CHAPTER 12.
1190 Words
AVA'S POV.
I got us two icecreams once again. Chocolate for Noah and vanilla for me. We both sat on the park bench mulching on it. There was silence between us, but it wasn't tense and heavy. It was comfortable.
I didn't expect Noah to say anything, but surprisingly, he spoke first. "I have a question for you." His tone wasn't harsh for once, and I instantly grew curious.
"What's your question?" I asked with my eyes on him, but he had his eyes fixed straight ahead of him, avoiding mine completely.
"How did you get that scar on your wrist?"
At the mention of my scar, the tiny vertical scar began to itch. I dropped my icecream against the bench and rubbed it gently.
Noah's eyes met mine, dark and curious.
Unwilling to tell him, I said, "you're the one prying into my life now."
He shrugged without care. "You are my wife. I think I deserve to know all about you."
I raised a brow at him. "Really? But you're always telling me to stay out of your business, and now you are pocking your nose in mine."
"You're always so nosy and it's annoying. That's why I never bothered to answer your questions."
"So now who's the nosy one?" I teased.
He sighed heavily, "okay fine. Let's do it like this. Answer my question and you're free to ask me one of your own."
"Really?" I exclaimed in excitement. This is an opportunity for me to get to know even a little about him.
He rolled his eyes. "Yes, but you'll have to answer my question first."
"Okay," I agreed and adjusted on my seat. It's not that I hated talking about the incident, I barely even remember what happened because I was only eight then. "It would surprise you to know that it started in this very park." I rubbed my wrist in a daze as the memories flooded in. "My Dad brought me here to have fun when I was eight, but at some point he left me to myself to go make a business call. I don't remember how, but I was kidn*pped that day. A very bad man took me, and when I tried to escape, he stabbed me with a knife through my wrist " I shivered as I remembered my scream. "Its not a memory I like to reminisce."
Silence followed my story and it seems like we were both lost in thought. Noah broke the silence. "Were you alone?" I stared at him confused, and he was watching me expectantly.
"I don't really remember much," I thought back to that day, and all I could remember was me being dragged into the bad man's car. I'm not really sure if I was alone.
I thought hard about it. Was I alone? There was something my brain was screaming at me to remember, and I focused hard trying to remember it. A face flashed in my mind, but it was hazy and blurry. Before it could get clearer, Noah's voice snapped me out of it.
"Ava?"
I came back to my senses and stared at him. He was watching me with a hint of concern. Our eyes met, and my heart stood still.
Those blue eyes suddenly looks so familiar.
"Are you okay?" Noah asked again.
I gulped down the strange feeling in my chest. "Yeah I'm fine." I rubbed my wrist in discomfort.
"You don't have to force yourself to remember if you don't," he advised.
I frowned at him and said playfully. "You're suddenly being so nice."
His jaw clenched and he looked away. "I'm not nice, don't get used to it!"
I smiled, "you really are cute."
His jaw tightened and he gritted out. "Whatever."
I brushed off his arrogant tone and said, "okay it's my turn to ask a question. I asked you once if you have been here before, but you did not answer, and I'm curious. If you have been here before, why are you eager to be here again?"
His jaw loosen and his expression soften. "There is someone I am looking for. I met her in this same park when I was ten years old. She saved my life. I begged my parent then to bring me here in hopes of finding her, but they never agreed."
"She's a first love huh?" I teased, and his jaw clenched again which means she was. I giggled, "so how did she save you? I want to know the details. How did you two meet?"
"I told you you can only ask one question!" He snapped coldly.
"Aww that's sad. Why don't we play twenty questions then? I have a lot to ask about your first love."
"That's too bad. I'm not going to answer any more of your questions, and I'm not playing any stupid twenty questions with you."
I pouted in mock hurt, "youre no fun at all. Okay lets push that aside. Why don't you answer just this one question. Did you ever find her?"
He stared at me again, his expression was still blank, but there was a light in his eyes. The darkness in them has faded a great deal. "I didn't find her."
My smile fell, "that's sad. But don't worry, Kingstone town isn't that big. Tell me what she looks like and I can help you find her."
"It's over eighteen years now, how would you even find her?"
"I'm a social person. I know almost everyone in Kingstone. Don't underestimate me."
"No need for that!" He said simply.
"Why not?" I was genuinely confused. "Don't tell me you're giving up."
"I'm not, but I don't need to find her anymore."
I squinted at him. "Common seriously, tell me why not. Don't give me an excuse that you're dying because..."
He scoffed, "don't worry, it's not that."
"Then tell me why?"
"I don't want to!" He stood up from the park bench. "It's getting late. I think it's time we head home."
"Not until you tell me why you don't want to find your first love anymore."
"It's not your business! Stop prying into my life!"
"You pried into mine first!" I retorted also getting up from the bench.
His jaw clenched. "It was an agreement. Leave me alone!" He walked ahead of me.
"Noah!" I called, but he quickened his pace and I giggled. "Okay fine, I won't ask again," I called out. "Wait for me!"
He glanced over his shoulder at me, but quickly threw his face away. I stopped in my tracks, my eyes widened in disbelief. I couldn't be mistaken. Did I just see a smile on Noah's face?
I smiled to myself. I won't tell him that I saw him smile. It might make him uncomfortable, but I was sure of one thing now though. Noah Edwards is not a bad guy at all. I'll work extra hard to see him smile more often. A smile that would last longer than this one.
"Wait for me Noah!" I ran to catch up with him smiling widely and feeling more happy than I should be.
- Writer
