Chapter 40

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Ariana drummed her fingers on her lap as Jace drove them to the hospital. She'd been too excited to ride her bike and Jace had insisted on driving her instead of her taking a taxi. Ariana sat up as Jace approached the hospital and was out of the car before Jace had the chance to park properly.

"Ari." Jace scolded as shut the door and headed towards the entrance as he parked the car.

Just as Jace turned off the ignition and headed inside the hospital, he saw Ariana get into the elevator with a bunch of people and sighed not knowing what floor she was headed. He went to the front desk to ask which took a while.

Ariana stepped out as the elevator doors opened and ran straight to her mum's room. She stopped when she arrived outside the room trying to calm herself before she walked inside. She'd been in complete shock since Betty called her, overwhelmed with happiness of course.

She took a deep breath in and exhaled before she reached for the door and push it open. Betty's head turned to look at her and she smiled before she stepped away and her mum came into view.

"Mum?" Ariana smiled as her eyes teared up,

"Baby." Her mum's smile grew as she opened her arms, like she did when she was little.

A sob escaped Ariana's lips as she ran towards her and went into her arms.
"Mum," She cried on her mum's shoulder,

"Sweetheart," She said as she ran her hand down her slightly damp hair, "It's okay. I'm here."

"I missed you so much."

"I missed you too honey," She said, "I was always looking forward to hearing your voice."

"What?" Ariana pulled away from her arms,

"I heard everything you told me while I was...asleep."

Ariana wiped her tears and smiled at that,
"You did?"

She nodded,
"I want to meet that fiancé of yours."

Ariana cried and laughed at the same time,
"Oh, mum,"

Ariana knew right then and there she was going to pay for everything she'd been spewing to her mum. All the things she lied about just for the sake of getting her mum to wake up hadn't exactly worked, well her mum was awake so maybe it had but now she was going to have to break her mum's heart and tell her there was no fiancé or even a man. She'd told her mum everything her mum always talked to her about, everything she thought her mum wanted for her, to find someone she loved who loved her just as much, someone she could spend her life with. She'd told her mum she and her fiancé were waiting for her to wake up so they could get married.

"So, where is he?"

"Mum that's not important right now," Ariana sighed, "And I might have..."

"Oh my," Mum said, "He is one handsome fellow."

Oh no, not...

Ariana turned around and sighed.
"Jace." She muttered to herself,

Jace looked from Ariana to her mum wondering what he'd just walked in on. Betty stood at the bedside, smiling to herself, knowing exactly what Ariana had gotten herself into.

"Well come on in, don't just stand there." Ariana's mum said,

"Hello, Mrs. Feilman," Jace walked further into and stood on the other side of the bed,

"You leave all formalities at the door and call me Abigail."

"Of course, Abigail." Jace smiled and glanced at Ariana,

"Now you tell me all about you because my daughter didn't mention anything about you. All she said was she got engaged and you both were waiting for me to get married."

Ariana shut her eyes in pain and embarrassment.

"She didn't?" Jace looked at Ariana in horror and a twinkle in his eyes, "Well she mentioned you all the time, I feel like I already know you."

"Aww, sweetheart," Abigail glanced at Ariana then turned back to Jace, "Now grab a chair and come sit and tell me all about you. I need to get to know my soon to be son-in-law."

Ariana wanted to cry at how her lies were turning into a nightmare. And Jace, what was he doing going along with it. Betty and Ariana stood back and watched Abigail and Jace talk and how Abigail got more fascinated with Jace by the second.

In the middle of their conversation, Abigail would look at Ariana and say 'I like this man of yours' or 'You made a great choice' or 'You two make a wonderful couple' and all she wanted to do was scream.

Betty stood back and just enjoyed the whole thing knowing very well who Jace was. Just when Ariana thought it had gone too far, her mum looked at her.

"Ok, you two are going to get married right now."

"What?!" Jace and Ariana said,

They looked at each other then back at Abigail. Jace hadn't expected things to take that turn. He'd seen the look on Ariana's face when her mum brought up the whole fiancé thing and he knew it was all a lie. He hadn't been thinking when he went along with it but then talking to Abigail as Ariana's fiancé had made him forget for a while that he actually wasn't her fiancé.

"Oh c'mon," Abigail looked at Ariana, "We don't know what's going to happen to me and I want to see my beautiful daughter get married. It would make me the happiest mother."

Ariana sighed and frowned wondering how her mum could think that way,
"Mum, nothing's going to happen to you."

"No one knows that, so grant me the privilege of being able to witness my daughter's marriage."

Ariana was on the brink of crying as she looked at her mum all fragile and hopeful, and said the first thing that came to her mind,
"Mum, I'd do anything for you but there's no one to officiate the marriage."

"Betty has a reverend friend," Abigail said, "She'll call him right away, right Betty?"

"Of course," Betty smiled, "He'd be delighted."

"I'm going to make a quick call," Jace got up and left the room,

"I'll be right back mum," Ariana went out of the room and Jace turned to her as she shut the door.

"What are you doing going along with that?"

"Did you really think I'd be the one to break your mum's heart?" Jace asked, "Tell her I'm not her daughter's fiancé or that there isn't actually one."

"You could have told her from the start who you were," Ariana said, "Then all this wouldn't have spiralled and become one big problem."

"You're right, I made things worse," He sighed, "How do we fix it?"

"What's the problem?"

Ariana turned around and Jace looked up,
"Director," Ariana called, "What are you doing here?"

"Jack is fine, Ariana. I got notified about your mum."

"Oh."

"So, what's going on?" Jack asked,

Ariana and Jace looked at each other and then at Jack and then filled him in.

Jack smiled,
"So, you two are getting married?"

"We aren't," Ariana looked at Jace, "I'll come up with something and break the news to her later."

"Why not now?" Jack asked,

"Well," Ariana stuttered and glanced from Jack to Jace,

"You can't, can you?" Jace asked

She fixed her gaze on him and sighed with a shake of her head,
"I don't know how to," Ariana confessed, "She seemed so happy about it."

Jace studied Ariana for a moment,
"Do you trust me?"

She was quiet as she stared into his eyes before she nodded.

"Ok," Jace said, "Just go back in there and say nothing, I'll handle it."

Ariana sighed and went back into her mum's room with Jack while Jace made an important phone call. Ariana sat next to her mum and talked until Jace walked back in a few minutes later with Bridget right behind him beaming as she walked into the room.

"Who's getting married?" She asked excitedly.

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