Unexpected Driver Fate

Chapter 2

Aiden woke up, his cell phone ringing. Eri called, but he didn't answer the call. His head hurt and his body felt crushed. 

"Why am I here?"

"You fainted," said the nurse.

"I have to go." Aiden got out of bed.

He rushed out of the hospital, he'd been fired, which meant the company didn't cover his health insurance anymore. And he didn't have the money to linger there.

He arrived at the apartment with a hungry stomach and a disheveled appearance. 

"Why are you here?" Aiden found Eri sitting in front of her apartment door.

"Ai, you're back. Let's open the door quickly."

It was a cheap apartment without a password, he had to use a key. That was why Eri couldn't get in and Aiden had never given Eri a spare key.

Eri lay on the bed, but her eyes scanned every part of the apartment. If Aiden got the money, where would he put it?

"You should have called me." Aiden undressed to get ready for his shower.

"I called you, but you didn't pick up your phone."

Eri only called once, after which her phone would be filled with Duke and Alice. She didn't want to talk to them.

"I have to turn off the sound." Aiden walked into the bathroom. 

It was getting dark out there. Eri got out of bed and started going through Aiden's closet, the bed. There was no more room and Eri found nothing.

"Where is the envelope?" She checked every corner. 

After looking at the closet and the bed once more, she finally decided to check under the bed. Eri turned her head, the sound of water from the bathroom could still be heard.

It was an old-fashioned bed. At the head of the bed, Eri found an envelope underneath. The envelope looked the same. Eri checked it and there were a few dollars.

"Eri, what are you doing?"

Eri turned around and hid the envelope behind her. She couldn't take her eyes off Aiden at the moment. The boy's hair was wet, his upper body exposed, only a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Are you hungry?" Aiden walked to the closet, grabbing a t-shirt and shorts.

"It's fine." Eri sat down and put the envelope under her ass.

Aiden checked the cabinet where he kept dry food. There was only cereal there, in the refrigerator there was only coke.

"I'm going to buy groceries."

"Use this." Eri handed him her credit card. Aiden was still silent. "Just use it, please, I'm hungry."

"Yes, ma'am," Aiden said jokingly.

As soon as Aiden left the apartment, Eri immediately checked the envelope. She wondered if Aiden had really stolen the company's money. Before Aiden returned to the apartment, Eri quickly returned the envelope to its place.

Aiden ordered ramen, and they sat on the floor to eat. The lights in Aiden's apartment weren't very bright either, but Eri could see how Aiden ate like that, quite fast. She didn't know if Aiden was starving or if it was his childhood habit. 

"You should go home, it's late," Aiden said, resting his head on the edge of the bed, as did Eri.

"Are you kicking me out?"

"No, you're not going to college tomorrow? I can't drop you off."

"I want to stay here for one day." Eri rested her head on Aiden's shoulder.

That answer seemed funny to Aiden. There was a cozy house to stay in tonight, but Eri wanted to sleep in this tiny bed instead.

Eri had to ask now. She had to confirm everything, then decide which story to believe.

"Ai, tell me a lie."

Aiden chuckled. "Why, is this some kind of game?"

"Yes, a possible lie, that's the name of the game. Here we go. Hmm..." Eri pretended to think, "I caught Duke cheating once."

That sentence changed Aiden's face, his smile instantly gone. 

"Ai, come on."

"Okay, hm, I was once in jail for stealing a sandwich."

Eri pretended to laugh, she had to direct Aiden to mention the money. She mumbled for a while, thinking hard.

"I once paid someone to write my thesis."

Aiden made a shocked face, then laughed while shaking his head.

"That's a lie," Eri said defensively.

"Okay, okay. Hm, I once stole food from a convenience store."

Eri wondered why the lies Aiden told were always about theft.

"Tell me something else, something related to work."

"Hm... I once took company money."

Eri was silent as she looked at Aiden in disbelief. That had to be one of the true lies. She had to make a decision, but it was hard.

Until they slept on the narrow bed, Eri still couldn't close her eyes. Eri had her back to Aiden. The window was deliberately kept open so that the room temperature was a little cooler.

Aiden woke up first, he went straight to the bathroom. Eri also woke up with a sore back.

"Can't you take today off? I want to talk about something." Eri looked at Aiden, who had just come out of the bathroom. The boy's hair was wet.

"Why?" Aiden approached, putting one leg up on the bed. "You have plans this morning."

"Aiden, stop. I don't like it." Eri held Aiden's cold and wet chest.

"I can't." Aiden turned around and put on some clothes. "Unless you're my boss."

"I should be CEO of that company, so I can see you every day."

Aiden smiled, feeling like he had done the right thing, to make Eri feel that he was loved. Aiden had to maintain their relationship.

He kissed the top of Eri's head. "Bye, call me when you leave."

Aiden had to find a new job while figuring out how to get back to that bank.

"You should call your parents, they must be worried," Aiden said before leaving.

After Aiden closed the door, Eri looked for paper and pen. She was silent for a moment and then started writing.

The clock turned fast, the sky turned dark. Streetlights flashed, the sound of horns filled the intersection. Aiden went home with the cheeseburger. 

As he turned into the narrow alleyway that led to his apartment, he noticed a few people outside looking up at the small window on the second floor.

Nothing stood in Aiden's way as he pushed his way through the crowd and up to the second floor. Aiden saw that the door to his apartment was firmly closed.

"Eri," he called, putting in the key with a trembling hand.

But Aiden couldn't open the door, the handle had been tampered with and didn't work. He tried breaking the door several times while shouting Eri's name, but it wouldn't open.

Eri, can't die, that woman can't die now.