Wing Of Change
Chapter 62

Aria waited with anxious feet back at her office. she kept glancing at her phone for anything that indicate that Henry has actually had a talk with Frank but nothing.

She waited another whole hour with no single call or text from neither the two before she finally ran out of patience and decided to take the initiative and call Frank’s number but it was busied just about immediately.

The thought of redialing was left hanging as she was no longer sure of what could be going on.

Maybe Henry is still yet to go talk to Frank she thought with a deep sigh as she leaned back against the chair with too many thought rushing through her mind.

Aria couldn’t help but feel like a fool for trusting Henry to do this one thing for her as she kept blaming herself for being so vulnerable and dependent on someone who doesn’t even know the gravity of how she truly feels about loosing Frank.

She glance at her wrist watch and realized that it was almost lunch time and decided to use the opportunity to go talk to Frank herself as she quickly grabbed her bag and head out the door.

She ran into her boss by the lobby and halted.

“Good day sir” she greeted with a polite smile that barely reached her eyes.

“Good day miss Aria. I see you are heading out for lunch” he noted with a grin.

“Yes sir..I _I just want to meet some friends for lunch before heading back.” She took a pause to read his expression before adding… “I don’t know if that’s okay with you sir”

“Of course it’s okay with me. I mean I was heading for the same reason so?” He ended with a shrug.

“I will be running along then”

She turned around on her heels and hurried out the exit.

**

Aria arrived at the Okoji enterprise in no less than thirty minutes as she drove into the parking lot and came to a stop.

Winds of familiarity suddenly washed over her as she sat there reminiscing about the days she could rush through these very place with anxiety gripping at her and it felt like she didn’t leave.

The last time she was here to eat lunch with Frank felt nothing like the tension and uncertainty coursing through her veins at that point as her slender fingers wrapped around the steering wheels in a firm grip

Her eyes wondered across the parking lot and settled on the familiar black SUV jeep parked at the usual spot indicating Frank’s presence in the company and she took a nervous breath in anticipation before glancing at her reflection in the rearview mirror.

Everything was in order. Her bushy eyebrows were staring back at her with wavering confidence not to mention her full lips that was painted in pink l*p gloss as it forms a perfect thin line.

“You can do this Aria. Just walk in there and make him realize the truth” she heard her self urging her own reflection out loud.

She finally got down after a minute and adjusted her sea green blouse that was tucked into a white knee length pencil skirt. Satisfied with her action, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulder as she began to walk towards the entrance.

She came to a halt when she noticed Henry rushing out through the main entrance without looking at her direction. She was still a few distance away from him to actually see his face but she could tell it was Henry by the familiar clothing he had on.

He was still clothed in his blue Jean and white shirt from earlier as she began to call at him.

“Hen_Henry” she called, still rushing towards him.

Henry finally heard her voice and stopped a few distance away from her direction.

Aria hurried towards him with shaky hands and a mouth that was slightly agape when she realized how messed up he was looking. His face was swollen with trances of fresh and dried b***d decorating his upper jaw and down to his collar.

“What happened to you Henry?” She asked in panic while trying to reach for his face but he stepped back and avoided her hand to fall through the air instead.

“It’s nothing Aria. What are you doing here” he asked instead.

“I came to talk to Frank about what happened” she took a pause as realization suddenly hit her at the mentioned of Frank’s name.

“Frank did this to you?” The word barely slipped through her lips in disbelief as her eyes roam around the damage imprinted on Henry’s not so handsome face at that point.

“What were you expecting? That I was just going to walk into his office and explain myself and he will just believe me?_that dude is blinded with rage and stand not to listen to anyone” he burst out.

“But_but you knew Frank was going to react this way and yet you agreed to come talk to him?”

Henry only stared at her with those looks she could barely understand its meaning before giving a careless shrug in reply.

“But why? Why Henry. Why would you risk yourself to do this?”

He took two step and closed the distance between them before one of his hand found hers and the other went up to her chin and urge her to look at him and when she did. She saw it_the look in his eyes were anything but pitiful. It was of pure admiration and love.

Love?

Henry doesn’t love her, does he? Her eyes snapped to their enclosed hands before looking up at him again and it was clear enough but his words finally confirmed it.

“Because I would do anything for you Aria even if it meant me facing your boyfriend wrath just to make you happy then I will gladly do it”

Aria was short of words as her eyes were glued up with his. She was too shock to look away.

The clapping sound from behind her got her to break eye contact with Henry before turning around to face Frank who stood with an amuse expression.

“You turned out to be more twisted than I thought you were earlier” Frank had spoken to Henry who stood with a hidden grin.

“I already told you all that you need to know and if you want to hit me again in front of your girlfriend then go ahead and do it because it makes no difference” he countered back while stepping up to stand before Frank in a challenging way.

Frank only chuckle with dry humor before closing the gap between them as Aria watched the exchange in horror.

“I should have known you had an Oscar in acting dear Henry.” He taunted.

“Stop it! Just stop please” Aria had cut in in anger.

Frank only looked back at Aria for a brief second before settling back on Henry…”I can see that you have even managed to convinced my girlfriend on your acting skills “

Henry only scoff at his words as he took a step back.

“Is that why you hit him? Because he was bold enough to speak the truth?” Aria had asked out of frustration.

Frank only scoffed at her question.

“What truth do you speak of huh? Care to enlighten me? Because am confused. I might just understand from your own point of view”

Aria could see the mockery in this words but she was not about to condone his assault on Henry on her account.

“You have no right to hit him” she began but was interrupted just about immediately.

“I don’t?” Frank had asked with a raised brow.

“No you don’t because he hasn’t done anything wrong” she practically cried out in frustration.

“So you are telling me that am wrong to think that your dear friend here doesn’t want to have you as his girlfriend?”

Aria wasn’t sure how to answer that question but she wasn’t going to imply anything by not replying either but before she could say anything in Henry’s defense, she saw him walking away towards his car.

“You know what? I don’t know where you got that absurd idea from but am not going to just stand here and argue with you over nothing”

She turned to hurry away but was pulled back by Frank’s firm grip by her wrist.

“Do you think me to be stupid or naive. Is either you don’t see it or you are just pretending to be oblivious to the things happening around you but whatever it is? am telling you to stay away from that guy for your own good”

His grip was so tight around her that Aria couldn’t help but wink in pain.

“Let me go Frank. You are hurting me” she warned while trying to break free but couldn’t.

Frank held on tighter.

“Not as much as he is going to hurt you if you don’t stay away from that psychopath you call your neighbor or whatever”

“I don’t know why you think that way but Henry will never hurt me”

Frank only burst out with laughter which only made her angry

“You are so naive my dear. So f*****g clueless that it makes me angry and at the same time want to lock you up somewhere just to keep you safe but then again_you’re old enough to decide for yourself”

Frank was hesitant for a moment before he finally let her go and just took a step back.

“Go on then. Run after your dear good neighbour and replace out for yourself what he is actually capable of”

Aria only massaged her wrist for a while before speaking up again.

“You should have believed me when I told you nothing happened but you choose to think otherwise and now am the one to blame for how bad things have become?”

“I warned you didn’t I?”

When she said nothing in reply, he continued but this time not in an accusing way but rather urging her to do the last thing on her mind.

” You should go now. Go on”

Aria made no move to heed to his word as they both stood there staring at each other..

Frank was the first to walk away from her toward where his car was parked.

Aria watched with shivering lips with tears swelling in her eyes as she stared after his retreating steps until he got into his car without sparing her a second glance. She was still in the same spot when he drove by her before she felt the first drop of tears crashing against her cheek.

wiping her cheek with the back of her left hand_ she squared her shoulder and sniffed back the tears left in her eyes before walking away.