Then a voice echoed in his mind like an old recording.
You can help me once, but the burden is mine to bear forever.
The memory surfaced so out of the blue that Aidan almost missed the moment Raven reached for the passenger-side back door.
By the time he refocused, her hand was already on the handle.
He moved with hastened steps.
Crossing the space in two long strides, Aidan reached the car before she could open it. He leaned one arm against the door, blocking it with casual ease.
The metal clicked softly beneath his weight.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"Sit in front." He asked softly.
"It's fine." She said.
"I am not your driver. Please sit in front."
"Don't regret, then." She hushed in a low voice and then sat in front.
She tried squeezing herself so the gear shift would not be touched. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not fit. Embarrassed. She waited for him to come and realise.
Aidan tied his seatbelt and started the car. He noticed Raven was hardly breathing, "Hey, relax."
Raven let out her breath and noticed it was an automatic gear. Her eyelids fluttered. She was quiet for a long time. Aidan tried to speak to her, but her gaze remained fixated on the rearview mirror.
"So, what have you been up to all these years?" Aidan asked, his fingers tapping at the steering wheel.
"Nothing much…"
"Care to tell me something interesting?"
"I have none."
"You've published three books."
Raven laughed dryly.
"What?" Aidan asked.
"Nothing is interesting about it."
"You used to talk a lot, you know."
"Hmph…"
"Oh? I see, you are tired," He nodded.
Aidan couldn't bring her to engage in a conversation with him, so he stopped wasting his effort and drove straight to a three-storey jeweller's showroom.
She didn't react. Aidan got out of his car and then opened the door for her, "Come."
"Where?"
"Follow me."
He led her to the top floor and slipped a fifty into the salesperson's hand.
"Show madam some pieces that would go well with her outfit."
Without waiting for a reply, Aidan turned toward the corridor leading to a washroom. He hadn't noticed that Raven hadn't followed him.
The salesman glanced around, spotted another well-dressed woman nearby, and immediately assumed she was the "madam" Aidan had mentioned.
He approached her with a respectful smile.
"Madam, these pieces are part of the collection reserved for our loyal customers."
He led her toward the VIP section.
Meanwhile, Raven finally entered the showroom, looking around in mild confusion.
A female salesperson approached her with a practised smile.
"What would you like to see, madam?"
"Um… Aidan?" Raven looked around the room, searching for him, but he was nowhere in sight.
After a moment, she gave up and sat down at the nearest counter.
"Could you bring me some water?" she asked quietly.
The saleswoman nodded and walked away.
Raven waited.