Chapter 46: FORTY-SIX

Being friends Kiara was not surprised to hear about the culprits that had planned Ava’s incident. Vivian and Ria, the only two she knew who could stoop so low enough to have done such a thing, she knew that if Lucas hadn’t rejected her, she would’ve been the one lying half dead in the lake that day. Sometimes she even wondered if they cared about Lucas at all. Even though she disliked Ava, she would never do such a thing and she didn’t even want her to die because of Lucas, Lucas wishes to find his fulfillment with her, and if she dies, Lucas might not have any other hope. When she heard of Ava’s survival this evening, she couldn’t believe that some part of her heart was gladdened, but it wasn’t for Ava, it was for Lucas, he deserves to be happy, just like she does too, and that’s why she came here.

Ava was surprised to see Kiara standing in her room, she tried to hide her shock unsuccessfully.

“Ummm…. Kiara, so um… nice to see you. Please, come in.”

She guided her to the sofa where Kiara settled, and sat in front of her on the opposite sofa. Kiara went straight to the point.

“I am sorry about my harsh behavior towards you Ava.”

“I don’t understand,” Ava tried to act as if she hadn’t noticed before, even though she pretty much did.

“Of course, you know what I’m talking about. You know I’ve not been very nice to you.”

“Yes, but I understand it’s because…” she stopped. She didn’t want to tell her what Nani had told her.

“Because of what?”

“Never mind.”

“Please tell me, I won’t be mad. I promise.”

Ava sighed and gave up.

“Well, someone told me that you’ve been through a lot in your former life.”

“Nani?”

Ava didn’t respond, but Kiara didn’t push it. She already knew it was Nani.

“Well, Nani is right that I don’t have a pretty past, but that’s not the reason I was mean to you. I was mean to you because I disliked you.”

“But why?”

Kiara was not ashamed to admit it.

“Because I was jealous of you. All the men I’ve ever loved in my life have hurt me, either by rejecting me or by dying, and the man I truly loved the most, loved another who didn’t even value it.”

“I don’t understand what you mean by that Kiara.”

“You were running away from him that day. Was it because he repelled you? Because you couldn’t stand him? Or did you hate him so much?”

“No, I don’t hate him.”

“Then why did you try to run away?”

“Because… I wanted to pull away from the attraction. The way I felt for him…. It was too much, and it was getting in the way of my duties. It’s not the first time I’ve tried to run away from him, but yet…

it keeps pulling me back to him.”

Kiara understood that she was talking about the mate bond. “Then why do you fight it if you know it’s what you want?”

“I don’t know, maybe it’s because I feel it’s a lot easier to let go than to hold on.”

Kiara related that statement to herself, she knew it was what she was meant to do, but she couldn’t say if it was meant to be the same for the woman sitting in front of her.

“I didn’t come here to lecture you about what you should do and what you shouldn’t Ava. I came here because I want to let go and forgive. I saw everything that happened with Vivian and Ria today, they were being thrown out like animals. I don’t want the same experience, I’ve been through so much and I deserve to be happy in the end, just like master deserves happiness too. I want to let go of the bitterness, the anger and the hate I feel because of master’s rejection. I gave him…” she paused, finding the strength to continue.

“…I gave him my love, my heart, I submitted, but then he chose you instead. I wished there was something I could do about that, but unfortunately there isn’t. Vivian and Ria thought they could get him back by trying to take you out, but they didn’t just lose him in the end, they also lost their home. I don’t want the same for me, that’s why I am here. I want to learn to let go, because it’ll be a lot easier than to hold on.”

Kiara had told her a lot, a whole lot. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know that’s how you felt, Kiara.”

“Yes, and I shouldn’t have taken out the anger on you, you did nothing, you weren’t the one who chose Lucas for yourself, the mate bond did. I should have never gone against that.”

Ava walked over to her and held Kiara’s hand in hers.

“I’m sorry about your rejection, but even if I don’t want Lucas, I don’t think that will make his heart accept you again, his heart has already made its choice.”

“I know, that’s why I’m willing to let go. He’s a good man Ava, I hope you’ll accept him and take care of him. These duties of yours… whatever they are, I hope you’ll choose Lucas over it instead. I would have if it were me, but it’s not. He deserves to be happy Ava, and I hope you’ll choose to help him.”

Ava wishes to, she really wishes to, but this is a duty she has prepared her whole life for, a duty she cannot abandon even though her heart does not want it. She shook her head; she does not want to think about that now, only the present matters, she can think about the future later. Kiara then changed the topic.

“Lucas wants the both of us to be friends. He wants us to help each other. Would you like to be my friend?”

“I would really love to be your friend Kiara.”

“I would love to be your friend too, Ava.”

“Then let’s be friends,” Ava smiled, giving her a hug.