Dawn of Spring

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"I can explain," he muttered, his voice muffled by his arm.

Ahana, her patience already at its breaking point, slid the glass of water closer. "You'd better."

Vivaan could see it wasn't going well. He hasn't done anything wrong. He simply expressed his feelings. Locating a seat nearby, he sat and laid his head on the counter, pushing his forehead against his arms to avoid the angry glances or humiliation he was feeling. He could not tell.

"Well?"

She was impatiently drumming her fingers on the table and near his ears.

He lifted his head slightly, peeking at her from under his arm like a guilty puppy. "What do you want me to say? It's the truth."

Ahana was visibly baffled, holding up the package that had arrived earlier, her knuckles turning white with frustration. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I -," Why hasn't he previously expressed his feelings? That was the last thing he expected her to ask. Vivaan blinked slowly, the fog in his brain doing little to help the situation. "I mean... I just thought... you know... it happens when it happens." He gave a helpless shrug like that somehow explained everything.

Her anger was coupled with perplexity. "What the hell does that even mean? Are you speaking in code? Is this drunk poetry?"

Vivaan became aware that his headache was returning. He could see she didn't have feelings for him. He knew in the back of his mind that he was wounded and disappointed, but his drunken state wasn't helping him sort out his racing thoughts.

He was starting to regret all his life decisions leading up to this point. "Let's talk in the morning," he mumbled. "When I'm rationally thinking."

Vivaan lied. His thoughts were clear enough for him to comprehend the situation at hand. He simply wasn't ready to accept it yet.

The young woman in front of him sighed in exasperation. "We don't have much time."

Vivaan's eyes widened in horror, his drunken brain suddenly hyper-alert. "What did you mix in the water?"

He didn't know back then that she could even drug him in response to his awful confession. Who does that? The answer is Ahana. 

"What are you... Nothing!"

Ahana slammed her eyes shut in anger. She felt the want to strike something - anything, probably her head or his. Most likely, his.

Vivaan was now full-on panicking, sitting up straight, the water sloshing dangerously close to spilling. "Then why don't I have much time? Are you... are you trying to poison me? Is this how you deal now? You just - what - spike the water, and wait for me to keel over?!"

Ahana groaned, massaging her temples. "Vivaan, I didn't put anything in the water!"

He leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially, "Then why am I running out of time, huh? Am I... dying? I bet it's slow. Really clever, Ahana, you got me good. Very diabolical."

At this point, Ahana's expression was caught somewhere between wanting to scream and laugh. She shook his shoulders, hard. "Wake up already! I meant we don't have much time before the situation gets worse, not that I'm plotting your demise!"

"Too late! I'm already dying!"

"For the last time, Vivaan, I didn't put anything in your water! I didn't poison you. You're not dying."

Vivaan blinked at her, his face scrunched up in confusion. "Then... why did you say 'we don't have much time'? That's literally the kind of thing villains say before they blow up the world or... I don't know, before they push you into a shark tank!" He looked around nervously, as if suddenly expecting sharks to materialize in her living room. "Do you have a shark tank? Is it -" He dropped his voice to a dramatic whisper again, "-under the floor?"