"Why the fuck are you smiling like an idiot, Nini?" Chloe tugs my sleeve, bringing me out of my thoughts of Aaron and whatever happened in the afternoon and how he refused to let me go even after we were done.
Chloe's eyes narrow suspiciously. "You are blushing."
That caught the attention of Jamila, who is making aloo paratha. The sleeves of her sweater were rolled up, giving htotally soft, soft domestic look, contrary to her sharp tongue and attitude.
I stutter, "Wh-what? No, I am not blushing."
Lie. Lie. Lie. My cheeks are burning. I avoid those two curious pairs of eyes on me sipping my masala tea sitting on the kitchen chair across the kitchen island.
The spicy aromaa of aloo paratha makes my mouth drool. "Ahem! Smells nice—"
Chole grabs my wrist when I am about to get one paratha and gasps, "Wait! This is a hickey!!!"
My eyes widen, and my heartbeat spikes. aroma Oh fuck!!!! Aaron has covered my entire body with hickeys and marked my wrist.
Jamila's mouth widens, turning off the stove, and she leans over. My cheeks turn even more red from both embarrassment and shyness.
ChloOho, smirkOho, embarrassmentOho, hook up?"
"No..." I mutter, looking away, "I am... in love again." I giggle like a shy teenager confessing love, which I expect I am not, but damn if the butterflies in my stomach don't make me one.
Chloe bites her lips and grins ear to ear.
Jamila scoffs, "Love is bullshit!" She grumbles, turning up the stove, her flipping of the paratha way too forceful. "All men are bastards and pigs! Never trust a man, okay! All reasons of... dash dash dash."
Chloe and I look at her confused. I know for a fact she has been pissed ever since she has returned home, or else she won't have sat down to make at least thirty parathas andassaultt the dough like it has committed crime.
"What happened?" I lean forward cautiously. Jamila laughsmockingly. "Whatt happened? I got fooled and cheated, and ughhh!" She pulls her hair, making both of us step back
"I swear, this entire community of men likes," she shakes her head in frustration, "they love hiding and lying."
Chloe and I share knowing looks, knowing too well about Jamila's problem with men lying for the sake of a plot twist.
"Remember, I had New Year's dinner with a cute-looking green-eyed guy?"
I frown, remembering, "You mean the guy over whom you have been crushing fo—" "CRUSHING MY FOOT!!!! THAT—THAT BASTARD! Do you want to know who that bastard is?"
Chloe narrows her eyes conspiratorially, her voice low and amused. "Lemme guess, a dork who does drugs?"
Jamila grits her jaw. "Do drugs? He sells drugs. A drug seller! A liar! A manipulator! An obnoxious, bored, spoiled rich kid!!!"
She curses for another few minutes, which makes me clearly wonder about who managed to piss her off so badly as to get cursed like this.
"But who is this?" I mutter.
"Julian Alexander Laurent."
Both mine and Chloe's eyes widen like they will pop out.
"What? That's ridiculous!" I deny it instantly. "How would you meet the second young master of the Laurent family in front of some old Turkish restaurant and think he is some broke guy!!!!"
Chole nods, "I agree. These Laurent brothers have an even bigger security system than the Prime Minister of the United States."
"You made my kind of coffee, and Julian Laurent had it. Isn't that right, Nini?"
It makes me stop. Of course I didn't tell it to anyone given the situation going inside.
I nod, chewing my lips. A nervous laugh leaves my mouth. "So... the guy you actually thought was smarter than you and have been trying to find for the past five years is..."
Jamila clenches her jaw; a shadow of hurt and pain clouds her face. "Yes... It's the Second Young Master of the Laurent family..."
Despite the warmththe kitchen and thehen, aroma of paratha and ghee in the air, everything feels too heavy. Jamila isn't the type to go around crushing like Chole.
And Julian hid his identity from her and ate off her hard-saved money back then...
"Are you okay?" Chloe's soft voice breaks the silence; I look at Jamila. Her lips are wobbling slightly, but no tears run down her eyes. And the ache in her eyes makes my gut twist.
"I am fine," she whispers. "I am...always fine."
...
The entire evening I keep looking at the city lights outside the small cozy balcony of our apartment, which is decorated with a couch that feels like a cloud, tons of cushions, and fairy lights beaming behind in the wall.
My body still aches from my intense session with Aaron. Yet, all I can think about is the red rim of Jamila's eyes. The girl who never cried even when her father nearly disowned her because she didn't want to get married and wanted to pursue a career.
She looked broken in the most invisible way.
My phone rings, and my eyes soften instantly looking at the name on the screen. I answer it, feeling calm and serene.
"Hello, Princess."
Aaron's soft, low-pitched voice sounds even deeper on call. I hug my pillow tighter and lean back, relaxing instantly.
"Hey, Aaron."
How long has it been since just calling someone's name felt so good and gave me a fluttering heart? A very long time.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Thinking about my princess."
My eyes widen, and a gasp of disbelief leaves my throat. My heart skips a beat... Oh God! This man.
"Flirting?"
"I can flirt with my girlfriend, can't I?"
My lips tug up in a big wide smile... Girlfriend... Why does it sound so fucking right on his lips?
"Well... if you don't flirt with your girlfriend, with whom will you do it?" I try to sound cool, but here I am rocking back and forth; excitement makes my stomach do those strange flips.
Aaron's low chuckle makes me shiver, like he is right next to me.
"I have saved up all my flirting for you, Princess. Even a lifetime won't be enough."
My eyes widen, and I look at my phone to double-check if I am talking to the same brooding blue-eyed goblin. Yes, I am, and it just makes things better.
"You are a smooth talker," I try to sound calm about it. As if. My toes are curling from the way his deep, silky voice is sounding so lovely on the other side of the phone.
"You sound pleased." He claims proudly, most likely grinning like a stupid.
"I am pleased."
It was a good two seconds of silence before both of us started laughing. Chilling night in London never felt this good....
And... I won't trade it for anything in this world.