Chapter 11

An alarm wakes Lianna from her light sleep. She groans and turns around, falling off again. At least this is the last time she has to sleep on this cursed sofa. Her couch at home is much more comfortable.

“Did you fall off?” William asks with his morning voice. Lianna laughs lightly and nods her head. Her head falls back on the ground as she stares at the ceiling. William gets out of bed and walks over to her. He holds his hand out to her and helps her to her feet.

“How did you sleep?” Lianna adjusts her t-shirt. William had another nightmare last night which caused her to wake up. Whatever the nightmare is about, it must be something terrible. He was sobbing and trashing around when she woke up. She tried to put the earphones in, but he started crying when she touched him.

“Fine, you?” he asks while walking back to the bed. He cannot believe that he had another nightmare. And why does Lianna keep on sleeping on the couch? He knows that the sofa is not comfortable at all. Does she know about his nightmares?

“Ugh, I can’t wait to sleep on my couch again. This thing is giving me headaches.” She rolls her neck, and a few cracking sounds escape. William winces at the sounds.

“Why do you sleep on the couch?” Lianna considers whether she should tell him about his nightmares. She lets out an irritated huff and spins to look at him.

"You kick in your sleep,” she says with her hands on her side. His brows snap together, tilting his head

"I don't kick," he argues. Lianna rolls her eyes and gives him a mock salute

"Whatever you say." She turns around and walks to the bathroom. William breathes out, relieved that Lianna does not know about the nightmares. He reads the message from his mother on the family group and groans when he sees the plans for the day.

“We’re going for a hike today,” William shouts. He does not have the mental capacity for a hike today. Everyone is going, including Evelyn. He waits for Lianna to respond, but she is still in the bathroom. He checks to see whether his mother said anything about breakfast. 

“Did you say something?” Lianna asks as she walks out of the bathroom, pulling her messy hair back into a ponytail.

“We’re hiking,” he repeats. She stops what she is doing and lets her hands fall to her side. She throws her head back and sighs loudly. William chuckles and turns his phone to her. She squints her eyes at the screen, leaning forward. She puts her hands in the air and shakes her head.

“I’m not going. What about breakfast?” 

"We’re having breakfast at a designated spot after the hike.” Lianna inhales sharply and rubs her face in frustration. She is starving. She has not eaten that much and now they want her to go and hike on an empty stomach. She will faint.

William pats her arm when he walks past her to the bathroom. They might as well get ready for this hike. Lianna crosses her arms and stares out of the window at the backyard. A smile plays on her lips as a plan formulates in her head. That will work if she can pull it off correctly.

William uses the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. They have only started, but he is already tired. He glances at Lianna next to him.

Her head hangs, focusing on where she is walking. He feels sorry for her because he could tell she did not want to do this. He knows how his mother could be, so he knew there was no way they could get out of it. 

His eyes turn to the front and see Evelyn. Her ponytail swings from side to side while she walks at the front. He does not understand how she can show up and pretend as if nothing had happened. Sometimes he wishes he told everyone what happened so she can disappear from his life. He wonders whether his mother would side with him and leave this idea to remarry Evelyn behind.

Evelyn snaps her head to the back and she makes eye contact with William. William looks to the side and mentally curses himself. Why did he look at her? He glances back at her and sees her waiting for him. She has a dashing smile and she stands upright.

William looks at Lianna next to him and he coughs out his laugh. Lianna is in every aspect different from Evelyn. Evelyn loves hiking while Lianna despises it. Lianna lifts her head to look at William and he gives her a quick smile before focusing on the trail.

They pass Evelyn and she falls into step next to William.

“How are you holding up?” Evelyn asks. She has a slight bounce to her step. Lianna ignores her and William just lets out a grunt. “You know, this was the trail where you proposed to me. Do you remember?” William wipes his forehead again and takes a deep breath. Just stay calm.

“Yes, I do remember. You make it hard to forget,” he says with sarcasm and Lianna laughs out of breath. Evelyn eyes Lianna up and down. This girl is a fashion tragedy. How can she wear this outfit out in public? What if there are any paparazi?

“Have you decided what you want to do for your wedding?” Evelyn asks and William lets out a huff. Lianna rubs her face in frustration.

“We have not talked about it,” Lianna answers abruptly. Evelyn scoffs and steps between William and Lianna.

“If you need any help, you can always push on my button. I love weddings and I can help with a wedding dress.” Lianna frowns, but nods while giving Evelyn a thumbs-up. “Will, I have to say- “

The sound of rocks sliding comes from behind William. His head snaps to Lianna and he sees her on the ground. She is holding her ankle. Evelyn looks panicked at Lianna, but she does not try to comfort her. 

“Are you okay?” he asks, panicking as he crouches down next to her.

“Yeah, I just fell.” Lianna dusts herself of before she tries to stand up. She hisses in pain when she puts weight on her foot. That is not good.

William motions for her to sit back down again. He inspects her ankle as Evelyn looms over them. He has to get away from this woman.

“You’re not going to be able to walk the whole 5 miles. We should get back to the house.” William stands up and faces Evelyn.

“Are you okay?” Evelyn asks and Lianna gives a quick nod. Evelyn moves her eyes to William and tilts her head slightly. “The medics can come to fetch her. They can have a look at it back at the house.

“No worries. I can make my way back on my own,” Lianna says before she starts walking. She walks with difficulty. William stops her and puts his arm around her waist to support her.

“Will you tell my mother that we had to turn back?”  he asks Evelyn. Evelyn frowns as she shakes her head.

“No, you have to finish the hike. Your mother wants to eat at your favorite restaurant. You cannot just leave everything for her.”

“Thank you,” William says and he turns with Lianna to head back. He ignores Evelyn’s protests and slowly walks as he helps Lianna down the way the came.

“You don’t have to come with me. You can finish the hike.” William scoffs. He is not going to spend a whole hike with his mother and Evelyn. It will drive him to suicide. Lianna is definitely the better option.

They continue back to the car and William helps her to get in. He glances back at the trail and sighs quietly. He is actually happy to get away from them. He just hopes Lianna is all right.

At the house, William climbs out first to help Lianna and walks around the car. When he rounds the corner of the car, Lianna closes the door. He watches her walk with absolutely no difficulty to the front door. Did she-

“Lianna?” William asks in confusion. She turns back to him and giggles at his expression. “Didn’t you hurt your foot?” She shakes her head.

“Ever heard of faking it?” she asks with an amused look. William stares at her in disbelief. He did not think she could be so conniving.

“My mother- “

“Eurgh, she will never know. Can we go to the town market? I’m starving,” she says as she opens the front door. She waits for William, who is still shocked at the move she pulled.

With a soft chuckle, he follows Lianna into the house. They get all their stuff for the market, and William drives them to the large square which is not too far from the house.

William strolls behind Lianna through the market in town. He has never been here. He has no idea how Lianna knows about this place, but it is a nice market. Lianna stops at a stall with plenty of cheap jewelry and bags. William looks around.

He still cannot believe that she pulled off a stunt like that. He is actually proud that she was able to pull something like that off. He watches Lianna talking to the guy at the stall and he smiles. This was a good idea.

Lianna walks away, heading to the food court. That is what they came here for, after all. 

"What do you want to eat?" she asks over her shoulder. William purses his lips together while he scans the different restaurants in the food court. 

"What do you want?" He is not too hungry after dinner last night. He is aware Lianna is starving because she complained all the way over to the market. Lianna clicks her tongue, turning to look at the options.

"Pizza," she says before she jogs to the pizza place. William follows with a smile and they enter the restaurant. They sit down at the table and place their orders. Lianna orders a pizza with a thick crust and another one that is two pizzas stacked on each other. He wants to see her eat all of that. 

"Ten bucks you're not going to finish that," he says and holds his hand over the table for her to shake. She lifts her eyebrow and glances at his hand. Her mouth curves into a smile.

"Are you sure?" she challenges him. When it comes to food, she never loses a bet. He stretches his hand out further. She bites her lip, shaking his hand with a convincing smile. “Deal.”

Lianna turns her gaze to the side while they wait for their food. She breathes in slowly, letting the events of the weekend sink in. It has been some adventure. Her eyes dart to William and he smiles at her.

"How are you feeling?” he asks. She had to put up with Evelyn and deal with all her schemes. Plus, she had to sleep on the sofa.

“Yeah, I will be fine once the food arrives. How are you?” Lianna leans back in her chair and crosses her arms across her chest. William chuckles. 

“I’m good. I just want to get back to the apartment.” Lianna raises her eyebrows, a wide smile forming on her face. She would have never thought he would want to return to her apartment.

“Seriously? My apartment? I don’t believe you,” she jokes, and William scoffs. He also never thought he would want to go to that small place, but it has started to feel more like home than his actual home. 

“I know.” The waitress arrives with their food and drinks, placing everything on the table. William holds his hand for her to pray, but she is already stuffing her mouth. She sees his hand and her eyes widen. 

“Would you do it?” she asks with a mouthful. William shakes his head quickly as he does not know what to pray. Lianna waves her hand to gesture that it is all good.

“What are we going to do with the wedding?” William asks, taking a sip from his water. Lianna sighs as she rubs her forehead with the back of her hand. She has not even thought of that. She motions for William to wait while she chews her food. She needs to think this through. 

“So, I can assume you are fine with marrying me if you want to go through with the wedding?” she asks, jokingly. She smiles at William but sees that he has an intense look in his eyes. She returns to a neutral expression. Okay, he means business.

“Yes. It will be beneficial to both of us. I don’t have a problem with you,” he says with a blank face. She did not think that he was going to take this seriously. Yes, they are going to get married. Maybe this is more important than she thought. 

“Hmm. Perhaps like something small. Only inner circle friends and important family members. I don’t want a whole ceremony. Just sign the certificate and then a small reception. Nothing too flashy.” William nods as he pulls out his phone. 

“I also thought that. How about,” he stops to check when he has an opening, “this Thursday?” He looks at Lianna. She shakes her head.

“I can’t. I have to be at a competition for the choir. Can you do Friday?” she proposes. William checks his calendar and sees an opening. 

“Friday at six?” Lianna gives him a thumbs-up while she takes a big bite of her pizza. William is surprised to see that she has already finished one of her pizzas. He lets out a relieved sigh. He is glad that it is sorted. He thought it would take a few hours to arrange everything. 

When he first thought of the arranged marriage, he thought Lianna would want a big wedding and that she would be like the rest. The moment he saw her apartment, he knew she was different. 

They would probably be married for a few years before she finds some other guy she likes. He will be able to put up with her for a couple of years. 

Lianna stares at her plate as the idea of getting married sets in. She never thought she would get married, let alone like this. She hates the idea of a whole wedding ceremony. Having all the attention on her for a whole day is not her idea of fun. At least William is on the same page as her.

A familiar figure catches her attention, and she turns her head to the side.

“Shit,” she whispers and ducks under the table. William frowns, also ducking under the table out of instinct. 

“What?” he asks. She laughs softly and shakes her head.

“Your family is here. I just saw Evelyn. Is this where they are going to eat breakfast?” William peeks out of the window and purses his lips together when he sees Evelyn and his mother. What are they doing here?

He watches them walk around the few stalls on the square. He is going to be in so much trouble. They all must have turned back because there is no way they finished the whole five miles.

“Psst, I have an idea,” Lianna whispers, getting off the chair. She crouches on the ground and throws her bag over her shoulder. The waitress passes them and pauses. She opens her mouth to speak, but Lianna indicates for the waitress to keep quiet. 

“Could you bring this for us as takeaway there?” Lianna points to the door at the back of the restaurant. The waitress hesitates and looks around. William gets her drift and motions for the waitress to look at him. 

“We’ll pay double,” William raises his brows, waiting for her answer. Lianna’s mouth hangs open as she realizes she just witnessed him bribe the waitress.

"Fine. I will get everything for you,” she says before taking their plates and heading to the kitchen. Lianna starts making her way to the door at the back. William follows her, adrenaline rushing through him. 

Lianna motions for him to look where his family is. He slowly stands up and sees his mother walking to the restaurant. He still does not understand why they would eat here. This is not their type of place. Do they know that he and Lianna are here? 

He crouches down and ushers Lianna to the door. They make their way to the door and sneak out of the door. Lianna groans when she sees that it is a storage room. She notices that there is another door on the side. Hopefully, will that one lead them out of the restaurant? The door opens and they both spin around to the waitress.

She hands them their takeaways and the bill. William takes the bill with his wallet already in his hand. He taps his card against the machine the waitress is holding out. The waitress bows her head and heads back out the door. 

They walk to the door and Lianna holds her hand in the air, indicating for William to stop. She opens the door slightly to look through the small opening. She scans the area and slips out of the door with William when she sees no one she knows. They rush to the parking lot.

William grabs her arm and yanks her down behind another car. 

“Ow,” she says, rubbing her shoulder. William points to where his car is parked. Lianna glances past the car they are hiding behind to his car and sees the minivan parked behind them. William guides her head with his hand to a nearby tree where Henry and Gina are smoking. 

“Haish,” she whispers in frustration. What are they going to do now? She turns back to William and bites the inside of her cheek. William pulls his fingers through his hair, letting out a sigh. Lianna sits down on the ground with the pizza boxes in her arms. 

“They will join the others in a minute. Let’s wait,” he says as he looks at them again. Lianna nods and rests her head against the car behind her. William continues to stare at the couple, his eyes shifting to Henry. That same feeling of three years back arises in his chest. Betrayal. 

They give each other a quick kiss before they walk to the square. William takes Lianna’s hand and they run to his car. He unlocks the car. Lianna is first in the car.

As he opens his door, he sees his brother and mother standing next to a tree not far from the minivan. He squints his eyes to try to see what they are talking about. He hears his mother’s voice and from the tone, he can tell his brother is in trouble.

His mother lifts her hand and he gasps softly at the impact. They had a deal. How dare she?

“Stay in the car,” he demands before slamming the door shut. He walks to his mother, the anger boiling inside him. 

Lianna leans forward to see where William is going. What is going on? Everything inside her wants to get out of the car to see what is going on, but her gut tells her to stay. William told her to stay in the car, so she will stay in the car. Bad things always happen in the movies when the girl gets out of the car. She takes out her phone to prevent her from getting nosy. She hopes everything is fine.