"The truth will set you free, but first
it will piss you off"
- Gloria Steinem
FAI'S POV
For the next two days, Aiden does not show up on campus. Obviously, I was relieved, yet somehow, I was also slightly on edge.
"Fai" Nat waves her hand in my face. "Are you listening?"
"Sorry, what?" I ask, confused.
"The party" She groans. "You coming tonight?"
Honestly, it had been a weird week, and I could really use a distraction.
"Count me in" I nod. "We're gonna get so drunk!"
"Absolutely not. I'm not taking care of you like last time" Ian interjects. "You're fucking heavy."
I slap the back of his head, making him frown.
"That won't be a problem" Nat continues. "Josh's house is close to mine, so you guys can just crash at my place tonight."
"See? Sorted" I give Ian a wry smile.
"How about we pregame at my place?" She suggests.
"Done" Ian and I say in unison.
***
"I wanna watch Wall-E" Ian snatches the remote from Nat.
"No, we're watching The Exorcist" she snatches it back from him.
"You know that poster gave me nightmares" he cries.
"How long will you live in fear?" She grins. "I'm just trying to help you overcome it."
"No one asked for your help!" he shrieks.
We were at Natasha's place. The plan was to watch a movie, pregame, and then leave for the party from there. Yet, here were are, at six thirty in the evening, still fighting over what to pick. I guess it's too late to bring Jurassic Park to the table.
"That movie's half a century old anyway, I don't think it'll have the same impact as it used to" I chime in.
"Please, the Exorcist is a fucking masterpiece" Nat argues. "I knew you noobs wouldn't appreciate real cinema, so I got the 4k version as well, just to make it a little easier for you two to watch."
"Okay, I'm in" I say.
"What? No!" Ian cries.
"Sorry. Two against one Ian" she shrugs.
They continue to bicker, so I leave the room to go use the guest bathroom. Nat forbade us from using her personal bathroom after the Great Spillage of '23 (culprit yet to be apprehended).
Post-bathroom visit, I lazily head back to her room at the opposite end of the hallway. Rich people must feel exhausted walking around their house. Suddenly, I halt, noticing another room in the middle of the hallway.
Nat used to stay at the college dorms during freshman year. It's only been a couple of months since she moved into this new house. I've only been here once before, so I never really noticed this room. Given whom she was staying with, it could only belong to one person.
Aiden's bedroom door was slightly ajar, and I couldn't help but peek in. Honestly, I expected a messy supervillain's lair, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The walls in his room were gray. Each wall had a textured finish, evoking a raw tactile appeal of exposed concrete. Light and shadow accentuated the wall's texture, enhancing the room's industrial charm.
My eyes move to the large and inviting bed, draped in soft, gray bedding. The quilt, throw and pillows were all muted tones of gray, with a few orange cushions placed on top, giving the room a pop of color.
The ceiling was ridiculously tall, with enormous overhead pendant lights hanging on either side of the bed, casting a soft, orange glow to the otherwise cool toned room. The room was impeccably organised and, to make things crazier, there was a wooden fireplace and an entire wall made of glass overlooking the city.
I catch myself staring for too long and reluctantly tear my gaze away, only to lock eyes with Aiden.
"What are you doing here?" he raises an eyebrow, surprised.
"None of your damn business" I scowl, proceeding to walk away, but he slips in front of me, blocking my path.
"Well, it's my damn house, so it is my business" he snaps.
"Why are you so dumb? I'm obviously here with Nat" I say, irritated.
"I don't want you here" he snarls.
"Talk to your sister then, don't bother me" I scoff, walking away.
***
"Ian?" I turn my head towards him. "Where is the rest of popcorn?"
He gives me a cheeky smile before pointing to the empty bowl beside him.
"You jerk! Not a single kernel left" I shove him.
"I'm sorry! I get the munchies when I watch scary stuff" he pouts.
"Do you have any instant popcorn left?" I turn to look at Nat.
"Check the pantry" she mumbles, eyes glued to the screen.
"I'll go make it" Ian offers, rising from the bed.
"Nice try" I push him back down. "You'll sit here and watch the entire movie" I say, closing the door behind me.
As I walk down the stairs, I get a waft of freshly baked cookies and my stomach grumbles in anticipation. Unfortunately, fate seemed to conspire against me today. I helplessly watch as Aiden swiftly moves around the kitchen, deftly lining baking trays with parchment paper and generously studding cookie dough with chunks of rich chocolate.
The timer on the oven chimes and Aiden swings the door open. The irresistible scent of warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven, engulfs me, stirring a deep pang of hunger and frustration within. Despite being an absolute liability to this planet, I couldn't deny the allure in his baking, teasing my senses yet remaining tantalizingly out of reach.
"What's so interesting, Zhen?" he questions, continuing to fold chocolate into his dough.
"Nothing, Betty Crocker, looking very domestic" I tease, before heading to the pantry.
The pantry was big and beautiful. Too hungry to dwell on the fact that the shelves were organized by color, I tear open a bag of chips and stuff a handful into my mouth, savoring the salty crunch. After finishing the entire bag, I decide to look for the popcorn. I scan the shelves for a couple of minutes before I find it perched precariously on the topmost shelf, way out of my reach.
I stand on my tiptoes, but I could barely graze the edge of the shelf. I was nowhere tall enough to reach it, so I try to find a step ladder, but to no avail. Finally, frustrated and hungry for popcorn, I was left with no choice but to take desperate measures. Fueled by determination, I resort to repeated, futile jumps, hoping to reach high enough. This went on for a couple of minutes until I was fighting for breath.
"You looked like a chimp that broke into my pantry" I hear Aiden's voice from behind me. I turn to see him leaning against the doorframe, hands stuffed into his pockets, with his signature cocky smile plastered across his face. I don't know when he came in, but I knew he was enjoying the fiasco. Well, Fai Liao Zhen does not accept failure.
I ignore his words, continuing to jump. Maybe, I can use something to knock it down. I scan the pantry before my eyes land on a can of pringles. I use it to try and knock the popcorn off the shelf, but I end up pushing it further in. I let out groan, tugging my hair in frustration.
"You know, you can ask for help" Aiden remarks, a teasing smirk playing on his lips. I flip him off, persistent in my determined quest for popcorn. After watching me struggle for a couple more minutes, Aiden clicks his tongue in disbelief before approaching me from behind. The air between us rapidly thickens. I stiffen, our sudden proximity making me nervous.
"You're so annoying" he mutters, his voice low and husky. A wave of weakness washes over me, my legs threatening to buckle beneath me.
What is happening.
My heart pounds in my chest as he towers over me, his imposing figure gently leaning in as he raises his hands next to mine. Our fingers graze each other as he effortlessly grabs the popcorn off the top shelf. The touch of his skin against mine was electrifying, igniting something new and unfamiliar in me.
As he lowers his hand, I try to move, but I find myself rooted in place. I turn to look at Aiden, who himself made no attempts to move away. Curiosity burns in me as I try to understand his motives. He's been acting so weird after the incident in the restroom. He could've beat me up, like he did with Walker. He could've ridiculed me, making my life miserable for the rest of our lives. He could've even pretended like nothing happened. Yet, he chose to hide out in his fucking house instead? Why?
All week, I've been grappling with these questions, and they were driving me to the edge. Frustration and desire warred within me as I try to snatch the popcorn from him, but he holds it teasingly over my head, just out of my reach.
"What do you say?" He questions, his tone laced with a hint of amusement, eyes locking into mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
I hold his gaze. "You're joking right?" I try to keep my tone confident, but my voice comes out as a whisper.
"Nope" he replies, his voice low and steady. His eyes
dart to my lips for a brief moment before meeting my gaze. "My house, my pantry, my popcorn and I grabbed it for you. The least I can get is a thank you" he stresses that last part.
"Why would I thank you if I didn't ask for your help in the first place?" I challenge.
"Fine, then I'm not giving you the popcorn" he declares, his gaze unwavering as he tosses the bag back onto the top shelf, before walking away.
"Seriously Aiden? You wasted all that time just to toss it back?" I unintentionally follow him.
"Yep" he says nonchalantly, continuing to walk away.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I yell from behind him. "Why do you always have to start things with me? You say you want nothing to do with me, then act like it!"
He ignores the question.
I hadn't realized that we had stepped into the backyard. We were standing at the top of a magnificent marble staircase that descended to a lush garden with a fountain at its center. Most of the flowers in the garden were white or beige, harmonizing perfectly with the color scheme of the house.
"All done for the day, sir" the gardener informs. Aiden gives him a nod before going down the stairs, with me following close behind.
"Answer me" I yell.
"I did leave you alone" Aiden suddenly snaps, stopping dead on his tracks. "But I guess when you avoid trouble, it somehow finds your address."
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Sorry for the late update you guys...I was sick 🥺
Next chapter is going to be a continuation of this one *wink wink*
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