FOR THE LOVE OF DAHLIA

🌹Chapter 43🌹

TORI'S POV

"Ian..." I called out for the second time as I slowly opened the door. I really hope he's in here cause I wouldn't know what to do if he's not. And to think I sent Zach away. "Ian are you in here?" I asked as I shut the door behind me but got no answer. The house was so beautiful. The aura was perfect although very cold. I surveyed the area and took a few more steps ahead. "Ian...it's Tori. Are you in here?" I asked, my heart starting to race. I heard some sounds and cautiously followed it and stopped when I saw him sitting in front of a fire place. "Ian?"

"I never expected you to come here." Was all he said, not bothering to turn around.

I didn't know what to say. I also didn't expect to come here myself. I shrugged. "Well I did. I'm here now."

"Why?" He asked, still staring intently at the fire.

Now that was a question I didn't know how to answer. Do I tell him I was worried about him? Do I tell him he stood Dahlia up? Do I tell him I was disappointed he didn't show up at my place? What the fuck do I tell him? "Dahlia waited for you." I blurted out.

"Just Dahlia? You know we could just FaceTime and I talk to her, there was no way coming all the way across the city to tell me Dahlia waited for me." He said, pricking my conscience. "Right Tori? There was no need for you to come here just to tell me our daughter waited for me, don't you think?"

I gulped. "I...I..."

"Or did you wait for me too?" He asked.

I nodded, knowing fully well he couldn't see me. "What happened Ian? What made you so angry you had to go away from everyone?" I asked, trying to divert his question.

He shrugged and let out a humorless chuckle. No matter how hard he tried to act tough, I could sense the dysphoria in the air. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

"I vividly remember when you didn't want to hear anything I had to say because you thought I left you when you needed me the most. Now you want me to talk. Funny right? Funny how you want to hear me tell you the real reason why we were separated, don't you think?" He asked with the same humorless tone.

My heart was thumping so fast. I blinked severally. "What are you talking about Ian?"

"That eager to know? Just a warning before time, it might break you into pieces. Actually got me broken. I don't even know how I'm still breathing after such betrayal."  He answered.

Okay now I was really beginning to wonder. What the fuck is he talking about?

Then as if reading my thoughts and having an answer to it, he patted the space by him on the floor. "You might need to sit down before I tell you so you don't fall." He said but I hesitated. "Come sit before I change my mind and not tell you what I found out." He deadpanned.

I gulped and slowly walked to the space in front of the fire place and slowly sat down, keeping some space between us. Being in such close proximity with him was not exactly healthy. "What did you find out?" I asked, scared of the answer. After all, he did mention something about the reason why we got separated.

He turned and faced me, the first time he was acknowledging my presence in his house. Goodness, he looked so sad. His eyes were not the usual sparkly grey I was used to, they had turned a dull shade. His hair was a mess, as if he had been running his fingers through it, and this time around, it wasn't the attractive curly messy hair I loved seeing on him. His hair looked like they needed me to make it bouncy and curly as it usually was. Not only his hair, but his entire body looked like it needed a...hug. A hug from me.

"Ian? Tell me what you found out." I said, almost as if I was begging to know.

He shifted his gaze from me and looked at the fire but I kept staring at his beautiful sad face and I knew what I saw was a tear but he was so fast to wipe it off. "It's my mom, Alyssa and...and your sister, Veronica."