Samantha's motivation for leaving the book signing felt enormous since Raymond manifested and disappeared in a matter of minutes. For a moment, she thought, maybe she had imagined that he stood in the bookstore, but the novel he left behind confirmed it happened. And after a few more autographs, and photos, they cleared Sam from her duties.

Taking all her stuff, including the book Ray left, Sam strolled toward the cafe across the street. She noticed a guy standing near the cafe, he wore all black attire and had a baseball cap, hiding a part of his face. She felt sure it was Scott, a slight shiver ran through her body, but as a taxi passed by, covering the view just for a moment, the guy was gone. Samantha's body relaxed as she felt convinced her mind played tricks on her.

She swiftly crossed the street, and a sweet cinnamon smell reached her. The bell above the door rang as she lingered near the cafe entrance. At that moment, she regretted letting Alyssa go on a date with her boyfriend. That would be an excellent chance to prove that Samantha didn't fake having a boyfriend.

Raymond lifted his eyes from his phone just when Sam walked deeper into the cafe. The oak chair screeched as he stood up to greet her. Sam felt uncertain about what to do, so she only stood in one place, staring at Ray. Raymond hugged her waist and kissed her on the cheek.

"God, how I missed the coconut smell," he whispered. They stood for a moment in the embrace.

"I missed you too," Sam said, pulling from the hug, wanting to see his face. "You surprised me," she added, cupping his face.

"That was the point," he explained and kissed her. Sam couldn't leave her eyes off his handsome face.

Soon the pair separated from the hug and squatted on chairs. "How long will you be in New York?" Samantha asked, gazing at him, still in shock that he traveled to New York.

"I can stay for a week," Ray said. His brown eyes stayed glued to her blue ones. "If you will have me," Ray added. He took her hand, kissing her fingers.

"Oh, I will definitely have you," she said with a laugh. Her face stayed lit up by the broad smile his words brought to her.

After drinking coffee and talking, they left the cafe. And traveled to Sam's car, driving back to Rose's house. Samantha sneaked Ray into her bedroom, mainly because she wanted to spend more time alone with him. And she knew if Amber or Rose would see Ray, they would want to grill him with questions. In the evenings Rose was less vivid, so Sam didn't want to confuse her grandmother as well.

Samantha cracked her eyes, realizing it was night already. Ray laid on his back, Sam's head and hand rested on his bare chest. She slowly boosted herself, trying not to wake up Raymond. She put on her robe and went downstairs. As she climbed down, a shadow on the floor appeared and vanished, she looked at the terrace door, but nothing seemed visible. Sam check the door and it stayed locked, she lowered the blinds just in case someone was rooming around the house.

Her heart skipped a beat as Samantha heard the front door open and close. She halted near the stairs and peeked at the house entrance.

"You were supposed to be home an hour ago," Sam said, resting her arm on the hip.

"I know," Alyssa replied. Her face seemed flushed. "I had trouble finding a ride," she explained.

Sam stepped closer to her sister. "You should've called me, and I would've picked you up," Sam said, scanning her sister. Alyssa's eyes looked jarring. "Are you drunk?" Sam asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Alyssa shook her head in response. "Did you smoke pot?" She continued questioning.

"No, I didn't do any of those things," Alyssa said, raising her voice, moving toward the stairs. "I'm going to go to sleep," she added.

Sam clutched Alyssa's arm. "Are you okay?" Sam asked and stared into Alyssa's eyes.

"I'm fine, Sam. I'm just tired," Alyssa replied. Her demeanor wasn't normal. She seemed troubled. "We will talk tomorrow, okay?" she added.

"Yeah, sure," Sam agreed and kissed Alyssa's forehead. "Get some rest," she added.

Samantha watched as Alyssa climbed upstairs, and then Sam went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Her thoughts remained in a profound daze. Alyssa didn't smell like smoke or booze, which implied she didn't lie.

Remembering what Sam did when she was sixteen gave her a slightly nauseating feeling. Did her sister had done some things she did, like drugs or sex? Should she be worried? Alyssa looked anxious, but Sam didn't want to pressure her sister into telling her what happened.

With these thoughts, Sam went back to her bedroom, taking her beverage with her. Ray continued breathing deeply when she walked into the room, he was still sleeping. She placed the glass on the nightstand and rested beside him.

Samantha caught herself staring at him while he slept, the unsealed window gave a slight shadow to Ray's face, making him look more mysterious. A hushed giggle left her lips, when he watched her sleep, she said it was creepy. And here she stood doing the same thing. But he seemed just so damn handsome, with his sharp jaw and those plump lips. Sam kissed his cheek and went to sleep.

The next morning, Samantha stretched out her limbs, realizing she stayed in bed alone. Her heart pounded quicker when she sat on the bed, and Ray entered the room. He wore Sam's black silk robe, his feet remained bare, and he was holding a tray from the smell Sam knew it held coffee.

"Where did you go?" Sam asked, her voice uttered hoarsely.

Raymond smiled. "For breakfast, of course," he explained. He lay down the tray on the bed and sat down with his legs crossed underneath him. "I met Rose," he added and lifted the corner of his lips into a crooked smile.

Samantha looked over the tray, and there stood two cups of coffee. Sliced mango and a bunch of grapes. She bit into a slice of mango, and the taste almost made her moan loudly.

"You met my grandmother. Wearing this?" she asked, glancing at his chest, which was not fully covered by her robe.

"Yeah." His voice came out as a gasp and he bent his head slightly.

"And?" Sam asked and raised her eyebrow.

"I suspect she liked me," Ray said and nibbled on a grape. "At first she thought I was her son—"

"Which one?" Sam asked.

"Keith," he said and glanced at Sam. "I understand now," Ray added, taking in a long breath. "How difficult it is for you," he explained.

"I can't change anything," Samantha said and sipped on coffee. "All I can do is be here for her," she added, and Ray agreed with a nod. "I have to tell you a few things, Ray. And you will not like it," Sam continued and felt a lump rising in her throat, even another gulp of a coffee didn't help with the feeling. "The first thing is, I'm thinking of moving back here. With Rose's condition, I don't feel comfortable leaving her for a long time," she told him.

"I kind of suspected that already," Ray said, and sipped his beverage. "Which is why I'm going to move with you," he added and lifted his eyes to look at Sam.

Samantha shook her head. "You can't do that," she said, with wide eyes.

"Why not?" Raymond asked, leaning closer to her. Sam couldn't speak, so after waiting a moment, he revealed his plans. "I don't have a home. I live mostly on the bus and in the hotels. And in my spare time, I want to be with you. I don't care where we are, as long as I'm with you," he explained and moved the tray, putting it on the commode. "I'm honestly hoping that the talk you want to have is not the breakup speech," he said, sitting back on the bed, cupping Sam's face with his hands.

Samantha stared into his eyes. "No. I don't want to break up. But also, I'm not sure how we will manage this relationship," she replied with uncertainty.

Ray took her cup and placed it on the nightstand. "I think we can handle anything, love," he said.

Sam breathed in and glanced down at the bed. "Why are you calling me love?" she asked, slightly lifting her eyes.

"Okay," Ray said, lifting Sam's chin with his finger, staring into her eyes. "I was planning to do this more romantically, preferably not wearing your garments," he said. Sam let out a little giggle. "I call you Love because—I love you," Ray explained.

Sam stared at him blindly, as if no words were coming out of her. "Obviously, the first time I said it, I was hyped up on caffeine, but later I meant it, it took you long enough to ask," he added, arching his eyebrow. "I want you to say it back, but when you truly know that you love me. Okay?" he said. Sam just nodded. He pecked her lips. "And now I'm going to change my clothes and brush my teeth."

He left Samantha on the bed. She could hear her heartbeats, her heart pounded vigorously. Sam took her coffee, looking at Ray. He left the bathroom door open and was putting on his jeans. Soon he held in the bathroom's doorway, brushing his teeth when the bedroom door slammed open.

"Alyssa! Knock!" Sam yelled, squinting her eyes and staring at her sister.

Alyssa looked at Sam and then moved her sight to Raymond. Her eyes widened. She glanced at Sam again, and Samantha remained sitting on the bed with a smirk on her face.

"Raymond, meet my sister, Alyssa," Sam said, motioning to the entrance door where her sister stood.

"Hi," Ray said. His voice slurped from the toothbrush between his lips.

"Hey," Alyssa said in a trembling voice. She continued staring at him wide-eyed.

Raymond went to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Sam once again looked at her sister. "Told you," she murmured into the coffee mug.

"I'm sorry," Alyssa whispered, still with shock on her face.

"Oh, you have to do better than that, sister," Sam said. Alyssa's sight changed, and Sam could see her sister felt furious. "Relax, I'm joking. Did you want something?" Samantha asked.

"It can wait," Alyssa said, waving her palm down. Her body relaxed, and she seemed like herself again. "I can't believe you are dating him," she added, glancing at the bathroom door. "Can you introduce me to his brother?" Alyssa's lips lifted into a smile.

"Oh, honey, that wouldn't work out," Samantha said, shaking her head. "You are way too young for Logan," she added.

"Wait," Alyssa said, putting her hand on her right hip. "You said you were traveling with your boyfriend," she added, and Sam agreed with a nod. "Does that mean—Did you go on tour with Purple Rain?" Alyssa asked as her eyes grew wider.

Raymond got back to the room just as Alyssa finished her sentence. "Yes, she did," he answered for Sam in a sing-song voice. Ray lay down on his right side and put his palm on Sam's knee.

Alyssa's expression shifted into a smirk. "Did you tell him about last night?" she asked, her eyebrows lifting in a quick motion.

Ray glanced at Sam. "I was about to tell him, but you barged in sister," Sam responded, clenching her teeth.

"Then, I'm going to leave you to it," Alyssa said with a vast smile on her face.

Alyssa closed the bedroom door as Ray observed Sam. Samantha planned to tell him what happened between Tom and her, anyway. She placed her mug on the nightstand and shifted toward Ray, he stayed studying her face, and Sam only wanted to know what was on his mind at that moment.

He sat down. "Well?" Ray asked, his voice sounding irritated.

Samantha breathed out. "Last night, as you know, we had a family dinner," she said. Ray bent his head slightly. "My mom invited Tom," she continued. Ray's jaw tensed upon hearing her ex-boyfriend's name. "Nothing major happened—"

"That depends, what is major for you?" he said, his eyes seeming black.

"He kissed me," Sam said, glancing at Ray fearfully.

"That is major, Sam," Raymond said. Sam felt disappointment growing in him. "And? He kissed you, and then what?" he asked.

"I pushed him away—Ray, I did not kiss him back," Sam explained and took his hand. "It meant nothing, and I felt nothing," she added.

He rubbed the top of her hand as his eyesight observed her nails. "I want to believe you—" he said.

"But you don't, considering the history," Sam finished his sentence. Ray lifted his eyes to her and the look on his face broke Samantha's heart into pieces. "Come on," she said and pulled his hand, getting up from the bed.

"Where are we going?" he asked, following her from the room.

"To the study," she said as they reached the corridor.

Soon they reached Michael's study, and Sam sat down in front of the desk. Ray remained standing slightly behind her. He bent down so he could see what Sam was doing on the computer. Samantha easily found the footage from that night since it seemed the cameras malfunctioned yesterday. She played the clip from the backyard so he could see what truly happened.

Ray's jaw tensed when the video showed Tom coming to the pool. "Just wait," Sam said.

After Tom went to the pool, and the night's events seemed clear, Ray relaxed a bit. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

He rose straight, and Sam remained still, sitting on the chair. "I understand how you feel," Sam said, gazing at him. "That." She pointed to the monitor. "Won't happen again." Sam stood up and placed her hands on Ray's face. "I promised not to hurt you and I will keep my promise. I want you, and just you." She pecked his lips.

"I love you," he whispered, making Sam's heartbeats rise. "Are there cameras anywhere else in this house?" he asked. Sam felt the heat under her palms, which stayed still on Ray's face.

"Yeah. Why?" Samantha asked, knitting her eyebrows, and placing her hands on Ray's neck.

He gripped her waist and bent down his head as his cheeks were turning a beautiful red color. "Well. You see, I didn't know that," Ray said, lifting his head. "So this morning, after waking up, I did something I don't want you to see," he explained.

"What?" Sam asked and took a step back.

"This morning, I woke up thrilled," Ray said, and Sam raised her eyebrow. "Not just because of all the sex, but I was just so glad. I did my happy dance in the corridor," he explained, rubbing his chin.

"You have a happy dance?" Samantha asked with a smirk.

"Yes. But it's awful. Please don't watch that," he said as the red color faded away from his cheeks.

"You are a great dancer so I'm sure it's fine," Ray shook his head. "Wait, you were dancing in my robe. And you are dreaming I will not watch that?" Sam asked and went to the monitor again. "I have to see this now," she added with a laugh.

The depressing mood changes quickly, and as they watched this morning's footage, it seemed adorable. Ray shook his head most of the time, and Samantha just laughed vigorously.