Mist Of Hearts

EPISODE - 16

   AURELIA BLUE TAYLOR

We're sitting in Paige's room, helping her pack since she's going visiting Nashville for a while. It's not for Christmas... Just something urgent and also she'll return before Christmas. Since we have a lot of work pending, everyone decides to not return to Nashville this year and celebrate Christmas with friends.

" I don't know!" Paige storms inside the room and falls on the bed in annoyance.

"Wassup?" Gabby asks.

"Theo!! He's not answering my calls from the past 3 days!!"

"Why don't you try going to Quentin's place?" I suggest.

"You think I didn't?! I went there 2 times yesterday after college! The guards aren't letting me in even when Theo's already told them to let me in ," Paige covers her face with her hands, trying her best to not freak out.

"It's okay..." Blaire pats her back and Zoe tells Paige to call JJ and ask him about Theo. Without another word, Paige calls JJ from my phone since I'm the only one who has his number and Blaire asks Paige to put the call on speaker... He answers after the 2nd ring and doesn't give Paige a chance to speak,

" Blue?! Are you fine?" Blaire face palms herself in annoyance before saying, " It's not about Blue.. I mean it's not about Aurelia every time!!"

"Who are you?" He plainly asks.

"Leave this! Justice, I'm Paige... You need to tell me where Theo is if you know and he isn't answering my calls ," Paige frantically asks before silence takes over for a while.

"Uh... I'll give you his new number and about where he is... He's in London."

"He went on a London trip and didn't even bother to tell me anything!" Paige asks with red eyes. I've probably never seen her this disappointed with anything or anyone.

"Look Paige... I don't have enough time right now but all I can tell you is that he's not on a trip to London... He's moved to London permanently and It's because of me so don't blame anything on him."

With that, JJ hangs up and within a second my phone rings with a notification. Paige feeds Theo's new number in her phone before calling him up which is also on speaker... because of us.

"Theo?!" Paige screams as soon as he answers the call.

"Paige..." He says in a low tone which sends a relief through Paige, making her cry. I pat her back silently as Theo begins to explain himself, "I'm so sorry Dear! I hurt you this bad... I... I didn't mean to. Trust me this was all of a sudden...." and Theo stops talking mid- way. This is the first time I've seen Theo talk to Paige without stuttering half of the time.

"Paige?... Paige? Are you crying?!" Theo asks, worry evident in his tone, "I'm really sorry... Don't cry because of me... Please? I'm such a jerk..." He nearly whispers the last part to himself.

Zoe signs for everyone to leave the room and give them some privacy and everyone trots out of the room. I never expected the guy we were trying to seek revenge from a few months back, could be so emotional and kind.

"Aurelia... I think you have to go decorate your cafe now ," Blaire points at my phone, indicating towards the incoming calls from Pierson, Hayden and Kayla. Immediately I head towards the cafe, tagging JJ's guards along.

In the cafe, Hayden is humming christmas carols and as I walk in Kayla gives me a late- again look to which I quickly apologize and try to be of some use by helping decorate.

" Who are these people outside?" Hayden nudges me, eyeing JJ's guards.

"My bodyguards apparently ," I let out a breath and in response Kayla whistles.

"Who's gonna help us beautify the tree ?!" Pierson exclaims as she and Oliver stumble into the cafe with a life size spruce tree.

"Oh my god, wow!"

"We're gonna have some fun!!"

Everyone helps them settle the tree in a corner and begin decorating the cafe, and I suddenly feel the Christmas vibes begin to kick in. Hayden's decorating the exterior of the cafe along with Juhi and Kayla whereas Pierson, Oliver and I take care inside.

"Aurelia?" Oliver calls out in a low tone and I turn to look at him when he says, "Can we talk?"

Should we? It's been a while now and he saved me yesterday for which I didn't express my gratitude... I think it's time that we talk now.

"Yeah."

Kayla takes note, giving Oliver a look before grabbing the fairylights and heading out.

" First of all, I just wanna clarify that night... at the club... I was drunk and didn't have a hold over my senses... I didn't mean to... You know... Kiss you that way or offer alcohol to you without your consent. I was unaware of who got me drunk and how I became so absent minded...But yeah ," He leaves the sentence hanging halfway and his head falls in shame. Should I give him a chance? What if he's telling the truth? But... What if he's not?

"I know it's not easy for you to forgive me so easily... please take your time... I just wanted to clear everything out."

I should give him a chance... After all, he's helped me.

"I'm also sorry... I should've given you a chance to justify yourself ," I begin as my mind takes in how because of everything my rational thinking had taken a back. Oliver looks up at me with some sort of hope, " And thank you so much for helping me the other day... If it weren't for you.. I'd probably be sitting in a dark room somewhere crying over being kidnapped ," I say, partially recalling that JJ would've created chaos if I went missing and that guard of his? God knows the wrath he would've faced. He probably is still facing it... And it's because of me choosing to sneak out.

"So... Are we good now?" Oliver puts out his hand for a shake which I accept with a smile.

"Woah...Looks like things are sorted, huh?" Kayla pats Oliver's back, smiling.

"Help me!!" Hayden lets out a funny cry as he's tangled in a trail of ribbons around him which leaves all of us guffawing.

Looks like Christmas is working up some magic...