The Traps of Black Swan

'Running into the water…' Dax and Shawn looked at each other.

As far as they know about Aarvi, whether as Ava Kelly or Aarvi Evans, she wasn't weak-hearted to have suicidal thoughts so they weren't sure if Aarvi really tried to suicide or what might have happened that time.

However, they wanted to believe Tia must have misidentified the girl as Ava Kelly.

Tia continued without complete certainty, "I don't know if I heard anything or I forgot... I was far off to hear anything I guess... A group of men in... some kind of uniform reached soon and carried her away.

I saw her face when she stuck on the car window looking at the wooden deck and continued to cry…. After that day, Senior Ava never played chess so I never got to see her again."

Tia raised her head earning no response from both men. She bit her lips without knowing what was happening and what she should do.

Dax and Shawn felt their head throb. If it was really Ava Kelly, it's a past now and she is completely fine now. So they wanted to remove the thought of it but their urge to know the reason was spiking high.

Just then, Aarvi who was in a red apron came out of the kitchen, "Why so silent?"

Shawn carefully locked his mobile screen, Tia finally breathed in relief and Dax waved his hand to call her near. "Dum Dum, come here."

Holding her hands behind her back, Aarvi gazed at her two friends who looked at each other before asking, "Little Heart, answer us, then we will tell you why we asked."

Aarvi nodded obediently, curious about the mystery they were creating.

"Dum Dum, have you ever tried to hurt yourself? I mean giving up your life." Dax carefully asked.

Aarvi frowned, hearing such a question out of nowhere. They gathered to enjoy, she couldn't understand how they came up with such a topic.

After giving thought, she first glanced at expectant Tia and responded, "Except that time, I never got such thoughts."

'That time' Dax and Shawn knew which time she pointed about but Tia was clueless.

The two men breathed a long sigh and Shawn smacked Tia, "You little dumb girl, that wasn't my Little Heart." Without getting off from the barstool, he loosely hugged Aarvi wrapping his hand around her shoulder, and pulled a face at Tia.

Tia rubbed her head, she was glad it wasn't Aarvi but there was still an unresolved question. She opened her mouth to ask if Ava Kelly and Aarvi are the same girls but Dax quickly covered her lips.

"She had seen somebody trying to jump to the lake. She might have looked pretty like you and assumed her as you. His sister is dumb." He managed but didn't get to take another breath of relief.

He saw Aarvi and Shawn's lips slowly arcing up, completely ignoring the topic. Then he felt a soft skin under his warm palm, warm breath on it, a fixated confused gaze on him, and a slender body leaning on his arm.

Except for his mother and Aarvi, Dax never treats anybody tenderly, not even his one night stands or other flings. He ignores every other female like dirt in the air.

Dax frowned and shrugged moving away from Tia without caring to look at her. Before they could speak, Dax walked away unwilling to hear her friends say 'it's all in the past'.

Aarvi and Shawn could only shake their head in resignation. They were tired of telling him all girls aren't the same but he always proved that most of the girls are the same.

Dax's behavior had a reason. He had liked a girl in his school, she was a silent, graceful goddess of his school. She hardly spoke to anybody, scored high every time, her style was very simple and sophisticated, she never mixed herself with the bad gang of the school. She always stayed alone doing her own work.

Being a high scoring student, Dax and she easily got along in the name of studies. Being open-minded, he had even confessed his like towards her and proposed to date as they were above sixteen.

He wasn't expecting a yes by her taking her personality but she had shyly accepted him and they started going out without affecting their studies.

Dax wasn't the type to keep track of everything about the girl, so he never bothered to know what she was up to.

On the day of prom night, Dax was waiting for her in front of the party hall assuming she was still on the way. He had called her, messaged her but to no avail. The party started but he stood there waiting for the girl until a short video was shared in the group chat of his classmates.

It was a video of his girlfriend kissing another guy who was from another class. Dax thought she might be drunk or that guy might have forced on her. So Dax quickly rushed to her thinking he needed to save her without giving a thought about how she went inside when he was waiting outside for her.

After entering inside, he saw his girlfriend shyly standing next to that guy, holding his arm and thanking others who were congratulating them.

Then one of his friends revealed to Dax that his girlfriend and that guy are family friends. They were engaged for a long time and she used Dax to make her fiance jealous. They were going to a different country for studies.

Dax weirdly knew it was the truth but he still held the hope and met her. There wasn't a hint of guilt when she revealed the same thing and didn't bother to apologize to him.

So he had asked her one last time, "You were just faking with me?"

She had sarcastically laughed at him, "Come on, how can you think I will like you who is studying with scholarships? Damn, you can't even afford to shop me a..."

'Pak.' Without a hint of mercy, he had struck her face and left.

From that time he started loathing the rich. When he got to know Ava Kelly, he had no idea she was from the Kelly family because she was a scholarship student. So most of his flings and one night stands are either gold diggers or rich family daughters.

Aarvi and Shawn weren't sure if Dax couldn't move from her or he just doesn't care.

...

Pointing at Dax's back, Aarvi whined to Shawn, "He will die alone with you."

Tia: "..."

Shawn pulled Aarvi's ear, "I am not dying alone. I am waiting for mine."

Aarvi stuck her tongue out at him, "I got mine." Then she skipped towards the kitchen.

"..." Shawn didn't know if he should counter her tease or celebrate hearing she finally accepts his brother as hers.

Aarvi jerked to stop at the kitchen entrance and announced, "You three better cook dinner." She and Aaron were only baking cake.

Shawn made an okay sign without turning to her. He watched Tia who was lively before Ava's name came up, then turned mute and afraid.

"Never take Ava Kelly's name, especially in front of Little Heart." He dictated.

Tia nodded like an obedient student understanding the reason behind Dax covering her mouth.

"Yes, your shop owner is Ava Kelly aka Aarvi, my sister-in-law."

Tia again nodded her head in all her seriousness.

Shawn flicked on her forehead and smiled, "I am sorry, we overreacted and frightened you. Now relax and enjoy. Feel at home."

Tia again nodded before composing and responding, "Okay, you guys are scary. I wanted to cry. And I won't speak taking Senior's name."

Shawn chuckled before going to talk to Dax about Teen Aaron and Teen Ava Kelly before he gets angry and kicks his butt.

Having no other work, Tia went to the kitchen to see if she could be of any help in the kitchen and froze, standing there in awe.

----

When Aarvi returned to the kitchen, Aaron had whipped the cream for icing. She was about to dip her finger to taste the sweetness and check the softness, Aaron hit her knuckles.

"Aa…" Her words were cut off by the fresh cream reaching her tongue. However, she didn't get to eat it.

As swift as he pulled his finger out of her mouth, his lips landed on hers. Her heart skipped a beat gazing at his gleaming face from near that she forgot to eat the whipped cream

Lifting her chin slightly up, he made use of her widened mouth as his tongue swooped the cream from hers.

Straightening his back, he nodded in satisfaction, "It's delicious… and too sweet."

Aarvi couldn't believe he stole her wine first and now the whipped cream right from her mouth. She unknowingly gulped missing the sweetness on her tongue and also the warm lips on hers.

"Why am I not surprised? You are a pervert." Then she pouted and crossed her arms.

Aaron nonchalantly used her line, "I know right."

Aarvi: "..." 'That wasn't a compliment, alright?' She sneakily poked her finger in the whipping cream.

His voice trailed off, purposefully showing a blind eye to her sneaky move, "Since I am a perv…" He caught her hand before she could reach her lips.

"Aaron, you are…" She was speechless seeing him smear the whipping cream on her cheek, down her jawline leaving a cold trail on her skin.

'Where is your cleanliness?' Aarvi thought to herself thinking to smear on his face.

She didn't notice his right hand holding her left hand until she heard him utter, "I like my dessert plate."

Aarvi: "..." She realized that she is too naive to think it was simple fun.

She tried to wipe the cream but both of her hands were in his. Her face turned pink seeing him dip his head seizing her against the island kitchen counter.

She wanted to stop him due to their place but her heart drummed in anticipation gazing at his unblinking intense gaze.