Chapter Twenty-four.

'Hey sis.' Christopher spoke after he moved closer to Lina and Arnold. 

'Hello to you too, Arnold.' He said to Arnold, giving them both a suspicious look.

'Hello, Christopher.' Arnold replied. 

'Hey, Chrisy.' Lina spoke too.

'We're just here for dinner.' She added to clear whatever thoughts her brother may have made up in his head.

'Dinner, is it?' Christopher muttered.

'Yes. Dinner.' Lina countered. 

'Weren't you just holding on to Arnold a while ago?' Christopher posed a question.

'That was nothing, Chris.' Lina was going to explain further.

'Yeah, indeed.' But Christopher didn't let her.

'Please allow me lead you both to a table, since you probably don't have a reservation.' He stated, and turned towards the open restaurant floor.

'Sorry about that.' Lina whispered to Arnold as they followed Christopher into the restaurant. 

'No, I am sorry. If I had known your brother owns this place now, I would have chosen another place for us to eat at.' Arnold muttered back in response.

They arrived at an enclosed section of the restaurant, and Christopher made sure they both settled in comfortably, took their orders himself, before he returned to the kitchen. 

'Well, it's fine to eat here at Christopher's.' Lina said after her brother left.

'It's fine??' Arnold fired back, with a note of irritation. 

'Yes.' Lina uttered, almost certain she felt some form of agitation in his tone.

'You don't make seem like it's fine.' Arnold spat subtly, his brows furrowed. 

'You actually make it seem like you are embarrassed when you're seen with or around me.' He added.

'Of course not.' Lina retorted.

Her expression turned quizzical, with a raised eyebrows and a slight lean forward.

'I am never embarrassed to be around you, Arnold.' She added.

'Then why did you act differently in front of Catherine when I came to pick you?' Arnold queried. 

'We got to this restaurant and after you discovered that your brother was here too, you started to do the same thing again.' He went on.

'I thought you were comfortable with us being friends.' He voiced.

But the truth was, Arnold himself knew that he was acting, as though he was more than a friend to her.

'Oh no, Arnie.' Lina expressed, referring to him with a cute name for the second time without realising. 

'I'm more than grateful to have you as my friend, but my siblings would never understand that.' She added.

'They continue to tease me at the mention of you and make me feel so uncomfortable, just because they know we've both had an history.' She voiced and Arnold mouthed "oh".

'I have tried to explain to them several times that nothing is happening between us and we are never going back to how we used to be, but they never listen.' Her words stung, leaving a tender spot.

Arnold hated the fact that Lina words put him in such a spot.

He didn't want to feel that way.

'Yeah.' He whispered.

'We're never going back to how we used to be.' He said and Lina flustered at his comment.

'Yeah, but Catherine and Christopher never agrees with me when I tell them that.' Lina added awkwardly.

'I was only trying to avoid their teases as usual. This has nothing to do with me being around you or our friendship.' She added.

'I see.' Arnold muttered, still feeling the emotional dent her words left.

'I'm glad it's not about your being around me.' He added and Lina reached for his hand on the table, giving it a gentle squeeze, and sending a warm smile across to him.

'I'm so grateful for your gift of friendship after all that transpired between us in the past.' She spoke calmly.

'I'm glad that you gave me a chance to be a part of your life again.' She added.

'As friends.' And muttered quickly, as she felt her speech may have come off as awkward.

'Of course.' Arnold replied, and a waiter walked in with their meal on a cart, almost immediately. 

He served them with a complimentary bottle of red wine that Christopher sent to them specially, and he left.

Lina and Arnold had their meal over funny banters and chit chat until they were ready to leave. 

They both argued for a moment about splitting the bills, but Arnold made sure he took care of it as it was his idea to have dinner together in the first place.

'I'd make sure to pay next time.' Lina said as they walked out of the restaurant. 

'Next time?' Arnold uttered in awe that she wants to have dinner with him again.

'Of course. Except if you don't want us to have dinner again.' Lina responded. 

'Of course not, I did not say that.' Arnold retorted.

'I'd like to have dinner with you again as a matter of fact.' He added.

'Then, it is settled.' Lina said, and he held the car door for her to get in.

'Hey, sis.' She heard a male's voice that halted her.

Although the person referred to her as "sis", but Lina could tell it wasn't Christopher's voice.

'Lina!!' The voice came again and she turned this time to see who it was.

'Maximus!!' She expressed in shock.

Suprised to see her paternal cousin in the countryside. 

Just like her, he left the countryside 15 years ago to Africa and she was not expecting to ever see him again.

Maximus moved closer to Lina by the car to exchange pleasantries with her.

'Hey cousin.' He mustered, attempting to pull her in for an embrace but she stopped him from hugging her too tightly. 

She only gave him a mild hug and after she pulled herself away from him, she asked.

'What are you doing here, Max?' 

'Look who I thought would be happy to see me.' Maximus scoffed.

'I came home to see my mother. I heard my father died five years ago.' He said.

'Okay?' Lina breathed, unsure of how he wanted her to react to his explanation. 

'I heard you lost your grandmother too, I'm so sorry for your loss.' Maximus said.

'Thank you.' Lina rebutted. 

'Hey, man.' Maximus went on to say hello to Arnold, offering him a handshake. 

Arnold shook his hand and said "hello" back to him.

'I had no idea you both were still together. I thought you broke up years ago.' Maximus uttered nonchalantly. 

'Okay, Max. We need to rush.' Lina cuts in.

'It's so good to see you by the way.' She added.

'Yes, cousin. We should hang out sometime you know, like we used too. I have a lot of catching up to do.' Maximus told her.

'I will give it a thought.' Lina said and got into the car swiftly to avoid any further chat with her cousin.

Arnold closed the door after her and proceeded to the other side of the car to get in too.

'See you around, man.' Maximus said as Arnold walked away.

'See you around.' Arnold replied, got into the car and drove off.

After the encounter with her cousin, Lina's expression froze, her eyes glazing over as she struggled to process her emotion. 

'Are you good?' Arnold asked. 

'Uhm hmm.' Lina hummed and nodded in affirmation. 

'Don't worry, I'd drop you off at home shortly.' Arnold assured her.

'I really don't want to go home now, Arnold.' Lina breathed unsteadily. 

'Maybe much later, but I guess I have no choice. I can't keep you out late when you need to get home to Freddie.' She added.

'Let's go to my place then.' Arnold said, and Lina's eyes snapped wide in surprise. 

'Would that be okay by you?' Lina asked.

'Certainly. I want to help you be in the right frame of mind.' Arnold responded. 

'A change of environment for a couple of hours would help. The night is still young anyways, so you don't have to worry about getting home late when you're ready to.' He added.

'Thank you.' Lina eyes sparked with appreciation. 

'You're welcome.' Arnold mustered, switching lanes.

And after about 10 minutes he halted the car in front of his cabin and alighted. 

Lina got down too and walked behind him, as he led the way into his house.

After they got in, he realised his mother already retired to bed with Freddie because she was too tired to travel back.

Then he sat at the dining table with Lina after he got a bottle of soda each for them both.

'Thank you.' Lina said and took a big gulp from the bottle. 

Arnold moved his chair closer to hers, and Lina shot him a stare him realisation. 

'I don't mean to pry but you act all jumpy around your family members. Just like you did with your cousin a while ago.' Arnold stated. 

'Is everything okay?' He asked and Lina let out a breath in hesitation. 

'It's okay if you don't want to talk about it.' He blurted.

'It's not just about my family, Arnold.' Lina proceeded to talk anyways.

'It's the questions they ask.' She added, and Arnold raised a puzzled eyebrow.

'Like where have you been? When are you coming back? Don't you want to get married? Why don't you want to build a family?' She went on.

'These questions messes with my mind, Arnold. They give me anxiety, so I try as much as I can to avoid anyone who would ask me them.' She concluded. 

'I'm so sorry, Lina.' Arnold said. 

'Look at me making matters worse by questioning you further.' He added. 

'No, Arnold. Yours is different.' Lina muttered, and turned to face him.

'Somehow, I feel at ease speaking with you.' She added in a tone that sent warmth in his heart.

'Really?' He voiced, staring right into her eyes.

'Really.' Lina chuckled softly and nodded. 

Arnold smiles back at her, and Lina thought for a moment that it was his brightest smile she's seen in a long time.

Then he lifted his hand to her face, and brushed away a few strands of hair that settled on her brows with his thumb, tucking it at the back of her ear.

He proceeded to stroking her face gently.

Her eyes pulled him and he leaned in, closing the gap between them.

As much as he tried to stop himself from diving right into her lips, he couldn't. 

A spark of desire ignited within him, drawing him irresistibly to her.

He knew better than try to start anything, but the only thing that could stop him now, was if Lina pulled away.

She sat there also, trapped in time and unable to resist him.

Arnold wasted no time taking her lips in his, reaching for the for the cores of her existence rhythmically.