I wake up in mom's room and it takes me awhile to remember there's a total stranger living in my house whose name is Aidan. I quickly get into that bathroom and shower, I brush my teeth, wash my face and brush my hair. I apply light make up on since it's Saturday and I'm home on weekends.
I put on my favourite red sweater and cream pants, tie my hair which is looking really frizzy at the moment into a bun and head out the room. I step into the kitchen and I'm shocked to see Aidan is at the stove, frying eggs. He's wearing my brother's navy blue sweater with a grey t-shirt peeking out from underneath. He looks dare I say it handsome as I have a better view of him now that it's day time. He has a strong jaw and a sharp nose coupled with stormy grey eyes, his black hair is slightly disheveled like he just woke up from bed.
"Hey good morning!" Hope you don't mind I raided your refrigerator to get some food.
"I don't mind, but shouldn't you be resting? I doubt your wound has healed so quickly."
"I"ll be fine. Here you go," he says putting a plate in front of me. It's two fried eggs, some bacon and a slice of wholemeal toast.
"Thank you. What about yourself?"
"I had mine an hour ago."
"Oh, did you sleep well last night."
"Yes, good enough I should think, I would have happily stayed longer in bed especially for this weather but I had to make you breakfast after you saved my life last night."
"Awww, you know I just helped right."
"I could be worse of by now, you never know," he replies.
"So what's the plan for today?" He asks me, while I munch on a mouthful of bacon and eggs.
"Take your time, answering that one." He says pouring himself an orange juice from a packet in the refrigerator.
"Nothing much, I might do a bit of grocery shopping and then maybe watch some TV or read a book."
"Cool can I tag along, I mean when you go grocery shopping."
"Yeah we can leave in half an hour's time," I reply.
"You have a list ready with you?"
"Nope, I'll do one now." I say before getting a notepad and a pen. I finish eating breakfast and take a quick look inside the refrigerator, I write down the list of food items I need. Then I check the cupboards to see what dry rations need to be restocked and I make a mental note to buy sanitary pads since I'm low on those.
He takes the notepad from me and reads the list out loud, at the end he writes two trays of eggs.
"Thanks, I can't believe I forgot eggs."
"Let's go," I tell him.
We step outside and brace for the cold wind that hits us it's snowing this time of day and the temperatures have dropped radically in the last two days. We quickly make our way over to my car which is parked across the street. Luckily the road is not heaped with snow at this time, I drive us to Calloways the giant supermarket close by. We get out grab a trolley at the entrance and begin our mission. We end up getting everything written on the list but before we leave I make a stop at the pharmacy to buy some more bandages, cotton, medical tape, and some yellow lotion.
The whole time Aidan just observes everything silently and helps me carry all the groceries to the car where we put it into the boot. I drive us back home, and we arrive at exactly in time for lunch. Since it's a little too late to cook something I suggest we head out for a meal. We end up at Walton's Diner which is just a ten minutes away from home. Once I enter in the smell of grilled burgers and fries hits me and my mouth begins to water. I choose a small table since it's just the two of us, in the corner where the help yourself ketchup and mustard is kept. I order a large beef burger and fries while Aidan goes for the Alaskan fish and chips. We don't really say much to each other the entire time that we wait for our food to arrive.
Once it does arrive, Aidan starts with the questions and I'm thinking what's with this guy and asking me questions when I'm starving.
"So can I ask questions to get to know you better?"
"Sure, but I can choose not to answer so I will say 'skip'." I tell him plainly.
"Okay, how long have you lived here?"
"About ten years now."
"What's your favourite food?"
"That's hard, when I'm stressed out ice cream."
"Favourite movie? Favourite book?"
"Parent Trap. Pride and Prejudice.
"Your major?"
"Risk management."
"Interesting," he comments staring at me for a moment.
"My turn," I tell him.
"Where were you born?"
"Liverpool, England."
"Your full name is?"
"Aidan Harrison Brown."
"Really, nice name."
"Thanks, mom choice," he says shrugging his shoulders.
"So I have to ask, why were you shot last night."
"A drunk guy has a gun and I got in his way, he fired at me."
"Seriously?"
"Yup," you've seen the wound.
"Did you report him?"
"Yes, I and another guy dragged him to the police station which luckily was not too far from the club we were at."
"Why didn't the other guy offer to take you to the hospital?"
"I didn't realise I had been shot till much later, I must have been in shock or something because I didn't register pain."
"It must have been really cold at night."
"Yup it was," he acknowledges.
"Ok no more questions from me let me finish my burger you can ask me questions at home."
"Ok, Kayla."
We finish our lunch and the fries are really good, after we drink some hot chocolate, we head back to my car. The drive home is a quiet one and I'm so relaxed and relieved. I park the car opposite my apartment block across the street.
"You keep the door open I'll quickly bring the things in," I order him.
He has no choice but to listen since he is injured and I don't want him to pull or tear something that could make the wound worse. So, he holds the door open and I make two trips up and down carrying the grocery bags in. Once everything is in, he shuts the door and starts putting the groceries away into the refrigerator. I put dry rations of food away like bread and raisins into the cupboard.
"Thank you for helping me today," I tell him before I forget.
"You're welcome," he replies.
"Hey how about I make some tea, we can continue our discussion?"
"Sure, except I'm having coffee, you can make tea for yourself."
"Okay," he agrees.