“Let me go!” she said, annoyed.
He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her cheeks, she fisted her hands on his chest as he trailed the kisses to her ear “That’s not what you were saying yesterday”
His sensual whisper which felt oddly erotic, made her knees tremble at the recollection. A harsh puff of air escaped her mouth as her next words trembled “Let me go” she repeated her previous sentence.
“I’m horny” he blurted out.
Aria’s eyes widened in surprise and explosions erupted in her chest as she finally managed to push him away with all her strength.
“Go back to your apartment and take a shower or something!” she shouted in disbelief as she turned and sat back down in her seat and started chewing on her pancakes, trying to avoid him.
She could feel his smirk as he leaned down to whisper in her ear “I’ll be back in a bit”
“Your sister invited me to go shopping with her”
Abigor’s face shot up with his mouth full of pancakes as he stared at her with distaste.
He came back to her apartment after taking a shower in a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans and he’d started eating the pancakes like they were prepared just for him.
“Why?” he questioned as Aria shrugged.
“I don’t know”
Abigor looked at her up and down. A white thin blouse and light blue loose jeans, her blonde hair straightened and her face adorned with little makeup.
“And by the looks of it, you are going?” he asked with furrowed eyebrows as he slammed the fork down in frustration.
“Yeah, I guess” she replied nonchalantly “I’m curious”
“Anna is not that simple, she always does something with an intention” he sighed as he stood up and walked towards her, he held her shoulders tightly “she and my mother are similar”
“Or maybe. . .” she grabbed his right hand as he loosened his grip. She interlaced their fingers and played with the golden Rolex watch hanging loosely around his wrist.
“. . . she just wants to hang out” she knew the moment she said these words that they were the least possible explanation for Anna’s sudden invitation.
“You are not going” his firm voice commanded lowly, leaving no room for rejection.
“You cannot order me around” she retorted back, slightly irked.
“I just did” he snapped and snatched his hand away from her hold and grabbed her neck. She gasped loudly when he squeezed it roughly with gritted teeth and clenched jaw, while her hands flew to his, to escape.
“When I say something, you do it!” he gritted out moving forward, making her keep stepping back and soon enough Aria found herself pressed against the sturdy wall while he continued to squeeze her throat.
“I’ve been way too lenient on you little girl, do you think you can-”
“NO!” she cut him off as she shouted loudly and kicked his knee with all her strength.
The sudden action made him lose his grip for a second and Aria used that opportunity to push him back.
“GET OUT!” she yelled in rage while breathing heavily, trying to make up for the missing seconds.
Realization hit Abigor. He was too blinded by his fury that he almost hurt her “Aria-”
“GET THE FUCK OUT!” she shouted again as she grabbed the taser from her purse and pointed it at him warningly, completely forgetting that he had something more real in his holster belt around his waist.
“Aria listen to me”
“Please” she whispered out this time her hands shook and she looked at him defeatedly. Something flashed in her eyes, they looked so. . . sad.
Abigor stared at her for a few minutes as they stood so close, yet so far, from each other in silence. He sighed one last time before turning around and leaving her apartment.
Aria’s brave front finally broke as she heard the closing of the door and her knees trembled, she gave up and slid down on the floor.
The unpleasant memories and the demons of her past came crawling back to haunt her again.
Aria came out of her car and looked around. The destination chosen by Anna was one of the most expensive shopping places in the city where Aria often came.
There was still no trace of her companion, so she leaned against her car and folded her hands across her chest. Her bodyguards sat on another car a little far as per her request, watching her surroundings.
Her mood was already sour because of the act Abigor pulled.
I shouldn’t have told him about this in the first place
She blamed herself for speaking more than usual and for slipping out important matters.
The hot breeze blew as Aria frowned in frustration. Anna was late or maybe she wasn’t coming at all. Would Anna go as far as to shame Aria?
Aria’s gaze roamed around the high-end shops and many people dressed fashionably. Some chatted along while some laughed and boasted about their wealth.
Her gaze fell on the back of a woman with pale pink hair and a navy blue double-breasted overcoat. She was standing away from all the chaos, staring peacefully inside the shop through the huge windows.
A screech of car pulled Aria out from her daze as she turned her head towards the side to see a red tacky sports car stopping beside her Audi.
“Finally here?” Aria said quite annoyed at Anna’s lateness when she saw her getting off the car elegantly in a similar blood-red dress.
“I apologize” Anna walked up to Aria and gave out a fake smile “but I was ready on time, it were my companions who took their time getting ready”
“Companions?” Aria thought as she looked back at the car to see the door opening from the other side as the heels clicked on the cemented road.
Aria gritted her teeth in annoyance when the auburn strand of hair came into her view and the woman turned around to look at them with delight.
“My mother invited herself” Anna whispered beside Aria in a grim voice as Aria rolled her eyes.
“Oh, my future daughter-in-law!” Layla, Abigor’s and Anna’s mother, said as Aria shook her head and sighed before giving out a huge pseudo smile.
“You cannot be more wrong Mrs Hayes” Aria said as she and Layla hugged each other.
Layla frowned and waved her hands in dismissal “Whatever that means” she discarded while smiling widely and staring at Aria “I missed you so much!”
Aria nodded formally, but their small talk was interrupted when she noticed a small figure beside Layla. A young boy with stunning blue eyes and golden hair, standing in a suit in attention.
Was he standing here all this time?
Aria crouched down in front of him and extended her hand “I’m Aria and who might you be, young man?”
She said with a small but genuine smile. Aria always had a soft spot for kids.
The kids blue eyes first peered up at Anna and when she nodded, he extended his hands to reach Aria’s “I’m Jacob Buterin. Son of Ethan Buterin and Anna Hayes Buterin”
Aria’s heart fluttered in love at the well mannered small boy as he retrieved his hand back and straightened up again.
“Such a well behaved kid you have Anna” Aria remarked as she stood up and they started walking towards the store they wanted to shop at.
“You have my thanks, but I don’t think I deserve it because it is all forced” Anna said looking ahead and holding Jacob’s small hands in her “in my opinion, it is quite peculiar for a 6-year-old to be this mature”