Chapter One Hundred and twenty seven

She tore a piece of cloth from God knows where and wrapped my bleeding knuckles.

"Look at me. Damien, Look at me!" She demanded strongly.

She managed to pull my chin in her direction.

"No one is worth you getting worked up like this, especially not a misguided misogynistic old man." She gritted out.

"Answer me this. Would you still stay with me if I wasn't the man I am now?" I don't know what came over me to ask her such.

She blinked twice in a second. My breath mixed with hers as my chest heaved up and down.

"I didn't choose you Damien, the universe did." She said more calmly than she'd usually do.

"I shouldn't have asked that question, I-" I wanted to take back my words.

"Don't apologize." She hushed me, placing her index finger on my lips.

"I won't lie to you. Maybe I wouldn't have chosen you because I've always wanted a simple middle class life and inasmuch as I still want it, I know that's something you'll never be able to give me."

"But-"

"Babe, please let me speak." She softly said, shutting her eyes for a brief moment.

"I've accepted that. It took a while but I've finally come to terms with it and I believe it'll all work out. And yes, if you weren't a billionaire, I would still choose you because you're the one I want, not the money, not the fancy outfits, the flashy cars, not all of that." She flipped her hands backwards like she was throwing all of that away.

"Though I didn't have a choice at the beginning but now that I do, I'm choosing you, because you make me happy and if you ask me why,"

She looked up at the sky and puffed out air as she blinked back tears.

"I don't even know how to explain it. The butterflies I always feel in my belly whenever you're around. The way I want to melt into your body if I have the chance and no matter how much I've tried to deny it, it's slapped me in the face."

She put her hands in mine and let a tear drop.

"Damien," she sniffled. My eyes worriedly ran over her features. It hurt my heart to see her cry.

"I'm in love with you."

The sound of the rapidly increased beat of my heart filled my ears in that moment. This must have been a dream. I couldn't speak, I was too overwhelmed to speak. She must have mistaken my silence for something else because she continued speaking.

"I don't know how and when it happened, but I've fallen in love with you and I can't imagine my life without you at this point." She shook her head over and over like she was wondering how it happened.

I felt the same way when I realized that I had fallen for her too.

"Come here." I said.

She stepped into my embrace and I held her tight, careful enough so I wouldn't squish her too hard.

"I've been waiting to hear those words for so long." I breathed out. All anger was forgotten now. The joy that filled my heart had no measurement.

"I love you Ariana, so much."

"I love you too." She responded to those words for the first time since I had been saying them to her.

My heart swelled with pride, love and warmth.

I pulled away and pressed my lips on hers tasting the sweetness of her soft lips in a kiss that I put all my emotions into.

The icing on the cake of what our love confessions had backed. I felt complete. Truly satisfied and I didn't see myself in any other place at that point in time.

"Say it again." I said breathlessly.

"What?" She chuckled.

"Say the magic words. I wanna be sure I'm not hearing things."

"I love you, Damien." She said and came back to my lips to continue our passionate kiss.

I picked her off the floor and placed her legs around me as I took us back into the suite.

I clawed her blazer off and clumsily unbuttoned her shirt as I gradually placed her on the bed with my lips not once leaving hers.

I lips trailed over to the space between her shoulder and neck where I dropped light kisses. There was no need to rush things, we had all the time in the world if need be. Or, so I thought.

My phone chimed, distracting me a little bit. I ignored it.

I continued sucking on Ariana's neck, hearing her gasp and moan under me brought me great delight and D-junior twitched in excitement at that.

My phone chimed once again.

"I think you should answer that. It could be important." She said.

"You're more important." I said taking off my shirt. Her hands rubbed on my bare chest and slowly trailed down to my abs and finally to my waist line, she stopped there. Then, she sat up and dropped kisses on my abs making me shut my eyes at the sweet feeling her lips brought to me.

The shrill sound of her phone startled both of us and she gave me an apologetic glance because she had to take it.

I placed my head on her chest and groaned, making her giggle.

"I'm sorry. Just give me a minute." She said and I nodded, getting off her so she could go pick up her phone.

"Hey mom." She said and I smiled.

My mom always checked on us whenever we went out of town, this was one of her routines. Well that was what I thought, until I saw Ariana's face go from flushed band happy to worried and anxious in a split second.

"What's wrong?" I mouthed to her. She raised her index finger, telling me, I had to wait.

"Uh huh, I'll tell him right away. Just calm down mom." She said.

I walked over to her side, trying to find out what exactly was going on.

"Alright see you soon." She said and hung up.

She turned to me.

"Babe, Tracy's in labour."

"Whoa! How's it going over there?"

"Everyone is panicking because the baby's coming a little earlier than expected." She said, pacing back and forth in front of me.

"I'm sure everyone's fine." I said

"That's the thing. We have to start going back."

"You know we'll still miss the baby's birth even if we leave right this minute."

"Still, it'd be comforting for Aiden to know that his best friend is hurrying his way over to be by his side, during such a life-changing moment." She lectured grabbing my shirt for me to put it on while she went about putting things in order for our impromptu exit.

"Fair enough."

"But you're going to forfeit the chance to tour Berlin?" I questioned just to be sure she was thinking things through.

"Of course!" She sounded appalled at me asking.

"You're so sweet." I said, flicking her little button nose, making her sneeze.

"And cute." I added.

"Let's go silly!" She pulled my aem

We hurried down to the lobby where I paid for damages in the suite with my platinum card before rushing off to the car that sped us to the airport where the jet was parked.

****

"You're seriously setting up a camera so we can watch the birth process?" I asked Amy in bewilderment.

We were up in the air and had a long way to go before landing so Ariana decided to video call Amy to know what exactly was going on.

"Yes." She was actually setting up the camera on what I assumed was a tripod stand in the hospital room.

"Why are you people fussing so much? This is crazy!" I exclaimed not getting why they were being overly sentimental.

Ariana smacked my arm.

"Well baby brother, this is the first baby we're going to have in this family for the first time in a long time and you're not here to see it. This isn't even for you, it's for Ariana who has a heart that works." Amy said.

"Well ouch. You don't have to get so touchy over a question." I muttered with an exaggerated eye roll.

"Ignore him Amy." Ariana shook her head at me.

"Heyyyy." I whined and she ignored me.

"What's the situation of things?"Ariana asked concernedly.

"Tracy's contractions are getting closer, mom is by her side as you can see." Amy moved away from the camera so we could see what was going on.

Medical personnel had Tracy surrounded but mom was by her side rubbing on her head and arms as she writhed in pain. It was difficult to watch.

"What about Aiden?" I enquired. Amy's eyes went outside for a second.

"Aiden's frantic. The poor guy looks like he's going to have a stroke any second now."

I snorted.

"Babe don't laugh." Ariana pinched my arm but it only made me laugh harder as I imagined the look on Aiden's face on this point.

"Tables turn Damy." Amy said in one of those tones she used to threaten me while we were kids.

"I think you should talk to him. He needs you right now." Amy said more seriously.

"Yeah, you really should talk to him." Ariana added with a nod.

"I'll talk to him right away." All traces of laughter had disappeared and I was pulling my best friend pants on.

I picked up my phone to FaceTime him. His disheveled face soon filled the screen.

"Hey man." He groaned out.

"You look like a piece of shit."

"Thanks bro." He replied sarcastically. I laughed at his plight but comported myself when I saw Ariana glare at me.

"Now seriously, you should be in there with Tracy. You're about to be a dad!"

"I'm scared bro. I hate seeing her in so much pain and it's all my fault." He swallowed, glancing back at what I assumed was the room's window.

"No kidding." I quipped. "But just know that inasmuch as I'm not there with you right now, I'm there in spirit and virtually too. Be a man. Go in there and stand by the woman you love. You got this bro."

He sighed and gave me a little bit of a smile before nodding.

"I will. Thanks bro."

"Always man."

We did a virtual fist bump before I hung up and went back to seating next to Ariana.

"He's inside already." Ariana pointed at the screen as Aiden walked in and took mom's place by Tracy's side.

"I hope it all goes well." Ariana softly said.

"I hope so too."