A/N: Ok well at long last! Here it comes, the final instalment in the story. Hope you havn't lost too much interest because of the long gaps between updates. Thank you all for the lovely reviews that you have written. Hopefully there shall be more roomie stories in my future. I hope the TPTB will make it happen for real on the show for all the faithful fans... Until then ... xxxx
Chapter 15:
Neela sat on the sofa feeling restless. Where was Ray? She had gotten home to an empty house over an hour ago and decided to wait for Ray to get home. She sighed. Well he's obviously in no hurry to get home to me, she thought sadly. Another, more terrible thought had occurred to her several times in the last hour but she tried to put it out of her mind. What if he's not coming home at all tonight? What if went to Melissa's? Or even someone else's? It wouldn't be the first time Ray had stayed out all night, although admittedly not recently.
Neela got up and let out a groan. This is useless. I could be waiting here for nothing, she thought. She turned away to head towards her bedroom when she heard the jingle of keys in the door.
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Ray took a deep breath as he stood outside the front door of the apartment. He had decided that going home with whatsherface would have been a bad idea. There was only one woman on his mind and he had tell her how he felt. Even if there was a chance that he was too late, all he could do was pray that he wasn't. It was the early hours of the morning now though and even if she didn't have company he expected her to be in bed by now. He just hoped that she had come home and not with Ash.
After standing there for a couple of minutes he finally put his key in the lock. He opened the door and found that the living room lights were on. Standing in the middle of the room was Neela. Alone. Ray felt his heart soar when he saw that she was by herself. Neither of them said anything for what seemed like eternity all they did was just stand and stare at each other. What is she doing up at this time?, Ray wondered. Finally Neela broke the silence.
"Hi", she said somewhat nervously Ray noticed.
"Hey", He said.
More silence.
"So your up late", Ray commented.
Neela twisted her hands together looking at them instead of him, "Yeah I was kind of waiting for you to come home".
"I'm really sorry I left the club without you", Neela said looking up finally, "I tried looking for you for ages but I couldn't find you. And I kind of thought that maybe you had gone home with…"
Neela trailed of going red. She looked down at her hands again. Ray felt his heart sink, she hadn't thought that I would go home with Melissa did she?
Ray took a few steps forward till he was standing directly in front of her. He reached out and ran a finger down Neela's cheek and along her jaw and raised her chin so that she was looking at him again.
"Neela I'm really sorry about Melissa coming over in the club and being all obnoxious and everything", he said softly, "there's nothing going on between me and her".
"Really?", Neela questioned. Ray thought there a glimmer of relief in her eyes.
"Definitely not", he said firmly. He paused for a minute and then carried on, "Yeah. I tried looking for you in the club but I couldn't find you. I er… heard that you went home with Ash".
Ray tried to keep what he thought looked like a neutral expression on his face but waited for her response with baited breath.
"Oh Ash?", Neela said shaking her head, "He just gave me a lift home. He offered and I thought it would be easier then trying to get a cab at this hour".
Ray let of some of the breath he was holding. He had to know though…
"So… what's going on with you and Ash?", he asked trying to sound as casual as possible.
"Nothing", Neela said shaking her head, "He a nice guy but…"
"But what?", Ray looked at her questioningly.
Neela stared at him intently, "He's just not the guy for me".
"Oh?", Ray said not daring to hope. "And who is the guy for you?"
Somehow in the course of their conversation they had moved closer and now Ray could hear Neela speak clearly at no more then a whisper.
"Well", she said, "Lately I've been kind of thinking… Well its just that…".
"Yes?", Ray breathed.
"Well its you". she finally said looking up with a mix of emotions in her eyes.
With her words Ray felt his heart burst with joy. He had been certain that the moment that they had shared earlier in the club, before Melissa had interrupted them, had not been one sided but now he was sure.
Without another word he closed the short gap between them and captured her lips with his. Ray had kissed a lot of women in his time but nothing compared to how it felt with Neela. It was nothing short of euphoria. He wrapped his arms around her waist and her petit body molded perfectly into his. He felt her arms snake up along his chest and around his neck and he pressed the kiss deeper. It felt like a long time had passed when they finally broke the kiss, both slightly breathless. They remained intertwined and Ray rested his forehead against Neela's. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes and then Neela spoke first.
"Wow", she said looking up at him.
"Yeah that pretty much sums up what I was thinking", Ray smirking.
"You know, I've been wondering what that would feel like for some time now", Neela admitted.
"Yeah?", Ray said stroking her hair.
"I realised something tonight", Neela said holding his free hand, "I realised that my feelings for you are more then just that of friends. I want more then that".
"I've been feeling that way for a while", Ray said, "I just didn't think that you did".
"I wish you had told me", Neela said surprised to hear that Ray's feelings had been developing for some time.
"I was scared of ruining what we had", Ray said, "and plus I think it was better for you to come to your own conclusions".
"When did you get so yoda like!", Neela laughed.
"I am all wise", Ray smiled he said bending down to kiss her again.
"You know this is something I could get used to", Neela said when they finally broke apart for the second time.
"Well you'd better!", Ray said chuckling, "coz there plenty more where that came from".
"Promise?", Neela said raising an eyebrow.
"That is certainly one promise I wont be breaking", Ray grinned.
"Well guess what I'm in the mood for", Neela said running her hands up Ray's chest.
"Please god let it be what I hope it is", Ray said raising his gaze upwards, and crossing his chest.
"A good horror movie!", Neela said beaming.
Ray hugged her tightly, "Exactly what I prayed for", he whispered in her ear.
He put on the dvd player and lead her to the couch where they promptly fell asleep in each others arms before the title had even appeared on screen.
