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"

him

I don't hate you 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

would only make her feel more indifferent.If he would keep her shackled to him, she could very well

stared at her unbelievably.He thought Ayla just wanted to stir up trouble

to be done.You should go

let it fall to the floor.She didn't need

out

how stubborn she was being,

her torn clothes and threw back

you want me

her in his arms and reminded her possessively, "I'm the

ever touch her, much less lay a finger on her!  Ayla chose to keep her mouth shut, not wanting to argue

plopped down on the couch and not long after, Brian came

you to dinner," he

shook her head

prefer to

lose her appetite if she had dinner

as well, but

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

out of the studio and went

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

and Brian went on his

finally relaxed the moment he

a huge boulder was lifted off her chest and she could finally

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

the trash can

the bathtub, hoping the water and soap would cleanse whatever he left on her body.

she do if he really wanted to continue with this? ‘Isn't there anything I can do for him to give up completely?’ she thought hard with her eyes

who would sleep

she have to resort in doing that to make herself the kind of woman he hated, so he could finally let her go? If so, how

the end?’ Ayla

whether her heart was ready to endure it all.  Meanwhile, Lucas drove to Ayla's apartment.He was a bit hesitant to go at first, since he wasn't sure if he

he craned his neck upwards to look

you doing, Lala? Will you hold on like you did before? Or will you come back to Brian without

been with Ayla every

hurt her, she wouldn't turn around

faith he had slowly dissolved when Lucas saw that Brian's car had just