Started with Goodbye

Chapter 20

Right after Aiden said those words to me, and to Asher, she said that we should celebrate that day because finally, she met the man that had managed to capture my heart, and finally, I could have someone to bug, other than her.

Asher and I just let her do whatever she wants to because the both of us thought that she never wanted to stop. She never wanted the both of us to stop her from her cr*zy antics, and I guess that Asher was alright with that because I could see a delighted expression on his face, and somehow, I was thankful that he was alright with the people that was around me.

Aiden excused herself, telling the both of us that she would call for a*****e that could deliver us some food that we could eat right now. Because according to her, she wanted me to rest for this day and she also wanted to celebrate without worrying about food, her words not mine, but I doubt that it was really her reason to call a food delivery.

After all, I knew how lazy she could get, even though I was the only one who was cleaning and cooking in the kitchen, and I knew that her laziness would strike anytime, even if it was not really good for the both of us.

And now, I knew that laziness had started to strike her again, and she did not want to cook for our dinner. She just resort on the easiest and most convenient, for her because I knew that I would be the one who would clean all the mess later, and that is ordering a food on a*****e that was still open at this hour.

While she was out to make a call for our food, I took that as a chance to look at Asher and squeezed his hands that was on the table to call his attention. And I really did because he turned to look at me with a questioning gaze, before he gave me a warm smile.

“I am glad that you are able to meet Aiden,” I told him with a small smile while I was still staring straight into his eyes. “I was hesitant at first, but I think that the result was more than alright, more than what I thought to even. I guess that it was enough for me to be this glad for the both of us.”

Asher looked at me, warmly, and that action alone made me feel the warmth that was spreading on my heart. It made me feel something that I never had before. It made me feel those things that no one had ever made me feel in my life.

“I was glad too.” He whispered those simple four words to me, but it seems like it has a deeper meaning than it is.

It felt like there was something more than that. It felt like those words had something that I could not point out, and somehow, even if I already told myself that I should not get so curious and I should not stick my nose over something, somehow, it made me want to ask him what he means by that. I wanted to ask him why he was so glad, because I really think that there was a deeper meaning behind those words.

But before I could even ask him about that, Aiden appeared on our dining area again, and I did not know if I should thank her because she just managed to stop me from doing something so s*lly again or if I should be angry at her because she just ruined a moment that was perfect for me to ask that question.

After that, Aiden and Asher talked about things, and I was just interrupting the conversation when I think that Aiden was already saying too much for her own good, and I knew that I had to do something because she would reveal something that she should just shut her mouth.

I was giving her a pointed look, but Aiden just shrugged her shoulders as if she did not care with me, and she wanted to give Asher every tiny little details about me, even though I really think that she should shut her mouth even for a single second. She was also giving too much information about me that was too unreal to believe, but this boyfriend of mine who was sitting beside me was listening to her, intently, as if it was so true.

I just gave up on stopping her from talking about unnecessary things, and also I got tired of stopping Asher on listening to her, and I just wish that the foods that Aiden had ordered earlier would arrive so that they would divert their attentions at that. But I guess that the fate was not on my side right now because thirty minutes have passed since then, but I still could not see nor hear anything about the food delivery that we have been waiting for.

I gave up and was about to listen to Aiden, even though I really think that what she was saying was so gibberish, but my face lit up when I heard our doorbell rung and I knew that it was the food that we have been waiting for earlier.

Asher and Aiden stopped talking and they both looked at the direction of the door, before Aiden said to the both of us, “I will get the delivery and the two of you should wait here in the dining area.” The both of us just agreed with her, as we saw her stood up from her seat.

“I will just get some eating utensils on the kitchen,” I told Asher when we both saw that Aiden was already opening the door of our apartment. “Aiden tends to forget where I put the things on our kitchen, so I guess that she would throw a tantrums if I will not help her. I did not want you to see how childish she is, you know?” I looked at Asher as I joked about Aiden.

Asher just shook his head as he told me that I should go ahead and help my best friend prepare our dinner for the night, and so I immediately went to the kitchen and get all the necessary things that we would use earlier.

As soon as I got back on the dining area, I saw that Aiden and Asher were already setting out the dishes, and it warmed my heart that they got really close with one another even if it was just a moment ago when they met.

Well, I guess that Aiden really liked Asher for me that’s why she could get close to him without any hassle. And I guess that she really liked Asher’s attitude that’s why she could easily do the things that I know she would not do to a person she just met, literally just an hour ago.

Aiden saw the eating utensils that I brought, and she immediately grabbed it to me as soon as I went on her side and I just let her do whatever she wanted to do because I knew that there was no sense on stopping her. I also let her prepare the table and I told Asher that we should just let Aiden do what she wanted and just stare at her while preparing our dinner.

I was not surprised when Asher agreed because somehow, I knew that he also has a childish side in him but he did not show it to me, or anyone else, unlike Aiden who was always childish about things that she almost forgot that she was a functional adult now.

“Let’s eat now,” Aiden said to the both of us as she clapped her hands, almost excitedly, and with that smile on her face as if she had anticipated this moment. “I am already hungry and I did not think that it was this so late when our order would arrive.”

I just shook my head at her as I looked at Asher and gave him a small smile. “Let’s eat now, or else, Aiden might cause a scene right now.” I leaned closer to him, and whispered, “She was like a monster whenever she was hungry,” though I know that Aiden heard it loud and clear because of how deadly her stare is to me.

“Sometimes, I was wondering why you become my best friend,” she told me as she pouted, but I just rolled my eyes at her. “You are bully. You are always sarcastic to me, it hurts you know.” Aiden once again started a drama, that I knew that she did not mean and she just wanted to tease me.

“I was wondering too,” I told her as I gave her a smile.

The both of us heard Asher laughed because of our antics, and that made the both of us stop what we were doing and looked at him as if he just lost his head. “You should stop it now and eat the dinner,” he told the both of us as he pointed the food that was on the table between Aiden and I. “It might get cold, you know?”

Aiden and I both sighed when she said that, and started to sit properly as we filled our plates full of foods that my oh so cr*zy best friend bought earlier. I also made sure that Asher already got his food before I started eating.

“I was wondering why the both of you were together,” Aiden said, out of nowhere, when we were on the middle of eating the foods. Asher and I looked at one another, then at her with the same questioning look on our faces. “I mean, Asher was too nice and you on the other hand...” Aiden waved her hands as she sighed, and I knew that she was starting with her jokes again. “Nevermind,” she even said that made me roll my eyes at her again.

But because my boyfriend was a very serious man, he smiled at Aiden as he answered her, “I love her too much, and I guess that it is enough explanation for me to stay with her and made her feel that I will always love her.”

The whole apartment got silent right after he said that, and the only thing that could be heard inside was the air condition that was located inside of the dining area. I got flustered because of the cheesiness that he said, but as I looked down on the table, I saw on my peripheral vision that Aiden had a satisfied expression on her face as she was nodding her head at Asher.

She even slowly clapped her hands, while looking at Asher who had a small smile on his face. “And that is the reason why I really liked Asher for you,” Aiden said that made me look at her again. “He is a man who is true to himself, and I know that he will always take care of you and he will always be there for you, even if it was your darkest times.”

Aiden looked at me with a smile on her face, and that also made me give her a little smile, before I shyly looked at Asher who was looking at me. I gave him a sweet smile, and he did so too, and that alone made my heart flutter all over again.

After that, we started our dinner, and occasionally, we were talking about things that we could come up with, until it was time for Asher to go home. He looked somehow conflicted as he was looking at the time, but as he saw that Aiden and I were looking at him, he removed that uneasy look an his face as he tried to smile at us.

“I think that I already need to go,” Asher told us, with a forced smile on his face but it looks like Aiden did not notice it, and I was the only one who saw the conflicted look on his face. “I remembered that I still have work to do, and I needed to finish it today,” he reasoned out that made me frown because I could still remember, clearly, that he told me that he does not have anything to do today.

I started to doubt Asher, but I did not show him, nor Aiden, that because I knew that they would just ask me what was wrong, and I could not promise that I would be able to stop myself from asking things again that might be the cause for the both of us to fall apart again.

He started to stand up from his seat, and I did not have any choice but to agree that he should go home. I walked him until he reached the door, and that was when he said that he was alright to go on his own now, and just like that, I have decided to go on where Aiden is, not until I made sure that Asher was not on my field of vision anymore.

I let out a loud sigh as soon as I reached the dining table again, and I did not pay any attention at Aiden who was eating the food that was left on the table. If I was not thinking of something right now, I might have started to tease her over and over again.

I was about to stand up again, and tell Aiden that I was going on my bed now, but I stopped when I heard her hummed that made me look on her direction again, though she was not looking at me, and her attention was focused on the chair where Asher was sitting earlier.

“Isn’t that his wallet?” Aiden said while pointing at the chair where Asher was earlier. “I am right, right?” She looked at me with questioning gaze, and I nodded my head at her because I have always seen that wallet on Asher.

“I should give it to him,” I told her as I grabbed the said wallet from that chair. “I think that he is not that far yet. After all, he just left almost five minutes ago.”

Aiden looked at me as if she was analyzing something, before she asked me, “Are you sure?” and that made me look at her again and nodded my head.

I gave her a small smile, but I knew that she could tell that there was something wrong with me and she just choose to let it go. “I will just give this to him, real quick, alright?” I said as I waved the wallet in front of her.

She reluctantly nodded her head at me, and that made me go out of our apartment to catch up with Asher. The elevator was already empty when I reached it, but I knew that he was still somewhere near the apartment building.

And I was right when I though of that, because as soon as I took a step outside of the building, and yes, I ran all the way outside of our apartment, I saw him standing in a lamppost with his phone on his ears as if he was calling someone.

I decided to go near him, but I stopped because of what he said next. “Yeah, no one noticed and I think the both of them did not notice too.” He gave a short pause to let the person on the other line talk, before he started talking again. “Yes, I have been so careful and I know that it is not time for her to know the truth yet.” He let out a smile, that same smile whenever he was looking at me. The sad one as if he thought of something. “After all, I knew that she would be able to know sooner on her time.”

I frowned when I heard that, and I decided to go near him again when I saw that he already hung up the call with a person that I did not really know who it is. Though I did not pry on it anymore, because I guess that I could just ask him some other time, and not now that it was too late.

I pretended that I did not hear any of it as I went near him. I saw him looking up at the night sky as if he wanted to clear his mind over something. He must have noticed that I was behind him, so he looked at my direction and I prepared a small smile and acted as if I did not hear anything.

He gave me a smile too, and I did not let him talk anymore as I gave him his wallet. “You left it in our apartment,” I told him as I shyly avoided his gaze, before I reluctantly looked at him again. “That is why I am here.” I pointed the apartment building when I heard him said thanks to me, as I said, “Then, I should go now.”

I did not wait for his answer anymore as I started to run on the direction of the apartment building again because I thought that I had so much to think about again.