The Unexpected Love

36. The Proposal - Part I

"Listen, I'm yours. That's it. No expectations. This isn't an over the top declaration of love or an attempt to work my way into your heart. We're friends, and I'm grateful for that. This is just a promise that if you ever need me, I would move the earth to be there."

I swayed my hips humming the song that blasted through the speakers and as the beat dropped, I added a perfect twirl to end my kitchen-dance sequence before I tossed the vegetables in the pan for the last time.

"What will I be eating for dinner tonight?" Sam looked up from between the loose sheets she had been working on the whole day.

"Youu are not aloone, I am herre with youu" I sang along the next MJ song that came up.

She looked up sporting an annoyed look, "What?"

I merely shrugged away, "Abigail's coming over for the weekend." With that she went back to her work while I focused on experimenting with wild mushrooms, chicken, bacon, and leek for the risotto.

Nothing notable had changed since the wedding-three weeks ago; only the Formula1 season was back, wheels rolling and the engines, unsuccessfully, produced meek sounds yet again. Nothing changed; Sebastian's car was still being a complete stuck-up-nothing what a World Champion's car should behave like. He was still stuck behind trying to climb up the grid while his teammate fought for the podium.

However, Aiden and Abigail started dinning with us more often, almost everyday so to say. Mostly I cooked the meal but at times when Aiden was home early, he'd insist on lending a hand. His touches and skin grazing grew exponentially; he never crossed the line but that did make me feel less guilty. I had planned a crazy big monologue with hell lot of fancy words to say to him regarding the whole touch-you thing, but somehow whenever his soft cold skin would land on me all my brain functioning would come to a rather abrupt halt. I was never able to conclude whether that feeling was good or bad, all I knew was this was seriously messing with my head.

"If you work at that pace you'll be late for that fancy dinner!" She called out once again.

"It's.. almost done." I fumbled around with the spatula for another minute or so before turning off the flame. "Just remember to add the chopped bacon when you re-heat it!"

With that I rushed to my room and hurriedly got ready for an official dinner with my organization heads.

Work was up and rolling, running smooth as a butter; reports were flying in like airplanes in an international airport. All the silly oppositions or objections put across by the legislation were counter answered and cleared.

By the time I showered and got ready, Abigail and Aiden arrived. Abigail had been a little gloomy since the past week the reason for which was kept from, both, Sam and I but we never pressed her father for it. Today, she looked absolutely dull; her eyes looked red and puffy as if she had been crying for a good time span, moreover, Aiden looked troubled and hesitant in leaving her behind. I mean, by the looks of it no one would want to leave the poor girl with someone else for two days.

Abigail clung to me, her nails digging in my shoulders when I told her that I'll be away for a few hours. Somehow with Sam and Aiden's help, she got off my lap and sat beside me on the couch staring at the cat and mouse cartoon on the telly. She hadn't voice a single word since she entered our apartment.

"Can I talk to you?" Aiden whispered from beside. I nodded and walked outside the apartment as Sam gave me a concerning look and went around to cuddle with the little girl.

I closed the door of the apartment before turning towards the girl's father in the empty hallway.

He groaned aloud as he covered his face with his hands, an action which confused me even more. I chose to give him a minute or two before I began a heavy interrogation. Under no condition was I planning to let this slide away. The father-daughter pair had been sweeping things under the rug for a week, but today I wouldn't let this go even if that means skipping the dinner.