“These people are getting on my nerves now,” Aaliyah whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose, and Momo immediately smiled.
“I am sure they are just shocked to see you attending the school just two weeks after you woke up from such an injury,” Momo replied as they turned around the corner, and before Aaliyah could react, she was attacked by a bear hug from Henry.
“Mmmm, can’t breathe!” Aaliyah patted his back, and he released her.
“Damn, sorry. I am just so happy to see you back,” Henry scratched the back of his neck, and everyone chuckled, making him even shyer.
“I am glad that my presence makes you happy. It’s almost time for the class. Let’s catch up during lunch?” Aaliyah asked, and they nodded.
“Let me drop you to your class first. I will run back to mine,” Henry held Aaliyah’s hand like she was some delicate doll, and Momo wriggled her brows at her.
Aaliyah immediately understood what her friend was insinuating, and she rolled her eyes before flipping her off, to which Momo replied with a chuckle as she walked away.
“How do you really feel? I don’t know exactly what happened because no one knows the entire truth, but I am glad you are alright,” Henry sighed.
“Do you like me?” Aaliyah’s sudden question caught Henry off-guard.
“Why would you ask that so suddenly?” Henry asked, and Aaliyah smiled.
“No particular reason. I don’t want anyone to get hurt in our friendship. I already have someone I love,” Aaliyah said.
Henry smiled before flickering her head, and she scowled. “I already know that, sweetheart. But it doesn’t mean I should stop caring for you like a friend, right?” Henry’s words made Aaliyah smile, and she was about to reply when Ashton attacked her from behind.
“Why didn’t I know you were coming today?” Ashton looked at her wide-eyed.
“I dropped a message in the group. However, you might be too busy having s*x with -mmmm!”
“Ouch!” Ashton moaned in pain when Aaliyah bit his hand that he placed over her mouth.
“Can you keep it down? Unlike you, I haven’t announced my relationship to the elders, and if my dad heard it from outside, you know how he would be,” Ashton groaned, and Aaliyah rolled her eyes.
“Why haven’t you told him anything? He is so supportive of you in everything,”
“Well, I couldn’t bring myself to reveal things. Dad was pretty much low when he heard about you, and I didn’t want him to think I was finding solace in some girl because I was sad for you. I mean, I was sad for you, but I didn’t want him to jeopardize our relationship like that and -”
“I got it. Now stop rambling. You are making my head heavy with all this,” Aaliyah gripped her head, and Ashton looked at her with worry.
“Why did you come to school if you are feeling like this? Shouldn’t you be resting at home and focusing on getting better? Also, who is spreading rumors that you killed a boss of some gang?” Ashton asked, and Aaliyah shrugged before she walked to her class.
As she sat at her desk for her third lecture, her mind immediately went to a particular ex-teacher, and Aaliyah couldn’t help but feel a blush rising to her cheeks.
It’s been five days since the incident with Dominic happened, and Dominic hasn’t left a single chance to torment her with his sexiness, which is becoming hard to resist with each passing second.
Yesterday, he even dared to sit in front of her without a shirt, showing his perfectly chiseled chest that looked even more sturdy and hard now.
It took every ounce of patience in Aaliyah to not throw her idea away and pounce on him to bite and lick every inch of his skin.
“Miss Aaliyah, can you focus?” The new female teacher threw the chalk at her, but before it could hit Aaliyah’s face, someone held it in between.
“Are you out of your mind?” Alex burst out before he could control his mouth, and Aaliyah was brought out of her thoughts.
“Mr. Alex, watch your mouth!” The teacher fumed, and Aaliyah looked at Alex, confused about what happened.
“I will watch my mouth if you act like a teacher and be responsible. Don’t you know she came back from a tough surgery and coma? How dare you even think you could hit her head with a chalk? Do you know how severe your actions can be?” Alex asked, and Aaliyah’s gaze landed on the chalk in his hand before she looked at the teacher.
“I… I didn’t know about it. I am new,” the teacher stuttered when everyone started to look at her with glares.
“I am sorry for not concentrating on the board, mam. It’s okay. She didn’t mean anything wrong. Stop acting like you guys are some kind of a mob,” Aaliyah took her bag and walked out of the class.
It was way more uncomfortable than she had imagined.
As Aaliyah walked to the infirmary to rest again, she received a call from Mike, and her brows furrowed.
Why would he call her at a time like this? Doesn’t he know she is attending school again from today?
Aaliyah picked up the phone and waited for the other person to say something.
“We are in deep trouble,” Mike’s words came in a hurried rush, and Aaliyah leaned on the wall with chocolate candy in her mouth.
“What is it?”
“It’s your boyfriend. I mean, your ex-boyfriend. I think his men are tailing us. He still hasn’t gotten over the issue of that party, right? We only returned to the country today, and he is already onto us,” Mike said, and Aaliyah fought back a smile that was itching on her face.
No. She can’t find this cute at all. Dominic was tailing her friends to threaten them. This is not at all cute and adorable. Aaliyah told herself.
She looked at the swings on the playground and sighed. “Don’t worry. No men of Dominic have the audacity to touch my friends,” Aaliyah’s words made Mike relax.
“We still don’t know why we are in this mess again. We are as innocent as lotus this time. You got us into this. Why can’t you guys sort that without bringing other people into this? It’s clear you guys are dying to get back together and makeup already,” Mike commented.
Aaliyah hummed as she looked at her second phone, which had a notification of a message from Dimitri.
“We will think about it at the right time. I need some time to cool down right now,” Aaliyah’s words made Mike scoff again.
“Well, think about it soon because your cooling time is making things hot and unbearable for others. That boyfriend of yours has gone mad,” Mike ended the call, and Aaliyah unlocked her other phone to read the message.
“Have you talked to Dominic recently?”
Aaliyah furrowed her brows, uncertain of what this was all about.
“Does him stalking me at night count?” Aaliyah typed back.
[Never mind. I just wanted to confirm something. Tell your friends to stay alert, okay?] Dimitri’s message came, confusing Aaliyah.
She dialed Dimitri’s number to be clear on what was going on, but the call didn’t go through, and she sighed. It looks like she’ll just have to wait to see what happens.
Meanwhile, outside the Coastal Rings.
“What did she say?” Kyle asked Mike, and he shook his head.
“Aaliyah said that no man of Dominic would touch you. They don’t have the guts to go against her even if Dominic is their boss,” Mike’s words made Kyle breathe a sigh of relief.
“I didn’t know that the proposal of being her partner for one night would turn out like this,” Kyle took a whiff of his smoke.
“Well, weren’t you too excited about it? Aaliyah might now know, but anyone could tell how much you liked being with her. Who told you to like the girl even after knowing Dominic was behind her? You noticed his gaze on her when she fought that day, right? And I am sure you also heard the rumors about their kiss,” Mike’s words right at the point, and Kyle gritted his teeth.
“Why do you know so much? Fine. I was a bit excited. Is something wrong with that? She is beautiful and charming, and I am sure many boys in the ring like her. What is wrong if I like her too? Stop making it -”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t say these words in public so casually,” Mike interrupted Kyle, who furrowed his brows when he noticed Mike was looking right behind him.
Was Aaliyah here already? Kyle thought as they were near the school. Maybe she came to protect them from –
“So you like her, huh?” The cold and domineering voice reverberated in his ears, and Kyle’s hand on his cigarette paused.
“Dominic, I – I can explain,” Kyle stuttered when he looked at the man leaning on his car now.
“Yeah? Do you have an explanation? Let’s hear that out,” Dominic quirked his left brow, and Kyle gulped, visibly scared when he saw Dominic pulling out his gun from his pocket as if he was taking out some candy.
“Well, I… I, Aaliyah said no man of you has the power to touch or hurt me and go against her. I am sure you wouldn’t want to go against your love when you know how mean she can be,” Kyle threatened, resorting to his only solution, and Dominic smiled darkly.
“My love wasn’t wrong. No man of mine can go against her, but I, however, am a different case. I can go against her because I very well know how to coax her in the end. Now let’s discuss your reason for how you like what was a sin for you, yeah?” Dominic ran a hand through his hair before he pushed Kyle inside the car, and Mike stood there, watching helplessly.
Meanwhile, Aaliyah, who sat in the canteen to enjoy food with her friends, was finding it hard to concentrate on anything.
She doesn’t know what was happening to her, but it looked like everything was hollow around her.
“Aaliyah. Aaliyah. Your phone has been vibrating for some time. Where are you lost today? Do you not feel good?” David shook her shoulder, and her friends looked at each other, worried for her.
“No, I am fine. I was just thinking about how I will manage the studies and exams that are barely in two weeks,” Aaliyah lied before she looked at her phone and saw Kyle calling her.
What the hell was their problem today? Why were they acting like such a wuss, calling her again and again? Aaliyah was about to end the call when she thought otherwise and picked up the phone.
“This better be important, or I -”
“Your man has kidnapped me. I am sure this is important,” Kyle gritted his teeth as Dominic glared at him, sitting on his boss’s chair leisurely.
“Send me the location,” Aaliyah ended the call without saying anything else.
She knows why Dominic has done this, and it looks like it was about time she taught him a good lesson.