Arranged marriage: Skeletons(sequel)

Chapter 13

This is how the watch looks like.

When she turned it around, she saw that something was neatly carved on the back of the watch. Jennie knew even without doubt that Riley spent a lot of money on the watch. The names

"Nini Bear

Xoxo

Big tiger"

Were carved at the back, almost invisible. But she saw it still. And it wasn't until a single tear drop landed with a small splash on her wrist that she noticed that she was crying. But she wasn't sad at all. Infact, she felt like Riley was setting her free. Like the war between heart and mind was over and she could finally let go. So she did. She looked up at her friend who quickly gave her a tight hug. Once they parted, she wiped away her tears and with the help of her friend, she wore the watch on her right wrist and let a genuinely bright smile grace her face.

.......

Layla walked into the nice restaurant and told the receptionist the reservation she came for and was led to the table. As soon as she walked to it, she saw her and her heart skipped a bit. She couldn't help but smile.

Her lover met her gaze with a soft one, smiling at her. She stood up and gave her a hug then kissed her forehead, which made Layla blush uncontrollably. She opened the opposite sit for her and helped her sit down before walking to her own chair and sitting down. They were both dressed formally with Layla wearing a tight fitting black dress with matching heels. Her hair was left to fall in elegant waves on her back while Riley's hair was cut so it only touched the top of her shoulders again.

"You look breathtakingly beautiful," Riley complimented her lover who smiled at her.

"Thank you. You look irresistible, as always," the compliment elicited a soft chuckle from Riley. They had never been on a date before in the past. That's why Riley thought it would be a good idea for her to take Layla out. A polite waitress came to their table and handed them menu's before walking away.

"So, how are you?" Riley asked her lover who's eyes scanned the menu in her hands. She raised her eyes and looked at her for a while, and although their eyes looked into the other's, the latter's mind was thinking deeply about so many things. She blinked and let out a soft breath through her nose before looking at the menu again.

"I'm alright. You?" Riley heard how the question was asked with great caution, and she felt the need to clear some things out before they escalated into something of great worry and concern in Layla's mind. Because she knew that although the woman was extremely beautiful, and always appeared to be confident and sure of herself, she was still very much insecure about herself. She hid a fear inside of her. A fear she raised and natured ever since she was a child in her family house, listening and watching her parents fight almost every single day. A fear that grew with her and has, as the years continued to pass, grown to be very big and powerful.

The fear of not being able to find a love that will stay.

Because when for a certain part of your life you had to watch your family break apart, to watch your parents whom you thought loved each other dearly, get divorced, your look on what love is like starts to change. You start to fear it. You start feeling the need to reject and push it away whenever it tried to enter your life. To push it back and lock it out because you think that way, it won't be able to hurt you. That way you can say that you're the one who left love, and not the other way around. You start to have this belief that love doesn't really last. That forever doesn't really last for long. That every person who claims to love you, is really ever looking for a taste of your aphrodisiac body. And so you build up the tallest and thickest walls you can. Until someone can be brave enough to take on your challenge when you dare them to stay. For their love to not be forever but for infinity. To know no bounds and no limits. And even though that someone takes on the job, the fear lives in you still. Atleast until you can fully trust without the need to hold back a certain portion of yourself.