CHAPTER 32

IMPATIENT HOT CHOCOLATE

❤❤

Irsia offered, "hey... I can help you guys finish the essay."

"NO," Aiden said so instantly that I gave him a hard stare and he improvised, saying, "we almost have finished the essay and I know you would have plans anyway. You and your schedules..." He forced a laugh.

Irsia's faux blue eyes went wide and then shrunk back to its size. "Okay..." She nodded.

Verena put on that knowing smile and I tried not to look at her. Blushing because of Aiden was one thing and because Verena was teasing me with her silence was a whole other thing. My phone rang at the right time for once. It was Elec.

"Hey...," I said in a convincing tone so she won't freak out.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. The she-ghost has officially left AVV. I'll tell you the rest when you get here."

"Okay... and I've got a surprise for you and Irsia," she chimed.

"What?" My excitement hiked. Because Elec's surprises were usually good.

"You have to wait until tonight." She returned me the same excited tone.

"Okay..." I huffed.

When Irsia left, Verena again reminded me to block the thoughts and she left. I liked how Verena didn't confront me about Aiden. I felt relieved. Verena was classy!

Even after going to Aiden's room, I was still a bit cold. I did not remove my cardigan and sat in the chair next to the cupboard, just as I did yesterday. Memories flooded my brain and I tried hard not to blush or look flushed. He pulled the chair and sat next to me, turning on his computer.

"Did you sleep well?"

I nodded, fiddling with the pendant in my necklace.

"What is it?" he asked, placing his hands one over the other horizontally on the table.

"I feel bad for lying to Elec and Irsia about us. They are suspicious." I paused and reframed. "They actually know. They just don't want to confront me like a criminal. They want me to admit it by myself."

"I'm game."

"Just not now." I shook my head. "But I feel terrible lying to them."

"Elec and Irsia knew way before you remotely had any idea." I looked at him to continue his share of knowledge on this. He sucked in a breath. "Why do you think Elec hates me so much?"

"Yeah, about that... why did you say that she has two reasons to hate you the other day when we were walking home?" I stopped the fidgeting in curiosity.

"One -she hates me because she thinks I'd steal you from her. Two -she hates all men."

I laughed at the accuracy. "Did you sleep well?"

He nodded, intently.

When we were half way through the essay, I asked him, "when is your mom coming home?"

"Tonight."

"Did you cook for yourself?" I asked astonished; gawking.

He chuckled at my naivete. "I can manage to cook a decent meal." He paused as he was trying to finish typing the sentence. "My sister is expecting. My mom is a little preoccupied with her."

"Uncle Aiden..." I mocked, pinching his cheek.

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and leaned in. His smell filled my lungs, tempting me to give in, but I deliberately leaned back and laughed. "Assignment first..." I declared, using his strategy.

"mmm..." he smiled and retreated.

As we neared the end of the essay, he asked me, "are you feeling cold or something? You keep rubbing your palms."

I didn't even realize I did that. I was too immersed in finishing the essay, along with occasional meeting of our fingers and our knees. "A little," I admitted.

He stood up and closed the window that was sending the cold air straight at us. "Do you want something hot to drink? I can make you hot chocolate," he offered.

"Let's finish this thing first." I just wanted to get it over with first. This essay had staggered long enough.

In about 10 minutes, he finished typing every word I said from elaborating the hints that we took down the day before. He went downstairs to make us hot chocolate and I followed him. Though his mom wasn't around, the kitchen looked super clean; squeaky clean. I watched him walk around the kitchen, taking out ingredients from the cabinets and put them back in their places. The kitchen smelled hot chocolate and engulfed his smell, momentarily. He brought two cups of hot chocolate to the table.

"Would you like to go upstairs or...?"

"Here...," I said, impatient, waiting to taste his hot chocolate. "I'd like to drink it from here." I tapped the table.

He placed the cup on the table and sat at the chair that was on the other side of the table. I took the cup cautiously, as it was hot, but it was good. I took my time to sip it slow because hot and my tongue didn't always go well together. I loved every sip of it. I wished I could come to his home whenever I felt cold. "I love it." I placed the cup down. He seemed to have already finished his cup.

"I knew you'd like it," he said with such pride that he earned my involuntary smile.

I got out of the chair and I took the cups to the sink. "What are you doing?" He rushed behind me. He put his hand above my shoulder from behind me and tried to take away the cups. "I am going to wash them."

"No, thanks... I can do it," he said, but he couldn't take away the cups from my hands as I held it tighter and I kept wriggling.

"No, I want to." I took a step further to the sink, giggling.

"You just warmed up with a cup of hot chocolate. If you put your hands in the water, which would probably be cold right now... you would catch cold."

I was still dragging away from him to the sink. "No, I wouldn't." I laughed at his failed attempts.

"Margo, I know how easily you catch cold. I don't want you anywhere near cold water," he said, a little impatient.

He succeeded in snatching one cup from my hand. I still had the other cup. I wasn't shocked that he succeeded. I knew I couldn't succeed against his grip. I still had to try. I rushed to the sink and turned the tap open. I forgot to roll my sleeves back and turned the tap a little too fast that it doused my gut and sleeves. I let out a little gasp because it was cold. Next thing I knew, I was off the floor and within his grip around my waist. I gasped, even a little more at his firm clutch, but he didn't budge. He took me to the table in a swift moment and he dropped the other cup, clanging and shattering. I was sitting on the table with my feet dangling down and his eyes straight at me. I felt his breath feathering over me.

"I told you to stay away from the water," he said all guttural, letting go of his grip.

"I am not sorry." I shrugged to annoy him a little more.

He placed his hands on either side of me and now I wasn't brave. All I could do was look at my feet and his body leaning over me. "Really?" He challenged with that yummy smile of his.

"Really." I mustered up an annoying tone and looked straight at him, trying not to breathe rapidly superficial.

"Take off the cardigan," he said in a low, commanding voice, jerking his head to the wet wool sticking on me. The wetness had spread more now.

"Ugh..." I dragged, trying to look normal, as if I wasn't intimidated by his voice.

"Take it off or I'll do it," his voice sent a spike and surge from my scalp to toes that promised sweet trouble.

"No...," I wagged my head and he yanked at my cardigan, trying to take it off my head and I yelped. "I'll do it. I'll do it."

❤❤