17.

Aaron suddenly pulls his hands back and stands by the edge of the bed, looking down at Akeelah like he is her guardian angel.

Leo senses the tinge in the air as he enters but Akeelah's health status comes first. He dropped to the floor and opened the first aid box he brought with him.

"Are you okay darling?" Leo asks Akeelah with obvious concern in his eyes

"I'm fine. Should be just a little burn." Akeelah reassures him, knowing that Leo can go overboard when it comes to her. She is currently the only sibling he has with him for the main time.

Akeelah knew what he was thinking and smiled.

"Good thing Buff isn't here isn't it?" Akeelah commented and laughed

Having two capable men with her gave her a sense of entire safety. Like something can't come for her in this room as long these two are with her.

"Ah. My bad. Leo meet Mr Aaron, my tonight's knight in shining armor..." She introduces Leo to Aaron

"...and Mr Aaron, meet Leo. My big brother for the main time and renowned Doctor." She jokes.

"Nice to meet you." They say simultaneously and shake hands.

Men are so cool when meeting for the first time.

"Thanks for rescuing my baby sister." Leo thanks him sincerely with a manly smile

"Baby sister? That's so wrong."

"You called me big brother first. You made it obvious I'm older." Leo jokes and all three laughed.

Akeelah laughs too and tried to sit up in bed.

"NO." both men shout at the same time

Akeelah looks at them both with wide eyes and bursts into another bout of laughter.

"I'm the host tonight. I can't just disappear after something like that."

"I'll go disperse them for you. You have your rest." Aaron tells her and makes to leave

"Hope to meet you again." Leo comments and Aaron nods at him before leaving.

"That man is going to be a gem."

Akeelah simply chuckles at Leo's comment about Aaron and turns to face Leo on the bed.

"Turn around. Let me see the burn." Leo orders brotherly

Akeelah turns as he asks and Leo takes a look at it.

"Seeing the fire, that could have been much worse."

"Why didn't you get to me first though?" Akeelah asks him like a whiny spoilt brat

"Sorry. When I saw that man get to you first, I dashed to my car to get my box then I came in right after."

"You're pardoned. At least you came in..."

Leo understands her unsaid word but does not comment on it.

Leo applies an ointment on the burn mark and covers it with a light cloth so it won't get infected until the surface starts to heal once again.

He stands up and looks outside through the window and sees Aaron standing by the party entrance and greeting everyone goodbye and smiling and sending them away politely.

"He has sent them all home. This is definitely party they won't forget anytime soon."

"I give you that one" Akeelah agrees and they laugh again.

"But..." They both say

"You go first." Leo says and sits on the edge of Akeelah's bed.

"I want to check the CCTV. There was absolutely nothing that could have set a fire there and on me?"

"We were about to say the same thing then..."

"I'll get it from the security company as soon as I leave here. Though there is only one person that comes to mind as the culprit..." Leo starts and Akeelah listens.

"We'll confirm our suspicion tomorrow morning." Leo says after he explains what he thinks happened.

"Okay. We have a plan."

Outside the room, stood Andrè, listening in on the conversation but too embarrassed and feeling too cowardly to go into the room just to check up on his ex wife.

After some time, he hears footsteps nearing the door and he rounds the corner and stands there.

A hand grabs him suddenly from behind. It's Aaron.

"Why are you standing here and looking like a fool?"

Andrè shakes his hands off him and runs his hands in his hair.

"I'm not a fool. I didn't react fast enough and that's already a minus point."

"You already divorced her. What makes you think you'll get any point at all?"

"I guess so?" Andrè looks at Aaron, hoping to see encouragement to go in but he sees something else.

Withheld Anger.

Andrè draws back and leaves Aaron standing there.

Aaron watches him leave but does not call him back to do anything to get his attention. Becyje knows that if that guy should come back, he won't be able to hold back from punching him in the face but that would be too noisy.

Aaron swears that he will live to fight it out with him. Stood on a spot while his ex wife almost burnt to death.

Coward.