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Unit XVIII
Last Updated:
2023-07-08 22:16:36
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A Step Closer to Love Unit XIX
Arabella stared at him, this was the most he had said to her ever since she knew him even while he was a kid. "I mixed up the time" She opened her mouth and then said. "I would drive you to work from now on," he said. He was not waiting for her to give him a response because he turned on his feet. She wanted to stop him but was not sure how to address him. By his first name? By his last name? By adding Mr to his first or last name? She did not know the protocol of the office so she was going to tell him later that she can get to work by herself and that he doesn't need to worry. "What does he mean to drive you? How did you meet Kieran?" Aurora asked. "I have known Kieran since I was young and it was a surprise I got a job here," Arabella said skipping all the details. "But why is he saying house and why is he thinking of driving you?" Aurora asked. She might be nice and pretty but she did not like any girl that competed with her for Kieran's attention and affection. She had kn
Last Updated : 2023-07-11A Step Closer to Love Unit XX
A little while later they were all seated in a small meeting room that can take at least twenty-five people at once. Ryder Hawthorne who was the CEO was seated by the head of the table, Aurora Quinn was by his right hand, and Kieran Sterling was by his left hand. Beside Kieran, there were four people three men and one woman. Noah, Henry, Aaron, and Mia. Beside Aurora were two women Olivia and Chole. Arabella was seated beside Chole. "There is nothing serious to talk about, all I want to say is that we should all welcome and treat the newbie well. She would be working under Aurora as an editor" Ryder said. "Should we go round the room introducing ourselves?" Ryder asked. Arabella tried to figure out what kind of man he was. His smile was huge and he looked around the same age as Kieran which automatically meant that Aurora was in their age group. Ryder had long red hair that was longer than what men in Crescent Bay usually had. He was dressed in a leather jacket which she though
Last Updated : 2023-07-11A Step Closer to Love Unit XXI
"You did not tell me that the girl we hired was somehow related to you," Aurora said sad standing and going over to his side of the table. "I did not deem it fit as information I needed to tell you" Kieran answered standing up. "We are going to live happily ever after. I'm sure of it" Aurora said drawing closer to him and winking. Kieran knew that Aurora had a thing for him but he always thought it was a crush that would fade away over time. He ever expected that thirteen years later she was still asking him out from day one. "Never" Kieran replied picking his book and ready to go out. "Kieran" She called after him. He stopped and turned back to her. She made a heart shape with her hands and blew a kiss at him. "If we are leaders here we should show our loyalty to the company and also lead by example by not wasting our time on frivolity and foolishness but instead we should devote ourselves to our work so we can get maximum results," Kieran said. "You just need to open up that
Last Updated : 2023-07-12A Step Closer to Love Unit XXII
"Did you offend Aurora?" Chole said as soon as they were out of the room. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a gum packet, she extended her hand to Arabella to pick. Arabella went in and gladly picked one. She has been given a hard assignment on her first day here. She had so many doubts about coming here and this woman was adding to it. "No, I have not" Arabella replied before popping the gum in her mouth. "I guess she does not like you but she usually likes everyone. Normally she would have reviewed it alongside you but seeing that she did not then something must be wrong" Chole said again. Arabella felt it was because she knew Kieran. Yes, these were the things she tried to avoid and she was going to explain in plain terms to him. They even barely spoke to each other it would be unfair of him to make her work life hard. She had regrets but she did not want to run away from it. She would then seem foolish and that she should have listened to her family at first instead of
Last Updated : 2023-07-13A Step Closer to Love Unit XXIII
"I did not know you all were coming here for lunch we could have tagged along," Ryder said standing in front of them. They had entered a Chinese restaurant and Arabella was glad because it was something she was at least familiar with. "You can just pick up the bill," Noah said taking a sip of his water. "We are having dinner tonight and I already know I'm picking up the bill so everyone pays okay?" Ryder said tapping the table twice. "Boo you old man" the whole group except Arabella shouted at him. Arabella did not know if it was okay to feel so comfortable with the CEO. Was it because it was a small company? "Relax," Ryder said his hand going to her shoulder when he saw the tense expression on her face. "I'm relaxed," Arabella said jerking at his touch. "Have fun, we would be over there" Ryder said pointing to his table. Aurora and Kieran were standing behind Ryder. Kieran was engrossed with his phone while Aurora had her hand linked to his. As they walked by to follow Ryder,
Last Updated : 2023-07-13A Step Closer to Love Unit XXIV
The rest of the work day everyone silently went through their work with occasional bathroom breaks and gossip at the lunch break and coffee room. Kieran came out in a bid to run off before he is forced to attend the dinner that would serve as a welcome for Arabella. He was used to avoiding these work dinners as much as he could. "Where do you think you are going?" Ryder asked standing at the frame of his door as he saw Kieran try to slip away quietly. All eyes on the office floor turn to face Ryder's door and all gazes follow his eyes until it lands on Kieran who was just about to leave. "I said everybody must attend and you dare to think to run away? Do you think I can not cut your pay?" Ryder asked walking towards his friend. Ryder had been married and divorced and he had told his friend that the reason he was yet to find love was because of his cold-hearted nature. "I was just going to drop this bag in my car" Kieran lied. He knew that if Ryder caught him trying to escape th
Last Updated : 2023-07-14A Step Closer to Love Unit XXV
Arabella was not a fan of alcohol because she was lightweight. After a cup of beer, she could easily pass out. While the was still in Japan she was often ostracized for her friend groups because she refused to join in the fun. She usually preferred her quiet evenings with her nose in her book. "Are you not going to drink?" Ryder asked taking his bottle of beer to his mouth. "You are no fun," Chole said tugging her hand. "I am so sorry. I don't drink because I pass out after a glass" Arabella said explaining herself for the nth time tonight. It was not a strange occurrence to encounter someone who could not handle their liquor. They were rare but not strange. "Take half a glass then," Noah said pushing a full glass her way. Arabella felt uncomfortable. She has never been forced to drink when she did not want to. This was a first for her. 'Were they allowed to do so? Was it because she was a newbie?' she thought as her hands shakily went to the cup. She pitied Kieran because he
Last Updated : 2023-07-15A Step Closer to Love Unit XXVI
The dinner ended with everyone drunk except Arabella who was sober and Kieran who was tipsy. She has no idea what to do. She did not know their house address so she could call cabs for them. Taking the courage she shook Kieran who was still half awake. "Kieran" she called his name gently. He opened his and stared into hers. His gaze was deep and piercing and the color of his eyes shone deeply. "How do we get everyone home?" She asked ignoring his deep eyes as they stared at her. "Home?" He asked his voice slurry. "Yes how can they all get home?" she asked again. He smiled a little before he began to have hiccups. That was the first time she had seen him smile ever since she knew him. He always put on a serious expression which made no one come close to him. "Kieran can you hear me?" she shook him lightly again. He yawned and closed his eyes. She looked to the table and her eyes caught the glass of water. They were welcoming her why did they all drink so much? Were they mourning
Last Updated : 2023-07-15
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A Step Closer to Love CCXXXIV
"I am so happy for you," Ava said as she stood with Kieran and Arabella; they had just got married, and it was truly a joyous day. Kieran had been so quick with the preparations that it took them barely two months to put everything together. "I just couldn't believe that my little one had found love," she added, tears welling in here again."Mom, you need to stop crying; seeing you cry makes me cry as well," Arabella said, blinking back the tears. Her make-up artist had retouched her make-up multiple times because she knew she was getting annoying already, but she could not control the burst of emotions flowing from her body. "Mom," Seraphina said, coming from behind and putting her hand over the shoulders of her mother. "It is a happy day; why do you keep crying? Someone, I mistake you to be mourning." "I am just thinking of how proud your father would have been to witness today.""I am sure he is watching over us from above," Arabella said, holding her mom's hand tightly."Mom, let
A Step Closer to Love CXXXIII
1 YEAR LATER Arabella was meeting Kieran after work; she had moved out because she was not comfortable with being there while dating him and had found herself a new job where she seemed to function much better. She was even on her way to write a book of her own. Kieran, who started a book publishing house solely for the money, now began to learn about this thing so he could help her out with the publication.She was glad that she had given in and tried to date him, or else she would never understand what this kind of relationship meant. Kieran was so attentive and made her feel like his entire world revolved around her. She learnt to drive and even bought her car.Sometimes she believed that he was going to propose to her because he would bring up discussions that centered around their future home, but then after that, it would be like they were back to base one. She liked base one, but she hated living all by herself. She wanted to move back in with him, and she wanted to begin havi
A Step Closer to Love CXXXII
"A trip?" Arabella asked, taking up the blanket and covering herself. "Yes, a couple's trip," he said, dropping the phone back on the table and walking to her. "What about work? Aren't you going to work again?" she asked. "Are you afraid that you would live broke?" he asked in a teasing tone."Of course I am," Arabella said before tilting her head. "I am jobless now; at least one of us needs to work so we can live a happy life," she added."You know that I do not mind you still thinking with us," Kieran said. After the trial, Arabella decided to stop working there even though Aurora was no longer there. How could she work there after everything that happened? She would be able to face her co-workers if that were the case. "I am sure I will get an offer soon from one of those companies," she said, and he sat beside her. "And you know you do not need to work again; I can take care of you and as many children as you want to have," he said with a wink. "Children?" she said flustered
A Step Closer to Love CXXXI
Arabella rolled over, and she landed right into Kieran's hands. She looked at him like it was an offence for her to do so. She peered at him and then covered her eyes with her hand. She could not believe what she had done over the night. If her mom heard she was going to give her a long lecture and then have her head afterwards. She looked at him, and she was tempted to trace her finger across his face in frustration. "Sleep so much more," she was startled to hear him talk as his mouth moved without even opening his eyes. "How long have you been awake?" She muttered, feeling shy that he had caught her staring so much that she could drill a hole into his face. "A while now," he said, his eyes framing open like a princess that was cast under a spell but was now liberated all of a sudden. He pulled her closer as he wished they could somehow get closer and maybe even mesh together. "Should we go home? Everly must be worried searching for us," Arabella murmured into his chest. He opene
A Step Closer to Love CXXX
"Somewhere, like where?" she asked shyly, dropping her head so their eyes would not meet. "You would see," he said, lifting her head gently. "But we have to make sure that the ride ends first," he said, looking around. He had thought that they were going to have a moment there, but seeing how things turned out, he could not wait to be out of there. Finally, the ride was over, and he drove out of the amusement park to a hotel. "You brought me to a hotel?" she asked in shock as they drove into the underground parking lot. "Why?" she asked now that her tone was in a hushed whisper. "I told you we should come somewhere, and you agreed," he said as he drove by the cars looking for a place to park. "That was because I thought you said that we should go someplace nice," she muttered, looking around like they were sneaking around. "Why are you looking around like we are committing a sin?" he asked, noticing how uncomfortable she got. "It is not that...""Am I being clueless? Am I jumpin
A Step Closer to Love CCXXIX
Kieran paid the operator to let the ride go in a loop three times, and Arabella wondered why he did that."Why?" she whispered to him."To have some alone time," he replied with the same wink from earlier. She gulped down hard, wondering what he was thinking.As the ride got into the tunnel, Arabella held the hand of Kieran tightly with her eyes closed. She had no time to think of what he might have meant with the wink and statements because the ride was definitely scarier than she had expected it to be. She looked at him when she felt his firm hand hold her face and turn it to him. "Are you scared?" he asked, dropping a kiss on her lip. "Kieran," she said in a hushed whisper as she looked around. "There is no one here, and I have been waiting all day just to get that," he said before dropping his head for another kiss. She placed her hand over her mouth because he could kiss her and therefore kissed the back of her hand. He took her hand from her mouth and began to drop multiple k
A Step Closer to Love CCXXVIII
Arabella could feel Kieran's excitement for the date, and she wondered why they got so lucky. They went on every ride in the park like they had been waiting to do this. Arabella was more proud of the fact that a handsome hunk named Kieran was with her. In every line, they heard murmurs of people talking about how handsome he was. She was not letting any of that bother her because she could disagree with them; he was a beauty to behold. She did not let the nasty comments, such as those criticising his choice, get to her. He glued to her like gum on the sole of a shoe, and it must have infuriated the crowd the more because of the kinds of dirty glances she received from them. Kieran was always pushing back her hair and staring at her while holding her hand tightly and dropping random kisses on her forehead. She was shy, but she liked how he marked his terror so openly. She was on a date, and she was going to try her best not to be affected by any of that. "Should we go there?" Kieran
A Step Closer to Love CCXXVII
"Do you want to explain why you are here?" Kieran asked. Arabella had expected him to scream his lungs out, but he was wrong. Myabe's drive down has calmed him down. "It is a stupid reason; I don't want to tell you," Arabella murmured to herself. She had wanted to hear an apology so much that it felt like her self-worth depended on it. She turned her head to the side so she was looking out the window. "Look at me," Kieran said softly. "Look at me," he said again, this time turning her head with his hand gently. "I am so ashamed of myself; I don't know what I was thinking," Arabella said again. Seeing Kieran had somehow triggered something in her. It was like judging her actions without even saying anything. "Tell me, I want to know why you dressed up and left the house to come here when you should be resting.""Okay," she said as she heaved a sigh. "I wanted an apology so bad." "What?" "See, I knew you would judge me.""Ara, I am not judging you. I just want to understand what y
A Step Closer to Love CCXXVI
"Why are you laughing?" Arabella was shocked. That was not the expression she was expecting from her. "Dearest Arabella, you must think the world revolves around you," she said, leaning in that she was seated at the edge of her seat. "Why do you think I would apologize to you? I did what I did, and I would do it again and again if need be.""You are not sorry for kidnapping and assaulting me even though you ended up here?" Arabella asked. "Of course, if I had the chance to, I would do it again. Can you imagine how hard I worked? I worked hard on Kieran, and you swooped in from nowhere and decided you wanted to take him from me. Oh, please, like you deserve him," Aurora said, leaning into the chair. "If you are here to ask me for an apology, I am afraid that you have to go back without one today and that you need not expect one from me," she said, looking at her nails like she had gotten a fresh set of nails. "Arabella, I think one of the problems you have is that you seem to overra
