Come Closer

Chapter 23

The black car glided leisurely through the winding path. A white building could be seen through the trees that aligned the path. It came to a stop at the elegant looking mansion. Avelyn got out of the car first, and soon got accompanied by a surprised Jayden. She glanced at him and then proceeded to climb the stairs. “Would you prefer to come in, or stand out there?” She spoke loudly, pulling him out of his trance.

Well, who can blame him? Avelyn’s mansion was a piece of art itself. Surrounded by the calming greenery of the trees that swayed in the breeze, there stood the magnificent mansion with all its glory. Beautiful blooming flower plants were placed, giving it an elegant look. The wall lamps poured yellow light down, giving light to the courtyard and making the water fountain sparkle. The mansion easily reflected Avelyn’s preferences, portraying her personality well.

As soon as Avelyn stepped inside, she was crushed in a bear hug, and Nathan’s voice bellowed in her ears. “Avelyn! What happened to you? I was so worried!”

Avelyn drew a huge breath when Nathan finally let go of her. “Nathan! Don’t shout in my ear” She hit his arm.

“Sorry about that. But what happened to you?”

Avelyn gave him a tight smile. “Got caught.”

Nathan nodded, “Aah, got caught”. And then his eyes widened when he registered the words. “GOT CAUGHT?! HOW?” He exclaimed, flapping his arms all around him.

“Jeez, Nathan, calm down. I’ll explain it to you later. But now, I have someone to introduce to you.” Avelyn said, turning around to face Jayden. “Still searching for your jaw?” She smirked.

Jayden shrugged in response. “I might have to admit that this is very beautiful.”

Avelyn gave him a cocky smile. “Told you so.” She turned to Nathan. “Nathan, this is Jayden, my childhood friend. Jayden, this is Nathan, my partner in crime- literally.”

Nathan gave Jayden a nod as they shook hands. “I presume you to be the one that rescued Avelyn?” He asked, smiling.

Jayden laughed nervously. “About that, I was the one who captured her.”

And Nathan’s smile turned upside down. “What?” He took a threatening step towards Jayden, ready to punch him. But Avelyn was quicker to act, and stepped in between them. “Woah, wait Nathan! Jayden didn’t know that it was me. That’s why he trapped me.”

“Why is he here now?”

“Oh come on Nathan. You’ve to get to know each other. He is my friend, as well as you. He is not a threat.”

Nathan nodded. “Okay then. Since you trust him, I won’t do anything” he said, pointing at Jayden.

………………………………………………..

On the next day, Jayden went back home in the morning. And Avelyn and Nathan went to resume their respective tasks of the day.

Let me tell you what has happened with Avelyn after she had started training under Nathan. She has become the best in her gang in using guns with her constant practice. She can shoot targets with closed eyes. But everyone had a weakness in them. And Avelyn is no different. Though she is pretty good in self-defense, she couldn’t get to the level of others who have been practicing martial arts for years. In spite of how hard she has practiced, she is no match for the others, just as Nathan had predicted in the beginning. So she developed a little trick. Quick flexes and responses helped her get out of any casualties, making up for her lack of skill in fighting using her body. But like every other thing, that trick didn’t work for every occasion, resulting in a few failures in her missions, like the one with Jayden.