Introverted Love!

Chapter 7

He stared blankly into the darkness unwilling to let me in. I decided to stick this out and sat on the cold grass in front of him cross legged.
'Right, start from the beginning' I pushed unlike me. These days curiosity was getting the better of me I no longer avoided this.
For a moment he examined my face unsure of whether to let me in. He must have figured I was in this as much as him because he spilled everything out in one rushed breath
'Two months ago mum came back, she claimed she returned for Zainab since shes graduating this year she wants her to live with her but dad did some digging and she is just after money. Since she never actually divorced dad she wants the buisness or what she claims is her share. Dad wanted to hand the business down to me to avoid her getting her hands on it but in order to convince the board members I was mature enough and ready for the responsibility I had to get married'.
He looked up at me and then quickly away again 'it scared me and then I thought of you so I kind of dropped your name to dad' he looked up again trying to see my reaction but I stared at him blankly still trying to process the shit load of information he had just unloaded on me.
After an awkward few minutes of silence he continued 'I'm sorry I didn't know he'd take it seriously but I'll be honest I'm glad I don't have to get married to a stranger'.
For some reason I burst out laughing, it all just seemed so ridiculous to me like a kdrama.
Dumbfounded he shuffled on the grass uneasy with my endless laughter. After a while of trying to stop the laughter I breathed a huge sigh.
' You realise how ridiculous this sounds, right?'
He just nodded unsure of what to say
'So let me get this straight we haven't spoken in 15 years but we're not strangers okay so what is my faviroute thing to eat?' I said stifling the giggle that was about to escape
Before he could answer I continued
'What made you think I would agree or were you going to just kidnap me on the day?'

(Zacks POV)

I couldn't hold it in any longer so I told her everything, mum returning, dad trying to get me married to save the buisness and me dropping her into the middle of it. I don't know what I expected her to say maybe she'd be angry if I remember our youth correctly then I was due a slap. When she laughed endlessly that shook me because it meant she found the idea of marrying me ridiculous, so far fetched it never even occurred to her. I was nothing to her just like I was nothing to my mum - neither wanted me. Sorrow and despair pierced my heart but that cold exterior that had got me through mum leaving would be useful now. She couldn't see what she meant to me, she would never know that I sat at her faviroute restaurant a hundred times watching her eat the chicken sizzler and purposefully had work meetings in the cafe across from her hospital. I had seen her half asleep most morning's searching for her car keys and had even been behind her in  line for coffee a few times. I realised our childhood together hadn't meant to her what it meant to me. Both our mums left holes in our hearts and i guess i left it too long to try to fill them now. I needed to find a way out for her, I owed her that much. So I did what I thought was best

(Mayas POV)
He looked thoughtful, lost in a world of his own. Finally he looked up and sat straighter which caught my attention. His face which seconds ago held so much emotion became stiff and robotic.

'That was then, I was emotional and not thinking straight but you're right we're strangers so this makes no sense' he spoke as if telling himself
For some reason my heart stung at the words strangers coming out of his mouth even though I agreed we were. Abruptly he stood up
'Don't worry about anything Maya, you'll not hear another word about the marriage from anyone anymore'
He walked past me and let out a faint 'Take care of yourself'.
I stood in shock not knowing what to do. Had I laughed at his misfortune and drove him away until he felt he could not confide in me anymore? Regret ran through me but when I turned to find him all I saw was the swinging of the porch door as the patio lights turned off and I was left stood in the dark wondering what the hell just happened.