Forbidden Love

Chapter 50

 
Bryan walked past the hotel receptionist, who greeted him with a warm smile as he headed to the elevator. He had just returned from a board meeting and was on his way to his hotel room, to review what was discussed in the meeting, to see if any changes would be necessary.

He stood in front of the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. When it opened, Bryan was surprised to find Paula, a man, and a little boy, he suspects to be her husband and son in the elevator.

"Bryan?... What are you doing here?" Paula exclaimed in surprise, as she never thought she'd ever run into Bryan here.

"I'm here on business" Bryan replied with a polite smile.

"Uh, Bryan. Meet my husband, Chris... Chris, this is Bryan, Henry's best friend" Paula introduced both men.

"Nice to meet you" Chris, Paula's husband said as they shook hands.

"Likewise" Bryan replied. His attention was soon diverted towards the little boy standing in front of Paula, whom he swore looked a lot like Amy.

"And you must be Carl" he smiled, squatting to the kid's eye level.

Carl gasped in surprise, earning a chuckle from Bryan. He was shocked that this stranger knew his name. He quickly hid behind his mom, peeking from behind her leg. Bryan smiled at his cuteness. Amy was 100% correct when she said her little brother is adorable.

"Don't be scared. Amy told me a lot about you" he continued, hoping that would make the kid feel a bit at ease with him.

"You're friends with Amy?" Carl's curious voice asked at the mention of his sister's name. He was now interested in this stranger.

"Mm-hmm" Bryan replied with a nod.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Carl. I'm Bryan" he added, stretching out his hand for a handshake.

Amy had told him a lot about her little brother. How fun it was to be around him. How close they were to each other, even though they had different dads. How his smile can light up an entire room and how she would give anything to make him happy. Bryan was happy to meet the one person who truly made Amy's eyes sparkle and gave her a sense of responsibility.

Carl moved away from behind his mom's leg and joined his small hand with Bryan's large one in a handshake.

Bryan stood up after interacting with Carl and asked Paula why they were in Italy. Paula explained that she and her husband were given some time off from their jobs, so they decided to take a vacation to Italy.

"We were about to go sightseeing" she concluded.

"That's great" Bryan replied and was about to say goodbye to the family, so they could go on with their day, when Paula interrupted him.

"Um, Bryan. Can I have a word with you?"

Bryan stared at Paula for a few seconds, wondering why she wanted to talk to him. From her body language, he could tell that what she wanted to discuss with him was important, so he agreed to talk to her.

Paula gave her husband and son a goodbye kiss and promised to join them in an hour. Chris and Carl then said goodbye to Bryan before exiting the hotel building.

After they left, Bryan suggested that they talk in the hotel restaurant, which Paula agreed to. They both ordered a martini cocktail when they got to the restaurant.

"I know this is sudden, but I've been meaning to talk to you" Paula began after their drinks were served by a waitress.

"What about?" Bryan asked, taking a sip from his drink.

Having him in front of her made Paula wonder if she was doing the right thing. She had memorized this conversation over a thousand times in her head, preparing for the day she decided to meet with him, but she wasn't so sure what to say anymore.

'You can do this, Paula' she convinced herself, repeatedly telling herself that this was in everyone's best interest.

"I'm aware of your relationship with my daughter" she eventually replied.

Bryan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. How is that possible? He wondered. Did she see them during one of their dates? But he's always careful when he takes Amy out on dates, or did Amy tell her about them? If she did, she would've told him about it.

"Amy didn't tell me about you guys, if that's what you're wondering" Paula suddenly said, like she was reading his thoughts.

"I saw you two kissing on your first date"

Bryan then realized how careless he was then, to think that any parent would be asleep when his or her daughter was out by past midnight.

"I never expected this from you, Bryan... I mean.. Amy is like a daughter to you" she continued.

"Paula, I'm sorry but I can't help who I fall in love with"

"Really, Bryan?... Is this what you'll be saying to Henry when he finds out?" She asked in disbelief.

"You know how Henry gets when he's angry. You're the level-headed one, so how did you make such a terrible decision?"

Paula was right. He was the sensible one in the friendship, but until now, he's yet to realize how he let his emotions get the best of him. How did he end up falling in love with Amy, when he knew it would only result in dire consequences?

"Amy didn't like my opinion on this relationship. I'm certain that's why she didn't tell you that I saw you on your first date" Paula said, interrupting his thoughts.

"I had no way of getting through to her, so I concluded that I would speak to you" She paused.

"I understand how you feel, Bryan, I do, but you have to realize that Amy doesn't know what she's doing... She is young and ruled by her emotions"

The desperation in Paula's voice made Bryan feel guilty. He hasn't felt this way in a while because of the happiness he was experiencing just from being with Amy.

"I'm her mother, and although I may not be as close to her as her father. I know what she's feeling"

"What do you mean?" Bryan wanted Paula to explain what she just said because her opinion was as important as that of Henry when it has to do with Amy and when it comes to his relationship with Amy.

"Amy loves you, there's no doubt about it. But.. it's not how she thinks"

Paula took a deep breath for what she was about to say. She knows she was going to hurt Bryan with her words, but she has to say it to make him understand the situation better.

"Amy thinks she's in love with you because you're the closest thing to her father... Amy loves Henry dearly and you treat her a lot like Henry, so she's attached to you. She just doesn't know how to express it"

Hearing these words from someone else hurt Bryan deeper than when he thought about them himself. It's not like he didn't believe Amy when she confessed her feelings for him, but he always had this thought at the back of his mind, that she only saw him as a father figure and was doing this to reciprocate his kindness.

"Besides... Even though Henry gives her everything, he's still overprotective of her. Amy hasn't had the chance to be like the rest of her peers, so you're her escape route... I'm sure when she goes to college, she'll want to be with someone her age"

Paula's words pierced his heart, but she had said nothing but the truth. Amy would think twice about their relationship when she sees other options, and he doesn't want to be the one standing in the way of her happiness.

"What do you suggest I do?" He finally asked in a surprisingly calm voice, after a long silence.

'He sure knows how to control his emotions, unlike someone else' Paula thought to herself.

"I know this relationship hasn't gone too far, so I'll suggest you end it now before it gets deeper... Bryan, do this for the sake of everyone involved. I don't want my baby getting hurt" Paula was on the verge of tears.

Bryan took her hands from across the table and tried to calm her down. He needs to do as Paula says, but how does he end his relationship with Amy without hurting her?