Chapter Eighty three

Damien's POV;

I stared at her unconscious form laid on the bed in her teenage bedroom.

The way my heart raced in fear of losing her when she fell unconscious was unlike something I've ever felt before. I instantly regretted her having to find out everything but then again, we couldn't hide it forever.

I stared at the IV fluid connected to her arm as it dripped slowly. I called the doctor as soon as she fainted and he had made us promise to not stress her out after this.

"What a way to end the year." I muttered under my breath even as I grimaced after a headache hit me.

"Tell me about it." Mr Delaney said from behind me and I turned to him briefly, turned back and said nothing while we both watched her sleeping form in silence.

"I hope you two can patch things up after all this." He said in a gentle whisper.

"I hope so too." I admitted. I wondered where we would go from here because I was pretty sure she hated me and no amount of material things could buy her forgiveness. Ariana wasn't that kind of person.

"I see the way you look at her." He stated in an observatory tone and for the first time since we started talking, I glanced at him properly.

How do I look at her? I asked myself in puzzlement.

"Please treat her right when I'm gone." He sounded really emotional on this one. It must have really hurt him to know that he wasn't going to be with his daughter in no distant time. It was sad but nothing could be done at this point. Trust me, I tried, but there was no helping the situation of things.No treatment, no plans

"I will, but, it's all up to her." I said, honestly worried that she would not want anything to do with me after such a big truth had been revealed to her.

"She'll come around, you just have to play your cards right." He concluded with giving me a supportive pat on my shoulder before exiting the room.

I sighed and sat next to her on her medium sized bed. It wasn't like anything I was used to but it was big enough for both of us.

I pushed some of her hair aside and planted kisses on her cheek and forehead.

"I'm so sorry." I said with all sincerity. If I were in her shoes, I don't even know how I would react.

I slid her free hand into mine and soon fell asleep basking in her sweet scent.

****

"Damien?" I heard in my sleep and slowly opened my eyes.

"Hey." I rasped out, sleepily rubbing my palm on my face.

She stared at me with an emotion I could not understand and then she turned away, looking down at her arm. She looked like she was about to cry again and all traces of sleep vanished as I sat up and tried to console her.

"Don't touch me." She said in a stern warning.

"Ariana, I'm sorry." I said sadly.

"Are you? Really? Put yourself in my shoes. You knew about the health status of my father and you couldn't tell me up until now that he has only a matter of weeks to live?!" Her voice went higher with every word she said and I was worried that her stress levels would peak again.

"Babe, calm down. The doctor said you should avoid stress. I didn't mean to rile you up." I said in a placating manner and she sighed heavily.

"I shouldn't even be talking to you right now." She mumbled, running her fingers through her thick hair.

"I'm glad you are though. At least I'm not totally hopeless about you forgiving me and your dad." I said innocently not knowing that the consequences of my words would lead into another bout of tears

"Dad!" She cried out and fell into my arms willingly.

I inwardly cussed and praised myself for making her cry and getting her back in my arms without a fuss, respectively.

"It's going to be okay babe. I'm here for you." I assured her, constantly rubbing on her back soothingly even as her body shook with constant sobs.

"Damien I want to stay." She cried out.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"I want to stay here with my father until you know..." She trailed off hoarsely.

"Please let me stay." She uttered in a way that tugged at my heartstrings.

I thought about being away from her for a while and in spite of how much I did not want us to be apart, I had to grant her this one thing she had asked me for. Even if I said otherwise, she would have insisted anyway. Plus I would not be able to live down the fact that I deprived her of spending her father's last days with him.

"Of course. Take all the time you need. I'll be heading to Italy soon anyways." I said, informing her of my trip.

My project was well on its way to completion and I had to be there to make sure everything went as planned. There had to be a grand opening after all and hopefully I'd take Ariana with me.

She nodded in response while in my usual habit, I dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"You know I care about you right?" I said to her and she gave me a cursory glance before shaking her head in the negative.

"Well now you know I do. And, I want the best for you." I said and she shyly nodded.

This was one of the few times that Ariana could not let out a smile or blush. Not even a fake one. It showed how hurt she really was on in the inside and inasmuch as I did not want to leave her side, I could not let my work suffer.

I felt my phone beep, then I saw fire works go up. It was 12am on new year's morning.

"Happy new year babe." I whispered in her ear.

"Happy new year Damien." She said back softly.

I leaned in and managed to get a brief kiss from her lips before she drew back, turned away from me and laid back on the bed.

"Damien?"

"Yeah?"

"When's the first time you saw me?" She asked out of the blue. Considering what she just found out, it was no wonder she asked.

"At Lucio," I answered and she turned back to me.

"Over a year ago, I was in talks with your father and I thought it was about time I saw you, asides your pictures, that is. So, I visited Lucio and I spotted you in all your beauty, gracefully doing your job. There and then, I knew that I was definitely going to marry you no matter how short termed the union would be." I related, going back to relive that fateful day in my memory.

She was going about her job with a confident smile on her face as she waited on the tables of the elegant guests that trooped into the establishment. The seductive sway of her hips that did not go unnoticed by my eyes. Her full luscious hair wrapped up in a a bun with finely laid edges. Her bright laughter filled almond pitch black eyes. Ariana's beauty entrapped me.

The way her aura drew me in right from the first day I spotted her scared me especially because I was dating someone at the time. I had to find a way to stop thinking of her because I knew she wasn't going to be just another one of my conquests.

And now four months into our marriage, without a doubt, I knew that she wasn't going to be one of my flings I could bed easily. It still baffled me sometimes that we hadn't gotten intimate but all of that didn't matter, I just wanted her by my side.

"So when Eva asked about where we first met, your weren't lying?" She asked slowly.

"I wasn't." I stated.

She looked like she wanted to say something but held it in. I didn't try to make her speak, there was no need for that.

I laid her head on my chest and made sure she was fully asleep again before leaving the room for a small midnight walk.

This year was going to be really eventful. I could feel it.