CHAPTER SIX
1450 Words
Ash
I curled my lips in disgust as my aunt's mouth twisted into a sly smile. My grip on her throat tightened, and she raised her hand, weakly trying to pry mine away.
“If you kill me here, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.”
I ignored her and squeezed a little more, wanting to leave an imprint on her neck. Her eyes widened, and I smiled inwardly. Now she was taking me seriously.
“A..ash.”
I let go of her. She immediately clutched her neck, bending over as she gasped for air.
“That'll teach you to stay away from me.”
She gave me a stern glare before picking her jacket up off my office floor. Without another word, she walked out, slamming the door in anger.
I was so close. I punched the wall in front of me, angry at myself for reacting to her advances earlier. I knew it was a matter of time before she came back, wanting to seduce me again, but I hoped my threat would keep her away for a long time.
I glanced around my office, unsure of what to do. It felt unclean now, tainted by her presence. I needed to clear my head. I needed to talk to someone—Rin.
I grabbed my phone and keys from my desk and walked out. On my way downstairs, I saw my aunt talking to my brother. She threw me a quick sidelong glance, and I pretended not to notice as I headed for the elevator.
When the elevator opened, the office janitor stepped out, nodding to me in greeting. I returned the gesture and stepped in. Just before the doors closed, I called out to him.
“Clean my office.”
***
I pulled up behind Rin's Honda Civic. The presence of her car meant she was home. I'd only been to her house once or twice back in college, and if I remembered correctly, she had a lovely family.
I took a deep breath, trying to come up with an excuse for my visit. I knew visiting a friend didn't necessarily require one, but showing out of the blue, after three years since my last visit, made me feel like I needed a reason.
Tired of sitting there with no good excuse coming to mind, I stepped out of my car and slammed the door shut. With my hands in my pockets, I strolled up to their front door.
The sky was already dark, the moon beginning to rise. I checked my watch—7:00 p.m. It was still early to visit, I supposed.
I knocked twice on the door and waited. Nothing. I was about to knock again when the door opened, revealing a boy almost my height, with freckled cheeks and sandy-coloured hair. He looked like Rin, so I figured he must be one of her twin brothers.
“Hey, is Rin home?”
He gave me a once-over, as if sizing me up, before stepping aside.
He pointed with a bent finger toward a hidden door on the right of the hallway, opposite the front door.
“She's in the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” I stepped In.
On the couch sat his twin and—
“Ken.”
He looked up from his phone, his eyes brightening with recognition.
“Yo, dude. Um, don't tell me, Ash?”
“Yeah. How're you doing, man?” I clasped his extended hand, brushing my shoulder against his in a friendly greeting.
“I'm good. What're you doing here?”
“I came to talk to Rin. You?”
“Just visiting my babe. Hope you didn't come to steal her from me?” He laughed, clapping me on the shoulder, before resuming his seat.
I laughed and walked past as his eyes went back to his phone and the twins crowded around him.
“Rin.” I pushed open the kitchen door, stepping inside—and that's when I saw her.
She was in the middle of the kitchen, trying to pull herself up by gripping the edge of the island, her chest heaving frantically. It was clear she was having a panic attack.
Her back was to me, so she didn't see me approach. Just then, her hand slipped, but before she could hit the ground, I caught her by the waist, and lifted her onto the island.
I ran my hands slowly up and down her back to calm her, taking slow, deliberate breaths.. Breathing slowly—In and out—so she could follow my lead.
“Breathe, Rin. Breathe.”
She shook her head, her eyes red with tears.
“It's okay. Just breathe. I'm here.” I kissed her forehead for encouragement. “In…and out. Come on.”
She began following my pace. “Yeah, that's it. In and out.”
“Thanks,” she whispered, her breathing finally stabilizing.
She took a deep breath, before jumping down from the island.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She folded her arms across her chest, running one hand over her head. “If you hadn't come in time..”
“It's okay. Someone would have noticed and come in to check on you.”
“I guess.” She paused, holding my gaze and I could see the appreciation in her eyes.
“So… you and Ken are still together?” I shoved my hands into my pockets. The question had come more straightforward than I’d intended. I didn't want her to think I was jealous.
“Yeah. After college, he still wanted to keep going, and since I was already attached to him, I just agreed.” She ran her hands down her arms as if she was cold.
“Cool.” I nodded, though her answer set a tingling sensation in my chest. Maybe I was a bit jealous.
“So…how are you and your aunt?”
“Ugh.” I rubbed my forehead. I'd almost forgotten why i came here in the first place. “The b***h won't let me breath.”
She giggled, grabbed a cup and heading to the sink. “Yeah, how?”
“I'm serious. She's everywhere. I haven't started working with her yet, and I'm already irritated.”
“Hmm.” She raised the glass to her lips for a drink. “Can I ask a question?”
“Yeah.” I crossed my legs, leaning against the island. “What?”
“Why do you dislike your aunt?”
I froze. I hadn't expected her to ask. I knew she was like the closest friend I had, but still, I wasn't in that place yet. I wasn't ready to talk about it.
“It started when I was younger. I'm still not ready to talk about it.” I saw the hurt in her eyes and quickly apologized. “Sorry.”
“It's okay.” She drummed her fingers on the edge of the sink, still holding the glass. “I better go get changed.”
“Oh, right.” I hadn't realized she was still in her work clothes, meaning she'd just arrived home. “I should probably go.”
“Why? You just got here. I was hoping you'd kinda stay for dinner.” She shrugged off her jacket, taking the band out of her hair.
It fell to her shoulders, cascading in dark brown waves. I wanted ro reach over and touch it.
“Yeah, I could stay if you want me to.”
She smiled. “Great. Give me a minute, and I'll start preparing dinner.”
“I'll help.”
“Great.” She turned her back to me. “Do me a favor and take this off—it's starting to feel suffocating.”
She scooped up her hair so I could see the clasp of her thin necklace. I moved closer, trying to unlatch it, but it wouldn't budge
“Ouch.”
“Sorry, its stuck.”
“Oh, for God's sake, just cut it or something.”
“Isn't it important to you?”
“Yeah. It was given to me by my dad, but now it just feels like its choking me. I'll probably turn it into a bracelet or something, so it's okay.”
“Alright. If you don't mind, I'm about to use my teeth.”
She laughed. “Go ahead.”
I bent my head, raising the chain to my mouth. My teeth slightly grazed her skin, and I felt her tense as she sucked in a deep breath.
“What's going on here?”
Startled, we both turned to see Ken glaring at us.
- Writer
