Enemies Turn to Lovers

Chapter II

Zaden's POV

I sat at the dinner table kicking my feet under the table. I didn't want to go out, but my mom made me. I have no idea why she's making a big deal when she was the one who wanted to send me to military school. Since I came home my mom wanted to go all out, invite my whole family. My mom was chatting with my dad, and my older sister who was leaning against her husband. He was sitting there rubbing her pregnant belly.

I was just sitting here zoned out. My aunts and uncles were all talking about god knows what. My annoying cousins talking about school and all the stupid teen drama that goes with it. I couldn't get my mind to focus to whatever my family kept talking about, my mind kept flickering back to Nova. It's been a long three years, a very long three years.

When I left, she was just some little girl that I loved to tease. She was short and stubby with braces. But now I don't even know what to say. It's not that she was ugly, she was never ugly but now she was just whoa. Her now curvy body, perfect smile and those eyes that kept you frozen in time with their wild gray gaze.

Crap Zaden snap out of this. I cannot be thinking about her like this. She is just some girl, some stupid little girl. She was basically family. She was like an annoying little sister I never had.

I heard clicking of heels and looked up to see Nova and her mom sitting down at our table, the waiters came to order but I just kept staring at Nova. I knew she was avoiding my eye contact and I don't know why but it was pissing me off. Why won't she look at me. Is it because of what had happened earlier at her house? I didn't mean to walk in on her, well she walked in on me in her room. I couldn't get her perfect body out of my mind all night since it happened.

"Zaden look at you, you're all grown up" her mom said smiling at me. I smiled back at her; she was always there when I was growing up. She was my mother's best friend. Both her and Nova were there for family holidays, or just normal Sunday diners. They were part of the family.

"Thanks Mona, you look beautiful as always" I told her, and she smiled at me.

"Charming as always." she said and went back to talking with my mom. Soon our food came, and I watched as Nova picked at her food. Eating bite here and there. It seemed like she felt my gaze and slowly looked up at me. Her cheek turned bright red as soon as are eyes connected. I smirked and watched as she squirmed in her seat. She looked back down at her food, slouching even more.

"How was military school?" Jared asked me as he poured a drink for my sister. My sister and he have been married for two years now. But I feel like they were together for ever before that.

"It was fine." I said eating my food. I hated military school so much, the only good thing that came out of it was a job that pays way more than anything else I could have done, and the second thing is I got so much buffer from all the workouts we had to do daily.

"Are you going to college?" my dad asked me, giving me that look. The one where you better answer right or else.

"Nope" I told him honestly making him sigh. I know he was disappointed in me. He wants me to go to college.

"I get you have a job now, but college would be good" he told me. I didn't need him to be angry right now. Honestly it would just ruin everyone's mood. This isn't a conversation to be having in front of everyone.

"I make more money now then I would if I quit and went to college" I told him. He sighed rubbing his temples. I was probably giving him a headache like he always said,

"Honey Nova what college are you going to?" my mother asked her to try to take the attention off me. I looked back at Nova waiting for her to answer.

"uh.. eh Yale maybe " she answered stumbling as she talked and playing with her fingers, slightly cracking her knuckles. She always cracked her fingers, her hips, legs and spin. When I was younger, I would always freak her out by saying she would break her bones or when she's old her bones wouldn't work. And we were kids, I was older she would believe anything I would say.

"Yale? don't you have to be smart for that?" It flew out of my mouth before I could even hold it back. That's my problem, I don't think before I speak. I just slur out whatever stupid comment my brain thinks of without a thought to go with it. But how can you blame me? Nova just makes me so nervous.

"GPA of 4.6 I don't know if your brain works but I'm pretty sure that's smart" she fired back. I heard everyone groan and I smirked at her about to say something, but my sister smacked my arm. We always bickered; it was fun.

The rest of the dinner went by without Nova saying a word. I watched as she picked with her food and took some more bites of it. Soon dinner was over, and we are where walking out of the restaurant into the cold air of the late winter night. I saw Nova shivering and goosebumps rose on her skin. I had an urge to go up to her and wrap my arms around her, to protect her from the cold but in no way did I act upon my urge.

Zaden stop thinking like this. Stop thinking like some stupid girl or something.

This is the girl who annoyed you all your life, the girl you picked on, the one you teased and was mean to. This whatever this is, it's not feelings. It's probably because I haven't seen her in three years.

"Zaden it's nice to have you home" Mona said giving me a warm huge. As we pulled away, she went back to where Nova stood and elbowed her in the ribs.

"I'm not hugging him" she mumbled to her mother.

"Have manners" she said as she once again pushed her towards me.

"Mom" she hissed making me smirked.

"No goodbye Nova?" I asked her and her eyes darted up at me. There was a fiery glare in her eyes. The glare I loved to cause.

"Bye" she said turning around, her hair flipping over her shoulder as she walked to her mom's car. Her hips swung with a rhythm that my pants tightened with the lack of space.

"Bye Dimples!" I yelled after her, I heard her mumbled a few unkind words as she slammed the car door as she got in. Dimples is the nickname I gave her when she was five and I was eight and it stuck ever since. She absolutely hated it, and that's why I loved it.

"Ah just like the old days" my dad said, and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked them as they stood watching me as if I was dumb.

"You know, you teasing her because you like her" my sister said and I glared at her. Growing up my sister always would say that.

"I don't like her, she irritates me. And it so much fun pushing her buttons" I told them before I walked to my motorcycle and driving back to the house. Yes, I was still living at my parents' house but not for long. I lived in their basement, so I had my space. This was just to help me get settled since coming back. Just as soon as my parents come home, I was walking out the house.

"Where are you going?" my mother asked worry linked in her voice. She probably was thinking that I was going back to my old days.

"Out" I told her, I don't want her to worry. I wasn't going to get wasted like I use to; I was just going out with some friends. There will be no drugs and probably no alcohol.

"Out where?" she asked not letting me go so easily.

"With some friends, I haven't seen them in a while" I told her, and she sighed. I knew she worried that I was cycle back to my old party days, but I wasn't going to.

"Which friends?" she asked frowning.

"Don't worry mom, it's just Dough and Max" I told her, and she gave me a smile.

"Be back before morning" she answered giving me a stern look.

"If anything changes, I'll call you, even though legally I don't have it" I told her, and she laughed.

"You'll always be my baby boy." she said and I smiled and waved bye. I didn't blame her for worrying. There was a time where I did get myself into some pretty stupid situations.