Tuesday.
Aiden had nothing to do other than waiting for Mis. Claire's call. He was washing the clothes he had purchased as they had arrived in the morning. He was washing the dishes after having lunch when his phone rang. He expected the call to be from Mis.Clair but the phone screen displayed 'Athena'.
"Hello." he answered with a smile.
"Can you fetch me when the class ends?" Athena asked, sounding desperate and annoyed.
"What happened? Didn't you say you are going out with your classmates."
"Yes, I did. But then I didn't know Jay was going to ruin my night."
Aiden could guess what might have happened. Jay might have planned something for the night and Athena had come to know about it.
"I knew that guy was not good."
"I will be there." He said.
"Ok then, see you at 4.00." She ended the call after saying that.
It became 4 in the evening and Aiden was waiting for Athena outside the gate when he received a call from Fidha.
"Hello." He answered but there was no response from the other side. Instead he could hear a commotion going on and he was certain that he heard Athena's voice there. He took the bike inside without minding the security guard who tried to stop him.
___________
For Athena's class that day was their last day in college. So they all planned to go out together like all the other classes.
Athena didn't have much interest in it but still decided to join them as she had heard others saying it is a great experience and no one should miss it. But by noon she understood that Jay was not going to allow her to enjoy the night. She really hated him as he was one of the people who made fun of her when she entered college. She was never going to forget those things. She called Aiden to make Jay know that she likes someone else and he shouldn't waste his time coming at her.
She tried to go to the gate as soon as the class ended but Jay and his lackeys interrupted her in between.
"Where are you going? Aren't you coming to the gathering?" Jay asked.
"No, I have more important places to be." She said without hiding her annoyance.
"Where?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"You are going to meet him, isn't it. Leave that basted and come…"
"Hey, if you bad mouth him once more, I am going to forget about getting a clean record in my certificate. Now, if you want your balls to be healthy, move."
She said and tried to go past him but Jay interrupted her again by pulling her hands.
"Don't try to play hard. I hate it."
"Don't touch me, I hate you." She tried to shake his hand off but didn't succeed. She was about to use her leg. When
Ke..keke…ke
Continuous horns could be heard and their attention shifted to it.
___________
Aiden had to continuously press the horn as there were some students on the road. He had no idea where he was supposed to go. After going some distance he noticed a lot of students going in a direction other than that of the gate and could hear them murmuring about a commotion. Without thinking much he also went there.
When he reached there he noticed that a lot of spectators had gathered and at their center he saw Jay holding Athena's hand. He couldn't see her face but he was certain that she was angry, so was he.
Ke..kekeee..
He pressed the horn again to make the people move. Athena also noticed him from it. He stopped his bike just in front of them.
"Hands off." He said.
Jay felt like an invisible pressure pressing on him and his hands lost its grip on Athena.
Athena without wasting any time got on Aiden's bike and they left. These things happened within seconds but to Jay it felt like hours. When everything became normal he could hear others murmuring about Aiden.
"So, she really does have a boyfriend."
"He is more handsome in real life than in photos. There is no way she is going to date Jay."
"Hay, who said he is a cripple."
"If I was Jay, I would stop going after her as now I know how low I am compared to her boyfriend."
"Her and Jay were never an option. Did you forget what he did to her when we started college."
Hearing all this Jay couldn't raise his head and he walked away from there with his lackies.
_________
"You shouldn't have done that. He doesn't have a good name at the collage and his family always supports him, whenever he does something. What if he targets you?" Athena said a little angry.
"Then what about you? He was targeting you." Aiden said he appeared more angry than her..
"That is different. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"It was my decision to intervene, you have no role in that and you should say thank you when you are happy about someone's help."
"Happy, me, who told you that?"
"I clearly saw how you face changed when you saw me." This time all anger in his voice had disappeared.
"Thank you. I don't want any thing to happen to you because of me or not." She said after some silence, the last part was said in a low voice that Aiden would have missed if not for his improved senses. A smile appeared on his face hidden inside the helmet.
"How did you know I was in trouble?"
"I have my ways my child."
"Sheee, don't try to act mysterious. I am going to findout myself. Wait a minute, that idiot. It was her isn't it."
"No, it wasn't Fidha."
"I knew it, it definitely her. We should have taken her also. What if, Jay found some trouble with her."
"Relax, as long as he doesn't know she was the one who informed me, he won't do anything to her."
"Mmm"
Aiden parked his bike in front of 'Cup & Sausser'.
"Why are we here? Are we not going to make the cake." Athena asked.
"This is my favourite cafe and the place to get our ingredients. I have called a goods carriage, they will come soon to get it."
The shop was empty of customers as the time was close to 5:00. Mrs.Clair saw them and approached.
"The carriage will arrive soon." Aiden said to her.
"Mm,"
"The usual for me please and for her …." He said and looked at Athena.
"What?" She asked.
"Order." He said.
"Aa" she said and took the menu and ordered a butterscotch latte.
"You wait here, I will be back soon." Aiden said.
"Ok." Athena replied and he left the shop.
Sitting there idly Athena looked around the shop and noticed some photos on the wall. It looked to be some customers of the shop, she even noticed a famous stand up comedian among them. But what really got her attention was the photo of a couple sitting at a table holding hands.
"That is some of our regulars and vip's visited us." Miss Clair's voice came from behind.
"Oh, Has Aiden been coming here for a long time?"
"Yes, this is the first place he worked part time." Miss. Clair said while placing their orders on the table.
At this time Aiden entered the shop with a cover in his hand.
"The carriage arrived. Can you show them the items." He said to Mis. Clair.
"Sure." She said and went to the kitchen.
"What is this?" Athena asked, pointing to the cover.
"Your new phone. Now have you Latte."
"I don't need it. My phone is perfectly fine."
He was sure that things were going to go like this. She was someone who send him half of the money from the sale of her coloring book. Saying he deserves it. He liked this part of her but sometimes it prevented him from doing certain things for her as they aren't dating.
"That, it opens YouTube when contact is clicked. This is for my peace. I brought this from the money from your books if you are still not satisfied then repay me when you get a job. Now quickly type your mail." He said handing the phone towards her.
She reluctantly accepted it.
"I am going to repay, you."
They set up the phone while finishing their drinks. During this time Mis.Clair came to inform that the carriage left after loading everything.
"Here. If anything happen press the volume up button 5 times then volume down button 5 times. It will notify me with you location."
"Mm, Do that in your phone too. Make it is send to me."
" Ok I will do it."
Aiden took his phone to change its settings.
"Hey, who is the girl with you in that photo?" she asked points towards the collection of photos.
"Oh, that. It's my ex."
"Why did you broke up? She looks beautiful."
"We found out that we aren't right for each other."
"When did you last meet?" She asked, jealousy evident in her voice.
"when we broke up, in this shop."
She didn't know what was happening. She felt uncomfortable thinking that he might think about his ex when he comes to his favourite cafe. She wanted him to think of her when he comes to place. Then something fell from her mouth unknowingly.
"I LOVE YOU."