Aurélia's heart skipped a beat as she unfolded the crumpled piece of parchment that had been slipped under her door at her house. The message scrawled on it in hasty handwriting made her breath catch. "Meet me at the old oak tree at midnight. Come alone." There was no signature, but the words seemed to sear themselves into her mind. Isaiah. It had to be him. But what did he want, and why the secrecy? Aurélia's mind whirled with questions as she stared out the window, the moon hanging low in the sky like a silver crescent, beckoning her toward the mysterious rendezvous.
The weekend had been long for Aurélia. She had finally ventured out on her first weekend day off, visiting a special place she'd never seen before. But her mind kept drifting back to the mysterious message from the one person she despised more than anyone on Earth: Isaiah. What did he want from her? Isaiah was always making fun of her, concocting new schemes that only seemed to cause trouble. Aurélia's thoughts lingered on the message he had left on her doorstep, wondering how he had managed to deliver it without her noticing.
She reached for her phone, tempted to call her friend Lila, but something held her back. This didn't feel like something Lila should be involved in. Instead, Aurélia scrolled to Asher's number and dialed it. Asher answered promptly. "Hello, Aurélia. Any problem?" he asked. Aurélia hesitated, unsure how to broach the subject. Should she tell Asher that his brother wanted to meet with her?
"It's nothing much, Asher," she said finally. "I just wanted to say good night."
"Good night, Aurélia," Asher replied.
Aurélia hung up the phone and lay back in bed, her mind racing with thoughts of the impending meeting with Isaiah. What would bring tomorrow?
At Oakwood University, Aurélia slipped into the lecture hall unnoticed, even by her own mother not knowing that her daughter had left home. She arrived at 1 am, seeking solitude. As she settled into a seat, exhaustion took over, and she drifted off to sleep. Unaware of the approaching figure, Aurélia slept peacefully. Isaiah emerged from the shadows, his footsteps silent on the cold floor. He sat beside her, his eyes fixed on her serene face. A mixture of fascination and curiosity danced across his features.
"A girl like her... poor, intelligent, bold and beautiful," Isaiah whispered to himself, his voice barely audible. "I've treated her like trash, annoyed by her sharp tongue, but...I wonder what my brother sees in her. Why he's so infatuated." Isaiah's gaze lingered on Aurélia's face, his expression softening ever so slightly. "She's more beautiful than Gabriella, in her own way."
Isaiah's whisper trailed off as he gently blew a stream of air onto Aurélia's face. Her eyes fluttered open, locking onto Isaiah's. For a moment, they looked at each other, the tension between them palpable. Aurélia's lashes drooped, and she pretended to fall back asleep. Isaiah's lips curled into a knowing smile.
"Silly girl, wake up," Isaiah said, his voice low and teasing. "Stop pretending like you didn't see me." He gently lifted Aurélia's head, his fingers brushing against her skin. Aurélia's eyes snapped open, a spark of annoyance igniting within them. "What do you want from me?" she demanded. "And why here? I thought this wasn't the place you wanted to meet."
"You knew I wanted to talk to you, that's why you woke up early,"Isaiah said, his eyes glinting with amusement. Aurélia pushed herself up from her seat, and Isaiah stood up, towering over her. "Why are you so stubborn?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration. Isaiah began to speak, but his words trailed off. "I'm going," he said, taking a step back. "Since you don't want to know what I have to say."
Aurélia's hand shot out, stopping Isaiah in his tracks. A sly smile spread across his face as he turned to face her. "Sweet Little Rory, what do you want from the big man you hate the most?" Isaiah asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Isaiah's eyes locked onto hers, his gaze burning with intensity."So you have plans of meeting up with your friends and Asher my brother is one of them." he asked.
Aurélia replied with a wry smile,"That's good if you know that is one of the important people in my life. He's helpful to me indeed."
Isaiah's expression darkened, a flicker of jealousy dancing across his features. He fell silent, his eyes narrowing as he took another step closer to Aurélia. Isaiah's face was inches from Aurélia's, his warm breath dancing across her skin. "So, Asher helps you a lot," he repeated, his voice dripping with a mixture of curiosity and possessiveness. Aurélia's heart skipped a beat as Isaiah's eyes seemed to bore into her soul, searching for secrets she wasn't willing to share.
Aurélia's instincts screamed at her to step back, to create some distance between herself and the intense, brooding boy in front of her. But her feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move as Isaiah's gaze held her captive. "What's going on between you two?" Isaiah asked, his voice low and husky.
"Wow, you seem like you want to know more about my life," Aurélia said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "My life is none of your business," she added, attempting to step away. But Isaiah was too quick. He grasped her hands, pinning them against the wall.
"What are you doing?" Aurélia demanded, struggling to free herself. Isaiah's response was to pull her into a tight hug, his arms squeezing her forcefully. Aurélia tried to wriggle free, but Isaiah held her fast. "What are you doing you mad boy? Aurélia shouted but Isaiah couldn't let her go.
"Aurélia, you won't easily run away from me, he whispered," his breath hot against her ear. Just as it seemed like Isaiah's grip would suffocate her, Asher appeared out of nowhere, his eyes blazing with anger.
"What's going on here?" Asher growled, grabbing Isaiah's collar. "Didn't I tell you to leave her alone?" Asher snarled, his fist clenched and ready to strike.
Isaiah caught Asher's wrist, his eyes glinting with malice. "Wait for what I'm planning little brother," Isaiah whispered, his voice barely audible. "Don't ever think that I will give you any gap of being with Aurélia. I don't think you will be with her for so long."
Isaiah walked away leaving Asher and Aurélia alone in lecture hall. Aurélia's eyes scanned Asher's face and body, searching for any signs of injury. "Asher, are you okay? What time did you get here?" she asked with a concern tone.
Asher's gaze softened as he looked at Aurélia. "I'm okay if you're okay," he replied, his voice gentle, as he reached out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.
Aurélia felt a flutter in her chest as she met Asher's warm gaze. "I'm fine," she said. Asher's eyes searched hers, as if seeking reassurance. "What happened here?" he asked.
Aurélia hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. But something about Asher's kind expression put her at ease. " Your brother showed up," she began, her voice measured. "He was acting strange, and then... and then he grabbed me."
Aurélia and Asher jumped, startled as, Lila's sudden shout pierced the air. "You scared me, Lila!" Aurélia exclaimed, her hand on her heart.
Lila plopped down beside them, concern etched on her face. "Is something wrong guys, You look like you have seen a ghost, she said, eyeing them both with alarm.
Aurélia's phone buzzed with an incoming message, interrupting Lila's inquiry. She hesitated not wanting to draw her friends into the mystery again. "Excuse me for a sec," Aurélia said, standing up and stepping aside to read the message in private.
Her eyes scanned the screen, and her heart sank as she realized that it was another cryptic message from the unknown number.