The Substitute Bride: Making Memories Of Us (Lois Stone)

Ayla's body was pressed firmly on the couch making it difficult for her to ignore Brian's probing eyes.She looked away instead to evade his questions.

"Why don't you answer me? Does it hurt?" Brian asked as he searched her eyes for answers that her mouth wasn't willing to give.

Bending his head down, he gently kissed Ayla's scar.His lips left a trail of moisture that was impossible to ignore.

That scar would remain etched on her skin for a lifetime and it was a Clear representation of what he owed her.  

"It hurt," Ayla nodded.

No matter how painful the physical wounds were, they all belonged in the past now.

What kept her hurting was the emotional trauma he put her through.  "I'm sorry."

Brian spoke softly.

He remembered how she got that scar and no amount of apologies could turn back time and erase it.

Still, he wouldn't give up easily trying to win her heart.Biting her lower lip, Ayla pleaded, "Why can't you set me free? Why?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, a mixture of pain and anger that she couldn't quite release.

"I can promise anything else, except this one,"

Brian said with finality.  Ayla gasped in horror and exclaimed, "You devil!"

"So don't ever try to escape from me.Now that you're here, I will never let you go again.If ever you try to leave, I will come find you, understand?" he repeated as he gazed at her pointedly.

There was no sense arguing with him at this point.

Ayla broke free from his grasp and plucked the torn dress from the floor to cover her body.

Brian draped his suit jacket on her shoulders and said, "I'll ask someone to bring clothes for you here."

"No, thanks.There's no way for me to afford it," she countered to decline the offer.

Ayla didn't want to be regarded as a sexual partner.

She tried her hardest to recover from her bitter past and becoming like this would only waste her sacrifices.

"Well, if you hate me that much, it means that I'll be always in your heart." Brian grinned at her.

At the back of his mind, he thought, 'You can hate me.It is better to hate me than to forget me"

to him with

either.I feel nothing for you at all.Should I be grateful that you agreed to let me have that operation? Need I remind you that no matter how many times we have sex, I won't bear another child ever again and that's because of you," she stated as a matter of

her feel more indifferent.If he would keep her shackled to him,

just wanted to stir up trouble and provoke him.Wasn't she afraid that he

needed to be

suit jacket off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.She didn't need it or anything from

you're going out dressed

was being, but he chose otherwise when

go of her torn clothes and

what do you want

and reminded her possessively, "I'm the

less lay a finger on her!  Ayla

long after, Brian came back carrying a new set of

take you

shook her head

prefer to eat instant

would lose her appetite if she had dinner with

clothes for dinner as well, but for now, he would give in

as she put on the new clothes, he said, "Okay, fine! Instant noodles, then.Let's not wait

out of the studio

they slurped on the noodles, the awkward silence in the room was too

only had a few bites and Brian went on his way shortly after

relaxed the

was like a huge boulder was lifted off

waste any second, she headed to the bathroom and stripped off the designer dress

into the trash can where it

the bathtub, hoping the water and soap would cleanse whatever he left

this? ‘Isn't there anything

hated flirtatious women who would

make herself the kind of woman he hated, so he could finally let her go? If so, how far was she willing to

this be worth it in the end?’ Ayla asked herself over

he wasn't sure if he should pay her a

he reached the building, he craned his neck upwards to

doing, Lala? Will you hold on like you did before? Or will you come back to Brian without hesitation and throw yourself into his arms the moment he

had been with Ayla every day.He should have faith

Brian hurt her, she wouldn't turn

had slowly dissolved when Lucas saw that