AFFECTION

FOURTEEN

(◍•ᴗ•◍)✧*。

DAVID WELLINGTON

Stunned silence was all I got. And I did not have enough guts to look into her eyes and find my answer. Never in my life did I think, that I would be asking this to Hope. And to be true, at the very place I asked Venus, the same question.

Not because I want to put the two on the same pedastal, but because Venus couldn't say no here, and so I hope the one right in front of me would do the same.

Rather, the ecstatic expression that I got from Venus was a complete contradiction from what I got from Hope. I know this is hard to process.

Just hours before I knew I couldn't put Hope through this, but arguments from Erica convinced me that Hope is my only resort.

"Uhm...David...can you repeat?", She asked in a timid voice.

Now that made me nervous. If I was any less nervous before.

"I...I want you to be my bride."

"David you are joking!"

"Do I look like I can joke about this?", I asked gently.

Everything is taking a toll on me, and I don't know how will I survive in this pressure.

It is marrying Hope, or it is marrying a snobby bitch who'd dance over my money, and make my son's life a hell.

"You...you look like you will faint..", she pointed out.

I chuckled not amused at all, "If you were in my situation you'd faint to."

"I am not feeling any better than that."

*

We sat side by side on the living room couch, which had so many memories attached to it, but I brushed them to the back of my mind.

"David what made you ask me 'that'?"

"I know you are shocked. And this is really selfish of me to as.."

"Stop calling yourself selfish again and again. You are not doing it for yourself. Yes, you do get Oliver at the end. But that is not selfish!", She exclaimed, "Just tell me what do YOU feel about this?"

I looked at her. What did I feel about this?

"Marriage overall is a difficult decision for me Hope. I am still not over Venus. I see her everywhere and in everything that belongs to me. In Oliver too. It is going to be very hard for me. But after all arguments, I believe with you beside me, it will be easier."

She nodded subtly and looked forward.

"But I am not forcing you for this. Because I know the magnitude of it. Even in friendship, I don't expect you to do this. I was just giving it a try so I don't regret it in future. And even though Erica is against this idea, I will not bound you to myself forever. The day you find the man you love, I'd myself make sure to bring him to you. No matter at what cost. I promise."

Her head snapped in my direction and I felt a different emotion seep in them.

"You don't want a permanent marriage?"

"I don't want to permanently end your choice of a better life. You are my best friend Hope, and right now, my only one. I wouldn't do that to you."

She nodded.

"So I get to be Oliver's mother?"

I nodded, "Yes you do. And you take that title as per my request, but you'd own it forever. Even after we end."