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"

turned to him

space in my heart or in my mind.I don't love you and 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

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

was at a loss for words as he stared at her unbelievably.He thought Ayla just wanted to stir up trouble and provoke him.Wasn't she afraid

what needed to be done.You should go back now," she said

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

going out dressed like that?"

how stubborn she was being, but he chose otherwise when he saw

of her torn clothes

you

her in his arms and reminded her possessively, "I'm the only one who can see your body.Do you understand

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

long after, Brian came back

dressed.I'll take you to

her head

to

if she had dinner

clothes for dinner as well, but for

said,

anything, he pulled her out of the

the noodles, the awkward silence in the room

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

finally relaxed the

like a huge boulder was lifted off her

to the bathroom and stripped off the designer dress that

it into the trash can where it

would cleanse whatever he left on her body.  She didn't want to keep

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

women who would sleep with

woman he hated, so he could finally let her go? If

worth it in the

he wasn't sure if he should pay her a visit.He actually missed her so much, but he couldn't come see her constantly anymore.He could only

building, he craned his neck

you hold on like you did before? Or will you come back to Brian without hesitation and

few years, Lucas had been with Ayla

badly Brian hurt her, she wouldn't

he had slowly dissolved when Lucas saw that Brian's car had just driven away from