Her Soul

38. desire

Aviana and Jayden had made a quick run to her home to pick up some night clothes after she had refused to wear Kenya's clothes. She had refused, knowing Kenya would not at all like that. Highly to Aviana's amusement Kenya was also staying the night here, she was in Jayden's room while the boys were at Riaan's.

The guest room was big enough for four persons. The wooden cot lay in the middle with antique carvings. The walls were decorated with paintings and antique photo frames. The window was open letting the night air in. Aviana stood near the wall, admiring the paintings and the intricate designs in the photo frames. One photo frame held the photo were the four friends had the liberator in the middle, she guessed it must be their first time.

A knock came at the door distracting her admiring process before she could complete with all the frames. "Come in."

Riaan walked in looking freshly showered, his hair still wet giving it a gelled look. "Everything comfortable?"

"Totally." She directed her eyes from the photo frames to something much more beautiful, taking in how gorgeous he was looking even in simple comfy clothes.

He was looking at the photo in which Kenya was swinging in his back. "She did it for me, I am responsible."

Aviana leaned in the wall, careful not to move any frames. "If you are going to put it like that, I am the one responsible for all this."

His eyes looked hot and fierce. "No, you are not. When I get my hands on the one responsible for all this...for what happened to Dash, your mom, Ken. And for everything they tried doing to you..."

"Count me in. They had to be held responsible." She asserted in a stern voice, eyes matching the fierceness of his.

His eyes went to Kenya's picture again. "Why would she do this, jeopardize her own life?"

"It's pretty obvious Riaan. She likes you." She waited to see what his response was, to see if he reciprocated Kenya's feelings. If yes, would that hurt her? Maybe but she could come in terms with it. There had been a spark between her and Riaan, she was certain he felt it too. Or it was more like she wished he felt it too.

"I could never think of her like that. She is special to me but not that kind of special."

Aviana's heart leaped doing a spin hearing that. She very badly wanted to stop the next words that came out of her mouth but it came out against her strong will. "Is there anyone for you? That kind of special?"

He brought his eyes to her, making her feel heated in spite of the cool night air blowing in. She could hear his breath and heartbeat distinctly as if they were her own. Her heart felt a desire to beat corresponding to his, living the seconds together under the same rhythm.

"Actually there is someone. I will tell you who it is..." He moved towards her, his eyes filled with a cloudy storm. Closing the space between them, he caged her igniting her in a virtual flame.

He took another step to bend and tell the name in her ears. His hair was caressing her cheeks, giving her a cooling feeling because of the dampness. She tipped her head back which made one of the silver photo frames to get knocked down. The glass on top of the photo cracked to pieces, the sound piercing the silence of the night.

She stepped aside from Riaan instinctively creating a distance between them and breaking the magical moment that had been going on. "I am really sorry, I did not mean it."

It must have been a memorable picture for him because he looked hurt. "It's okay, don't worry."

Aviana was feeling very bad, she kneeled down to pick the pieces and do some damage control. As she touched the frame, he removed it from her hand slowly avoiding the glass pricking her. "You are going to cut yourself. Leave it be."

"No, it's okay I_" Whatever she was about to say got stuck in her throat as she looked at the photo inside the frame. Her skin froze as her blood solidified. She had long forgotten that Riaan was beside her.

"Aviana are you okay? It's no big deal, it's just a frame. Seriously it's ok, forget it."

No, it was not okay she was far from okay. She was looking at the man in the picture without blinking. That was a face she could never ever forget. That was the face she often saw in her nightmares helplessly as he begged her for help. She had seen his life leave him and his eyes roll back.

This was the man who was killed in the forest by the three hooded figures that night.
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