𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛 ✔

𝟒𝟒. 𝐖𝐇𝐘?

It was the next afternoon.

Taelyn was taking a nap. Aiden was in the kitchen, attempting and failing to cook something for lunch. Mint and Jynni were out shopping, while Will, Mint's husband, was out at work.

"I can see your cooking skills aren't as good as you boast," Cara said, walking up to Aiden, her tone of voice bitter.

"Laugh it up, Cara. It's not like you could do any better."

"First of all, I can do much better, and second, it doesn't matter, I couldn't do much worse than this." Cara cringed. She didn't mean it to sound that mean....

Eh. Whatever.

"Why are you in such a good mood right now anyway?"

"Nothing," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'm just bored."

He coughed. "Do you want to talk or something?"

"Something," she replied snarkily.

"Seriously."

"Talk."

"Give me a second," he said, sliding her arms off. "I'm almost done with this."

Two seconds later, he rolled his sleeves back down and walked over to the table to set the food down. "I like your clothes," he bit back a laugh.

"Shut the hell up," Cara fired, looking down at her Tata-patterned, striped pajamas. "I thought you were supposed to accept me in all my forms?"

"I said I liked them!" said Aiden, holding his hands up in surrender. "It's true, you look cute."

She pushed her glasses up, glaring at him.

"I'm serious. You should know that you're beautiful, Tiger."

Cara felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she smiled, forgetting that she was supposed to be angry at him.

Why is he so complicated? If he thinks I'm beautiful among all these other things, why did he brush me off yesterday? What's the damn point?

"So care to explain what that was, two nights ago?"

"What was...what?"

"It's not like you to dodge questions, Aiden," Cara sucked her cheeks in, biting on them beforesending a harsh glance toward him.

"I don't think I understand."

"Well, I have a question for you."

"You have but to ask."

"Don't act like you don't know what the hell you did. It's been two days, two damn days, Aiden! You never even confronted me or explained why you just ran off like that, two nights ago."

He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry."

"That's what you said before running off," Cara pointed out hotly. "So you allowed kissing, but you didn't allow explaining. I get it."

"No, no, please," Aiden sighed. "I wasn't lying to you when I said I liked you."

"So why-"

"....I'm scared."

"What the hell would you be scared of? This isn't a k-drama, Aiden! There's no one to come hunt me down, no family to be judging us, no nothing. Unless you're hiding something from me."

"I..."

She sighed. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. If you're uncomfortable, I should've just let it be instead of making a big deal of it. I'll tell you what...I'll give you time, okay? And we can talk later." Cara gulped, eyes wide, as she looked at Aiden's silent figure. "I-is that fine?"

"Yeah."

She felt tears sting her eyes, but she let them be as she left the kitchen. Suddenly, she felt naked, stripped of all power.

Why? What is it that's bothering him?

_*_

"So, what did you, um, call us here for?" Cara asked as she awkwardly moved around Aiden to sit beside Taelyn in the office.

"Guys, we can't leave tomorrow morning," Taelyn stated.

"Wh-why?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, if we're not leaving tomorrow, we got time?" retorted Cara.

"Okay. Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to help the leatherback sea turtles, they're critically endangered and...." Taelyn took a deep breath. "Auntie says that there's a program that I can join to travel to California and do a relief project for the sea turtles in the Pacific Ocean. I..." she paused. "I have to go."

"F-for how long?" Cara asked.

"Seven days is all. I-I don't want you to think I don't care about the mission because I absolutely do, but this is my only opportunity to do something about the cause I've longed to help for years and-"

Her ramble was cut off by the smooth tone of Aiden's voice. "It's okay, Taelyn. I understand. You can go, it's only seven days. We can wait until then to go."

"Please don't hate me, I care about this, I do, but-"

"We know," Cara nodded. "A week, it's only a week. We'll be fine while you're gone."

"When do you leave?" asked Aiden.

"Tomorrow morning. I..Thank you so much," Taelyn breathed. "I..this is something I'm so passionate about, and while yes, I am very passionate about the mission too...and my father....I can't let this go."

"I would do the same, it's okay," Cara nodded. "Just..make sure you don't ditch us."

"I would never."

a/n: short chapter, so i'll uploading another one today.