Ethereal obsession

13. "I love her"

I sat in my office, the soft hum of the city outside barely audible over the excited chatter of Elena, my closest friend in the industry after Meher. Elena had just gotten married to the love of her life, and she was practically glowing with happines.

Elena leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "I came to invite you to my wedding reception! You have to come, Inaya. And, of course, bring Avyansh!"

I forced a smile, trying to keep my voice light. "Of course, I'll be there. But about Avyansh, he's incredibly busy these days. I'm not sure if he'll be able to make it."

Elena pouted, clearly disappointed but not deterred. "Oh, come on! He has to come. I can't wait to meet the man who stole your heart. You never even mentioned having a boyfriend, let alone getting married!"

I laughed awkwardly, my mind racing to come up with a plausible excuse. How was I supposed to tell her the truth about my marriage to Avyansh?

That it was a marriage of convenience, more of a business deal than a love story? She wouldn't understand, and I didn't want to dampen her happiness with my complicated reality.

"Well, it all happened so fast," I said, trying to keep my tone casual. "One moment we were dating, and the next thing I knew, we were married. You know how life can be sometimes."

Elena narrowed her eyes playfully, clearly not buying my nonchalant explanation but not pressing the issue further. "Alright, but you have to promise me you'll try to bring him. I want to see you two together. No excuses!"

I nodded, my smile feeling more strained by the second. "I promise I'll try."

As soon as Elena left, I let out a long sigh, leaning back in my chair. What was I going to do? I couldn't very well force Avyansh to attend a wedding reception he had no interest in, especially given the nature of our relationship. He would laugh in my face if I even suggested it.

I rubbed my temples, trying to stave off the headache that was forming. Why did Elena have to be so insistent? I couldn't exactly blame her-she was excited and wanted to share her joy with me. But it left me in a difficult position.

Would he even consider coming? The thought of asking him made me cringe, but I had to at least try.

~ Time skips

(⁠✯⁠ᴗ⁠✯⁠)

I sat in my room, my mind racing. How was I going to ask Avyansh to come to Elena's reception with me? Today had been a hectic day, filled with the stress of work and now this additional anxiety.

Elena's reception was tomorrow, which meant if I asked Avyansh tonight and he denied, I'd have time to convince Elena that he really couldn't come.

I took a deep breath and headed to the living room, scrolling through my phone to distract myself while I waited for him. After what felt like an eternity, I heard footsteps.