“You know, for someone who’s supposed to be the centre of the party, you’re anywhere but near that.” Zera heard from behind, and she spun around to find Aaron standing there with two glasses of wine in his hands. He handed her one, and as she took it, he gulped his.
They were currently at the Hart Company in the event hall, which was located on the fourth floor, to celebrate the company’s third anniversary. The event had started three hours ago, and they arrived two hours later to see the hall filled with guests and friends. Aaron knew many of them, but even after three years, Zera didn’t, and so he took her around, meeting and saying hello to them one after the other. After an hour of that, Zera asked to use the restroom, and he released her. She didn’t return to his side after she finished. Instead, she stayed in the corner of the hall, watching the show go on.
Aaron was very good at handling and facing the crowd, but she wasn’t, and forcing herself to do so only left her anxious. Yes, she knew who he was and the type of life he had when she said “I do”, over a year ago, but she loved the man and was in a slow process of loving socialising.
Damor was here, as were Sesi and Lionel, but Damor, who flew over to be a part of the celebration had his hands full as he had been flirting with two gorgeous and tall ladies for the last thirty minutes. He was definitely taking them home with him. Sesi and Lionel were already a complete pair, and going there would only ruin everything. Ivan didn’t come, as he was the only Hart sibling who didn’t work for the company. He had no obligation to be in attendance. Perhaps he would have kept me company-or not.
Her partner was in the hall, but she couldn’t go to him; socialising was too much for her.
Yes, she was a professor and was social and very engaging in her field, but that, to her, was completely different from this. The only time she was at the centre of attention was with her students, and that was so much easier to control than this was.
Here she had to smile, act coy, and engage in a little discussion with people she didn’t know.
At least she had Aaron.
Yes, and he did it with ease.
Even when she left his side to use the restroom, she felt eyes on her all the way in, and hence she chose to stay a little away and watch from the corner.
Aaron was here now, which meant the people he engaged in business talk with were not enough to take his mind off her absence.
She hesitated to drink the wine. She silently chewed her bottom lip and watched him.
“You were supposed to use the restroom and return, but you didn’t. Is there a better view here than over there with me?” He asked curiously.
“Yes,” she replied to his last question, and this made his brows rise in interest.
“What is it, then?”
“I get to watch you from here, and it’s such a better view.” She added, and a smile spread across his face.
He took a step towards her, his smile not reducing, and came to a stop when his body touched hers.
“Now you’re trying to turn the game around on me, just like I did this morning.” He said and now that he mentioned it, she realised she was mad at him this morning because of the stunt he pulled.
“Is it working?” she raised her brow.
“Well, it is, but I’d rather we get home before I show it to you. Right now, I need you beside me.” He said, reaching down and taking her hand in his.
“I barely know all these people; many of them I’m seeing for the first time. I am happy because that means the company is expanding, but holding up a smile that I don’t mean is exhausting,” she confessed.
It’s been over a year since her marriage to Aaron, and it was a private ceremony, so only family and a few friends were invited. Since the wedding, it has been slow to meet people. Aaron did celebrate the first anniversary, despite his curse of power and death lurking, but it was a small event. After the war, they spent time rebuilding what they had lost, so the second anniversary celebration of the company was a small event as well. This would be the first big celebration they were having, and more people were present than there were the first two times. It was a special celebration, and she was happy for the turnout; she just wasn’t used to it.
He chuckled, and she glared at him. He held up his hand and shook his head, saying, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that was the problem.” He wrapped his arms around her and said, “Babe, if you have a problem holding up a smile, then don’t smile.”
“It’s very easy for you to say,” she said, her nose crunching up.
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Listen, I’d rather have you beside me and not smiling than have you away from me.” He said it, and he sounded so serious that she had to believe him.
He leaned in and kissed her nose, then down to her mouth. She didn’t get the chance to kiss back because he pulled away from her, and she drew a sharp breath.
“Fine, let’s get this over with, but you owe me.”
“Oof, how I love to be in your debt!” He smirked and bit his lips.
He tightened his arm around her waist and led her back towards the crowd. She didn’t feel as on edge as she had felt earlier, before running away. It had to be because she had talked the issue out with Aaron, and sharing it had half solved it.
She glanced up at him and found him smiling down at her.
Oh, he had read her thoughts. It was obvious, but she didn’t mind. It wasn’t a bad thought or a nasty one.
She couldn’t read him, though. She thought it was only a matter of time before she’d be able to, but she still couldn’t, and she didn’t have any explanation for that, nor did Aaron or Ivan.
She was a sage, which meant she was supernatural, yet she couldn’t do this. At first, it bothered her, but now it doesn’t. There was no need to read him; he wouldn’t lie to her to begin with.
Aaron stopped walking, and she stopped gawking at him. Her gaze moved to the two men in black three-piece suits and the lady in an oxblood sweetheart’s gown, standing before her with a wide smile on their faces.
She didn’t let her smile last for long.
“Mr Aaron Hart, it’s so nice to be here.” The man at the left with blue eyes and brown hair said, offering Aaron a handshake.
Aaron gladly took it and shook it firmly, saying, “I’m glad to hear that, Mr Charles Bentley. I heard from your PA that you were out of town.” Aaron said.
He agreed with a nod, saying, “I returned this evening and thought to honour the invitation. I’m worn even as I stand here, but this party is well planned out.”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “You flatter a lot.” and then turned to the two others, saying, “Mr. Tony Clinton and Miss Mercedes Lane, I’m glad you could make it as well.”
“The pleasure is ours, Mr Aaron Hart.” Tony answered.
Aaron’s eyes moved down to Zera, and then his arm around her tightened. “Tony, Charles, and Mercedes, I want you to meet my wife, Zera Hart.” And to Zera, he said, “My love, meet Tony Clinton, Mercedes Lane, and Charles Bentley.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Tony said, stretching his hand out to her for a shake.
She took it and firmly shook it while holding a small smile on her face, and she did the same with Charles.
She offered her hand to Mercedes, but the other woman hesitated before taking it. At her touch, Zera felt a charge of energy; the intensity was terrifying and left her unable to speak.
“What will kill you is your very own,” she said.
Zera yanked her hand from her grip, startled by her words: “What did you just say?” She demanded, her brow furrowing at the lady, who now appeared clueless before her.
Mercedes glanced up at the men on her right and then back at her. “I said it was nice to meet you.”
That wasn’t what she said, and Zera heard it clearly: “No, that wasn’t what you said.” She said, her tone coming off harsh and snapping, and it made the gazes of Tony and Charles narrow at Zera in confusion.
It felt almost as if she were the only one who heard this, and the silence that followed confirmed it.
She was the crazy one.
“I’m sorry,” Mercedes said, and her eyes looked both confused and terrified. “Please excuse me.” She said and walked away from them.
Tony and Charles stayed a few seconds before also taking their leave, and Zera was left with Aaron.
“Did you not hear what she said?” Zera asked, turning her attention to Aaron, whose silence in all this she didn’t understand.
“Hear what?” Aaron asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
“She said, and I quote, ‘what will kill you is your very own.’ Did you not hear that?”
He shook his head, “I didn’t; all I heard was it’s nice to meet you.” He answered, and that didn’t help Zera at all. “Was that what you heard?” He asked after a brief silence went by.
She pursed her lips and nodded. “Yes, and I swear I’m not making this up and I’m not crazy. I really heard her say it.” Mercedes didn’t even look like she was trying to hide what she said. She looked clueless-almost as clueless as someone who didn’t say that to begin with.
“I know, and I believe you, but what does that mean?”
It had been two years since the war, which meant it had been two years since she became a sage, and till this point, she didn’t know who she was. The information about her kind was limited to a few lines or paragraphs at most, and they searched everywhere possible to find something but always came up short. Aaron told her something would come along and encouraged her to live with it. That’s what she had done. It didn’t make things easier, but she knew it could be worse. What Mercedes just revealed to her told her the days ahead weren’t going to be easy. If anything, it would be worse.
“I am afraid to find out what it means.” Came her ernest reply.