"Sorry about them," Ivy apologized on their behalf, knowing they would never do it themselves.
Won't even feel anyway remorseful, it was only her feelings guilty about what happened. She should have intervene sooner but her raw thought of Liam doing it out of jealous got the best of her. She watched in delight at the thought while he was receiving the hard end for no reason aside Liam immature behavior.
'Stupid heart,' she scolded herself.
They made their way in between the guest who eyes was on them. Ivy was the treasure of the night, they all wondered who was the man to have been able to get her. She was never seen this intimate with anyone other than her friends. In between that, they where dying to know what was going on between Mr. Black and him. They didn't miss a second of their interaction.
Ignoring the constant stare on them, they walked with confidence. It was not a deny, they looked beautiful together.
"They are unbearable at times," she added with a light shook of the head.
"It's okay-" definitely not "-I'm used to them-" one day they would pay me back, "-and thank you," his father company would have been at it end if not for her.
"No need-" it was my fault to begin with "-happy you had nothing serious," she said sending a quick glance on his shoulder. She untwine their arms, to his displeasure but didn't protest.
"I felt nothing," if feeling your bones being crushed down was considered as nothing.
"But I most say, you are unrecognizable. You change completely!" she said, still impressed by the change. Gone was the bag of bones and the feminine feature. Gone was his lack of self esteem.
The one standing in front of her was confident, charismatic and well built. She always found the old him cute but the one in front of her was handsome and more her type.
"Thank, I followed the advice you gave me on the day of our graduation. I man up," Ivy nodded remembering that.
At the end of their graduation ceremony, he took her apart, and confessed. Even stole a kiss from his belle, but it didn't end as dreamt. Rather, he received a slap for his audacity. It was Ivy first kiss ever. A precious gift he stole from her. If not for the affection he was able to grow in Ivy heart, his actions would have been the starter of s series of misfortune, regrets being the only emotion he would have felt at the thought of his confession. In spite of all, he still got a rejection, for the second time.
"You," he started, his eyes scanning her every facial features. From her big black eyes, as dark as black hair to her pink and plump lips, her small nose and pale skin. He lightly caressed her cheek, his brown eyes lost in hers.
He smiled, and drop his hand. Not letting it hang on her for more than few seconds, "you didn't change at all,"
She was still the pretty girl he remembered. Her features only mature but didn't change and he loved that.
"Here I thought I became beautiful. So I'm still ugly," she half joked.
Never had she ever considered saw herself as ugly nor anyone else but in high school, she wasn't a sight to behold. She knew it. Unlike now, she wasn't taking care of herself.
Jane looked at her as if she grew a head. Ivy and ugly in the same sentence? Ivy was the most beautiful woman to him, back then and now. To him, no one comes near her beauty.
"You were and is beautiful," he said without blinking. No hesitation in his voice. Serious, he was without doubt. Ivy didn't doubt it.
"Thank you," she blushed. To know was something but to hear from someone else, who weren't closed to her, she couldn't help but be affected.
Jane smiled seeing her cute face.
"They are still as protective as ever," he said, his eyes on the two pairs of eyes sending dragger in his direction.
Ivy turned and sighed noticing the look on her friends face. She hated it when they treated her like their small sister than their friends.
"Forget about them," she gave back her attention to Jane.
"I always thought you will end with Liam given how protective he was of you. Imagine my surprise hearing he was getting married to another girl!!"
Ivy said nothing to his words. What could she say? They were two to think the same. Never expected the plot twist named Shirley. She hated the girl, she lost her Liam because of her.
' I shouldn't think like that. I can't have him anymore, anyway,' she thought while forcing a smile to hide her true feelings.
"I'm glad," Jane added surprisingly, taking her hand in his. A little caress, he looked at her.
"It is his lost. I can have you for myself then," he raised her hands and place a gentle kiss on it back. His eyes never leaving Ivy's.
"I love you Ivy. In the past and now. My love for you never shiver but increased over time," he confessed.
She was his first love, his first kiss and even with her rejections he couldn't stop loving her. He always stayed with the hope that one day they would be together.
"Jane…" he stopped her, already knowing the words going to escape from her lips. It wasn't what he wanted to hear.
"I know you are still in love with Liam but don't let it stop you from giving me a chance. He belongs to someone now. I can make you happy and forget about him, Ivy. If you give me the chance," he caressed her right cheek with his large palm. He closed the distance between them and Ivy did nothing to stop him. Making him happy, hope growing in his heart.
"You may not love me but my love for you will be sufficient for both of us. Allow me to enter your life and maybe you will fall for me," he eyed her lips and brought his close to hers.
"I love you, Ivy," he said before kissing her. It was a gentle dry kiss, expressing his care and love for her. He smiled in-between the kiss when Ivy kissed him back, before pulling back seconds later.
"You became bold," she commented after breaking the kiss, sending quick glance at her surrounding. All had a shook face, she didn't dare to look behind her. Already imagining them fuming.
"All for you," he kissed the back of her hand and caressed it with his thumb. His eyes deep in hers, a fond smile on.
It made her wondered, hoped, dreamt. Was there a possibility… maybe she didn't have to give up. Perhaps, the possibility of a happy ending for her wasn't completely impossible. She always had a soft spot for Jane. She wasn't in love with him but maybe she could. If she gives up on Liam, she could love him.
Before her heart fell into an eventual hope, the wishful thinking of her heart, she had to know something. His response would determine her decision.
"What do you think about children? Want to have one?" she asked, dreading the answer.
"One? I want as many as you can bear. I always wish to have children. Having children to your resemblance will be perfect," he replied. His face glowing and a large smile on.
His hope going higher. Before asking, he already knew her reply, was sure to get a rejection. His third rejection, but now, it seems not to be the case.
'as I thought,' she cried in, her hope shattering into pieces.
She force a weak smile on her face and gently withdraw her hand from his.
"I'm honor to provoke such feelings in you but I can't reciprocate,"
Panic. His heart beats quicken. His joyful face felt, as his dream fell off, for the third time. Here he thought she was considering him. Why asking the children question if she wasn't even thinking about accepting.
"Why? If it's because of Liam…" she stopped him.
"It has nothing to do with Liam. You don't enter my criteria of my ideal man, that's all,"
During her hours passing there, she thought about her situation and came up with a plan. Jane words made her thought she didn't has to but it was just an illusion in the end.
Her words left Jane even more confused. Not in her criteria? What was so different between Liam and him?
The guest was call to another room where they would have dinner. They slowly began to empty the room. Still in place, Ivy eyes on Jane, she felt bad. Knowing to perfection how he felt. Loving someone but couldn't be with them. It was a crushing feeling.
"It has nothing to do with you Jane," she assured before leaving.
Her words didn't reduce the pain, in fact it only accentuated it. If not his fault, if she found no flaw in him, why couldn't it be him!? Why not choosing him then?
She went to her friends who was patiently waiting for her and the three of them walked in silence, side by side to the other room.
The room was filled with round table in the same theme with the other room. A mixture of white, blue and golden. The big pocket of white lily() on every table was a touch Ivy loved.
The three took their seats, which was on the center table. They shared it with Ivy's parents.
Sofia and Karl sense the cold air coming from the three. Wondering why the friends was mad, the decided not to question it. They left the table quiet, the source of noise being the other people talking. The food was rapidly served.
Though curious onto what happened between the three, what Sofia died to know was about the man her daughter kissed. Curiosity and excitement having the best of her, she spoke her mind out.
"Who was the guy you kissed? My future son-in-law?" she was shocked witnessing her daughter being kissed. She wondered who the man was and if her daughter has in a relationship with him. She prayed God in all known language for it to be real. For her daughter to finally have someone in her life.
"Of course not!" the three friends said at the same time. They all glanced at each other at the realization. Same words, same time, same tone. A same smile formed on their face before breaking into a laugh and their earlier quarrel was forgotten.
Sofia stared at the trio confused, not understanding what was going on.
"Why the kiss then?" she asked, forgetting about their strange reaction, wanting more details. Explanation.
"It was just a kiss and he was the one to kissed me," even though I kissed back she thought the rest.
For some reason, she didn't want Liam to know she kissed him back. He could misinterpreted.
"He forced himself on you?" Karl frowned, " because if he did…"
"No! I let him. He confessed to me, I rejected him! End of the story," she quickly explained.
"You let him?"
"He confessed?"
"You rejected him?"
"What?" they all asked at the same time, staring at her, waiting for answers.
"Yes I did let him kiss me," she answered Liam.
"Yes he confessed," she said to Andy.
"Because he doesn't have what am looking for and I have no feelings for him," she told her mother
"And what don't you understand dad?" she wondered. Her story was simple to understand.
Her answers made them speechless. Sofia was the first to recover.
"What are you looking for?" she hopes it wasn't Liam. Why couldn't her daughter give up on the man already, she cried in.
Ivy merely shrugged, providing no explanation to the curious eyes on her, full of questions. Little did they know, she didn't has the answer either. It was still a topic she was thinking about. Searching rationality in the idea she came up with. The question was, would she ever find a man? Was she bound to a life of solitude?