Chapter Forty-Eight – Did it.
Arya was almost sure Damien’s mood got spoiled by her reaction with Seth’s gift. She wasn’t still sure how he knew she was curious about it.
She couldn’t place why her curiosity would displease him, but she knew one thing for sure. Damien wasn’t interested in being anything other than business partners with Seth.
Arya later found out that Seth had left his number on the card but Damien purposely used email to give a formal response.
Also, he might have purposely thrown the gift box to the ground so the gift inside, a beautifully designed tea cup, would get chipped.
She shook those thoughts off her head. Damien wouldn’t be so petty. And why’d he do all that for?
“You met Seth today, right?” Arya decided to ask after eating her dinner. It took a lot of courage to ask but she had to.
He had ask her to arrange a meeting with him, so it shouldn’t be weird if she wanted to know more about the meeting.
“Yes, in this hotel. He was in a bad mood and nearly punched on a wall. I don’t know what he was going through but I tried to make him smile. That’s all.” Damien narrated.
Arya smiled, genuinely. “It must have meant a lot to him that you made him smile.”
“Yeah, relationship issues can be a mess sometimes. I’m glad I cleared his head.” Damien added, then climbed his bed.
Relationship issues? Arya’s eyes remained on him, expecting him to throw light on that, but he said nothing.
“Good suspense.” She mumbled before climbing her bed.
She shouldn’t have asked, now the thought on Seth being in some relationship, and being in a hotel, bugged her. Could it be Edna? But they broke up! Did he find someone already?
Arya rolled on her side and then flung her legs in the air. Her brain couldn’t stop overthinking. Sleep couldn’t come to her eyes either.
She turned to glare at the object of her discomfort. She had never felt so pissed with him. Couldn’t he just tell her everything? Was there even anything else?
“Goodnight. The night’s quite cold so use your blanket.” She said to him, with an intention of sparking some conversation.
Few seconds passed before he turned to her, a subtle smirk on his face. “Cold? It hasn’t rained for days. Do you feel cold? Should I come over… Well, goodnight.” He turned back.
Arya tilted her head but nodded. “Yeah…” she laid back.
Was he about asking if he’d come to her bed? To do what? Was he a magician that could dispel cold?
“And Arya, you bringing up cold was a dumb move.” She whispered to herself then stayed quiet.
Perhaps she should forget the remaining details and get some sleep. Damien was obviously holding out on her so she should let it go. Slowly, she drifted to sleep.
The next day, she showed up late to class.
Winx was putting on the angry mom face already.
“Did you forget I’d be waiting for you at the bus station today? But then you slept till you heart content!”
Arya made an apologetic smile. Yesterday had been a mess. Also the new change of bed, soft and comfortable bed, made her drift so fast into dreamland.
She remembered waking up and not seeing Damien.
First, she thought he was avoiding her bringing up the gift box and Seth but then remembered that he always woke up before her.
Her memory went back to when he had been staring at her, while she stared at the ceiling. His reason being, because she thought she was asleep.
“Could it be all the while he woke up before me, he’d stare at me?” Arya wondered to herself while standing in front of Winx who was still scolding her.
Winx noticed Arya’s cheeks had a shade of red and she wasn’t listening to her. “What are you thinking about now?”
Arya looked up. “Oh, nothing.”
A nudge on her sides made her yelp.
Winx smirked. “Oh, so that’s why you were late. You guys had accidentally done it, right?”
“Done what?” Arya asked, holding her sides.
“It.” Winx raised a brow. “You guys consummated while in an arranged marriage, right? No worries, it’s bound to happen.”
A horrified look was plastered on Arya’s face. How could her best friend think of such a thing!
“Well, since you finally accept him, this news won’t excite you as much. Seth broke up with a Edna!” Winx declared. “Like they’re done. Rumors says he caught her cheating.”
The look on Arya’s face changed to excitement. “Really? Oh my goodness! He caught her? Way to go!”
Winx stepped back. “Should you be this excited when you got a man already?”
“Who got a man? You’re assuming things, girl.” Arya retorted and rushed off. Winx followed her confused.
It didn’t take long for it to become widespread news that the popular couple had broken up.
Arya even thought it should feature in the news but feared it’d make more girls try to get Seth. “This time, I have a better shot at him.” She said randomly during math lecture.
Winx gave her a side eye before shaking her head.
“This is why I fill my head with Kpop idols. I already know I’d never have a shot at them and I’m peaceful.” She sighed.
Arya chuckled. “You’d still leave them and find your forever man someday. I’m trying to get mine…”
“It looks to me that you already have a forever man but you’re looking for a crush. Like teenage girls fawning over some hot popular dude.” Winx frowned.
The comparison annoyed Arya. Was Winx comparing her to Debby? She was nothing like that. She had an actual chance with Seth and she liked him for who he was.
“That’s like saying I like Seth only because he’s rich and handsome.” Arya frowned too.
Winx shook her head. “I don’t mean it that way. I’m trying to be neutral here. What about your husband?…”
“What about him?” Arya quickly asked back.
Winx looked around to see if anyone was listening. “Have you tried liking him or making him like you? Seth doesn’t like you right now. He just had a breakup. Don’t hope on it much.”
Arya felt defeated hearing her best friend not support her. At that point, she officially had no one that wasn’t trying to force her to be with Damien.
“I’d head home after this class.” was all she said.
Winx knew she was annoyed but she didn’t regret her words, she only replied with a nod.