Chapter 36: 36

"Did you forget Aaron?" James said, making me take my steps back.

"What did you say?" I asked as if my ears were ringing, and I kept hearing something wrong.

"I said my brother Aaron was also studying here. I too came to know now," he said while checking his hand watch.

"You aren’t kidding me, right?" I kept on asking.

"Why would I? How is it my benefit telling you he is here when I know you guys never had a good time all those years in school," James said.

"Never had a good time? What do you mean?" I asked again.

"Isn’t he in your class? He-

He stopped.

"Why did you stop? Say it? Say it? I’m freaking waiting," I kept on waiting again.

"Ah, it is nothing, just the time we both met you together after school. That’s when I know," he said again, hiding something.

But I know I can’t waste my time here again. I have to run and find him before I lose him again.

"Ayla, Wait! Where are you running off to?" he shouted, seeing me run, but I didn’t answer but kept on running from the direction I came from.

I went to the canteen first, but the entire place was empty. I went to the basketball court where I saw James the last time, but that place was no different as well. Then where the hell did he vanish? It feels as if I’m in a hide and seek game and he is hiding while I’m the one who gets the seek part.

Gosh, it’s hell annoying.

When I realized I just got him, I failed.

But whom am I even searching for? Aaron? I didn’t even know how he look right now? How much of a fool am I?

I was almost out of my breath when someone called me from behind.

"Ayla,"

"Ayla,"

"Ayla,"

"Gosh, I have been running after you as if you are running a marathon. Damn so fast!" It was Xenon.

"Xenon? You? What are you doing here? And why are you following me?" I asked.

"Ahh, no reason I just wanted to see you," he said, making me skip a beat.

"What?" I asked.

"It just reminded me of my crush. I wanted to see you as we both are each other’s substitutes," he said, putting me in a sad expression.

Yeah, right, everything kept visible to me. I just came to know Aaron is here, but I don’t know who he is or how the fuck he looks, but went to find him when I have zero ideas about the entire situation. And here Xenon, who I kept having the feeling of being in love with, came and told me he got reminded by his crush/ his first love which made him remind me.

How foolish of me to think I will now sleep in peace when everything is as chaotic as usual.

I’m such a dumb person living on this planet.

"So, what do you want me to do?" I asked straightforwardly, as usual.

"Let’s meet at my place today, ok?" he asked, but it is more like he decided already.

"Ok", he said and left, patting my forehead when I saw James coming toward me.

"Huff huff, just how fast are you running? I’m already out of breath chasing after" Damn, when did this guy become an old man?

I tried to leave when he asked, "You know the guy who just left?"

"Oh, Xenon? Yeah I know," I replied.

"Did something happen?" I asked again.

"Ah no, he is handsome," he replied.

"You know how you are making me feel like beating you all over again?"

"How could you call another handsome? Or have you just changed the way of swinging in these last few years?" I said, crossing my hands.

"What are you thinking? I have a thing for a guy? Are you kidding me? I’m coming straight as a rod, so don’t have some random scenario in your mind," he replied.

"Who knows, the more time I saw you with my brother, I always had this thought. What if you and brother...

"Stop brat, ’’ I said right. I’m completely straight," he shouted.

"Oh, ok I understand", I said and tried to move when he held my wrist.

"Now what?"

"I actually wanted to know why you ran as soon as you heard his name. I never saw you act like crazy in the past."

"I know it has been so freaking long and you may have been dying to meet an old acquaintance. Still isn’t it a bit weird for you to act this way? Or am I just exaggerating?"

I take a deep breath.

"Ok fine, it is not because I know him but-

I stopped.

"But?"

"I love him", I said.

There was an invisible wall created between us all of a sudden but I hope it will vanish soon.

"What did you say?"

"Did I hear it correctly?"

"Is my ear ringing?"

"Tell me what I heard is wrong?"

He keeps telling me to deny it but I don’t know why?

"What I said is true? I love him", I said the same thing when he grabbed my shoulder with force.

"No, you don’t. I won’t let you be in love with" his eyes grew darker.

"James, you are hurting me," I hissed.

"It should because what happened because of these freaking feelings in the past was no joke to us."

I don’t know what he is saying.

"Do you think after all those years you will say you love him and I will agree? A big no. It will never happen Ayla. I won’t let you destroy him again how you did with him years ago," he said.

"James... leave me", I said in a low tone.

"I won’t", he grabbed me even tighter while his nails kept on digging into my shoulder making it even more painful than before.

"I said leave me", I shouted, pushing him away.

"What do you even think of yourself? Do you think you will keep hurting me and I won’t even say anything? Do you think I’m that weak Ayla you have seen ages ago? If you are thinking that then you are hell wrong.

You are the first person to kill the old Ayla as if you were choking her with both of your hands just like you are strangling me now. Do you think I will forget how you confessed to me, which was a lie, but you couldn’t even bear my touch when I hugged you? Do you think I’m that stupid? I’m not dumb, Mr James Lee, but you are."

I kept on saying even though after all the struggle I kept on having trouble breathing.

"No, you are not dumb, Ayla, because after meeting you again now, I knew you are nothing but a sly fox," he looked at me with those hateful eyes.

"You are no more the innocent hesitating scared Ayla I knew, but you became a vixen to be real."

I clenched my fist.

"Just for you, Aaron went crazy."

"It happened just for you."

"Just for you, he broke all ties with his family, even with me, and that happened just for you."

"Do you think you will come after ages and say you love Aaron and I will agree? No, I won’t because you are the one who once destroyed her life and I don’t want what happened in the past to repeat again. Not now nor in the future, so get your freaking eyes away from him or if something happened again, then my hand won’t stay in your shoulder but your neck strangling you to death just the way you said. Got it?"

Did he warn me?

Yeah, he warned me, but I couldn’t figure out why?

Why did he warn me?

What have I done?

What have I done?

I did nothing.

I did nothing, but I only came to realize my feelings damn late, which made me leave him behind even though I once got the chance to hold him down.

"I’m clearly warning you, Ayla. Don’t you dare go near him or whatever happened in the past was so freaking less, but whatever will happen in the future you can’t even bear to see. Got it?"

My entire body started trembling hearing him. He became scarier and colder than once I knew him. Where is the carefree James who used to tease me, saying I’m like a tail to Jace? Has he changed or has something happened that changed him? What is it?

It’s a hell of confusing.

But still, I need to find out about Aaron at any cost. I couldn’t seem to lose this chance again and if I did, then I will regret it a lot. Yeah, I have to find him, no matter what. I will do it at any cost.

Ayla can do it.

Yeah because I have to do it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay