Chapter 5

“Belle, wake up. Look what's here.” Emily's hoarse voice wakes me up from my deep slumber. Sitting up in my bed, crossing my legs I stretch my arms and stifle a yawn.

“What happened?” I ask, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. She approaches me, a big bouquet of delicate red rose flowers adorning her arms.

“It was laying down outside of our room,” she informs. “For Belle: it is written on this bouquet.” She renders me that bouquet. My eyes gawk at the flowers carefully.

I am a little surprised to hear this. No one has sent me flowers before today. Many guys proposed to me till date but no one ever sent flowers. Who did it today? Is it Aiden?

“It must be Aiden.” I flash a wide grin to Emily. “We couldn't go on a date. Maybe that's why he sent these flowers to console me. I should call him.”

“Okay,” she says and begins to roll her blanket.

I pick up my phone; my mind reeling with Aiden's thoughts as I dial his number. He's such a great boyfriend. Never leaves a chance to make me fall more for him.

“Good morning babe,” Aiden's voice comes from the other side.

“Good morning,” I greet him as my cheeks flash red. “Thank you so much for the bouquet.”

“Bouquet! What bouquet?” he asks. My smile fades away. “You sent a bouquet. Didn't you?” I ask nervously.

He starts laughing at my words. “Are you mad? When did Aiden Allen start sending flowers? Huh?” he finally blurts out, his words leaving me disappointed. If Aiden hasn't sent flowers then who did?

“I would never do that,” he retorts.

“Okay. I'll call you later.”

I hang up the call and stare at the bouquet, confusion and disappointment swirling inside me. If not Aiden, then who could be the person to send this bouquet?

“What happened? Was Aiden not the one who sent these flowers?” Emily asks, taking steps towards me. I glance up at her and shake my head.

“Then who?”

Her temple tenses. I stare again at the bouquet, thinking about the person who sent this bouquet.

“I also don't know,” I say.

Just then, my phone buzzes with a notification. I unlock my phone. It's a text from an unknown number: ‘Beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl. - Ethan.’

By reading the text, my eyes widen in shock and my jaw drops.

“What happened?” Emily asks; she can sense my tense expressions.

“The boy who proposed to me earlier, he sent these flowers,” I state. Her mouth drops open wide as she utters, “What!”

I nod my head in response, staring at the bouquet. Ethan seems as if a tough guy; I didn't think he could send flowers to me.

“I'm in love with this guy,” she says, taking a seat on one side of my bed as she continues, “Belle, date him.”

“What! For sure?” I say, getting astounded by her words. My eyes pop out of its sockets. She nods and flashes a grin. “I would have, if I was Belle. I mean flowers…Has anyone…even Aiden sent you flowers yet?” she asks.

“No!” I shoot my quick response.

“Exactly,” she blurts out. “No one, not even your boyfriend sent you flowers but that guy did. Amazing! If someone would have sent me flowers, I would die for him.”

Her words echo in my ears. I appreciate Ethan's efforts to impress me, but I've told him I'm not interested. He should have given up on me. Still he didn't give up. Does it mean he truly likes me?

“You know what, Belle. He's better than Aiden. My gut feeling is saying that,” she exclaims in joy. How could she say that? No one can be better than Aiden for me.

“Shut your gut feeling’s mouth. Aiden is my boyfriend, not him.”

“Who cares! Leave Aiden. I don't like him,” she insists. I clench my jaw as I glare at her. She purses her lips and blinks her eyes, feeling the density of the situation.

“I mean…”

“I don't care what you mean Emily. Aiden might not be the perfect boyfriend but it doesn't mean I should leave him.”

She stares at her feet. A pang of guilt washing over her.

“Relationships don't work like that; leaving your partner over a few mistakes. Some mistakes have to be forgiven. Some things have to be forgotten. Only then can two people make a relationship work.”

“Belle.” She narrowed her eyes, her brows drawing close. “Are you going to spend your whole life loving one guy?” she asks curiously.

“Yes,” I nod.

“Isn't it boring?” she asks.

“No,” I say and shake my head. “I've loved him since childhood and I'll continue loving him until I die.”

“Even if he doesn't treat you the way you deserve,” she says sarcastically.

I avert my gaze to her, giving her a death glare.

She stands up from the bed and walks away as she utters, “Okay, you love your so cold boyfriend. I'm not going to say anything ever again.”

She leaves the dorm room after taking her garments and towel. I gasp. My eyes dart as I stare back at the bouquet. I type a text to Ethan, that is: ‘If you would have had proposed to me earlier, I would have probably said yes, but now I am someone else's girlfriend. Forget me. - Belle.’

Just after sending the text to Ethan, my phone starts ringing. It's Aiden. My stomach grumbles; he must get angry over me, I know. I pick up his call, my fingers trembling and my temple sweating as I reach the phone to my ear. A lump appears in my throat as I struggle to utter words out of my mouth.

“Why did you end the call?” he says in a low but tingling voice, making my body shiver.

“I was with Emily. That's why…” I am saying, however, he interrupts me as he says, “I guess I'm just not as important to you as your friend Emily is.”

“No. Aiden,” I begin to say, choking with tears in my throat. “You are important to me. Emily is just my friend. How can you be jealous of her?”

“I just don't like when you spend time with anyone else other than me,” he exclaims. “It should be me, only me who gets your attention.”

As I glance at my feet, I feel heavy in my chest. No one ever said something like that to me. I like spending time with my friends. Why does he want me to give my whole attention to him only?

“Belle,” his voice takes me back to the moment from my thoughts. “Who has sent the bouquet to you?” he asks furiously.

“That guy who proposed to me earlier,” I reply as I stare at the bouquet and caress the delicate rose flowers. Red roses have always been my favorite. Without even realizing it, Ethan sent me the flowers I love.

“Throw it away,” he demands. “Aiden, I love these flowers,” I retort. I can't throw these flowers away. How can someone? Flowers are heavenly and beautiful. I won't throw it away.

“Throw it away,” he says again.

“But Aiden,” I say.

“Are you throwing it or not?” he screams loudly at me. My soul trembles at his voice as I manage to speak. “I’m....I am throwing.”

“Good. That's my good girl,” he retorts. “If he sends something else in future, inform me. Okay. I'll take care of you. You know I love you, Belle.”

Tears are shimmering in my eyes, his words pricking my heart. How could he yell at me and behave as if nothing happened?

“Now say I love you too,” he demands. I swallow my saliva. “Aiden, I don't want to.”

“Say I love you too. I'm not asking you…I'm telling you,” he accosts. His stubbornness doesn't leave any other option for me.

“I love you too,” I finally say, without even wanting to say that.

“Good,” he retorts and chuckles. “Okay bye then. Take care babe.”

He ends the call. Abrupt questions and thoughts are swirling in my mind. Why does he always get angry when another guy shows interest in me or when I talk about my friends? Why can't he endure me sharing my time with someone else? Does every girl's boyfriend behave the same way or is it just mine?