Although Xiran would have preferred to call him he didn’t want to leave Aselia alone and certainly didn’t want to wake her up.

Xiran texted him in the middle of the night:

[ Rivi!!! u awake buddy. Reply to me as soon as you get this. Don’t call.]

Rivan was fast asleep but woke up from the notification. This was his private number and only a select few had it. He blinked his eyes a few times to wake his senses and then peeked at the phone with hazy eyes.

All his sleep evaporated when he saw it was Xiran’s text with a condition not to call. He found it strange but he knew that Xiran was spending time away with Aselia. Actually, most of it was planned by Rivan so they would get to know each other better.

He opened the message box and texted back:

[ Hey, Xi!!! what’s up? Is everything ok with the two of you? I am here. ]

Xiran saw his friend’s message and replied:

[ No, I think Aselia has PTSD. I just found her punching a tree in the middle of the night, Rivan. Not a punching bag, not something soft but a fucking tree. Her hands are severely bruised and she won’t talk to me. She was fine before sleeping and we had a great day. I don’t know what happened and can’t understand what to say to her.]

Rivan got a bit anxious reading that. Xiran was always gentle and knew how to handle ladies but this new territory was alien to him. Besides, Aselia was not a regular girl, Rivan had figured that out when he met her for the first time. And her calmness after the incident always indicated to him that she will break down in the future.

Rivan replied:

[ Xi, she needs a psychiatrist. Arrange one for her, this is not normal behaviour. And be there for her, keep her calm no matter what. Self-harm is no joke. ]

Xiran read his friend’s message and knew he was right. He had to take Aselia to a psychiatrist. So he answered back:

[ Yes I am thinking of asking Wanstine to refer a psychiatrist so I can take her. The thing is will Aselia agree to go? She is so stubborn and she wears out all my patience at times. ]

Rivan replied:

[ Just tell her that she has to attend one session. If she doesn’t like it she won’t have to go again. I am sure she will understand. Talk to her when she is in a good mood. ]

Xiran knew it will not be that easy and he wanted to pour his heart out to his friend:

[ If only everything was that easy with Aselia. Man, I have been doing everything you asked me. But this love thing is so much harder than I had anticipated. Every day she finds new words or ways to trample all over my heart. At one time she agrees on something and the next moment she negates it. Her heart doesn’t sync with her brain and she listens to her brain. Always leaving me hot and cold. Tell me this gets easier. ]

Rivan couldn’t suppress a chuckle seeing his friend’s reply. Aselia had done a number on him, good, he needed to experience this. He thought back to the day about 3 weeks ago when Xiran had told him about how he felt about her. Asking for advice on how to approach her, and how to know if she felt something for him as well. Unluckily for Xiran, there was no easy way when it came down to love.

So Rivan wrote back:

[ Sorry for being a harbinger of bad news Xi, but there is no easy way when it comes to love. Lust is easy, love is hard work. If you truly believe she is the one for you then you will need all the patience in the world. Besides you always had more patience when it comes down to humans and elves. All I can say is to be there for her, especially when she is at her low. If anyone can win her over, it’s you. ]

Xiran read his friend’s message multiple times, he felt a bit of dread but there was also hope. He had chosen this path of his own accord. He chose Aselia because he loved a challenge and no one had challenged him as she did. The world and circumstances might be against them but he wanted them to have a chance at this. If only she would open up to him and trust him.

Xiran replied while stealing a glance at Aselia who was sleeping peacefully now:

[ Then wish me good luck because I am going to need it, I want to see this through. I am not ready to lose her. ]

Rivan then texted:

[ Good luck, I believe in you. And you know I am only a text or call away if you need me. Keep me posted. ]

[ I will.]

This was the last message Xiran sent before putting away his phone and glancing at her. He slowly lowered his face and kissed her hair and she stirred.

Her hand reached out and grabbed his leg before pulling it closer. She placed her head on his thigh, cuddling it and went back to sleep. Her cheek was pressed into his muscular leg. Warmth flooded his body at her gesture. He moved her hair from her face and kept stroking them. While she slept he remained awake, sleep had defied him. He wore a stern expression.

Morning came and he was still awake when she finally opened her eyes. She felt warm and soft, she was covered with a blanket and her head was on...

What? Where was she sleeping? She instantly got up and scurried away from him, looking embarrassed. Xiran noticed that.

"Still angry at me?" He inquired in a soft voice, not trying to alarm her. He was sitting with his back to the bed and his legs were spread in front of him and she had been sleeping on them meaning he couldn’t lie down. His face still had dried blood on his left cheek where she had slapped him. Their eyes met and events of the night flashed past her.

"Damnit," she cursed under her breath. She knew she owed him an apology for she had failed to keep her cool. This could have blown in her face, what was she thinking? The thing was, she wasn’t thinking. She looked down at her hands and he had bandaged them.

"Sorry for last night. I was disrespectful, insulting and rude. And I shouldn’t have slapped you." She spoke still looking at her hands.

"The only thing that hurt me was the sight of your hands and how you don’t trust me enough to share what you have been going through." Only if he knew she couldn’t share those details with him.

"I will make sure to not repeat it." She still didn’t look at him and instead stared at her hands as she flipped them. He shifted closer to her and lifted her head with his index finger.

The sunlight filtered through the crevice in the curtains and fell on her face and hair, setting them on fire. Her turquoise eyes swirled as they held a thousand emotions of which she only shared a few with him. His heart fluttered at the sight for he wanted to feel all those emotions.

"Come sit with me. I want to tell you something." She shifted closer to him and sat down with her back against the bed too. He took her hand in his before speaking.

"Remember once I told you a story about an angel who was imprisoned by the devil?" Aselia nodded at his question.

"That was my parent’s story. From the time my memories began to develop I saw my mother suffering at the hands of my father. My mother came from a faraway planet called ’Tromalius’. People of that planet are called ’Malikus’ and are known for their silver hair, wings and unique powers. My mother, Surilla, was their explorer and traveller, she travelled to different planets and galaxies, gathering information. She came here 67 years ago and unfortunately, she met my father.

Her wings were special, they could transport her to the destination of her choice, and that’s how she travelled intergalactically. Soon, she fell in love with my father who can be a real charmer for the fulfilment of his agenda..." Xiran paused as if remembering something painful. His face contorted with disgust. Aselia listened on without interrupting him.

He then continued with the story: "My father learnt her secret or you can say she told him all about herself. She trusted him and felt smitten by my father who charmed her and proposed to her. She said yes and they got married. But after marriage, everything began to change. His whole fake facade began to dissolve and he began to show his true colours.

She then decided to return to her planet, leaving him behind. But he learnt of her plan and then he inflicted something so painful on her..." Xiran closed his eyes as if trying to calm himself down, there was so much pain on his face.