BEING BULLIED

Aurora stared at Ava, watching each of her movements with interest in her eyes.


However, Ava was quite oblivious of her intent look as she was too busy stirring the content in the pan on the cooker.


“I hope you like it, Aurora,” Ava sneaked a quick look at her and let out with a cheery smile.


“Are you really not going to talk about it?” Ava challenged, folding up her little arms around her chest.


Ava looked back at her cute little face which had gone twisted comically, “Talk about what, dear?”


“Zac. My Uncle,”


Ava’s lips upturned in a small smile, “What do you want me to talk about him?”


“Do you like him, my Uncle?” Aurora asked in a low expectant voice, batting her eyelids at Ava who in turn smoothed her hair and turned back to what she was doing.


“What are you saying, Aurora?” she asked with a small breath.


Aurora then clicked her tongue and rolled her eyeballs, “I know what I’m saying, Ava. It’s obvious that Zac likes you, so I want to be sure if you like him back. I wouldn’t want him to be in one-sided love,” she expressed easily, stunning Ava.



She gaped. For goodness sake, this girl was a six years old kid. Wasn’t she way too smarter than her age?


“How could you tell your Uncle likes me?” she grumbled out, pinning some stray strands of her hair behind an ear as if she was nervous.


Aurora then adjusted rapidly on the countertop she was sitting on as though this matter was of utmost important to her.


“Yesterday was probably the tenth or twelfth I’ll be seeing Zac but do you know what, Ava? He had never smiled at me the way he smiled at you yesterday, I mean… ” she paused for a second to catch her breath.


“I mean, his usual cold face had a smiling one, all because of you, Ava. It was really amazing to Zac smile like that, believe me. And I’m hundred percent sure that everyone in this household would have heard of it,”


A blush burned Ava’s cheeks and she quickly hide her face beneath her long hair.


Did he really smile at her yesterday? She thought within herself.


In a matter of moments, they were at the dining table. Ava served Aurora lunch; canna ed corned beef sandwich with eggs.


After she was done, she attempted to walk out of the dining room but Aurora’s voice stopped her.


“What are you trying to do, Ava? Come on, let’s dine together,” she urged her, setting her fork into the beef already.


Ava reluctantly sat down and blurted her mind, “Is it okay for me to eat with you?”


“Why not? You’re totally different from other babysitters which makes me like you,” Aurora said through a mouthful, without raising her head.


Ava was pleased by her response and just as she started to relax, “Moreover, you are Zac’s queen now, which gives you every right to his entire empire,” Aurora blurted in an a matter-of-fact tone.


Ava pursed her lips and didn’t bother to say anything to what Aurora had just said.


After three seconds, Nick emerged in the doorway, “Mr. Zachary is here,” he notified and when Ava looked over at him, a smirk came lingering on his lips.


“Did you hear that?” Aurora grinned at Ava and then flickered her gaze toward Nick.


“How many times does Zac come to this place in a week before, Nick?” she asked.


“Two to three times and not in a row,” Nick answered, having a growing smile on his lips.


Aurora nodded in agreement, “So, am I the only one thinking there’s a sole reason behind his often visit now?”


Nick shook his head dramatically, “Definitely not only you, Pumpkin. The reason has to do more with…” he deliberately trailed off, landing his gaze on Ava as well as Aurora.


Ava couldn’t help but blush terribly at their words.
Right then, some heavy footsteps drew near and Ava swiftly looked up to see him standing in the middle of the little crowd behind him.


Nick had moved back instantly to also stand behind him.


He was dressed in a custom-made suit with smooth edges and no creases, which made him look rich and noble.


His face sharpened, all had lines, all ice, all Zachary Gonzalez.


Ava struggled to stand on her feet as she had become vulnerable under his intimidating eyes.


“Nannies are not allowed to sit anywhere close to their boss or family member. Where are your manners?” Arianna scowled darkly, moving toward Ava.


“Hey, she’s not a nanny but my friend, and who are you to give orders here?” Aurora slammed back, right before Ava could form actual words to reply.


The air in the room felt quiet and empty, just like the air before a violent storm.


“Who’s she, Zac? Tell her to get out of here!” Aurora got on her feet and cried out.


“Get back here, Arianna,” Reid warned her.


She shot Ava a final glare before taking three steps back to where she was standing previously.


“You are losing it,” Lee muttered to her hearing from the crowd but all she could do was glower.


All this time, Zac hadn’t unfastened his gaze from Ava’s petite figure who had been fiddling with her wet and sticky fingers.


“You can go ahead first, guys,” he spoke up for the first time and the tension pacified a bit.


“Okay, boss,” Reid and Lee said in unison but Arianna wasn’t budging and continued to stare at Zac’s back with widened eyes.


“Boss, we have to…” she was saying but Lee immediately covered her mouth with his palm, shutting her up, and then grabbed her to walk away.


Yet, she was trying to prove to be stubborn. She turned her face away, “Let go of me, Lee,” her nose flared.


Nick and some other men in the room watched her with puzzlement.


Reid ran out of patience and also grabbed her other hand and together, they hauled her out of the house, only letting her go when they got to their car in the parking lot.


“Get a grip of yourself, Arianna. This ain’t funny,” Reid raised his voice a little, obviously upset with her.


Instead of responding to Reid, she turned to Lee and looked up at his face squarely, “Tell me honestly, Lee. Was she the same girl Boss had asked you to spy on?” she asked, her heart constricting.


“Yes, Arianna. Can we start leaving now?” Lee said merely and turned around to open the driver’s seat door.


Reid had already settled down in the passenger seat, only waiting for Arianna who had stood frozen in a place.



Inside the mansion…


Zac’s sturdy was now crouching above Ava, the lust flashing in his eyes was very intense and almost overflowed but he was still forcing himself to restrain.


“Can I borrow her for some moments, Aurora?” he requested without peeling her gaze away from Ava’s face.


“You didn’t seek permission from me yesterday, why are you doing that now?” Aurora said with a little huff and walked away.


She was mad at him for not rebuking Arianna earlier on.


“I think she’s upset,” Ava said in a light tone, watching Aurora slip out the doorway.
.

“I’ll take care of my niece later,” after he said that, he brought his head closer and his lips were right next to her ear, almost touching her skin.


“But I need to take care of you first,” the hot air exhaled when he spoke was sprayed densely and this made her feel slightly itchy.


In a swift, he bent and swept her off her feet and then stabled her in his arms.


Ava was taken aback, “No, no, Zac. Put me down,” she said in a quick but low voice.


Zac didn’t react to her words, only glancing down at her occasionally as he found his way to his room.


Ava covered her face with her both palms and stayed in his arm quietly.


Zac arrived in his bedroom and shut the door with his leg.


Soon, he lowered Ava on the bed and towered above her.
Ava’s pulse began racing, her breathing heavy and strained.


Zac reached out his hand and tucked away a few strains of her hair, “You don’t allow yourself to be bullied by others like that, Ava,”


Ava blinked, this was probably the first or second time she heard him say her name.


“That wasn’t bullying. She only stated the fact,” she defended.


Zac didn’t say anything afterward, but his expression didn’t change.


“You want to say something?” his voice grew small, his fingers gliding across her face and then pressing on her lips.


“About the chauffeur, you assigned to me, I’m not comfortable with it. I’m sorry,” she said with a small breath.


“And you think I’ll be comfortable with my girl boarding buses and taxis?”


After saying this, he lightly kissed her forehead and then he moved down and kissed her lips.



He ran his hand over her soft curves, moving his mouth over hers until she gave in with a low moan. Her brain melted in a puddle of heat and sensation.


She thought her mind went whirling away on the fingers of the storm wind that engulfed her. Her bones seemed to turn to water…boiling water.


His hand moved along her hip to hold her more intimately against him as his tongue teased her lips apart.


Enthralled, Ava smiled in between the profound kiss and wound her arms around his neck, and matched his passion.