Aaron’s gift
Later in the afternoon, I had nothing else to do, so I left the lab ten minutes early. I’d just sent Aaron a text that I was finished.
HeyOlive: i’ll be in the cafe downstairs. it’s right under my lab.
Then I noticed something, and my body jolted, like a cat whose tail was stepped on.
Vincent’s Ford was parked across the street. He sat in the driver’s seat looking at his phone, and he didn’t seem to have noticed me yet.
I couldn’t believe it.
I squinted my eyes to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, and once I was sure it was him, my heart started hammering in my chest.
Now I was standing out on the sidewalk, and I quickly looked away just as Vincent looked up at me. With an oblivious expression on my face, I raised my hand to hail a taxi.
I climbed in and gave him the first address I could think of, then turned to see that Vincent had started his car.
He was really following me.
The cheating scumbag was worried about his girlfriend. cheating. It was just as convoluted as it was satisfying.
I called Aaron and he answered right away.
My words came out rushed. “I can’t make it to dinner tonight. He’s following me.”
As soon as I said that, I saw the taxi driver look at me through the rearview mirror with a suspicious look of disdain in his
eyes.
Aaron hummed. “I know.”
“What? How?
“I saw him.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. “You did? Where? Did he see you?”
“No, he didn’t see me. I saw him while he was looking for a parking space.”
I was taken aback. “You were at the cafe already?”
He hummed. His voice was very gentle, and his relaxed attitude calmed me down instantly. “I got here kinda early, but I parked further away. He doesn’t know I’m here either.”
After I hung up, I called my friend Tina to let her know I’d be stopping by last minute. She was happy to have me over, but little did she know I was already in a cab on the way. Soon enough, I was being dropped off for an impromptu dinner with my friend.
Vincent knew Tina, so he drove off after he saw me head into the familiar apartment building.
Since we were the type of couple who shared our locations with each other, I checked my phone to see that he was on his way to Emily’s house.
I didn’t want to go home, so I stayed at Tina’s house for a
while after dinner. Her daughter just turned two, and her
chubby little arms were clinging to me so tight that I couldn’t put her down.
Eventually, my phone rang, so I passed her back to her mother.
Amorris: Have you eaten?
HeyOlive: yeah… how about you?
Amorris: Can you come down now? I have something for you
HeyOlive: where are you?
Amorris: In the parking lot downstairs. Come down. He’s gone now.”
I’d been at Tina’s house for nearly three hours! Was he waiting there that whole time?
I hurriedly told Tina I had to get going, and after we said our goodbyes, I headed downstairs.
The parking lot was right out front, so I saw his Ferrari as soon as I stepped outside.
Aaron opened the driver–side door and stepped out. His form was more eye–catching than the shiny sports car beside him.
While he was walking up to me, a car sped by, and its headlights lit him up from behind like a halo of light welcoming an angel.
He greeted me with a warm smile on his face and straightened my collar.
“You didn’t even fix yourself up first,” he teased.
I stared up at him, and it took me a moment to say, “Were you here the whole time?”
He nodded. “I was worried you wouldn’t be able to get a ride back home. It’s not easy to catch a taxi in this area.”
“I thought we weren’t gonna meet today.”
He looked a little embarrassed. “Yeah, but… I wanted to see you.”
At that moment, it felt like sparks lit up my entire body. “Don’t try to seduce me…”
He smiled, “I have something for you, actually.”
“What?”
“Your scarf.”
I quickly waved my hand. “You don’t need to give it back. It’s fine.”
Vincent would probably choke me with it if I came home wearing it anyway.
Aaron was amused by my panicked expression, but he insisted on giving me the bag: “Just open it.”
It was only then that I realized that the bag in his hand looked brand–new like he’d gotten it at an upscale boutique.
When I opened it, I found a new scarf inside. The style was similar to my old one–it was even the same brand–but the price tag had one more zero…
I couldn’t possibly accept the gift, but when I tried to give it back, Aaron simply said, “Keep it. Really. I’m never gonna give your other one back anyway.”
“You didn’t have to get me a new one though…”
“I don’t like owing people. Besides, I like getting things for my friends. We’re a little more than friends, aren’t we? Plus, I’ve never given you a birthday present. It’s only fair.”
It was true that our relationship was a bit complicated. We’d completely skipped the friend stage and gone straight to acting like lovers, as if I never had a boyfriend to begin with. As if that boyfriend wasn’t his best friend.
With all that in mind, what was the harm in accepting the gift? I reached out and took the bag. “Thank you…”
He squeezed my face and smiled. “Good girl.”
After that, he took me home. With a wink, he drove around to the back of the complex so I could get out.
It was a bit of a walk across the back parking lot from his car to the rear entrance. When I swiped my card to get inside, I turned around to see that he hadn’t left yet. He was leaning against his car and smoking a cigarette while gazing in my direction.
I’d completely forgotten to tell him that I didn’t want to see him again.
I could’ve simply sent him a text and blocked him, but I hesitated.
My greed and tenderness for him started to blur into a muddled sort of love…
It terrified me, and I felt my face grow hot.
I was scared that after climbing out of hell from Vincent, I was just going to fall headfirst into Aaron’s own abyss.
I opened the door to an empty apartment. Vincent wasn’t home yet.
Amorris: Are you there now?
HeyOlive: yeah i’m home
Amorrs: You had this weird milky smell on you
Amorris: Its all over my car lol
HeyOlive: o////o i helped feed my friend’s two–year–old. i guess i spilled some on myself
HeyOlive: just drive with the windows down
Amorrs: I actually kinda like it
Amorris: I might just sleep in my car tonight… with the windows up
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