Chapter 100

Aurora hugged Emily tightly. "I will miss you, a lot, Em!"

Emily kissed her friend. "I will miss you both too but I will be back in a month and then we are going to open our own brand. We won't let our dream die just because I am now married to The Belle's owner."

Aurora laughed. "So you want to give competition to your own husband, couple goals, Em!" She whistled, making Emily burst out laughing.

"You want to know something?" She asked Emily, who raised her brows in question, "what?"

"I threw a challenge at Liam that if I like the way he proposed to me I would say yes to him."

Emily's eyes widened. "It means you are ready to marry him."

Aurora nodded happily, her eyes went to Susan who looked away from them when their eyes met.

While Aurora was chatting with Emily Susan was silently watching the two of them glowing in happiness. She was happy for them, genuinely happy but it hurted her when she thought about herself.

Emily noticed her silence, Aurora did too but her pride didn't allow her to ask if she was fine or not or what she looks like. She was Susan, she was supposed to be strong.

"Can you tell her…" Aurora whispered in her ear. Emily shook her head, "Aurora now you are stretching it too far. Don't do this to her."

Aurora looked down and fidgeted her fingers. She was not ready to give up on her pride, not yet at least. Emily sighed and walked to Susan. She forced a smile on her face.

"Aurora is ready to marry Liam," Emily told her the money she stopped near her. Susan nodded, "good for her."

Emily frowned. She didn't expect this kind of reaction from her. "Are you alright? I know there is something you are hiding from me."

Susan shrugged her shoulders. "I am alone, you are married and moved in with him, Aurora is living with her dream man and ready to marry. Who do I have, Emily? No one, I don't have anyone. I guess I need to go out and look for new friends, you see Emily, till now, I had no one except for Aurora and you. My life's only aim was to take care of Aurora. I made it my mission and I forgot myself in doing so. I made myself so dependent on Aurora that everything else comes secondary to her and now, I got to know how stupid I was in doing so. Look at her, she is happy and enjoying her life while I am left alone."

Emily held her hand. She was ashamed of herself. She was so lost in her marriage bliss that she didn't notice how Susan must be feeling. "Susan, let me tell Aurora the truth that I also helped you."

Susan shook her head, her protective mother mode on again. "No, you won't tell her anything about it, Emily. At least she tells you everything. Promise me you won't tell her anything."

Emily closed her eyes. "She asked me to talk to you, she is worried about you too, Susan. She asked me to take care of you."

Susan was hurt. "Is her pride more important than our friendship? You know what's more painful, Emily?"

Emily kept staring at her, Susan chuckled sarcastically, "I did everything for her happiness, look at her, she is happy with Liam now. Have you ever seen her like this when she was with Gabriel?"

Emily shook her head. "No."

"Where was I wrong? Tell me Em?" She couldn't speak anymore and looked down. She didn't want Emily to see her tears.

Susan took a deep breath to control her emotions. "Leave me, Emily, you are leaving for your honeymoon. I want you to be happy. Enjoy your time with your husband."

Susan patted her hand one last time, glanced at Aurora who was looking at them with longing. She wouldn't go to her, not this time. If Aurora had her pride, so did Susan. She had done enough for her, now she would live her life, without worrying about Aurora.

She had fulfilled her promise to her godmother. Aurora was with someone who loved and respected her. Now she was free of that burden too, "I am going to the USA for some time. The Belle offered me a place in their USA branch. I accepted it, I am leaving in two hours."

"When did that happen? Why didn't you tell me? Let me tell Aurora, she will talk to you…"

"No! Don't do that, please. I am not a beggar, Em! I don't want her to talk to me out of pity. If she has the pride I too have it."

"You both will regret hurting each other like this. I am telling you, Susan," Emily whispered painfully.

She smiled and cleared her throat. "I never thought I would be saying this to you, but I love you, Em! Thank you for coming into my life. Enjoy your time with the hot billionaire."

Emily chuckled recalling the silly things she did on the cruise to get Alexandrio's attention. "I will. Thank you, Susie, for protecting me. But hey, I am not leaving you just yet, once I am back we will work on our brand. so you and Aurora only have a month to clear all the air between you two because I want everything normal between you both once I come back."

Susan hugged her. "Goodbye, friend."

Emily watched Susan leave. She slumped her shoulders and turned to Aurora who was waiting for Emily impatiently. "Is she alright?" She demanded.

Emily shrugged. "She is fine. But I am mad at you both. Listen to me well, Aurora. You have thirty days, break this ice with Susan because the day I return from my honeymoon I want everything just like before," she said strictly.

Aurora sighed and nodded. "I will try."

Emily kissed her head and hugged her.

Aurora watched her friend leave. She wiped the tears recalling all the things they did together. Seeing her and Susan gone, Aurora felt as if an era came to an end.

She watched the lifeless trees through the window of her car. There was a weird heaviness in her heart today, even though she has taken a leave from The Belle but she asked the driver to take her there.

She needed Liam near her, the sad feeling in her heart was making her anxious. Aurora didn't bother with the knock and entered the cabin.

Liam was talking to someone over the phone, he raised his eyes and frowned. She didn't care if he was disturbed or not. She wanted to be in his arms.

Liam ended the call but before he could ask Aurora anything she threw herself into his arms. "Is everything alright, Little one?"

She didn't speak, only sighed in the crook of his neck. His masculine scent eases her anxiety. She hugged him tightly. "Don't ever leave me. I will die if I have to stay away from you, Liam."

She was doing it again, making his heart race. "What happened Little one?"

He asked, creating a little space between them and holding her face in his hands. "Tell me?"

Aurora swallowed. "I didn't like it, Liam. Emily left for her honeymoon and I am not talking to Susan. It felt as if everything changed. Our life, our friendship. Things changed. I didn't like it, " saying that she hugged him once again.

What the hell! Everything changes, it's the rule of nature. What was there to cry about?

He patted her back. "Stop crying, little one. Talk to Susan if you want, why are you still angry with her? In a way, she helped us be together."

Aurora broke the hug and looked into his eyes. "How can I talk to Susan?"

Liam nodded. "Why not? It was you who broke up with her so it's you who had to take the first step towards her, Aurora. Don't stretch the matter too far, calm your heart and talk to her."

She blinked. "How easily you eradicate all the complications in my life, Liam." She gently held his face in her hands. "You make everything so easy. How did you do that every time?"

Liam jerked her forward and placed his lips on hers. He couldn't think about anything. He needed to feel her. Aurora happily went with the flow. She touched the back of his neck for support.

Liam was trying to dominate her but when she kissed him softly, he went easy on her lips. The heated kiss turned into a passionate one, slow and sensual.

Liam tucked her hair behind her ear, she smiled and tried to stand up from his lap but Liam held her by the waist. "Liam…" she whispered but he placed a finger on her lips.

"Marry me, Little one," he proposed to her, the moment just felt right. He thought he would be doing something extraordinary to propose to her but there was something at the moment which made him say the words to her.

Aurora inhaled sharply. She couldn't believe what he just said. Although he had proposed to her once before, that day she didn't take anything he said seriously. But today, his words meant everything to her. The moment was perfect and she couldn't deny him anymore."

"Say something, little one."

Aurora placed her lips on his once again and gave him a soft peck. "Yes, I will marry you, Liam."

Liam closed his eyes and pulled her in his arms. "Thank you, I didn't know what I would have done if you had denied this time."

Aurora chuckled. "You proposed without a ring, Liam. I should have denied you."

"I need to change that, I guess. Shall we go ring shopping together?"

Aurora shook her head. "No, I want you to surprise me," she once again gazed into his eyes. "I am going to meet Susan. I can't wait to talk to her, to tell her about this news. She would be so happy, Liam but…" she told him firmly, "when I come back home tonight, I want a perfect ring with you getting on one knee and a proposal speech or I will change my mind," saying that she stood up, kissed his head and left.

Liam took a long breath after she left.

"Finally!" He whispered. His lips lifted into a proud smile. "Now, the charade will be over finally."

The only thing left was a ring. He called his assistant to buy a ring but changed his mind and decided to buy the ring himself. He had done enough acting for this day that now, he wanted to buy the ring himself. He stood up and left to buy a perfect ring for her.

Aurora called Susan's number but it was switched off. She frowned. Susan never turned her phone off. She decided to check their home but was shocked to find the door locked. Her heart started beating faster, "where are you, Susie?" She whispered and tried to call her again but once again the phone was off.

She didn't have anyone except for me, where could she go? Aurora decided to check the office, she called the office to check if she was there or not? But she was stunned when she heard the answer to her question.

Susan left for the USA, she received a job in The Belle's branch there. She was hurt that Susan left without even telling her about it. She swallowed the heavy lump that formed in her throat and moved to her car. All the happy memories she spent with Susan flashed in her memory.

She scolded herself for behaving this rudely with her and over what, Gabriel! The man who no longer was a part of her life. She cursed herself in anger and decided to leave a few messages to Susan, asking her to talk to her. She even typed an apology but deleted it.

She would apologise when she met her. She wouldn't hurt her friend anymore. It was time to break the ice between them.

It's time to be old Aurora and Susan again.