C8 Chapter 8

"I heard Uncle from your mouth after so many years," my uncle remarked. I lowered my head.

Uncle immediately said, "Come on, sit here."

I sat next to him on his bed, still staring down.

He said, "Ivy, are you still mad at me?"

In answer to his question, I said nothing.

Do you want to hear that I still love you, or do you want me to beg you to accept my emotions?

"Uncle, have a rest," I murmured as I got out of bed.

He called me "Ivy" once again. My eyes were welling up with tears.

Maybe it was because I did not want to face him, or maybe it was because I was seeing you again. My thoughts wandered back to an old memory. I didn't look at him.

He said, "Look at me."

"Please, uncle, let me leave," I said. I was about to walk away, but he grabbed my hand firmly. A chilly breeze chilled my spine. My heart began to beat rapidly.

"Ivy, I think you have completely forgotten about the past. I don't mind that because you were a little girl at that time," he said.

Hearing his remarks made my blood simmer with rage. I turned to face him, and he was staring at me.

‘Ivy, it's not you. Why are you so jittery when it comes to his case? He was your childhood crush; no, he was your first love, and he is still your true love. He was the first man who refused my touch and pushed me away.’ My inner self spoke out.

I gritted my teeth, then forced myself to smile at him and let go of his grasp on my hand.

"Uncle, do you think I'm sexy now?" I said this as I placed his hand around my waist.

He jerked his hand and said, "Ivy."

I pushed him onto the bed and got on top of him. Surprisingly, he was staring at me with widened eyes.

I put my thumb on his lips and murmured, "I'm not that 11-year-old kid, uncle. I'm now 19 years old. I'm no longer afraid of your yelling or scolding, and I will not listen to you." I stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I walked out of his room, winking at him.

Uncle was looking at me with widening eyes until I walked out of his room.

‘Her behavior astounded me. I was still lying down on the bed. Fuck! This girl! She is still the same as before. She gets crazier and crazier as time goes on. Is it possible that I'll make the same mistake by coming here again?’ Aaron thought as he grabbed his mouth.

[On the other side of the story],

I dashed into my room and jumped into bed. I was just thinking about what I did a few seconds ago. I smiled as I pressed my lips together. I wanted to kiss you on the lips.

Fuck!

Suddenly, my smile faded, and my inner voice began to speak. "You know what, Ivy? You're such a shameless jerk. Did you really forget what he did to you?"

How am I supposed to forget that? But if he's actually back here, I will not abandon him.

I pressed her lips together and began to remember a time when I was 11 years old and Aaron was 16 years old.

[A flashback]

Ivy said, "Mom, I'm going outside."

Ivy took her racket and ball downstairs to play badminton. But then she stopped as she noticed a boy in their drawing room. She went there with a lot of curiosity.

"Hello," Ivy said as a greeting.

She smiled as she said hello. That boy smiled and gazed at her with widened eyes, but he didn't say hello.

When Ivy did not get the answer, she gently touched his hand and abruptly shook it. "Hey, can you speak?" she asked.

But he jerked his hand away from her and stood up from the sofa. Ivy stared at him with her eyes narrowing. Ivy thought that boy was afraid of her.

"Come along with me. I'm going to play a match of badminton," she said.

Then he began to speak. He stated, "I don't want to play badminton."

"Why?" she asked. "Or don't you know how to play?" she added.

"No, I'm not interested in playing with you," he stated flatly. Hearing him, Ivy was a little disappointed that he refused to play with her. She sat enraged on the sofa and said, "Tell me why?"

"You don't know how to play," Ivy said. When he heard her, he frowned and said, "Do you know how to swim?"

Ivy stopped smiling and nodded. "I know, at first glance. I assumed you didn't know how to swim," he said.

"How?" she asked.

He said, "I won't tell you."

"But why?" Ivy again asked.

In a single word, he stated, "My wish." Ivy began nagging, "Noooo, tell me."

He nodded, "No."

"Hey!" Ivy was going to say, but her dad walked into the room.

"Aaron," Mr. Franklin called him. Ivy first looked at her dad, then at him.

That boy said, "Brother."

"How are you doing?" Mr. Franklin asked.

He nodded as if everything was OK. After that, Aaron and Franklin hugged.

"Aaron, please have a seat. Dad told me everything over the phone. Please feel free to ask anything, okay?" stated Mr. Franklin.

"Ivy, honey, come here," Franklin said.

"Daddy," Ivy said with a smile as she approached him.

"He's your uncle," Dad said upon introducing him to me.

"Uncle? But, Dad, he's still a kid. He couldn't possibly be my uncle, could he?"

Aaron looked down as he heard Franklin’s laugh.

"So, what, baby?" Franklin said.

"No, I will not call him uncle." Ivy smiled at him and replied, "I'll call him by his name." But he gave an unpleasant grimace.

"All right, call him anything you want, and now take him to his room," Franklin said.

"Which one, dad?" Gleefully, Ivy asked.

"It's up to you, my princess," Franklin said, patting Ivy’s head.

"Then I'll take him upstairs to be near my room," Ivy answered with a nod. Franklin smiled and nodded.

Ivy smiled and grabbed his hand, saying, "Come with me." He narrowed his eyes, but Ivy disregarded his irritated expression and led him to his room.