I blinked my eyes, placed my hand on the car seat and nodded my head in appreciation. I looked out of the window and smiled.

"Did you buy this one?" I asked Brad while looking at the interior of the car. He didn't say anything and kept his face blank. My gaze fell on his fingers as he tapped them on the steering wheel.

"Nice car," I commented, giving him a humongous smile. "I'm being honest, this car is cute and comfortable. It suits you, Brad."

There was a minute of silence as I waited for him to say something. I only met with silence and him looking forth. I shrugged my shoulders and a sigh left my mouth. "Okay."

"Where do you wanna go?" he asked a minute later.

"Walmart and target!" My smile is back on my face. I rock my feet on the car floor. Brad turned around and he looked at me. His brows frowned in confusion.

"Can't we go to Walmart or Target? Why both?"

"Because I like the decorative stuff from Target. They are less expensive and cute." Brad didn't look away. He kept staring at my face for a minute.

"Brad? Did I say something wrong?" He quickly snaps out of his thoughts and looks away. "Where do you want to go first?"

"Walmart." I pulled my phone out. "I actually made a long list of things we were going to buy. I also made a Pinterest board for your apartment makeover."

"Pinterest?"

"Yes, it makes it easy, you know. I went through the boards and other makeover pictures. I have selected some pictures and created a board. I will send you the pictures so that you can tell me if you like them or not."

"Do you want to see how I want to paint the walls of your apartment?" I asked.

"No." My brows grimaced.

"Why?" He shrugged his shoulders and gave me a side-eye look. "I cannot decide on anything, do as you wish."

"Okay." I looked out of the window as there was nothing much to talk about. Brad doesn't like to chat and I don't want to become an idiot before him by blabbering out words. The ride to Walmart was a short one.

I watched as Brad got the cart. "Now?"

"The paint section," I said out loud. He nodded his head and looked around for the board. "I know where the paint section is."

He glanced back at me. I turned around and started walking towards the paint section while he followed me. "I want to keep it normal and sweet. So I'm thinking it would be good if I used white, warm brown or other shades of brown for the walls. I'm planning to do the same with your bedroom. You know... Have the common colours throughout the apartment."

I turn around to see if he is listening to me or not. He is listening, "You have any particular colour in your mind? You can tell me. I will use those shades while painting the walls." We are in the paint section.

"Do whatever you want," he said, turning towards the paints. I watched him as he went through the colours and picked up the paint boxes. He checked them, "is this the one?"

I looked at the paint box and nodded my head. "Yes." He placed the paint boxes in the cart. Then we went over to the paint tools section. He got all the tools.

"Next?"

"Next?" I pulled my phone out and opened the notes. "Pillows, blankets, kitchenware, table, sofa, cushion, bedsheets-" I was stopped by Brad.

"One section at a time."

"Okay, furniture section."

"I don't need furniture, we will go to the kitchenware section," he replied, pushing the cart and I followed him frowning.

"Why not furniture? We need furniture for the living room and kitchen." He didn't say anything. We ended up in the kitchen section. We stopped and looked around as the section was kind of packed with people.

"This side," I said and started wandering towards the cutlery section. He follows me and waits while I look at the knives, forks, spoons, and wooden boards for chopping.

"Why do you need that many spoons?" Brad asked when I took a set of spoons.

"You need to have spoons, Brad, not a spoon."

"You are just wasting my money by buying these things. I don't think I will be using them."

"Be quiet Brad, you will need them when you start eating at home," I told him, picking up the fork set.

"I'm not going to eat in my apartment."

"Why? Why don't you eat in your apartment? You can save your money," I said, turning to look at him.

"I don't know how to cook."

"Don't joke, Brad, I know that you know how to cook. If you really don't know, then I will help you."

His expression changed, he looked at me before he started laughing. I looked at him to see if I said something funny or wrong, but I was in wonder, looking at him laughing. It's the first time that I saw him laugh.

"What's so funny Brad?" he stopped laughing and shook his head before walking forward.

"What? tell me," I said, following him.

"You will help me with how to cook?" He asked.

"Yeah," I said, looking at him confused.

"Ava, I have known you from childhood and I even know that you can't cook to save your own life," he said, smiling again. My cheeks turned red in embarrassment. Okay, it is true that I don't know proper cooking. I almost burned my parent's house down while trying to cook.

"Hey... I learned basic recipes," I told him.

"Oh... Tell me what you learned?" He asked.

"Egg toast, omelette, fried rice."

"How many months did Hailey take to make you learn them?" he asked with an amused smile.

"I'm not going to say that," I said, feeling embarrassed. I went forward leaving him there. He chuckled before following me.

"Ava, if you ever wanna learn how to learn more recipes you can ask me," he says with sarcasm.

"No thanks!"

We walked towards the food section. I asked him before I put the food items in the cart because I didn't want to buy unnecessary items. I wanted to do the bedroom and furniture shopping but Brad told me to work on the painting part first.

Once I'm done painting the apartment, he will take me to the rest of the shopping. One thing at a time.

We left the store with hands full of plastic covers. Without him knowing, I took a photo of him on my phone.

"Hmm, I want to grab something to eat. Are you hungry?" he asked, turning around to look at me. I just nodded my head. I'm happy that he is spending time with me.

"Tacos okay, right?" he asked while I settled down in his car.

"Yup!" I said. I don't know if he knows that or not. Tacos are my favourite. I remember those days when I used to beg Vincent to take me to a taco house where we used to find the best tacos in the town. It used to be far from our place, so Vincent was the only person whom I could ask to take me there.

"Vincent and Celeb used to bring you tacos when they want you to write their assignments," Brad said while I was busy in my thoughts.

"You know about that?" I asked him in surprise.

"Yeah, because I used to be the one who used to go to that taco house of your favourite and bring them.

"I don't know that. They used to bargain, giving me one taco for one assignment and another for another subject."

"You still love them?"

"Absolutely!" He didn't say anything but I saw a slight smile on his face.

"I won't be staying in my apartment, I will give you another copy of my keys. You can use them to get in," he spoke after a while.

"Why?"

"I will be going to my training and to my fights. No one will disturb you."

"Oh okay," I said, slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be there. I know that he would be going to his training but there was this slight hope that he would be with me, helping me. With this excuse, I would know him, but to my bad luck, I'm alone.

We both stayed quiet throughout the drive. I looked out of the window, watching people, streets, moving cars and the sky. I will be spending my weekend time with my parents. But this weekend I'm not going there as they are going to visit our aunt.

"Let's go," Brad says, getting out of the car. I followed him into the bustling place. I observed as everyone started making way for Brad and how they were watching our every move.

I felt uncomfortable with their looks and tucked Brad's shirt from behind, making him stop. He snapped his head down with a questioning look. I held my lips in between my teeth and gave him an uncomfortable look. He understood what I was feeling as he stepped back holding my hand in his. He grimaced at people who were looking at us, which made everyone snap out of their thoughts and look away.

It is a self-service place. Brad ordered food and we sat at the side as it was the only table available. Suddenly, Brad's posture stiffened and his eyes were glaring, his face was hard and his hands were in fists. I didn't understand and I turned around to see what he was glaring at.

I saw three buff and creepy-looking guys looking back at us. The middle one with tattoos smirked when our eyes met. I felt Brad's hand cupping my hand, he squeezed my hand, making me break my gaze on the creepy guy. I snapped my head back to Brad who was now frowning at me.

"Don't ever make eye contact with people you don't know," he said in his low menacing voice.

"But..." one hard look from him, I automatically shut my mouth. I want to know who the men were, but I had better know not to ask him now.

"Pick the boxes, we will leave now." He said, picking up his cola and food boxes. I picked up mine and followed him out.

I wanted to turn around and see the guys but Brad stood so close that I couldn't turn around. He unlocked the car. I got in, followed by him.

He started driving, "Finish your food," he said. I shrugged my shoulders and started eating my tacos.