Love's Delusion || ✓

Chapter Eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

For the next few days, I was going to the studio more and more.

Aaron didn't know that I was going back to the studio every day while he was at work and I was glad he didn't. I didn't want to hear how he disapproved of my time in the studio and how I was apparently wasting my time painting something 'no one would buy '.  

I wanted to have fun and feel free, painting and drawing made me feel like and if I had to hide it from Aaron-- then so be it. 

Why must he know everything about my life when I know nothing of how he spends his time?

"Veronica!" I jumped at Aaron's voice, dropping the spatula in the pan of scrambled eggs. I spun around to see Aaron storming into the kitchen. Instead of a red and furious face I was expected to see by the way he yelled out my name, instead, he looked calm and collected like nothing was bothering him.

"Yes?" Instead of answering me first, Aaron started to look around the kitchen. It was as if he hadn't realised I was in the room. "Aaron, are you okay?" I called out to him. 

Still, he didn't bother looking at me. 

"Do you know where my keys are?" 

"Your keys?" Aaron looked at me finally, rolling his eyes as he looked me up and down. 

"Yes my keys, you fucking idiot. That's what I just said, are you deaf?" I gulped, breaking our eye contact by looking at the floor. 

"Oh no, um I was ju--" 

"Oh-- ah I-- I me-- blah, blah. Do you know where my keys are or not?" He mocked me, turning away. What the hell? What is his problem today? 

"Check your jacket." Aaron spun back around, his eyebrow raised as he looked at me expectantly. 

"Oh, you think I'm too stupid to fucking check my jacket pocket first thing?" I mean, he's done it before. I chose not to answer as Aaron stuck his hand in his jacket pocket. He pulled his hand out only seconds later with his keys tangled in his fingers.

I wonder who the fucking stupid one is now. 

Before either could say anything else, the smoke alarm went off causing me to jump up in shock. In an instant, the smell of smoke caught my senses and I spun around in fear to see that the eggs I left on the stove had burnt. 

"Shit!"

"Oh fuck sake Veronica, you fucking idiot!" Aaron roared in annoyance, storming around in order to turn off the smoke alarm.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I continued to mutter in annoyance as I turned off the stove. I quickly chucked the burnt eggs in the bin and submerged the burning pan in the empty sink that I had filled with water. 

The sound of sizzling of the pan filled the entire kitchen after Aaron turned off the flame. 

"Aaron, I'm so sorry! I'll make you something else." I cried out, stressed that I had no burnt his breakfast. I turned to him to see him fuming, his face red and his eyes narrowed straight to me.

"How fucking incompetent can you be?" He sneered, inching his way closer to me. I couldn't move any further as my back was firmly pressed onto the edges of the countertops. I had nowhere to go. 

"I'm sorry, Aaron. I didn't mea--"

"You didn't mean it? You didn't mean to leave me starving when I go to my ten-hour shift?" He glared at me, now inches away from me as he held the edges of the counter around me, leaving me trapped in his arms. "I give you everything, and you can't even cook me eggs?"

"Aaro--" 

"Shut the fuck up!" He yelled in my face, spit flew out of his mouth as he continued to snarl at me. "Fucking useless, what good are you? You can't cook, you can't clean. What kind of woman are you?" 

I didn't know what to say anymore, I didn't want to speak. Instead, I broke eye contact with Aaron and focused my gaze on the ground. 

Aaron didn't agree with my actions, gripping my chin harshly and forcing my head up. 

"Do you even care for me?"

"Aar--" 

"Because it doesn't look like it to me." Aaron let go of my chin, turning away from me and making his way out of the kitchen. "Don't bother cooking dinner for me tonight, I'll be out late." He called out from the hall before I heard the door slam shut. 

I let an uneven sigh, looking in the direction that he had left. 

Strangely I didn't feel upset and disappointed with what had just happened as I would usually feel. Instead, I felt annoyed. 

Who gave him the right? Definitely not me. 

***

I decided against going to the studio today. I wasn't feeling inspired enough. 

Instead, I was walking through the local supermarket. The kitchen was lacking in ingredients-- not that Aaron gave a shit, but I did. 

I loved cooking as much as I loved painting. Making different and new things was enjoyable for me. Plus, there was nothing else I could really do here. I didn't have many friends to hang out with.

The reasoning for that was obviously Aaron. After moving to the neighbourhood, Aaron had voiced his displeasure with the neighbours we had. They used to come over to the house, offering to show us around but after a few attempts and many doors being slammed in their faces by Aaron, they soon stopped and never tried again. 

Even when I see them outside, they don't attempt to speak to me. Hell, they go as far as to avoid me. I don't know what Aaron had told them, but it was clear that no one wanted anything to do with us.

I huffed, looking around the supermarket with an empty trolley. I had a list of items to get, the kitchen looked absolutely deserted and it needed a fresh restocking of items. 

A small smile widened as my sights focused on the fruit section of the isle. My hands instantly gripping a bag of cherries. 

Cherries were my sister and I's favourite fruit. I hadn't eaten them in so long since I only buy them when they're in season, plus Aaron absolutely hated the taste of cherries-- hell he even hated the smell and if you ask me I'd say they didn't say of anything.

Regardless, due to Aaron's deep-- deep--  hatred for cherries I couldn't eat them much to my dismay. 

I grabbed the bag and considered buying it. Aaron would be furious if I came home with it, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him. 

I hummed happily as I threw a bag of fresh cherries in the trolley, along with some strawberries, grapes, and a bag of apples. 

As I manoeuvred the trolley to go around the corner, it had smashed right into another one-- causing me to jump back in shock.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry!" The person laughed it off before pushing the hair out of the hair and looking up at me. 

"It's oka--" She froze, as did I when I realised who she was. This couldn't be. How un-fucking-believable that this would happen, today of all days.

"Ron?" She spoke, her voice slightly cracking as I noticed her bright blue eyes moistening. 

"Ellie," I responded, not knowing what to do or say.

I mean, what would you say when you randomly come face to face with the sister that had been ignoring you since the day you left. 

Yes, my sister.

Ellie-- the woman in front of me at this very moment-- is my sister.