Chapter One Hundred and one

Ariana's POV;

"Aleena Berkeley went on air to do what?" I said as Brianna broke some very disturbing news to me.

"Careful there, Mico." I said as he bumped his head on the bedstead while following me out of the room.

"Go on Brie."

"It was crazy, I screamed!" She exclaimed with her usual melodramatic poses. Brianna truly was dubbed the queen of drama for a reason.

She had FaceTimed me that morning as she usually did from time to time only for her to tell me that Aleena had a miscarriage and confessed to drugging Damien into sleeping with her.

"But why would she ruin her reputation on air like that? She has to know the implication of such a confession." I reasoned.

"She surely must have hit some good money to take such risk for her career." Brianna quipped.

"Some good money huh?" I said thoughtfully.

"Brianna, do you think Damien paid her to say those things?"

"I won't put it past him, he's a wealthy man and you never know what these people can do to cover their tracks." She said and that only heightened my suspicions.

"Has he tried reaching you?" She asked me.

I shook my head.

"Not at all. I'm surprised he gave up that easily." I said truthfully.

"Hmm you're thinking he isn't that into you?"

"He sent a huge sum of money into my account at the end of last month knowing fully well that I would not be able to send it back because I obviously do not have his details, so no, I guess he still thinks of me from time to time."

"Wow!"

I honestly did not know what to do with the large figures that he had rolling into my bank account every month since we got married.

"So what are you going to do with all that money?" She asked like she just read my mind.

I stared at Mico's adorable face looking up at me and smiled.

"I know the exact thing."

*****

I had watched the live video of Aleena crying her eyes out as she spoke up and denounced having an illicit affair with Damien.

I checked my phone several times and saw that Damien had not reached out even once. Maybe he did not care after all.

I don't know why but it hurt a little bit to think that Damien no longer cared about me. But wasn't that what I wanted? I wanted him to realize that we could never be together but now that I thought about it, it tugged painfully at my heartstrings that the idea of us would never be a reality. That was all it was, an idea, that would never be a reality.

I sighed, held on to Mico and rubbed on his furry body.

In about two weeks, our marriage was going to hit the nine month mark which would mean that I had only three months to remain married after that. I wished that time would just go faster already.

I picked up my phone and somehow found myself scrolling over to the gallery that was flooded with pictures of Damien and I.

I viewed our wedding photos and blinked back a tear. It was a soft copy of the large portrait we had hung on the wall in his bedroom back in Los Angeles. I was smiling up at him as he looked down at me with his arms around my waist.

It was so beautiful, I found myself relieving that day but the harshness of the reality that that day would be declared null and void in a matter of months threw the smile off my face.

The rings were tucked away in my little trinket box, I didn't have the courage to wear them. It brought out too much emotions from me. I couldn't wait to return them after the divorce.

I walked back into the bedroom basking in the silence. The emptiness and coldness of the bed. Everything suddenly felt so odd. I managed to shut my eyes to sleep although I felt the need for a strong pair of arms to stay wrapped around me but now he was out of my life for good.

***

"Seems like you're in a good mood." Brianna commented as I sang a little loudly.

She ran away from work for a two-day break in San Diego. She felt I would be overwhelmed by what she had told me two days earlier so she drove from LA to make sure I was okay.

Brianna's probably one of the sweetest persons I've ever met despite how dramatic she can be. Her humility was something to emulate. Here's the celebrity I was dying to meet, being the closest female friend I've ever had. How did I get so lucky?

"I don't know Brie, there's something good about today, I don't know what it is."

I couldn't pin point it but there was just something that got me so thrilled about the day.

"Hmm I'd like to tap into this auspicious feeling. There's this huge role I auditioned for and I hope I get it." Her red lips jutted out in a worried pout as she sat on the kitchen island.

"I'm sure you'll get and even if you don't, there's so much more to come." I said giving her an encouraging pat on her shoulder before going back to singing and stirring my well garnished seafood paella, something Brianna had never tried.

Paella is one of the main dishes of Spain. It's a rice dish and is super delicious when made right.

"That smells so good Ariana." She inhaled the scent and sighed dreamily.

"You should learn how to cook it too." I said

"Nah, I'm good." She said and turned to pick up her phone.

"I have to make a phone call. Excuse me." She said and I nodded.

I served our dinner and was about covering it up until we were ready to eat when the doorbell dinged.

Brianna was nowhere in sight so I had to go answer it.

I twisted the knob and pulled the door open. There and then it felt like air had been knocked out of my lungs.

I slammed the door against him and screamed. Brianna came rushing out.

"What? What happened?"

"Damien's outside the door. He's outside the freaking door!" I was freaking out as I paced the room back and forth.

"And?"

"And?!" I stared at her in disbelief.

"How on earth did he find this place?!" I whisper yelled, sure that I looked like a crazy woman.

She tried walking past me and I held her back.

"What are you doing?" I asked worriedly.

"Relax." She gestured for me to calm down as she walked over to the door and opened it.

"Oh hello, Mr Kingston. Come on in."

I was glued to the spot I stood on. He walked in and I stopped breathing. He looked like he just got a new haircut and was grooming a five o'clock shadow that brought out his chiseled jaw and those eyes that had me lost whenever I beheld them. His form fitting t-shirt hugged his biceps and abs and I inwardly fainted.

We stared at each other without words being said for a long while. I couldn't believe I hadn't seen him for close to this long. Back in New York, we talked almost every day but this time around I hadn't heard his voice for the longest time.

"Ok, enough with the staring contest. Can we have dinner?" Brianna, who had been watching us from the sideline cut into our staring session.

"Please join us Mr Kingston." She said gesturing to the dining area.

"Thanks for the offer but-"

"Ariana cooked..." She said in a singsong manner.

"Brianna." I called out lowly.

I saw his eyes light up a little bit before going back to being blank.

"I'll definitely join you for dinner." He said.

Dinner was awkward. I couldn't enjoy my meal, it could hardly pass my throat because I felt him staring at me all through.

"Ariana this is so good." Brianna moaned in delight and I forced a smile.

"Oh well, I'm done with my meal so I'm going to leave you two to discuss." She stood up and left in spite of me gesturing for her to not leave me all alone with him.

I inwardly groaned when I heard the front door shut. She did not only leave us alone in the room, she left the house! Could this get any worse?!

"This was really delicious. You're a great cook." He commented. I nodded.

"Thank you." I said.

"How have you been?" He asked gently.

"Good." I said and bit on my lower lip wishing for the awkward air to dissipate already.

"How did you find this place?"

"Do you hate me that much to not ask about my well being?" His question took me aback for a second.

"I'm sure you're fine." I said dismissively.

"Well, I'm not."

"Why? Because you lost your child?" I struck a chord there.

"It's obvious that you heard about Aleena's confession." He held his chin up as he stared at me.

"I saw it and I do not believe it. You paid her off to clear your name, didn't you?"

"You really do not have any faith in me." He gave a humorless chuckle.

"You aren't incapable of such. Any wealthy man would such a thing to clear his name." I uttered without any consideration to how he felt about it.

"Ariana this one time, I did not play any games." He propped his elbows on the marble dining table.

"How am I supposed to believe you when you do things like these all the time?" I stood up to the clear the dishes.

"I'm not lying to you this time. Please believe me. Yes, I paid her off because she actually wanted money in the first place. I made her speak up about it because I wanted you to hear it and know that I was the victim."

"Okay fine." I agreed for a second but I had a lot more to say.

"Did you or did you not go to that club in London so that you could get laid?" I stood with my arms akimbo after placing the plates in the dishwasher.

He inhaled and exhaled.

"I promised myself I won't lie to you babe."

"I'm all ears."

"Yes I went there to get laid but I obviously didn't pull through with it."

"Same difference. You still had the intention to cheat and that says a lot."

"That was when I didn't realize what I felt for you. I didn't think it would mean anything because my feelings weren't as strong as they are now."

"And what do you feel for me?" I rolled my eyes.

He fell quiet for a long while. He shut his eyes and gulped before snapping his eyes open to meet mine which had been glued to him all the while.

"I'm hopelessly in love with you Ariana."

Say what now?