Gwendolyn’s POV
The situation with Ryan was taking way more ti and effort than Gwendolyn had thought it would. She had tried everything in her power to keep things to just the two of them. Not wanting any unnecessary complications. But by continuously ignoring her, the man had forced her hand.
So instead of dealing with Ryan directly. She was being forced to go around him and seek help from soone that she knew Ryan greatly cherished. Gwendolyn had to admit that it had been a bit of a gamble on her part.
She’d had no idea how much Ryan had told the old man. So she had co ready to make a quick exit. But when instead of being glared at and cast out, Langston Terrell had looked at her with warmth in his eyes, Gwendolyn had done a little dance internally.
Just as she had hoped, Ryan had not shared the reason for their breakup with his grandfather.
Not only was his decision not to say anything going to be very useful to Gwendolyn. It also made her heart sing because it was proof that he still cared about her enough to protect her reputation. And so, as she talked to Langston Terrell, Gwendolyn made sure to be on her best behavior, calling upon all of the acting lessons that she’d ever had to sell her role as a sweet and innocent young lady. Langston Terrell ate it all up, hanging on to her every word.
Now just as she had been hoping he would do, he had finally taken the initiative and asked her exactly what she was doing there.
The mont that those words had left Langston Terrell’s mouth, Gwendolyn had started crying for all she was worth. On the outside she might have looked devastated. But internally she was applauding herself for having had the foresight to put on her waterproof mascara.
Though she had tears running down her face, she at least knew that her makeup was still on point.
Seeing the old man grip his cane as though he were about to push himself up and co over to her side. Gwendolyn took a shuddering breath and decided to cut off the waterworks. As entertaining as it would have been to bask in his worry. Given his age he might just collapse from the stress and die before he could be useful to her.
She could not have that.
So pretending as though it were taking monuntal effort from her, Gwendolyn stopped crying all together and looked at the old man with a sorrowful look. She held his gaze for one long mont. Once she was certain that she truly was tugging at his heartstrings.
She told him the reason for her visit.
"I know that your grandson and I broke up years ago, but could you please have him take back?"
"No, absolutely not!" The strength behind the old man’s refusal shocked her so much that it almost made Gwendolyn drop the mask she was wearing and hiss at the old man in anger.
Luckily she was able to keep that from happening, instead she furrowed her brow and feigned confusion, sniffling into her handkerchief for good asure.
"Why do you not want us getting back together? I love Ryan so much, grandfather,"
She made sure that her voice wobbled at the words, and the old man began to thaw.
...Good.
"You may not know this since you have been away for so long, but my relationship with my grandson is not as it used to be. I barely ever see him,"
Gwendolyn felt a flash of irritation but she swiftly pushed it down when Langston Terrell resud speaking. "Not only that, even if Ryan and I were on good terms, I would not push you towards him. You deserve better than the type of man my grandson has beco," How dare Langston say that about a man that Gwendolyn had taken great effort to mould to perfection!
Not revealing her true thoughts on the matter, she continued to plead her case.
"But Ryan is the man I love," Gwendolyn cried, her voice straddling the line between desperation and hysteria.
Unmoved, the old man simply shook his head.
"But he does not love you,"
Those simple words nearly had Gwendolyn lunging at the old man and clawing at his face.
Instead she reached for a macaroon and took a delicate bite from it.
"My grandson is not the man you rember. He sleeps with anything that moves, and behaves in ways that are completely unbecoming. He was not raised to be like that. But it is the character he has adopted and I do not wish for his behaviour to taint you,"
Man, why was the old goat so set on protecting Gwendolyn from a monster that she had created... it was so annoying.
***
Swallowing the small bite that she had taken, Gwendolyn decided that it was ti for her to amplify her act. Rising she made her way over to Langston Terrell.
The old man raised a brow in confusion, but before he could ask, Gwendolyn dropped to her knees right in front of him. The action earning her a shocked gasp from Ryan’s grandfather.
Looking up she found Langston Terrell staring down at her with wide eyes.
"Gwendolyn, child, what are you doing?" Widening her own eyes and letting a tear fall, Gwendolyn clasped her hands in front of her chest and looked into the old man’s eyes.
"Grandfather, I love Ryan, I cannot picture a future without him in my life, please, please help us get back together. He loves too, I just know it,"
By the ti that she stopped her begging, her entire fra was shaking and she could tell that Langston Terrell was feeling bad for her, his words proved it.
"All right, just get off the floor. It breaks my heart to see you hurting like that. As for the matter of my grandson, I make no promises, but I will see what I can do,"
It took everything in her not to beam...success at long last.
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