Go away

"So, tell me. What brings you here in search of your father?" Aiden asked Aria, who is facing away from him.

He already knows a little from her nervous rambling the previous night. But he didn't know for sure what exactly happened and why she ended up here.

Aria turned to face Aiden, who is slowly sipping his coffee.

"My mother died a couple of months ago. Heart attack. Martin too off the moment he found out that her heart condition is not stable. She had to undergo open-heart surgery. But she never could recover from the loss of Martin. For the past 3 years, I have had to take care of my mother, who cannot do works that involve tiring her. So I had to take over and become an adult. But she passed away two years ago and Martin didn't even show up at her funeral. I had to sell my grandfather's ranch to pay off the debts. Only a hundred dollars and my mom's pickup truck is the only thing left for me. So I came in search of my only living relative" Aria explained.

Aiden listened to everything and his hate for Martin rose even more.

'Scum bag, he didn't even have the decency to attend his ex-wife's funeral. No wonder he cheated my dad' Aiden thought darkly.

"If you know he is not reliable, then why did you come here?" Aiden asked Aria.

Aria felt uncomfortable to admit that, she has nowhere to go.

"If I had a roof over my head and if I was not forced to sleep in my car or worst on the streets, then I wouldn't have come here" she admitted.

They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes.

"I already packed my stuff. I will go away from your house. I don't want to bother you more than I already did" she said.

'I should feel happy that she is going away, but I am not. She doesn't have money on her, neither does anyone else to take care of her'

"You could stay here until your father could come back" Aiden offered.

Aria looked stunned.

'Is he really offering a place for her to stay.?' Aria thought in surprise.

'He must be offering out of compulsion that his mother married Martin' Aria concluded.

"I don't want to trouble you," Aria said, without refusing his offer outright.

Aiden cocked his head.

"Do you have a place in mind where you could go and stay, without sleeping in your car?" he asked her.

He is not sure why he is forcing her to stay here. Her temptation is irresistible and it will only increase complications for him. Then why is he still insisting that she should stay here is something, even he doesn't have an answer to.

When Aiden asked that question, Aria looked at him confused.

'He shouldn't want her to stay here in the same house as him. Their relationship is complicated at best. But he has a point. She is not sure where she would be going after leaving from here'

Aria shook her head.

"So you don't have any place to stay, no money on you and I checked your puck up truck. It's the lock is not good. The door is opening without a key. What would you do if someone decides to rob from you in the middle of the night?" he asked her.

Aria became defensive. She doesn't have enough money to fix her car.

"I have a gun," she said defensively.

"And it doesn't have bullets" he pointed out.

Aria looked at him with shock.

"How do you know that?" She asked him in surprise.

"I went inside your room. I was searching for you. I found your gun on the side table. I inspected and found out it doesn't have bullets in it" he explained.

'Bullets are not cheap' she thought defensively.

"But it worked with your friend last night. I scared him without using a bullet" she pointed out.

"He is drunk and he didn't want to hurt you. What would you do if you encounter someone who is not scared to take a bullet?" he pointed out the flaw in her logic.

Aria didn't have an answer for that.

"I..i.." She stuttered to find anything to answer him.

"So it's better if you stay here until Martin comes back" he offered again.

This time, she nodded her head gratefully.

"Ok," she said softly.

"Good" he replied with a satisfied smirk.

Now that they are staying in the same house, it's better if she addresses the elephant in the room.

"I am sorry. I was drunk that night. Or I wouldn't have behaved that way. It was a mistake" Aria tried to explain so that they don't have to feel awkward with each other.

Aiden looked at her with anger.

'Mistake? He still remembered her little moans of pleasure. That night was memorable for him and he couldn't forget about her for the life of him. But she is calling it a mistake? If she wants to consider it as a mistake, then so be it' he thought angrily.

"You are right. It's a mistake. You stay out of my way and we don't be having any issues. You can stay here until your father comes, and then you are his responsibility" he snapped at her before turning and leaving.

Aria looked at him with confusion. 

'What is wrong with him. What she said is right. If she was not drunk that night, he wouldn't have given him googly eyes, which is the reason she landed in his bed.

All these years, taking care of her mother was her first priority. She didn't have time for friends, parties, and anything else.

All she had time for was to work, go to school, and then work again.

If she was not drunk, she wouldn't have acted so boldly. 

She pointed out a fact. Then why did he became so angry? She thought.