Chapter 13

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• Chains and Roses   Chapter 13

  I could not concentrate much on work even with James around to crack the lamest jokes. After some time, he approached me with a grim expression. "Is everything okay, Haven?", he asked. "You seem to be a little off today." "Yes, James. I am fine. Just a little tired.", I said, letting out a sigh. He gave me a side hug and rubbed my shoulder as a sign of comfort. The little things he does and says usually leave an impact on me. I decided to tell him about Anna and my decision to tell her everything. "James.", I said, "I need your advice about something." He looked at me slightly surprised as I usually do not do this. James knew me and saw me as an independent woman. So, seeing me in confusion and desperate for advice could have perplexed him. "Of course, Haven. What do you need?", he said, frowning. "Let's go to Blossombee after our shift and you tell me everything there?" I nodded and continued with my work while he gave me one last glance before going back to his shift. It felt

• Chains and Roses   Chapter 12

  Something about last night helped me have a better sleep. I did not know whether it was because of the assurance that Anna would be safe or the certainty that Aiden would always be there for me no matter what.I woke up later than usual with heavy body aches. I blamed it on Lisa for tiring me out by taking me out. My daily ritual continued until it was time for me to go to work. I had second thoughts about going to work with my fatigue, so I decided to inform James and go late."Hey, James.", I chirped into the phone. " I can't make it early today. Is it possible to cover for me for a few hours?""Sure, Haven. Is everything okay?", He asked, worried."Yeah, just a little sick, Jamie.", I said.It was understandable for him to be worried because I had not usually asked him to cover for me unless it was an emergency....I made my way down the stairs and greeted Marth

• Chains and Roses   Chapter 11

  My mind concocted various reasons why Anna would run away from me. I connected the dots to the day when I found bruises on her face.Was she in trouble?The very thought that she could be in trouble and I had been doing nothing to help her, killed my insides. I redialed her number only to find it going straight to voicemail."Hey, Anna! How are you? I thought I saw you at the club but couldn't reach you. There are so many things I need to tell you. Call me.", I sent the voice mail.I made sure that I did not sound worried but in reality, I was freaking out. My mind made up all indifferent scenarios just to make it worse for my sanity. Eventually, a sense of realization struck me when I remembered her boyfriend, Kyle.Did he do something to hurt her?I pushed past the crowd and came outside the party to get some fresh air. Everything around me seemed to move pretty fast that there was no moment to bre

• Chains and Roses   Chapter 10

  I think it is established by now that whenever Aiden and I seem to look at each other, our eyes always trail towards each other's eyes. They are the complete opposite which makes it all the more reason to be attracted."Hey", I chirped, making James turn his head to take a look at who I was waving at. It was obvious to him that I didn't know anybody in this town except him and Anna. And right then, Aiden too.Aiden made his way towards us and stood there impatiently."Shall we go?", he said, tapping his foot restlessly on the ground.I frowned at him. He was unnecessarily rude to James by not acknowledging that I had company or that there was a familiar human right next to us. I decided to ease the atmosphere by ignoring his question."Aiden, this is James one of my best friends at work. James, this is Aiden, uhh you know?", I said, pointing at each other.James replied with a 'hi' to which Aiden responded with a nod."Shall we go now?", he repeated. This made me even more agitated at

• Chains and Roses   Chapter 9

  I rested my head on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. Last night, we kissed again. I guess, it could have gone more forward but we stopped and declared that it was too late. It was almost nine, which means I had to get ready for work, which means I had to face Aiden. Would it be awkward to look him in the eye after last night? I was not sure.I lazily dragged myself to the bathroom and got ready for the day.Breakfast was moderately entertaining. I told Martha about college and a little bit of my previous job. With everything that had been happening the last few days, I realized that I had not been checking my emails or applying to new jobs nearby. We chatted for some more time until I saw Aiden making his way down the stairs and checking something on his phone. I took a sharp breath and held it for God knows how long. He gave me a quick glance and approached the dining table. Martha immediately got up, ready to serve him breakfast."Finish your breakfast, Martha", he said, b

• Chains and Roses   Chapter 8

  I prepared my monologue in mind when I saw him enter the house, checking something on his phone. He went straight to his room after sending a quick glance at me. This was it. I decided to go to his room, knock on the door, and tell him that I needed to talk to him about something.Letting out a huge sigh, I made my way across his room being hit with a sense of Deja Vu. It was funny though, a few hours ago I decided to just run away from this place and go home. However, I was not someone who'd make impromptu decisions. I didn't want to risk anything or anyone. So, there I was succumbing to the gravity of the situation and standing in front of his door. I slightly knocked on his door and waited for him to say something."What?", he snapped, clearly agitated with someone disturbing his solitude.I cleared my throat before speaking."Uhm, it's me", I said, softly.After what felt like a minute or two, he opened the door. I noticed a hint of faded shock on his face. He probably was not exp