CHAPTER 7: I WANT TO MEET YOU

Today Harry arrives, and I'm supposed to go pick him up, but I'm very nervous about it.

It's been a while since I last saw Imanol, yet I still feel guilty about what I almost did, and I don't want to see him or Harry face to face.

"I'm having palpitations!" Miranda cries out, panting, as she comes downstairs.

"Little Cal knows how to make his mother suffer." Miranda glares at me, and I just smile.

"Don't just stand there, I could die!" she says, sitting next to me.

"And what am I supposed to do? I'm not a doctor or a nurse."

"You could call Mom." She looks at me and rolls her eyes.

"MOM!" I shout as loudly as possible and get up from the couch to go find her. "MOM!" I shout again, but my mother doesn't respond.

I start looking for her in every room where she could be until I find her in Dad's study.

"Mama?" I ask when I see her lying down at the desk, asleep.

"Yeah... uh... what... What's going on?" she says, fixing her hair.

"Mama, what are you doing sleeping here?"

"I was going over the final details of the wedding. It's in a week, and you don't even have your dress."

"Mom, I don't know why you insist on making it such a big wedding. I'm not even getting married for love." I look her in the eyes and sit in front of her.

"Can I confess something?" I nod, and she continues. "I didn't marry your father in love either. When we were told we had to get married, I was in love with someone else. We were even dating, but I had to obey my parents' orders, and it wasn't even because we were on the brink of bankruptcy. It was just a deal between families to become wealthier."

"And despite what they did to you, you're capable of doing the same to one of your daughters?"

"I'm sorry, Allison, truly sorry. I wish you had made your decision like your sister, but it won't be that way."

"I'm going to be condemned to live what you lived." I stand up angrily, and she stands up too.

"Ali, my little Ali, when I married your father, I didn't love him, I didn't even know him. But over time, I got to know him, and the more I did, the more I fell in love with him. I'm just saying you should give Harry a chance and let time take care of falling in love."

"And what if I love someone else? Would you also make me give up on him like you gave up on the love of your life?" I question, raising my voice.

"The love of my life is your father."

"Oh please, spare me that story. I'm going to find someone stupid enough to believe it," I say through sobs, and I remember why I came there. "By the way, your other daughter is downstairs having palpitations. Go to her, I'll call the doctor." I turn around and leave.

"Ali, Allison."

I hear my mother calling me, but I ignore her and walk to my room. I grab my phone and call the doctor. Once I finish the call with him, I throw myself on my bed face down and start crying like a little girl.

After crying it all out, I fall asleep for a while. I open my eyes, and they sting from crying so much. I get up slowly and check the time.

"Damn it!" I exclaim aloud when I see that it's four thirty, and Harry's flight arrives at five-thirty.

I rush to the bathroom and take a quick shower. I put on the first thing I find, do a quick fix to my hair, and rush out. I go downstairs and see my father sitting on a couch, lost in thought.

"I'm leaving, see you later," I say and hurry to the door.

"Ali, sweetheart, I need to talk to you." He stands up and walks toward me.

"Not now, Dad, I have to go pick up Harry, and I'm already running late." He nods, and I leave.

I get in the car and this time I drive. I need to talk to Harry, and it'll be better if Luck doesn't come with us.

Upon arriving at the airport, I come across an incredible number of reporters, but the good thing is that I brought the right clothes to go unnoticed. My outfit consists of jeans, a black hoodie, black sneakers, and a cap—a look very much like my older brother's when he was my age.

Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that I have a brother around Harry's age, my brother Jackson. Then comes my sister Miranda, and finally, there's me, Allison II (that's because my mother is also named Allison).

I put on the cap and get out of the car, trying to cover my face and go unnoticed, which I manage to do until I enter the airport. I scan the area, looking for Harry, and there I see him, flashing smiles at the cameras and exchanging a few words.

I run up to where he is and pull his arm. He doesn't recognize me because he makes a scared face, and I can't help but laugh.

"Allison? What are you dressed like that for?"

"It's to avoid the cameras, young McBride. Here, put this on." I give him the cap, and he puts it on.

As he does, my face becomes uncovered since I'm no longer wearing the cap. I notice Harry staring directly into my eyes, and I remember that my eyes were red and swollen from crying so much, so I lower my face so he can't see me.

"Were you crying?" he questions, still staring at me.

"No, let's go, hurry," I tell him before running off, and he runs after me.

We get into the car, and I start it, driving us away from there.

"Where are we going?" he asks, looking out the window.

"To a place where we can talk. Are you hungry?" He looks confused but nods.

After a few minutes, we arrive at a small restaurant on the outskirts of the city. The restaurant is elegant but somewhat deserted. I remember that when we were little, Dad used to bring us here.

"We've arrived," I say, and he inspects the place. "Don't worry, it's a decent place."

"What concerns me is that they might not let you in looking like a robber," he looks me up and down, and I smile.

I partially stand up, kneeling on the seat, and take off my hoodie. Underneath, I'm wearing a red crop top that exposes part of my abdomen. I put the hoodie in the back of the car and grab a black leather jacket. I put it on and sit back down, letting my hair loose, then I turn to look at Harry.

"Don't ever do that again," Harry says seriously.

"When we live together, maybe you'll see me wearing fewer clothes, or maybe not," I laugh loudly and get out of the car.

"It's not funny. You could have been seen," he scolds, and I simply shake my head as I enter the restaurant.

While looking for a table, I realize that I'm reverting. Before having to pretend to be the perfect fiancée, I was a rebellious and tough girl, the type who would sneak out to go to parties and disobey her parents. I wasn't afraid of much, and I'm not saying it was good to be like that, but my mother and Mrs. Amanda were turning me into a proper lady, into something I'm not and don't want to be.

"Allison, hey, Allison," I hear Harry's voice in the distance, bringing me back from my thoughts.

"Yes, sorry, what's up?" I look at him, and he shakes his head.

"What if we sit here?" he points to a table facing a window with a beautiful view of the sea and the sunset.

"Yes, that's fine," I reply and promptly take a seat.

"You said you want to talk," Harry says in his typical cold and serious tone.

"That's right. But first, we should eat. I'm starving," he nods and takes the menu. Suddenly, he slams the menu down and stares at me intensely.

"But first, answer one thing," I look at him confused and remember what happened with Imanol, and my heart starts racing. "Why were you crying?" he asks seriously. "And don't tell me you weren't, because it's obvious that you were."

"I don't want to get married," I reply just as seriously as he did. Harry remains silent, looking down at the table. "And it's not just that, I just found out that my parents were also forced into marriage. My mother was in love with someone else and had to let him go. I..."

"Are you in love with someone else too?" he interrupts, his gaze returning to meet my eyes.

"No, are you?" I ask, never breaking eye contact.

"No," he answers, and in a way, I feel a little more relieved. "What can I do to make you feel less miserable about marrying me?"

"I just want to get to know you," I respond, looking him in the eyes, and he smiles while scratching his head.

"I want to get to know you too," he replies, and I can't help but smile.