“Ryan…don’t please.” was all she muttered. 

Without tearing her eyes away from Ryan, she had removed his hand away from her arm. 

Passing him the last glance as possible, Amaira shed her eyes. Turning around, she was ready to walk ahead, but then, Ryan came to stand in front of her like any tower.

“You aren’t going anywhere else. It isn’t safe for you to roam like this.” His tone contained worry, mixed with uneasiness. 

In return, Amaira gave him a glare to answer,”I can protect myself. I don’t need a knight.” 

“You might don’t I can’t let you go alone.” for a few seconds, Amaira’s eyes widened. At this time, her heart paced around, thumbing too loud. ‘Did…he said that…he.. is having feelings for me?’ she hoped for the same. 

However, due to her bad luck, Ryan’s other comment pulled her mood, “….Because once brother Charles hears that I saw you roaming like this at this time, he will  only yell at me..”

‘So it is because of my brother Charles..’ Amaira’s shining expressions were once again replaced with the cold mist layer.

All the hurt feelings have rested inside her chest. At this point, she was left with no other choice but to finally pass him a nod. “See, Ryan. I don’t have any intention of informing Brother Charles. You can rest assured wherever you are..”

“Amaira, don’t act stubborn! I’m dropping you at your home and that is final. No more argument or debate over this!” Were his final words, before when he held her wrist and pulled her towards the car parked in the middle of the road.

Not worrying about anything else, Amaira did as he asked her. She followed him behind silently while keeping her head low. 

Neither did she show any sign of revocation, however, she wasn’t willing either.

Opening the door of the passenger seat for her, Ryan motioned her to go and step inside and sit. Rolling her eyes, Amaira finally sat inside the car and Ryan immediately closed the door of her side.

Hurriedly, Ryan came to sit on the driving seat before he wore his seatbelt to question her, “I’m still in awe that you escaped your home late at night.”

“It shouldn’t surprise you. You knew my routine better than I knew before.” Amaira’s straightforward answer, linking to their past, went from above his head.

Rather than reacting to everything that happened, Ryan started the car to go directly into her house’s direction. They had kept the same silence throughout, but Amaira’s comfort level was nowhere near. 

Amaira was constantly looking out of the window, to see the way through which they passed. In the back of her mind, she can’t help but feel her own nerves getting heavier. It was harder for her to deny that the way which they chose wasn’t what she looked forward to. 

‘How am I supposed to say that I don’t wish to see my mother at this point?’ holding her shoulders tightly, Amaira’s eyes swept across to see Ryan sitting beside her. He was staring out straight at the road ahead, without even sparing her his gaze.

“Speak, you are bad at acting,” Ryan spoke, without even looking in her direction.

Feeling the mixed emotions in her stomach, Amaira finally opened her mouth. “I…I..was thinking.. actually, I don’t wish to go home tonight. Can you drop me somewhere else?”

“Why so?” 

“Because…for several reasons. I Can’t explain right now.” Maybe some other time, when my mental state is not as messy, Amaira thought and let the second half stay in her throat. 

In return for what she said, Ryan had to think twice. Unnoticed glint passed through his eyes, where he considered all the possible situations to be evaluated in his brain. 

But in the end, he never let her be aware of whatsoever he was actually thinking about. 

There was a slight hesitation in his actions, but he still managed to gather the courage to ask her openly. “I respect your wish. But… are you then willing to go to a hotel room?”

“Ye-“

“Forget about it, I think my house will be best for you to stay overnight. It is safe and…can act as your space of escapism too.” His words made sense, and within the swift moment, he pulled his car in the other direction while taking left from the place. 

He had to make a U-turn for her, and finally, she let this reside in her brain. She had to absorb but still, not meeting her mother…was behind in her mind.

‘Yeah..you are going to your ex-boyfriend’s house, Amaira..just a night it is…’ 

…

After an hour of driving, they had finally arrived at his house. He had asked her to step aside, which she did to not find the interior to be much changed. 

Everything seemed usual in her eyes, and Amaira immediately removed her stretch clothes. “Where am I supposed to sleep then? You have only one bedroom I guess…”

“Well, in this case, you can take up the bedroom. I will comfortably sleep on the sofa and turn on the bed.” Ryan answered with a slightly tired tone 

When Amaira noticed the same she could easily guess that he had come after doing the work with her brothers. Yet she wasn’t interested in asking about her parents. ‘Thinking about them is itself a headache…’ 

At last, Ryan brought her to his room. She saw the bed in the center, to pass her eyes in his direction. “What am I Supposed to wear?”

“Um..wait, I think I have something.” saying this, Ryan moved towards the closet to open it and peek inside. There, what he came across was to keep a few clothes here and there, before he got his hands over what he was looking forward to. 

Finally, turning around, he walked closer to her carrying a piece of clothing in his hand 

On seeing the same, Amaira’s eyes widened. At this point, she could feel her breath halting in the middle to lift her eyes and look again at Ryan, with herself being totally speechless. “T-this…”

“It is old but it is all I have for you tonight..after all, it belongs to you only, Amaira.” 

…..

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