DAVE'S POV
The sun was down and the moon was slowly making its appearance when I stepped out of the plane and walked into the airport. My amber eyes scanned through the waiting crowd and I noticed a man in a black suit holding a banner that says Dave Mendez. I covered my head with the hood of my jacket and blended into the crowd till I was able to get out of the airport without them noticing me.When I got outside, I breathed in the fresh air of Chicago that was brightened by different lights from a different buildings. The city was a sight to see at night which was why I chose to arrive late. It has been two years since I left the city just to avoid my parents. No, I didn't hate my parent for any reason they were the people I loved the most but I had to leave when they were trying to make me shoulder a responsibility I wasn't ready for.I wished to live my life doing whatever I want and going wherever I want without anything holding me down. Our clash of interest was why I left the city, hoping they would change their mind and let me do what I want but a little snitch told me the plans they had for me when they found out that was coming back which was why I hide from the escort they sent to bring me home.A cab stopped in front of me and I got into the back seat, giving him the address to my Penthouse. I leaned into the chair and ran my fingers through my short dark hair with my eyes closed as the car drove off. A ping sound from my phone made me open my eyes and brought the phone out of my pocket.I checked it to see that it was a message from my best friend, Nixon.'Are you back?' The message said.'Yeah. Arrived a few minutes ago.' I texted back"Did you get caught by your parents?' He replied immediately.'No. On my way to my Penthouse.'Nixon was an employee at my parent's company and he overheard that they were planning to have a meeting with the shareholders the next morning to announce me as their successor after they found out that I was going to arrive in Chicago that night. He tipped me off about their plan which was another reason I avoided the escort they sent.'The guys and I are at the bar downtown, want to go join us?''Sure, I'll be there.'I turned off my phone and gave the cab driver the address of the bar. He took a U-turn and went in the direction of the bar. The cab stopped in front of the bar and I paid him before I alighted the Cab.As I made my way toward the entrance, I could hear the faint sound of music coming from inside the bar. The music got louder when I got inside the bar and some ladies began to throw themselves at me as I walked further inside. I went straight to the VIP section upstairs because I was well aware that they would there.On getting upstairs, my eyes scanned through the crowd for a familiar face. I stopped when I noticed a hand waving at me before walking toward the table. Three of the were sitting in a VIP booth that could occupy six people."Dave, it's good to see you again." Nixon's blue eyes lit up as he stood up and pulled me into a hug before we sat down together.Taking in his appearance after two years of not seeing him, I realized that he had changed his hair color again. Nixon had naturally brown hair but he resulted to dyeing it into different colors whenever he suits him at that moment he had the middle part in red and the others in black.The others raised their glass and I nodded. "Are you still playing the cat and mouse game with your parents?" Richard, another one of my friends asked and I nodded."They are never going to stop, why don't you just give in?" Leo suggested as he poured me a glass of wine, but I shook my head in response.As I downed the drink in one go, a feminine voice called my name over the loud music, "Dave."Jenny appeared in front of me in a tight red dress that hugged all her curves and exposed her cleavage. Her strawberry blonde hair fell her as her red lips parted in a smile, revealing her white set of teeth."Jen, how are you doing?" I smiled at her."Good, now that you are back." Instead of sitting in the space beside Richard, she chose to seat on my lap. "Nixon texted me that you are here that's why I came.""Of course, he did." I glanced at Nixon who smirked back at me.Jenny and I have been friends since we were in middle school because of the relationship between our families. When we got to college, Jenny started to want more than just friendship. I made it clear to her that I wasn't ready for anything serious, then she suggested that we became friends with benefits. Being a guy who loves to have fun plus Jenny was hot as fuck, I agreed to it and it became a regulated thing even after we graduated from college.The guys and I spent the whole night drinking and catching up before Jenny and I ended up in a hotel room, devouring each other like wild animals.The next morning, I woke up to my phone ringing and I groaned as I reached for it. "Hello," I answered without checking who the caller is."Get out of the hotel now. Your parents sent some people to get you," Nixon yelled over the phone."Shit!" I untangled myself from Jenny's naked body and rushed to dress up.Jenny stirred and opened her eyes. "Are you leaving already?" She sat up on the bed."Yes, my parents sent people to get me.""Oh, okay." She nodded in understanding.The moment I finished dressing up, I bolted out of the room and made my way toward the elevator. As I was about to push the elevator button, I paused when I realized fact that the guys would take the elevator, so I changed my course and ran to the stairs.Luckily for me, we were on the sixth floor of the hotel, so the stairs weren't that long. I ran down the stairs, breathing heavily and a smile formed on my lips when I got to the first floor. The moment I opened the door I was greeted by three guys in suits. I closed the back and turned to go back upstairs but it was already late as three other guys were already behind me."Mr. Mendez, your parents are waiting for you," one of them said.My shoulder slumped when I noticed that I had no way to escape, so I gave up and followed them out of the hotel. I got into their car and hit the back of my head on the seat. "Damn it."I took her view and entered the room. The view that my eyes chanced upon, a woman sitting at the brink of the bed and burying her face in her hands, had revved up my heartbeat; she lifted her head and looked at me. There was surprise as well as confusion in Aria's gaze."Dave…what are you doing here?" she asked, tremulous her voice.I stepped closer to her, and my heart went out to her. "Aria, please, don't do that. We have to talk. You had to know how much I love you, and we have got to do this together. Please don't make this mistake. Don't decide without you talking to me," she said.She stared into mine, her own already welling with water. "I don't know if I can do this, Dave. I'm scared… so scared."."I know you are," I said, my voice cracking as the emotions spun their way inside of me. "But I'm scared too, Aria, scared to death of letting go of you and our child. We can face this together. I love you and will be with you no matter what. Please just allow us a chance."She tremb
DAVE'S POVThe reports lay on the desk as my eyes looked at them without really seeing. It was two weeks ago—the night that had unleashed all my emotions with Aria. She hadn't been returning my calls or texts, and every time I tried to find her, the doors closed in front of me.It was as if that had been such a welcome distraction from the growing pit of dread deep in my stomach—one which it was easy to leave my focus on. Therefore, I just thought that probably Aria needed some space and time to think, and I gave it to her. But the days were beginning to slip into weeks; the chasm between us began to feel impossible to cross.I was just about to get into the other useless read-through of the reports when the shaking of my door broke with a knock. Before I could get a chance to answer, Nixon walked in, a sad look across his face."Dave, we have got to talk," he said, shutting the door.I rose to my feet; missed a beat in my heart. Nixon never did drama so whatever his news was, it had
Returning to Chicago was very much like stepping into the storm all over again. The city was the same—booming and ruthless; only I was different now. The sojourn at Pittsburgh had poured in a new perspective and a brief sabbatical from the storm that life was getting transformed into. Onwards, as I pushed open the doors and jumped into the office of the magazine, all my lugging from the past came back and sat on my shoulders again.I virtually wore the broadest smile ever as I greeted colleagues around, with their eyes to my back, and whispers trailing down the hall. News about Jax did travel fast, and however much I wanted to act like I did not hear the murmurs, they were impossible to ignore."'Did you see him? Jax is still in prison…Isn't she the one who used to go out with him?"Yeah, apparently she's trying to steer clear of any more drama. Who can blame her?"The two prattled on, voices droning in my ears as I looked down, burying myself in my work. I had the art of evasion of
Xavier had spent most of the next fortnight within the confines of the house with his baby daughter, little Aurora; mankind could attribute getting associated with the atmosphere of normality amidst these crazed minds in and around people. They made one feel slightly better, anyways. The bright spot in my life was Aurora, Xavier's baby. Her laughter and innocence diverted my mind from that hurricane inside my guts.And Xavier, he never stopped showing up. Either waiting to hold me with all of my words, many, or sitting wordless with me when my words failed. He had wars of his own, his own aches: waiting for Savannah to return, raising Aurora on his own. But it never crossed him from how he was acted at that it was of much miracle to be noble, he quared each new day with that kind of fortitude. I saw and wished I could find it in myself.And suddenly it was one of those evenings where one sat in the porch with the sunset overhead, and this very question was coming alive inside me since
ARIA'S POVAnd there was the sun, first off, up close, shining warmly but in an absolutely singular, discreet design, wringing and bright out through the blinds and all over my bed. For one moment all was also right in my world; this was just some stupid nightmare. For a brief second, there was a sense that everything in the world was also just fine; it was all just some ridiculous nightmare. But as the fog of sleep thinned, I could see the face of reality coming creaking down upon me.There was the weight of a body beside me and the familiar scent of Dave's cologne in the air. Dread consumed me as my head turned to his, slowly, heart in the throat, lying beside me, still asleep. His face really looked peaceful, quite unlike the trouble that I knew was dwelling underneath.Panic surged through me at the full force of what I had done. As soon as I lay in Dave's bed, in full nudity and all the sheets, it all came back, the way that I kissed him. I had let myself fall into the biggest t
DAVE'S POVDarkness had passed as I finally drove the old Civic through the winding city streets, my brain swirling with thoughts that snaked into a cocktail of feelings, triumph and unease. The news of Jax spread like a wildfire through the grapevine, and much as I loathed to admit, somewhere deep inside me, the thought of his downfall came with a bit of joy. That definitely had to be said: he had it coming. Not half of me, though—there was another that couldn't see past Aria's face in my head when she discovered all that she had been told. What would she do? Didn't she see this as a way to get rid of him and finally turn back to me? Or would she retreat into herself as she had retreated before, only this time even more broken?It was with all that running through my head that I pulled up outside Aria's apartment. I parked the car, opened the door, and let the cool night air do little to settle the restlessness in my chest. I came to her front door and knocked, waiting for her to an