And it was then that Arwen saw what Beca wanted her to see.
Her pupils dilated briefly, and subtle shock flickered in her gaze.
Beca watched her and then slowly said, "When you had first said that the engagement between you and Ryan was nothing but a family arrangement, even I believed the same and supported you on breaking it. But, dear, —"
She paused, her gaze growing profound as if understanding something that wasn’t very evident on the surface. "... after seeing this, I no longer believe the same. An emotion as deep as what you have written and a portrait as detailed as you have drawn doesn’t come from some mere arrangement that’s been forced. It comes from deep within."
Arwen didn’t respond. Her gaze remained fixed on the portrait sketch of Ryan in the book, and to the right of it was written.
[His eyes look like November.
Not cold, but heavy.
I am willing to give him all my sunshine.]
Even if she wanted to deny, she couldn’t ...
"Arwen, I know Ryan did many wrongs to you. He deserves all the punishment of this world. But if that comes at the expense of your wishes and happiness, then it’s not worth it." She shook her head and then reached out to place a hand over Arwen’s. "If you have your emotions so deep for it, it’s not worth letting him go. Especially when he had realized his feelings for you."
Beca could vouch for Ryan this time. She had seen her son, desperate for Arwen, willing to cross hell if that could bring him her forgiveness.
If Arwen was also holding the same deep feeling for him, it would be only better if the two came together.
"I know the difference between you two has only increased since the day you two broke up. And you have probably even taken a step to move on from what you have for him, Arwen. But dear, believe even if you feel like you have gotten successful in moving on now, in future you will regret it. So —"
Before Beca could finish what she meant to explain, her words paused when she saw Arwen shaking her head at her.
"I will never regret anything," Arwen said, finally looking up at her, her gaze as clear as it could be.
While Beca frowned in confusion, Arwen shook her head with more confidence and repeated her previous words. "I will never regret it, Aunt Beca, because there was never anything like that to begin with."
"What do you mean?" Beca’s gaze went back to journal that still remained open at Ryan’s identical portrait sketch. "If there wasn’t ever anything, then how did you —"
Once again before she could say, Arwen spoke, her head already shaking at whatever Beca was thinking. "I didn’t."
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