70.1| Long Drive | AayRa special #3
Then, my eyes find my reflection in the glass wall beside me. Yellow midi dress, my hair loosely gathered into a side braid, minimal makeup, and of course, a blank expression.
That isn't the usual me.
Why am I dwelling on all of this?
I'm just returning home.
And I'm not bound to tell Aayansh everything. It's my life and some decisions are supposed to be mine alone.
After all, he never asks before making his own decisions.
I'll go with my brother.
And come back only when I feel like. Yes.
Even though I love him more than words can ever express, I love my brother and my family too... perhaps even more. They're my first home. The people who made me who I am. I've made enough mistakes in the past-Not again-I'm going back to my family, even if it means leaving without telling him.
It's only a matter of a few days.
So, If he wants to come to New York for me, that's his choice.
If he truly loves me, he'll come.
And he will. I know.
"Ma'am?" Alia's voice pulls my attention to her. "You look... tired." She hesitates, biting her lip. "Um... rough night?"
My eyes widen a fraction. How does she know? Am I still looking sore? I mean, yeah, my whole body is aching. But I took the painkiller, and the marks he's left... I concealed all of them. Every. Single. One.
Or maybe...
"No." I force a casual shrug. "Nothing like that."
I wait a moment before speaking. "Alia?"
She looks up at me.
"Take care of everything here. I don't know when I'll be back. Until then, no one gets access to the unreleased recordings, demos, or the lyrics for any of our upcoming projects except you. Nothing should leave this studio. Understood?"
"Of course, ma'am," she says with a nod.
But my attention is already somewhere else.
The car my brother sent to pick me up rolls forward.
My eyes never leave my phone. My thumb is hovering over his number. A part of me wants to call him... and tell him I'm leaving.
How will he feel when he finds out I didn't even bother telling him before I left?
How would I have felt if he'd left me, even for sometime, without letting me know?
I don't know. Honestly, I don't want to think about any of it. But how do you silence your mind when it's so attached to the two most precious men in your life?
Ugh!
Twenty-seven minutes exactly. That's how long it takes for the car to pull up before the private airstrip.
I step onto the tarmac. Everywhere I look, my brother's men stand guard. Too much security. Too much obedience.
The massive jet waits ahead. My fingers curl into my palms. Honestly... I'm scared.
What will Aayansh do when he finds out I'm gone? The frightening part is... I have no idea.
My eyes find him. My brother. Standing a few steps away, a warm smile resting on his lips as he starts walking toward me. "Princess..."
One step.
Then another.
And another.
But then, he freezes. The warmth vanishes from his face as his gaze fixes somewhere behind me.
My brows furrow. "What..."
Before I can even breathe again-or turn-a pair of muscular arms wraps around my waist from behind.
I freeze.
A chin settles on my shoulder. Tilting my head, I look down at the black sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Then, a cold whisper brushes against my ear, causing my pulse to skyrocket. "Princess is caught."
For a moment, everything around me goes still before I realize what's happening.
"Aayansh..."
The only name escapes my lips.
His nose grazes my cheek. "Who else?"
I don't look back at him. My eyes stay on my brother, watching the fire in his gaze as it locks with Aayansh's.
"Tara, you've made your decision." He extends a hand toward me. "Come. Or... if you've changed your mind, tell me. Now."
I stiffen. No. I can't step back.
I feel Aayansh's gaze on me, his expression strangely gentle as he says quietly. "Go with your brother," A pause. "Tara."
My head snaps toward him. Shock crashes into me.
What?!
Aayansh slowly withdraws his arms, setting me free while I can't bring myself to look away after what he said.
But then, without bothering to remove his eyes from my brother, he leans in and presses his lips to my cheek once.
Right there. Like it's the most normal thing.
His lips never leave the space beside my cheek as he murmurs, "And this time, make sure he's able to protect you-from me."
What the fuck?!
Just as Bro speaks again. "That's enough, Princess." His voice tells how his patience has snapped.
I pull away, my burning eyes never leaving his. "I'm going." Leaving those words between us, I don't wait for his reaction and walk straight to my brother.
Not once do I look back. Bro's fingers close around my wrist as we move into the jet.
My heart sinks, a different kind of unease settling deep within me.
Why did he let me go that easily?
Doesn't he want me anymore?
But that kiss...
Those words...
Before my sanity can stop me, I steal one last glance outside. He's still there, leaning against the bonnet of the same car I arrived in, his head slightly tilted, eyes already pinned on me despite the distance.
And then, he smirks.
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