Faux Vows, True Desires

"Cecilia."

Owen tugged at Cecilia's arm, urging her to sit down, but she shrugged off his grip with a huff. "I can sit down by myself. Don't pull me."

Once seated, she glared at him, clearly annoyed.

Owen just grinned and said, "Just calling my name will do for now. There's no need to demand too much. We've got a whole lifetime ahead to get entangled in, and I bet you'll end up calling me 'hubby' sooner or later."

Cecilia said simply, "..

rascal."

She knew this side of him all too well-the Shameless Owen.

"You've already nicknamed me 'Shameless Owen.' If I didn't live up to that, I'd be letting down the moniker you so kindly bestowed upon me."

"Whether you help Avery or not is your call. After all, it's not me who's anxious. And why have you come here anyway?"

Owen knew he couldn't intimidate Cecilia; she was the one who could rattle him, because he wore his heart on his sleeve first, and therefore, he had already lost.

"Don't jump the gun. We should see where Cedric stands. If he isn't ready to face things together with Avery, then my help would only add to his heartache, making it pointless."

A relationship takes two to tango; it shouldn't be one person fighting tooth and nail while the other gives up without a fight. Help from outsiders can't do much.

Cecilia had to admit Owen had a point and praised him. "You're getting sharper."

No wonder Trenton Martinez had pushed him to marry her, diverting his attention from his obsession with Ruby. Slowly but surely, Owen was coming to his senses. Owen gave a bitter smile. "My dear Cecilia, can we please not bring her up?"

why you think I'm referring to her. Owen, you've got a long way to go before you can calmly face

Cecilia, would you be my girlfriend? The kind with marriage

he could get over a love that lasted over a

flowers you sent? And I did go to

retorted, getting up to leave. In fact, she was

good as agreeing to a relationship

"Cecilia."

with joy as he grabbed her wrist, his smile widening. "Then, let's have lunch together, at my family's hotel.

by the way, I came here to tell you

He quickly changed the subject, taking her silence for a "yes" to

the bottle. She called over the waitress to persuade Avery

Madeleine,

latest crush. Because of her, Mrs. Bright doesn't even want to come back to Skywatch, let alone forgive Nathan. But if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't forgive him either. Better to divorce, if he's

marriage, you'll be the only one for me. No mistresses or affairs on

him

to

came to

asked, "Did you

Lucinda, so I met with her. She knows I'm at odds with Stefan, so she came to me, asking to team up against Stefan and his wife. Hah, as

have our own battles in Pinehurst; letting Madeleine get involved

his uninjured arm. "Who are you calling your 'wife'? We're

to mean yourself, then you're admitting you're

Cecilia didn't answer him.