"Choose. Me or him? Who do you want?"His eyes had darkened.
"Aiden stop. What are you saying? You are out of your mind right now", Ian who had kept his quiet till now interrupted.
"I said choose Adina", his eyes didn't leave hers while she just stood shell-shocked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. When he realised he won't be getting an answer he said,"I'll give you time to think but I want my answer by tomorrow. Choose either him or me..." Silence engulfed the room while Aiden and Adina stared at each other. With one look at Ian and a last look at Adina he strode out of the room.
Ian slowly approached Adina who still stood frozen while gaping at the door through which Aiden just left. He very slowly and carefully put his hand on her shoulder which thankfully brought her out of her trance. "Are you ok?" He tentatively asked.
She looked at Ian and blinked a number of times. "Am I? Did he just ...?" She said looking back and forth at Ian and the door.
"Hey, hey look at me. I'll talk to him ok. You don't need to worry", he said grasping both her shoulders and making her look at him.
"He... he asked me to choose Ian. I've told him God knows how many times that I only love him. Still he... how could he? How dare he? He asked me to choose between my best friend and my boyfriend...", she said looking straight in his eyes while a line formed between her brows
"Ssshhh... I'll talk to him",Ian said again.
She gave an ironic smile and said,"Wow! well then let him know I choose my friendship over relationship", flash of anger appeared in her eyes.
Ian panicked and made her sit on the bed,"Look at me Adina". When he made sure he had her full attention he continued,"I'll talk to him and calm him ok? but hey, listen if he still says anything like that... choose him, ok?"
"What? Nooo... You were there for me before he was. When I was in any kind of trouble, you helped me. When I was terrified of HIM, YOU stayed by my side until I slept. YOU have always been there and it's my turn not to leave your side. You are the only friend I had here. Someone to rely on, someone to talk to. Yes, I do love him but the bond I share with you... I can't.... I won't let it go.
"Listen, I know. I understand, ok? I know what I mean to you because I know you. but Aiden... he is... very fragile. He is my brother Adina. I don't want him to break. I love him more than anything and anyone in this world and I'll do everything for him. He's just insecure... please help him. You have to stay calm while dealing with him. He's still like a child. He's scared you'll leave him. Reassure him in every way you can."
He gave her a pleading look while she bit her lip and nodded for which he gave her a big smile. "You are the best brother he could get", Adina said smiling a little.
He just chuckled and said,"Now you stay here and calm your nerves. Maybe take a long shower, change and rest, while I knock some sense into him?"
"That sounds like a plan", she giggled.
Ian went out of the room and Adina decided to do just that. Take a shower, change and relax. She needed some rest. She sighed and went towards the attached bathroom. After getting ready in comfy flared pants and a full sleeve thumb open t-shirt she laid down on the bed.
Some time later outside Aiden's bedroom~
David and an old woman were standing outside the room where one could clearly hear the shouts and the breaking of things. The woman with the green eyes, same as Aiden, sighed and looked at David saying,"Who is Adina? I think I faintly heard a name like that... Is she some kind of intruder? Is she here at the mansion?"
"Yes ma'am but-", David tried saying but got interrupted.
"These grandsons of mine are always seeking trouble. How many times I've told them to stop hiding themselves from the world. Instead of letting them be, people just get more curious about them. Now I gotta resolve this issue." David wouldn't ever dare to say this loud but this woman whose name was Michelle Simmons was quite the talker. She loved her family, no doubt, and she would literally do anything to protect them and he knew it and had seen it too. He knew interrupting her would be like signing a death treaty, so he kept mum. "Follow me David",she said massaging her temples. David obliged and followed the lady to the South wing and to her study quietly.
She opened an upper cabinet in the chest of drawers set beside a small table. She pulled out a small vial with some purple coloured liquidy substance in it. She turned around on her heels and stopped in front of David."Here, take this", she handed the vial to David who took it then continued,"Take the girl back to her home and make sure she takes this before you leave." She gave a cold hard stare saying ,"I don't want any mistake. Now go, do as I told you. I'll speak to Aiden and Ian after taking some rest. The flight was tiring. They'll be angry that I didn't inform them beforehand but I wanted to surprise my grandsons. Now that the issue is solved Aiden will calm down."
David tried saying for one last time,"Sure ma'am but-"
"I want no buts. Go. Now." He scurried out of the study while nodding his head. He'll have to carry out the task. He couldn't tell Michelle and he can't go to Aiden because an angry Aiden is a deadly Aiden. The only person he could have relied on was Ian, who was currently with Aiden. He could only hope that one of the brothers would soon come to find Adina.
He knocked on the door twice before hearing a,"Come in". Adina asked him,"Oh David! How can I help you?"
He took a deep breath and said,"I've been told to take you somewhere.... without delaying."
"Okay... just lemme grab my phone", she said and searched for her phone but couldn't find it anywhere. "Where did I put it?" She mumbled to herself searching under the blankets and pillows, making a mess of the beddings.
"We should leave now", David said, sternly this time.
"Uhm.. okay. I guess I'll find it after we return",saying so she followed David out, towards the car. Before she could enter the car she saw Tanisha, their maid and the first company she had. She called out to her and both of them exchanged pleasantries and asked after each others health. Tanisha's mother had recovered so she finally decided to return ,"Alright we'll catch up more after I'll be back. I have so much to tell you."
Tanisha giggled and nodded and then they drove off to where, Adina didn't know and neither did David tell her.
Meanwhile with Aiden and Ian~
Ian took a deep breath and released it before throwing open the door to Aiden's bedroom. The sight of the room did not surprise him. Broken vases and other things scattered over the floor. Books and papers discarded here and there. Bed sheets crumpled and pillows out of the sight. He sighed and closed the door behind him.
He slowly reached Aiden who stood by the window and spoke in a soft voice,"Aiden?"
"Get out of my room. I want to be alone", that's all he got as a reply.
"You know what you did out there was wrong. Very wrong."
WHAT I DID was wrong?" He turned his head to look at Ian with a raised eyebrow. "What about when you were dancing and cracking jokes with MY girlfriend. That wasn't wrong? Wait, of course it wasn't. You both were enjoying after all", he stated sarcastically.
"Stop it Aiden. She's my friend too. She just wanted to dance and you weren't around so I asked her for a dance. She even added before saying yes that only until Aiden arrives. She wanted to dance with you goddammit", Ian started getting frustrated so he took a few deep breaths.
"I was not around because you know I am not good with crowds. I made that no public appearance decisions because of that very reason and you know that-" he got cut off.
" I do. I do know that. Okay."
"So if you do know then instead of asking MY girlfriend for a dance you could have waited. I went there only because of her."
"I-I understand and I am sorry Aiden. I promise to not do this again but don't ask her to choose...please. That's not the right way of working out things. You'll only make things worse off. Try to understand it. Calm down yourself first then talk to Adina", he tried to reason with him but instead of calming down he started arguing with Ian. All this time Ian stayed calm and didn't shout back. Aiden again started throwing objects here and there in anger and frustration and Ian didn't even flinch. He knew letting this all out was important for Aiden to calm down. Another 10 minutes of breaking things later Aiden finally sat down on the bed. He sighed and put his head in both hands.
Ian very slowly and tentatively approached him and sat on the bed beside him. "I fucked up, right?" Aiden's voice was nothing more than a whisper.
Ian put his hand on his shoulders and squeezed it lightly saying,"You still have a chance to make things better."
Aiden chuckled lowly and looked at Ian who smiled in return,"You are so perfect. So much better than me but I'm sorry. I'm very selfish. I won't ever give Adina to you."
Ian laughed at him and shook his head. "Neither does she want me. She loves you and only wants you. Go to her, apologise and tell her you are one big of an idiot and you didn't mean what you said before."
"You are right. Thank you." He hugged Ian who hugged him back more tightly. "I don't know what I would ever do without you."
"Maybe go on a rampage and destroy the whole mansion then get spanked by grandma?" They broke the hug and laughed.
"You are again right. Indeed" Aiden thought then said,"I fucked up big this time. She must be really angry."
"But she still loves you."
"I will never understand why."
"Because you are you", Ian said with a smile.
"Should I go n-", before Aiden could complete the sentence they heard a phone's ringing.
Ian pulled out a clutch from the inner pocket of his jacket. The clutch belonged to Adina who dropped it while frantically searching for Aiden. Ian had picked it up and thought of returning it later but due to the events had forgotten to. He pulled out the phone which showed a number instead of a name. Both brothers looked at each other in question and Ian decided to pick up the call.
"Hello?" Ian said.
"Good evening. Is this Adina Lendl's number?" A woman's voice came from the other side.
"Yes. May I know who is this?"
"I'm speaking from Ezekiel hospital. Can I talk to Miss. Lendl?"
Ian remembered that it was the same hospital that Adina's father was getting his treatment in,"She's currently unavailable at the moment. May I know the matter? I will pass on the message to her."
"Very well then. I am sorry to inform you that earlier this morning her father had passed away and because of the loss her mother suffered a heart attack and we couldn't save her in time. My condolences to the family. We are very sorry for your loss. Please pass on the message to her and let her know that she'll have to come here and complete the paperworks and claim the bodies within a week or after then the cremation and the last rituals will be completed by the morgue."
For some moments Ian was at a loss of words staring blankly at Aiden who continuously raised his eyebrows in question. "I- I'll let her know",Ian said.
"Thank you", the woman said and cut the call.
Ian stood up dazed, looking out the window in front. Aiden asked,"Who was on the call Ian?" When he didn't answer Aiden shook him aggressively by grabbing both his shoulders. "Ian", he shouted making Ian look at him.
"Oh sorry! Well.... it was from the hospital where Adina's dad is.... was... admitted."
"Wh-What do you mean?"
"He p-passed away in the morning a-and her m-mom suffered a h-heart attack", Ian said.
Aiden was left stunned. He couldn't believe that in a few hours things could change so drastically. She lost both her parents in the blink of an eye and on top of that he wasn't of any help after what he has done.
"You should go and tell her this Ian and console her."
"No. You are coming with me."
"Ian she's already upset with me. I- I won't be of much help", he looked down guiltily. Ian pitied his brother and engulfed him in a hug.
"Don't be like that. She'll need you. Promise me that you'll be there."
Aiden hesitated but nodded his head at last when they heard a knock. "Come in", Aiden said.
Tanisha entered the room then bowed saying,"I'll be continuing my work from today onwards and thank you so much for all the help sirs."
Ian dismiss the words saying,"No need Tanisha. You should go meet Adina. She'll be happy to see you. She missed you."
"Oh I already met her as soon as I arrived. She was going somewhere with David. I am glad she could go out now", Tanisha said with a big smile.
"Going somewhere? Where?" Aiden questioned, furrowing his brows.
"I- I don't know. I thought one of you send her somewhere...", Tanisha answered, her pupils shaking.
Ian and Aiden looked at each other with panic rising in their eyes. They broke in a run to Adina's room only to find it empty and distraught. Just then Tanisha enter the room huffing and catching her breath. She said, "I-... one- one of the workers... said that- that your gra-grandma is back...." Within a blink of an eye the brothers were out of sight. They had left the room and dashed down towards their car which Aiden drove.
Ian said,"I am sure she must've send her back home. Drive faster Aiden. We have to stop David." He didn't need to say it twice as Aiden drove the car at its full speed ignoring every other thing.
The rising anxiety, nervousness and panic was setting Aiden on the edge. He couldn't afford to lose her. He has to get her back before anything happens. He drove real fast and soon David's car was visible to them. He knew he had fucked up and their fate had chosen the worst time for all that was happening right now but he was determined to fix it for once and for all. He drove up behind their car and started honking non-stop indicating David to stop.
David look behind through the driver's side mirror and sighed .. maybe in relief. He slowed down the car as Adina looked back to notice them. She furrowed her brows because she had thought Aiden had arranged something as an apology but then why was he following them now. David parked the car at the roadside and so did Aiden, just at a little distance from them.
Ian and Aiden got out of the car and so did Adina. All three of them looked at each other. Ian and Aiden with relief and Adina with great confusion. She had questions which needed to be answered. She started making her way towards them but then...
**CRASH**