As they both settled on the floor, Tiffany didn’t stop smiling at what she was seeing.
She loved it, and there was no doubt about it.
“Ta-da!” Aiden exclaimed as he removed two cans of sprite from his bag and raised it in the air which made the lady chuckle.
“Do you know the beauty of this place?” He dropped one beside him and opened the other one which gas out loud.
“Mh-mm,” she shook her head.
“Drinking,” he answered and make a sound with his tongue.
“Drinking and watching the view. Trust me, there’s no better feeling than that,” Aiden added and pointed the sprite at her which she collected with a smile on her face.
“You think so?” Tiffany raised a brow.
“Coming from someone who knows better,” Aiden winked at her and drank from the sprite slowly.
“Why did you bring me here? Do I look so pitiful?” Tiffany asked with a quick smile.
“Hmm, I think so,” he tilted his head and they both laughed.
“I wasn’t really planning on bringing you here, but when I got to your workplace, your boss said something about you being dull and it was quite evident on your face when I saw you. I didn’t like that look on your face and then guessed that you were going to love it here,” Aiden stared at her with a smile.
“Thank you,” their eyes met and Tiffany hurriedly looked away.
“It is my pleasure, trust me,” Aiden hit his chest.
“How did you come to find this place?” After a short gulp from the drink, Tiffany asked.
“Ah, that,” Aiden bit his lower lips.
He didn’t want to talk about how he found out, because it was surely going to lead to different questions.
But, what could he do?
This lady with him was Tiffany.
“I discovered it two years ago,” he answered.
“How? You were just walking and came across it or…?” Tiffany shrugged her shoulder off.
“I caught my mother in a compromising situation, so I left home in anger and kept driving and driving till I got here. I found here soothing. I loved it and I’ve been visiting here every time I’m in a difficult situation for the past two years,” Aiden answered.
“Oh… Did you talk to her about it?”
“I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Instead, I left home and I’ve been living alone for the past two years,” Aiden heaved a sigh.
“Not so good,” Tiffany rolled her eyes.
“I know, right?”
They both drank slowly, and a short silence ensued.
“They’re very few stars in the sky tonight,” Aiden broke the silence.
“Yeah, just like my chances in life,” Tiffany groaned as she looked up at the sky.
“Huh?” Aiden glanced at her and Tiffany smiled.
“You see… I lived a difficult life. No. I’ve been living a very difficult life. Trust me, it ain’t easy,” Tiffany said with an awkward smile.
“Why?” Aiden asked.
He just asked, he knew Tiffany was never going to say a thing about her.
“I didn’t have the luxury to meet my mother or father. I was an orphan right from birth… So as they say. I don’t know what my mum looks like, and neither do I know how my dad was. Everyone at the Orphanage found me strange and it wasn’t easy living with the fact that I was an outcast,” Tiffany forced a smile and drank her sprite slowly.
“I… I’m sorry,” Aiden apologized and he meant it.
He wondered what this lady had gone through, he could tell the lady had more things about her.
It was obvious that she was very strange and different from them.
Whatever it was, he didn’t care.
He liked her, and that was what matters.
“No, it’s fine. I felt comfortable with you that’s why I said that. I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable,” Tiffany apologized, staring at him.
“No, please, I love it that you tell me about you. I’m ready to give you more listening ears. Talk to me any time you feel like and I’ll listen. I know it is not easy keeping all of that to yourself all these years, I know… ” Aiden said and they both looked at each other which later became awkward then hurriedly looked away.
“I don’t know how I loosen up this much around you and Zoey. Honestly, I’ve never been this free with people,” Tiffany creased her brow.
“Maybe that is because no one makes effort to get closer to you. Anny…” He started and Tiffany turned to look at him.
“I might not know a lot about you, but trust me, I know that you are a good person. You are straightforward, blunt, and pretty. You are perfect just the way you are, and I like you… Just the way you are,” Aiden said and lean forward to caress her hair.
“You… You surely have ways with words,” Tiffany chuckled.
“You can say that again,” Aiden laughed.
“Thanks for bringing me here anyway. I like it here and I’d love to come here again… With you,” Tiffany smiled at him and he nodded his head, blushing.
“We should head back soon, I had a very stress-filled day and I would like to sleep,” Tiffany said and Aiden nodded his head.
“Let’s finish our drink, then head home. Are you free tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’m not working tomorrow. Oh, Zoey and I are hanging out,” Tiffany answered.
“Oh, till Monday then?” Aiden pouted.
“Yes,” Tiffany smiled.
“I’ll miss you,” Aiden whispered.
“Creepy…” Tiffany looked away with a slight smile on her face.
=
Declan hissed as he watched the incoming call from his phone for the umpteenth time, he wasn’t ready to speak with his old man at the moment, but with the way he wouldn’t stop calling, he knew his father could call Aiden or Xyler.
Oh, if he calls Xyler, things would be busted.
He leaned forward and grabbed his phone, picked up the call, and placed his phone on his ear.
“How dare you refuse to pick my call?!” was the first thing he heard from his grumpy father.
“Dad…” He sighed and shook his head.
“Why didn’t you pick my call?!”
“I wasn’t with it. What’s up?” He rubbed his hand between his brows.
“What’s up?! What’s up?! Lauren’s father just called me. Girlfriend? You have a girlfriend without my knowledge? Who is she? Whose daughter is she? Answer me!” His father screamed which made him move his ear from the phone hurriedly.
That man was bent on making him deaf.
“Dad, can you let me choose my woman this time? I have a girl that I like. I don’t like Lauren, dad,” Declan hissed.
“Which family is she from? Tell me. Is her family rich more than Lauren’s?”
“Dad, let me do my things my way, please.”
“That is…”
Declan ended the call which interrupted the man.
“Fûck!” he hissed as he threw his phone on the couch and glanced at the wall clock.
“That dîckhéàd! It is almost nine in the night and he’s not coming back,” he hissed, stood up, and grabbed his phone from the couch again.
“I need to get that lady’s number. I need her to pretend to be my girlfriend for the main time till I manage to make my dad stop forcing Lauren on me,” he soliloquized as he began to browse through his phone.
“I doubt if she posts stuffs on the school site. Wait, the class group chat.”
After a while, he dialed a number and the receiver picked up almost immediately.
“Hey,” he started.
“Declan,” the guy answered.
“I need the link to grade nine group chat.”
“I don’t have it, but I’ll ask my brother, he’s in grade nine,” the guy answered.
“Okay,” with that, he ended the call.
After a few minutes had passed, his phone beeped, clicked on the notification which directed him to the link that the guy had just sent to him.
He hurriedly copied the link, sent it to his other phone, and joined the group.
He wouldn’t want to raise suspicion if he had entered the group with his number, his picture was plastered on his profile picture.
He went through the list and saw Zoey’s name which had the emoji of a butterfly beside it. He clicked on her displayed picture and stared at it with an irritated look. In the picture, she looked more beautiful. She wore baggy joggers and a round neck which barely covered her navel and a white sweater. She wore a black hat and had a small white bag crossed across her body.
She looked beautiful. In the picture though.
Declan copied the number, sent it to his other phone, and when he had received it, he dialed the number and then prepared to call her.
He cleared his throat as the phone kept beeping and the lady wouldn’t even pick up the call.
Did she perhaps know that it was him?
No way…
“Hi!” She shouted from the other line.
“Are you always this loud?” Declan frowned.
”Huh?” confused, the lady creased her brow.
“It is Declan,” he said.
“Who? Declan?!” Zoey widened her eyes and checked her phone again but it was an unknown number.
“Why would Declan call me?” Zoey raised a brow.
“Are you that shocked that it is me? I understand if you are shock, but can you not let it show?” Declan hissed.
“Okay, hearing that from you, I can tell it is you. Arrogant prîck,” Zoey whispered.
“What did you just say?” Declan widened his eyes.
“What did you hear?”
If it weren’t for what he wanted from her, he would not have forgiven her for talking back at him.
“Can we meet tomorrow? I…”
“Why?” Zoey interrupted him.
“I have something to discuss with you,” Declan answered.
“If you have anything to say to me, say it when we meet on Monday. I have plans tomorrow,” Zoey answered rather rudely.
“D… Don’t tell me you have a boyfriend,” Declan frowned.
”Mind your business. I have to go, can’t miss my movie because of you,” Zoey hissed.
“Wait, wait, you know that you shouldn’t be talking to me this way, right?” Declan frowned as soon as he heard Zoey laugh, he looked confused.
“It is you who shouldn’t have called me at all!” with that, she ended the call which left Declan confused and annoyed.
“I shouldn’t have called? Wait, is she sleep talking? It is me, Han Declan. Everyone wants me to call them!”
He would have proceeded to use another lady but Lauren already thinks Zoey is his girlfriend.
It won’t be easy on the lady.
Ah, why should he even care?
He should, that Tiffany would not let him be.
“Fûck me for being scared of Tiffany!” Declan screamed.
=
“Why did you insist I drop you here? I could have dropped you in front of your house,” Aiden asked as he removed the helmet from Tiffany’s head and then got down from the bike.
“I’ll be fine by myself here,” Tiffany answered as she rearranged her hair with her hand.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course,” Tiffany smiled.
“Then…” Aiden grabbed her wrist slowly, covered the space between them, and placed his hand on her hair gently.
“Stay safe for me, okay?” He whispered, caressing her hair.
“Stop making me feel uncomfortable,” Tiffany gritted her teeth and pushed him away.
“Sorry,” Aiden laughed.
“I’ll get going now, head back safely,” Tiffany said then turned to leave.
“Hold on…” Aiden said and hurriedly walked in front of her.
“Sleep tight,” he said and kissed her on the forehead shortly before the lady pushed him which she did almost immediately.
“Sorryyyy,” he moved away from her.
“You are a… Scumbag,” Tiffany hissed, then resumed walking.
“Dream about me, baby!” Aiden shouted as he watched her walk into the darkness.
~
Tiffany placed her hand on her chest as she walked further.
It was uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable.
The way her heart was beating.
The way she was feeling at the moment.
The way Aiden was acting to her.
She found it uncomfortable yet cute.
All of a sudden, she felt her shoulder burnt deeply, the part where the painting was.
She dropped her bag and grabbed her shoulder, but it wouldn’t stop, it hurts more.
She ripped her cloth off and then gasped as she saw the glow from the painting.
“What the fûck!”
The painting was glowing.
Red… And green.
“What the fûck is this?” She frowned.
“It is just a matter of time… Tiffany,” she heard the growl from Akilang.
*
TBC…