Chapter 1 (Strange encounter)

      (AURORA's pov)

The scorching sun beat down on my skin, turning every breath into a hectic struggle. The air hung heavy, a stifling blanket that clung to me as if unwilling to let go. The asphalt beneath my feet radiated waves of heat, making each step feel like a trek through a furnace.

Sweat trickled relentlessly down my temples, a constant reminder of the merciless warmth. The sky above was a relentless blue, devoid of any comforting clouds, as if even they had sought refuge from the relentless heat. The air shimmered with a tangible heat haze, distorting the landscape into wavering mirages that seemed to dance in the oppressive atmosphere.

Slow and steady I pushed through, my breath accompanying me as I made my way to the garage. The heavy flower bouquet almost dropped from my hand as I panicked, letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Please don't do this to me"  I heard a voice say. 

"Please we can figure this out!" The voice continued, this time weeping. I immediately halted my senses tingling. I looked ahead to see what was going on. Ahead of me they were. A man and a woman. 

The more I listened, the more intense it got. From my observations, they seem to be a couple. The face of this man she spoke to was out of reach but her eyes were filled with tears. I felt a compelling force to hide out of second hand embarrassment.

"Putting up a show won't change anything" I hear his voice finally, the voice in question sent chills down my spine even when he wasn't in any way talking to me.

How could this be his response to everything she has been saying, begging him not to leave her.

"I really have fallen for you and I really don't even care about the money," She said after a while, I was getting restless, I needed to get home, I don't even know why I felt the need to hide. Even though they are the ones who choose to go out their business in public.

"Take her away" I hear him say again firmly.

"What!" my tongue failed me as I immediately revealed myself from my hiding place.

"Please don't..." I watched as her voice faded and her eyes shut down. To my utmost surprise she fell to the ground unconscious before a group of men came to pick her up and placed her in a black van.

"What the fuck" I couldn't believe what I was seeing, what just happened to her? Was she drugged? I immediately pulled out my phone to call the cops.

Too careless I was, it's obvious he heard my voice, I immediately hid myself behind a pillar holding my breath and praying he wouldn't approach.

"I know you are there," His voice said, I bite my lips tightly, my heart beating fast against my chest. Tightly I held my flower to my chest with my eyes closed. The truth is I have no idea why I am hiding. 

"I can literally see the tail of your dress," he said with a Nonchalant voice as if unbothered, slowly I came out of my hiding spot. Still stiff and uneasy.

Only then did I realize how close he was, How he managed to approach me without making a sound, a baffle to me and he had  sounded like he was far away but he just stood not far from me.

Slowly I raised my head to see the face of the man speaking. stunned and mouth agape I stood frozen at a fascinating sight in front of me. For nothing on earth would have prepared me for his appearance, he stood majestically like some sort of a King, his face neither too masculine nor feminine, should I call him handsome no he is beautiful. No words can be used to describe just how good looking he is.

Resting on his face is a smile looking directly at my eyes, mesmerizing me. All of a sudden the cries and pleading of the girl earlier made sense. His luscious wavy hair almost touches his shoulders. I have never seen a man with long hair before and never knew it would look good.

I shook my head finally coming back to my senses, For a moment I was lost in his beauty forgetting I just witnessed a kidnap and should be calling the cops. He took a step towards me which scared me.

"Don't come close, I saw everything, I am calling the cops," I said, showing him my phone while moving back and at the same time shaking my head in an attempt to push his appearance off my head.

"Stupid" he muttered loud enough for me to hear followed by a chuckle which tingled my senses again.

"Go on," he said with a nod while pointing at my phone.

"You think I wouldn't," I challenged, bringing out my phone to make the call, it was off. Strange.

"What?" I questioned, confused. my device was fully charged and was ready to use just a few minutes ago, I tried to put it on but to no avail.

"Too careless," he said, shaking his head in disapproval. 

"Now come," he said to me as if to compel me. His eyes pierced into my soul. I stood confused and at the same time mesmerized, 'how can someone have such an eye color?' I thought to myself.

"What are you thinking about right now?" he snapped his finger as if annoyed at me.

"What..." I asked dumbfounded. It was as if I was losing brain cells. I watched him approach as I moved back in fear. He moved slowly and fast at the same time, soon he was standing exactly in front of me, his hand touching my hair.

"You didn't see me today," he breathed on my face, brushing a few strands of hair off my face. I stood holding my breath, his cold hands brushing against my face, he turned around without saying any more words and began to walk away.

Breathless, confused and dumbfounded, I stood watching as a group of uniformed men appeared from nowhere to escort him into a car and drive away.

"What!" I finally let out loudly and released my breath as well.

"What on earth was that!" I let out in confusion, did I just witness a crime and who was that? The hairs on my skin stood still as I kept having goose bumps repeatedly.

"This is not normal, he is not normal," I let out in panic……

"Huff, puff!" I struggled to catch my breath as I found myself sitting at the foot of Darian's door. I can't believe our relationship has lasted one year already.

It's almost as if it was yesterday when he asked me to be his girlfriend. I still remember how happy I was. My second boyfriend since high school and would probably be my last. The thought of surprising him kept me energized as I slowly rose from the floor where I was seated catching my breath.

Holding the flower I picked for him close to my chest I began to input the password hoping he wouldn't get alerted. I want it to be a full surprise and who knows we might do it tonight. We are one year in and I think it's time we do it.

Slowly the door cracked open as I made my way into the living room, the lights were turned off with only the kitchen area lit up.

I could tell he made dinner by seeing how out of place everything was. The food on the plates was unfinished leaving bits and bites on the kitchen table.

"Did he have a guest over?" I wondered aloud looking at the two servings by the counter and none of the plates were cleared. Slowly I laid the flower by the side with a smile.

Muffled sounds from the direction of his room as I turned in that direction slightly startled.

"Darian?" I called out a bit scared and worried at the same time slowly I approached his room.

The sound began to be clearer as I approached. Perhaps my ears were playing tricks on me. The voice turned into voices as my heart began to pound. 

My entire nerves went up in flames as I could literally hear my heartbeat against my chest. What I was hearing was obviously moans of pleasure. Too clear to be mistaken but I have to be sure. It can't be what I am thinking? Perhaps it's a video tape playing.

The door was not completely closed, slowly I pushed forward pushing the door open as I stood there with my heart on the floor.

"What is this?" I muttered under my breath as tears began to fall out of my eyes Immediately.

Darian, my own boyfriend, was butt-naked going missionary on, who I immediately recognized as his friend and gym buddy, Eric.

Completely lost in the moment neither of them noticed my present as they both moaned doing what they were doing.

"Darian!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I couldn't take it anymore, they immediately jumped up as he covered his lover picking up the sweatpants lying around.

"My love," he called, obviously shocked to see me.

"I can explain," he tried to get a hold of me as I moved away from his touch, chattered and heartbroken. I left the room while he followed me behind.

"Why will you do this to me?" I cried bitterly, I can't even explain what I just witnessed. 

"It's not what you think."

"Then what is it? Are you saying I am blind now?" I asked angrily as I shoved him away from me, I picked up the flower and threw it at him.

"All this while you always avoided sex, so it was never me? I thought I was the reason that I have zero sex appeal but turns out I'm not even your cup of tea," I still couldn't believe it. I have been living a lie.

"That's not it Love, you won't understand," he said, not really explaining anything.

"Stop calling me Love!" I screamed my tears accompanying me.

"Just tell her the truth already," I hear Eric say standing by the bedroom door. He was half-dressed, his hair messy and eyes beaming with frustration.

"Stay out of this!" Darian shouted at him.

"Stay out of what?" I asked as I held my words from breaking.

"You two disgust me," I began.

"Both of you together fooled me, how long has this been going on? Before me? From the beginning? Or along the way? And you Eric you had the guts to call me 'Our wife' You despicable human being," my voice was high so were my tears and my heart all over the place. 

It almost felt like I was falling apart. I was melting but not in a good way.

"I was scared!" he screamed back, holding me to look at him.

"Scared of what? Coming out?" I asked, losing my entire mind.

"You said we would go visit your parents next week? So you have no plan of ever coming out, if I didn't show up here today to surprise you I would never have known. Do you even remember it was our anniversary?" I asked as he remained quiet, his head lowered slowly as he let go of me.

I cleaned my tears, my head feeling heavy as if it was going to split open. I began to walk away not saying a word. What was the need? Nothing I say will revise the hand of time. I walked out the door taking myself out of his apartment.

My feet felt so hard to lift from the floor as I made my way to my car. All of a sudden I can no longer breathe properly as I lay on the hood of my car not minding the tiny cracks on it. My eyes were once again covered in tears as I pulled myself up and entered the car.

How come I was so blind to see how they stared at each other, all his talk of waiting till marriage was bullshit, and the whole arrangement of going to meet his parents is just nothing. What was his plan? Get married to me because of his conservative parents? As a facade?

The ringing of my phone brought me back to reality and I realized I had been sitting just in front of his apartment complex crying for a hot thirty minutes now and neither did he try following me nor did he call me.

"Hello," I inhaled back the excess mucus as I forced myself to pick up my best friend's call.

"How come you are picking up my call? You should be getting some action!" I hear the excitement in her voice followed by giggles from her and Zoey in the background.

I tried to hold it back and pretend everything was alright but ended up crying more as they both went silent.

"Selena….he….cheat…ed…," my voice cracked all through as I cried more. I still can't bring myself to accept this yet. I cried more hearing the worry in her voice as she spoke.

"Darian cheated on you?" Her voice full of worry as I nodded even though she clearly couldn't see me.

"What? Fuck him!" I hear Zoey's voice in the background already agitated while Selena is still trying to understand what is going on.

"What really happened, sweetie? Did you catch him in the act or did he tell you himself?" Selena asked, her voice still full of worry.

"I wa…lked in… on him," my voice continued to break as I spoke, my tears wetting the steering wheels.

"Where are you right now?" She asked but I only fell silent.

"Are you home? We are coming over," she said as I heard the sound of keys at her end.

"Am on my way home," I said, finally starting the engine in panic, for I know my friends, if I tell them I was still in front of Darian's house, they will come over and trust they will fight him and I don't want that.

"Okay stay on the line with us," she instructed as I began to drive out of there…