Chapter 17: A lift home
★IVAN★
I ran my tongue over my lips and stood up too; leaving my ice-cream on the chair for I had no appetite for it any longer -- my only appetite now was for aunt Maya and any chance of us finishing what we started.
I joined her at the game centre where we played various types of games. I couldn't concentrate on the game I was playing. The only thing on my mind was the kiss.
To be honest, I felt something when we kissed and I just couldn't get rid of that feeling even though I wanted to.
I kept staring at her as she played the games with a wide smile on her face.
★SELENA★
After Tatiana and I had enough fun at the recreational park, we bought two bags of candies and goodies for my younger brother who was at the hospital.
We boarded a cab which drove us straight to the hospital. After a forty minutes drive, the cab finally arrived at the hospital and it parked in front of the hospital's building.
We got down from the cab after paying the driver, then we made our way into the hospital.
After checking in at the reception, we were directed to my younger brother's ward. When we got to his ward, he was laying on the hospital bed, talking with doctor Steve.
"Aunt Selena! Aunt Tatiana!!" He screamed excitedly immediately he saw us.
"Hey baby boy!" Tatiana and I rushed to his bed to hug him.
"I miss you both so much!" He said as we hugged him.
"We miss you too!" Tatiana and I replied.
We finally broke the long hug after five minutes.
"Good afternoon, doctor Steve." I greeted doctor Steve who was sitting on a chair some metres away from the bed.
"Afternoon Selena. How's your day going?" Doctor Steve asked in reply.
"Splendid." I replied. "And yours?"
"Great." He simply replied. "Can I see you for a moment in my office?"
"Sure." I nodded, and he rose to his feet.
"Tatiana, I'll be right back." I said to Tatiana who was sitting beside Jeffery on the bed, giving him the goodies we bought for him.
"Let's go." Doctor Steve said, and we both walked out of the ward to his office.
"Have a seat." He pointed at a black leather chair, and he walked to sit behind his black polished desk.
"Umm.. so, is there something you wanna discuss with me?" I asked as I lowered myself to sit on the leather chair.
"Yes. It's about Jeffrey." He replied.
"Okay, I'm all ears."
"We've been giving him medications to support his damaged bones, but those medications won't last long. We have to perform his surgery as soon as possible or else he'll be paralysed for life." Doctor Steve explained.
"I understand you, doctor, and I assure you that I'm gonna pay for the surgery very soon." I replied.
"I trust you, Selena and I hope you get the money on time." He said.
"I will." I replied with an assuring smile across my lips.
"Alright then. You can leave." He said.
"Thanks a lot for everything you've been doing for Jeffery. I'm really grateful." I said as I rose to my feet.
"No problem. Enjoy the rest of your day." He replied with a smile.
"And you too." I replied, then I walked out of the office.
I walked back to Jeffery's ward and my lips curved into a smile when I saw him laughing with Tatiana. Seeing him happy made me also happy, and that moment, I wished that he could remain happy forever.
★IVAN★
Aunt Maya and I strolled back home after having lots of fun at the park.
We were walking side by side in awkward silence without saying a word to eachother -- almost as if the kiss had built an invisible wall between us. Or was she just shy being her first time kissing a guy or something else?
"Thanks again for the stroll, Ivan." Aunt Maya forced a smile, facing me as we halted our steps in front of my mansion.
Then I dipped both hands in my jean pocket with my shoulders shrugged high in nervous uncertainty as I struggled to maintain eye contact with her.
"So uh..." I started, wanting to ask her about the kiss and if she felt what I felt, but then I changed my mind to say, "I hope you enjoyed the stroll?"
"Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot." She replied,nodding her head. I also noticed that her tone of voice was rather serious than at ease. "Ivan I -- I need to tell you something" she informed, giving me a look -- a look that sent worried chills down my spine. Whatever she was about saying was damn serious, judging by her countenance...
"Okay." I cleared my throat, giving her the go ahead.
Then her lips parted and said. "About the kiss..."
"Pfff" I scoffed with a faint chuckle of relief. At least, the subject wasn't something bad as I thought it would be. Then I added before she could even say another word. "I know, I felt it too... It was..."
"It was nothing." she blurted and hushed my words with a sharp response.
A feeling of pain crept into my throat; causing my breath to shorten on hearing her blunt tone.
"You....you say what?" My eyes went wide in doubtful shock with my hands slowly coming out my jeans pocket.
"The kiss... It was a mistake and should never have happened." She said in an exasperated voice.
"Why?" I inquired immediately, studying the uncertain look on aunt Maya's face as she forcefully closed her eyes; slanting her head from side to side in a very slow manner like she was summoning the courage to tell me something -- something that might hurt even more than what she'd just said.
"Because.." her eyes opened again to stare into mine, then she said rather plainly. "Because I am your aunt and I have a boyfriend. That's why."
Her confession hit me hard like I had just downed a glass of whiskey. Even though it was the truth, I couldn't help but to feel hurt hearing it coming from her mouth.
In all my thinking, I thought we had something building between us -- like a chemistry! But I was completely wrong; infact, I was even more foolish to have been catching feelings for her.
Catching feelings for my aunt of all people. That's was so foolish of me -- it was so foolish and dumb of me.
"It's fine." I looked away, my voice quavering slightly as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. The least thing I wanted was showing her that I was somehow having feelings.
"Ivan?" Her soft voice broke out again in an apologetic tone, as if feeling remorse for hurting my feelings.
I licked my lower lip and inhaled deeply before returning my gaze back on her. She wore an 'I am sorry' look on her face to console me, but I wasn't buying to that -- I even hated that I was still standing in her presence.
"It's fine.." I scoffed, trying not to sound bitter or pained from the cold hard truth while slowly retreating a step back from her. "And the kiss, it meant nothing to me as well." I added bluntly, look at aunt Maya whose expression dwindled into a saddened frown with a glitter of disappointment in her eyes.
"Okay." she cleared her throat in consolation and gave out a smile I knew was totally fake; as though masking the feeling growing deep inside her. But I was consoled by that fact; atleast now, she'll also feel, if not much -- little of what I'm feeling.
Then she parted her lips and was about to say something when I opened the door and walked inside the house, leaving her outside.
I was too hurt to stand in front of her. I didn't know the reason why I was feeling hurt -- maybe it was because she said the kiss meant nothing to her or because I was already developing feelings for her while she felt nothing for me.
I ascended the staircase leading to room and I locked the door immediately I stepped inside my room. I plopped myself on the bed and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.
*****
Later that night around 7:20pm after staying in my room the whole day, I left the house; not telling aunt Maya who was in her room and drove to the mall which was quite far from my place just to get a snack -- I was craving for an ice-cream.
"That'll be $5.99." the sales girl informed moments after I placed a cup of strawberry flavoured ice-cream on the counter.
I didn't know why I picked that exact same flavour which was my aunt's favourite. I just felt like buying it.
I nodded at the sales girl in acknowledgment and dipped my right hand into my pocket to remove the money when I felt two people approached and stood beside me -- placing two heavy bags full of groceries on the counter, next to my cup of ice-cream; and turning my head, I noticed it was the Tatiana and the lady who slapped me thrice at the club the previous night.
What's that her name again? Ah yes!... Selena. That's her name.
She glared daggers at me while I also glared back at her. Seeing her right now made me really angry and I felt like just like the way she slapped me at the club.
A smile crept out Tatiana's lips when she noticed the strawberry flavoured ice-cream I'd just bought before saying in a tease. "Hmm, nice choice. I never knew guys like you still buy ice-cream.
I didn't respond or show any form of amusement but ignored her friendly tease, and in way, I was somehow embarrassed she found me buying an ice-cream.
"Did you buy it for someone?" Tatiana asked, but I still gave her no response.
All I did was pay for my ice cream and turned, then I walked out of the mall to the parking lot. I was about to open my car door when Tatiana's voice called out to me from behind.
"Ivan?"
I paused, licking my lower lip in suppressed annoyance and turned to face her as she approached -- holding a bags of grocery that weighed heavily on her.
Selena was also walking behind her, holding a bag of grocery that looked heavy.
"Hi, uh... Do you mind giving us a lift because we don't have any spare change with us to board a cab?" Tatiana asked as she stood in my front.
I glanced at Selena who hissed loudly and rolled her eyes at me, then I returned my gaze back to Tatiana.
"Please Ivan, can you give us a lift?" She asked in a pleading tone.