Three Thousand Miles - Forever, (book #3 of Three Thousand Miles, Series) (5 page)

“Alanna, you are correct in what you are saying. It was selfish on both our
parts but what I can’t deny is that, we have some type of connection. It’s
almost as if we are soul mates, but I know and I accept that you love Adrian. I
can see how he makes you feel and I wish you nothing but happiness in your
marriage.”
“I know you do and I am grateful for everything that you have done for me. I
really care about you Michael, and feel as if you are my best friend. The past
few months have been torture for me and I have missed having you as my
friend. I know that you are with Emma and I can tell that she loves you. I am
going to marry Adrian and you are going to be happy with Emma. But I still
hope that you and I can have our friendship along with our relationships?”
Michael gently laughs and I know that I have my friend back.

Michael and I talk for what seems like forever. We have decided to grab some
lunch, so we make our way through the park until we find a quiet café. My
security wait by the door as Michael escorts me to a small table at the back of
the café. I take my seat as the server ushers over to us.

“May I get you some drinks?” I hear the tall, blonde server say. I smile up at
him and his blue eyes pierce through me. I quickly clear my throat as I ask him
for my drink.

“I will have a still water, please.” He smiles at me as he jots down my drink on
his notepad. He then turns to Michael, who I notice is grinning from ear to ear.
“Coke,” Michael says in firm tone. I slightly frown at him and then I begin to
scan through the menu as I try to decide what I would like to eat.

“Alanna what are you getting?” Michael says looking up at me from his menu. I
smile at him and then I look down again. I am finding it difficult to choose as
everything sounds amazing.

“I don’t know. I can’t choose between the pasta or the salad!” Michael looks at
me and I have a feeling I know what he is going to say.

 

“Order the pasta you are skin bone these days, Alanna.” I laugh at him and
pasta it is.

 

By the time our food is brought to us, I am starving. I begin to nibble on my
chicken pasta as Michael begins to talk.

 

“So are you looking forward to your wedding?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course I am.” I snap at Michael. He smiles
again at me and I am reminded of his sarcastic side.
“S-o-r-r-y, I just meant are you getting excited about becoming Mrs Black?” I
cannot hold back my smile at the sound of those words.

“Yes, I can’t wait.” I gush as I take another bite of my pasta. Michael raises his
eyebrows and then he fills his mouth with steak. We eat in silence for a while
until I break it by asking about Emma.

“So how are things with you and Emma?” Michael smiles at the sound of her
name and that confirms it for me - Michael loves her. I am glad that he is found
someone who is kind, sweet, and generous and is a total beauty. Michael
deserves to happy and he deserves to have someone who loves him. Emma is
perfect in every way for him. She gets him and theyhave an amazing
connection. Michael and Emma seem to like the same things, from movies to
music and I feel as if Michael has finally met his match with Emma.

“Things are great with Emma and I ,” Michael gushes.

“You seem happy?” I ask quietly. Michael smiles at me as he sets his fork down
onto his plate. He reaches over and grabs my hand. I flinch a little from his
touch and then I melt into him.

“Alanna, you really do care about me, don’t you?” I blush from his words and I
can feel my hand begin to sweat in his. My eyelids rapidly blink as I think of my
response.

“Yes I do,” the heat is now burning down my back and I begin to feel
uncomfortable, so I loosen my hand from Michael. He senses that I am uneasy
therefore he backs off from me. He leans into the chair as he takes another
bite of his steak. I maintain my gaze as he looks up from his plate. His eyes are
gorgeous and I am lost in their sea. He flashes mehis pearly white smile and
my anxiety soon fades.

“To answer your question, yes darling, I am happy.”

 

“I am glad.” I say as I look down at the table. Michael notices my actions and
he soon asks if everything is okay.

“Alanna, is there something wrong?” I consider his words and I don’t really
know how to answer. I am scared of how Michael willreact if I tell him about
the note and I don’t want to anger him or cause anybad blood between the
bothers. Therefore, I decide to keep the news of the note secret, instead I
inform him about Alice.

“Adrian and I are having dinner tonight with… Alice.” Michael looks shocked at
my confession.

“I didn’t see that one coming. However did you get Adrian to agree to that?”
Michael asks in a firm tone. I shake my head at himas I fill him on the entire
story.

“So you see it was his idea.” Michael is still taking in my words and I feel that
he is very surprised by news. I stare at him more, as I wait for him to respond
and I cannot help but think that he feels hurt by Adrian wanting to see his
mom. I really hope that this doesn’t cause any problems between Adrian and
his family.

“I don’t know what to say. I never expected that Adrian would want to see her
after all these years. He must be changing and it must be down to being with
you.” Michael stuns me a little and I am not sure if he is giving me a
compliment or if he is being rude. Sometimes I find it difficult to understand
Michael’s ways and that is the problem right now. I don’t know if it is his British
sense of humour or if it’s just how he is, but sometimes there is a
communication barrier between us. I move around my seat a little, as I think of
my response.

“Adrian is changing for the better, can’t you see that?”

 

“I see it, but is it really for the better?”

“Michael, are you upset that he wants to see Alice?” Michael rolls his eyes and
I begin to feel a little annoyed with him and I am wishing that I never said
anything to him about Adrian meeting with Alice. Idon’t know why he is acting
this way.

“If I am honest, yes I am upset by it!” I am stunned.

 

“Why?”

“Because my family changed their whole lives for him and this is how he repays
us?” Oh my, is this really happening? I am shockedand annoyed at the way
Michael is acting and I really wish that I could take back the fact that I
squealed.

“I am not sure that I understand what you’re saying. Are you really upset by
this?”

“Yes, how could I not be? I don’t understand why he would want to see her
again after everything that she did to him. If hischildhood was so terrible, then
why would he want to relive it by meeting with her?” I start to heat up as I feel
my anger building. I search my head for words, but I find nothing. My mind is
blank and all I want to do is get away from here and away from Michael. With
that thought, I jump from my seat and I grab my bag from the floor.

“Alanna, where are you going?” Michael says as he seems surprised by my
sudden actions. I turn to walk away from him, but I stop.

“I need to leave before I say something that I will regret!” With my words
ringing in my ears, I march out of the restaurant. Not looking back at Michael
as I hear him shout after me. I rush out into the park once again and I make my
way to car – followed by my security. When I reach the car, I throw myself into
the back seat and I inform my driver to speed away. I don’t want to stay here
another minute and I couldn’t bare it if Michael were to follow me. As the car
drives and I think back on my eventful day with Michael, I hear my phone buzz
from inside my bag. My heart races as I hope it is not Michael who is calling
me. I sigh with relief as it’s just my mom.

“Hey Mom,”
I say in my most upbeat voice.

 

“Alanna where are you?”
She replies in a quick, firm tone.

 

“I am heading back to the condo, why?”
“Have you forgotten what you have to do today?”
I rack my brain but nothing
is surfacing.
“Alanna!”
My mom shouts at my silence.

 

“I can’t think of anything,”
I confess.

“Seriously Alanna you would forget your head if it weren’t attached to your
body. You and Adrian need to go register for your wedding gifts, today.”
Oh
crap I forgot to tell my mom about our new plans concerning the wedding
gifts. I take deep breath as I know that my mom won’t be happy about our
decision.

“Mom, Adrian and I aren’t going to register.”
Before I have the chance to
explain my mom jumps in.

 

“Alanna, what on earth are you talking about? Don’t be stupid, you need to
register!”
“No, we have decided that we want charity donations instead of gifts. Besides
we don’t need anything anyway.”
“Alanna, this is crazy.”
“No its not, it is the right thing to do.”
I can hear my mom sigh as she takes in
my words.

“
Well I guess there is no need for me to argue with you over this. If that’s what
you have chosen then I cannot stand in your way. But Alanna, you need to let
your father and I give you guys a gift, is that understood?”
I roll my eyes as I
now that I can’t argue with her on this.

“Okay, as long as you don’t go overboard then you can get us a gift.”
My mom
chuckles down the phone at me and I cannot hold back my angry smile. I still
feel annoyed with Michael and I am literally inches from tears as I think of him.
However hearing my mom’s happy voice is somewhat comforting.

“Alanna, have you talked to Adrian about his mom yet?”
I feel a rush of fear as
I remember about tonight’s dinner with Alice. My mind is rushing as I think of
all the things that could wrong. Adrian has been doing so well with his anger
and I am scared that when he sees her again, that he will flip and all of his hard
work would have been for nothing. I am also scared of how Alice will react
around him. I still cannot escape the thoughts of how she treated him when he
was a child and I wonder if she has really changedher ways.

“Yes I have and we are having dinner with her tonight.”

“Oh,”
is all that my mom manages to say. The phone is silent and my heart is
racing. What is my mom going to say?
“Alanna, I don’t know what to say. How
did you manage to get him to agree to that?”
I tut, as why does everyone think
that I am forcing him into this? I am staring to show my anger on my face and I
notice body guard no:1 staring at me. I quickly flash him an awkward smile as I
return to my phone call.

“Mom, it was his idea.”
“ Have you thought of how you are going to approach this situation?”
“Not really, I just need to be there for him, right?”

“Sweetie, Adrian is a complicated boy and his relationship with his mother
sounds even more complicated. Do you really think that things between them
are going to be blissful just like that? You need to prepare yourself for what
might happen next. What if he doesn’t respond well to her and what if he falls
into depression? You hear about things like this all the time on the TV and I
think that you need to get your head straight.”

“The last time that Adrian saw his mother, was just before graduation. Mom, I
never told you this but, Adrian flipped out when he saw her. He turned into
someone I have never known before and if I am honest, he scared me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“Does that really matter?”
“Yes it matters, if you were scared of him. Alanna, are you sure that you can
trust him?”

“Of course I can trust him and I just need to be there for him. If things go badly
then I will pick up the pieces. I love him and if I am going to be his wife then I
need to stand by him.”

Later that night I get dressed for dinner as I waitfor Adrian to come out of the
shower. I have chosen a nice, simple dress for tonight. It’s black and long
sleeved and I have paired it with my black Jimmy Choos and of course my AB
necklace. I sit on my dressing table as I gently curl my hair. Adrian is not long
back from work and I can tell that he is nervous about tonight - although he
would never admit it. He always has a steel exterior that cannot be broken, but
underneath I know that he is pure silk. He came home and went straight into
the shower. His eyes were heavy and he was worriedabout the note. I was
impressed when he held back his anger as he read the threating words. I hate
to see him like this and I can tell that everything is starting to take its toll on
him.

“Hey doll,” I greet him as he makes his way from the bathroom –in nothing but
a towel. I smile as he glides past me flashing me his pearly smile as he does. I
cannot catch my breath at the sight of him. He is perfect in every way. He has
the most perfect body, face and hair. His smile iscaptivating and his eyes are
positively sinful. He is an angel and I cannot believe how lucky I am to have
him.

“Alanna, could you please come here a minute.” I hear him say from inside his
closet. I place the hot curling iron down onto the glass surface and then I make
my way over to him. I reach the doorway and I smile as I see him. He has
chosen to wear a dark blue, pin stripped, Armani suit and he looks amazing. His
hair is still wet as he pushes it gently back from his forehead. I sigh as I look at
him.

“Baby I need to ask you something.” He says in his cool British voice.
“Okay,” I quietly reply.

“How would you feel about me asking Michael to be my best man?” My smile
fades and I don’t know how I feel about what he is asking me. Michael and I
have had a difficult relationship and to be honest I feel that it would be weird
to have him as his best man, considering he claimed that he loved me. I gently
roll my eyes as my mind is buzzing with thoughts of Michael and of how wrong
it would be to have him as best man. Adrian is staring at me as he becomes
impatient. I need to reply and fast.

“Who you have as your best man is completely your choice.”

“Alanna don’t get smart with me. I know it is my choice but I want your
opinion.” I start to feel uncomfortable as Adrian gives me my orders. I hate
that he has this side to him. His anger has slowlyfaded but his need to control
everything has only worsened. He has more orders than before and more rules
for me to follow. I hate it but I usually go along with whatever he says because
I know that’s how he is and that he will never change. If I am honest, I wouldn’t
want him to change. I feel that when he controls things that it is only because
he cares and most of all he does it because he loves me and he wants to keep
me safe. He makes me feel special and wanted every time he calls and worries
about me. I know it’s stupid and that I should try to get my independence from
him but I don’t want it - at least not yet.