A Step Closer to Love

Arabella nodded and went with him, she had nothing to do anyway. She kept checking her phone to see if he would reach out but there was no news. He was a doctor so it’s possible there was an emergency at the hospital and he needed to be there. She was sure he would reach out later.

“It’s my treat” Arabella announced as soon as they got to the location.

“No, it is not” Kieran said as she pushed himself out of the car.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Arabella gathered herself together and came down trying her best to match his step. Kieran slowed down to allow her and she came beside him as they walked into the restaurant.

“Why won’t you let me pay?” She asked and he shook his head.

“I don’t want to use my payment this way” he said and she wondered what he meant.

“What payment?” she asked. She was just going to pay for dinner to thank him so why was he talking like she owed him money?

“You’ll see,” he said. She waited for him to show her but there was nothing more coming from him. She pressed her lips together as they were ushered to their table. She had a lot more questions but did not want to ask.

Maybe she would see with time what he meant. They began to eat and then her phone vibrated on the table. She tried to act calm as she took up the phone and tapped on it but she was shaking and she was sure that Kieran could see her shaky hands.

He took up his cup of water and sipped from it. “Remember you said you were going to talk with Mom” Kieran said dropping the cup to the table.

“Oh yeah,” she said as she checked her phone. She read over the text from Mark and it was a single line.

‘I am sorry I cannot make it’

She read it over and over again as if she was hoping it would have a new meaning each time she read it but she was stuck with the same line repeating itself in her mind a thousand times.

She was not anyone special in his life but at least she hoped he would explain why he suggested a date and then stood her up. She was not interested in a relationship but he piqued her interest.

“Isn’t it illegal to do this?” she said out loud. She dropped the phone on the table and took up her form and knife holding the knife in such a dangerous way.

“To do what?” Kieran asked gently taking away the knife from her hand.

He did not know her tendencies but he was not comfortable with the placement of the knife so he had to do something about it.

“For someone to suggest a date and then bail” She asked clenching her fist.

“According to the law? No” he said and she shot him a death glare. He was sure his heart began to beat a few beats faster than usual. Her look was cute but he could not help but feel a kind of fear.

“It should be illegal, definitely” he said trying to at least save himself from her look.

“I mean it’s so unfair, he reached out first shouldn’t he at least explain the reason he had to bail?” Arabella asked as they walked from the coffee shop to the car.

Arabella had been quiet the entire meal after shooting Kieran the death glare and him trying to save himself. This was the first time she broke the silence after answering every one of his requests with a nod or a head shake.

She had been thinking about what had happened and she could not seem to find a reliable and suitable explanation for what he had done. Kieran looked at her shocked to hear her voice.

“It’s because he is a jerk” he said and she was shocked such words could come from him. She was even more shocked because it seemed like he was supporting her.

“He is?”

“Of course, I know guys like him”

“You do?” his words did not match his personality so she was not sure if she could take his words for it.

“I am a guy so I do know,” he said and she looked him up and down. He rushed ahead of her to open up the door for her. She was touched by the gesture as she mouthed a thank you to him while getting in.

He closed the door and walked over to his side. It was obvious now that she was completely free. Mark had for some reason known to him given himself some minus points so it meant he had a few plus for him if he could act well.

‘Why are you trying to get some plus points?’ he asked himself as he entered. He dropped his cup into the cup holder and began the car.

“So he is a jerk?” Arabella liked the fact that he was badmouthing this guy he did not know. It put her in a good mood that she wanted to hear more.

“Yeah, maybe he had another option and decided to go with her,” Kieran said.

He truly thought that Mark was smitten with Arabella but this could be an option.

“So I was just an option?” Arabella’s voice sounded furious.

“I said maybe, he is the only one who could explain fully why he decided to do what he did,” Kieran said.

Maybe he was just a good actor and wanted to somehow toy with Arabella. Maybe he was swamped at work and just barely had the energy to send the text. Maybe something came up for him in his personal life.

“I would call him” she announced as she had finally made her decision. Kieran wanted to stop her but why would he say he stopped her?

She looked at him as though she was seeking validation. He nodded with a shrug and then she took a deep breath before getting on the call.

“Hello” Mark’s voice came through the phone. Arabella tried to listen to the background noise and there was a solemn music coming through. It seemed like he was in a fancy place.

“This is Arabella”

“I know” his usual cheerful voice was distant and cold.

“You bailed, I wanted to know why?” Arabella said and he swallowed so hard she could hear it.

“My wife is back in the city, I don’t think we can meet for the time being,” he said and the line cut off from her end. She stared at the phone in disbelief.

“His wife?”