01

ANOTHER FIVE YEARS LATER……………….

“Why is it that when you are trying to avoid someone you always find yourself meeting that very person at every occasion ?” muttered Selena McKenzie loudly enough for the ‘someone’ to hear.

“And of course I can’t understand why anyone would want to avoid me unless I have some kind of effect on her !” came the usual instantaneous retort.

Selena scowled fiercely at her neighbor and old time enemy, Ashton Cooper. She couldn’t stand that guy but destiny always had a plausible reason to bring them together. Could it be because their mothers were best friends ? Or was it the fact that Ashton lived next door to her apartment ? Or more probably because her sister was married to Jake Crighton, the best friend of Ashton ? Whatever the reason or reasons may be, she knew she could never shrug him out of her life the way she wanted to. A pity !

“Don’t look at me like that, my ‘Touch me not princess’. You know I can’t resist you for long,” sneered Ashton giving her a sweet smile and coming closer to her.

Unfortunately this time she couldn’t just walk away like she always did as everyone else was standing outside the room waiting for the doctors to announce the good news. So she merely gritted her teeth in an attempt to smile and focused on the others instead greeting her family and close friends.

“Now, now Sellie…” he began in an annoying voice.

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped involuntarily despite her determination not to rise to his bait.

“My, my aren’t we rude here ?” he sneered.

“Yes we are. And bored as well,” she whispered ignoring the stern look Jake was throwing in their direction. She couldn’t blame him ; they were at the hospital for Heaven’s sake waiting for Rachel to deliver her baby and now was really not the time for their silly banter. But she wasn’t one to let Ashton go without a good fight, she hated him so much that it was difficult for her to breath around him.

“Oh cut it out, you two ! Don’t you start now ! At least not on the day when my son is going to be born. As it is I’m already tensed,” Jake hissed.

“Why ?” asked Ashton looking genuinely puzzled and Selena felt like strangling him. He was really clueless.

“Oh of course he’s tensed. It’s the most important day of his life !” she tried to enlighten him but knowing beforehand that it was futile. Ashton was a real challenge sometimes when it came to understand mundane family things.

“Oh, you mean you are wondering whether your son will be coming out after all ?” mocked Ashton.

“Ashton !” she cried out exasperated despite having expected something like that from him. “Do you have to treat everything as a joke ?”

“I don’t see…” he began.

“Now stop it you two please !” interrupted Jake impatiently.

Fortunately, before either could start another argument, there was a loud hush among the person present as the doctor got out of the theatre and when they all surrounded him Selena forgot all about Ashton. Her sister was going to be a mother ! Rachel was in fact her cousin, the daughter of her aunt Aimee but the latter had died from cancer since Rach was two. Ever since then, Selena’s mother Nora had taken up the responsibility her responsibility considering her as her own daughter. Rachel’s father Trevor had been around but Nora had provided the replacement needed for the mother as much as she could.

Without warning, tears welled up in her eyes and she sniffed thinking how lucky her sister was to finally find her soul mate. She was so glad Rachel had settled and was so happy in her conjugal life ; she had always loved Jake ever since they were children and she deserved the best.

“Don’t tell me ! You are crying ?!!” Ashton cried out in a seemingly horrified voice.

Selena looked away quickly embarrassed and was saved from answering when a passing nurse sent Ashton a reproving look at his loud outburst. Exasperated, she even succeeded in ignoring him while he was still goading her as usual knowing that it was the only way to handle him.

When Rachel was ready to receive them, Selena hurried inside and her heart melted at the sight of the small life in the arms of Rachel. It was simply so touching. She tried to ignore the mocking looks that damned Casanova was throwing her but knew she wouldn’t be spared from his sarcasm later.

When she picked the baby in her arms, she felt a sense of wonder that such a little piece of flesh could mean so much to her already.

“Have you thought of a name yet ?” Selena asked unable to mask the emotion in her voice and it came out in a husky undertone.

“Yes,” Rachel and Jake replied in unison. “We’re naming him Adam Devin Crighton.”

Selena beamed at them happily but felt unable to stop the single tear that rolled from her eye. She handed the baby to Ashton who backed away as if burnt.

“The hell I’m going to hold that … thing !” he shrieked horrified at the fact that Selena had even thought about such a thing.

She was confused. How can he call that so precious baby a thing ? It was so uncalled for. “How can you refuse to love such a tiny little baby, Ashton ?”

Ashton only shrugged with open disgust and left the room unseen by the couple who were too happy in each other to bother about anyone else. For a few seconds, Selena watched them wistfully and played with the baby for a while before handing baby Adam back to his parents.

“Hah, gotcha !” Ashton exclaimed outside the hospital room after they had switched places with Mr. And Mrs. Cooper. “Have you been hiding from me ?”

“No, I have been avoiding you,” she answered tartly. “But some people simply can’t take the cue.”

“So, why were you crying when you saw the baby ? I didn’t know you were so sentimental, princess.”

“Oh Ashton. Please leave me alone at least today,” she said.

“Are you begging ?” he asked in a purely maddening voice. “Well, in that case…” he added chuckling.

She couldn’t bear it any longer, his sarcasm was getting on her nerves and she couldn’t retain her anger anymore. Without thinking twice, she took a deep breath and vented out her frustration in a loud voice, making it clear what she thought of him and in not too kind words at all. Finally, when she was done, she took another long breath and turned away only to realize that everyone was staring at her like she was some nut case.

“SELENA ROSE MCKENZIE, I thought I had brought you up better than that !” a voice shouted after her as she was trying to make her escape avoiding every persistent stares.

Blast it ! Her mother had been around and had heard each and every word that she had thrown at Ashton. As it was, her mother hated it when she quarreled with him.

“Mom, I’m sorry but you weren’t there when he started pestering me,” she explained knowing in advance that her mother was going to be angry with her once again. It happened every time she said something to Ashton. She was the one who got all the reprimands from her mother when she got into a fight with her enemy.