Chapter 70: Man of a few words
Alan faintly smiled looking at her run for life. He took steps faster before scooping her up effortlessly.
Aria almost shouted but remembering they were in school, she kept her voice low, "Let me go. Stop creating a scene here."
"Didn't you call me rogue? I'm proving it." He said nonchalantly and made her sit on the shotgun seat. He closed the door and locked it knowing she would run away. He went around seeing her puffed red cheeks.
Aria was ready to open the door as soon as he unlocks. She opened and her one leg stepped out but Alan pulled her in and closed the door.
Aria pushed him to his seat and she sat properly, "I don't want to go anywhere with you. I will hail... I will go by car, you hail a taxi and go home."
She had just finished, Alan went near her making her widen her eyes in shock then she covered her face quickly scaring he was up to something.
She heard a light chuckle and realized he was putting on the seat belt.
Her face flushed in embarrassment and sat quietly until Alan was on the way of the Morgan mansion.
When he changed the way towards the ring road. Aria started to fish her mobile as she asked frantically.
"Where are you taking me? This is not the way to the Morgan mansion. I don't want to go with you. Stop the car. I will go by myself." She almost dialed Amelia's number when Alan stopped the car with a frown.
He hung up the call and asked directly, "Do you trust me?"
"Huh?" Aria looked at her mobile in his hand and then his tensed brows. She felt like crying, "I trusted you for everything but after what you did yesterday, how can you ask me that question? You even denied to accept it in front of your parents and they must be thinking I'm kind of wanton. How else do you expect me to react?"
Alan sighed. He had an urge to hug her and console but he didn't. "Don't worry, I will not do anything without your permission. Alright?"
Aria relaxed after hearing him and nodded.
Both didn't talk. Aria didn't know what to talk about. Alan knew it was very important for her to know yesterday's behavior hence he didn't talk until they reached the foot of the uphill.
Aria was the first to break the silence, "Why are we here?"
Alan didn't reply and alighted.
Aria took a deep breath to control her tears and alighted the car. They were near her parent's cemetery.
Alan took out two white Lilly banquet from the car trunk. He held them in one hand and held Aria's palm in another as he entered the cemetery and climbed the stairs.
Aria looked at her hand in his palm holding gently as he walked without talking. She looked above to control her tears remembering her father and climbed a step behind him.
She only remembers her mother by a picture so she was more attached to Oliver. As soon as she saw the tomb, tears rolled down making her wipe with her blazer sleeves. She repeated in her mind, 'Don't cry... Don't cry...'
Alan knew she would be emotional after seeing her parents but he wanted to propose her in front of them knowing their importance to her.
He left her hand and kept a banquet on each tomb. He glanced at Aria next to him who was looking at Oliver's picture. He spoke turning to Oliver Cooper and Emily Parker tombs. "Dad! Mom!..."
Aria froze hearing how he addressed her parents.
Alan continued after holding her hand, "I'm Alan Morgan. I wanted to ask your permission to take care of your daughter for the rest of my life by loving her unconditionally, standing by her at every up and down of her life. I will be there for her all the time without letting her get hurt."
Aria bit her lip looking at Alan who sincerely spoke looking at the tombs just like how he would speak if they were alive. She couldn't put in words how she felt hearing him talking to her parents.
She was missing her father and whatever Alan said also touched her deepest parts.
Alan then turned to Aria whose eyes were filled. He held both of her palms in his hands firmly and spoke looking her in the eye.
He knew she just wanted sincerity in whatever he would say. He didn't want to make cheesy or dramatic hence he kept it sensible.
Aria looked at him as the sunset rays made his eyes glitter. His sharp features looked soft so as his gaze on her.
"You are the only one who I wouldn't mind losing sleep for, the only one who I can never get tired of talking to, the only one who crosses my mind constantly throughout the day. You're the only one who can make me smile without trying, bring down my mood without the intention and affect my emotions with every action of yours. I can't explain with just words how much you mean to me but you are the one I'm afraid of losing and the one I want to keep in my life."
Aria got many proposals from her school seniors and her batch students. She always had a reason to reject them politely but now she didn't know how to respond.
It would be a lie if she says she wasn't moved by his honesty, by choosing to tell her parents and by telling her how he felt sincerely.
She would always hear others say they would do anything for her, she was their world, they wouldn't let her shed a single tear, they will always keep her happy without making her sad and other illogical things dramatically.
But Alan didn't say anything as such. The first line he had told her was, 'I'm there for you.' and the same thing he said to her parents 'I will be there for her'.
She knew Alan was a man of a few words but he always spoke to her. She knew Alan was a man who shows by action rather than words so whatever he said was only for her so that she could understand him, she shouldn't run away or throw a fit.
Alan who waited for her response didn't get anything to hear. "Aria... Say something."