Chapter 05

"Where would I go?" Her eyes were glossy. "They would find me."

"You can come to mine anytime you want." Rei looks away. "I'll hide you well."

Rei was always a tease and he jokes around too much so she knows he is just doing so too. And she chuckles at his idea.

"If only I could," she whispered sighing heavily. "But you know what he said? He said if we marry, he would not care whatever I do. And it makes me think about it. He's not controlling and--"

"Running away is still an option." He interrupted. "I can get the car ready or you can just not go home and be at my unit."

"Stop!" she giggles. He doesn't fail to make her laugh. "Your fan girls will kill me so I just want you to listen and I'll do what I need to."

Rei inhales deeply, letting it all out the next second.

"You do you and just tell me when you need me. You know I'll be there."

Their eyes locked at each other again and oh, how she wish these were the ones she could gaze at forever. He calms her down and they get along pretty well. If only he likes her but he doesn't so she looks sideways.

"So, that's what I was on my mind, Rei. May I continue now?"

"Sure." Rei nodded and give her the space she needs.

*

As they agreed, Waren parked at the same corner he pulled over an hour ago. He just got back from spending time with Jezel and he already felt bad for her. It's cruel making her stay with him while he's going to marry someone else.

The way Jezel says it's fine because he is doing it for her stabs his heart. He knows it wasn't easy for her but they could not do anything. If everything works out after her situation gets better he will file for divorce and nobody can stop him then. It will be easy since the woman he's marrying is also against the marriage.

Speaking of this woman, where the heck is she? He's been waiting there for a while now but he doesn't see her. She should've been here first.

It seems like the sky has heard him and his bride-to-be finally showed up. It made him frown when he sees her from a shop. He reads the above sign and it's an ice cream shop hence the ice cream in her hand. 

"So, she likes sweets," he murmured, waiting for her to notice that he was parked already.

Five minutes in and his bride-to-be just sat on a corner, comfortably eating her ice cream. She didn't even bother looking around for him. She's just there, sometimes doing some shoulder movement.

If she had just given him her number, he wouldn't have had to go out to get her. Unfortunately, she didn't so he went out of his car, his feet heavy. Once he slammed the door behind him, he started marching to her.

Shayne noticed someone blocking her view so she raised her head and saw Waren with a poker face. Looking at him makes her release a sigh, looking down again.

"Let's go home," he said, turning away but soon realizes she didn't follow him. Before swiveling back to her, he rolls his eyes in frustration and then faces her. "Do you plan to escape?"

"Could I if I did?" she asked back. "Let me finish my ice cream and I'll go."

Waren can't drag her to his car so he waited for her. He just stood there with arms crossed like he was some kind of bodyguard. He felt that way.

"Have you decided?"

"I don't really have many options," she answered. "Though there are things I would like to clarify with you."

"I'm listening."

Shayne licks her lower lip from the ice cream residue and Waren needed to look away, swallowing hard. It shouldn't have that effect but he felt uncomfortable watching her do that.

"Are we going to live together after the wedding?" she asked.

"There's a possibility to it especially that we're not teenagers no more," he replied. "If it worries you, we can ask them to keep us separated. They know we are not in love anyway. They'll understand."

"If they know so, they wouldn't have forced us, Raven."

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's Waren?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she sneered. "I'll make this clear. I don't want to live with you!" Waren scoffed and was about to say something when she spoke again. "But let's live together."

His brows were immediately drawn together. There was no way this woman would want to live with him if there was no hidden agenda to it.

"Why do you suppose so?"

"I thought about it and realized that if I lived with you, they won't know what I am up to and we don't have to pretend we like each other all the damn time." She stopped and took a scoop of ice cream, stuffing it in her mouth, and looks at him. "What do you say? We can get separate rooms, of course."

"What if I don't agree?" Jezel won't like that idea. "I am sure that after our wedding everything can go on like nothing. You can have your life back and I can--"

"I can never," she snaps. If she won't get anything out of this marriage then she won't do it. Yes, it could be like nothing happened but she doesn't want to get tied and still snuck out to do the things she likes. "If get nothing out of this then I am not marrying you. Either agree to live with me or find yourself another bride."