5
1307 Words
Aurelia's POV
"Goo…goo…good evening," I stuttered, my voice shaking as I struggled to find the words. I couldn't believe the man I met at the club was Rocco's dad and soon to be father in-law. He just stood there, watching me, his eyes crinkling at the corners as a sly smile crossed his lips.
"Good evening," he said. "Hmm,Have we met before?" He asked furrowing his brows. I bent my head in shame, unable to look at his face. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, my heart pounding in my chest. I wanted to sink into the ground, to vanish from sight. What if he exposes me here? I thought, my mind racing with fear. I'm dead. I'm so dead. I felt a wave of panic wash over me. I couldn't think straight, couldn't form a coherent thought. The silence stretched on, broken only by the sound of my own shallow breathing. Then my father's deep voice cut through the silence.
“No," my dad’s deep voice brought me back to reality.“Aurelia is an introvert. She enjoys staying at home, reading books.” My dad said his voice full of pride.
“Wow, what a good daughter you got here.Hmm Aurelia! What a nice name! ” The way my name rolled around the top of his tongue felt weird but also nice. I could feel the sarcasm dripping from his words.
"Enough about Aurelia," my father said. "Why don't you come join us for dinner?" He gestured to Rocco's dad, guiding him towards the dining table. I stood frozen, watching as they walked away. My head was spinning and I felt my heart squeezing. I was finding it hard to breathe, I was suffocating in my thoughts and misery.
"Aurelia!" my father called out. I snapped out of my thoughts, turning towards him. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
“Yea,sure.” I said, clearing my throat.
“Then why are you still standing there?” He asked, looking puzzled.
"Nothing," I said, finally moving to the dining table and pulling out a chair. I sat down, my legs shaking, my heart still racing.
"So, Gabriel," my father began, his mouth full of food, "now that the kids know each other and have agreed to get married, when should we set the wedding date?" Gabriel shifted in his seat, his gaze fixed on me. I swallowed hard, the hard lumps forming in my throat.
"There are still some matters to be settled," he said, his tone serious. My heart sank. What did he mean by that? Does this matter have something to do with our meeting at the club? Different thoughts kept swirling in my mind.
“Okay.” My dad said and continued eating. I felt the tension in the room mounting, and I tried to focus on my food, but every time my gaze met Gabriel's, I felt my heart jump.
"Aurelia," Gabriel suddenly called my name, making me choke on my drink and began to cough vehemently.
"Are you alright?" my father asked, his brow furrowed with concern. I nodded, not trusting my voice. My mind was racing, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Gabriel asked again, a smirk playing on his lips. I nodded, but I felt anything but okay. "If you say so," he continued, sipping his drink. "So, apart from reading books, what else do you enjoy doing?"
"Uhm... I...uhm..." I stuttered, trying to compose myself. "I enjoy cooking," I said, finally faking a smile.
"Oh, that's nice," he replied, his smile widening. "And what about dancing?" he asked, leaning forward. I looked at him, my eyes wide in shock, knowing where this conversation was going.
"Yes, I do," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I reached for my drink, trying to steady my nerves.
"Here," Gabriel said, offering me a bottle of whiskey.
"Aurelia doesn't drink alcohol," My father cut in.
"Oh, really?" Gabriel asked, pretending to be surprised. "You don't drink?" I shook my head, feeling more and more uncomfortable with the turn of events.
"That's nice," he said, but I could sense the sarcasm in his voice again. "And you're sure we haven't met before?" he asked again, his gaze boring into mine.
"No, we haven't," I said, looking down at my plate. I couldn't understand what he was trying to gain from this line of questioning.
"Maybe I mistook you for one of the girls I've met at the club," he said. I quickly looked at him and my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe he would say something so disrespectful. I felt an overwhelming urge to leave the room. The tension in the air was suffocating, and the conversation felt more and more awkward with each passing moment. I need to get out of here, I thought, and stood up.
"Where are you going?" my father asked, concerned creeping into his voice.
"I'm going to the restroom," I replied, standing up and making my way out of the room. After a few minutes, I returned to find my father and Gabriel deep in conversation about business. I sat down, forcing a smile, and resumed eating my food.
"There's one last thing," Gabriel said, his voice serious. "I'd appreciate it if you kept this marriage a secret. You know how things are with work, and I don't want anyone to harm Aurelia." My father nodded, his face grim.
"Of course, that won't be a problem," he said. They returned to their business discussion, but I couldn't help but feel uneasy. Gabriel's phone started ringing, and he glanced at the caller ID, but he didn't pick it up. Suddenly, he stood up, his gaze sweeping the room.
"Thank you so much for this delicious meal," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "We'll have to take our leave now." I had never been more grateful for the end of a meal, and when it was over, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. He extended his hand to my father, who shook it firmly.
"It was a pleasure meeting you," my father said, his voice smooth and charming as always. And just like that, they were gone, and I was left alone with my thoughts.
"Phew," my stepmother said, collapsing into a chair. "What a day."
"Mummy," Annalise chirped. "I'm tired." She said, yawning.
"Go upstairs and rest," my stepmother said, ruffling Annalise's hair.
"And you," she said, turning to me, "clean this up." I sighed, but I knew there was no point arguing. I gathered the plates and carried them to the kitchen, my thoughts still whirling. I couldn't help but wonder why Gabriel didn't call off the wedding after what happened between us.
"Aurelia.” My dad called from behind.
"Yes, Dad," I said, turning back to face him. He looked at me with a concerned expression.
"You seemed a bit uncomfortable today," he said. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" I shook my head.
"No, Dad, I'm fine," I said, trying to sound convincing.
"And what about Rocco?" he asked. I hesitated, not wanting to give him any reason to worry.
"He's...he's fine," I lied. "Okay, good night, dear," he said, pulling me into a side hug.
"Good night, Daddy," I said,and he left. As I was washing the dishes, my phone rang. Without checking the caller ID, I answered it.
"Hello?" I said. I felt my heart skip a beat when I heard the voice on the other end.I pulled the phone from my ear and stared at the phone in disbelief. I was frozen, unable to move. The voice on the other end kept talking, but I couldn't hear the words. All I could hear was the sound of my own pulse pounding in my chest.
- Writer
