A Step Closer to Love

“See you were worried about nothing” Kieran said as soon as his father was out of sight and hearing.

“I was?” Arabella asked tilting her head. It seemed like her mind had yet to process the situation at hand. Had Ethan just approved of their relationship without a complaint? Had he just admitted that she was a breath of fresh air to their lives and that he had no issue with her?

“Yes of course” Kieran slid close to her and took her hand in his playfully sliding her thumb over the back of her hand.

“How?” she let out her eyebrows knit in confusion.

“I guess you have a kind of charm that everyone cannot deny,” Kieran said with a toothy grin.

“A charm?”

“I don’t know what it is about you but you seem to make everyone comfortable around you”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Except for Aurora” Arabella murmured silently. Of all the things she did not like about the situation, the situation with Aurora was the worst.

“Don’t mind her, she is just a crazy person” Kieran said. “Can we talk about anything else?” he asked not wanting to spend his time with Arabella talking about Aurora who had deliberately tried to ruin what they had.

“Okay” Arabella said swinging her feet back and forth. They sat for a bit before Arabella decided it was time for them to go to bed. She explained to him that she was going to come clean to her mom and that he should do the same. If Everly knew then it meant that her mom was aware and just probably waiting for her to say it first.

“Hello Mom”

“You are so busy these days little one, I barely get even a text from you” Ava said as soon as the call connected and her daughter’s voice came through.

“I am sorry a lot has been happening to me” Arabella responded pacing around her room.

“But you seem to have time to talk to your sister, I guess she is more important to you than I am” Arabella rolled her eyes at her mom. She was an expert at emotional blackmail.

“Mom you know it’s never that way”

“And I suddenly turned to mom? From mommy? I would wake up one day and you would be calling me mother” Arabella rolled her eyes at how dramatic she was being for no reason.

“Don’t you want to know the reason I called?”

“Of course, there has to be a reason” Ava continued. She knew exactly why her daughter called and she was not ready to hear it yet because she was not sure how she felt about it. Kieran was a decade older than her how were they going to be able to cope?

“Mom, I will get off this call if you don’t let me speak” Arabella threatened. She knew that she kept her mom in lock so she could speak.

“So I’m seeing someone” she said holding her breath.

“You are?” Ava tried to sound surprised but was failing woefully.

“I know you know this already because Everly probably told you but I wanted you to hear it from me”

“Are you happy with the relationship?” Ava could not stop herself from asking.

“Of course yes” Arabella replied with a nod.

“I have no issues with whoever you pick, as long as you are happy, I am happy”

Arabella talked a bit more with her mom before calling it a night. She went straight to bed because she and Kieran had a day planned for the next day she wanted to feel refreshed for the day.

She felt her head throbbing but decided to ignore it. She was sure it was nothing much and a good rest would fix her up by morning. She left a good night text for Kieran which he responded almost immediately.

He was suggesting coming over but she told him not to. They had to be a little careful since they had just been caught by Ethan. Kieran stared at her text and felt a smile climb his face. He knew that he had to let her onto his plan about leaving the company.

By the time morning came around, Kieran was up and ready, he went for a run as usual before going to make a small breakfast. By the time he was done with the breakfast, he went to check up on Arabella.

He knocked on the door and waited for a response. “Maybe she is sleeping in because it’s a Saturday?” he murmured to himself before knocking again.

He listened carefully and heard a small groan followed by a dry cough. He turned the doorknob and it opened so he let himself into the room, rushing to her bed.

His first contact with her skin shocked him because she was almost boiling with the way her temperature was on the high side. He pressed his lips together as he turned her to face him.

“Arabella?” he said and her eyes flickered open.

“It’s my boyfriend,” she said with a low voice and a forced toothy smile.

“How do you feel?” he asked and she shook her head.

“I am fine, I just need to get up and make it in time for our date” she let out trying her best to sit up in bed.

“Stay down” he said pushing her shoulders back to the bed.

“Why? If I stay down longer then we might not be able to go out on our date” she asked letting out a dry cough again.

“Because you are sick,” he said. He found it cute that she was so invested in going out with him but there was no way he could take her out when she looked like such a mess.

“I am not sick, just give me a few minutes” she said struggling once again to get out of bed.

“Stay down, let me try to get your fever down, if it doesn’t work then we have to go to the hospital” he said before pushing himself out of bed and the room.

“I want to go on a date” she murmured as he walked away.