Chapter 17: Guardian
The moment Ayla heard what her friend Shay said on the phone, her heart jumped! Did he somehow know Hayden? If he did, what would happen in case he uncovered the fact that she was staying at his place?
"Err, maybe you heard it wrong? " Ayla bit her lip nervously and said, a bit uncertainly.
"That could be possible. Anyway, who was it?" Shay was still bent on knowing who the person that spoke in the background was.
"Oh, that, he's my guardian." Ayla guiltily looked at Hayden, who was watching her as she answered. She felt guilty because she didn't know how to address him. Was he his saviour?
Since she had signalled him to remain quiet, Hayden had no choice but to persevere. However, as he mused over what she had just referred to him as " guardian." That title didn't seem bad. After all, he had no special relationship with her yet. He would allow her to address him as such.
After she was done talking on the phone, she looked at Hayden and cleared her throat;
"I'm sorry about that." She said apologetically .
"It's okay. I'm sorry that I didn't knock earlier." Hayden smiled awkwardly before passing her the glass of milk in his hands. "Have this first before you sleep." He took a seat to the side and watched as she took sips of the milk he'd offered her.
Ayla didn't like milk, but seeing Hayden being meticulous about her health, she couldn't bear the thought of disappointing him.
"Thank you." Ayla said as she passed him the empty glass.
"Mm. Have a good night." After helping her lie back down on bed and covering her with a quilt, he left.
In the middle of the night, Ayla was woken up by the excruciating pain on her body. It hurt so much that she had to wake up and sit. Ayla looked at her pathetic self, and tears instantly gushed out of her eyes. She felt itchy all over and wanted to scratch on her wounds, but when she remembered the doctor's warning, she could only watch as her body burned with pain. As she wallowed in pain alone, she wondered, was there going to be a day where she would be genuinely happy and without any unease? She sometimes craved peace and calm that other people always enjoyed.
She laughed at her wishful thinking. Because she knew that no matter how much she tried, happiness just seemed to be her enemy. How could she dream of being happy in this lifetime? Maybe in the next lifetime if fate decided to treat her a bit better.
As she let her tears freely fall, her phone chimed with a notification. She reached out to take a look.
"Are you there?" Shay had texted.
Ayla smiled. What was he doing awake in the middle of the night?
Ayla: "Yeah, what's up?" She replied back.
Shay: "Can't sleep?" He asked instead of answering her question.
Ayla: "Hmm." She sent it to him immediately.
The next moment, Shay's call came in again.
"Are you really sure you are okay?" His concerned voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Yes, why?" Ayla gripped the arm rest of the chair firmly as she asked this.
"You sounded so low earlier, I thought something bad happened." Shay explained.
"Ah, nothing happened really, I just can't sleep." Ayla assured him.
"How about I recommend you a movie to watch?" After a moment of silence," Shay suggested.
"Sure." Ayla said before Shay hung up.
The next moment, she opened her chat with Shay and saw that he had sent her a link to the movie.
Ayla thanked him and sighed. He was such a warm and caring friend. Unfortunately, she couldn't even watch because of the pain she was experiencing, and that made her so sad.
The following morning, Ayla walked to the bathroom to take a shower. She felt sticky and weird for not showering since the day she had been discharged from the hospital.
As she stood before the mirror, she tried her level best not to glance at her body as it would traumatise her anew. She never liked looking at her scar filled body. It was painful to her mind and heart, after all.
She stared at her thin and slightly emaciated face and sighed. Her eyes were very beautiful, mossy green with a twinkle which looked so alluring. What made her sigh was the dark circles around her eyes. She knew she would have them as she had barely slept, but she never expected them to be so profound. After wiping herself clean and making sure water didn't enter the bandaged wounds, she got out of the bathroom. She was still thinking about what to wear when a knock sounded on the door.
"Come on in." Ayla softly said.
The doorknob turned, and the housekeeper entered.
"Miss, I was instructed to bring you this." The housekeeper said while passing her a carrier bag filled with stuff.
"Thank you." Ayla thanked her.
"I'll get going then." The housekeeper said and turned to leave. "Oh, will come downstairs for breakfast, or should I bring it in your room?" She turned to ask again before she arrived at the door.
"I'll come downstairs." Ayla thought for a moment before she answered. She needed to train her body to move. She had to go to school after all. She couldn't be absent for so long as she wasn't sure if she would be able to catch up with other coursemates had read so far.
When she opened the career bag to look, she found some clothes and undergarments. She was sure it was the housekeeper who purchased them. She couldn't help but smile.
Unbeknownst to her, it was Hayden who had bought them for her. He didn't want her to overthink, so he made the housekeeper pretend that she was the one who bought them for her.
"Is she awake?" The moment Hayden saw the housekeeper descending the stairs, he asked.
"Yes, sir. she had already showered, " the housekeeper relayed respectfully.
"Oh, and she said she would be coming downstairs for breakfast." Before she left, she reported what Ayla had said earlier.
Come down for breakfast? Was she feeling fine already?
"Did she look well?" Hayden furrowed his brows and asked.
"Not really. She looked sick and weak. " The housekeeper also frowned in worry before she answered. She was worried for her. After all, she had a daughter of Ayla's age, and seeing the sufferings had undergone, she felt bad for her. She wished she could be there as a mother figure.
"Alright, you may leave now." Hayden waved his hand and dismissed the housekeeper.
Why was she putting up a front when she was hurting? From what he knew, girls were always delicate humans. How could she stay tough through all the pain she was undergoing? Just hat had she gone through while she was young to develop such tough survival techniques?
Thinking of what might have made her so tough at a young age, Hayden felt his heart ache. He had asked his assistant for her background information, and that was what he was waiting for. However, he could still tell, from how emaciated and unhealthy she looked, that life had never been good to her ever since she was young.
'Ayla, I'm sorry you had to go through all that by yourself. Now that I've met you, I'll help you live the life you've ever desired.' Hayden thought inwardly.
Yes, he was going to make her the queen that everyone would envy. Those who trampled upon her would have to beg for forgiveness on their knees.
Never did he think that his random thought would come to pass in the near future.
Ayla slowly descended the stairs so as not to tear on her wounds. Every step made her break into cold sweat. It was painful but worth it. She was training herself to walk so she would be able to go back to school soon. She hated missing classes.
"Do you need my help?" The moment Hayden saw her, he stood up and asked worriedly.
"No, I'll be fine." Ayla flashed him a comforting smile before she continued down the stairs.
How could Hayden rest assured? He stood still and watched as she slowly moved. He was ready to offer help in case she needed it.
He only relaxed when she walked toward him.
"Good morning." Hayden greeted.
"Good morning." Ayla supported herself on the chair before answering.
"You couldn't sleep?" Hayden asked when he saw the dark eye circles around her eyes.
"Mm." Ayla answered timidly. She didn't want to meet his intense gaze. She was sure she would collapse under his gaze. It was too dangerous.
"Oh. Have a seat." As he said this, he pulled out a seat for her at the dining table.
"Thank you." Ayla answered and took a seat.
As if on cue, the housekeeper served the two breakfasts.
As they ate their meal in silence, Ayla looked at Hayden and asked;
"Aren't you going to school today?" After all, it was almost 9: 00 am, considering the traffic on the road, wouldn't he be late for his teaching lessons?
"I will. My classes are in the afternoon." Hayden said as he took a sip of his tea.
"Oh, " Ayla nodded and continued eating her breakfast.
After wiping his lips clean with a serviette, Hayden looked at Ayla seriously and began,
"Ayla?" He called out to her.
"Yes?" Ayla paused in her act of sipping tea and focused her attention on him.
"I want you to take this as house as your home. I don't want you to be reserved with me or around anyone living here, okay?" He stated his point. Yes, it was making him uncomfortable, seeing her acting cautipus around him. It was an eyesore.
"But, why?" Ayla once again bit her lip and asked carefully.
"Because I'm going to be your guardian. I'm just waiting for the paperwork to be done. " Hayden smirked and watched as her eyes widened in surprise before he continued; "After all, I'm thirty years old and you are nineteen, doesn't that make it even possible for me to be your guardian?" He raised an eyebrow after he finished his statement.
Ayla was shocked.
Who was he?
He even knew her age?