Cursed Love

Forty-One

"Aiden, come on, just tell me what happened!" Rudy said, jumping up and sitting on the kitchen counter as Aiden was washing dishes.

"Nothing happened, Rudy! It's fine." Aiden replied

"Oh, really? So, we're just gonna ignore the fact that you practically ran to your room when you came back home after you met Mini's sister?"

"I did not run to my room."

"You basically did." Rudy said, letting out a light chuckle.

Aiden sighed before letting out a breath of laughter, "Okay, maybe I did." 

"Why?"

"Mini's sister reminded me of someone I used to know."

"Someone you used to know?"

"Yeah, someone I used to know." Aiden repeated, turning off the sink and drying his hands.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"Her sister, uh, Aru," Aiden slightly smiled, enjoying how her name felt in his mouth again, before he continued, "She reminded me of a girl I used to know. Aru somewhat looked like her, same complexion, hair, personality - even her voice."

"But, it was different. It was as if I was talking to her but I wasn't at the same time. And it caught me off guard. It just- I don't know." Aiden sighed, leaning back against the counter.

"Does this - the girl you used to know - have anything to do with your tattoos?"

"What?"

"Dude, you're in a tank top, I can see some of them. I mean, there's a fucking infinity symbol on your ring finger and a heart peeking out from under your shirt. Don't play dumb."

"Right, yeah, she does have something to do with them."

"Okay, continue!" Rudy said, staring at Aiden. 

"I got them with her. We weren't able to get married so we got these instead," Aiden gestured to the infinity symbol, "but before that, we got these." Aiden pulled down his shirt slightly to show the top of the heart.

"What's the full thing say? All I see is the top of the heart." Rudy asked

"It has a heart that surrounds her name that's written in her handwriting."

"What's her name?"

"That's not important right now. And didn't we get a little sidetracked?"

"Right, yeah, about Mini's sister. We were talking about her. So, nothing happened when you were there?"

"Aru, meri jaan-" ~ "Don't call me that!"

"How can you say that? How can you say that and expect me to believe you when I saw you holding the gun? I saw you holding the fucking gun and pointing it at my parents, jaani- Aiden! I fucking saw you! How can you expect me to believe you!" ~ "You have to trust me, meri jaan!" ~ "Trust you? I barely trust myself! How the fuck am I supposed to trust you!"

"If I ever see you again, I'll put a bullet through your heart, Raat Acharya."

Flashbacks of their conversation started playing in Aiden's head before Rudy's voice brought him back to reality, "Aiden?"

"Nothing. Nothing happened when I was there."

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"God, what is going on, Noah?" Aru asked, burying her face in her hands as she leaned against the kitchen counter when the two siblings had gotten back from the gym.