CHAPTER 18
The waiter brought their meal for the night, Sara had ordered some grilled chicken, mushrooms, rigatoni, roasted pepper cream alongside pasta dipped in red tomato sauce, Christian had chosen the same with her and they had ordered a bottle of wine.
Sara looked around her, the Italian restaurant Christian had brought her to was a nice one, the candle lit atmosphere making everywhere look enchanting, lovers talking, enjoying their meal, taking pictures, kissing, and doing all sort of things the place was definitely a couple's favorite.
With the meal placed before her, she didn't know where to start from. The food she had ordered was much, and she was embarrassed at not being able to finish the meal.
"What's wrong Sara?" he asked her, and she nodded her head indicating nothing was wrong but he persisted.
"Tell me the matter miss, as soon as the waiter brought the dishes out, your face fell, don't you like what you ordered, is it not up to your satisfaction, tell me so it can be changed."
Sara was dumbfounded, he would change this expensive just for her. Smiling she answered- "And have you spend more money on me already, there's nothing wrong with the meal, it's just that it seems I over ordered, the food is much, I can't finish it and I don't like wasting food."
"Is that your problem?" he asked laughing quietly.
When he laughed, his eyebrows crinkled at the side making him look older and more handsome.
"Yes, I guess." She said as she picked up her cutlery to start eating.
"Since you don't like wasting food, any leftovers will be packaged for you, and you'll take it home, okay."
"Oh thanks, I think that's better." she said feeling relieved.
They began eating their meal in silence, the clangs of the cutleries against the plates the only noise between them.
The meal was delicious, the chickens light and crispy against her tongue, she had never eaten something so rich like this.
Humming in satisfaction, she looked up to see Christian drinking his wine and watching her.
Suddenly becoming shy, she dropped her fork and picked up her wine glass, taking a sip, she wiped her lips clean with the napkin beside her and puckered up her lips.
"What's with the look, why are you staring at me."
"You just look so beautiful, that I can't take my eyes of you even for a second." Christian replied and she blushed incredibly.
"Ummmmn, are you done with your meal." she asked and he nodded approvingly.
"Are you done too."
"Yes, I am."
"So finally we're in a much needed privacy secluded in this beautiful place, tell me more about yourself?"
Finally the truth would be revealed, she would tell him everything, and then she would know the way forward in the relationship, if he was going to still continue dating her or see her as a liability.
Clearing her throat, she answered- "And what do you want to know, specify please."
"Everything love, everything, I want to know everything worth knowing about you, the things you like doing, your hobbies, your best food, your preferences when dating a guy, and most importantly your personal life, I want to know about your family, your siblings, what they like, how they behave, so I'll know how to compose myself whenever I meet them." he ranted sharply.
Her family, most importantly her family he'd said, her heart pinched in pain, because there was no family to talk about.
Her only family was Ariel and some other nice people in the shelter she talked with everyday.
Apart from them, there was no family.
Dropping her wine glass, she said loudly and clearly enough for him to hear.
"Yeah my family, let's clear this once and for all,my only family is Ariel."
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Ariel, her only family was Ariel, he did not understand what she meant by that and raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"I don't get you, what do you mean?" he asked.
"I am an orphan." she answered and he became shocked.
Taking a sip out of his wine glass and dropping it down carefully on the table, he stared at her dumbfoundedly.
An orphan, oh God!, This explained the tears whenever he mentioned family, the reason for the solemn look always on her family when that topic was mentioned anytime they talked and her refusal to answer him then, why she was working to save money at this young age (he thought she was doing it just to get some pretty cash all by herself, and to while away time), the reason why she didn't like wasting food, couldn't own a good phone, and was always mentioning Ariel whenever she was being asked something important.
He could remember vividly on a Friday evening after he had closed from working at the store and had wanted to see her, he had been adamant with Ariel begging her to take him to where Sara lived, but she had defiantly refused.
This explained a lot, the worn out clothes he always saw her on, the worn out sandals she wore that Ariel also wore, his heart hurt, she must be going through a lot, and he had not noticed these signs.
"Oh God, Sara I'm so sorry." he said reaching forward to take her hands in his once more and squeezing it gently.
"I don't need your pity okay, I have been orphaned since six, I stay at a shelter down Colorado street, that's where I met Ariel too and we became fast friends. So if this has changed your opinion about me being your girlfriend I understand, you know, I don't want you to see me as a burden, okay. I really appreciate everything you have done for me, I'll never forget our time together." she said while fiddling with her napkin restlessly.
Touching her fingers and calming her down, Christian looked straight in her eyes.
"Nothing is stopping me from continuing this relationship, orphan or not, Sara I fell in love with you from the first time I set my eyes on you, and that love has not withered, infact it has blossomed rapidly that I don't know if you have charmed me with something." Laughing quietly he said quietly-
"Let me be your family too, Sara, I want to be a part of you, I want to be the one you wake up thinking about every day when you wake up, I want your world to revolve around me, I want to be your everything, Sara give me a chance to be your everything?"