Aira turned her phone upside down after turning it to silent mode. This was getting annoying.“Aren’t you going to get that?” Meghan asked as she sipped from her Ice Americano.Aira still had no Ides how her friend could stomach that stuff. Watered-down black coffee would taste better than that.“No, it’s annoying,” Aira said“Who was it this time? Will? Your mom? Or was it someone new?” Meghan asked“It was my brother,” Aira responded, “He wants to talk about something, but I don’t feel like hearing his lecture about Vincent. I’m going to have to put up with it enough when I have to tell him that we’re engaged,”“I don’t see any ring, when did you get engaged?” Meghan asked jokingly and Aira threw her a glare.She was strung up enough without her friend mercilessly teasing her.“He’s picking it up today. You know how observant Paul can be, We can’t meet him without covering our bases.”“He is. Damn him. Last summer all he could talk about was how plump I looked after the few pounds I
Meghan's POV Meghan wiped her face one final time before reapplying her make up. She couldn’t believe that she let herself cry like that. Not that she never cried in front of Aira before. Her friend was on tear duty whenever Meghan broke up with a boyfriend of had another birthday too soon realizing that she was growing old. Hell, Meghan even had a crying party when she gained too much weight that her favorite suit was starting to look tight. But crying in a cafe and being caught by Carter and her boss was a bit too much. She needed to get a grip! She touched up her lipstick and gave herself a final hard look and a pep talk. She exited the bathroom wondering if Aira and the others were still waiting for her. And they were, one of them waiting a bit too close for her comfort. Carter stood by the door looking up from his phone and readjusting his sexy glasses back on his nose while looking at her. “Hey,” He said softly, “Uh- Hi… What are you doing here?” Meghan asked “Ah, uh,
“Took you guys long enough to come back,” Vincent commented and carter made a snorting sound not rising up to his friend’s bait.“Come on. We need to be there when he arrives. I carved this time out of your schedule so you better make sure to use it well,” Carter said and Aira chuckled“You two are like an old married couple,” She said “They are aren’t they?” Meghan commented as they all stood up heading for the door.Both men grumbled under their breath as they got into Vincent's car.As they made their way toward Paul’s home. Elin got a text from Paul telling her that he was waiting for them.She hadn’t been to his townhouse since he’d hosted his last party back at christmas. Her cousin mainly lived back in the UK. He may say it’s because if his job as a stylist, but, Aira knew better.The man was a sucker for the fancier lifestyle and the accent. He even hires his house staff depending on their accent. Yupp, he was that superficial. At least that was handy in his line of work.Ba
“Hi, mom,” Vincent said as he answered his phone,“Vince, I wanted to ask if there’s anything she doesn’t like,” his mother said and Vincent smiled, since he’d told her that he was introducing his girlfriend to her at dinner that night, his mother had been acting like this.“She doesn’t eat fish, other than that I think she likes everything although she’s allergic to dairy products,” Vincent answered,“Oh my! You should have told me this earlier! I was going to make some milk-based desserts! What if I hadn’t asked,” His mother fretted and Vincent chuckled,“Mom, it would have been alright! She’s a grown woman, she wouldn’t eat it that’s all,” Vincent explained.He should have known his mother was going to make a fuss. This was the first time he would be introducing someone to her. The fact that she’s so excited and on a cooking spree doesn’t bother him. Not as much as the fact that he already knew about Aira’s preferences and allergies.“Maybe you’re thinking that i’m making a big dea
“So he did say that…” Aira said as she leaned back on the seat to put on her seat belt.Vincent took it from her hand and plugged it in.“Yeah, your father knows you very well. It’s a good thing that you predicted he would say that,” Vincent said as he started the car and drove out of the parking garage.They were headed to Vincent’s family home to meet his mother. Aira met the family of guys she was dating before. She was okay with it. But when she heard from Meghan that his mother had been calling him all day, she was surprised. And a little bit nervous.His mother was experiencing something from her. Whether it was her appearance, her job, or something else. And that made her anxious. It made her wonder if she would ever measure up in her eyes.It didn’t matter that this was all fake. And that Vincent probably wasn’t even considering that his mother should like her. But she knew how much he cherished her. How much he held his mother in high regard which made the hurdle much harder
Vincent knew he screwed up the moment he finished talking. But the problem was that he didn’t know what his screw-up was.He had thought about it as he bickered with Aira on the road to his mother’s house and decided that the best way would be to give her the ring without many ceremonies. She clearly said that she hated the surprise Jace had made for his proposal, but that was also because she hadn’t wanted to marry him in the first place.And it's not like she was marrying Vincent because she wanted to…That last thought hurt… He made this into what it was now, he had to see it through. He would make it up to her one day for sure. If she ever opens her heart to him.He had ordered this ring the moment he left that restaurant after proposing to her. He looked up the design so carefully that night and compared it to every piece of jewelry he could find her wearing on her social media photos. Which wasn’t a lot as he found outHe knew she liked the ring, he could simply tell by the way
You two know each other?” Vincent asked sounding surprised,“Yeah! I’ve known Aira for a long time now,” His brother said with a smug smile on his face as he leaned against the counter.Nathan was seventeen this year. He was busy living his high school days and preparing for his exams. Where did he get the chance to meet Aira.“You knew, didn’t you?” Aira said with a shocked smile.“Of course I did! As soon as I heard the name Valory I knew you were dating my brother,” Nathan said with a huge smile, “To think that Aira is going to be my sister-in-law. Way to go brother,” He said with a wink Vincent’s way.“How do you two know each other?” He finally asked“He’s in the same class as Grace. My little sister. They had been friends for a long time. They often come and hang out at my apartment since they were little,”“We weren’t little, we were in middle school,” Nathan complained,“You’re grace’s older sister?” His mother asked sounding excited.Who knew Aira was this close all this time
There were a number of times that things had to repeat themselves to call them coincidences. Whatever it is that was happening with Vincent, it was breaking the ceiling for coincidences and making their way into weirdness. She would’ve never figured this one out if it had been a plot twist in a drama. Damn, now she was comparing her life to a drama. This showed how weird her situation really was. She smiled as she watched Vincent slap Nathan in the back of the head before heading back to sit down beside her taking her hand in his. Those two were close. She knew that before she even met Vincent. Nathan was always talking about his big brother. He admired him more than anything and Vincent had apparently been the father figure in his life that he never got to have. Nathan once told her that he wanted to become a doctor because he wanted to be there for his family if they ever needed something. His older brother was taking care of them by providing for them so he wanted to do the sam
Vincent pressed Aira against the door kissing her face and neck frantically and she chuckled upon the contact her melodious laugh making him relax and smile back at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. "Are you really here with me?" He asked cupping her cheeks and she smiled up at him and nodded. "I really am here with you. Vince. I'm not going anywhere," She said looking him in the eyes and he nodded his eyes looking vulnerable, "This feels like it's another dream," He said and she circled her arms around his waist leaning into him. "Did you have a lot of those? The dreams I mean," She said and he simply nodded. "Since the very first day that I met you. I had been dreaming about you since that day," He said looking at her with a serious look in his eyes making her wonder if that was really the truth. It can't be... He must be pulling her leg. Before she could think about anything, she felt Vincent pull her up against him and kiss the daylight out of her as he
Aira stood at the side and watched as the crowds all dressed in lavish black, circled around the huge gallery. She was standing to the side wearing a tight-laced black dress and black string high heels which made her feel both exposed and a little bit uncomfortable.There was something about dressing like this while attending an event alone. It made her feel as if she was being followed around by the gazes of any man hoping to get an easy lay tonight.Her only consolation is that this was a family event. A memorial for her grandmother.She wanted to laugh at that. This was more like a full-blown exhibition. The exhibition of the century.Her mother had went and outdid herself again with this event.Both her grandmother and Paul had been working nonstop on this. They even employed interior designers and event planners to coordinate everything to make sure the event was what their grandmother had hoped for.The woman sure had a fancy taste.Aira had been mostly working on the painting m
"It was believed that the legal battle between The CEO of Valory groups and his uncle was going to go on for years before the score is decided. But a sudden turn of events makes us wonder if that assumption is going to be proven wrong.Today, Warren Valory had been arrested for no disclosed reasons closing the chapter of a long battle that had been going on for years since the young CEO took over the company in his early twenties being one of the youngest entrepreneurs to reach such a position at such a young age.In answer to our questions this morning, Vincent Valory revealed that his uncle was only getting what he had always deserved. He said that the days when he would cover up for his uncle because he was family were gone and that the limit was set at hurting other people and committing real crimes.Other sources revealed that the real crime Mr. Valory was talking about was the attempt his uncle had made to harm his beloved wife in a hit and run causing her car to almost roll up
Aira sat down beside her mother and looked at the members of the family around her.Her uncle sat back on his chair looking as if he still believed his mother would walk into the room and announce that this was a joke. His wife sat quietly beside him as he clenched her hand in his offering him all the comfort he needed.Grace sat on the other side of the sofa leaning against paul her eyes red-rimmed and Paul held her close gently patting her shoulder while Ian stood be her side looking down at her from time to time looking worried.It paid to be the youngest member of their family.Her father on the other hand stood behind her mother his hands on her shoulders comforting her the best way he could.Aira on the other hand sat there alone as everyone wondered where her so sweet and loyal husband went at such an important moment.They were about to know why.The lawyer who sat before them cleared his throat as he pulled a piece of paper out of the envelope that he had been holding linking
There was one thing about goodbyes that Aira knew very well. And that it was a form of closure that people seek in order to make peace with the person they were never going to see again. And also with the part of them, that was attached to that person.Aira now was saying goodbye to both. And she knew that it was going to be hard, but she didn't expect it to be this hard.Standing before the coffin and away from it enough for her not to see the insides of it she remained rooted in place for a while fear gripping her heart like a vice.Her mind was like a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts and she even started trembling again.But then she remembered."I am proud of you." That's what her grandmother had said back then.As if her mind calmed down all of a sudden from the turbulence of a storm to the calm of a sunny morning by the beach, Aira slowly stepped toward the coffin where her grandmother was laying peacefully looking like she was simply asleep. And maybe she was, but her sle
A few days later, Aira sat down in the second row as she watched her mother present her eulogy. She felt drained and cried out. In the three days since her grandmother died, Aira had been doing very little.Other than painting or staring at the painting, she spent half the time crying and the other half trying to suppress her tears. Her family was grieving and each time she found her mother sitting in a corner crying by herself, she felt her heart break a little more as she went to try to comfort her.She was tired. So tired that she felt like she was going to sit anywhere and fall asleep as soon as the funeral was over.She felt a hand sneak around her waist and pull her sideways against a muscular chest. Grateful for the support, she didn’t tell Vincent anything. She didn’t need to.He had been hovering over her since that day but she couldn’t say that his presence bothered her. Sometimes she barely noticed his presence but most of the time, he would always be in the right place at
Aira opened her eyes after a few hours from her nap feeling rested and peaceful for the first time since she discovered what Vincent had done.Jumping out of bed, she could barely fight the urge to take the brush into her hands. So without stopping to think about anything and like a lunatic with an illusionary fire chasing after her, she changed into her jeans not bothering with a new shirt, and made her way toward the workshop.Opening the door. She headed toward the untouched painting left as she had left it before the butler had come to get her.A bang in her chest sobered her but she still made her way toward it and stared at it for a few moments before she picked up a new brush and started mixing the colors and preparing for everything.After a while, she was already painting the rest of the painting unaware of what was going on around her.Vincent came barging into the room at some point and she looked at him absently wondering why he looked so worried. Then he sighed in relief
Vincent stood by the door and watched as Aira’s family fussed over her. Her mother and sister were hugging her tightly as they cried and her uncle stood away awkwardly as her father spoke to him clearly giving him a piece of his mind about what he said to her.“Thank you for finding her,” Ian said as he came up to stand beside him, “Amongst all of us, she is the one who has the hardest time.” He said.“I know. They were pretty close together,” He said with a smile his eyes never leaving her.“They were. Which is probably why she sold the mansion to you. She wanted Aira to have it one way or another.” Ian said and Vincent remained silent for a while not bothering to answer that comment.“She told me that you had a fight. She seemed upset over it, I was wondering if she would agree to come with you.” Ian added and this time Vincent looked at him.“I was wondering the same too. To be honest, I screwed up pretty badly this time and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had refused. I had
Aira stood there in front of her mother and uncle staring at the table.“Honey, I know how hard this-““No. You can’t do this to me,” she muttered.“You have no choice, Aira, you’re an artist, you need to finish that painting. It was her last wish,” Her uncle said in a hard tone.“No!” She screamed and they were both taken aback, she took a step back startled at her own outburst.“No… I- I mean…” she stuttered taking a few steps back feeling stares on her piercing through her skin.Suddenly she felt overwhelmed, dizzy, and out of air. She wanted to throw up.“Aira, honey, are you okay?” Her mother asked looking at her with concern Aira took another step back when her mother reached out for her.“Don’t touch me…” she said dazed and her uncle stood looking at her with confusion.“Are you like this because we asked you to finish the painting?” He asked and she felt the mocking tone in his voice.“Don’t talk to me,” she gritted out glaring at them, then she turned around to find everyone l