MIO FIORE

HIM AGAIN?

“What?” I asked just to make sure he gave me permission, I looked at him, was he actually giving me his car to drive. He didn't even like me touching it.

He dug into his pockets throwing me what I realized were his keys and reached out to just grab them before they hit the ground.

“Thanks."I said, grabbing my things from the bed, just as I was about to walk out the door he put his arm on the other side of the door blocking me, and I looked up, as he bent down, "You scratch it, and I’ll break you."

"Understood." I nodded, "And you might want to take the back door through the garden." He whispered close to my ear as if he was telling me a secret.

"Thanks," I called out as I rushed out.

****

"Do you need help?”

"No thanks." I looked up at Daxton, "Are you okay?" I asked for the tenth time seeing him. Even Daxton was sporting heavy bruises on his face but then Aiden was completely scratch-free, from what I could see.

“Yeah." Daxton went back to typing away as I struggled to coordinate the color scheme. My

mind kept going back to the fight. I wanted to know why it happened but Daxton completely avoided the question telling me to drop it.

"Has Joe called you?"

"No did he say he will," I asked. I knew why he was trying to call me, that favor, but I didn't have my phone. Maybe I'll call him from work. But first I had to finish this client's draft, it was due tomorrow and this was the first time in my life I had left it to the last minute.

What was going on with me? I was always on time. I hated the pressure and stress that late reports gave me. I looked at the computer screen and the pictures didn't even make sense.

"Is anyone else working today?"

Daxton shook his head, damn it, I needed their parts as well. I opened up my email sending a mass email around to send me all the work they have done so far.

"Krystal?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you and your husband meet?"

My fingers froze on the keyboard and I looked up, "What do you mean?''

"You know I'm trying to figure out why someone like you would marry him."

Because I was young and stupid and thought my parents were smart, but they clearly weren’t.

"Uh, it's a long story, family friends." It wasn't a complete lie.

"Right." He stared at me and I broke away the gaze first. Why was he looking at me like that? I went back to looking at the client's criteria.

Daxton left after a bit saying he had something else to do which was fair enough but by the time I packed up and left the office locking everything it was pitch black outside and I nearly went back to my office to sleep there.

It was like deja vu coming back to the empty car park. I paused at the elevator looking left and right, peering out in case I heard something. Nothing.

Giving myself a little pep talk I grabbed the car keys walking hastily to the car. If I got in and locked the door I would be safe.

I looked over my shoulder, no one, I can relax now. I opened up the boot, placed the books I had to take home in, and closed it, walking around to the driver's door when I felt a hand on my shoulder, and my heart dropped.

It was like last time, I was frozen to the core and my heart just stopped, just like my breath.

“Krystal?"

It was almost like my soul had left my body. Wait, it knew my name. And then I could smell something familiar, the soft spicy scent of cologne.

I spun around, more than relieved to see a familiar face, act cool. "Oh hey." my voice didn't act cool being a shaky mess.

Aiden raised an eyebrow looking at me, "Why are you pale?"

“Uh, nothing." I shrugged off his hand that was still on me and stepped back clearing my throat, I can't believe I got that freaked out over nothing.

“Whatever, I need a ride home."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "What?"

“You took my car, just drive me home, woman." He turned around walking around to the passenger side and I stared at him.

"Uh yeah alright." Was he drunk?

I got into the car still confused why he had come to my work rather than just calling a taxi or something. I cast him a look as he reclined the chair back and closed his eyes. Judging by his outfit, he was definitely somewhere prior.

"Are you going to go yet?" Aiden asked when I hadn't started. 

"Y-yeah right." I shuddered off that jittery feeling reversing the car out of the car park, casting him a look, his eyes were shut, his long eyelashes casting a shadow on his cheeks.

Was he really going to sleep? Well, that made driving easier without him talking.

Or so I thought, in ten minutes he had reclined his chair back into a sitting position claiming he couldn't sleep and turned on the radio, really loud. I looked out the window at the bright city lights, and a few people were still around.

"Jesus, you drive slow."

“What? I'm going the speed limit."

“Yeah, slow. Pullover, let me drive."

I rolled my eyes ignoring him, since when was eighty km/h slow? I made a silent reminder not to get into his car, "Krystal pulls over."

"What the hell we're like twenty minutes from home just go take your nap again."

“Yeah, I can get us there in five." I stopped at the red light casting him a look, "Are you for real?"

He smirked, his grey eyes twinkling, he opened his mouth no doubt to say something very "Aiden" of him when a loud honk distracted us.