Chapter Six: Impromptu
1220 Words
“His name is Xavier, not the Italian guy.”
The marriage is really happening then. But she sounds off, she sounds down and exhausted. Isn’t a bride to be supposed to be the happiest human on earth, very cheerful, extremely bubbly, and buzzing with positive energy?
“Be sincere with me, how are you?”
She stretches out her hand and looks at her engagement ring, “I am great.”
It is a lie, she doesn’t sound great. Hell, she doesn’t even sound fine.
“Are you sure?” I push again.
She lets out a sigh, “If I tell you I am great then I am actually great.”
“Okay, I have been great too. Thank you for asking.”
“I heard you went to Australia.”
“Yes.”
“It was a two days trip but you didn’t tell anyone that.”
I understand what she is trying to do. She wants to get information out of me without asking questions. That is one of her habit I am so fond of. Believe me when I say I don’t hide anything from her even if she happens to ask directly.
Hearing movement through the phone makes me look up her window again, she is not there.
“It was impromptu.”
“You fill me in on all of your impromptu travels.”
“I don’t think your husband will appreciate me telling his wife the details of my life.”
“Aaron, do you have a problem with the wedding?”
“Am I allowed to have a problem with your wedding?”
“Perhaps, is there something about him that you aren’t saying?”
“No, nothing at all, why should I even have a problem with your wedding?” I let out a dry, sad chuckle.
“You literally disappeared from my life since you heard about the marriage.”
“You didn’t deem me worthy enough to tell me about your own wedding. I heard about it from the streets.” I tried so hard to mask the hurt and betrayal I am feeling in my voice, but I hope she didn’t hear it.
“The streets? Didn’t Samantha tell you?”
“You think it is okay for me to hear about your wedding from a third party?”
“I don’t consider Sam a third party and you never gave me room to explain things to you.”
“I am all ears now, explain.”
“It is an arranged marriage. My consent wasn’t sought, mummy just agreed to it.”
“I am coming to talk to Mr Bright then, this marriage is going to be cancelled. I won’t let you marry a guy you do not love.”
I am so happy, I should have known. Lily won’t marry a guy that is not me. I Know she loves me, she is just yet to come to terms with it. It is no problem though, I am in no rush, I will patiently wait for her.
“Wait, no. That is not what I meant, I actually love him.” What the hell is she saying?
“Don’t play your usual pranks please. Now is not the time princess. You just said it is an arranged marriage.” I am in no mood for jokes right now. She shouldn’t play with a matter as serious as this.
“Yes Aaron, please don’t interrupt me. I said it is an arranged marriage because I didn’t know they were coming to ask for my hand. They just did and mummy said yes without consulting me.”
“And I said you don’t have to go through with it.” I interrupt, clearly annoyed.
“You are making this hard for us, let me finish explaining. It is love at first sight. I fell in love with him the very first time I saw him at Blooms’.”
“Princess, sounds like you’ve forgotten who you are talking to. Since when did you start believing in love at first sight? If memories serve me right, you don’t even like books with that trope.”
“Don’t we all change?”
“I don’t believe you. I don’t believe this. You can fool everyone but me princess.”
“I am not fooling you Aaron, I actually do love him.”
“You don’t even believe it yourself, your voice is breaking. You don’t sound confident and so sure. You don’t sound great, you sound exhausted, you sound like you are forced to do this, Lily just...”
She doesn’t even let me finish talking when she interrupts me, “no one is forcing me to marry him.”
Out of all the things I said that is the only thing she chose to reply to? It just further proves to me that I am right. I know this lady more than she knows herself. I have to find out the details and get to the root of it.
I hear her let out a sigh before she says, “We should hang out one of these days, before the wedding.” A subtle effort to change the topic, fine, I will buy it.
I am not sure I can go through the torture, but I do really want to see her, hear her voice, see her smile, hold her, feel her warmth, steal her away and know the truth about this her so called ‘love at first sight wedding’. I have heard numerous stories of runaway brides, so she won’t be the first.
“I can arrange that, will check my schedule and let you know.”
“Yayy, I can’t wait.” She is by the window now, the biggest smile on her face. Now she looks great. I am glad I am able to make her smile.
“I have to go.” I tell her before I end up saying something foolish or something crazy. Something along the line of, ‘Do not marry Xavier because I...’ well I don’t even have a reason besides that I am absolutely in love with her. That should count as a reason I guess.
“Alright bye and Aaron just in case you’ve forgotten, you can always call your princess regardless of her status. She was yours before she became engaged, and she’d always be your princess who is always willing and ready to listen and talk to you.”
I know she means what she said, but I also know that she means all of that in the most platonic way possible.
But do I want her in a platonic way? I want more than that. If only wishes were horses.
“Bye Lily.”
She doesn’t answer me. She just ends the call though I heard shuffling as she turned around and walked into her room. I am guessing someone came in.
I rev my car to life, slowly driving home. I am not checking any schedule. My schedules don’t exist with my princess. I cancel everything just to be with my girl.
I know I am going to see her tomorrow night, 3 days to her wedding. I am going to confess my feelings to her, I don’t care what will happen.
- Writer
