Chapter 20 Nora
Chapter 20 NORA
H ow do I say I want him so badly I’d rather not have him at all? Nora had asked herself.
It was hard. It made little sense. And yet she did it, letting the words flow as they came, speaking her mind. And Aiden seemed to understand what she meant, or at least to respect her decision.
Nora’s heart pounded.
She recalled the night she and Jay broke up. They sat cross-legged in front of each other on their bed and she said, “I don’t think this is working.”
“No, it’s not,” he agreed. Her heart pounded back then, too. It was the distress of disconnecting herself from someone with whom she used to have a powerful bond.
With Aiden, the pounding came from the thrill of feeling so connected to someone she’d just met.
It was similar to how it had happened with Yeong, too—the two of them entering her house expectantly, her heart racing at the thought of what might happen; then her heart beating even faster when the door had barely closed and his lips were on hers; and finally the full pounding of her heart when he pulled up her blouse, and she gave herself over to her desire. Nothing but a shallow, physical response.
The bond she was developing with Aiden, that was what she had been looking for. And it didn’t have anything to do with her workplace, thankfully. What did he do for work, anyway?
“We’ve been talking for hours, and I still don’t know what field you work in,” she said.
The startled look on Aiden’s face gave away that he wasn’t keen on the subject. After blabbering about her job and her stable financial situation, it occurred to Nora that maybe he wasn’t so comfortable talking about his.
“I work in the entertainment industry.”
His answer was vague and short, and Nora decided to leave it like that. Maybe Aiden had a menial job and was embarrassed to talk about it, even though he should know he could trust her. If he worked a humble job, she wasn’t the type to judge him for it.
Aiden didn’t look like someone who struggled financially, though—Nora had noticed the quality of his clothes and the logo on his duffel bag. Perhaps he was like Dipa, who was always buying designer clothes and perpetually struggling with her credit card bills.
Or maybe he did something he wasn’t proud of—could he be the owner of a strip club? That would be hilarious; he seemed too prim and proper for that line of work.
A notification popped up on her phone and, after reading it, Nora whooped as if Brazil had won another world cup. She started blowing out the candles when she noticed Aiden’s confused face.
“What are you doing, love?”
Oh. If she continued putting out the flames, they would soon be in complete darkness. What a genius. “Could you turn on the lights, please?”
Aiden headed to the switch. “Of course, but... what happened? Was it something I said? Are you—”
“The tornado warning is over! We can leave the basement! We’re free, Aiden!” Nora said as she unplugged the heater.
Aiden’s face lit up, and he laughed at her celebratory jig. Then he adjusted his stance, left hand to his back, the other in front of him, and declared, “‘Nothing matters if we have no freedom!’”
Nora shook her head and shrugged.
“Come on, Nora. Braveheart . You must have watched that one, haven’t you?”
She rolled her eyes. Did he ever tire of quoting old movies? “No, and if you’re not quick on your feet, mister, you’ll have no freedom at all, because the basement door will close again in five... four...”
With the countdown, they raced each other up the stairs, his footfalls thumping right behind hers. At “zero,” Nora’s feet reached the living room, and Aiden grabbed her by the waist to pull her to the side.
“I won!” he yelled.
“You cheated!” she exclaimed between laughs. She turned to face him, but his hands remained encircling her waist, the rounds of her chest touching the flats of his. Her panting increased.
His grin reminded her of a golden summer morning. “The rules were not clear.” His gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips as his smile faded, until he let go of her and cleared his throat. “Is the threat over? As in... I can leave now and stop disturbing you?”
Nora thought she heard some sadness in his voice, and she rejoiced in hearing it.
“No, I don’t think so. It’s just not a basement situation anymore.” Nora wasn’t sure if that was the case. But she wasn’t ready for him to leave yet.
The house smelled faintly of woodsmoke. It seemed different somehow, like she had been away for a long time. Like she’d spent months in another universe, one that belonged only to Aiden and her, and now she was back to reality.
“Ouch.” With a hand on his rib, Aiden winced.
“What happened?”
He pointed to the basement door. “I think I hit the doorknob when we were racing.”
“That’s what you get for cheating,” she joked, but the look of pain on his face concerned her. Before Nora could stop herself, she patted his torso. “Is it that bad?”
“I don’t know. Please tell me it’s not bleeding.”
If Aiden had really bumped against the rounded doorknob, it probably wouldn’t be bleeding, but there was only one way to know.
“Let me see.” Nora took the edge of his shirt and lifted it slowly, so slowly, as she had imagined him doing before. His skin was so warm against her fingers, so inviting—and as she brought the shirt’s rim up it revealed—
Holy motherfucking shit.
There was no bruise and Aiden’s belly was gorgeous—not overly muscular, but toned enough to let her know he worked out. The trail of dark brown hair leading the way down to his sweatpants was so enticing that Nora’s fingers almost traced the path.
“It’s bleeding, isn’t it?” Aiden croaked.
“No.” Nora reluctantly let the shirt fall down. Touching him was like having a spoon of ice cream in the middle of a diet—unsatisfactory, forbidden, and fucking dangerous, because what she really wanted was the whole pint. “It’s not.” She swallowed with difficulty. “Do you want some ice?”
Aiden looked down at her and he seemed amused at how his bare skin affected her. “No. I think I’ll survive. And if I don’t, you know what I’d like you to know before I die.”
“I don’t.”
He stared deeply into her eyes. “You should.”
Between the lust running through her veins and the voice inside her head repeating no one-night stands —Nora was overwhelmed. “I’m g-gonna get some s-stuff in the kitchen.” She turned on her heel and left.
Once she calmed herself down—a bit, at least—Nora found Aiden fumbling with the dying embers in the fireplace.
He looked at her with pleading eyes. “I deal with insects; you take care of the fire. Does that sound like an acceptable trade to you, my darling?”
My darling . It put her at ease, so much so that she couldn’t hold her tongue. “What else can you offer me? I figure you owe me something more.”
“Well, since you asked...” He grinned. “I can sing for you.”
“You can stick to the insect killing then, thank you,” Nora said, placing the chocolate she brought on the coffee table and kneeling down by his side.
He threw his head back, laughing. “I cooked you dinner, Nora. I believe we are even.”
“No, we’re not. I washed the dishes after.”
“Oh, yeah. I reckon I’ll have to make it up to you, then.” Aiden looked to the ashy fireplace, then straight at her. “If you could have anything, what would you ask for?”
“Come on, Aiden. It’s past two in the morning. I want what every woman wants on a Friday after two.”
“And what is that?”
“Chocolate. We deserve a sugar rush. As for your payback, I’ll leave it for you to decide.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”
His smoldering gaze made Nora stop breathing and hyperventilate at the same time. To conceal his effect on her, she inhaled deeply and blew on the embers to revive them. In no time, they caught flame and cast warm light around the living room.
Aiden headed for the couch. She looked out the window—in the dark outside, the storm had calmed to a drizzle, like a child pacified after a tantrum.
“The goddess of fire has spoken,” Aiden said in a solemn tone.
Nora rolled her eyes and—once seated alongside him—took the chocolate bar from the coffee table. “You say another movie quote and I’ll eat the entire bar by myself.”
He made a mock-shocked face at her threat. “I’m sorry to disappoint you. That was not a film quote. I just made it sound like one. Smoke and mirrors.”
“What?”
“I can forgive you for not knowing about cinema, but magic?” Aiden said with a dramatic flair. “We’ll have to rethink this whole relationship.”
Nora took a sharp intake of breath.
“I know a lot about magic,” she said, making a knowledgeable face. “Didn’t you see how I fixed your phone? I told you, it’s my magic talent.”
She took another bite of chocolate and realized she hadn’t offered him any. She extended the bar to Aiden.
“No, thank you.”
She faced him and squinted. “What, are you on a diet?”
“No. Should I be?”
Nora looked him up and down. “That depends on what’s under those clothes.” Even though, by now, she had a pretty good idea of what to expect.
“Nora . . .”
She smirked. Teasing him was teasing herself, dangerous and self-indulgent at the same time. “So, you want some or not?”
“I’m not the biggest fan, let’s say.”
Nora gasped. “What kind of person doesn’t like chocolate?”
“What kind of person doesn’t like olives?”
She scrunched up her nose. Olives were awful. Nora knew many people who didn’t like them. As for chocolate, Aiden would have to be the first. “I don’t think I can trust someone who doesn’t eat chocolate. Really.”
In a swift move, Aiden grabbed the bar, broke off a sizable chunk, and shoved it in his mouth. “Happy now?” he said, grimacing as if he was eating the most horrible food in the world. Like he was eating a bunch of olives.
“No, I’m not happy. You ate half of my chocolate, and you didn’t even appreciate it!”
Aiden grunted. “I was trying to prove a point! God, that was sweet. Ugh. I think I just had enough for a lifetime. You can have my share of chocolate for the rest of our lives.”
“Then I’ll love you forever.” The words escaped Nora’s mouth before she stopped them, and before she could process how he’d just implied that they had a future together. As if “they” were already something.
“I will take your word on that.” Aiden’s eyes fell to the wooden floor as he hunched his shoulders in a slight but perceptible move. Maybe he was also confused at how full of promises—yet empty of fulfillment—their conversation was, at how fast things changed between them. “How about we finish the questions?”
“Good idea.” As she used to do with Jay, Nora—on autopilot—placed her legs on Aiden’s lap.
“Is this a hint for me to rub your feet?”
Nora was about to deny it when she decided to play along. “It wasn’t, but now that you’ve mentioned it...”
The heat of Aiden’s palms against her skin was pleasing as he took off her socks. And it became even more pleasing when his fingers applied pressure to all the right places—her heels, the tips of her toes, the soft tissue of her sole—he was tender yet assertive. Nora closed her eyes and threw her head back, melting into the sensation.
“Ah, yes, Aiden. Right there. Hm,” she moaned.
Aiden’s hands ceased their movements. When she opened her eyes, she found his sparkling with flames, his breathing heavy. “Nora. You’re not helping.”
“Shit, sorry,” she said, and pulled her legs back.
Aiden sighed deeply, and so did she. He ran his fingers through his hair. “One more thing to save for next time?”
“Yes, next time.”
Both of them stared at the fireplace for a moment. Their breathing, the crackling of the fire, and the light drizzle falling outside the only sounds.
“Aiden?”
“Yes?”
“Will you cook me dinner again, next time?”
“If you want me to, of course. But I won’t do the dishes.”
“Deal. And I’ll have all the chocolate to myself, and we’ll drink wine?”
“Sounds lovely.”
“And you’ll rub my feet?”
“Sure.”
“And you’ll rub them good, and let me make all the sounds I want to?” She gave him a side-glance. It should be illegal to enjoy teasing someone so much.
He groaned. “Yes, Nora. All the sounds.”
Nora thought for a second. She wasn’t done yet. “Aiden?”
“Yes, love?”
“Do you want to do it here, by the fire, or upstairs, on a proper bed?”
Aiden’s eyes flamed, giving Nora a strange but fulfilling pleasure. “Have you changed your mind?”
“No. Just answer the question.”
“Nora . . .”
She gave him a wicked smile. “It’s just a question, Aiden. What’s the matter?”
The peculiar look in his eyes intrigued her. She should know how to read him by now—after all, they’d been talking almost nonstop for hours. But she couldn’t tell what his eyes conveyed, slightly squinted, while a serious expression marked the rest of his face. With one swift movement, he was in front of her, caging her between his arms against the backrest of the couch.
He was so close to her, his breath against her face, his mouth so beautifully articulating every word in his sexy accent, his gaze shifting from her lips to her eyes.
“Nora, love. Please, please , stop teasing me. I have all intentions to abide by the timing you requested, but it’s not fair to tempt someone like this. No is no and will always be, but I promise I’ll have you screaming yes within seconds, the moment you allow me,” he whispered, his lips so close they brushed Nora’s. Then, in another swift movement, he uncaged her, and moved back to his side of the couch.
Nora’s heart raced, her entire body screaming “eat him alive.”
“By the way, I want to do it in every corner of this house. That’s my answer. Now go on, read the next question,” he said, as if nothing had happened.
Nora could barely speak. There was a thunderstorm within her, a tsunami of hot water that had washed upon her, warming up her whole body. Doing her best to conceal her panting, she coughed and cleared her throat. “Question thirty-four: ‘Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire,’” she read from the magazine. “‘After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?’”
Aiden answered immediately. “My chest of photographs. My father always made it a point to document everything with his camera. I have a very detailed pictographic history of my life; I wouldn’t want to part with that. All else seems replaceable.”
“I’d love to see those pictures someday.”
“I happen to have some old photos on my phone.” Aiden grabbed his phone and scrolled, looking for pictures. With a smile, he turned the screen her way.
Same green eyes. Same dimples. Same high cheeks. A little tanner—judging by the light t-shirt, it might be summer. Same brown hair, but curlier. Same smile, just fewer teeth. There was Aiden—the miniature version of the man by her side—among a few other children.
“Oh, you were adorable! Look at those curls! And the missing tooth!”
“I was going to point out that this is Sean, this is Celina, and these are my cousins, Harry and Sybil. How did you recognize me?”
“How could I not? You kept the same face.”
Aiden frowned. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
He turned the phone to analyze the picture himself and frowned even more. “Am I this cute still? My word, I am flattered!”
Nora wanted to joke that perhaps those “cute” features didn’t work as well in an adult as in a child, but it was not true. Aiden was not only cute, but ridiculously attractive—and the more she knew him, the more handsome he got, both inside and out. “Yes, Aiden, maybe you still are a little cute.”
Aiden grinned. “‘A little cute.’ That’s good. What about you? What would you save if your house caught fire?” Aiden asked.
“Or if a tornado hit it.”
“Well, yes. But I don’t think you can make a final dash, in case of a tornado. Or you will end up dashed.” Aiden laughed at his own joke, and it was so bad Nora couldn’t help but laugh as well.
“In a fire, I’d save my Beatles records, no doubt. They’re my most precious belongings.”
“I believe you can only choose one item, not a collection of items.”
“You got your chest of photos,” she quipped.
“The chest is one thing. It just happens to be full of photos. Choose one item, Nora.”
“Now you’ve made my life hard.”
“Harder than your house catching fire? Come on, Nora, it’s burning! Act quickly!”
“Right, right, ‘Revolver’! I’d have to go mainstream. But I’d probably cheat and take all of the albums.”
Aiden shook his head in mock disapproval. She enjoyed how playful he was now—maybe all the wine had loosened him. Or, more likely, it was due to the intimacy that had grown between them. He did say he was goofy with his friends.
Nora realized she liked both sides of him. At first, how he seemed reserved and maintained a respectful distance. Now... how relaxed he was, making fun of her, his limbs touching hers as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
How long had it taken for her to feel so at ease with Jay? They were friends before—and they remained friends after. But Jay had never been keen on talking about his fears and dreams. He was a practical person and would say, “Here comes the philosopher” whenever Nora touched on a deeper subject.
She didn’t know what Jay would save in a fire, but she knew he hated when she left the bed unmade. She didn’t know what his most treasured memory was, but she knew he was very particular about how he took his coffee. She didn’t know what he considered his greatest accomplishment in life, but she knew he loved her, but also sometimes hated her. There were many kinds of love, and one day Nora realized she loved Jay as a friend, not a partner. The fire was gone. And that was the end of them.
“Thirty-fifth question, Nora! We are almost through!”
She hadn’t realized that Aiden had taken the magazine from her hands. “Looking forward to being done with me?” She challenged him.
“Not at all. But I expect the last questions to be good,” Aiden grinned, but it faded as soon as he read the question. “‘Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?’”
Her chest ached as she replied. “My mom. I don’t know what I’d do without her. But I guess a child dying is always disturbing... so maybe my cousin Karol’s baby.”
The pained look on his face made Nora immediately regret her words. How could she be so insensitive?
He shifted in his seat and tried to clear his expression. But Nora could feel he was uncomfortable.
“Losing any family member would hurt me a great deal. But, having lost a child myself...” He paused, pursing his lips. Her hand covered his, and he gripped it without reservation. It was shaking a bit. “God, these questions can get real morbid. Sorry.”
Nora shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“The questionnaire shouldn’t have brought it up. But to answer, it would be my niece, Charlie. I would do anything to keep her from harm...” His voice wavered.
“I know,” she whispered and gave his fingers a little squeeze. She knew his niece would be his answer, since Aiden hadn’t been able to save his little girl.
Aiden flashed a tight smile. “I guess these questions are a crash-course on each other, aren’t they?” She nodded. “I’ll make sure your certificate of completion arrives in due time. It’ll be a nice addition to your CV.”
Nora widened both her eyes and her smile. “Can I change my answer to the biggest accomplishment question?”
“One last question to go. You may fail the final exam and never get the certificate,” Aiden said, and his eyes sparkled.
“Okay, let’s see what we got, mister. ‘Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it—’”
“I don’t want to go back to real life,” Aiden interrupted, suddenly serious, before she finished reading.
“Wait, there’s more. Also, ‘ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen,’” Nora continued.
“The answer is still the same: I don’t want to go back to real life.”
Intriguing , Nora thought. “What’s so bad about real life, Aiden?”