[13]: the breakfast

________________________ 13 the breakfast "Can you tell me what you did that every meal I now take is clouded with thoughts of you?" ________________________ He declared that he has to apologize as subtly as he can. That quickly went down the drain though when he recalled trying that approach a few years back and he ended up being yelled, s*****d and walked away from, the first thing coming out of her mouth the instant she realized what he was doing being, "If you're going to apologize, at least do it right!". Needless to say, it was pretty much a disaster. And so now, Alexander had two choices—either he straight up apologizes or he stalls and apologizes discreetly, which, normally, is his usual approach when it comes to things like this. However, he quickly realized that his usual approach is going to be quite difficult to achieve since this is Aurora he's dealing with, but it might be his best chance of getting himself in her good graces. If he apologizes head on, he's bound to get the cold treatment and an argument right away—how could he not? Aurora would surely say some crude comments and act all snooty; she won't be Aurora if she's not like that. But if he stalls, there's a high chance he's going to end up bruised once again. How high of a chance? A very high chance. Alexander released a brief sigh before pushing the door open, his eyes instantly scanning the area to set his gaze on a certain blue-eyed, leggy, blonde-haired woman wearing a sports attire that made her even more drool-worthy and amazing to the eyes. At the near end of the western most corner, he found the woman he was looking for, looking down at her food with a look so filled with the slightest contempt and the slightest misery. He quietly made his way to where she was sat, thankful that she has her head down and was unable to detect his presence because he's pretty sure that if she were to see him now, she would probably give him her coldest, most menacing glare that would be enough to make him stop in his tracks for once—well, not really since this is hardly the first time she would probably give him that look but the effect it has on him is still the same—halting steps, fast-beating heart, frowning lips and nerve-wracking gaze. Heaving in a big breath and releasing it almost instantly, he sat down on the chair opposite of hers, the scraping noise it made against the tiled floor making her look up from the distracted gaze she was sending her breakfast. It honestly made her think how long it would take for him to realize how his words sounded, considering how he's completely useless when it comes to things like that—well, not really; he just has a shortage in his brain and mentality most of the time. Alexander has told her a lot of stupid things in the past and she's already used to it by now. So why in hell is she affected by his words now? She thinks that maybe it has to do with the fact that she forgot that she got used to it or maybe because she still has feelings for him and hearing him say those words only made her aching heart ache even more. If she were being honest, she really had no time to deal with the ache in her heart the first time she saw him again because it was instantly overrun by rage and anger; even more so when the bastard decided it would be a great idea to make her his personal assistant. Seriously, who does that? Well, Alexander Giovanni that is. Why did she even think about expecting anything less from him? So being alone at her table at the cafe, her breakfast left untouched and her hot chocolate billowing a wisp of smoke, she finally had the time to attend to her still broken heart. She thought she was over all the heartache after three long years of her friends helping her through it—and she honestly believed she was—but all of that went down the drain yesterday: the day she saw Alexander "The Bastard" Giovanni again. It also didn't help at all that his cool and profound silver eyes were the first thing she saw, his medium-length silky, smooth blonde hair making his eyes look all the more magnificent and his demeanor and aura all but radiating a certain effect that only he could manage to pull off. Everything only worsened when she saw and remembered his choice of clothing and his choice of style: button-up shirts tucked in those fitting trousers or slacks along with that usual dress shoes of his that never fails to make him look all the more alluring—he always goes for the smart casual type of look. Seriously, why does he have to be so goddamn good-looking? All of those things were the thoughts running through her mind. So the moment she looked up from her breakfast to look at the person who was audacious enough to join her at her table without her consent, she really thought the world was cursing and punishing her for all of her sins and mistakes. She could only stare at his serene face for a minute or two, taking in the beautiful yet heartbreaking sight in front of her before she shook herself out of her daydream and matched his equally blank expression. Releasing an exhausted sigh, she propped up her left elbow and rested her cheek against her palm. "Anything I can do for you, Giovanni?" She asked, her eyes gazing over at him with feigned boredom. The moment he heard her reply and the way his family name rolled out of her tongue, he pressed his lips in a thin line; he instantly knew that the woman was still mad, irritated and frustrated at him—she only ever calls him by his family name when she's pissed, upset or both. It only made him make his decision even harder because he knows that no matter what option he chooses, it would still blow up in his face. His mind was quick to go over all the pros and cons of each of his choices, but not quick enough apparently because the next thing he knew, Aurora stared at him expectantly and said, "Look, if you have nothing to say, then just get the hell out of here. I'm trying to eat my breakfast in peace, in case you haven't noticed." He knew in that moment that he needed to make a decision quickly. So without thinking it any further, he went with whatever he has a response to her statement. "You'll be in more peace than you have ever been with my presence being near you. Trust me, it's quite beneficial for you." He could really cut off his tongue and stitch his mouth with his reply. How unlucky is he? The first thing that his mind was able to conjure as a response was in line with the "stall and apologize subtly" kind of choice. Is this his punishment for being callous? Aurora immediately narrowed her eyes at him, definitely not wanting to deal with this type of attitude of his right now. If possible, she just really doesn’t want to deal with him any longer because honestly, she’s not sure she’s in the right state of mind to play along with his ways of things. "I'm in no mood for your games. I just want to eat my breakfast and enjoy my time alone." She said, the warning in her voice too palpable for the guy sitting opposite of her to miss. "Did you hear that? Time alone. Meaning, without you." Alexander decided that he should just get on with it and continue what he started. There's no harm in trying the second option first anyway—he could always try the first one another time when he gets the chance--which would probably be a long shot. Still, it’s better to continue where he left off than change tactics all of a sudden. Doing that would only ensure himself more hostility from the blonde woman, and that’s hardly the result he’s going for right now. So with a smirk plastered on his face, he reached out and grabbed a hash brown from her plate, pointedly ignoring her glare and took a bite out of it. "Oh come on. Don't be like that. Everything is much more fun when you're with someone." He said, taking another bite out of the food in his hand. At that moment, Alexander could slowly feel his nerves eating him alive. Is he asking for a death wish or something? It’s common knowledge that taking food from her would not be the wisest decision there is if you still want everything in your body to remain intact. However, he also knows that showing her any signs of weakness or fear is not the best way to go as well--the woman would eat him alive with her sharp tongue and razor blade words until it crushes him completely and thoroughly. "Not when that someone is you." She deadpanned, her eyes still showing the dullness that Alexander hates to see on her. It just seemed so out of place, that seeing that would only ruin such pretty eyes. Her eyes are already beautiful as they are and having that negativity dancing in those mesmerizing orbs just don’t sit right with him--no matter how long it’s been. "And who told you that you could just get my food from my plate?" She pulled her plate closer to her, trying to shield it from Alexander's prying hands. "If you want to eat, get your own food." The bastard only released a chuckle and took yet another bite from the hash brown he took from her plate. He kept his gaze on her as he did so, silently telling her that a challenge from her is welcome any time. With the way things are going, Alexander is certain that he’s not going to make it out of here alive. He just had to go and provoke her, don’t he? What a stupid mistake it was he made. Aurora huffed as she crossed her arms with her eyes looking at her in a more leveled manner than before. Honestly, he gets even more annoying when he's done something wrong that he's not even aware of. Her gaze remained on him even after he gave her a smirk, resulting in her, narrowing her eyes at him further. "Well? Go and get your own food!" She exclaimed, desperate to get him out of her sight so she could dwell on her emotions as peacefully as possible. With the source of her dilemma just sitting there within arm’s reach doesn’t even help matters at all since it would only open up old wounds and old scars. "But sharing is caring, isn't it?" He gazed at her impishly. "Too bad I'm not sharing and I definitely don't care." She replied, rolling her bright blue eyes when she heard the chuckle that came out of his mouth once again. "We both know I can change that." He then grabbed her hot chocolate and brought the cup to his lips, taking a sip out of it right after. And all she could do was gape at him, unable to believe that he actually did what he did. First her hash brown, and now her hot chocolate? Is this guy seriously testing her patience? Does he not remember how he ended up during the last time he stole food from her plate within asking her first? "Now come on, finish your breakfast. We still have to help Sally with the bakery." And then he called a waitress over to order his own food. "How wonderful. You could actually order your own food." Aurora stated sarcastically when the waitress walked away to take his order to the kitchen, making the guy across her gaze at her with an amused smirk plastered on his lips. She matched his stare, unwilling to lose to the silent staring contest that is going on between the both of them. "I try." He said, the smirk on his face still intact. "I thought it would be a great idea to join you for breakfast." "And a great idea to ruin my appetite?" She queried, taking the chance to let him know that she's absolutely irritated by his actions and antics. But, as per usual, Alexander only smirked and continued teasing her, even after his ordered food arrived. She released a sigh as she added, "Couldn't you really leave me alone and not ruin my day?" There was something about the way she said it that only made him even more determined to not leave her alone. Doing the exact opposite of what she says is the one of the things that he's absolutely great at, managing to always piss Aurora off even more. He's not entirely sure if that's included in his list of life-long goals, but it's pretty close. After all, it’s pretty fun seeing her getting all worked up because of him and his effective techniques. "Leaving you alone seems to be quite impossible." He remarked, picking up his fork and knife right after to cut a piece of pancake on his plate. "I keep finding myself drawn to you in every way possible." His gaze flitted to Aurora's for a split second, the smirk on his face never lifting up. For the short amount of time he's seen her face, he was quick to distinguish the annoyance burning in her eyes, even if it was well-hidden by the blankness mixed in them. Aurora blew a breath as she hardened her gaze on Alexander. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? I should have known from the very moment I met you that you would be a sadistic bastard." "So from the moment you were born, you already had the ability to scrutinize a person and assume that that person is something you concocted in your mind?" His face was void of emotion as he looked at her under his lashes and put a forkful of pancake inside his mouth. "What greatness." The dryness in his tone of voice didn't leave Aurora's attention. Aurora could describe Alexander in so many ways. If someone would ask her to, she would plunge right into it, wasting no time to describe the guy she knew her whole life, even going as far as to say that she could probably write a novel just by merely what she thinks of him alone. Her first thoughts when her ocean-like eyes met his luminescent, steely ones was that he is without a doubt the most handsome guy she has laid her eyes on, instantly mesmerized by the look on his eyes, even if it stared at her with such indifference and blankness. After that though, it quickly dawned on her that as beautiful as he is, he's still arrogant and haughty—and that was what urged her to get to know him better and to unravel his defenses. And right now, those thoughts still haven't changed—except for the getting to know him part. "Sometimes I wonder how I fell for those words once upon a time." She told him, pushing away her half-finished food to lean back on her seat and cross her arms against her chest. Even when he looked at her with that annoying smirk on his face, she didn't let it falter her; she stood her ground against the guy sitting in front of her. This wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence since it happened often during the years they spent together, but right now, she’s finding it more difficult to do so. Maybe it has to do with the fact that she isn’t that used to him yet after being apart for so long, but she knows it in herself that it really just comes down to the undeniable truth of her being easily distracted by his damned good looks. Also, seeing him turning out to be more handsome than he was the last time she saw him didn’t help alleviate the matter at all. "Not once upon a time. We both know you still fall for those words even after everything." He replied, chuckling when he noticed the scowl that was plastered on her lips. "And you don't have to wonder; you know perfectly well why you fall for those words." He grinned. "Did you hear that? Fall—as in present tense." "You're such an insufferable i***t, you know that?" She offered, eyes still watching him as he continued to eat his meal. "Thanks. I do try to be." He replied. All of a sudden, his mind reeled him back to the happenings earlier, instantly remembering what was his first intention. With his eyebrows furrowed in thought, his hands stilled their movements, not noticing that Aurora was already looking at him with curiosity as her eyes silently questioned him about his movements changing so rapidly.  Throughout their whole conversation, he hasn't been able to think of one way on how to make a subtle approach and offer his apology to the woman in front of him. His mind became too hazy and occupied for it to be able to think clearly the moment he focused all of his attention to her. She just has this effect on him that makes him forget about certain things and just enjoy what little time he has with her—well, if constantly annoying her counts, that is. When Aurora can't take anymore of his sudden weirdness, she relented. "Okay." She said, effectively gaining his attention. She’s probably going to regret this later, but right now, she‘s just going to go ahead and do it. "Is anything wrong?" Alexander only furrowed his eyebrows even more. He only looked at her for the longest time, trying to choose if it would be the perfect time to offer his apology or not. After thinking it through very carefully, he eventually made up his mind as he looked at her with burning determination, Aurora's words from before echoing in his mind. "Nothing." He replied, giving her a cheeky smile to reassure her that he's not lying. "Are you done yet? I'm pretty sure Sally is already waiting for us at the bakery." "Then let her wait." was Aurora's instant reply. "So if you had to choose, you would rather be with me than to be with her?" He queried, no trace of malice in his voice. He concluded that whether Aurora noticed it or not, is still debatable—judging by the look on her face. "How very presumptuous of you." He noticed immediately that her tone of voice had a hint of dryness to them. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't be around either of you." "And you're still in denial." Alexander quickly retorted. She shot him an annoyed stare, but he merely ignored it altogether. "And for your information, I was merely asking a question. I don't know why you had to take it as something else other than a question." "I was not—" Aurora released a breath before she looked at him with a barely suppressed irritation and a conflicted smile etched on her lips. "Okay you know what? I'm not even going to say anything else. Why do you always enjoy riling me up?" Alexander merely looked at her with vague amusement before he shook his head with a chuckle and asked for the bill, taking out his wallet in the process. "I don't know how your mind works sometimes, but I'm pretty sure my question wasn't to rile you up." He said, the smirk he plastered on his lips still intact. Ignoring his words along with the annoying look on his face, she mimicked her former lover's action and pulled out a few bills from her wallet to pay for her meal. "I can pay for my food." She tried placing her money on the money tray, but he was quicker; he had the tray gripped tightly on his left hand, holding it close to his chest to keep it away from her. "But I can pay for it too." He told her, purposely ignoring the bubble of protests that came out of her mouth. When she tried to reach for the money tray, he instinctively held her arm tightly to prevent her from reaching any further. He knows full well that he’s got an advantage when it comes to battle of heights, and there is just no way he’s not going to take full advantage of that, knowing that properly utilizing all his natural skills and talents would lead him to the victory that he so desires. Giving her a wink, he put his money on the money tray, never once letting go of his hold on her, knowing for a fact that the side of her lips is already tugged in an unpleasant snarl. "Let go of me." She tried ripping her arm from his grip but he only held on tighter. Instead of spewing out a response of his own, he used actions instead; he pulled her up by her arm, got out of his seat and pulled the stupefied woman towards him to ensure his success. He knew he was being his usual self that never failed to piss the hell out of her, but he finds it quite fun to do so—even if it meant always ending up on her bad side. "Stupid idiot." She muttered as he pulled her out of the cafe, the guy beside her pointedly ignoring the stares they were getting. How she's still not used to it from earlier because of their disastrous jog turned argument, she absolutely doesn't know. It's extremely unusual of her, but as of late, everything is already unusual—what's there to be more astonished about? Alexander replaced his smirk with a coy grin. "You always say that. Isn't there a new jibe you can indulge me with?" He asked, feeling her eyes narrow on him quite considerably. “Are your words already used up so early in the game? Come on, Aur. You can do better than this, can’t you?” Aurora gritted her teeth in annoyance at the guy pulling her along like some type of doll. How can one person be this irritating? "I'd rather not indulge you with anything." Came her instant reply. “Besides, aren’t you being too confident, thinking that I would even waste my time indulging you with anything?” “Well,” The grin plastered on his face already told her that whatever he’s going to say is going to be bad for her. “Why wouldn’t you?” He slowly placed his face near hers, the latter trying her hardest to create as much distance between them as possible. “Rule number one, right?”  Then he was out of her personal bubble before she even knew it. She glared at him as hard as she could. And as hard as she tried to wriggle her way out of Alexander's tight grip, he just won't budge no matter what. He merely sent her a grin, even when they walked in the bakery and was greeted with Sally's surprised face. Aurora inwardly rolled her eyes. And now she's with the two people she'd rather not be with. At least with Sally she can force herself to interact with her since the woman will be on her way to her honeymoon after three days. But with Alexander, that's just not the case—the guy is going to be with her for the whole remainder of the summer break for Pete's sake. Two days of spending it with him is already draining her, what more for a month? Looking at it now, she absolutely has no clue how she’s going to survive spending the whole summer with that pompous guy when she can even hardly be in the same room as him. Still though, she knows as well that trying is the only solution she has because of her current situation. She just has to endure it more than ever and hope that the dunderhead won’t end up breaking her before she even manages to reach her state of nirvana.