Contract Marriage starring Love and Revenge
Chapter 153. Side Story 17: Alan’s acceptance

Chapter 153: 153. Side Story 17: Alan’s acceptance

That night he tried to sleep, but sleep kept eluding him. For some reason, he kept on thinking of his late biological mother. He thought about her until he ended up called Emily, "Alan? Alan are you alright? It’s 2:am in the morning, are you alright? Is something wrong?" she asked and when Alan didn’t respond for a while, she began to panic. Alan could hear Frederick’s voice form the other end of the phone asking what was wrong and Emily explaining to him what was going on.

"Mom," He finally spoke.

"Yes, baby." Emily let out a sigh of half relief. "Lord have mercy, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?"

"Mom, I—"

"Talk to me Alan, you’re scaring me. Do you want us to come over?"

"I think Duke and Rey are right."

"Duke? And Rey? What are you talking about honey? I don’t understand."

"I think I won’t be able to let her go. Do you think I’m being selfish?"

"Who are you talking about? Who’s, her?"

"I think I might really beat the shit out of any guy that so much as looks at her, so how did I even think I could send her off to some other guy when I’m like this?"

"Oh my goodness Fredrick, he’s talking about beating someone up, I think we should go over there. First call Duke to go over to him and—"

"I think I’ve really fallen in love mom." Those words made Emily’s bickering with her husband in the other side of the phone cease.

"A_Alan, what did you say? Did you say you’re in love with someone?"

"I think so. No, I know it. I’ve just been trying so hard to deny it but I do love her mom. I want to marry her right now."

"Huh!! Marry her? Oh my goodness, Alan!! You’ve been dating someone?" Emily’s worried voice was quickly shifting to a mother ready to plan a grand wedding for her son.

"N_No. Not really."

"What? No? And you want to skip straight to marriage?" Emily asked in shock. Happy shock though. "Is it perhaps one-sided crush?" Frederick’s voice echoed through the speaker.

"No, dad. That’s not it. It’s a bit complicated."

"Well, you already woke us up in the middle of the night for your love life, you might as well tell us the full story." Fredrick said.

After much inner debate, Alan de ided to tell them everything and when he was done, Frederick told him Janey was right for calling him a coward.

"Alan honey, all I can tell you now is blur out every other thing that could or could not happen from yourr head and focus on one thing and one thing alone."

"What?" Alan asked.

"That you love that young woman and right now, she loves you too. And if you see her as your future wife then you know what you need to do before it’s too late, because I assure you if you let that girl go to college with such a heavy heart, you’ll regret it forever."

...

On her last Sunday in her good old town, Janey had told herself not to, but she found herself strolling out of the children’s church time and time again to see if she would catch a glimpse of him.

Even though Champagne told her she was certain Alan would come to church that Sunday, Janey still waited. Just as she had waited for his call all week but it didn’t come.

Just like that, the service came to an end and Alan still didn’t show.

Her mom and dad had somewhere to go to together so she went home with her brother and as she did, she kept looking over her shoulder, again and again, until she asked herself, "What are you waiting for? He already made himself clear." With those words, she walked home with her brother and didn’t look back again.

That night, she stayed up talking with her parents till past twelve. Her brother wanted to join the conversation but he had to go to bed early because he had school on Monday.

After saying goodnight to her parent, she tucked herself in bed and said her prayers. At the end of her prayers she added, "Thank you God for making me experience what it means to fall in love with another, thank you for the heartbreak that came with that love, so Lord please, help me to get over this heartbreak quickly so I won’t hurt anymore."

...

Monday morning brought, Monday rush. Mom was in the kitchen packaging more snacks for her dear Janey even though she already packed a bag full of snacks since about a week ago. Her brother was hurriedly getting ready for school because he overslept and her father who had taken permission to go into work late so he could drive her to the airport was begging his wife to stop packing more stuff.

"I’m off to school. Bye Janey!! I don’t like you very much, but I don’t hate you either so make sure you always call!" Her brother said as he ran out the door, but then almost instantaneously ran back in and gave her a smothering hug before running away with a red face and held back tears.

"Awwn, he’s such a sweet brother." Janey wiped a tear from the corner of her eye as she walked after him, stopping by the door and waving to him.

She wiped her tears with the back of her palm as he waved back at her. And when he was no longer in sight, she turned her back and stepped back into the house. But then she paused and her head tilted tk the side as she wondered if she actually saw what she thought she saw.

She turned around, partly pushed her body out the door and the more she stared the more she was realizing her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.

That was definitely his car and he was even stepping out of it, so except she was slowly going crazy... That man was really, "Alan?!"

Not wanting him to come towards her house because she knew her father would throw a punch if he laid eyes on the man, briskly, Janey walked to him while looking around like a child scared of being caught doing something bad.

"What are you doing here?!" She asked as she walked. "You better get yourself out of here before my father sees you." She says as she finally stood directly in front of him beside his car.

"I mean, why did you even come here? Are you here to remind me to find some random guy on college and fall in love with him? You didn’t have to. I heard you the first time so— ack," Janey shrieked as a hand touched the side of her blue shirt and pulled until she was resting in his arms.

"What are you doing?!" Rather than feeling flustered, Janey’s head instantly turned around to stare back at her house and see if her father was anywhere in sight. The man would go bananas if he saw the position they were both in.

"What are you doing, Alan? Why are you holding me suddenly?"

"So I can do this." He says and the hand that had pulled her wraps around her waist while his other hand wraps around her chin, bringing her head to turn and face only him and Janey’s eyes widened like that of a potoo as his lips suddenly touched hers.

Frozen by the sudden gesture, the young lady stiffened, and her eyes remained widely opened.

"I came to tell you that, you were right and that I was a Coward and I’m sorry for hurting you. I told you I’ll let you go when in all sincerity, I don’t want to... No, I can’t. And I won’t."