab some cash and go to Hot N Cold.


I buy her apple juice giving a quick hug and a kiss to Sally before returning back to the store. She thanks me sipping her juice.


"Let's go home mum. I'll cook today and you take rest," she smiles before giving me the car keys. I lock the store and drive away towards home with her.


I cook chicken spaghetti and tomato soup with some croutons. As I passed by mum's room, I check her to see that she is sleeping soundlessly, but she has frowns on her forehead.


I silently exit her room and go to my bedroom. I sit on the couch and could think of only one thing, "mum is hiding something from me."

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