The afternoon was sunny and warm. A perfect opposite of yesterday. Or was it the fact that Akram was right beside me as we left his building? Akram's apartment was in a perfect location; the seventh floor of a red brick building on Central Park West. The building overlooked the north side of the park; a constant reminder of our official first meeting.

Akram had already booked an Uber via his phone, and he seemed to know exactly where we were going. He opened the car door, ushered me to the backseat, flashing a cheerful smile.

Something was bizarre about his behavior today, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Something that helped ease my tension, but left me wondering what he was up to. He'd had the chance to ask me about what happened. He could've pressed me to confess my life story if he wanted, but he chose to ignore it. It was like he decided to avoid the mention of last night at all costs.

My mind wavered between relief and suspicion, even though I decided to go along for now. At least Akram gave me some space to rewind, which I was incredibly thankful for.

The car couldn't get closer to the shop Akram had looked up, so we had to get out of the car and hike through the crowded sidewalk.

Spreading a protective arm behind me, Akram matched my pace as we trudged the busy street at Midtown. It seemed like an instinctive gesture of him, acting like my personal bodyguard. I wondered if he did the same for everyone and it tasted like a bitter pill in my mouth. How silly of me!

A spaced-out frown line lingered on Akram's countenance whenever he looked ahead. It changed into a smile when he'd turn his face to look at me. The dark circles around his eyes were more visible in the daylight, worrying me even more.

"Are you alright?" I asked

"What?" Akram's eyebrows shot up as we stopped by the shop window. "Does it show?"

"W-what shows?"

He lowered his head, twisting his lips. "The caffeine deprivation. It's kicking in."

"Oh!" I said, brushing the side of my face. "We better hurry, then."

I looked away, pretending to examine the merchandise on display, while my mind was elsewhere. I merely glimpsed Akram's reflection and the swarming street behind us in the reflective glass.

Why does it seem so surreal to go shopping with Akram? How come it's​ like we're transported to a different city? Different streets? Different world? Even the passersby look different. More vivid. Like the lanky guy with the red hair crossing the street. Or the lady with the floral dress and dirty blonde hair who passed behind me.

With a start, eyes wide, I twisted my neck to stare at the woman. My heart thudded and my mouth went dry. The streak of dirty blonde hair made me look twice just to make sure.

I exhaled.

It's not her! Oh God, it's not her!

It was another reality check. One glimpse and I was hauled back into the real world. It was like fate didn't want me to forget I was threatened in this place. The serpent was still on the loose. Sure, I was safe for now, but who knows what could happen next? She didn't plan all of this for nothing.

"Hey!"

I turned back to find Akram following my gaze. "Is everything okay?"

"Y-yeah! I-I just thought I... I saw someone..." I stammered.

Akram's face paled. A worried look filled his eyes.

"Uh! Do you like anything so far?" I blurted out, pointing to the high-end espresso machines in the display window.

"You're the expert. I have no idea. " Akram shrugged. "Which one do we get?"

"Um! The compact one with the espresso capsules... I think." I tucked my hair behind my ears. "I've seen it online. Really easy."

"Ah! Easy for you. I'm sure I'll still mess it up." He winked at me. "let's get it then before I start seeing dead people. "

Half an hour later, we were back on the road. Akram possessed his own espresso maker, and his bank account lost as much as I could've​ earned in two weeks.

We were close to his home when Akram turned to face me, a slight squint wrinkled his eyes. "I'm starving and I have nothing to eat at home."

"Oh!... Uh! If you have to go somewhere for lunch, I'll just grab my things and--"

"I'm not going anywhere." He shook his head. "We'll just drop by at the grocery store."

"We?"

"Yeah. Is that okay?" He pulled his eyebrows up, tilting his head. His wide-eyed gaze irresistible. "Besides, you promised to teach me how to use the machine."

Sweet potatoes! This puppy look must've worked wonders on his mother when he was a kid. Probably still does. I bet it would work on anyone with two X chromosomes. Ugh!

My lips twitched. "Well... Alright."

Akram grinned. "What would I do without you?"

Oh, Akram, you'd do a lot better! You wouldn't be robbed because of me.You'd have a more peaceful life. You wouldn't have a needy, deceitful friend with a shameful past, who drags you to the streets in the middle of the night.

I bit my lip, head hanging down.

The driver stopped in front of a well-known supermarket. A variety of vibrant-colored produce spread outside, looking fresh and succulent. Even though the grocery store was around the corner from Akram's building, he asked the driver to wait.

"We won't be long, I promise. I'm a quick shopper," Akram told me as he opened the passenger side door, leaving his newly acquired coffee maker in the backseat.

I hopped onto the sidewalk, while Akram led the way in a fast pace. I hadn't been to Westside much, but it seemed more peaceful here. Less cramped than Midtown. The area suited Akram's light-hearted personality.

A fusion of aromas swirled in the air-conditioned space as we entered the supermarket. The air smelled like freshly baked bread and deli products with a hint of fruit.

"Help me, please?" Akram asked. He handed me a shopping basket and grabbed a larger one himself.

"Oh! Sure." I glanced up at his beaming face. His mood seemed to shift as he headed to the frozen food aisle.

"First things first." Akram smirked and stopped at the ice-cream section. He began to pile all kinds of ice cream in his shopping basket.

I chuckled. "That's not very wise."

"Come on! How can you say that?" Akram pouted as he picked up the seventh pint of​ chocolate chocolate chip ice-cream.

My eyes bulged out and I almost barked an awkward laugh. "Are you seriously going to eat all this ice-cream?"

"I won't if you agreed to share it with me," Akram said and cocked his head.

I bit back a grin at his silliness. "Why are you acting like that?"

"I just thought ice-cream makes you happy." His face fell and he gave me the puppy face again. Ugh!

"It does," I blurted out, eyes darting around. I worried the shoppers might be watching. "I mean... you can always get more later. Plus, you're not supposed to grab the frozen food first, because it melts." I started to return the ice-cream into the fridge.

A smile spread across Akram's face, his head shaking back and forth. "Smart," he said.

I blushed and balanced the shopping basket with my hands. "It's just logic."

"We'll get four of those later. Happy?" He scrunched up his nose playfully and motioned for me to move on.

I stifled a giggle.

Akram led me through the most horribly mouthwatering food aisles, which meant one thing; junk food. I had no idea Akram was that type. He looked fit and healthy, but he seemed to have a weakness for sugar and sodium.

Barely looking, he loaded up his basket with all kinds of unhealthy snacks; chips, pretzels, Cheetos, candy bars, cookies; The whole nine yards.

"Is this how you shop every time?" I asked, my eyes wide with shock.

"That's just some snacks. Don't you like them?" He asked, pushing on to the next aisle. He grabbed a few cups of instant noodles and easy mac and cheese.

It made me smile, yet it made me worry for him. "I do, but... that's not good for you."

Akram stopped after he picked up bread, cheese and a few cans of tuna. He lifted an eyebrow, rubbed his chin, then sighed. "Ok, I'm done. What do you recommend?"

"I don't ​know. Maybe... some fruits​ or veggies?" I suggested, and took a step back, chewing the inside of my cheek. I knew it wasn't my business, but at least as a friend, his health mattered to me.

"You sound like my mother right now." Akram rolled his eyes and chuckled.

My heart sank. "S-sorry. Forget it. I didn't mean to intru--"

"Hey, could you help me choose?" Akram asked eagerly. "What do you like?"

"It doesn't matter what I like," I told him. "It's your food."

"Of course it matters. Why I asked you to help." His forehead jerked up, showing off the swirls of cinnamon in his eyes. "Come on, Mel. Please help your poor friend. I really suck at shopping."

My lips curved against my will. Another moment of not being able to say 'No' to him.

We moved through the aisles toward the produce section in the front. Akram loped along as if we were having a walk at the beach, an amused smile stretched on his lips. I could stare at his joyful expression forever if he didn't catch me ogling.

"So, uh, what's your favorite fruit?" I asked, waving at the rainbow of fresh fruits organized neatly in front of us.

Akram smirked for some reason. "Can you guess?"

"Um! Not sure," I said, shifting my weight awkwardly. "Apples?"

"Nope."

"Okay. Grapes? Oranges? " I looked around and randomly listed the fruits on the shelves. "Cherries? Bananas?"

Akram raised his chin up and laughed. "You're cheating, not guessing."

"Ok, I'm lost. Would you tell me?"

Akram lowered his face to my eye level and his eyes twinkled. "No. You have to figure it out on you own."

"How am I supposed to know?" I whined.

"Ok. Here's a clue." Akram pursed his lips. "It's yellow and you have four letters in common."

I bit my lips for a minute. My eyes squinted in concentration, then they snapped wide open. "Lemons?"

Akram's face brightened. He tipped his head back and chuckled lightheartedly. "You're smart, I can't argue that."

My face heated and I smiled bashfully. He was right to make this comparison, though. I guess I was a lemon after all. Always sour and a huge failure.

I picked some lemons, some lettuce and tomatoes and we were ready to check out. After a quick run to the ice-cream section, Akram stood in line behind a tall guy with reddish hair at the register, awaiting his turn to shake up his credit card- something I might not afford to do for the rest of my life.

For the second time today, a total stranger made my mind wander, reminding me of a different person. The redhead brought the memory of the innocent girl with the fiery curls who could've been me; Tina.

It was the absolute wrongest timing, but my eyes stung with tears. I shifted in my place, casting my face down and wiped my eyes before I humiliated myself one more time. Akram had done all he could to cheer me up and I didn't want him to see me like this. Spending the day with him almost made me forget, but reality kept pestering me in every step.

How could a person be so hopeless? Akram was the only sliver of light right now, but I shouldn't just dump everything on him. I had to handle it somehow. Find a job. Find a place. Find my own life. And then, maybe I could tell him how screwed up it had been. He may or may not forgive me for hiding the truth, but it was a risk I had to take. Akram was my personal savior. If it weren't for him, I could've ended up like the poor girl who'd taken her life in a wretched homeless shelter. I could've been roving the streets of New York, begging for money... or worse. I could've been a slave to the she-devil.

A shudder shook my insides and I squeezed​ my eyes, before a soft voice brought me back to Earth. "Hey, let's go home and feast."

My lids shot open to find Akram's​ observant gaze on me. He carried the hefty shopping bags and motioned with his chin towards the exit door. Stuffing the groceries in the back of the car, he refused to let me help until we arrived in front of his building.

"Alright. You get the coffee maker. I'll handle the rest," Akram said. He extended his hand to help me out of the car and then circled around it to pay the driver and fetch the groceries.

For a minute, I stood still, marveling at my surroundings. A light breeze fanned my​ face as I glimpsed the other side of the street. The fringe of the park appeared behind a border of oak trees. There were benches lined up against the curb in the shade. A man reading a magazine sat casually on one bench, a pregnant woman occupied another. Cars went by quietly as if in slow motion. Oddly, somehow the air smelled fresher. More quenching. This place helped me breathe a little better.

"What are you looking for?"

I spun around at the question. "Nothing. I guess I missed the park."

"We can see it from up there." Akram raised his face up, balanced the bags in his hands and threw a pleading smile. "While having a nice cup of coffee?"

I nodded in agreement. Akram deserved all he wanted. It warmed my heart to be able to give him something he needed, even if it was as simple as a cup of coffee.

The doorman tried to help Akram with the grocery bags, but he gently refused, so he helped him call the elevator. Akram thanked him and nodded politely.

These precious little moments were something to look forward to; watching Akram in his natural environment, being at home and just being... Akram.

As we entered the polished brass elevator, with the shopping bags in hands, my feet tapped the padded floor. I realized I was on pins and needles to go up into his apartment and watch him goofing around in the kitchen again. My lips turned up slightly and I looked down.

Maybe he'd let me help him clean up afterwards... Maybe I could make him a sandwich along with the coffee like I'd used to in the café. Maybe I ...

You have to leave, pinhead! There's no time for sappiness. Akram has a perfect life and you have your mess to fix before it's too late...

The realistic voice in my head was right, but I was selfish enough to at least enjoy the moment while it lasted.

****

Hello dear ones

It's another one of those chapters that you may or may not like. I bet editors wouldn't like it, but oh well!

I still hope you like it and I just wanted to get it out until I find the guts to write a serious chapter. XD

Please share your thoughts, vote and comment if you find it worthy of your time.

Have a lovely day.

Most_bay