There were no words that can best explain how surprised and broken Audrey feels right now. Her mind that was already in total chaos was overpowered with her now already fractured heart. The sudden pain pangs on to her like a raging thunder, immediate but it had already breached her within.
It was indeed too good to be true that Prince Charming still hasn't found his Princess. His social status is indeed very far from hers and having a fiancé at such an age is of course totally normal for people like him. In fact it was no surprise.
Audrey thought that she was too naïve that he's different. That he's not the type who would fool around while having someone else already. But she heard him say the words, "I never acknowledged her as…". So does it mean that he's different?
Stunned and can't think straight, all Audrey could do was let her tears fall unknowingly hard. She looked at him with eyes full of sadness. She doesn't hate him nor despise him but somehow she felt betrayed.
These emotions are all new to her and it's frightening. What's even more frightening is that she doesn't know how to handle them. She wanted to run and think that this is all just a bad dream that soon she'll wake up but no. Everything is real and so does the pain she feels.
"Audrey, it's not what you think." Aiden said worried as he held out his hand towards her to touch her but she stepped back. But it only made him more anxious. So he said as he grabbed her hand tight making sure she won't escape, "Come with me."
He dragged her far towards the empty biology laboratory and locked it. After being certain that they were alone, he went back to Audrey who is descended on the floor with her back leaning on one of the cupboards while tucking one of her knees in as she continuously cry as she stare blankly at the floor.
He knelt in front of her as he carefully wipes her tears away with his fingers as he pleaded, "Audrey, please stop crying."
Audrey remained silent feeling helpless. She doesn't know what to say for she doesn't know where to begin with. She let Aiden wipe her tears away for she felt like she doesn't have any strength to do so.
"I'm sorry." He apologized.
"For what?" She finally spoke.
"About what you heard earlier, I didn't mean to hide that I have a fiancé."
"It's no surprise. It's normal for people like you."
There was a moment of silence between them. But what Aiden then said halted everything that Audrey's been thinking and replaced it with something more unfathomable.
"Look at me." He nervously cupped her cheeks with his hands and have her met his eyes and said, "You're the one I love."
Surprised of what she heard, her tears stopped. She looked at him straight in the eye and saw that he was about to tear up himself. So she asked in a state of belief, "What did you just say?"
"I love you Audrey." And there his tears fell. "I've been trying to tell you this whole time but I'm terrified that you'll despise me when you find out who I really am specially that things I've done in the past that I'm just full of lies. I'm so afraid that you'll leave and wish that you'd never met or knew me."
Speechless, Audrey decided to listen as her confused mind tried to process what he's saying.
"I thought I'd just be satisfied by just staying away or looking at you at a distance but no. After knowing you, you made me realize that I'm not alone. But being with you made feel things that I never expected to feel specially having the feeling of not having enough of you with each day passing day. I wanted to keep you all to myself but I couldn't for I know that I'm not good enough for whatever I did in the past will still overpower and break all the things I'm trying to fix."
"Don't say that!" Audrey said as she threw herself towards him and embraced him catching him off guard. "You're enough. Whoever you are, whatever you did in past, it's all part of you and I'll accept all of you! I don't care if you've lived your life surrounded with lies. We can fix that. It's never too late."
"Audrey you have no idea what I did."
"Whatever it is it is already in the past and I'm sure that you didn't mean what happened back then or else you won't look this sad."
"But I did something unforgivable."
"Nothing is unforgivable until you repent yourself over it."
Aiden embraced her back as he apologized, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I fell in love with you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Please. I'm sorry."
"Then I'm sorry too."
"What?"
Audrey touched his face as if she trying to imprint on her memory all his facial structure. She wiped his tears away and gave him a stern look and said, "I love you Aiden."
Taken aback, Aiden cried more for he can't believe what he just heard. He pulled her towards him embracing her as he buried her face on to her shoulders as he cries and said, "No. You don't."
"I do." Audrey pets his head trying to calm him.
"No. You can't. You shouldn't."
"But I already did."
"I should have stayed away. I should have kept my distance. I should have been contented."
"No! I'm glad that I've met you. I'm even glad that I fell in love with you. Even if you try to push me away I'm stubborn. I won't quit just like that specially knowing that you…love me too."
He gently pushed her away to take a good look at her face and asked, "What am I going to do with you?"
"Continue to love me and take responsibility. That's all I ask."
Aiden finally smiled and said, "So be it. I hope you'll keep your word because I'll fill you heart and mind with plenty of thoughts of me."
"Surprise me then." She returned a quick smile to him.
"Of course." He gave her a sweet kiss on to her forehead and said whispering, "I love you my dearest Panda."