Chapter 16

The Homemade Wrap

While waiting for Lena to finish with the chicken wrap, Kris was now helping her make some watermelon juice. Lena started setting up the island turning it into a dining area and slowly cleared up the island counter. Lena now put the chicken wraps in the middle right side and took out two dining plates from above the island.

“I’m done” Kris said to Lena as he heard the juicer stop. Lena looked for a pitcher to put the juice in and handed it to Kris. Kris smiled and poured them, glad that Lena finally lets him help.

“Do you want some ice?” Lena asks when she knows some people prefer their juice cold and chilly. Kris shook his head and placed the pitcher towards the island.

Lena then place two glasses on the island each on the side of the plate she had placed. Lena then signaled for Kris to sit and he nodded. Lena finally sat down after getting some mustard, chili sauce and tomato sauce.

“Go ahead, you first” Lena then told Kris to make his pick. Kris instead of picking a wrap for himself, he picked one and put them on Lena’s plate.

He smiled, “Let’s eat together” Kris immediately picked another wrap for him to eat and motioned for Lena to start eating.

They both took a bite off from the wrap and Kris immediately nodded, “I really like it” He said and took another bite. Lena only smiled and was happy that Kris liked the wrap. Kris took a few other bites and Lena drank some of her juice.

“Yi Fan, How are things with your parents?” Lena finally asks the main question that had lingered in her mind. She looked towards Kris to find an answer on his face.

Kris stopped eating and looked over to Lena; “I really don’t know Len” was the only thing he could answer.

“Have you talked to them lately?” Lena asks again and Kris shook his head slowly, sighing at the same time.

 “I want to talk to them, tell them what I feel but I just find it hard to tell them. I want to say I understand what they are doing and why they are doing this but most of the time I just get scared, whenever I hear from them, I get scared” Kris explained.

“Do you still have that time limit with you?” Lena asks seriously towards Kris.

“I do, it’s been going on for months, years even, not the time limit but this rigid and strict plans. My father is serious about it” Kris explains again. “I understand if you want to back out Lena, I mean, it’s not something easy” Kris then continued and he looks over to Lena, “I will find another way to settle this”

“How are you planning on doing that?” Lena asked curious over what Kris would do.

However Kris only manage to let out a shrug and honestly did not know what he could do, “But Len, how are you feeling about all this?” He asks as he is very curious about Lena’s feelings. He wants her to tell him how she really felt about their arrangement.

“If this can help you in any way, then I’ll help but” Lena stops herself from continuing her comment, afraid that she’s going too far when she clearly wasn’t. She was just about to share her thoughts.

“But?” Kris didn’t miss the pause; he wanted to know Lena’s opinion.

“Never mind” She says trying to avoid voicing out her thoughts, but Kris insisted on hearing it.

“What if you told them you don’t want to get married?” Lena asked and wondered why Kris never really told the truth to his parents, “I mean, you would want to get married, you just haven’t found the right person yet”

 “I tried telling them that once and it was a mess, I guess they thought it was easy to find someone to marry, they are rushing into things and never accepted the reason of not finding the right person as a good, valid reason” Kris explained.

“Have you really? I mean, you haven’t found anyone?” Lena asks, honestly believing that it was somewhat bizarre that Kris hasn’t found anyone that he liked.

Kris stopped what he was doing, not knowing what to say but felt that he should be honest and express what was in his mind, “I did”

Lena glimpsed at Kris asking him to continue on, as if asking what had happened with the girl.

“Well, I haven’t said anything to her yet” Kris continued and he was now looking at Lena’s reaction and the only thing he saw was curiosity. “I’m afraid that she wouldn’t feel the same way” he continued again looking out for her reaction.

“I think anyone would like you Yi Fan, you are a good guy” Lena ensured him and smiled trying again to reassure Kris.

“But you,” Kris grabbed Lena’s full attention now, “How about you, do you feel that way?” Kris was thinking that it was now or never. He looked to Lena, searching for answer.

Lena stopped grabbing her food, she stopped, she didn’t expect any of that and her mind was now in circles, not knowing what the right thing to say. She just stopped and let everything rewind in her mind, all those days she spent with Kris, what she felt and how she was still trying to understand. She remained speechless.

Kris was still waiting for an answer; he wanted to assume that silence was a positive one. “Len?” he called her out and she immediately look towards him.

“Do you want some more of that?” She pointed towards his juice. There it was again, avoidance, wrapping her feelings inside and not letting it go. She was still cautious.