Beyond Friendship

Chap_3

Arnav's POV_

Kaiden stood up and got stumbling only for the girl to hold him in place.

"No, I don't stay here alone." Kaiden answered her first and then pointed to me, "He is Arnav, my friend and we are sharing the apartment."

"Arnav, this is Khushi. My little sister." Kaiden said, he was smiling but his eyes were glossy.

He turned to the girl, "It's already late. You go to your room and sleep now. We will talk tomorrow."

That girl Khushi didn't even turn to me fully, didn't acknowledge my presence with so much as a nod before she walked away.

I didn't know how to take it. Odd!

Until the girl entered the guest room and closed it, I found Kaiden staring at her.

And then he turned to me, "I hope you won't mind her staying here for a couple of days. We will move out from here in a few days."

"Don't worry about that but what happened, Kaiden? Is everything okay?" This was all I managed to utter.

"Life happened." Kaiden mouthed and smiled wistfully, his eyes glossy telling many things for me to pick.

I didn't ask anything else. It seemed it wasn't just me who was having a bad day today.

"Okay. Get some rest for now. Will talk tomorrow." I said ever so casually not pushing him too much. It wasn’t in me anyway.

"Thank you." Mouthing, Kaiden left for his room and I did the same. It was enough for a shitty day and I also wanted to sleep it off now.

Khushi's POV_

I got up from sleep getting a nightmare. I sat up straight immediately and turned on the bedside lamp.

I turned to the door only to find it closed. For a moment I thought I was at my Mom's place and got scared. My eyes wandered all around the room on their own and if anything, all around looked anything but familiar to me. Only then I realised where I was.

I turned to the night stand again and seeing the water glass, I immediately felt thirsty. I took the water glass only to gulp down the water in a go as I tried to calm my mind down.

Kaiden and his words came into my mind.

I wasn't understanding what to do in a situation like this. Staying with Kaiden was okay. But his friend_

Kaiden was still a student in his final year of college. Having an apartment like this all to himself would have been odd actually.

Maybe I shouldn't have come to him like this. It would be pressurizing for him to bear my expenses. I should have asked Dad to let me stay with him till my next semester of college started and then I could have shifted to a dorm or something.

Maybe if I begged, he couldn't help but agree.

It wouldn't have been a bad idea. I decided I would go for it. With an intention to give Dad a call, I took my phone.

It was showing 3 by morning and the thought Dad must be sleeping now stopped me on my track.

After sitting on the bed thoughtlessly for a while, I took the surroundings in once again before I turned the lamp off and laid down on the bed again.

Sleep didn't grace me and I tossed on the bed for a while only to sit up again, frustrated. I had stopped getting good night's sleep after that night.

The memories of Reid trying to touch me was something, I still couldn’t get out of my head.

His actions left wounds, though that was not on my body but soul, deeper and more hurtful than anything that would bleed.

I had started taking sleeping pills to get some sleep that would have been impossible to get without pills.

I was supposed to buy some before coming to Kaiden but being excited about meeting him, it totally got out of my mind.

Now that it's night and I was feeling anything but sleepy, I wished I hadn't forgotten about it.

I got down from the bed and started pacing in the room. Seeing the balcony, the shoved curtains aside and the glass door as well though I was getting scared.

A fresh air was hope to be of help. As I stood near the railing, looking all around the surroundings. The breeze was cold but I stood there nonetheless. It somehow was helping me.

As my hair came on my face, I didn't bother to tuck them behind my ear.

I didn't know how long I stood like that until a voice came from a little distance, "Hey, what are you doing here now at this time instead of sleeping?"

I immediately was aware of my surroundings and became afraid. I couldn't even get myself to turn to the source of voice.

It wasn't Kaiden. It must have been his friend. How did he see me here? What was he doing here? Was I being observed?

These thoughts got me even more scared.

"Nothing." I uttered and walked back to the room immediately. I got up on the bed and laid down pulling the comforter along to hide inside. I was literally feeling like hiding myself from the world.

No, I wouldn't be able to take it. I needed to get away from people, I needed to get back to Dad. I needed my pills to soothe my worrying hormones and get some sleep.

I needed a safe corner away from everyone. Maybe getting back to my Dad would be the only resolve.

At his place, my existence didn't matter to anyone except for him. He would talk to me, give me some time after his work and all.

His new family generally gave me space. They always kept a distance from me. It was the thing about them, I appreciated the most and now I needed it. I needed it badly.

Just as the dawn broke down, I called Dad knowing he would be up by now. His phone remained unanswered for the first two times and at the third attempt, he answered my call only to inform me they were out of town.

When I said my part of wishing to live with him for now, he only said he would contact me when they would be back.

And just like that I was ignored. I waited for his call only to be disappointed.

Days started passing. Not being able to sleep for days, dark circles appeared below my eyes.

I would be in the living room with Kaiden until his friend would be there and then I would be in my room.

I could feel it would be offending to his friend but for some reason, I wasn't getting myself to be comfortable with anyone now.

Maybe Kaiden felt that as well only to assure me we were moving out of this apartment in a few days. We would be living together but not here, not with his friend and it somehow made me relaxed.

Like this weekend arrived. And early in the morning having breakfast with Kaiden, I was back to my room.

Kaiden was out for his part time job and I stayed locked in my room like always. As much as I was craving a coffee, I didn't get myself to get out of my room.

Kaiden wasn't home and most probably his friend would be home now. This thought kept my thought of getting a coffee at bay. Then I thought I could use the intercom and have my coffee delivered to my room by one of the butlers.

This thought didn't seem absurd and I went for it. Thankfully Bella, the female staff attended the call.

After a few minutes, I heard a knock on my door.  

But just when I opened the door, I found him, Kaiden's friend standing there at the entrance of my room and if anything, it frightened me to the core.