Chapter 64: Chapter 64
/Aiden's POV/
My hands trembled when I pulled the covers over Rose small frame and managed to keep it together. While leaving the room, walking along the corridor, I couldn't help but think back to the words mumbled by my mate. The food and drink from earlier sat heavy in my stomach. A hot cup of tea may fix these haywire thoughts.
Dragging my feet towards the kitchen, I found the old, battered box of tea right at the back and, in pulling it out of the depths of the cupboard, dragging a couple more boxes out with it. My hands quickly turned on the stove, filling the vessel with water and letting it boil. I leaned over the steaming pot and breathed in deeply until my face was hot and damp.
I like you. A lot.
My entire body went cold as soon as those words rang in my ears. How could she like me? I have been nothing but horrible towards her from the beginning, made sure that she stayed away from me at all costs and blamed her for all the wrongdoings.
I slumped against the kitchen counter, knuckles white where I was still gripping the kitchen counter tightly. Shortness of breath prevailed in my chest, vision blurring for few seconds before I focused on the wall in front of me.
Those kinds of confessions are not new to me. Everyone I bedded before my bond with Rose has said those, but it never affected me like this. My ears felt hot, a flutter in my belly that I couldn't explain.
I had no plans on knotting the omega, but the moment we found each other, it happened. After that, I had meant to talk to her, break it out gently in hopes that the omega would understand. It shouldn't happen again because I am not the kind of person you have feelings for.
Rose stared at me with a glimmer in her eyes, a smile so blinding that it made me nervous about breaking her heart. This was not a problem before; I could blurt out few harsh words to her face without thinking. Something shifted in between us, and that scared me.
Tomorrow. I reminded myself. I will talk to her and make sure that we end it on friendly terms.
But she's your mate; a tiny voice mocked me from inside, making me rub a hand over my face to regain at least some sense of composure. She still didn't know, and it would only be a matter of months before Rose finds out. What was I going to do then? I took a few calming breaths before turning off the stove and spinning on my heels, suddenly not in a mood for the tea.
After staring pointlessly at the flickering TV screen for hours, my eyes shifted towards the guest room. The door remained firmly shut. I sank on his chair and fought back the burning in his eyes, contours blurring, head lolling back. Just like that, I fell asleep on the couch.
***
The following day I made breakfast for Rose, knowing very well that she would be hungover. And to add, it was her first time drinking. I winced, imaging my first hangover and how brutal it had been.
As I patiently waited for Rose to wake up, my phone vibrated in my pockets, almost making me jump. Hurriedly I grabbed at the device and slid the green icon before pressing it over my ear.
“Hello?” I cringed, realising that I had not even bothered to check the name displayed on the screen.
“Aiden!” A familiar voice echoed in my ears. “Where are you?”
Sagging against the nearest chair, my eyes went to the clock on the wall. It was nine in the morning, and I was already few minutes late for the training. Then again, most guards might have stayed up late last night and won’t be on time.
“Ria?!” My lips curved, eyes rolling at the question. “Where will I be early in the morning?”
“I don’t want to come by the cabin. Meet me in the training ground. I want to talk.”
My brows furrowed at the heavy tone, realising that she was back from her trip. Did something happen there? I stood up, tightening my grip on the phone. “Is everything alright?”
Ria huffed from the other side. “I don’t want to talk about it over the phone.”
“Okay, I will be there.”
A sigh escaped my lips as soon as the line went dead. I wanted to talk with Rose as soon as she woke up, have breakfast together. Instead, I pulled the sticky notes from the drawers and left messages for her.
***
As expected, Ria was sitting by the benches, legs pulled together, head resting on her knees. I closed the gap between us, placing a hand on her shoulder. The beta looked tired as she stared at me, the purple hues and lines under her eyes prominent.
“What’s going on? Did those give you any trouble?” I asked, referring to her trip to the city.
Ria's parents had a crushing debt in their names which their daughter was paying back every month. As much as I tried to convince her that I would be more than willing to pay, the beta didn’t accept my money. That’s why she worked and went to town every month to pay them back. I had an unfortunate encounter with the people her parents owed.
“No”, She exhaled, hands folded together. “It’s not about that.”
I sat next to her, nudging at her side. “Then what was so urgent that you couldn’t wait? I almost skipped my breakfast, you know.”
She turned her head, nose flaring. “I heard that Rose was able to find you during your welcome party.”
My heart was beating so heavily that I was afraid that she could hear. I walked a few hasty steps towards the windows and leaned my forehead against the warmed-up glass. My Alpha refrained from banging his head against it repeatedly to make the images and sensations stop that suddenly flooded my mind. That was the day I lost control.
“W-Why does it matter?” I asked and turned from the window, leaned back against it for support, knees feeling weak and hands fisting my shirt to be occupied.
Ria made a sound. “It matters, Aiden. She is luring you, and you are letting her get away with you.”
“That is ridiculous!”
“Now you are defending her too!” The beta made a face, her hands rising in the air. “Did something happen between you two?”
“Umm…”, I struggled to get the words out, voice out the inner turmoil in my chest all while trying to stay on my feet at this point. How should I answer it?
The beta stood on her feet, taking a step in my direction. A look of sympathy crossed her face as she caressed the side of my face. I flinched at her cold fingers. “You know how it turns out with these omegas. I don’t want to see you get hurt again, Aiden. Especially what happened last time. How could you make the same mistake again?”
My nostrils flared, stomach clenching around nothing. “Watch it! Rose is different and nothing like her!”
“You think?” The beta chuckled, shaking her head. “Rose is just like other omegas. Their kind is always craving attention, and I am proven right.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I saw her with that Alpha trainer multiple times. Caden. They were even taking a walk in the middle of the night.” She thrust her phone in my hand, my eyes narrowing at that.
“I have their voice recording. If you don’t trust me, play it.”
My vision blurred, rage coiling in my belly as I kept staring at the phone. Why would Ria lie to me? She would not be gaining anything. I didn’t want to insult her by listening to that conversation. Images from last night whirred in my mind, the way Caden and Rose were freely talking to each other. The omega kept calling him by his name, and he did the same.
She wrapped her hand around my wrist, taking her phone and slipping it inside her pocket.“You are getting fooled again. Omegas, like Rose, do not care about anyone. They trap the Alphas into believing they do.”
My mouth opened and closed at that when it suddenly clicked me. Her words from the night before. I swallowed the lump in my throat, “Rose told me that she liked me.”
“That’s her trick, Aiden. You know what happened the last time an omega told she liked you?”
I dropped his head in shame, feeling choked up and desperate while furiously staring at the floor. Something sank inside me, a hollow feeling settling in between my ribs and spreading around as I blinked. Lifting my head, I met my friends eyes, voice cracking. “You are right, Ria. I need to put an end to this.”
***