Raven's point of view
"You are quite ruthless," He started the car and turned to the main road as I tried to make myself comfortable in the seat. It was my first time sitting in a luxury car. However, his words caught me off guard.
"Why do you say so?" I asked, pretending to not understand what he meant.
"I was out there, sweating to my death. And you were out there socialising like a hopping bunny." He gritted his teeth, his hand gripping the steering wheel.
"I asked you. But you brushed me off. You claimed to be Raven Rain's husband. As far as I know, I am a maiden." I responded as calmly as I could. It was hard for me to keep everything inside.
Last time, I saw him, standing in front of my hostel in my freshman year, I foolishly thought he was there for me. I went to him, but he walked right past me and it turned out he was there to visit someone else. A girl. Smart and pretty girl. That wasn't me.
It was hard to act normal when he claimed to be my boyfriend. I lost my mind when he said husband. But I knew he was joking in both cases. It was obvious, he didn't recognise me. Again.
I was supposed to bring the clients to another place, perhaps beneath the tree, my usual spot. But I deliberately stayed to see, if another Raven Rain arrived. An actual girl who deserves this name.
"You could have corrected me." He blamed me. Just like any other man in the world, his fingers pointed at me, a woman.
"I dare not be a busybody." I answered, looking away. Silence hung between us. I didn't want to speak to him, and he seemed uninterested, as always. I don't know why, but I like to overthink. If I were the same person I used to be, would I have bored the hell out of him by chattering nonstop, forcing a word or two out of his mouth?
I am glad I disciplined myself.
I had a lot of questions, why didn't Father come himself, as usual? Why did he send him? Is he busy? If he is busy, he should go back without letting me know that he is here. It won't disappoint me at all.
Is his father and mine talking again? If they are, it isn't a good thing. It is fishy. Are they going on another business venture? How much money will they lose this time?
I smirked, knowing that none of the doubts had an answer, even if I asked my father face-to-face. It was useless to talk logically with him. He had his own damn ideology and he wanted to change mine.
Suddenly, Aidan cleared his throat and asked, "You didn't verify with your father if he sent me for real. I might be a kidnapper."
"A kidnapper won't admit that." I replied without even turning my eyes to him.
"I might have some bad intentions. You shouldn't get in the car of a stranger." He warned me, sounding as if he was struggling to breathe, because I easily got in the car without asking him any questions.
"I will bring down your entire family if you do have any such thoughts…" I said and turned to him, "Aiden." I completed my words.
He glanced at me for a millisecond, as if I learned his deepest and darkest secret. The car lost control, but as an expert he is, he quickly managed to bring back the balance.
"You remember my name?" He asked in a breathy voice, "You…you…recognized me?"
"I have a bad habit of remembering people." I answered, again looking outside the window, I had no interest in him. Not anymore. He had grown taller and more handsome than the time when I actually liked him. It seems he earned a fortune. Still, I don't feel a thing.
I wasn't like this before. I had waited for him. Four years. I talked to his sister, asking her again and again, When will she visit us?...with her brother. But she made empty promises, just like he did.
At that time, when I was head over heels for him, I had not realised what I looked like or what he looked like. Though he wasn't tall at that time, he was slim and smart, similar to his fair-skinned sister. On the other hand, I was obese. I had so many words to describe me. If I were fourteen again, I would say I am a painter, a writer and a secret keeper.
I am twenty four, and I can describe the current me with many things, but the fourteen me was just an obese, crazy girl who had no sense of propriety at all. Indeed, I am biassed against myself. Because the fourteen-year-old me never realised how hated I was or how disgusted people felt when I talked of love.
The time when I was trying to get over him, I had analysed everything. Why did I have a stupid crush on him in the first place. It turned out that nobody treated me like a human. I was just a statue of a bull in their eyes. But he was the one who thought, as a lady, I shouldn't carry heavy bags.
It was him who thought I would feel more safe if a man is accompanying me on the way to the market. Not only did he think of me as a human, he treated me like a lady that I was supposed to be.
'Ah…Kind gesture of a gentleman made me think I could be loved.' I said to myself sighing.
"You were talking a lot with your friends earlier, how come you are so quiet?" He asked, trying to brush off the awkwardness of the atmosphere that suffocated both of us.
"You said it yourself. 'With your friends.' Why bother poking me? Just drive." I said coldly. It was my first time speaking to him in that tone of voice. Who cares? As if he would remember how I talked.
"How have been all these years?" He asked, this time, it was as if he realized something and was deliberately being extra polite.
"Alive."
"Are you mad at me for something? I feel like I should be angry at you." He was enraged at my simple answer. I had never seen this side of him before. I am glad I didn't, otherwise, he would have been my arch-enemy.
"Then keep feeling." I blurted out.
He stopped his car and turned to me.
"I don't remember you being so unbearable." He said it as if he were genuinely complaining.
I had no words. Obviously, I used to be extra polite to you, and make you feel special whenever you would come to my home. You had the freedom to roam around the house and sit on my bed. No boy in the world has ever had the privilege. I am the same Raven. This is the way I treated all the boys I met except you. And now, you are no exception.
Seeing his eyes locked at my back, I glanced at him, and then turned to him. "You look tired because of me." I asked, and even though the A.C. was turned on, he kept sweating profusely, I was confused.
"Yes, I am!" He growled.
I wasted no time and got out of the car. "Viva Palm Hotel, right?" I asked and his expression proved me right, though he appeared completely astonished.
"I will reach there by myself in half an hour." I informed him as if we were having a normal conversation.
I almost reached the bus stop, when someone grabbed me from behind and I turned to slap the shit out of the culprit's face, but then I saw him, "Richard? Why are you here?"