CHAPTER FIVE: Painting

(Tiana's POV)

How does he like his eggs? Scrambled or sunny side on the top? I’m standing here in front of the frying pan, contemplating whether I should make scrambled eggs or not. I don't know how Carl loves his eggs. I am still getting the hang of adjusting to this new life of living with him. Pretty soon, I hear footsteps coming in.

"You're awake.." I don't need to check to know that it's Carl. Looking at him now, I can see the flustered mess he's in. But damn, does this man look sexy in his mornings or what? Just seeing how all that hair on his head is now a big mess makes him look so hot. Not only that, but he's shirtless, dressed in only his boxer. Carl has one heck of a good body, and he knows.

"Good morning," he said with a husky voice, pulling me out of my nasty thoughts. But why is his voice so damn hot too?

"Good morning," I managed to reply, trying to sound all natural.

"You're making breakfast?”

"Yeah, I'm almost done."

"Alright, I would freshen up and come down to eat," he said before leaving for his room.

After the quiet breakfast, I cleaned the dishes and went up to my room, leaving Carl in the living room.

I was about to read a book after finding the perfect playlist to accompany me when I heard a soft knock on the door. I walked to the door and opened it, knowing it was Carl.

"Do you want to hang out? He asked as soon as I opened the door.

"Hangout? I'm not getting what he's asking.

"Yeah, for sightseeing, maybe."

"Oh, yes, I want to," I replied excitedly.

"Okay, then get ready and see me downstairs in a few minutes," he said with a smile before walking downstairs.

It wasn't difficult to find something to wear since I only have the few nice clothes Carl bought for me on my first day here.

I rushed downstairs immediately after I finished dressing up. It's the first time I'm stepping out of the house since I got here.

"Are you ready?" Carl asked as he stood up from the couch.

"Yeah, I am."

We walked outside and got in his car.

"Seat belt," he said, and I put on my seatbelt before he drove off.

He stopped the car after what seemed like a 15 minute drive, and we both stepped out of the car before entering a waffle restaurant.

"They make the best waffles here; my favourite part about this place is that they make the fluffy waffles for you, and then you get to put all the toppings on yourself,”

he said as we approached the counter.

"Good day, ma. How may we help you?"

The lady asked us as we stood by the counter. She directly talked with me, and I'm not surprised. I get that he is handsome, but Carl looks totally unapproachable.

"I think my friend and I here would like some fun today. Three large, pan-sized fluffy waffles for us each. Vanilla-flavoured, please." He said to the woman before I could say anything, but somehow the word "friend" echoed in my head:

He sees me as his friend? Or did he mean we're close enough to be friends now? Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't even know what we are to each other; we're just living under the same roof.

"Coming right up!" The woman smiled and took his credit card before sliding it through the swiping machine. Carl's phone buzzed as he just received a notification from the bank about the payment, but I was too absentminded to even notice.

I was actually happy or bothered by being called his friend; I don't even know how I feel.

"Thank you." Carl smiled at the woman before she went to the kitchen. He then turned to me and asked,

"Tiana? What's the matter?

"Oh, nothing. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah"

"Here you go." The woman came with two plates. Each stacked up with three steamy waffles. They smell really good, too.

"Enjoy." I only gave the woman a faint smile and took my plate after he took his. We walk together to the area where all the toppings are sectioned.

"I would go for the chocolate syrup," Carl said before picking up the chocolate syrup.

"Me too"

"Do you know the person who owns the house opposite yours?" I asked, taking a seat opposite Carl.

"Not really. Why did you suddenly ask about who owns the house?" Carl said, munching on his waffles.

"I noticed the house has quite tight security while we're leaving the house today—actually, not just today. While you were away, I went to our rooftop just to inhale some fresh air and see what the view looked like, and I clearly saw a sniper on the rooftop of the said house, and now that I'm recalling it, I can't help but wonder what kind of person needs that kind of serious security."

"This is Owkridge, and different kinds of people reside here; don't let it bother you," he said, unconcerned.

After over-eating waffles, we left the restaurant and headed to a water park.

We enjoyed ourselves playing around the park, chatting and taking selfies and for the first time, this man,Carl, seemed like a different person, his smile found its way to my heart and lightened it up. Back when he took my virginity on the night he saved me from those bad men, I had considered him a bad person too, my heart was filled with disgust for him, I only followed him to his house because I have nowhere to go to and I needed a place safe enough to hide me from those men but now, I don't know but he just, I don't know, he's just making it too difficult for me not to fall in love, he's making me feel something i've never felt before; Home, yes, home, that's what he's making me feel, I don't even know how that's possible but—

"Ice cream?" He asked, holding two cups of ice cream. I am sitting on the bench by the water fountain while he is standing in front of me, as if the goddesses of nature were on his side, the breeze brushed past his face, and he softly shut his eyes, opening them the next second, and just that simple act of his drowned me in the ocean of feelings.

"You don't want it?" He asked again, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Sure, I do want it," I replied before taking the ice cream from his hand.

"It's late noon; wanna go somewhere else?" He asked.

"I don't know; I just don't want to go home yet." I replied, standing up from the bench.

"Alright, let's take a walk around the city then."

"Okay, that sounds good, but what about your car?"

"We would take a taxi back to the park and then go home with the car."

"Okay."

We walked around the city for up to an hour before deciding to eat dinner in one of the fancy restaurants along the streets. Since it's getting late anyway, we went back to the park with a taxi to get his car after eating. Now heading home with his car, we got to a quiet, unfamiliar environment, and he stopped.

"Come on," he said to me before getting out of the car, while I also got out and followed him cluelessly. We finally reached a place that was closed.

"So, Tiana, do you like to paint?" he asked as he opened the large door.

"I like to paint, but I'm not so good at it," I answered, and he held my hand and led me inside the door. The place was full of walls, and the walls were filled with paintings.

Carl brought some paint and said, "You can paint whatever you want. I normally vent my feelings here. This was built for me by my dad. He's late now,” he said before proceeding to paint something on the wall.

I wanted to ask him some questions but gave up the idea when he said his father is no more; I don't want to open his scar.

After less than 30 minutes of painting, he came to check what I had painted.

"Ocean?" He asked, staring at my painting.

"Yes, I was drowning inside this ocean earlier today," I said to him before going towards his own painting, and I could swear I forgot how to breathe when I saw his painting. He painted my face. Am I, by any chance, daydreaming?

"You smiled today at the water park. It's the first time I've seen you smile since I met you. I couldn't get it out of my head, so I decided to paint it on this wall. It's not really you; it's not as beautiful as you, but I just," he said, answering my questioning gaze. I don't know how, but those words brought a smile to my face out of nowhere. It's like I dived into that ocean again—that ocean of feelings.

"Let's head home," he said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, sure, let's go home.”