7.
977 Words
"So... when are you coming back?", Lucca asked as he walked to me. I glanced at him for a second before shifting my focus back on the file in my hand.
"It's just gonna be a day.", I replied briefly.
"Man! you don't really have to visit her right today. You visited her just a month ago."
"What do you even want Lucca?"
"Nothing", he just looked outside through the glass wall of my office while I worked. "Man! You used to visit her after months. Why did you even start visiting her every month?", he started again.
"Lucca!", I said slowly in a dull voice. I was already tired and now I had to bear with his whining. "She's my responsibility after all."
"No, she's not.", he hissed.
"Luc-"
"She's what a sixteen years old kid, who's gonna be 17 soon enough. She's mature enough to protect herself."
"No, she's not."
"She is. You- you just, I don't know what... But one thing I know is... that she has a family and she is a grown up. She doesn't need you. And your men are always there. Then why the hell are you so concerned?"
"Mind. Your. Own. Business. Lucca.", he looked at me with bloodshot eyes before storming out of the office. I threw the file on my table, leaning back in my office chair and rubbed my face with my palm.
Everything is so messed up.
I, maybe, really didn't need to say all that. After all it was his party I was skipping just to visit Aine. I will apologize... later.
•••••••••••••••••••
Aine jogged to me just as she spotted me, with a little smile playing on her lips. She nervously grinned as she stood Infront of me.
"When did you come?"
"Not long ago.", I gave her a small smile too. We stayed there like that, silently. She was such a scared little girl when I rescued her. She's changing with time. She wasn't used to talking to anyone but she was opening up, everytime we met. She was always strong inside yet so soft outside and she was trying to be strong from outside too. She cleared her throat, interrupting my train of thoughts.
"We- we should go sit somewhere." I nodded in response.
We walked along the road for sometime. The awkward silence between us was annoying me.
We sat on a bench in the middle of the park while both of us just looked forward at the refreshing scenery. I cleared my throat.
"How's everything going?"
"Good."
"How did your exams go?"
"Amazing.", a small smile made its way up to my lips.
"How are you?", she said slowly, shocking me. Is it really Aine asking about me? I looked at her while she nervously smiled. A smile appeared on my lips too.
"Quite fine.", I gave her a small smile.
"And how's everyone at home?", she was changing. I glanced at her while she fiddled with her fingers looking forward.
"Fine."
"Aria- I wanted to thank her. I was quiet not stable enough at that time to... think straight.", she said slowly.
I patted her shoulder lightly.
"She'll be glad to hear from you.", she smiled and I smiled back.
"Aria is your-", I understood her question immediately.
"Cousin", she mouthed an 'O' at my quick reply.
"And- other guys?"
"Lucca is my best friend since ever. Xavier... it's a bit difficult to explain but... he was adopted by my uncle when we were really young. His parents were murdered, he ran away and that's how we found him. He wasn't in the state to say anything. He was just 5 at that time. I was 8. We've been together since after that. Adrian... he- he's Xavier's actual cousin, like an actual one, by blood.", she again mouthed an 'O'.
"He searched for Xavier and he found him when we were in highschool. He's three years older to me. That's how we got to know everything about Xavier's past. He hadn't told anyone even a single thing before. So we though he didn't have any memory. Well whatever, since then Adrian has been with us all the time. He's the most thoughtful of us."
"That's such a... thrilling story. You never talked about all this before."
"You never asked me."
"C'mon, don't say that like you'll tell me anything that I ask.", she sassily said.
"Try me.", I raised a brow.
"Then...", she seemed to be in deep thoughts for a while. "How did your parents die?", I felt like air had been punched out of me. I'll tell her anything but... it was difficult to explain this particular thing.
"I- I'm sorry. Seems like, that's a sensitive topic."
"My father was murdered and my mom... she suscided."
"Oh!", she was silent for a while. I could see her struggling with her thoughts. "Did she suscide because of your father's murder?", she asked hesitantly.
"No", I laughed lightly. I didn't want the atmosphere to be awkward. "He was a douchbag to us."
"Oh!", she gulped. After all the atmosphere got awkward anyways, I guess. "Don't worry. He must have been punished for everything up there.", I looked at her, astonished, followed by my uncontrollable laughter.
"Oh lil bunny you really see this world through rose tinted glasses.", I patted her head. "This world is full of monsters, so don't go around believing in this karma shit."
"Not everyone is a monster. Some people are like you too."
"And believe me I'm one of the scariest monsters you've ever met or ever will.", she seemed to be a bit shocked. I patted her head.
"Just kidding. Let me walk you home. I need to leave early.", and she awkwardly followed.
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- Writer
