III. The Impact of Her

~ Twenty-Two ~

My head turned in an instant.

Laura stood behind me with a bouquet of sunflowers and daisies in her hands. Gently, she walked towards me without breaking eye contact with me. "May I?" she asked as she referred to the flowers she brought.

I nodded.

She left a small kiss on the bouquet before she put it on top of Lady's grave. She then proceeded to sit beside me without a word.

We stayed that way for a long while. We were so close and yet, so far. I wanted so badly to pull her into my arms and hold her tight. But at the same time, I wanted to push her away. I wanted for her to stay as far away as possible so I could recover from the pain that was inflicted on me.

I knew she didn't deserve to be blamed for the pain I had been feeling for days. But she became a part of the problem as Benjamin chose her to be his wife.

I cleared my throat to diffuse the tension between us. "So, what happened between you and Benjamin?" I asked as I kept my eyes on the sunset.

"He left a few minutes after you did," Laura replied with a faint voice.

I nodded slightly. "When will the festivities be held?" I asked another. For certain, she was already set to be a bride.

"Festivities?" she asked, baffled.

"The wedding, I mean."

She pulled my shoulder as she forced me to look at her. "Do you see an engagement ring on my fingers?" she asked as she held out her hands.

Indeed, there was no ring. But I didn't get my hopes up. Perhaps, they preferred to work through their differences first in order to build a long-lasting relationship.

"Then, when is the celebration?" I asked another.

She frowned. "A celebration for what?"

"There is no doubt that Benjamin will hold a grand and glorious banquet for your response to his proposal," I replied. "I simply want to know when and where it will be held so I can prepare for it."

'That is, if I am invited to the celebration,' I thought to myself.

There was an uncertainty if Benjamin would invite me to any celebrations for the two of them. I also wouldn't expect Laura to invite me as well. She should know by now that her relationship with my closest friend has left me scarred. And the mere sight of here only hurt me more.

My thoughts were interrupted when she moved closer to me and said, "Robert, I never agreed to what he wanted."

My brows furrowed. Did I hear her correctly? She didn't give Benjamin the answer he expected?

"I couldn't," she continued.

"Why?"

She sighed, her shoulders fell as she held my hands. She looked me in the eyes and asked, "Why must I give my heart to someone who isn't worthy of it?

"Who deserves your heart, then?" I asked.

With a smile, she explained, "I once told myself that I shall kiss the hands of the man who will win my heart. It will be the sign of my deep affection, my devotion towards him."

I cleared my throat. "And who is this man that you speak of? Is he the one whom you mentioned before? The one where your heart is already set on?" I asked. My heart raced even more as we continued this conversation.

Slowly, she laid a kiss on both my hands. She caressed the spots that she kissed before she looked back at me. "The one whose hands I just kissed."

Everything came to a screeching halt.