Innocent Temptation

Chapter Fourteen: We're not dating

AIRA sat up in her bed, pulling herself back to the present as the memory of that day drifted away. It had been so long since she thought about those times when she used to make a fool of herself. She had been tenaciously stopping her mind from wandering to those memories and the time when she had been naïve enough to think that she would one day have Mac as her lover and husband. Even when she was a little girl she used to dream of having a home, a family with kids and dogs, and to live her happily ever after with Mac.

But all those dreams had come to end on her sixteenth birthday and since then she’d tried everything to stop herself from falling for the man who handled her heart with callused fingers, not caring even if it bled in his merciless grip. She didn’t know why she suddenly dreamed of that day. It was probably because of last night. She absentmindedly rubbed her temple, those memories always left her with a depressed mood as she knew that no matter if even in the present she occasionally thought about the past and her feelings for that heartless man, she doubted he even cared enough to give her a mere thought. She was sure that he must've even gotten rid of that band years ago, and she won't even be surprised if he had thrown it on that day itself.

With a loud sigh, she shook her head for going down that path again but last night had been a little confusing with Mac acting like he cared, like he had any right to know if she kissed Greg or not. She didn’t know what was going on in his mind and why he behaved so strangely yesterday but she knew that she’d be stupid to be swayed by his momentary odd behaviour as even in the past he had made a fool out of her and made her feel humiliated and embarrassed for her feelings for him.

Her phone pinged with an incoming text and she picked it up to find that it was Greg. ‘Good morning, beautiful.’

Aira smiled and replied back with her own good morning text. She was glad that he had been with her yesterday or she might’ve found herself losing her mind over the giant next door with how he had acted at the shelter. But Greg didn't give her a chance to let her think about anything else while they had been in the café where they drank coffee and shared a packet of salted almonds while he told her about all the stories he encountered in his line of work.

She liked how she wasn’t hyperaware of everything when she was with Greg and how sweetly he treated her without throwing any insults around. But at the same time she felt like her being not too aware of him, even in his proximity, and not feeling the butterflies when he was close to her— held her hand, kissed the back of her hand, the lack of electricity between them made her think if she could really be with someone like that who didn’t make her giddy with excitement, who didn’t make her feel like all she wanted was to see how his lips would feel against hers and what his kisses will taste like.

‘Have dinner with me tonight?’

She looked down at her phone screen and saw his new text, and even though she was filled with second thoughts, she replied back with a yes. Putting her phone aside, she slipped out of the bed and decided to start her day.

She stepped out of her bathroom in her bathrobe and was drying her hair when there was a knock on her bedroom door. She thought it’d be her mother to check up on her as she had slept in late, but it was the side effects of spending the night awake with the thoughts of the giant who had cornered her outside her house. And unlike Greg, even the closeness of Mac, the way he had pressed against her, she felt electrified, like every cell of her body had come awake at his touch. Even now it made her shiver to remember how his hard body had felt pressed against hers and how small she had felt in front of him. She was small. But with Mac, it felt totally different.

“Come in,” she called out and was surprised to see her brother as he opened the door and stepped inside.

“Good morning,” He said, “Mom, said you slept in. Everything okay?”

Aira smiled softly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Couldn’t sleep last night.”

He walked over, clearly picking up on her mood as he plopped down on her bed and asked, “Want me to punch someone for upsetting you?”

She giggled. “You? Little Jay-jay?”

He scowled. “I am not little anymore. I am your younger brother but I can defend you in any fight. See.” He held up his arms and showed her his biceps. “Look at my muscles, I can take on anyone.”

Aira laughed and shook her head as she said, “I am sure you can. But know, I don’t need you to defend me.”

“You’ll tell me if there’s something, right?” He asked, suddenly sobering. He took her small hand in his big ones and said, “If anything or anyone upsets you, you are going to tell me. Share it with me so I can fûck up whoever hurt you. Because, I lived without you when you left and I don’t want to do that again.”

Aira felt her eyes prickle with unshed tears, she blinked them back. Looking at her younger brother she realized that even though he had grown up, he was still her little Jayden who she had carried around everywhere even when she herself was small. And maybe in her selfishness to run away from a certain man and her feelings, she might’ve hurt her family members unknowingly.

She patted his head and said, “I am not going to leave again, Jay. And rest assured, I am fine, no one said anything to me.”

“What about Mac?” She stiffened. And he noticed her reaction. With a nod, he said, “I am going to talk to him.”

“What? Why? Nothing happened.”

“I know something happened,” He replied. “Joey and I run in same circle, it’s a small town, Aira, did you think I won’t know if anything happened at the shelter.”

“But nothing happened.” Aira looked about for something to calm her brother down, she didn’t want to have anyone’s attention on Mac and herself, and she didn’t want her brother to fight for her with Mac and make him think like she was still a little helpless girl who needed someone else to defend her. She said, “He was just worried that I had to stay late and close the shelter as everyone had left. And he wanted to stay there so he could walk me home later but I denied his offer and that’s why he got a little upset.”

Jay frowned at her. “Why would you deny his offer, it seems reasonable.”

Aira answered, “I'd rather not have any of his favors.”

Jay nodded. “Fine. But then promise that you'll call me if it's late,” Then after a second, he added, “Forget it, I’ll just be there to pick you up.”

She smiled and with how she was feeling like someone was following her since last few days, she didn’t deny him that. She said, “If that’s what you want to do to be at ease, then okay.”

Her brother gave her a little nod before standing up and walking out of the room. But she stopped him as she remembered her plans with Greg for tonight. She said, “Though, you can start from tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll be going out for dinner with Greg.”

His brows arched up on his forehead. “You mean, a date?”

“Mm…hmmm..” Suddenly, she could no longer look at her brother.

“With Greg?” She nodded again. “Do you even like him? I have met him once, heard twice about him from our mother and Mac’s, but I hadn't heard anything from you.”

“I like him enough, and it's just dinner.”

He scoffed. “If you'd liked him, I bet the whole town would've known by now.” She glared at him. He said, “But, let’s say, you do ‘like' him.” He made air quotes around the word like and continued, “I am still coming to the shelter to make sure he knows to behave with my sister.”

Aira almost rolled her eyes and said, “You are worse than Daddy.”

His eyes gleamed and a s**t eating grin took place as he said, “You are right, I should tell Dad.”

“No!” She yelled horrified. “No. No. No. I even told Mama to not tell him yet. Please, Jay.”

Jay held up his hands. “Fine, then choose, it’s either me or Dad.”

She glared at him and gritted out, “Fine. You can come.”

“Cool.”

Later that evening Aira’s mother told her about the monthly barbeque party that happened on their street and that it was happening at Colson house tonight. Aira was ready with an excuse but then her mother said, “Maybe, you can reschedule your dinner, Aira, Mrs Colson was very excited about the dinner and more so that you are here to join us. And everyone else are keen to catch up with you.”

“Mama…” Apart from her dinner with Greg, she was also hesitant to face Mac. She didn't want to be near him. “Let me talk to Mrs Colson, I am sure she’ll understand.”

Her mother shrugged. “If you want you can invite Greg here, we’ll get to meet him too.”

“No.” Her response was immediate. She said, “I’ll talk to Mrs Colson.”

She marched out of her house with purposeful strides. She didn't know what made her mother suggest that she invite Greg to tonight’s barbecue. It wasn’t like he was her serious long time boyfriend, they hadn’t even gone on a date yet! And it was the reason she had to leave for Paris in the first place because like Jay said everyone in town knew about her crush on Mac, and everyone looked at her with pity as Mac had never given her an ounce of attention and was always cold whether in public or private. And as if that wasn’t enough he chose to betray her in the worst way possible. And now, if she wasn’t careful, she will once again become the subject of discussion.

When she entered the Colson’s house, she found her father sitting there with Mr Colson. “Oh, there’s my princess….”

She smiled at her father and greeted Mr Colson before she asked, “Where is Ma?”

Mr Colson said, “In the backyard with Mac, they are setting up the grill.”

She nodded and started to make their way toward the backyard when Mr Colson stopped her and said, “What is this I am hearing about you going out with that architect?”

Eyes wide, she looked at him and then at her father. She had told Jayden not to tell their father about Greg, but obviously he didn’t listen and now she’s going to have to stop his cupcake supplies and make sure he never gets to eat his favorite pie. She turned around to leave, in a mood to confront her brother.

But Mr Colson next words had her freezing in place as he said, “Bring him tonight, let’s meet this man who thinks he’s good enough for our Aira.”

Aira faltered and opened her mouth but then the door to the backyard opened and she felt him standing there without even looking over her shoulder. She didn’t want to say this in front of him, especially after last night, but the other option was to agree with Mr Colson. So she said, “We are not dating. He is just a friend, there’s nothing serious yet.”

She’d have instead liked to throw at the brooding giant, who thought that he had any right on her dating life, that she was indeed going out with Greg and was dating him, but at the same time she didn’t want her parents to take this too seriously.

Mr Colson nodded but her father interrupted, “Regardless, invite him over tonight. I want to meet him.”

“But, daddy—”

“Aira.”

And she fell silent, because she knew that tone. No matter how much her father loved her and called her his little princess, this was one of those topics he was adamant about. But she didn’t know why he was getting this serious over a meeting with Greg when she just cleared it up that he was just a friend. “Okay, daddy.”

Without glancing at the brute behind her, who stared at her all this time unless she showed him that she was still flustered from last night, she turned around and left. She decided that it must be Jay’s doing so when she reached back at her home, she made her way straight to his bedroom.

She slammed the door open and glared at him. “You, little shit.”

“Whoa… what happened?” He stood up from his desk where he was playing a video game on his laptop.

She threw the first thing that she could grab at him which happened to be his bag. “I told you in the morning not to tell Daddy about my date, why did you then!”

He caught the pillow she threw next and then quickly grabbed her hands next before she could throw something else at him. He said, “But I didn’t tell him anything. Not even Mama when she asked me where you were going for dinner.”

“Then, how did daddy came to know?”

.

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A. Gupta

Who do you think snitched on our dear Aira?