Page 65 of Arranging Ayra
I turned away from Barn’s kiss to see Jai standing nearby. He looked at Barn, his eyes filled with disbelief. His gaze slowly met mine, confused. The look in his eyes... My heart broke just seeing the pained look in his eyes.
“Sorry to interrupt. Keely is looking for both of you.” He quickly turned and walked away.
Shoot.I closed my eyes, suddenly ashamed. Jai, so sweet and always there for me... since the very first day I met him.
“So,” Barn said, clearly annoyed by the interruption. “What do you say, love? Do we make it official?”
Official? What did that mean exactly? Were we getting engaged? Did he really want to marry me? I didn’t know what to think anymore.
“I don’t know, Barn. This is all so... We just wrapped on the movie, the past weeks have been like a circus and now...”
“Ayra, come on. We’re...”
“I don’t know, Barn,” I said as I stepped back. Barn looked at me, confused and devastated. “I just don’t know.” I turned and ran after Jai.
I rushed into the Manor and stopped at the first person I saw. “Did you see Jai?”
The older man shrugged then shook his head.
Another staffer passed by.
“Excuse me. Have you seen Jai?”
Another shook his head.
Again and again, I asked employees of the manor and crew members from the movie if they’d seen him.
No one had. Not one.
“Miss,” a young woman called out to me.
I turned to her, frantic. “Yes.”
“You’re looking for Jai?”
“Yes. Yes. Have you seen him.”
She nodded. “I just came in to start my shift and I crossed him out in the parking lot. He was heading to his Rover. By the time I reached the door, he was pulling out onto the road. I think he might have been heading into town.”
My need to find him, to catch up to him was so great, I didn’t even think to thank the girl. I simply rushed to the front door of the manor.
“Ayra,” someone called to me, grabbing my hand as they tried to stop me.
I yanked my hand free and continued on my way, desperate to find Jai and wipe that pained look from his eyes.
“Ayra,” the person called again, feeble and tired. “Wait.”
I had no time to wait. Jai was out on the road, dejected... rejected.
Damn.How could I have been so stupid. How could I not see what was right there in front of me.
Damn!
I ran out of the manor and headed to the parking lot, though I didn’t know what I would do once I got there.
What was I doing? Why? Why was I suddenly so desperate to get to him?
I stopped in the middle of the parking lot and just stood there. Old fashioned streetlamps lit the perimeter of the lot, flooding the area with a warm yellow glow. And yet I felt so cold. So cold and empty.
