Barrowed Heart

Part 21

She was just preparing herself to go down in the kitchen after she took a quick shower when the office called her mobile to informed her that Arvell has checked out this evening.

Why he didn't even tell her. Is it because he found his fiancée with the other man? But he told her he's fine. So why then he suddenly decided to go home?

After eating her dinner with Martha she went up to her room and prepare herself to sleep. She wants to get up early. There's a guest coming in the morning and as usual, she wants to be there when they arrived.

She's feeling sad for Arvell's sudden disappearance. She liked his company. She could see Ryun in him.

She couldn't sleep, she tossed and turned in her bed.

So what if he's gone?

"Come on Ella, it's not a big deal. All the guest have to leave the ranch. They came there to relax, to spend their holiday. They don't have to stay long and live there. Same as Arvell. He's one of the guests and he has to leave too like the other guest. He has his own world to live and that is not in the ranch." She tried to convince herself.

She got up, she switched on the light and pulled out the drawer under her bed. She took out the box where she kept her remembrance from Ryun. Their memories together. She put all his gift in there. She separated them in boxes. She has a box for every occasion. The gifts for her birthdays are in a different box. The gifts she received in her achievements is in another box. The gifts she received from him in their monthsaries and anniversaries are in the different box.

She took the box for the anniversaries. She made a scrapbook for it. Ryun gave her necklace, bracelets, some ornaments, or anything that are small to paste in her scrapbook. She remembered when Ryun bought a pair of shoes for her. She said, "How could I paste it them in my scrapbook?". Ryun then took a picture of the shoes and when he has it developed then she pasted it in her scrapbook.

They have their photos together too, on all occasions they have their photos. Ryun will print their pictures and she will add it to her scrapbook. Ryun said that it's nice that she documented the events of their life together. When their children will see it they will see how their parents been during in their early courtship and became steady. And soon as husband and wife.

She cried remembering their dreams together. She closed back the scrapbook and put back in the box. She put back the box in the drawer and lie down. She closed her eyes.

Sleep took her somewhere that moment.

"Turn around Sweetheart." He told her.

"Hmm, why?" She asked yet she followed. He put something in her neck. It's a necklace. She touched it. It's a diamond ring and another half heart shaped pendant.

"Okay, you can turn now." He said.

"Why you put this as a pendant?" She asked.

"Because Sweetheart I always want to be near to your heart. I want you to remember, that as long as my heart is beating, it will only beat for you. Feel that Sweetheart? It's for you. Only for you. It will only stop when it stopped but as long as it beats, there'll be no other. That's a promise." He held her and kisses her.

"Will you marry me, Ella?" He asked after he let go her lips.

"Yes of course Ryun. You know that I love you." She replied.

"I love you so much too Sweetheart that it hurts. I promise after the match tomorrow I'll be all yours. We will set our wedding date and build our own family." He said hugging her. She hugged him back.

"I love you! I love you! I love you!" He said repeatedly.

"I love you too a million times." She replied.

"I love you to eternity." He said.

And again he claimed her lips.

"I can't have enough of you." He said smiling.

"Ditto! You know you can have me anytime." She said.

"No Sweetheart. I want you on our wedding night. I wanted it to be special for both of us." He replied.

"That's why I love you even more. You love me so much." She said.

"I was born to love you and to protect you, Sweetheart." He said.

"Ryun--- I lo---" She suddenly got up. She had a dream of that day when Ryun proposed her for marriage. She accepted it and he promised they will get married after the polo match but because of the accident.

"Ryun." She cried remembering him. She grabbed his photo at the bedside table and hugged it.

She doesn't know how long she's been hugging his photo when she heard a knock on her door.

"A second please." She said to the person behind the door. She gets up and walk to the door and opened it. It's Maratha.

"Good morning Martha!" She greeted the kind woman.

"Good morning Ella. I just want to check on you if you're awake. The guest has arrived a few minutes ago. Sarah called to informed us. She already called someone who will bring the guest in their cabin. So don't bother to rush." She said.

"Thanks, I haven't had my sleep last night. See my eyes, do I look like Garfield now?" She said staring at the woman.

The woman chuckled.

"Yes, can't deny that. But you're the beautiful Garfield. Fix yourself and come down for breakfast." Martha told her.

"Thanks, Martha, I'll be down there in few minutes." She said.

Martha left her. She walked back to her bed and sit. She gathered the picture frame of Ryun's photo and put back to the bedside table.

She gets in the bathroom and washes up. She put on her usual outfit. Faded jeans and plain creamy long sleeves that she will roll up when it gets hot. She's a typical cowgirl in her outfit.

When she's ready, she went downstairs and eat her breakfast with Martha. She doesn't need to worry about the guest. According to Martha, the ranch staff has taken care of them.