Aileen
“We are over, Aileen! I don’t want to look at your face any longer.”
“You grew jealous over Layla. She’s my old childhood friend. I can’t cope with your jealousy any longer.”
Wait, please listen to me, Jack.
I won’t get jealous any longer. Don’t break up with me. I can-
“No, there’s nothing left between us. I was never into you anyway.”
This is not true right? Jack. You are breaking up with me?
Jack! Jack!
The vibration on my legs made me snap open my eyes.
I looked around me to find myself in a taxi.
I took out the phone from my jeans and picked it up.
“Hello?”.
“Aileen, where are you dear?” my mom spoke from the other end of the phone.
“Um…”.
“Where are we?” I asked the driver.
“20 minutes from the destination.”
“You heard him.”
“Give me a call when you get out of the taxi.”
“Dave will come and pick you up by the car.”
I blinked for a second in disbelief. “What?”.
“Come again?”.
“I said Dave will come and pick you up with a car. Give me-“.
“W-why’s he coming to pick me up?” I stuttered. “He could send any servants or a driver!”.
“Yes, I was planning on doing that. But, one of the drivers is absent today. And that’s why he said he’ll go and pick you up himself.”
My heart started beating loudly when I heard this news.
“Anyway, take care. I’ll see you after you arrive.”
“W-wait, Mom-“ she had hung up on me before I could finish my sentence.
Why is she sending him to pick me up?
Gosh! I need to mentally prepare myself for that.
Meeting him after two years…..I wonder how much has changed in him.
I, myself have changed a lot.
I’m not the little girl that he used to see me as.
The taxi stopped by the side of the road, and I got off standing with my luggage in hand.
I called Mom, but she wasn’t picking up the phone.
Where is she at? Do I have to stand here on this hot afternoon?
I roam my eyes here and there while dialing her number several times.
The sound of a car horn drew my attention.
And as I turned around a black car arrived in front of me.
I stepped away in fear.
“Did you wait long?” a voice asked from inside the car.
“What?”.
The window came down, and I saw Dave staring at me with a warm smile.
I felt my heart racing at the sight of him smiling at me.
God, why did you have to make him look so handsome and charming? I can’t take my eyes off him.
The noise of the traffic and everything didn’t bother me any longer. And I felt like there were only the two of us in the world, looking into eyes each.
A moment felt like an eternity.
“Aileen!” he raised his voice, calling towards me.
I snapped back to reality, looking at him in shock.
“Did you wait long?” he asked again for the second time.
“Uh…um…” I lowered my gaze feeling embarrassed for looking at him like a creep.
“No….not that long….”.
“Good to hear that,” he replied, opening the door.
He got out of the car and took my luggage in hand.
“Come and sit at the front. I’ll put your luggage at the back,” he suggested.
At front? I’ll be sitting next to him.
Should I tell him I’ll sit at the back?
Well….I looked up at him.
He got into the driver’s seat right away.
I heaved a sigh. Let’s face my fears.
I opened the door and kept sneaking glances at him from the corner of my eyes, sitting down.
His perfume is so strong. I can smell it right from here.
“The seatbelt,” he mentioned, putting on his seatbelt.
After I had put on my seatbelt, he started the engine.
As he drove, I kept looking in his direction without letting him notice.
The man that I had been in love with since two years ago, the first man I had a crush on, and fell for, the man of my dreams is now here sitting right next to me.
But, I’m not supposed to have these feelings for him, as he’s my stepfather. And there’s a 7-year age difference between the two of us.
Yet, no matter how you look at it, he looks just like me—only having a mature aura surrounding him.
My father and mom got a divorce when I was very little. My mom was left traumatized since then. she would hardly smile, or show any happiness.
a couple of years have passed since then. and then we met David McGarten. My mom is a nurse, and she had taken care of his dad when he was severely ill, helping him recover.
He was so grateful to her that he used to reach up to say hi whenever he would bump into her. And like that Mom and he started talking.
He was the only heir of his pack in Seattle, The Sabertooth pack which is well respected and known by everyone there.
They have a good real-estate business and are practically one of the richest people in Seattle.
After dating my mom for several years, they got married in my 2nd year of high school. And my mom came to live with him in Seattle, but I refused to come.
So, that I won’t have to face him.
“So, when are you starting college?” His question made me startle in my seat.
“Your high school is over I guess?”.
I nod, avoiding his gaze. “Yes, last month.”
“Mom said that she doesn’t want me to live on my own any longer. So I should come and live with you two in the packhouse.”
“I guess, I’ll be joining a college in Seattle then.”
I was reluctant about coming here first, but….
Now, when I got such a treat right after coming here, I didn’t mind it at all.
“There’s a college in 30 minutes' distance from the packhouse.” He remarks drawing my attention.
“And I know the principal. Do you want me to come with you for the admission process?”.
“I’m your legal guardian after all.” He added with a smile.
Is he trying to rub it in the face that I’m his stepdaughter?
“Aileen?” he looked puzzled, staring at me.
“Uh…well….sure, if you are willing to.”
He’s being kind enough to help me get admission. I shouldn’t reject his offer.
My grades are already suffering more than enough because of the breakup.
I need to study properly in college.
“And, how is your relationship with your boyfriend going?”
I blinked for a second, trying to figure out whether he asked me that.
“You had been with him for over two years right?”.
“How are you two? Going steady?”.
He’s not denying that he wants to know about my boyfriend!
But, why?
Is he curious?
“We broke up two months ago,” I replied.
He stepped on the break the next second, giving me a surprised look.
“You did what?”.
I look at him feeling puzzled. Why? Is my break-up with Jack so surprising to him?
“Why did you break up with him? Did he try to do something funny to you?” he seemed to be quite concerned and wasn’t hiding it.
“Ah…no…it’s just….I got jealous of a girl who was acting quite chummy with him and had a fight and he said he didn’t want to look at my face anymore.”
“That’s the last time we had seen each other.”
“O-oh…I see…” he seemed to be convinced by what I said.
He turned to the steering wheel and started driving again.
“Well….no need to think about that jerk. He didn’t deserve you anyway.” He comments as a smile forms on his lips.
What did he say?
“If he decided to break up with you over such a little thing, that means he’s not mature enough for you yet.”
“You deserve someone better who can match up to your temperaments.”
Like you? I wanted to say that out loud. But, unfortunately, that’s not possible.
Even if I broke up with Jake, I can’t have you, cause you are my stepfather.
We can’t be together when you are married to my mom.
