Chapter three:

"Hey! That was my dinner!" Ria pouted, irritated as Blaine strolled past her, directly into the kitchen after she had unlocked the front door. He immediately snatched the two remaining digestive biscuits in the packet on the kitchen counter and ravished them in two simple bites.

"So, Reid was right, huh? You do need supervision if you're eating biscuits for dinner. You're gonna have scurvy by the time he gets back."

Ria hauled herself onto the countertop of the kitchen surface. "You know, I appreciate you coming over every day. But you genuinely don't need to inconvenience yourself every single evening. I'm sure there's plenty of other things you could be doing with your Saturday evening."

"Honestly, you're probably right, but," He stopped mid-sentence and made a gentle tapping motion over his jean pockets until he found the outline of his phone. He grinned up at the phone, presumably using face ID to unlock it, then flipped it over to Ria, showing her the last message. She squinted her eyes until the screen came into perfect focus, and a string of texts from Reid asking how Ria was came into view.

Ria sighed exasperatedly. The overprotective brother act was starting to bother her. Still, she shook her head, knowing that nothing she said or even did would make Reid see her as the well-accomplished young woman she was becoming. Instead, she changed the topic. "So, how was the club last night?"

Blaine chuckled. His olive-toned hand gently rubbed the stubble over the left side of his angulated jawline. "We went to Unit Seventeen - had a couple of beers, listened to some good old RnB, and then out of the blue, Hazel...she tries to kiss me."

Ria feigned shock as she glanced at him. "No fucking way."

"You know, it's a good thing you didn't choose an acting vocation because that," he pointed at her facial expression, "was terrible. Did you encourage her?" He asked, curiosity lining his every word.

"I didn't discourage her if that's what you mean. And even so, she's an adult capable of her own decisions. I don't see anything wrong with her shooting her shot." She paused, scanning his reaction, but when no response came, she continued. "I take it her shot was unsuccessful?"

"I mean, she's not a bad kisser."

"I sense a but coming."

Blaine chortled. His hand flew up to his messy earth-toned mane as he spoke, fixing it into place. "But nothing, I'm just not interested. Is that okay with you?" The young girl rolled her eyes, jumped off the countertop and sauntered to the fridge. "How about a Deliveroo, Ri-Ri?" He inquired.

Ria had her back to Blaine but giggled quietly. "Nobody's called me that in years." She remembered idolising the RnB singer when she had been a mere girl and even taking singing classes religiously. Until the day, her parents had decided that Ria would suit a job in law more. Given the similarities between her name and the artist, she was jokingly called Ri-Ri as a child. "Yes - to the takeaway. Pizza?"

"What's your poison?"

"Veggie sizzler with extra jalapenos, please."

He simpered at her before placing the order. "So, since we're spending so more time together, tell me something new. Tell me about the new job?"

"Work is good. I mean, it's only been three months since I graduated, but I think I'm making good progress at the firm. It's always nice to have your own income instead of relying on dad's old clothing business. Oh, and Reid's money. Even though he still babies me regardless."

"He has good intentions, you know. I think everything with your dad...and then your mum leaving. I think it messed him up," Blaine explained but didn't quite meet Ria's eyes as he spoke.

"I know."

"Go easy on him, yeah? This whole Lydia-Indiya situation isn't helping either."

She nodded in agreement, gesturing for him to follow her as she stepped into the living room next door.

A large portrait of Rayhan, Ria and Reid's father welcomed them as they entered the room.

He had always been a man with a significant presence, even now after his death. It wasn't anything to do with his size, but it was more his eyes — the way they pierced through you. Hazel in colour — something which Reid had inherited whilst Ria had inherited her chocolate orbs from their mother.

"That picture." Blaine commented, avoiding making direct eye contact with it. "It feels like he's looking right through me."

"Yeah, we should probably take it down. Maybe, mum would actually come back home then," Ria articulated, almost jokingly, but the sorrow was unmistakable in her voice.

Blaine found himself seated on the sofa at the farthest place away from the portrait but could still feel Rayhan's eyes boring into him. "When was the last time you heard from Sihem?"

Ria rummaged her brain, attempting to remember the last time her mother Sihem had made contact. "The last time she called was three or four months ago. She told me she'd moved in with some man she'd met in Ireland. Refused to tell me anything about him though."

"You know, I still remember the day that Reid called me, telling me Sihem had just packed and left, no goodbyes."

"She didn't just leave." Ria replied defensively, "She was broken, tired and alone."

"Yeah, maybe she was broken and tired. But Sihem was never alone. She had two great kids that she abandoned. It partly explains why Reid is always so worried about you."

"It's not that simple, Blaine. Everybody copes differently. Baba had died — he was murdered in a car accident, and we had no answers. She was struggling to cope with it all," Ria justified her mother's actions that frightful night. She remembered it all too well.

A mere ten days after Rayhan's unfortunate death, Sihem had walked out of their home. Ria and Reid woke up one morning and found their mothers' belongings gone. They filed a missing person report and were soon told Sihem had left. She came back - from time to time - but it wasn't the same. She wasn't a mother to them anymore, just someone from the past. The caring mother they once knew had died with their father three years ago.

Blaine glanced down, avoiding eye contact with the younger girl. "So was Reid. So were you."

"It's so easy to judge, Blaine. But you don't know what it felt like. Yes, you were around and heard things from Reid, but you didn't live through that pain. Your parents are alive and still together, so count yourself lucky." Ria stated matter-of-factly.

Blaine offered a small smile that didn't quite reach his silver-tinted eyes. "I'm not judging her. I'm just trying to understand."

"Well, don't. You don't need to understand. It's easy to judge people's decisions when your only concern in life is getting your dick wet." Ria said an element of harshness in each word.

"Why are you so cynical all the bloody time? I don't know what Reid has says about me when I'm not around, but that is not my only concern — far from it." The usual cheeky grin had slipped from his face. He appeared infuriated by Ria and maybe even hurt by her most recent insinuation. "Everything that happened was awful. Yeah, I get that, and I sympathise. But Ria, believe me when I say you're not the only person going through something. This whole victim complex you've got going on needs to stop." He stopped and added, "maybe, you're right, Reid needs to stop wrapping you in bubble wrap and then maybe you'd learn how to get your head out of your asshole."

Ria appeared gobsmacked as she gazed at the boy in front of her. "I do not victimise myself!"

"Uh, yes, you do."

"How dare you?!" Ria responded; her voice having risen by ten decibels.

Blaine chuckled. "Relax, Ria, take it easy. Honestly, the last thing I need is for you to burst a vessel right now. Listen, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, you can't keep yourself locked away – and more importantly, Reid shouldn't keep you locked away because of some weird fear that something else will go wrong. Trust me, everyone is going through something these days, and they don't keep themselves in a cage or bury their head in work to avoid living an actual life."

"Fine. I accept your apology."

"I never apologised," Blaine replied, confused.

"Yes, but there were apologetic undertones in your voice, so I'm just going to ignore everything you just said and move on." Ria continued.

Blaine laughed loudly, bemused by Ria. "You're a piece of work, sometimes."

"So, if you say that's not your only goal in life, what is?" Ria quizzed the boy, waiting for him to slip up.

"I don't know." He sighed. "I even quit my job; you know. I started to hate the routine of the place."

"Again?! What is this? The third time in the past year?" Ria replied, aggravated by the lack of responsibility demonstrated by Blaine yet again.

"Oh yeah, I guess it is. Don't worry. I got a part-time personal trainer job at the local gym." He sighed. "I just haven't found anything that I'm truly passionate about or even enjoy much."

"Weren't you always doing the PT job on the side? I swear you quit the job after you broke up with...what was that girl's name?" Ria wracked her brain and clicked her two fingers, saying. "Aaliyah!"

Blaine winced audibly at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. "Yeah, that's the one."

"Why'd you guys break up anyway?"

"Well, look at that. It's nearly nine. I better get going." Blaine babbled.

"Hey! I answered your questions." Ria pouted.

"Another day, huh? I mean, we have got three weeks left." Blaine laughed, heading for the front door.

"But what about the pizza?"

"I only ordered it for you. Eat well." He winked at the young girl, before finally leaving the house.