The Unexpected Love

10. The News

The drive to Avi's penthouse was quiet. I was silent because I knew what was going to happen in the next few hours; I knew what he had to say and why he was so adamant to call me here. He was silent maybe because he was trying to formulate the conversation that we would have.

As he fixed some dinner for me while I was leisurely sitting on the kitchen counter-top, "So, I'm.. here." Poking at reason for calling me to London.

"Glad you cleared it; I thought I was dreaming." I scoffed and threw a grape at him.

I was extremely freaked out right now. "AVIII! Tell me. What was all the hurry about?"

"Can't you wait. You just came! Have dinner, watch a movie, go to sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning."

I was really apprehensive now. "Let's just get it over with now. I've waited for a week, so excuse me if I don't do the pleasantries!" I snapped.

He stopped continuing his work and turned around to face me. He came up to me and stroked my hair.

He kissed my temple before looking at me, "You know you mean the world to me, right?" I raised an eyebrow at his words. "

"Are you dying?" I asked casually as if I was asking whether he'd fancy a cup of hot chocolate or not.

"Sorry to devoid you of that happiness just as yet, but I'm not dying." He laughed lightly.

"Then what?"

He hesitated for a moment and ran his hands through his hair. "I-I'm. I don't know-I'm-"

"You're engaged?" I completed his sentence hoping I picked up the wrong clues and that he'd deny it.

But a smile flashed across his otherwise pale skin. "Yes!"

My mind was laid waste by the news. He was my best friend but a 10 year old girl within me still fancied him. It wasn't that I still liked him or anything but hearing that you're first boyfriend is engaged doesn't really come off as a good news at first. I slumped my shoulders in dejection.

I looked at him and smiled, "That's so amazing, Avi. It's time to asked her." I always liked Lily. She was good for him. And the best part was that she didn't mind our friendship. She was quite aware of how close knitted we both were and she respected that a lot.

He hesitated to smile back. "We are thinking about a winter wedding."

"Will you call me?"

"I won't marry if you aren't there!" I hugged him tight.

I pulled away, resting my arms on his shoulder, "What are you not telling me?" I glared into his eyes.

His eyes grew wide before he fumbled, "Nothing. It was th-"

"Stop trying to hide. You suck at it. So, tell me before I go barging into Lily's place."

"I-We are-we want to get married in India."

His words passed me through like a hurricane. My hands dropped from his shoulders and my body went numb. Like a great rush of water on a high tide, all the memories came flooding back to me. Just one word, it took him one word to turn my mood upside down. My body felt encapsuled in an old yet strong metal safe drowning deep into the ocean bed while I was grasping for air.

The tears rushed into my eyes as I jumped off the counter to go into my room. He held my hand and turned my around.

"Don't run away from this."

"I'll do anything you say Avi, but going there.. That's not going to happen."

"Diana." He looked at me with pleading eyes.

"I can't, Avi. Now, let me go." I struggled to break free from his grasp but his hold was firm.

"I meant when I said I'm not going to marry without you there."

"Well, then I hope you can find a way to tell this to Lily and your family."

"Diana, listen to me. I know this is difficult, I know you're shattered by the mere mention of that place, but I also know that it's time for you to let go. You've been holding on for way to long."

I snapped, "I've moved on. But I deny to visit that place again. It's only given me pain, nothing else."

"You haven't moved on, Diana. You've simply paused your life. Look at you. You're beautiful, successful, you have an amazing personality. You can have a queue of guys waiting for you. But you just run away from love, from anything that's a little comforting. When did you last talk to your parents, D? Hell, they call me to know how 'you' are! And yet you say you've moved on." He was now yelling.

This made cry even more. "Please, Diana. Please say that you'll come for my wedding. I won't ask you to stay even a day longer, just come for my wedding. I can't do it without you." I couldn't go back. Not after.. Not after my baby brother died. Not after he died because of me.

"You can. And you will!"

"Fuck, Diana! He shouted. "I don't care about anything I just want you there. All I'm asking for my best friend to be there on my most important day."

"I'm sorry but I can't. I can't do this." With that I limped backwards and jolted towards the door without giving him a glance. My vision was blurred and my knees felt weak as I hurriedly climbed down the stairs. I picked up my pace further more as I heard a voice call out my name from behind. As I descended the last few stairs, or what I thought were the last few, I stumbled and fell, rolling on the stairs to reach the floor.

Ignoring the physical pain that ran through my lower body, I got up and quickly hailed a taxi. I fumbled through my phone as I searched my messages to find Seb's address.

By the time, I reached there it started pouring heavily. Luckily I hand some money to pay off the driver. Before I rang the bell, I stood there contemplating whether it was a good idea. All I knew that I have to get away from Avi and I had no place to go. I rang the bell to his apartment number of times, but no one answered. By now, I was completely drenched in rain and had no idea what to do.

I slumped down on the stairs as I felt a sharp shooting pain in my leg. I let out another cry and let all the pain take over me, hoping that by the time the rain subsided, my pain would go away too.

I waited for him for what felt a very long time. The pain slowly crawled up to my thighs, my abdomen and now making its way to my throat. I mouth was parched from all the crying and my head was constantly pounding.

Soon, a silver car pulled up by the apartment and a certain man came out of the car, rushing towards the stairs. I slowly supported myself to get up so that I could make way for him through the stairs.

"Dia?" he spoke.