02

“Selena, you are not kids anymore. I still can’t fathom it out why the two of you hate each other so much. He’s the son of my best friend for Heaven’s sake. Can’t you be a bit more civilized towards him ?”

“Mom,” she protested. “He is such an …”

“Now, now don’t give me that crap. You’re no less yourself. I’ve heard you remember ? I simply don’t want you two to quarrel anymore and that’s it.”

“You know that’s impossible. No, it is possible as long as I don’t meet him ever again in my whole entire life,” she recited as solemnly as she would have when taking her wedding vows.

“Selena !!! You are being rude !”

She sighed. Her mother appeared upset and that always made her resolve weaken, particularly in the case of Ashton Cooper.

“Okay, mom. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so rude.”

“And crude,” her mother added.

“Yeah,” she muttered against her will.

“Then if you realize your mistake, you wouldn’t mind apologizing to him, will you ?”

Her eyes widened with shock. Apologize ? To Ashton ?!! No way. No bloody way.

“Of course mother I wouldn’t mind,” she said rapidly moving away thinking that she wasn’t likely to meet Ashton again, at least not that century.

“Well, there he is !” her mother cried out deliberately ignoring her attempt to escape.

“Is anything wrong ?” he asked appearing at her mother’s side wearing the most innocent of smiles.

“Nothing, I was just leaving,” Selena said hurriedly trying to get her way past her mother.

“I thought you were going to apologize to him ?” her mother questioned deliberately ignoring her pointed look.

But it was too late. Ashton’s eyes grew as big as two saucers and he grinned mischievously on seeing her discomfiture.

“Was I ?” she queried with reluctance. “Yeah hmm… I guess I’m sorry,” she choked out resenting him having the upper hand, even if it were for a very short time.

“I didn’t hear you,” he gloated.

Unwillingly, her eyes flew to his and she bit her lips to prevent herself from venting her anger on him. She repeated her apology, more loudly ; this time looking at him with pure loathing to make him know how sorry she was really.

“Doesn’t seem to me that you mean it,” he said in a cheerful tone appearing determined to take it out of her hide.

“Now Ashton you stop it,” her mother intervened glaring at him now. Thank God ! It was now his turn and she would be able to taunt him.

“She’s right, Ashton. Stop fighting with her and I think you owe her an apology as well,” scolded Mrs. Susan Cooper, Ashton’s mother who’d joined them followed by her husband Nash and Mr. Crighton.

“But Mom…” he protested to his mother who had picked up the problem. This was not as difficult as the quarrels were becoming more cliché along the years.

“No buts. Ashton, how many times should I tell you to stay away from her ? If you can’t stand each other, then for Heaven’s sake why don’t you avoid each other ?”

Selena opened her mouth to utter that it was her opinion as well then promptly shut it back. It was simply futile. She didn’t want to spend more of her time discussing an issue that wouldn’t make any difference anyway.

“Listen Auntie Susie, I’m really sorry,” she said meaning it this time her anger fading. She didn’t mind apologizing to Susan Cooper. The latter was such a sweetie and Selena often wondered how could fate have been so cruel to bestow her with a son like Ashton. Must be a lifelong ordeal.

“You don’t have to apologize, sweetheart. I know how exasperating Ashton can be sometimes and…” she began but Selena stopped her explaining that they would not get anywhere with that kind of situation and it would be better if they stopped right there.

“And I guess your mum’s right, Ashton. If we can’t stand each other, maybe we should avoid each other like plague.”

“Yeah, boy,” intervened Uncle Devin looking at them as if they had both lost their mental balance. “I have seen you today how you were not leaving her alone. Why do you keep goading her like that if you can’t stand her ?”

“Now, Dev. You know how reckless my dear son is,” Uncle Nash threw Ashton a reproachful look.

“Right,” Uncle Dev answered and Selena watched with satisfaction as Ashton kept quiet clearly outnumbered.

Trying to appear unfazed, he stared at Selena gloomily and muttered something under his breath before leaving the hospital. She stared at his retreating back feeling relieved that he was finally gone. He messed with her system when he was around and she preferred to play it safe and avoid him. Which was not an easy task.

“So, Selena,” Uncle Devin called her making her snap out of her reverie guiltily as she had been staring at Ashton’s back like some retarded person. “When are we going to hear some good news from you ?”

Unable to stop herself, she rolled her eyes cheekily at the man who stood in front of her. Devin Richard Crighton was a relentless matchmaker and would stop at nothing to see all the eligible person of the town settled.

Not everybody knew the whole story but he had even forced his own son to marry before the latter had finally acknowledged that he was in love with Rachel. And needless to say that once he had been proven right, he was now more eager as ever to match make the rest of the town.

Selena was glad that she had been spared that gracious favour thinking that she was lucky because she was not really around due to her work. But it would seem that she was wrong. Devin Crighton had only been waiting to pounce on her at the right moment.

“Well…” she tried but nothing came out. She found no excuse whatsoever why she was still not interested in any relationship for the time being.

“Hummph !” scoffed Uncle Devin knowingly. “If I leave it to you young people, you might never get settle down. Look at Jake. He’s so happy now.”

Selena had to give it to him. He was right. Jake and Rachel were perfect for each other and now little Adam had arrived to complete their family. She longed for such a relationship herself but had been too busy building her career to bother about relationships.

Coming from a modest background, she had struggled to complete her degree doing two part-time jobs at a time to fund her studies. Not wanting to over burden her single mother. There hadn’t been a time when she had stopped her struggle and that was the main reason she hated guys like Ashton Cooper so vehemently.

Being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his future had already been carved for him and he had wasted his time wooing girls of every kind during his teens and college. When he had completed his degree, his dad had provided him enough funds to open his own software and he was at the same time a major shareholder of the GEMS enterprise. While she was still striving with her first-class degree drown in loans for the expensive apartment she had just bought. Life was really not fair sometimes.

“Uncle Dev, I am too busy to find myself a boyfriend,” she said and could have bitten her tongue as soon as the words were out. Now hadn’t she given him just what he had been looking for ?

“Well, let me take care of that for you dear,” he instantly proposed and Selena grimaced at her own stupidity.

“Errrm, no thanks. I will surely think about dating someone in the near future I promise. And besides, Rachel told me you were busy looking for a bride for Ashton.”

Dev nodded in agreement thankfully diverted at the change of subject. “You’re right and I have found the perfect match for him too,” he said cockily sounding extremely pleased with himself.

Selena’s heart missed a beat. He had ? Now that was news ! Rachel had only mentioned during one of their conversations that Uncle Devin was trying to marry Ashton off which had threw her into fits of laughter. Ashton and married ? It was like insulting him.