Chapter Nineteen.

The weekend was quite quiet at Lina's grandmother's house. 

Her family were out busy with their lives.

Nathan took his wife out shopping for the day, hoping to make her feel relaxed from the hassle of the past weeks.

After which he plans to take her to dinner, just so they could spend some quality time together. 

Catherine was also out in town doing some official work. 

And of course, Christopher was at his home with his family. 

While Lina stayed back in the house, as she didn't have plans like the rest of her family members.

She didn't have anybody to spend time with like her parents or Christopher.

She also didn't have any official business to do like Catherine. 

Looking at her siblings' lives now, she felt extemely proud of how successful they'd turn out to be even without her in the picture. 

It wasn't like she ever doubted their capacity to be successful, but they had always made a move with each and everyone of them being present to support themselves. 

Just like when Christopher opted for a culinary school instead of going to college. 

Nathan had been against it from the onset.

He wanted all of his kids to have a proper education and felt cooking was just a hobby. 

He was insistent that cooking was a phase for Christopher and he was almost certain Christopher was going to move past it.

It took Lina and Catherine leaving the house for weeks, deciding to stay at their grandmother's and not going to school.

They refused to return home until their father changed his mind, before Nathan let Christopher have his way.

And now, taking that bold step to protect her brother's interest was one of the best decisions Lina had made in her life.

Her brother was doing great after all.

He is raising a beautiful family with Vivienne and running his own restaurant like he had always wanted to.

Catherine on the other hand, is a successful business consultant who is doing an amazing job at it.

Maybe if she hadn't being away, she would have had a family like Christopher. 

Or worked in Benton County just like Catherine. 

But, she has none of these now.

Her heart wrenched in pain.

But this isn't time for regrets.

'It's already too late for that.' She consoled herself and took her eyes away from the empty space it was fixated at, all these while.

She stared out her window and caught a glimpse of two teenage couple walking down the street. 

They were holding hands and acting all lovey-dovey.

Lina lowered her gaze and a bitter chuckle escaped her lips.

'I hope it turns out well for you both.' She said to herself, hoping the happy lovers wouldn't turn out like she and Arnold did.

And speaking of Arnold, she suddenly started to crave for his presence after she thought of him, although she didn't want that.

She thought of an activity to do to take her mind off him, and coupled with the fact that she was already bored, she decided to try out something different. 

'I should go out.' She got off the bed, and walked up to her closet.

'I should do something fun.' The word "fun" almost felt strange on her lips.

Lina wasn't one to get bored or do something fun. At least not in the last decade.

But she felt especially alone today and wanted to get out of the house or she was going to drown in boredom.

As she rummaged through her clothes, her mind drifted to the fact that she actually needed someone to spend that with.

She needed a person to have fun with.

'Oh no!!' She expressed.

'I need to call a friend.' She whispered and walked back to the bed to get her phone, not realising she barely had friends. 

She scrolled through all of her contacts but almost all the numbers saved on her phone were those of her colleagues in Istanbul. 

The few other contacts she had was her family's and the number Arnold calls her with back in the days.

She still had it saved, somehow. 

She wasn't sure the number was still connecting though and out of curiosity she dialled it to confirm.

Lina was almost sure it wouldn't ring until the dialling tone came on.

Her heart skipped a beat in realisation that Arnold could actually answer the call.

'But what if the number was already allocated to somebody else?' She thought of that also and decided to end the call.

And suddenly, the person on the other side answered the call, so she spoke.

'Hello?!' 

'Lina?!' Arnold voiced from the other side, shock evident in his tone.

'Hey....' Lina snickered nervously. 

'I didn't expect that this number was still allocated to you.' She stated.

'But you called anyways.' Arnold retorted. 

'Yeah, I was curious.' Lina said. 

'I have actually been expecting you call for days now.' Arnold told her.

'Just as I was about to lose all hopes of getting a call from you, here you are.' He went on.

'Calling.' He concluded. 

'What?!' Lina spewed. 

'Why didn't you call if you needed to speak to me so badly?' Lina added almost immediately. 

'I didn't want to choke you, Lina. I know you have a lot on your plate at the moment.' Arnold replied. 

'Hmmm.' Lina hummed.

'Speak whatever is on your mind, Lina.' Arnold muttered. 

'There's nothing on my mind, Arnold. I just wanted to call.' Lina said and he chuckled. 

'Plus, I was feeling really bored. Needed to talk to someone.' She added.

'I see.' Arnold whispered from the other side.

'So, I wouldn't have gotten a call if you weren't bored.' He said.

'Arnold?!' Lina protested. 

'I'm just kidding.' Arnold chuckled but Lina knew he really meant what he said, because of how he said it.

'I was thinking to visit the water park in town. I didn't want to go alone. And I couldn't think of anyone else to go with but you.' Lina said and Arnold's breath stopped for a moment. 

The water park was one of their favourite places to go to back in the days. 

'Oh!!' He exclaimed. 

'So, you called to ask me out on a date?' He teased.

'Come on, Arnie. It is not a date.' Lina countered not realising she had referred to him as she used to in the past, when they were still very much in love.

It was a thing for Lina to give pet names to her loved ones, just like Catherine and Christopher. 

'Arnie, huh?' Arnold blurted.

'I'm sorry, it slipped.' Lina spoke, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush.

'I see.' Arnold retorted. 

'For real, Arnold. I didn't mean to call you that.' Lina voiced. 

'Its okay.' Arnold muttered. 

'Thanks for the chat.' Lina said.

'Bye for now.' She added.

'So, you no longer want to go to the park?' Arnold asked before she could hang up and Lina was taken aback. 

'I do.' She mumbled shyly. 

'Only if you will go with me, of course.' She added swiftly and Arnold snickered. 

'I'm down.' He said and Lina squealed.

'Thank you, thank you, thank you Arnold.' She giggled. 

Her giggles sent waves of emotions down his spine, his insides began to churn with unease.

'Bring Freddie too.' She said.

'He's spending the weekend with my parents but I can stop by at theirs to pick him up, so he doesn't miss out on this fun.' Arnold replied. 

'Would that be convenient for you?' Lina asked. 

'Of course.' He replied. 

'Thank you so much.' Lina said again.

'Be ready in an hour, I'd pick you up.' Arnold replied. 

'No, you don't have to. Just text your address and I'd be at your place in a jiffy.' Lina suggested.

'It's fine, Lina. Let me come pick you up.' Arnold said. 

'Except this is a way of you trying to get to know my place.' He added as a joke.

He had always been quick-witted and playful.

'What?!' Lina laughed. 

'That's not the point.' She voiced.

'Okay. Do you know what? It's fine. Come pick me up.' She concluded. 

'I'd be there shortly.' Arnold laughed and Lina knew he had only been messing with her.

'Strap up, though. It's quiet chilly today.' He said. 

'I will.' Lina replied. 

'See you soon.' Arnold said. 

'See you soon.' Lina replied, still holding her phone to her ear for a moment until the call disconnected.

She knew she was crossing the line by going out with him.

She was inviting something she'd rather not.

'It's just a harmless outing with a friend.' She convinced herself. 

'We should spend time together as friends, now that we're on a good note.' She added, proceeding back to her closet to find change of clothes. 

'No strings attached.' She reminded herself as she dressed up.

She and Arnold have moved past the ugly days and it would be great to visit the water park with him.

Lina has decided to enjoy the moment while it lasts because in a matter of a few weeks, she will return to work and may never see him in a long while or ever again.