Chapter 17: Chapter 17

"It's been a month and a half just ask him out already," Lila said annoyed

"You mean it's been a month since you moved in here with no notice of when you're going to leave," I narrowed my eyes at her, she gave me a sheepish smile.

We were currently getting ready to have a braai at Randall's, he invited my family to which now apparently included Lila. These couple of weeks have been absolute bliss, Randall and I spent every waking second together whenever we could and things were going so well I was afraid to ruin them by asking him if he wanted to officiate our relationship. Haley and Tyler got closer and he moved in with her but I was just happy that she was finally paying her full attention to Kyle, she even fussed over him more now. Things were looking up for everyone and I thought I could leave the whole Veronica story where it belonged, in the past or so I hoped but as usual, luck was never on my side.

"Now why would I wanna do that?" I asked Lila who was pestering me to ask Randall out.

"Because you like him, he likes you and you hang out a lot now make it official before I grow grey hair," she whined making me laugh,

"Might wanna hold that thought we're here," I said, parking in the street.

"I can already smell the burning coal," Lila hummed delightedly, she took the cooler box and rushed to ring the bell.

"Hey guys glad you made it," Randall greeted us kissing me on the forehead that gave me butterflies, I could never get used to that.

"Thanks for the invite," Lila said heading inside giving us some privacy,

"I missed you," he said letting his guard down pulling me into a bear hug,

"I missed you too," I said, my words muffled because of being pressed against his chest, he smelt like aftershave my favourite.

"Let's talk later alone don't wanna keep our guests waiting," he said

"Right," I agreed before we walked inside holding hands.

Ever since Cole left to go visit his mom he's been distant towards me, he barely ever messaged me back mostly left me on read and declined my calls so I decided to leave him alone, we haven't talked in days but that was ok if he didn't want to talk to me then that was fine. I was just sad to break up such a long friendship that we've had, every time he ignored me it felt like a hot knife being pressed against my skin. But I was being unfair to Randall by holding myself back because of a man who thought of me as nothing more than a sister. I had to move on and forget this ridiculous crush I had on Cole, I wasn't a kid anymore and I couldn't afford to have my heart hold two people.

"Hey sis," Haley hugged me when I entered the backyard, she was barely showing her baby bump but I was just glad she was finally happy about having another child.

"Hey," I said

"Auntie," Kyle jumped me nearly knocking us over

"Hey buddy," I chuckled picking him up in a hug

"I swear he loves you more than he loves me," Haley shook her head with a slight smile

"I'm just a lovable person," I said, rubbing noses with Kyle who was beaming from ear to ear.

"Lovable my ass," Haley scoffed

"Excuse you," I said

"Harley," the famous Tyler strode towards us smiling quite wide, this was the second time I've met him and he just seems to get friendlier and friendlier. He was a pretty jacked friendly guy reaching six feet with light brown eyes, black short hair and a light complexion. If he wasn't taken I would've taken my shot with him.

He gave me a side hug since I was still holding Kyle, standing next to Haley he towered over her like she was a midget.

"Good to see you," I said to him still admiring his bulging muscles

"Eyes to yourself sis," Haley warned catching my eye

"Oh relax it's not like I'm going to do anything," I reassured her but she just rolled her eyes at me, pregnant women and their hormones.

"Who's hungry?" Tyler asked

"Me me," Kyle quickly said raising his little hand up

"Alright let's go eat then cause I'm starving," Tyler said, taking Kyle from my hands, resting him on his hip as he walked inside the house to the kitchen.

"He's good with him," I said

"Honestly you should see him giving Kyle a bath, he is in love with that kid," she chuckled

"I'm glad things are well, can't believe things are going so well with us," I smiled

"Don't jinx it, with us there's bound to be some shit around the corner, regression to the mean after all," she sighed

"Ah don't remind me," I groaned, things were too calm and they were either about to get bad or good, I was hoping for the latter.

"Come on, the food is almost done, what took you guys so long anyway?" She asked me

"Lila had to find a perfect outfit to go with her bald head because you can't rush beauty and mainly because she wanted to be fashionably late," I explained making Haley scoff

"That girl I swear," she said

"Gotta love her though, she's a fresh breath of air," I smiled

"True," she agreed

"I heard the word love and my name in the same sentence," Lila appeared out of nowhere nearly giving me a fright of my life,

"Jesus christ give a girl a warning," I said clenching my shirt

"What fun would that be," she laughed

"You heard wrong we were just talking about Tyler," Haley smoothly said

"Liar," Lila said

"Says you," Haley said

"You can't lie to me, I'm the truth detected," Lila said proudly making us stare at her in wonder, when you think you have her all figured out then she does something unpredictable and flips the table making you wonder if the person you knew was just a persona or fiction of your imagination that was Lila for you, I swear she had different persona's in that tiny head of hers.

"Good for you detective gadget now go annoy someone else," Haley ordered shoving Lila away with her hand

"You still owe me you know," she grumbled crossing her hands over her chest

"Again you gotta convince Haley before this baby pops out," Haley said pointing at her stomach

"Haley, would you do me the honours of letting me be the first female you'll bone," Lila got on one knee holding my hand like she was proposing. I looked back from Haley to her as if they were crazy, I was bi but that didn't mean I went around shouting it at the top of my lungs. I was still insecure about my sexuality and only Haley and Cole knew about it. Lila was an attractive woman even without her hair but I didn't want to make our relationship awkward by accepting her weird twin fetish.

"That's going to be a hard pass," I said awkwardly removing my hand from hers

"But why," she pouted standing up

"Ya why, it's not like you're a hundred per cent straight," Haley questioned me with her hands on her hip

"Wait what?" Lila asked in shock, staring at Haley. I know it was rude to hit a pregnant woman but I did and I didn't feel an ounce of sorrow as I slapped Haley on the shoulder.

"Ow you bitch," she angrily said hitting me back

"Ow," I cried trying to hit her back but Lila got in between us

"Alright as much as I love a good catfight now is not the place and why didn't you tell me you were bi?" Lila asked me, she looked hurt by my decision

"It's not really something I want the world to know," I shrugged my shoulders awkwardly

"Does Randall know?" Lila asked

"God forbid no and he won't ever, find out got it," I told them with a warning look

"But why its nothing to be ashamed of, I'm lesbian and I let the world know because I don't care," Lila asked proudly

"That's you Lila it's different for me ok so let's just let it go and forget we ever had this conversation," I sighed

"Ok fine I won't tell Randall on one condition," she smiled deviously, I was afraid to even ask why

"And that is?" I asked through gritted teeth, I knew if Randall found out he wouldn't completely hate me but might be angry that I lied to him and how angry is what scared me.

"Meow," Lila meowed with a smirk

"Nope anything else," I declined

"Only choice or I go and have a neat little chat with Randall," Lila nonchalantly said walking backwards slowly towards Randall who was doing the braai.

"Oh you little devil you did learn something from me," Haley said proudly

"Stop encouraging her," I told Haley who just shrugged

"What's the worst that could happen, it's not like you're going to get pregnant?" Haley said blankly like this was a simple decision

"Ug I don't even know what to say to you," I said feeling unbelievably annoyed at the situation I got myself into, "Fine, your silence for your weird fetish thing," I grumbled shaking her hand,

"Yes," she celebrated shaking my hand repeatedly

"Oh relax sis you're going to enjoy it just be a little more open," Haley told me

"I cannot take you seriously right now," I said with a scowl

"Neither can I, I can't believe you agreed to that Randall already knows you're Bi dumbass," she laughed alongside Lila, my eyes nearly bulging out of my skull.

"What the hell Haley!" I angrily said

"Don't get so mad he doesn't mind it at all, he's still asking you out isn't he?" She asked

"So what that was my choice to make not yours,"

"You wouldn't have told him until you had your first child, so you can thank me now. Relationships with no secrets tend to last longer," Haley said

"I wanna punch you so hard right now," I said through gritted teeth

"I'll have Tyler flatten you into a pancake if you dare," she warned icily, a shiver of fear crawled up my spine damn who knew she would become even scarier when she was pregnant.

"Fair point," I said stepping out of her personal space

"Alright, foods ready let's eat," Lila excitedly said, linking her arm through mine and Haley's as she linked us all with her being in the middle.

The food was incredible and I got to know Randall's family a little bit more. He had two older sisters, Cait and Nia who had kids of their own and lived an hours drive from Vancouver, his mom passed away years ago from cancer and his dad wasn't looking the best but he made it that's what counted. My mom grudgingly came and talked to his dad most of the time getting to know each other. Kyle got to play with Cait's kids on the grass while the adults talked on the outside benches.

"When are guys going to make it official?" Haley whispered to me since Randall was sitting right across from me talking with Tyler about some basketball team.

"I don't know," I mumbled staring at his perfect face with those cute dimples

"Jeez you are so slow," Haley groaned

"So what I don't want to rush things when they're already good," I argued

"But they could be better," she lowly said making an ok sign and sticking her index finger through it,

"Jesus Haley have some manners," I lectured

"She's right but I gotta have the first pick," Lila licked her lips slowly eyeing us up and down

"Keep it in your pants," I told her

"Why so hostile," Haley laughed, elbowing me in the gut. Lila laughed next to her while I remained grumpy, wanting to stab them both with my knife. These two deserve each other, how I ended up being their third musketeer was unbelievable.

By the late evening, everyone was full and heading home and those staying later were by the fire chatting away. Randall pulled me aside in the bedroom when I came out of the bathroom.

"What's up?" I asked him coolly even though inside I was a bubbling mess.

"You don't have to say yes now but I was hoping you would like to accompany me on a weekend getaway to Niagara falls?" He asked hopefully

"Just you and me?" I asked

"Just you and me," he confirmed with a warm smile

"Then I'd love nothing more than to accompany you," I beamed

"Phew," he breathed a sigh of relief hugging me tightly, he was a bubble of laughter and warmth just like Cole, damn it why did he just cross my mind.

"Thank you for today it was splendid," I told him getting on my tiptoes to give him a quick peck

"Anything for you," he said, holding me in place as he pulled me closer to him firmly holding my waist as he deepened the kiss, butterflies swarmed my stomach.

"Wrap it up lovebirds, I wanna go home," Lila came into the room ruining our moment, she just had the worst timing.

"Right, of course, it's getting late after all," Randall said. It wasn't late, only six, come on and ask me to stay late.

"Duh come on Harley Netflix is calling my name," I'm going to kill you, Lila.

"Talk later, "I said not wanting to leave

"Ya," he said giving me one last mind-bending kiss

"Move it Harley or I'm leaving without you," Lila yelled over her shoulder

"With whose car?" I scoffed

"I heard that," she yelled back, Randall and I laughed at her childishness.

"Miss you already," he gently said caressing my cheek,

"Then I won't go. All you have to do is ask," I said hopefully. He raised an eyebrow like did I even hear what I just said.

"I know what I said, " I groaned, laying my head on his chest listening to his heart beating, he wrapped his arms around me protectively.

"If I could I would never let you go," he mumbled his chin resting on top of my head, the sentence alone warmed my heart.

"Thank you," I hummed, hugging him tightly.

"You have nothing to thank me for," he answered. He wasn't right. I had to thank him for accepting my weirdness and crazy family and friends, for always being there whenever I needed him and for cooking the most amazing food that I've ever had in my entire life.

"You better go before she comes back here to drag you by the hair," he chuckled letting me go. I gave him my best. I don't want to go look but he just sighed.

"I know but I'll see you tomorrow night though," he reassured

"So long," I groaned

"I know," he laughed making me feel a little bit better

"Fine later," I said

"Later," he waved back, blowing me a kiss that I caught and placed on my heart. It was our little cheesy goodbye every time we parted ways meaning you will be in my heart when we're not together, Haley found it corny but cute and Lila just called us dorks. I didn't care what anyone else thought. I loved our little goodbye sign and I wouldn't change it for the world because slowly my world was revolving around Randall and it was scary to think about it but in a crazy exciting way after all love is about surrendering one's self to another human being completely.