Kiara's uneven breathing cursed Ayden for what he was doing to her. Her quickened heartbeats hated him but her heart, against them all, still adored him. 'I wish I could tell you what you should know but are still unaware of, Ayden. I wish.'
His grip on her hand loosened after a while, and she got enough time to quickly wear her mask again. The mask of being a collegemate. Just a collegemate.
"No, I don't think there is any such thing that you should know but don't." She turned to him and bravely met his eyes, not letting them see through the facade in her own ones.
Ayden was about to probe further but Kiara did not give him a chance to as she cut him off even before he could speak.
"When did you eat last?"
What? Ayden stared at the girl in disbelief or rather a confusion. The question that she put forth for him was an unexpected one.
"Uhm..." When did he eat last? Even he had forgotten. It took him several seconds to recall and respond. "I had breakfast in the morning."
Displeasure flickered through Kiara's eyes along with a tinge of disbelief.
"God, seriously, Ayden? Like are you kidding me?"
He plainly shook his head in denial. She groaned, wordlessly leaving the room.
'Where did she go?' Ayden found Kiara's reaction amusing. The slight hint of the fact that she was mad that had just started to appear on her face when she left got him chuckling.
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"Come inside, wait until it gets better." Irene did her best to convince Ilyan to make him stay back but he wasn't willing to.
"It's fine. If we could go all the way to Bridgeway Street and return… unharmed… then I would like to believe that I can go back home safely as well." Ilyan denial was warm. It did not make her feel even for a moment that he was being stern or rude in not agreeing to what she wanted.
Reluctantly, she handed him what he had given to her before they left to find Ayden. The broken piece of the pendant.
"Thank you," he whispered, his eyes twinkling as they found it in their sight. He put it back in his pocket, and the adoration that Irene saw that night in his eyes left her wondering what memories Ilyan had got connected to it. "Take care of yourself."
She blinked as he disappeared from her sight.
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Kiara returned to Ayden's room with a tray filled with dinner. She placed the tray on the table and stole a moment to adore his sleeping figure. Not always she got lucky to be able to treat her eyes with the sight of the guy she loved.
"Ayden," she called him to check if he was awake and just lying with his eyes closed. With him opening his eyes, she smiled and asked him to put some food in his stomach.
To her much surprise, he readily obeyed and sat up. She forwarded the plate to him and was about to drag herself out when he urged her to stay.
"Sit. I want to talk to you."
Despite knowing that it was a bad, bad choice to give in to him, Kiara pulled a chair from behind for herself that she made sure was at enough distance from the bed.
"Sure, but after you finish eating." Kiara pulled a book from the table beside her and pretended to read the novel she knew by heart.
Apparently, that room was her favorite room in her home apart from hers. It was the one where her adored hobbies breathed and danced.
"You like reading?" Ayden asked before putting a spoonful of rice in his mouth.
"Oh, yes, I am passionate about fictional universes!" Kiara confirmed, and a glint of joy flashed in her eyes.
That night, for the first time, Ayden had actually observed Kiara. As she was busy reading, he was supposed to be busy eating but he looked at her every next second. The way her eyes twinkled, sharpened, squinted, narrowed, widened, and brightened, as her natural expressions with reading the book, was an altogether new side of Kiara that Ayden was seeing that night.
"How did I get here?" Ayden had finally filled his stomach. He put aside the plate with his fingers and turned to her.
Kiara as well placed the book back in its place. "I took you The Care Hospital first because it was the nearest one. We were there for almost an hour before the doctor assured me that you are fine and could be taken home. I was going to drop you your home but the road to your place was blocked so I had no option but to bring you here."
"Thanks a lot, Kiara and I am really sorry for troubling you." Ayden felt much better as his headache toned down in its intensity. He was able to get his legs down the bed as he sat, facing Kiara.
"It's alright. Don't get up. The dizziness will be there for a while."
He smiled inwardly for he was not going to leave. He just wanted to thank and apologize for having her to rush around at that hour of the night and in that storm. He could see why she presumed that he was leaving though.
"I am okay, don't worry," he said while clasping his palms together, "Kiara, I really apologize. I wouldn't have messaged you honestly had it not been that puppy. I didn't want him to die and you were the nearest one who could reach to help him the earliest."
The room fell in silence. He gulped staring at her glossy eyes. He fought the turbulent desire to comfort the lady at the front.
But, what was wrong with her? What did he say that upset her so much?
"Did you just say that you wouldn't have reached out for help if you were dying? Did you just say that it was just because of that puppy that you messaged me? It's good to love animals, but what about you, Ayden? Does your life have no value? How fair is it to your loved ones?"