I watched Aaron warily as he rummaged around the lounge room we were in.
He was looking for a first aid kit but didn't have much luck. Finally, he came back over to me with a pack of gauze pads and a box of tissues.
The room around us was silent, and all we could hear was my heavy breathing. I was still in a lot of pain, so Aaron was doing his best to be gentle.
The room itself was a place I'd never been in before. Or, at least it didn't look the way it did then when I'd been in it previously. When I worked for Tío, they didn't have lounge rooms.
Aaron leaned in close to me, gently wiping away my tears with a tissue. He also used a tissue to clean my nose bleed. "You're just a magnet for trouble, aren't you?" he asked. "You even ignored my warning. Didn't you know that this would happen?"
I shifted uncomfortably on the table I was sitting on. "I thought that I'd disabled the chip. I'm sorry if I caused you trouble..."
He sighed. "I'm always glad to help you out, Mara." He brushed my hair off of my neck, revealing the bite marks he'd left all that time ago. He leaned down and gently kissed the area. "I'm sorry that I did all those horrible things to you," he muttered. "I couldn't control myself. After that day, I...I hated everything about myself. I couldn't find the strength to move forward. Then I realized, I've been wanting to be with you for so long. Maybe if I tried hard enough, I could have you back at my side."
Tears began forming in my eyes. I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much," I cried.
He chuckled. "We see each other nearly every day at school."
"But that isn't you, Aaron," I said quietly. "Standing here in front of me is who I've missed." I reached out to cup his cheek in my hand. "You're...you're the only person I could ever love."
He didn't waste time after that. He pulled me into a passionate kiss, wrapping his arms around my waist tightly.
I returned his action without hesitation. I'd been wanting this for so long, that I didn't dare hold back. I'd been craving his kisses for over a year, and I was finally able to get him back.
"Mariella," Aaron breathed. At this, he began to murmur sweet things in my ear. He spoke to me in Spanish like he always used to. He told me a few years prior that he learned to speak it so that I would fall in love with him. I can't say that it didn't work...
I looked him in the eyes. "It's like I've fallen for you all over again," I whispered.
He smiled, then leaned down to press his lips against mine again.
I tangled my fingers in his hair, kissing him back like it was the last thing I'd do.
He slid his hands under my thighs, effortlessly picking me up and bringing me over to the couch. He pulled away slowly.
I breathed in as much air as I possibly could, then immediately went back to kissing him.
He ran his tongue along my bottom lip.
I didn't even hesitate to allow him an entrance. I was completely delirious and practically drunk with the feeling of lust.
Aaron's hands wandered all over my body, not stopping for a single moment.
"Aaron," I breathed. My body shook as I breathed heavily.
He didn't respond, but instead trailed kisses down my neck. Even after he reached my shoulder, he continued to go lower. "Were you trying to seduce me with this outfit?" he asked in a husky voice. "I know you, Mari, and you'd never wear something like this to fight."
"Let's just say I figured I might run into some problems," I mumbled.
Aaron, seeming to have understood what I meant way too easily, grabbed my waist tighter. "Don't tell me you were gonna use your body to get your way," he growled.
"Aaron, I—"
He kissed me deeply, immediately forcing his tongue into my mouth.
My eyes widened. Soon enough, though, I found myself kissing him back.
"You should only ever show yourself to me," he snapped. "No one else needs to see you because..." He buried his face in my neck. "Because they don't deserve it. I love you, so I'm not willing to share."
I gently ran my hands through his hair. "I'm glad you feel that way..."
He hugged me tightly. "What do we do now?" he murmured.
"I came here for a reason," I said quietly. "I can't stay with you, Aaron."
He looked up at me. "Mari, I wanted to tell you this. I...I don't want—" He was interrupted by someone banging on the door. His expression immediately hardened. "Get under the table," he said.
"What?" I asked with wide eyes.
"I don't want anyone else to know you're here." He leaned down to kiss my forehead gently.
I nodded.
Aaron opened the door just enough that he was the only thing that could be seen.
"What are you doing here?" a gruff voice snapped.
Aaron sighed. "I thought this was something important. James, I don't need your crap right now."
"I'm on patrol," James replied. "I need to know why you haven't shown up in the cages."
Aaron clenched his fists. "Eli has exempt me from my duties today," he growled. "If you have any further questions, you may take it up with him."
James scoffed. "You expect me to believe that? And who are you hiding in here? Don't think I can't feel her presence."
"You have no business here," Aaron snapped. "If you don't leave, I won't hesitate to show you my authority."
At that, James shoved open the door.
I stood, a deep scowl etched on my face.
James grinned. "So Our Lady has returned."
Aaron stepped in front of me protectively. "You will leave immediately and not tell anyone of this meeting," he snarled.
James laughed. "You really think I'm going to listen to you?"
My scowl deepened. In one swift motion, I pushed past Aaron and lunged at James. I grabbed him by his neck, then shoved him against the door frame.
"I...can't breathe..." he choked out.
I grinned. "Good. Now, listen to me. If you don't cooperate, I won't hesitate to take matters into my own hands." I let him drop to the floor, then turned to Aaron. "Let's go."
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"The showroom," I replied simply.
He grabbed my wrist, pulling me back to him. "Don't you know how dangerous that is?" he snapped.
"Aaron," I answered stiffly, "you may be free to walk around this place tonight, but I came here to fight."
He sighed. "I'm warning you, just be careful."
