2 Weeks Later
Samuel parked his white BMW in front of the house. He hopped out and gently opened the passenger door for Ariana as he always did.
Aurah watched them get into the house from her window. It had been two weeks since Ariana and Samuel announced their engagement and one week since she moved in with Samuel.
She was a nice woman (fae), but she wasn't Aurah's mother. And no matter what she did, she couldn't seem to break down Aurah's walls since Aurah hadn't spoken to them one word for days.
Samuel was waiting patiently for the day Aurah would finally embrace Ariana as a friend, or an older sister, or a step mother… But Aurah was way too stubborn.
Angelina wasn't helping much with that. And Richard… Well, Richard didn't like Samuel one bit. So, he was just saying:
"As long as he stays away from Angelina, he can do whatever he wants. I don't care."
Aurah sighed and got in the kitchen while Samuel and Ariana sat on the couch, watching TV. Samuel wrapped his arms around his fiancé. They were chatting about how the day was.
Aurah suddenly rushed into the living room. Grabbing the remote on the table, she turned the volume down. She stood right in front of them, crossing her arms.
"I'm sick of this."
Samuel and Ariana were shaken. Samuel slightly sat up, pulling his arms away from Ariana. He became pale with an open mouth.
Aurah looked at them intensely, neither severe, nor badly. Just cold, like an ice cube. She continued:
"I have a decision," she sharply said. "If I have to respect your choices, then you'll have to respect mine. I'm moving into Ben's place!"
Samuel jumped to his feet, saying: "Shall we talk about this outside, baby girl?"
Aurah extended his arm to the garden's direction quizzically. The look on her face was quite serious, though.
Soon as they walked out, Samuel closed the glass door, giving a thin smile to Ariana who was watching them with a worried look upon her face.
"Aurah, you don't know what you're talking about," Samuel calmly said.
"I know what I want; I know what I DON'T want. And what I don't want is share the same house with you and your fiancé!"
"Shhhh!" Samuel put a finger on Aurah's lips. "She'll hear you."
"I don't give a damn!"
"Why are you so cruel to her? She likes you so much. Each time she tries to break the ice, you're giving her the cold shoulder."
"If the apple likes me, do I have to like it, too?"
"What's that supposed to mean now?" Samuel rolled his eyes.
Aurah curled a lip smugly. "I wasn't expecting you to understand, anyway… I'm telling you that I'm going to move in with Ben." She crossed her arms again. "And I'm considerate enough to inform you beforehand, contrary to what you did."
Samuel blushed. A sweat drop distiled from his forehead. He wiped it away with his hand.
"Then, I'm afraid you're gonna have to go back to New York. Moving in with Ben is out of question!" Samuel said, sounding somewhat hurt. Looking at the chubby girl in front of him, he fought the feeling of holding her tight, kissing her forehead and telling her how long he had waited for a wonderful child like her. But he remained his stability.
Aurah, blocked on every front, sweetly started crying. Her baby face became even younger as if she was eight years old.
Samuel suddenly hauled down his flag. He took his daughter into his arms, drying her tears.
He put his hand under her chin. "Let's make a deal, baby girl," he softly said. "Call your mother and tell her about your future plans. If she says 'Okay', I promise I'm not going to stop you from moving in with your… mate." His teeth were creaked a little bit while saying the word "mate".
Samuel was so sure that Angelina would say a big "NO".
Aurah, being satisfied with the deal, slightly nodded. After they got back inside the house, she rushed to call New York.
Ariana looked behind her as she raced up the stairs. Then she turned to Samuel and said:
"I hope you weren't so harsh to her."
"Just a little bit," Samuel replied, sitting on the couch with a sigh. He threw his feet over the edge.
"I can't let her manipulate me in everything she wants to do."
Ariana tittered. "She's eighteen. The girls of her age are good at manipulating boys, you know."
"Aurah is so much more than that. Mark my word." Samuel heaved a sigh. "Even Bran was affected when they first met." He leaned forward and took the remote. He turned up the volume. "Anyway, we closed a deal. She's going to ask her mother for permission to move in with Ben. And I'm one hundred percent sure that Angelina is going to say 'No!"
"What if she doesn't?" Ariana asked.
Samuel curled a lip. "She's more protective than I am. Aurah has no luck!"
"Maybe she's able to manipulate her mother, too, sometimes," Ariana warned him.
The panic swelled in Samuel heart…
But it was too late. Aurah had already dialed her grandfather's mobile. Richard picked up the phone happily:
"HEY! What's up, baby girl?"
"Not bad. How are you doing, grandpa?"
"What do you mean not bad? Aren't you happy?"
"I'm happy," Aurah muttered. "…If I don't count my father's stupid engagement ceremony."
"Uhh, same old story. Get over it, Aurah," Richard said, throwing his head to back. "Let them live their lives."
"Listen, grandpa, I called to ask my mom something. Is she around?"
"Yes, actually she's extending her hand to take the phone right now." Richard laughed.
"I missed you grandpa. Love you."
"Love you, too," Richard said and gave his cell phone to Angelina.
"Aurah, baby, is there something wrong?" Angelina asked anxiously.
The devil flew into Aurah's mind. She bit her lip before she opened her mouth to run a big story.
"Mom, I can't sleep at nights," she mildly said.
Angelina's eyebrows flew up. "Why? Are you ill? Insomnia?"
"No, it's not me. It's them; Samuel and Ariana. They're making noise at night."
Angelina swallowed. "What kind of noise is that?"
Aurah pretended like she was groping for words:
"You know… While they're making love, they're becoming loud. I'm tired of trying to sleep with the headphones in my ears."
Angelina was heated. She took a deep breath to calm down.
"I'm gonna call Samuel now," she callously said.
Aurah rushed. "No, no! Please! If you call him and tell him now, he'll probably think as if I eavesdropped through their bedroom wall and he'll get upset with me. Can we just solve this between us?"
"What do you want me to do?" Angelina asked in bewilderment.
"Well… I was thinking… Maybe it will be better if I change my quarters… I can be happier someplace else…"
"Do you want to live on your own?"
"Not exactly," Aurah murmured.
"Then what-"Angelina suddenly paused, cause she understood. She paused for a moment before she began to speak again. "You want to move in with Ben, don't you?"
"Mama, please, please, please!" Aurah started begging winsomely.
"What does Samuel say about this?"
"He said he wouldn't stop me if I get your permission."
"What? Is that what he exactly said?"
"Yes."
Angelina remained silent for a few seconds. Then she heaved a sigh of annoyance.
"Well, okay then. You're gonna have my permission."
Aurah jumped on the bed. "Are you serious, mom?"
"As a matter of fact, yes I am… But I have a condition!"
Aurah, sounding too happy, said: "Okay, shoot it!"
"Ben is not going to touch your hair or your hand. Do you understand this, baby?"
Aurah swallowed. "Yeah, I think I understand."
"Good!" Angelina approved.
Aurah said nothing, just made a lip.
"Hey!" Angelina yelled. "What happened to the virgin's manifesto? Wait until marriage… You've changed your mind?"
"No, I haven't," Aurah sulkily said.
"No problem then."
"Yeah, no problem." Aurah nodded… unhappily.