CHAPTER TWO:
Rick Astley was playing. Aiden glanced upwards. Didn't he hear this song before? Aiden let the music run through his head. Oh. This was the "together forever" one. The one he had heard before was the "never gonna let you down" song. Aiden rolled his eyes. They all sounded the same to him, anyway. He glanced surreptitiously at Vivian. She had changed since the fire. Somehow. Aiden was puzzled. He couldn't figure her out. It was like she had suddenly…cut him off. Like she was keeping a secret. Like she was hiding something from him. Or shielding him from something. He sighed.
"Is anything wrong?" came Vivian's immediate, and as Aiden suspected, reflex response.
"No, everything's fine," Aiden replied, smiling gently.
"Oh. Okay," Vivian said vaguely, resuming her staring at nothing in particular. Aiden studied her intently. Vivian could sniff out a lie a mile away. What was going on?!
Vivian had apparently felt the weight of his stare, because she turned to him, eyes downcast. She hesitated. Aiden blinked. Vivian never hesitated.
"I know… you're wondering why I-"
"Train approaching station." A clipped female voice issued somewhere above their heads.
An awkward silence ensued.
"Yes?" Aiden prompted.
Vivian took a deep breath. "Why I-"
The train whooshed past, cutting off Vivian's sentence a second time. Aiden bent down to retrieve their luggage. Vivian offered her help, but Aiden shook his head and smiled.
"I can manage it. Get us a seat first," he told her, inclining his head towards the empty train. Vivian hesitated for a moment, then nodded her consent and stepped onto the train.
Aiden was left alone with his thoughts and the luggage on the platform. He heaved the luggage onto the steps of the train. Where was the bloody porter?
The bag dropped onto his foot, and he cursed, falling to the ground and holding his injured foot. After another minute or so of cursing, he stood up painfully and carefully hobbled over to the rest of the luggage.
As he angrily hurled the bags one by one onto the train, his mind wandered back to the Vivian. The expression on her face when she wanted to tell him whatever it was… it was heartbreaking. He'd never seen her so vulnerable. He hoped it was nothing bad. He scoffed, laughing at his own stupidity. Of course it would be something bad. Her expression had almost been like the one she had when he was about to be hunted by her pack. He heaved the last heavy bag onto the train and climbed in. He looked at the pile of bags. They had taken everything they had. Damn the porter, he thought. I'll just leave it here.
He crossed over slowly to where Vivian was sitting. As usual, by the window. He flopped himself down on the seat next to her. He didn't mind her taking the window seat. Not really, anyway. She turned her gorgeous green eyes onto him. Oh God, he thought with a jolt. She had seen everything. Her face broke out into a smile, followed by a lilting laugh. Aiden fought hard to suppress his own, and glared at her instead.
"It's not funny," he pointed out, rather childlike. Vivian laughed harder.
"Really."
Tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks now. Aiden blushed. She looked beautiful even in this state.
"I'm sorry," Vivian managed to gasp out at length. "It's just that (gasp) you looked so (gasp) unbelievably (gasp) cute."
Aiden looked pointedly away, using all his willpower just to ignore her.
Maybe she hasn't changed, he thought hopefully. Maybe I'm just overreacting. He glanced at Vivian, who was trying (and failing) to stop laughing. He allowed a small smile to pierce through his composure. It sure seemed like it.