Stay Here

Ilyan's face lit up at the lovely thoughts shared by Irene. "I appreciate it. That's a beautiful perspective."

Irene nodded and parted her lips to say something but stopped as Melissa rushed in, closing the door behind.

"Angel, you okay?" Irene's gaze scanned Melissa who was dusting snow off her jacket.

"Snowstorm. And a bad one." Melissa, busy getting rid of snow, did not notice an unfamiliar figure sitting in her home until she looked up after a moment.

Her eyes immediately went to Irene as she glanced at the young man.

"Angel, he is Ilyan. Remember I told you about him?"

"Oh, yes, the one who had helped you the other day." Melissa's sharp memory came to the aid as it took her barely any time to know who he was. "Nice to meet you, Ilyan. Thanks for helping her."

"Nice to meet you too. Please don't. It's alright." Ilyan stood up to greet Melissa.

Melissa's face fell as soon as her casually roaming eyes caught Irene's bandaged feet. "What the heck happened to your feet?" She rushed beside Irene, her forehead stretching in the unexpressed worry.

Irene and Ilyan exchanged a brief glance before Irene slipped her hand around Melissa's arm. "I am fine, Angel. It's nothing. I accidentally stepped on thorns." She stole a quick glance at Ilyan before averting her eyes from him, uncomfortable at her own lies when he was standing there who was a witness to it.

She bit her lower lip, hoping he would not expose her. As if telepathy was in existence, he did not just stay mum about her lie but also stepped up to help sound it more convincing.

"It's my fault actually. She brought me pastries and I took her to an orphanage to distribute them. I was showing her around and I did not realize that the grass had some thorns. I apologize."

Irene's mouth fell open as she stared at Ilyan, who was standing there, with the apologetic look on his face.

Why was he taking the blame on himself? She wanted to cut him off but she could not. Doing that meant inviting trouble.

What was she going to tell Melissa if she asked why was he lying if she revealed that it wasn't Ilyan's doing?

Irene was trapped. Neither could she spit the truth out nor could she let Melissa blast Ilyan.

"Uh, Angel -"

"Don't worry about it. It's not that you

intentionally did it. Besides, as someone who did look after her when she was hurt despite being a stranger... I see no reason why you would want to hurt her. Intentions matter. It's okay."

"Thank you."

Irene was amused, as she watched the duo. Melissa had always been a little too protective of her.

<>

"What? Don't stand mute. Tell me how did her hand burn?" Melissa's stern voice directed at Ayden, scared Irene as she stood in a corner as instructed by Melissa.

"Um... We were just cooking and -"

"And? You were careless enough to let her hand burn?" Melissa pulled Irene by her side and lifted her hand by the elbow pointing at the large burnt portion of her skin near her wrist.

Ayden apologized but Melissa's anger did not lessen.

"She is freaking nineteen. Don't date her if you can't take care of her." Melissa glared at him, all worked up because of what had happened. She would have let it go had it been a small burn but it wasn't.

"How do I let her be alone with you if this continues to happen? I have to be convinced that she is safe with you for me to be okay with you two dating." Melissa had put her foot down.

She turned her head to look at Irene. "You are old enough to make your decisions, I do not disagree but if this continues to happen, this relationship will not have my consent." Melissa had put her foot down. It was the second time Irene had got hurt in Ayden's presence and Melissa wasn't going to appreciate it.

With that, she left the room, after making her point very clear to them.

Irene let out a helpless sigh before wrapped her arms around Ayden, mumbling that she was okay and her hand did not hurt much.

<>

The memory could never be erased from Irene's mind because Melissa was not temperamental. And she was definitely not rude. But back then, Ayden had brought out both within her.

Irene was worried that Ilyan might have to face Melissa's wrath too because of the lie that he had spoken but with Melissa's response, Irene was surprised.

"Alright, I should leave. I was just keeping her company until your return and now that you are here, I can go," Ilyan said breaking the long silence in the air.

"Did you have anything? Shall I bring you tea or coffee or something else?"

As Melissa asked that, Ilyan could only smile. "So she got that from you. She did offer me as well."

The smile on Melissa's face brightened. Perhaps, nobody would understand but whenever people complimented any good thing that Irene had picked from her, her heart would swell in satisfaction.

Bringing up a child without her parents was no easy task. The constant pressure of providing her with the best possible, then be it the materialistic things or good manners overwhelmed her at times.

Irene's phone buzzed, and so did Melissa and Ilyan's. Melissa was the first one to check the message.

"As expected. A severe blizzard warning. Stay home." She read aloud, visibly cool as she was expecting it. She had already seen it coming with the weather outside.

"Don't go now. Stay here until the storm settles down."

Ilyan went quiet for a moment. Melissa had not offered him to stay but rather she had asked him to stay, truly caring for his well-being and safety and it touched him. He could not deny. He just gave her a small nod, bowing his head in front of her.

As his eyes went from Melissa to Irene, he let them linger at her.

The night was going to be long.