CHAPTER ONE: HATE - OPPOSITE OF LOVE?

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.

“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 company 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.

“Do you mind if I ask who?” she asked curious despite herself. Who would be the unlucky girl who had the worst fate in the world?

“Of course darling. It’s Rachel’s friend, Kyra Hart.”

As if on cue, Kyra made her appearance and Selena had to gulp at the beautiful woman in front of her. She had long flawless hair as compared to her curly and unruly one. Kyra was so thin that one would expect her waist to snap at the mere pressure and she could not help feeling her curves around her waist. She was not fat at least not yet but had to run every morning to keep her figure toned.

“So what do you think?” Uncle Devin asked her unaware of the thoughts going on in her mind.  “Isn’t she perfect for Ash?”

Selena gulped again trying to swallow the uneasy feeling down her throat. Why the hell was she disturbed at the thought of the two of them together? They would make a good couple; picture perfect even. But why the hell was she comparing herself with Kyra?

She had always believed that Ashton would never settle down with one woman and the thought that this woman would be the one to tame down his wild ways was not quite sitting down with her. Uncle Devin was staring at her expecting her answer and she chided herself for the foolish sentimental thoughts that had taken over her mind. She must be foolish to be thinking in those terms and especially about Ashton.

She tried to smile at him but could only manage to grit her teeth instead and murmured something incoherent.

She had to get out of that damned hospital. Ever since holding the baby, those dump motherly feelings had started to get in her mind but getting paranoid over a not yet relationship was the limit. And besides, how could she be feeling bad about Ashton getting fixed up with a sweet woman like that?

Smiling absently at Uncle Devin, she murmured her goodbyes and left the hospital her mind in a turmoil. Maybe she had been working too much lately and was tensed as she was in for a promotion. She had worked for five long years as a software engineer and now wanted to be a project leader. Her manager had promised her the post if she could pull off their latest assignment and she had been worried sick about it since then.

The deadline was in one week and she had almost completed her development and the website was more or less operational except for a last module. She was in time and she would be able to pull it off in schedule. Even as her mind was occupied with her work, she knew it didn’t explain the way she had felt when Uncle Devin had told her about Ashton and Kyra.

Try as she might, she couldn’t shake the picture of the two of them from her mind and it was getting on her nerves. She had a job to do damn it! She was not one to linger about futile thoughts like that. And especially about Ashton Cooper for Heaven’s sake! The man she hated more than life itself.

Maybe Uncle Devin was right; she should date more often. It was time to find herself a boyfriend and who better than her best friend Rachel to help her in this task?