"The she here is my financée." Rey's jaws locked themselves so hard that Sabrina thought his face would blow off into tiny pieces.
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Davies' smile was almost like she was about to burst into tears, her son had no business letting her down this bad in front of their guest.
"I mean I am engaged, mum."
"Engaged?" Mrs. Peters could not keep the shock out of her tone.
Sabrina whistled a little too loudly but nobody paid any attention to her. Celine started sniffing again and it wasn't without doubt that she had begun crying again.
Rey turned to look at Mrs. Peters and she was seated in an uncomfortable position with her lips locked together as if she was trying to restrain herself from screaming.
Rey's eyes narrowed at Mr. Peter's adjusted position. It wasn't possible he was doing something to his wife under the table, was it? Rey tried bending but his mother interrupted.
"How could you get engaged to a lady and not introduce her to me first?" Her chin shook and she glared but Reynaldo had had enough.
"I had that in mind before the…" He paused with his lips tucked tiredly into his mouth as he looked at each and every one of the Peters with unhidden hostility.
"...Unwanted surprise." He concluded to hear his mother gasp.
"Rey!" She shouted but he was already on his feet.
"I won't be a party to this or whatever is going on here mother." He stood and stared down at her.
He didn't stare down at her in hatred, but in something close to defiance, he wanted her to know his stance.
"I am a grown up and I would make my decisions myself." He concluded.
It wouldn't have been this way if she had not repeatedly over shared their family issues outside, now he would act like the Peters didn't exist and be himself without pretense or the need to act nice.
"I am your mother and I am only trying my best to help you."
Sighing and closing his eyes for a bit, he opened them again and looked at her calmly before squatting to look her in the eyes. "Thank you for your help mum, but I can find my way."
"I will take my leave now." He informed and hugged her against her will before walking out.
"Come back here Rey!" She called back.
Mrs. Davies was sure she would have a heart attack from her son's blatant attitude soon. Forcing herself to put on a smile, she turned to look at Mr. and Mrs. Peters who had their gazes fixed on her as if asking unspoken questions of what their next action would be.
"Oh! Don't worry." She widened her smile and flung her hand in the air right in front of her face.
"I know Reynaldo, he is just bluffing. There is no way he would have a fiancée not to talk more of a girlfriend." She was sure of it.
"Are you really sure about this?" It was Mrs. Peters.
"Pfft. Yes of course." She assured them. There was no way Rey would suddenly have a fiancée when he could not get over the trauma inflicted by him by his ex-girlfriend
from years back.
"He is just a little too sensitive about relationships." She assured her visitors and reached out to fill in her glass.
"If that's the case, then I would do everything in my power to win him over to my side." Celine vowed with determination.
Vanessa looked at her wide-mouthed and felt like reaching over to knock some sense into her head. 'What girl goes after a man who has repeatedly shown disinterest in her if not for the benefit?' She thought before standing up from her seat a little too loudly and walking out after making it known that she was full.
"You have my permission Sweetie." Mrs. Davies smiled at her, this time, it wasn't a forced smile, it was a genuine one.
Celine secretly casted a brief look at her parents and they both nodded in approval.
Bowing her head, her lips lifted to the side in a smirk, not having any semblance to the crying and pitiful girl from a few minutes ago.
***
Rey had packed his car by the roadside and hit the middle of the steering a few times in frustration, prompting looks from the passersby.
He thought of easing out tension by visiting the Flux bar but thought against it. The thought of fucking Sienna to senselessness came to him again and he could feel his groin area slowfully and painfully getting tight beneath his trousers.
"No!" He wasn't ready to dive right into an action that would make him an addict and make his already complicated situation more complex.
Making up his mind, he decided it was best to bury himself into the pile up work waiting for him till it was time to go back home and confront Mia. The feeling of seeing Mia's face again after a long day for some reasons made him giddy.
Stepping on the gas pedal, he thought of terminating the rules and having her live with him as a real fiancée or bending the rules to suit him.
One thing was for sure, he wasn't sure he would be able to resist the continuous temptation of her body and keep playing pretend that the kisses didn't affect him even more than it affected her.