“Surprise!” Declan laughed, flung the bag he was carrying on the grass, and collapsed beside Aiden on the blanket.
“What are you guys doing here?” Aiden raised his brows as he watched Zoey fall on Declan’s thigh.
“I talked to dad earlier and he said you guys were on a picnic. We couldn’t sit by and let you guys have that fun all to yourself, so we came,” Declan grinned.
“You guys…”
“Don’t stress yourself, huh? We’re here with a blanket, so we’re taking our spot quite far away from you. We’re sharing all of these delicious-looking meals though,” Zoey giggled in excitement.
“Yeah, sure. We have enough to spare,” Aiden nodded his head and glanced at Tiffany who looked pale already.
He knew it was because of what he said earlier and he sincerely hoped it was not going to ruin the atmosphere.
“What’s wrong with you, Tiffy?” Zoey leaned forward to poke Tiffany.
“I guess they were in the middle of something before we interrupted. Quite bad of us, right?” Declan teased and Zoey nodded her head, laughing.
“Can you guys just leave already?” Aiden exhaled.
“We just arrived and you’re pushing us away already?” Zoey raised a brow.
“Whatever just leave us, go take a spot somewhere far away from us,” Aiden waved his hand at them.
“Tsk, babe, shall we?” Declan said and kissed her neck.
Aiden watched Zoey stand up from Declan’s thigh and both walked away from them, not forgetting to carry the bag Declan had flung earlier.
After they had walked quite farther, he turned to look at Tiffany and took her hand in his.
“Babe.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all this while? Why… Why…?” Tiffany stuttered.
“I didn’t know the girl was you till the day you said it. Remember when you told everyone about yourself? I picked it from there,” he answered, fondling her hand.
“Goodness!” Tiffany sighed and covered her face with her left palm.
“Anny.”
“Tell me, did I truly kîll that man? There were two men in the mountain with us, remember? By the time I regained consciousness, one of them was lying in a pool of blood and I saw you running away with the other man,” Tiffany narrated.
“I… I am sorry for leaving you all by yourself. You must have been so terrified seeing that,” Aiden shook his head.
“Did I kîll him? My hands were covered in blood also.”
“Anny, look…”
“Tell me, please,” she cut him short.
“If you hadn’t done that, those men would have kîlled the two of us,” Aiden said.
“So, I really kîlled someone. You must have been so terrified to see that. You must have hated that girl before you knew it was me. I…”
“I never hated that girl. Never. Instead, I felt bad leaving her alone. But trust me, my little heart couldn’t take it anymore. You have no idea how much I regret leaving you alone there. I am sorry,” he apologized.
“No, I am sorry that you witnessed that. You must have been so traumatized, right?”
“Not really, I just have dreams about it occasionally,” he shrugged his shoulder with a short smile.
“Is that why you fear hunted house?” Tiffany asked and he nodded his head.
“Oh, my,” Tiffany bowed with a sigh.
“I am sorry,” she added.
“No, you should not be sorry. You must have grown up, greatly confused about what happened there,” Aiden shook his head.
“Baby,” he bore his eyes in hers and smiled.
“Let’s not keep anything from each other, okay? Let’s tell each other everything that is bothering us and everything that we both needed to know. We must never keep anything from each other, okay?”
“Okay,” Tiffany nodded her head.
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” Tiffany nod her head and Aiden pulled her into a hug.
“Speaking of which,” Tiffany started after they disengaged from the hug.
“Huh?”
“Those guardians came to visit last night and I discovered something new,” she wore a faint smile.
“What is it?”
“Akilang… He was the one who kîlled my mother,” she said and Aiden widened his eyes.
“What…?”
“All this while, I thought she died after she births me, but that wasn’t the case. It was Akilang.”
“Goodness. Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’ve cried so much that I can’t even shed a tear anymore. I guess I won’t have to cry for the next 10 years,” she joked and Aiden smiled.
“You should never shed a tear anymore. You look so great when you smile. I don’t want to see you cry ever again,” he leaned closer and kissed her cheek.
“Here…” Tiffany touched her lips and Aiden smiled.
As he moved closer to kiss her lips, Declan shouted, running towards them.
“We’re here for some side dishes!”
“That àsshôlé,” Tiffany gritted her teeth.
“He’s your brother,” Aiden whispered and pulled away from her.
“Shut up, I know,” Tiffany hissed and Aiden laughed.
“Can you guys just let us be?” Tiffany frowned as soon as Declan arrived with Zoey.
“Woah, I guess she can’t take it anymore,” Zoey giggled.
“Shut up,” Tiffany glared at her.
“Tiffy, would you mind if we join you guys here? It would be like a double date,” Declan smiled mischievously.
“Hell, no! Who’s interested in having a double date with you two?” Tiffany frowned.
“And, did you just call me Tiffy?” Tiffany raised her brows.
“My baby calls you that. I have every right to do the same since I’m your brother, right?” He grinned.
“Do you want to dîe?” Tiffany glared at him.
“Hey, don’t use words like that on your brother, he’s family,” Zoey slapped her arm.
“Why would she slap her that way?” Aiden slapped Declan’s shoulder instead.
“This double date thing won’t work. Babe, let’s go back to our spot,” Zoey turned to face Declan.
“Please, go,” Tiffany rolled her eyes.
“Actually, I’ve changed my mind. Babe, go get our blanket,” Zoey said and stuck her tongue out at Tiffany.
“Babe, what do you know them?” Tiffany pouted at Aiden after Declan had hurried away.
“I should ask you that. She’s your friend and he’s your brother,” Aiden sighed.
“He’s your friend too,” Tiffany eyed him.
“Oh, I forgot already.”
“Babe, Aiden just denied you!” Zoey screamed.
“Woah, I can’t believe you’ve become like this, seriously,” Tiffany shook her head.
“Yeah, I can’t believe you’ve become like this also,” Zoey snorted.
“What did he say?!” Declan screamed, running along with the blanket.
“He said you’re not his friend!” Zoey answered.
“How could you lie against my boyfriend?!” Tiffany slapped her arm.
“What?! Did you just choose your boyfriend over your brother?” Zoey widened her eyes.
“Yes, so shut your mouth and don’t lie,” Tiffany hissed.
Wait, this is really going to be fun.
Aiden thought as he watched the two girls.
*
“Who knows Love of my life by Jennifer Lopez?” Zoey asked suddenly in the middle of a conversation while they were eating the deviled eggs.
“Everyone does, well, I guess your boyfriend did not,” Aiden shrugged his shoulder.
“That’s not true. We watched the movie already,” Zoey rolled her eyes.
“Same here, Aiden and I watched the movie too,” Tiffany rolled her eyes.
“Do you know the song?” Aiden asked Declan who swept his hair back stylishly with a smile on his face.
“My baby made me learn it,” Declan grinned and remember the day Zoey sent the soundtrack to him while they were chatting and told him to learn the song.
“So, do you know it or not?” Tiffany asked.
“I know it,” he answered.
“Let’s sing it together,” Zoey clapped her hands together.
“No, why?” Declan frowned.
“Babe,” Zoey pouted.
“Okay…” Declan sighed.
“One, two… Cue, action!” Zoey clapped her hands together.
¶
You know I’ve tried so long,
Every time I thought about it I was wrong.
I swear I must have spent a thousand night,
Looking for…”
¶
They all stopped singing as they stared at Declan who had taken the song to another level entirely.
“What are you singing?” Zoey wore an irritated facial expression.
“Love of my life by Jennifer Lopez,” he answered with a smile.
“God,” Zoey sighed.
“Until I realized…” Aiden started.
“I am the love of the love of my life,” Tiffany added with a clap, matching the song.
“Oh, oh, oh,” Aiden joined her in clapping.
“I am the love of the love of my life,” Tiffany sang, grinning.
“Oh, oh, oh…”
“I ain’t got nobody else on my mind,” the two of them chorused.
“Huh, very annoying people,” Zoey watched the two of them singing and shook her head.
===
Martha rubbed her hands together nervously, the guests had started to arrive and the men that she had sent to find Aiden had returned without him so she sent them back to look for him again.
After many minutes had passed and Aiden nor her men had not arrived, she prepared to go give her speech.
Oh, Aiden is so déàd.
Her influential guests had arrived and murmuring had arisen from the guests for being held down without the party starting.
She should have never hosted the party to begin with.
The reporters that are present won’t make things look good either.
She signaled to her PA to move closer and instructed, “Control the media right now, Aiden is not here and we won’t be going on with the announcement of the heir as planned. Make sure the reporters only write whatever I say, okay?”
She wore a fake wide smile, walked up to the stage slowly, and grabbed the microphone.
“I welcome you all to today’s occasion and I’m glad you all made it despite your busy schedule. It is quite unfortunate to announce that neither the birthday party nor the announcement of the Heir to Wesley group would not take place as the birthday boy is not available,” she announced and everyone murmured.
“He collapsed earlier and has been receiving treatment in the hospital. I hope…”
While she was giving the speech, a member of Western high school who was browsing through the Instagram came across Declan’s post, which contained a picture of him, Zoey, Aiden, and Tiffany with the caption, “Enjoying the day with the birthday couple.” and hashtagged it with ‘picnic’, ‘the day out’ and others.
“What a joke,” he snorted and showed the picture to the guy beside him.
“Didn’t she just say that he collapsed and is receiving treatment at the hospital?” The other guy chuckled.
“I guess Aiden refuse to come here after she had prepared all of this,” the first guy laughed.
“I would come if it were me. He was fûcking going to be announced as the heir to one the largest group in New York,” the other guy said.
“Who cares about that? Even if he missed this, he would still be the heir.”
===
After the couples left the Central Park at five in the evening, they drove in Declan’s car to the nearest Arcade bar which Tiffany had wanted to visit.
“Jesus, I’ve always wanted to come here!” Zoey squealed in excitement, walking hand in hand with Tiffany.
“Same here, I’ve only walked past a few,” Tiffany giggled.
*
First, they stopped in front of the basketball machine where they watched Aiden and Declan compete against each other.
The two girls widened their eyes as mini-basketballs came rolling out in front of the guys and immediately started to shoot, the balls going back inside the net.
After the game was over which the girls enjoy, Aiden scored 77 and Declan scored 69.
“How could you let him win you?” Zoey glared at him.
“Hey, let’s play it too,” Tiffany nudged Zoey and the girls jumped up in excitement.
Aiden inserted coins in the slot of the machine for Tiffany while Declan did the same for Zoey and then moved back to watch their girls play.
“I’m going to win this, trust me,” Zoey said as she picked the orange ball, aiming for the net that was in front of her.
“Let’s see if you can,” Tiffany blew the hair that fell over her face with her mouth.
“One would actually think they’d be the new king of the game,” Aiden sighed, his arms crossed tightly across his chest
“Let’s just give them tips on how to play it. Your girlfriend looks like she’s going to fly,” Declan shook his head, his arms also folded across his chest.
“I know, right. Your girlfriend is not relenting either,” Aiden tugged his lower lips into a smile as he watched the girls struggle to aim rightly.
“Listen, girls,” Aiden clapped his hands and walked toward Tiffany.
He stopped behind her, her back against his broad chest.
“Here is a simple tip. Slightly bend your knees,” he murmured, his deep voice vibrating inside her ear, sending goosebumps down the lady’s spine.
“And then, put your right hand like this, your left hand slightly under,” he instructed his hands over hers to help position them around the ball.
Tiffany nodded her head, avoiding his gaze.
Why was she feeling hot?
“Good, keep your eyes on the net and pretend like you’re aiming for the front part of the hoop. He said and Tiffany nodded her head.
Gosh, this was an intimate feeling and she only wished to kiss him at the moment.
“Is he really teaching her how to play that? They both looked like they’re flirting with each other.
“My thoughts exactly,” Declan nodded his head, staring at the two.
Tiffany swallowed deeply, bit her lower lip, and tried to focus before shooting and it went right in which made her scream.
“It went in!” She turned to face Aiden and hugged him tightly.
“Are you happy?” Aiden giggled.
“Yes! It went in!” She raised her head to look at him, her hands still wrapped around her waist.
“Congratulation,” Aiden laughed and kissed her lips shortly.
“What did I say? Those flirty human beings,” Zoey rolled her eyes.
“I know, right?” Declan laughed.
Afterward, they moved on to the claw machine.
“I’ve seen this in a lot of dramas, I could die if I did not try it out today,” Zoey clapped her hands together and Tiffany nodded her head, agreeing with the lady.
“So, shall we play the claw game?” Aiden asked as they all walked towards the machine.
“I’m going first,” Zoey got in front of the machine hurriedly with a wide smile on her face, eyeing a brown teddy bear.
“Do this, baby!” Declan cheered and inserted a coin into the slot.
Zoey grabbed the stick and started to move the claws towards the brown teddy bear, her lips tightly pressed together as she pressed the red button and waited anxiously as she watched the metal claw scoop down, picking the stuffed animal by its leg.
As it was being pulled, it fell right back before it reached the hole which made the lady scream in defeat.
“I’ll do this again!”
After the second and third trials which she failed, Zoey screamed and cursed the machine for cheating her.
“It’s not the machine, it is you. Watch me as I do this,” Tiffany moved forward and pushed the lady away.
“I’ll do anything you want if you can get it on the first trial. It ain’t easy, bîtch,” Zoey fumed.
Aiden inserted a coin into the slot for her and watched his girl stand with determination before the machine.
She moved the stick towards a pink stuffed animal and then pressed the red button anxiously and watched as the metal claw scooped down and picked the stuffed animal by its ear.
Tiffany groaned in frustration as the teddy fell back before it reached the hole which made Zoey laugh out which annoyed the lady.
She tried two more times and screamed in frustration, “this is cheating! The metal clearly picked the teddy!”
“I’ll get it for you,” Aiden said to Tiffany.
“I’ll break up with you if you fail to,” she sulked.
Aiden looked so stern as he started to move the stick and when he pressed the red button which made him lean towards the glass, his eyes widened as he watched the claw pick the pink teddy Tiffany had dropped.
How could that lady say he was going to break up with him if he fails to bring it out.
He watched anxiously as the claw brought it slowly towards the hole.
“Yes!” Aiden clapped his hands as the teddy fell in and hurriedly take it out.
“You’re so perfect, baby!” Tiffany screamed in excitement as she collected the teddy from him.
“Should I get the brown teddy out for you too?” Declan asked.
“Can you? I can’t let my blood pressure rise again because of that thing,” she asked.
“You might not know but Declan can win all of the teddies in that glass. He’s a pro!” Aiden said and Declan swept his hair back stylishly.
“I’ll give it a go,” he said and moved forward.
==
The drive back home was so loud that they wished the night didn’t come.
They spent the whole evening at the arcade and it was almost nine in the evening.
The day was so fun, both at the picnic and at the arcade bar that they don’t think they’ve ever laughed that much.
Zoey said she was going home as her dad was probably worried already and they agreed to have the house party some other day.
Declan halted in front of Aiden’s house where Aiden and Tiffany got down, not forgetting to take their luggage.
“I pray the spirits working with me don’t crave cake,” Aiden laughed as he turned to enter the compound with Tiffany.
“You’ll be déàd if you eat it because I’ll personally kîll you,” Declan screamed and drove off.
==
As Aiden stepped foot inside his house with Tiffany, he knew immediately that someone else was inside the house and the perfume he was smelling was so familiar.
Of course, Martha Wesley wouldn’t let him be.
*
TBC…