billion book
Chapter 22
AIDEN’S POV “Hayley, wait up; you haven’t told me what’s wrong?” I ran after Hayley as she stormed outside the classroom, heartbroken and distraught.
“What is it you were saying about Aunt Jada?” I asked with utmost concern. “Aiden I don’t want to talk about it; Alessa will probably be the best option for you right now; you can go back in there to meet her.” Hayley didn’t reduce her pace for anything, not even for me. “What’s making you say this?” “Why else do you think I’m saying this? Alessa was clearly transferred here so she could be a distraction to you, and damn, the plan is really going as planned because the target is here. Her voice went in a very high pitch, and her hands were out in the air, stretching in my direction. “is foolishly yielding to it.” “I seriously don’t know why you are heading in that direction, Hayley.” I was lost for words. Alessa is pretty and all, but Hayley’s comprehension of how I felt towards Alessa was the entire spelling of wrong. “Your escort hooker business awaits you both.”
Of all the things in the world, the last thing I expected from Hayley was a backlash against using my past against me. “Are we still on this, Hayley? We would just dwell on that ugly fact.” I retorted. “You can’t run from your past now, can you?” The determination on her face grew more intense, and she didn’t pace down; at this point, I was already running after her. “You want to do this now? I honestly do not understand the number of times you expect me to apologize to you. This minute you’re cool, we’re cool, and the next very simple, obviously gullible act from Alessa is already riling you up.” I tried everything possible to hold my voice and keep it down. “Now I’m the dumb one; I got my powers, Aiden, and I’m the dumb one, right?” Hayley could be really irrational sometimes, but this was the most irrational behavioral period I’ve ever encountered with her. “You know what? Maybe this was all a mistake.”
I uttered that statement in a bid to stop her from taking any further steps.
I stood a few meters away from her, and my words took effect. She stopped in her tracks when she got to the fountain.
I retreated to the other side of it, but she had already gotten in front, and instead, she stood there like she was being remote-controlled. “Yes, maybe it was,” I repeated. “You have no right to make me feel bad in this situation, Aiden,” she snapped at me, and she retreated in her steps too, coming towards me. “You come at me, and I make a very rash decision we both know we’ll regret.” Her eyes were dead-shot, but she still proceeded towards me. I was deprived of my freedom of speech as she took all my words out on me.
“No matter how stupidly I feel I’m trying to understand you and your nasty past, you’ve never for once cleared anything up for me.”
“It always ends up with me being stuck with a glimpse of what my imagination gives to me, and trust me, it doesn’t aid or give you a clear name in my head.” I knew I had been procrastinating telling Hayley the truth, but then the actual truth is this: I don’t want to lose her; I don’t think I want to, and with that revelation, I wasn’t really oblivious to the negative effect it would have on us both. “So, this is me clearing up your prior utterance.” She paused, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for what came next. “Maybe this was a mistake, Aiden. Mum and Aunt Jada would be so glad; their plan is effectively working, isn’t it?”
A smile appeared on her face; it wasn’t directed at me, but I felt the gaze directly on me. “What are you insinuating?” Conflict arose in my face; this definitely took a turn I was not expecting it to take. “I’m saying we should take a break.” I figured she noticed the shock on my face, and she made her intentions really clear. “If you think you are comfortable hiding things from me, well then, go ahead and do so; I don’t want to be a part of it.” The bitterness in her voice pulled a string in my heart, but it wasn’t hard enough for me to give it all out now. “Aiden! There you are!” A voice called out to me from the stairway of our hall. I knew instantly that it wasn’t redemption; it was just a factor of ruin and disaster.
‘This wouldn’t help matters,’ I thought within myself, after which I felt a surge of heat from within. I tried my best to control my wolf. “She’s everywhere around you, Aiden; that’s my cue; I’m done not being heard by you; every doubt of uncertainty I get is always countered by words of guilt-tripping from you rather than assurance.” “Are we still on this case?” Alessa’s irritating voice rang through my brain, and I wanted to tear her apart. “Alessa, it seems like your extensions healed faster; you’re here for another torture pull.”
Hayley smirked, hiding obvious terror. “Don’t you have a place to be? We’re not the sole aim of your existence; make yourself useful.” I watched as Hayley snapped at her in disgust, and I’ve never loved her more than I did at that moment. I almost said a word and then remembered the last comment Hayley made to me: “words of guilt-tripping.”
I wasn’t going to do that, not now. “I’m not here for you,” she rudely said to Hayley and turned to me. “Aiden, darling.” Alessa’s hands touched my shoulder, and the irritation started all over again.
My fangs started growing longer, my iris turned a very dark shade of red, and the hair on my skin started poking.
“Aiden, are you okay?” Hayley screeched out my name.
“My goodness, Aiden,” I heard Alessa say in a loud whisper. She attempted to touch me, and a very loud growl escaped my lips. “Aiden, calm down.” Hayley spoke softly and tried to come closer to me.
I knew if I stayed there, someone would get hurt. To avoid hurting anyone, especially Hayley, I left both of them by the fountain. I ran away from the scene like my life depended on it, amidst the loud yelling of my name from both of them.