Chapter 47 - Vol. 2: Aiden To Haru - 47

Haru

When I opened my eyes, I saw Noah’s face close to mine and his gaze on me. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I realized I had fallen asleep in his arms and that we were still in the living room.

I hastily moved away and out of his arms. I scratched my head as I said, chuckling in embarrassment, “Sorry. I fell asleep.”

Noah said, “Why did you apologize?”

“Because…” I thought for a bit. Why did I need to apologize to Noah?

“Haru? Haru?” Isaac’s voice came from the hallway.

I said, “I’m in here.”

The door slid open, and Isaac came rushing in. “Jesus, man, don’t just disappear like that.” He caught my wrist and pulled me up. “Come on, let’s soak in the hot spring before breakfast.”

I stumbled along behind him, leaving Noah alone in the living room. My mind was still on him when I was in the hot spring pool ten minutes later.

Why did I end up sleeping in Noah’s arms last night? I sighed and rested my head on the side of the pool.

“Haru? What’s wrong?” Isaac asked, looking at me, his face also resting on the side of the pool.

I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”

Half an hour later, we decided to get out, and after a quick rinse and donning our yukatas again, we headed into the living room, just in time for breakfast.

I noticed that everyone was present, except for Aiden.

“Where’s Aiden?” I asked as I took my seat around the serving table.

Noah said, “He’s out. Apparently, Uncle Jin wanted to talk to him.”

I felt my stomach knotting in dread. Could it be that Uncle Jin was talking to Aiden about Reo and me? Was it true that he wanted us back in Japan, just as Mason had deciphered?

Isaac said, “That sounds suspicious.”

The staff started serving us breakfast, then Aiden walked in through the door.

The moment I saw him, my heart skipped a beat. Damn, but Aiden was hot wearing that dark-blue kimono.

“Bro, you’re already wearing your kimono?” Isaac asked. “Damn, I should have worn mine, too.”

I felt Aiden’s gaze, hot and intense, on me for a moment before it shifted to Isaac, followed by, “You can put it on after breakfast.” He came to sit beside me. “Morning, Haru.”

“Morning,” I said. “Did you have a meeting with Uncle Jin?”

He nodded.

“How did it go?” I was eager to know. “What did you guys talk about?”

“We talked about…nothing much,” he said, smiling.

Nothing much? I doubted that. He was avoiding my question, so I knew something was up.

I turned my attention to my meal and started eating.

Mason said, “Probably about Reo and Haru, isn’t it? The talk with Uncle Jin.”

I turned my gaze to Aiden, as did everyone else.

Noah said, “So Mason is right?”

Aiden nodded. He looked at Reo and said, “Don’t you have something to tell us?”

Reo chuckled. “So Uncle has already told you he’s talked to me?”

Aiden nodded.

Reo said, “I was planning on telling you guys when we got home, but…”

I asked, “Uncle has already talked to you? He really does want us to move back to Japan?”

Reo nodded.

I felt sick to my stomach.

“And are you?” I asked, my voice a little shaky. “Going to move back here?”

Reo nodded again.

“When? Why? Don’t you like it back home? What about the university? What about us?” My questions came out one after another in quick succession.

Reo said, “Slow down, Haru. It won’t be until after I finished at the university, and that’s still a year away.”

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Then I said, “I see. But you are really moving here.”

He nodded. “He’s giving it to us, Haru, all that’s here. The resort hotel and onsen.”

I said quietly, “What if I don’t want it?”

Reo asked, “How do you know you don’t want it?”

I said, “You know why. Everyone knows why. I don’t want to be apart from Aiden, or any of you for that matter.” I looked at Noah, Mason, and then Isaac. I sighed. “Sorry, I’m being stupid. I’m not hungry anymore.” I got up and rushed out of the room.

After sliding the door shut, I went to the corner of the bedroom and sat, my mind racing. A few knocks came at the door, followed by Aiden’s voice asking, “Haru? Can I come in?”

I took a deep breath and said, “Yes, come in.”

Aiden slid the door open, entered, and then shut it again. He came over to me and took a seat in front of me. He looked at me for a moment and then stroked my hair.

“Sorry,” I said. “I was acting like a kid. I’ve ruined the vacation, haven’t I?”

Aiden shook his head. “No, you haven’t.”

I moved over and rested the side of my face against his massive chest, my arms around him. With a shaky voice, I said, “I’m scared, Aiden. I don’t want to be apart from you. I don’t know; I just know that I’d lose my mind if that were to happen.”

“It’s all right, Haru,” he said. “I told you, haven’t I? I won’t let anyone take you away from me, not even Uncle Jin.”

I raised my gaze to look at him. “Then you’ve told him on my behalf that…”

He shook his head. “I believe the best thing to do is you tell your uncle what it is that you want, Haru. Choose to stay with me or move here to Japan and take over all this.” He looked around to indicate the hotel.

What the hell was Aiden talking about?

Moving back from him, I said, “Of course I’m choosing you.”

“But you’ll lose all this,” he said. “And Haru, one day, Noah, Mason, and Isaac will eventually move away from us, just like Reo has already planned to move away. We’re not always going to be together forever.”

I felt my heart quivering at the thought of that. “I…I know that…”

What the hell was this? I thought this vacation was meant to be all fun and leisure, not spending time having a serious discussion about our future and everyone parting ways.

Parting ways. Fuck, just thinking about it made me feel sick.

Yeah, I knew it had been me six months ago who had wanted to move out, away from everyone else simply because of my stupid angst, my forbidden love and desire for Aiden, thinking that it was just too complicated and that I couldn’t tell anyone, let alone confess to Aiden. But, of course, deep down, I knew that I couldn’t move out, didn’t want to move out, away from them. I had just been arrogant. Now all that had changed. Aiden had accepted me and my love for him. Everyone else had accepted us and our relationship.

Damn, but it was all Uncle Jin’s fault. He had brought it upon us. Why did he have to want Reo and me back in Japan?

“Have you calmed down yet?” Aiden asked.

I hadn’t, but I nodded my head anyway. After all, I didn’t want to worry the others.

“Then let’s head back.”

“Okay,” I said.

The moment we returned to the living room, Isaac asked, “You okay, Haru?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry about before.”

After taking my seat again, with Aiden beside me, Noah said, “If Uncle Jin is taking Reo and Haru back, then where does that leave us?”

Aiden said, “It’s not like we have anything to do with that, Noah.”

I noticed Noah flashing Aiden a dark stare, which was rare. He said, “It has everything to do with us. Reo and Haru are our family. What? He’s hardly in contact with the boys and now he wants them back?”

Isaac agreed by nodding his head. “That’s right. It’s so unfair. We literally raised Reo and Haru.” He turned to me, a big grin on his face. “Isn’t that right, Haru?”

Well, he was right on the money there. They had raised Reo and me after Mom and Stepdad passed away.

Mason said, “Reo, why did you agree to move back here? I know Uncle Jin said he’d give you and Haru the company, but you don’t have any work experience yet.”

Reo shook his head. “Haru and I will be inheriting the company, but we won’t be the ones running it until we’re ready.”

Connor asked, “Then why rush things?”

Reo said, “Like Mason said, I have no work experience, so after the university, I’ll be training here, working my way up properly, learning the ropes.”

Isaac said, “You’re gonna work here like the staff?”

Reo nodded. “I need to understand every aspect of the business, naturally.” He grinned. “Aren’t I great?” He even gave a thumbs-up.

Well, I guess that was just Reo. He’d want to know everything there was to know about the business before plunging in.

He turned to me. “You take your time, Haru. There’s no need to rush. You tell Uncle what you want. I’m sure he’ll understand.”

Once in a blue moon, Reo decided to behave like a proper brother, and this, surprisingly enough, was one of those times.

I nodded.

I spent the afternoon just lazing around, thinking, working on a solution to this unwelcome problem that had popped up so suddenly this morning. How should I tell Uncle Jin what I wanted? I wanted to be with Aiden, and yes, the others, but at the same time, I didn’t want to disappoint Uncle Jin because he was the only blood relative we had left. He’s old and frail, and he’d need Reo and me.

Shit! The more I searched for a solution, the more complicated it got.

It felt like time passed so quickly when I needed it to slow down, but alas, the afternoon grew late and Isaac called out to me, “Haru! Haru! Are you ready yet?”

“Yes,” I said, rushing out the bedroom door.

I went into the hallway to see everyone, Connor included, was ready and wearing their new kimonos. Damn, but these guys were a bunch of hotties in those.

Isaac wrapped his arm around my shoulders as he said, “Let’s have a great Christmas party!”

Noah said, “He’s acting like a kid.”

As we headed out the door, Isaac said, “You act like a sour old man, Noah. What’s gotten into you?”

“Shut up,” Noah snapped.

“Jesus!” Isaac turned to me. “You know what’s wrong with him?”

I shrugged my shoulders. But perhaps, like me, he was affected by the news of Reo moving out next year?

Higa-san once again met us at the foyer and then took us up to the penthouse, since we didn’t have access to the rooftop as we weren’t part of the staff.