Raymond caught up with Charmaine down the block and ignoring the onlookers grabbed her arm and forced her around to look at him. "Charmaine, what's wrong?"

Charmaine was embarassed and knew that all the people around were stopping to watch them. She gave him a cold stare and hissed, "Will you let go of me? You're making a scene!"

Still holding on to her, Raymond stared back at her. "I don't care! I just want to know what happened between us."

Charmaine tried with all her strength to loosen her arm from his hold but he was much stronger. "Fine. We'll talk back at your place."

When they arrived at his apartment, Raymond knew that Charmaine was fuming. She didn't say a single word to him on their way back. He tried to make idle conversation but no response from her. Inside his apartment, Charmaine waited impatiently for him to return with their drinks. When Raymond was satisfied that she was as comfortable as he thought she should be he asked gently, "Now tell me what's wrong?"

Charmaine refused to look at him. "Nothing is wrong."

"If nothing is wrong then why can't you look at me?"

"Fine," Charmaine said and turned to look at him. "Satisfied?" she asked sarcastically.

Raymond was getting tired of her attitude and wanted to get to the bottom of it before he, too, loses his temper. The way she was behaving was frustrating him. He thought they were finally on the same page at last. These past couple of days Charmaine was constantly in his thoughts. When she slammed the door on him the other night, he almost lost it. With her ignoring and avoiding him, he felt irritated and moody. Sighing heavily he pleaded, "Please tell me what's bothering you?"

Charmaine looked at him and felt herself weaken at the sight of the tenderness shining in his eyes. "I-I feel that its best if we don't see each other anymore."

Instead of being angry, Raymond calmly asked, "Why?"

With disbelief, Charmaine icily said, "Your GIRLFRIEND will not like it AND I do not like sharing my boyfriend!"

Raymond got to his feet in shock and stared down at her, "My what?"

Seeing that there's no point to the converation any longer, Charmaine also got up and pointedly repeated, "Your live-in girlfriend whom I met the other day."

Finally, Raymond understood what has happened. Charmaine must have seen Linda leaving or entering into his apartment and jumped to the wrong conclusion. He still didn't know why Linda came over and made up those lies to his aunt. He did know that where Linda was concern, it was over between them. Suddenly he remembered that Charmaine referred to him as her boyfriend. That gave him a feeling of warmth and pride and he could not help but smile.

Charmaine saw the smile on his face and was incensed by it. All along he has been playing with her. Even though she does have strong feelings for him, she knew that those feelings weren't deep enough to cause a lasting effect on her. At least she hope it didn't because as of this moment, Raymond is out of her life. With nothing more to say to him, she grabbed her bag and headed towards the door.

Raymond held her back but she refused to turn around. Softly he said, "She isn't my girlfriend."

"Don't lie and say she is a relative."

"I am not going to lie. She was my girlfriend but I broke up with her already." He left out the minor detail that he broked up with Linda after he started his relationship with Charmaine. She didn't have to know that.

"Then why does she have access to your apartment?"

"She got it from my aunt," Raymond told her simply. "I swear that I didn't even know she was here until my aunt told me."

Charmaine looked up and met the sincerity in his face. She was torned between leaving and walking out and not seeing him again or trusting him one last time. She wanted to believe so badly. "Are you telling me the truth?"

Raymond saw the insecurity in her eyes and cursed himself for his past. Finally, he has found someone that he can't seem to get enough of and may want to spend the rest of his life with and she didn't trust him one bit. Looking deeply into her eyes, he repeated tenderly, "You are the only one for me." Raymond saw the tension leave her and hugged her to him. "I love you," he whispered into her ear, surprised to hear the words coming out from his own mouth, yet knew that it was true. He felt her stiffen at his words but he continued to hug her fiercely to him. "I love you Charmaine," he repeated, liking the sound of those simple words more and more each time he said it to her.

Charmaine felt a flowing warmth in her body and at this moment she didn't care if he was lying or not. She was too caught up with him now. There was no turning back for her anymore. "I-I love you too," she murmured. Raymond pulled apart from their embrace and softly touch his lips to hers to seal the love between them.