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

A young lady was walking along a busy street of Milan in Italy.She was over dressed a little due to the cold.

She was in a green base shirt and a gray skirt, a pair of silky black stockings that was underneath to protect her legs from the cold and a pair of high heeled boots to show off her style.

To finish it off, she had a light beige coat and a purple scarf that covered her fair neck.

The slight wind that was present brushed past her, blowing her long hair slightly with it.The slight smile on her face made her look more elegant when she walked through the streets.

A few men had even catcalled her though she had ignored them all.

The young lady was none other than Ayla.

She sauntered into a coffee shop.

It was time for her afternoon tea time and being a caffeine lover, she needed a cup of coffee accompanied by that piece of tiramisu that she loved.

She came here every day for an hour and looked out of the window at the people who came in the coffee shop and left it.

She also looked up at the sky and watched the clouds shape into different shapes that she always tried to figure out while thinking of her future life after all that she had gone through in the past.

In short, this was her new favorite spot.

She had come to Milan two years ago to start a new life.

For the first year here, she had been suffering from the relapses of the drug addiction, and she had thought that her body would never recover.

Never in her wildest imagination did she expect that she could recover all of a sudden.

She would never forget that stormy day.She had stayed indoors in the small apartment that she had rented out with the little money that she had been left with.

Lucas had insisted on renting the apartment across from hers so that they could become neighbors.

That day, her hourly employee had left.

The pain in her body was less excruciating so there was no need to call Lucas.

She recalled that, that day was special for Brian for it was his engagement party to Anna.She had never expected that the couple would take this long to finally get engaged but here the day was when she was finally going to witness the long awaited event.

Brian was still that same handsome man with cold features, although he looked like he had lost a lot of weight.

She looked at him on the screen and her gaze couldn't avert away from his interlocked hands with Anna's.

Brian was a famous man but since she left Antawood, this was the first time to see him on media.

'Perhaps, my being here is the reason why I've not heard of news about him all these times?' she thought to herself.

But, he was Mr.Clark, a world famous man.Even if she was in Italy, there should've been news about him.She could only tell herself that maybe no news was good news.

Now that she finally see him again on TV, she only felt pain in her heart.

The tightness in her chest made her feel ill.

The air she took in felt like razor blades cutting her insides.

The ache in her heart made her wish for death as she read the news that had popped up on TV, the news of Brian's engagement ceremony.

smile that had cracked up on his lips, she huddled up in her bed, bearing

could die without regrets after

Lucas had dropped by her apartment later that

her

on Lucas' face showed that he

have endured

and miraculously,

body had filled up.She was no longer skinny! After a year, she had stopped working the part time fashion designer job she had found.She instead joined

had changed her name

by

most people, Ayla

one who knew

afternoon was a

made her feel warm all over

light smile on her face was a result

back to her apartment, she saw Lucas

a black suit and his features showed how exhausted he

you get

front of him."I just got back and I

cigarette butt away that he had

had gone to Thailand and had

he had been worried about her being all

replied, the smile on

and have a

were neighbors after all and it wasn't new to her when Lucas had dropped by

most of his meals and coffee in her house and she didn't mind at

and they weren't

her; he wanted her to love him

sat on the lounge chair

cup of fragrant coffee in his hands while Ayla held a glass

working recently? I called but no one

fact that Ayla didn't like to use her cell phone, and she seldom took it with her when she went out, so he only called the

a show next month.I have several clothes to

she was a

don't work too hard.You have

Lucas commented.

sorry for

at the same time he was proud of

but still, she had done it without

touched her cheek and stated,

not suffered as much as

"Lala," Lucas whispered.

held her hand, with deep affection

Ayla withdrew her hand.

accept the love

Lucas had done for her, she saw how deeply the man had fallen

can't accept me? Why can't you forget him?" he questioned,

it had been so long,

nothing to do with

her