Important Author's Note at the end, please read it... :)
After a long day, or at least what felt like one, I was done.
I wasn't really lying that I had work commitments. The weekends were always busy, since it was when most of our customers would visit and also book for a fitting. Our in-house seamstress also only worked the weekends, so it became very hectic.
After sorting out the store, I went into the back office.
I sat down at the desk, just needing a moment to get off my feet. Immediately, I took off my heels, freeing my toes.
Before I could take a breath in relief, I could hear my phone begin to vibrate.
I took it out my bag, only to see a familiar name written on the screen.
"Hey, you." I greeted him, a little surprised by the call.
"Hey," Liam replied.
There was a pause on the phone, except for the background noise from his end of the line.
"Congratulations," I wished him.
"Thank you, Rena." He replied. "One second, I let me go somewhere a little more quiet."
After a few seconds, I heard his voice again. "Hi, sorry, the band was playing and I thought it would be quiet where I stood, but then it got really loud. But it should be fine now," he said.
"Well, I can hear you clearly, so it's good. How are you?"
"I'm good. I feel a little weird, though. This day has been...a lot. It was crazy, but amazing. I just...I wanted to call you because...well, you're not here. I wish you were. I wish you could be here. I know you got the invite, but work commitments, really?" He asked, a doubtful tone following.
"I can't cancel the bookings I have, Liam. The future brides need their dresses," I told him.
I heard a deep sigh leave him. "Have I done something, Rena?"
His words confused me. My instant response would've been, you got married. But I assume that's not what he was referring to.
"No? Have you?" I question.
"It's like you're running but I don't know why," Liam said, which then caused me to frown. "I feel like it's because of me, because I have the same feeling like I did back I high school. But I thought everything was fine between us. Even after high-school, we were in touch, plus the family dinners. I don't understand. If I have upset you, then..."
"Liam breathe" I told him, waiting until he did so. "You haven't done anything."
"Then why?" He asked.
I wasn't sure how to answer, because I didn't really know how to. In a way, I was just taking this moment to be a little selfish and think about myself. To protect myself.
However, I couldn't say this to him, because it would cause more questions to arise. He'd want to know why again and wasn't something I would tell him.
"You're overthinking it," I said, with a humorous tone, so he'd believe it wasn't that serious. "Just enjoy your wedding day."
There was a pause on the phone again, before I heard his voice. "Okay," he said, but I knew he didn't truly believe me.
"I honestly just called to tell you, you were missed," Liam then said.
I smiled. "Thank you."
"I need to get back now. See you soon, Rena." He told me.
"Bye, Liam." I replied.
After we hung up the phone, I just sat in my office for a moment.
I felt bad, for not being truthful but I know I made the right decision.
As I sat there thinking, I then heard a knock on the door, before Arya poked her head in.
"You okay, Boss?" She asked.
Occasionally, Arya liked to call me that. Technically, my Aunt did leave me in charge whilst she enjoyed her relationship, but I still thought of myself as an employee.
"Yeah, I'm okay," I replied, giving her a small smile.
Arya scoffed. "You sure look okay," she told me in a sarcastic tone, with a smile on her face.
I can't help but chuckle at her comment.
Whenever someone asked me the question, it was like an instinct to say that I was 'okay' or that 'I'm fine'.
"Why are you still here then? You can go home. We're done for the day," I told Arya, as she took a seat on the other side of the desk.
"I could ask you the same," she replied.
I give her a pointed look, tilting my head slightly and raising both my brows.
At this look she then sighed. "Okay, fine. I had a fight with my boyfriend and I don't want to go back to the apartment just yet."
"So, you're hiding out here?" I laughed.
"Well, this place is basically my second home now. Plus, I'm not exactly the person to go to the park or anything, to think," she said and I can't help but laugh.
"You want to talk about it?" I asked.
"No," she stated.
I nodded and began to get out of my seat, to let her just be here and 'think'. However, before I could move anymore, her voice stopped me.
"He said that I don't love him. I mean how ridiculous is that? He actually accused me of not loving him and only being with him because it was convenient for me. That it was just lust for me. Yeah, sure, he's great in bed, but that's not it," Arya ranted breathlessly.
"Do you love him?" I asked, when a brief silence took over.
Arya looked at me and opened her mouth, only to close it back up again.
"I don't know," she sighed. "I've just never been in love, that I know of. Is there meant to be a sign or a moment, where I am meant to know? Because I may have missed that," she said.
I smiled at her words.
"Have you ever been in love?" Arya then asked.
For a second, I glanced down at the phone on my desk, before looking up at Arya and smiling once again.
"Yes," I replied.
"What was it like?" She asked, curiously.
"I've been in love twice, actually. The second time, well I don't think I said the words but I think what I felt was love. He was sweet and kind, I thought he was great. But then he had to move away and we broke up. It was an unpleasant feeling," I told her, remembering the way I felt about Holden and then when he left.
"That sucks," Arya frowned.
I chuckled. "I know."
"Wait, but what about the first guy?" She then questioned.
"He was...that love was different. It was only one-sided. The guy I loved was oblivious to my feelings," I told her and she seemed a little taken aback by my confession.
"How? I mean, how can someone not notice that someone is in love with them?" Arya asked.
"Because he fell in love with someone else," I said.
"Oh," she replied.
"He's getting married today," I told her and Arya's eyes widened.
She looked at me a little shock. Blinking and opening her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, sort of like a gaping fish.
"Are you really okay?" Aria asked, breaking the silence.
I looked at her and really thought about the question, before letting out a deep breath.
"No," I relied, honestly. "I don't think I'm in love with him, but I once was. I thought he was my person, but then knowing, realising and then accepting the truth, it's hurts a little."
"But that's the thing about love, sometimes you're left in your own fairytale where everything really is okay and sometimes you're just having to carry on in the real world, repeating to yourself that you are okay, until you actually are," I told her.
"You love him," Arya said. It wasn't a question for me to refute of debate, this was her observation.
I just smiled, letting my that be my answer, because I didn't have a response to that - or rather I didn't want to get into that.
"Wow. And I here thought I had a problem," Arya said, slumping slightly in her seat and looking towards the ceiling.
I couldn't m help but chuckle at her exaggerated antics.
"Do you love that guy?" I asked her, which caused her to look at me once more.
"I don't know," she replied. "I do know that he makes me laugh, when he does his really bad impressions of actors. He knows exactly how I like my coffee in the morning and doesn't ever ask me if I need it, he just knows. He always tells me to have a good day at work. I'm not a typical girly-girl, I've never been the one to wear dresses or skirts. I have piercings and tattoos, but with Louis, he doesn't see all that, he just sees me."
"I can't tell you whether or not you love him, but I am sure you more than like him. I think you should tell him everything you just told me, even you don't say those three words. From what you just said, he should understand your feelings," I told her.
"And if he doesn't" Aria asked, in a low voice.
She looked like she was scared of what my answer may be to her question.
"Just be honest about your feelings. If things do go south, it really won't be the end of the world," I told her.
However, when I looked at her face, I could tell she's not happy with my answer.
"It'll be okay," I said and she finally smiled and nodded at my answer.
***
A short while after our conversation, Arya had left to go and talk to her boyfriend. It wasn't too long after that, I received a text from her, telling me that it went well and I don't know why, but she also mentioned how great this made things in the bedroom.
Too much information clearly wasn't a concept known to her.
I also received a call from Sara, demanding that I bring my ass back home, so we could go and get something to eat.
After packing up my things, I was about to head out the door when my phone vibrated.
Reaching into my pocket, I took out my phone and saw the text, it was from my Dad. When I opened it, I smiled.
It was a picture of Liam and Julie. They looked like they were in the middle of a dance, their heads against one another as they looked at each other. They both had wide smiled on their faces.
"Congratulations," I said, looking at the picture.
The boy-next-door, whom I once loved with all I had, but now, that was all just a memory. It was all it could be.
I looked at the picture for a moment longer, before taking a deep breath putting my phone away.
When I glanced up, I saw the mannequin that I had placed the bent-arrow pendant on and smiled to myself remembering the story behind it.
Once I stepped out the shop, I locked the door behind me securely.
Breathing in the cold air, I wrapped my arms around myself and headed back home.
Sometimes love was left incomplete, but that love was still there to stay...
...Always.
********
If you've made it this far then...
Thank you so much, for choosing to read this book, among the many great ones on Wattpad, I really appreciate it. Thank you for picking my book.
I don't consider myself a writer. I made this story up in my head, and I felt like putting it in words on here, so if you find there are plot holes, characters just coming in and going or any other mistakes, I do apologise.
There is some editing required in this book, something that I'm very slowly getting too. Please do bare in mind this was my first book and I literally wrote it like a couple of months after joining wattpad, so it's full cliches, and all. I've gotten better since then, I think, but it's still a work in progress.
Nasty comments are not appreciated, nor will be tolerated. I understand your frustration, because it is that kind of book, because out right disrespect is uncalled for and I will delete those kind of comments. That being said, majority of you are wonderful and lovely and I'm grateful you read my book.
This is the last chapter BUT I want to inform you that that Serena's story does continue, and it's titled Forever.
Check out my profile for the sequel.
Because some things aren't meant to stay incomplete...
Bye for now x