Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 48

He looked back at my hands, now entwined in front of me, and took one of them in his warm hold. Without another word, he guided us towards the restaurant, leaving Aubrey frozen in her spot.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. As I glanced back at her, she was glaring at our hands but didn't make a move.

We entered the restaurant, stopping at our reserved table. That's when Ares finally let go of my hand.

"Sit!" he instructed, guiding me to my seat before inquiring, "Where's Maron?" His voice retained its cold edge, but strangely, it felt different, especially compared to how he was talking to Aubrey just a few moments ago.

"Uh, he...had to take a call." I responded, gesturing toward the window. Ares nodded and sat across from me after ordering our food.

Awkward silence enveloped us, the ambient hush only broken by the rhythmic taps of Ares typing on his phone. I wanted to clear what Aubrey said about me but I didn't know how to start it.

"Um," I cleared my throat, successfully diverting Ares' attention from his phone. He placed it on the table, fixing his gaze on me.

My hands clasped tightly in my lap, I began, "About... the things she said, I... I never—" I hesitated, shaking my head.

"I know," Ares interrupted, his calm acknowledgment catching me off guard.

"You...do?" Surprise widened my eyes, seeking answers in his light brown gaze.

He nodded, a silent affirmation. "I know everything, Elysia. It's clear you guys aren't friends anymore," Ares stated, adopting a relaxed posture that contradicted the gravity of the situation. He seemed quite uncaring for the man who just met his ex, who was probably his first love...

My eyebrows arched in disbelief, when I noticed Ares' lips twitched slightly. I observed him closely, but his unreadable expressions offered no insights into his thoughts.

Crossing his arms and one ankle over the other, he leaned back comfortably, waiting for my response. "Hm, we aren't, anymore..." I stated, closely following his strange expressions.

As Ares' lips hinted at a smile, my surprise grew. His calm demeanor seemed almost content.

"Why?" Ares asked, the tone of his voice surprising me again. There was a peculiar sense of satisfaction as if he found solace in our fractured friendship.

"She thinks I told you about her and Gabriel," I confessed, sighing softly, studying Ares for any sign of emotion. Yet, his calm facade remained unaltered.

"Did you?" Ares asked, his demeanor now serious.

Meeting his gaze, I shook my head. "I didn't."

"Why?" Ares straightened, placing his hands on the table. His demeanor shifted, a cold anger simmering beneath the surface.

"It was some anonymous number, but why not you? Is it because she was your best friend?" Ares questioned, a tone of accusation in his words. "You chose her over me. Maybe, most people would side with their best friends in that kind of situation, and we weren't even on talking terms at that time, but... it wasn't once, Elysia!"

Ares' anger became palpable, the intensity of his gaze burning into mine. "Aubrey didn't cheat on me once or even twice. It was several times. Did you guys think you could make a fool of me like that? Was I a joke to you?" His voice turned colder, the anger restrained but evident.

I swallowed hard, rubbing my clothes nervously. "If... if I say I didn't know, would you believe me?" I uttered in a low voice.

I wanted—no, needed to put this all past me. If I had decided to let Ares go for good, then it was necessary to put all this behind me, once and for all...