Ryan is perplexed right now, he did not even know what to do or say. He saw there was with a little or no hope of ever seeing Ciara. He is aware that the task of ever finding Ciara is a huge one that he won't be able to fulfill.
The States is too huge, and he can't be searching for one single soul all over the state, it's like looking for a pin in a well. It is impossible for him to do so -and who does that anyway?
His phone began to ring, at first, he hesitates to pick the call but on seeing who the caller was, he had no choice than to pick it up. He couldn't ignore her even in a tight situation, and this won't be exceptional -it was Anne.
"Hey, there Ryan..."She called from the other end as soon as he put the phone on his ear.
Ryan could stare at his mother without saying anything to the caller. In return, his mother, who had returned because she forgot her keys, gave him a deadly stare.
"You don't stare at me in such a foolish manner." His mother said. Ryan quickly composed himself and turned away from his mother.
Without giving a response rather to the caller or his mother, Ryan went outside since he did not want his mother to know who was calling, he felt like at the moment, she was spying on him -if she ever gets to know then she won't allow him.
"Are you still there, Ryan?" Anne, on the other end, asked, seeing that Ryan was not saying anything to her. "What's up with you, Ryan?"
"I'm listening..."Ryan said after he was certain that he was some miles away from his mother and there was no way she can hear whatever they were saying.
"Why aren't you saying anything earlier?" The caller questioned. "You allow me to continue saying almost everything without replying, why?"
"I did what, I think, is best for you, Anne." Ryan replied with a shoulder shrug -like she's present before him. "By the way, why have you called?"
"Something must be eating you up, Ryan. With the way you sound, it's not like your usual self." Anne asserted with concern laced in her voice. "We should meet at our usual spot and sort things out." "I think thatwould ease me a little bit." Ryan agreed, with a smile suddenly appearing on his face. "You should expect me in few minutes."
******
"Hey there, Ryan." Anne called to him as she sat next to Ryan. "You came too earlier than I have expected, though."
"Yeah." Ryan cited simply in agreement. "I got here about five minutes ago though, not that early as you think, you know."
"Nevertheless, I was still surprised because the late Ryan had already seated waiting for me." She uttered with a trail of humor. "I'm not used to this yet, I think I'll have to adapt to it soon enough."
Rather than replying, Ryan gave her a small laugh. Anne is not too blind not to have noticed that he was bothered about something, his laugh sounded really nervous.
(What earth could have been eating him up this much?' Anne, herself, is worried about it.
The Ryan she knows did not use to act this way. He is totally the opposite of who is seated here right now. There's something eating him up and Anne knows she won't be able to help only if he would tell her whatever the problem is.
"What do you care for...？" The bartender asked, stepping up and beating Anne, who was about saying something to it.
"The usual, you know, for the both of..."
Ryan cuts her off abruptly, interrupting her words. "Water...？" He stated, earning a frown from Anne. "I'll just go with water, nothing more."
"Sure, I'll go get your need." With this, he turned away from them.
"Ryan..."She called out to him softly. "What is wrong with you, eh? Are you sure you are fine -because I'm sure you are not."
"Obviously, I am not..."Ryan replied, and Anne was surprised. "... I am not fine, and you might not even understand how hard this is for me -argh!"
What is he trying to hide away from her and claiming that she will not understand? There's nothing difficult for her to understand, not when it comes to him, and she is sure that she will come up with a solution to whatever must have been bothering him.
"How will I understand when you refuse to tell what is wrong?" Anne asked as she stares disapprovingly at him. "You should tell me whatever it is and stop keeping things away from me, it won't help."
"I am not hiding things from you, Anne." Ryan muttered lazily, letting out a heavy sigh afterward. "Why would I ever want to do such a thing? It's just a personal affair that you should not bother yourself with."
Anne wondered why Ryan is playing too stubborn to get today. Of recent, he had never argued with her nor opposed her decision and wants, but that is what he seems to be doing at the moment.
"If I don't bother about your personal affair, who will, eh?" Anne scoffed with a short hiss, feigning annoyance -or maybe she was. "Is it Ciara, who you want..."
"She had left already." Ryan quickly cut her off again, rubbing his palms together. "Well
-there's no one like her, not even Ciara herself in my house."
At first, Anne thought she was dreaming. This is the best news she had ever heard, Ciara is finally gone, away from Ryan and now. There is no way she will have to be worried since she's the only one he will be having.
For months, she had been praying to get access to this house and now, things are finally working as she had planned and she's glad. Nothing else matters to her than having him all to herself-she literally hates to share.
"You should not get excited so much because she left..."Ryan told her, cutting off the sudden smile off her face abruptly. "Her leaving only bring me another problem, you know."
Not now that she is happy that Ciara has left, Ryan is telling her not to be? What exactly is happening that's yet to know? How much is Ryan trying to hide from her?
"You expect me not to be happy that she left?" Anne cajoled with surprise. "Come on' you won't tell me such because it is one of the best news I've ever heard and know this yourself."
"Its about my mother..."Ryan simply cited in response. "I bet that she will ever get tired of being on my neck, why do I sense that she's trying to drain me slowly?" He muttered under his breath, more like talking to himself.
Anne did not understand where Ryan was heading to with this, he was speaking in parables too -so, she thought.
"What happened to her?" Anne said with a small frown. Not that she is genuinely interested in his mother's issue and talks about her, but he is about to allude to one.
"She had threatened me to bring Ciara back before three days." Ryan explained. "You know the repercussions if I failed to do so, I don't think I'm ready to have issues with her again. She's just too good at making everything extremely hard for me, I just don't understand why she's doing this to me."
Anne was visibly angry at what Ryan had just said, her face was crumpled down in a deep frown. When she had thought everything was solved out already, his mother is asking him to produce Ciara back?
Wait, who does that, eh?
"Where should I start to look for her in this huge States, and how do I even find her?" He muttered in complaint, straining his voice. It was obvious that Ryan was frustrated at his mother's instruction.
"That's a hell of a pathetic idea, why would she ever ask you to do such?" Anne did not hide the anger she was feeling, as it reflected in her tone.
He sighed heavily -rubbing his temples continuously. His head seemed to be filled up, and his thoughts were clouded, giving him no chance to think straight at the moment.
"I wonder how she managed to have the idea that I asked Ciara to sign the divorce papers, I mean, that was supposed to be a secret." He toned, putting a distressed look on. The more he thinks about it, the more complex it becomes.
"I have a plan, Ryan." Anne added with a small smile at the end of her lip. "I am thinking of it as something that can help the the both of us."
"You can share them with me." Ryan asked almost immediately, he finds it hard to hold himself back. "As long as we will both be benefiting from it, I'll be more than glad to hear them from you."
Ryan wondered what Anne had in stock, claiming it will be a benefit to both of them. Ryan would be grateful if Anne could come out with a plan, at least he would be saved from his mother and her continuous rantings and threats -that is ifAnne's help is sufficient.
He stared approvingly at her, his ears aching to hear whatever she had in store for him, he urged her on.
"Let's elope..."