Chapter 47 No more arranged marriage
CHICAGO, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA
Ian let out a handful of breathe before walking into the restaurant. Earlier on, Lorna and Ian had agreed to meet up since she insisted that they needed to talk like two matured adults. Speaking of maturity, Lorna is quiet far from it!
Ian felt like stuffing a bread in her mouth as they were at the store because she didn’t take her eyes off Ria while she was talking to him. And he just hopes that Ria didn’t get the wrong idea about Lorna. If Ria is thinking the other way round then how would he even explain things to her?
Lorna must be mad at Ian because he didn’t introduce her to Ria and that he even acted like she wasn’t important to me. What should Ian have done? “Ria meet Lorna, she is the lady my dad wants to me to marry but I don’t love her. Does that make any sense?” Hell no! Ian thought.
About the meeting with Lorna in the restaurant Ian has no choice but to give in to Lorna’s request because she had threatened to tell Ria that he was having an affair with Grace the secretary. That wasn’t true though! But Ian had to say yes just to stop Lorna from saying those nonsense to Ria.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
And even if it wasn’t true Ria would still find it hard to believe Ian if he ever tried to explain that nothing was going on between he and Grace.
“I thought you wouldn’t make it down here.” Lorna said when Ian sat on the chair opposite hers.
“I said I was going to meet you.” Ian replied.
“She is the reason why you were out of the country for weeks.” Lorna blurted out and that didn’t sound like a question. She knows something!
“Yeah.” Ian nodded.
Lorna chuckled. “I see.”
“When will you stop paying people to find out things about me?” Ian demanded.
“You caused it Ian. We aren’t like this when were kids. We used to be best of friends until you changed up and I keep wondering what caused this change between us.” Lorna said.
“You should find that out alone.” I shrugged.
“Listen, I have tried all I can to figure things out but nothing has ever occurred to me.” Lorna said with a screwed up face.
Just one thing changed Lorna and Ian’s friendship-Mason! Ian and Lorna were inseparable but everything changed the day he saw her kissing Mason. What age was that? Yes! When they were fifteen. It was on Lorna’s fifteenth birthday and Ian had bumped into Lorna and Mason kissing in the dark! Lorna wasn’t dating Mason back then, she had made things clear to Ian about her relationship to Mason but she still kissed him.
Was she drunk that day or she wasn’t in her right mind? Ian was only disappointed because Lorna had made it clear that such would never happen between she and Mason because she was in love with Ian.
At some point Ian thought he was in love with Lorna because of their closeness but everything changed when he saw her kissing Mason. And Ian did tried to stop seeing Lorna as a friend but a s a girl that he could love but it didn’t work out. So right then Ian realized that he wasn’t meant to see her pass that friendship level.
“What went wrong?” Lorna asked.
Ian was not ready to tell Lorna what made me him change! He concluded that they should just leave things that way.
“We can talk things out and-”
“And what do we have to talk about?” Ian snorted.
“Us.”
“Us?” Ian frowned.
“Yes.”
“Lorna, there is no us. I told you that love can’t work out between us”m.” Ian stated clearly.
“What about her?”
“Pardon?” Ian screwed up his face.
“The lady I saw with you.” Lorna replied.
“Let us leave her out of this conversation and please stop paying people to stalk me.” Ian said in a stern tone. How on earth did Lorna always find out things she wants know? It is always like Lorna eyes are everywhere!
“I didn’t have to pay anyone to tell me you were in China taking care of a blind lady. Piper told me about it.” Lorna blurted.
“What?!” Ian’s jaw dropped slightly.
Piper told Lorna about Ria! And how much did she know about Ria? What did Piper tell her? Nothing is safe with Piper! Ian chanted in his mind.
“Yeah she told me about the blind lady when I called to check on you. Ian, you weren’t picking up my calls and I was worried. So I went to Piper’s office.” Lorna explained.
“What exactly did she tell you?” Ian demanded.
“A lot.”
“A lot?”
Ian doubted it! Piper doesn’t know anything other than the fact that he paid for Ria’s medical bills and he went with her to China. About his plans to set up Ria’s business was between Ian and his mom only. He was sure that his mom won’t leak his plans to anyone.
“Piper told me that you paid for her surgical bills.” Lorna said.
And that doesn’t signify the a lot that she had mentioned in her sentence. “Piper is right. I helped Ria regain her sight.”
“Do you love her?” Lorna asked unexpectedly.
Ian stiffed back a laugh. “Why do you want to know?”
Lorna sighed and leaned forward. “I want to know how you feel about that blind lady so I won’t keep my hopes high.” Lorna responded.
Keeping her hopes high? Ian can’t believe her words when he already told her years back that he can’t fall in love with her. So why is she holding on to him? “Her name is Ria and she is not blind anymore.” Ian corrected.
“Whatever.”
“Listen Lorna, I am not stopping you from loving whoever you want to love.” Ian added.
“Yes I know. That’s why I want to get over whatever feelings I have for you.” Lorna replied.
So if I lan confessed to Lorna that he doesn’t love Ria then she won’t give up on him? Ian has feelings for Ria. He already figured that out but telling Lorna about his love for Ria will break her heart and make her feel sad. What is the best option for Ian?
“Ian, I want the truth. I don’t want to keep fighting for what doesn’t belong to me. I have realized that it is pointless so I will understand your decision.” Lorna sounded so sincere with him.
Maybe Ian should just tell Lorna the truth so she can move on and let him be. Plus he also want to come out of the arranged marriage with Lorna.
“Yes, I am in love with her.” Ian confessed.
Lorna nodded slowly. “I knew it. I just wanted to be sure.” And how did she know he loves Ria? Ian thought within.
“I spoke with your mom earlier before I saw you. She told about about your feelings for Ria when I insisted that she tells me more about her. I just want to hear it coming from you. My heart will accept it now that you confessed it.” Lorna added.
So Lorna has been on the look out for a while now probably trying to find out if Ian truly loves Ria. No wonder Mrs Perla asked her son if he saw Lorna leave her office. The meeting was about Ian and Ria.
“I am sorry.” Ian said to her.
“Sorry for what? Are you sorry for now loving me?” She let out a snort.
“Maybe.” And Ian had no idea why he had said sorry to her.
“Ian, it is fine. I accept your decision. Now I know, we aren’t meant to be together and thank goodness one of us was able to sense it before it caused us any harm.” Lorna reasoned.
Ian only gave a short nod! Now he was a bit surprised to see a different Lorna. Did she grow up in few weeks of not setting his eyes on her? She seems to sound more mature now. He mused.
Lorna stood up and moved closer to him. “I wish you well, Ian Bryant.” She kissed his cheek before walking out.
Ian stood up seconds later, he made it out of the restaurant and went back to the jewelry store which was just few blocks away.