Un-Arranged Love

Chapter 66

Alex POV

I'd arrived just in time for the auction. I was nervous about meeting Alaya, but I knew I had to do it. There will be no more running. This was something we both needed to get off our chests. I saw Amar and my mother and approached them to say hello. "Hi Mum. Hi Amar", I said as I hugged them both. "I'm so glad you both came".

"Amar told me about the phone call earlier, Alex. How are you feeling, son?" My mother inquired, a worried expression on her face.

"Mum, I'm fine. I'm going to find Alaya and speak to her about all of this. It's about time the both of us  sat down to talk it out." I told my mother, putting on a brave face but dying on the inside.

"Okay, honey. I'm so proud of you. It's almost time for the auction to begin. Me and Amar need to go and find some decent seats", she said, before she kissed me on my cheek. Amar softly rested his palm on my arm and gave me a nod, before he went.

Alaya was nowhere to be seen as I searched for her. I looked everywhere, but couldn't find her. What if she hadn't shown up? I was certain she wouldn't miss this night. She was excited about the possibility of the auction taking place, and it meant a lot to her. When we spent the day together yesterday, I noticed this in her. I wondered if it was because of me that she hadn't shown up. I must find her. If I have to drag her here, so be it, but she won't be missing tonight, especially after all of her hard work.

I spotted Sarah, the receptionist from yesterday. The one with the odd sense of style and fiery red hair. I approached her in the hopes of learning where Alaya was. "Hi, it's Sarah, right?" I was a little too friendly in my questioning.

"Yes, that's me. Did you need something, Mr Scott?", she inquired, her gaze falling on me.

I asked her, attempting to be calm and casual, "Yes, I was wondering if you knew where Alaya was? I needed to go over a few things with her,"  I said.

"I saw her go out earlier with Dr Carter. They both walked in that direction" By pointing to one of the side wooden doors, she advised. I didn't even have the time to thank her before hurrying off to find her.

My heart was racing as I approached the wooden door. Despite my desire for answers, I remained hopeful that the evening would turn out well. I promised myself I was going to be honest with Alaya. I wasn't going to hide how I felt, even if it meant sharing the good with the bad.

I could see Alaya and another female sitting on a bench in what appeared to be a courtyard. Alaya's face was resting on this females shoulder. I sneaked up quietly so as not to make any noise. I didn't mean to, but I overheard their conversation. Alaya was explaining to this female, I assume it was Dr Carter, how horrible she felt about the way she left me all of those years ago, how much she loved me and how she never stopped loving me, and how I was her strength.

All of this information smacked me in the face like a tonne of bricks. I knew Alaya would never be the same after that night, but knowing that she was suffering because she knew she had hurt me stung me even more. She even felt she couldn't tell me yesterday because she was afraid I'd resent her and bring me more pain. I wish she had told me about it sooner. She should have trusted that I would understand and that I would love her no matter what; all I wanted was for her to love me, and she did! I couldn't bear wasting any more time, so I stepped closer and asked, "So why didn't you just tell me?"

She turned around to face me after lifting her head from Dr Carter's shoulder. She was really taken aback. The expression on her face was of shock. This, I assumed, was because she thought I'd left and now I was standing in front of her after hearing what she had confessed to Dr Carter. Alaya's eyes were bloodshot red from all the crying, the tip of her nose was rosy, and her cheeks were flushed. I approached her with care. Even when she stood up from the bench, her eyes were filled with tears that hadn't stopped trickling down. Seeing her in such distress broke my heart. It reminded me of the painful time I sat in her bedroom and she cried on my shoulder. I came over to her and hugged her right away. She then encircled me with her arms and sobbed into my chest. As she wailed away, I could feel her emptying all of her heartache into my chest.