CHAPTER 6: DON'T KISS THE WRONG MAN

Three weeks have passed since Harry left, and I haven't heard anything from him or Imanol. My mother and Amanda are going crazy with the wedding preparations, and I feel more trapped in a dead-end cave with each passing day.

Today, I have to go and taste the cakes. It's the only thing they've let me choose, and obviously, I'm going to enjoy it. I love sweet and fluffy desserts, but I can't do this alone. Ana will join me, and I'm sure we'll have double the fun.

I get out of my car and walk towards Ana's house. Before I can ring the doorbell, she comes out hopping.

"What are you now? A frog?" I say, stifling a mocking laugh.

"I'm excited, Alison. It's how I express my excitement for the hundreds of cakes we're going to taste," Ana closes her eyes and licks her lips.

"Okay, they won't be hundreds, just a few."

"Whatever the number, they'll be good. That way, I can break my diet without blaming myself," she says with a big smile.

"And who are you going to blame?" I playfully question.

"Well, you," she replies and runs towards my car.

Ana is crazy, but I love her. She has been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and not only that, she has been like a sister to me. She has been there for me through thick and thin, always supporting me. Without a doubt, she deserves hundreds of cakes and so much more.

I get into the car and give Luck the address of the bakery. On the way, Ana and I sing and laugh. It's been a long time since we had this much fun. Ever since I found out I had to get married, I've become more withdrawn and lonely.

We arrive at the location, and Ana is the first to get out. I follow her, and as we enter, Anabelle's eyes widen, and her mouth practically drops to the floor.

"Good afternoon, ladies. Can I help you with something?" asks a woman wearing gray pants and a pink long-sleeved blouse.

"Yes, we want many cakes," Ana responds with excitement.

"Ana!" I raise my voice a little, and she looks at me confused. "Miss, we want to taste some wedding cakes."

"Oh, of course. Do you have a reservation?" she asks with a smile.

"Yes, it's under the name Allison Brown."

"Sure, in fact, Mr. McBride has already arrived." I look at her confused, and then I look at Ana, who has the same expression as me. "Follow me, please."

We follow her, and when we reach a set of small tables, I see a man with brown hair and a white shirt sitting with his back to us.

"Young McBride, your fiancée has arrived," she says. As soon as she finishes saying that, I feel my heart racing. The man stands up and turns around.

"Imanol?" I ask astonished.

"Long time no see, Allison," he says, looking into my eyes with a flirtatious smile.

"I'll leave you. If you need anything, just ring the bell," interrupts the woman who welcomed us at the door.

"What are you doing here?" I look at Imanol and take a step toward him.

"My mother sent me. She wanted me to make sure you choose well."

"Is your mother always this controlling?"

"You have no idea. Plus, I don't think you even know that Harry is allergic to nuts, so I came to prevent you from harming your husband on the wedding day."

"Harry is... Ugh, I hate that nobody tells me anything about him," I say, frowning, making Imanol laugh again.

Suddenly, I hear a cough beside me, and I remember that Ana is with me.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" she asks through clenched teeth.

"Oh, yes, of course. Imanol, this is Anabelle, my best friend. Anabelle, this is Imanol, Harry's brother."

Imanol extends his hand to greet her, and Ana does the same.

"I'm his brother-in-law, he just struggles to say it," Imanol says, amused, winking at me. "Take a seat." He pulls out a chair, and Ana sits down immediately. She's about to open the other one, but I step forward and do it for him.

We have been tasting cakes for over thirty minutes, and with each passing moment, I feel more comfortable beside Imanol. It's a lot of fun to be with him, but his gaze still makes me nervous.

"Well, I think the blackberry cake is perfect," I say, looking at both of them.

"I would prefer the coffee liqueur one," Imanol replies.

"No, the pistachio one is the best. It's heavenly," Ana comments, closing her eyes and sighing.

"Well, at least we've narrowed it down from twenty cakes to three, right?" Imanol speaks now, looking at me intently.

"To my parents, they don't like pistachio, and they will disapprove of a liquor cake, so the only option is the blackberry one," I reply to Imanol while raising an eyebrow and feeling victorious.

"I don't know if it's a coincidence or destiny, but Harry's favorite cake is the blackberry one," I look at him impressed, and he just gets up.

"Wait, are you leaving already?" I get up and take a step toward him.

"Yes, my mission here is done," he replies and turns around.

"Imanol!" I call out, raising my voice a bit, and he turns to look at me. "Could you tell me more about Harry?"

"Sure, whenever you want," he says with a half-smile.

"Could it be now?" I question, looking into his eyes.

"Only if you're able to get on my motorcycle," he smiles as I remember the times I fell off Ana's brother's motorcycle while trying to learn how to ride it.

"I'll gladly do it," I smile, and Ana clears her throat. "Ana, sorry. Look, if you want, you can stay with Luck all day," I say and shrug.

"Are you going to leave me here with all these cakes and lend me Luck as well?" She nods her head, and she gives a little jump. "You should take her more often," she says, now looking at Imanol.

Imanol smiles, and I do the same. I walk towards him, and we leave.

We walk until we reach a beautiful motorcycle, and Imanol gives me a helmet. I put it on, and he puts on another one.

"Where are we going?" I ask as I climb on behind him.

"Don't ask," he replies, pulling my arms to embrace him. "Hold on tight," he orders, and I comply.

He accelerates at full speed, and I just close my eyes.

After a few minutes of riding, we arrive at a huge pier. I get off the motorcycle, and Imanol does the same.

"It's beautiful," I say, looking at the vast ocean.

"It's my favorite place. Harry used to bring me here every Sunday, on this same motorcycle. Until he started working with Dad, we hardly talk anymore."

"You love him a lot, don't you?" Imanol looks at me, and he starts taking off my helmet.

"He's a great brother, a great person. You just need to get to know him more."

"That's what I want to do."

"But I don't mean in this way. You'll never get to know him from other people's perspectives. All those questions you want to ask me, you have to ask him, not me," he looks me in the eyes and moves away.

"Do you think he'll answer them?" I ask as I approach him.

"You'll never know if you don't ask him," he looks at me and smiles. "Can I tell you something without you getting mad?" I look into his eyes and nod. "Allison, you're beautiful."

I look into his eyes and remain still, unsure of what to do. My heart races and my mind wanders from one place to another.

I see his lips, and an overwhelming desire to kiss him takes hold of me. I take a step, getting inches away from his mouth, and I'm about to give in to my wild carnal desires when suddenly my phone rings.

I take my phone and answer without looking at who's calling.

"Hello?" I answer, turning around to stop looking at Imanol.

"Allison, where are you?" I hear my mother's voice on the other end of the phone.

"What's wrong, Mom?"

"We're waiting for you to decide on the cake. Amanda told me that Imanol was going to help you with that."

"Oh, yeah, Mom we're on our way there already."

"Alright, don't take too long," she responds and hangs up.

"They're waiting for us," I inform Imanol without looking him in the eyes. He approaches me and puts the helmet back on me.

"Allison," he says my name in a whisper. "Don't kiss the wrong prince," he says, looking into my eyes with a melancholic gaze.

I just nod my head, and I feel my heart stop for a second. I remember Harry, and I feel really bad for what I was about to do.

What the hell is happening to me?

"Don't kiss the wrong prince," I repeat in my mind Imanol's words, and I can only feel more guilty than I already did.

I snap out of my thoughts, get on the bike, and Imanol takes off, making us disappear on the open road.