Chapter Ninety

Ariana's POV;

"Babe, let's not argue over this." Damien said with a frustrated sigh.

"My mind's made up." I said, propping my feet up on the bedstead.

"Why don't you want to come back with us?"

I glanced at him who was seated on the stool in front of my vanity mirror.

"I just need some more time here."

"How long?" He asked.

"I don't know." I shrugged.

"You've been here for close to two months." He pointed out like I didn't already know that.

"Yes. And now I don't feel like going back to LA anymore."

He stood up and placed his arms across his broad chest, posing like he was thinking of how to put his words properly so they wouldn't sound offensive.

"Ariana, we're married."

"Yeah, so?"

"We've been away from each other since the year began."

"Uh huh?"

Where's this going? I found myself thinking.

"We didn't agree on a long distance marriage and it's raising lots of questions."

"Questions like?" I asked.

"Questions like, 'are things okay between us?' "

"Well, are they?" I retorted with a scoff.

He was shell shocked.

"Ariana, I thought we've moved past this." He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose even as he had a hand placed on left hip.

"I only put things aside for," I paused and heaved a sigh.

"For my father." I completed with a shaky breath. I still wasn't used to the fact that he was gone and that was one of the reasons why I wanted to stay back in New York for a while.

I actually wished I could stay back here until Damien and I got a divorce. Yes, I still wanted to end the marriage in spite of my promise to my father. Damien and I just couldn't work out.

"So you're saying you've been tolerating me all this while?"

"Maybe." I said, casually raising my brows as I adjusted myself in bed.

"Ariana..." He called out, giving me a hurt-filled stare.

I looked away from him unable hold his entrancing gaze.

"I'm truly sorry for hurting you. I hope you understand and give me a chance to prove that I care for you and never intended to hurt you so much."

I said nothing after his speech and only heard him walk out of my bedroom to meet with the rest of his family.

***

The next morning turned out eventful.

"Ariana don't tell me you aren't coming back with us?" Fiona asked when she saw that I was still in my pajamas even as they prepared for their flight back to LA.

"She's not coming back with us?" Tracy questioned, rushing out of the kitchen with Aiden in hot pursuit. She almost ran into me with her baby bump.

"Careful there preggers." I chuckled nervously as I held her in place.

"Why aren't you coming with us?" She asked as they all wore long faces.

I opened my mouth to speak but mom beat me to it.

"Sweetie, why aren't you coming to LA with us?" She came over and gave me one of her usual warm hugs.

"I just," I started to speak and ended up keeping quiet as their concerned gazes fell on me.

"I just want to stay here for a while." I managed to complete.

"But you can't stay here all alone." She reasoned.

"Exactly what I told her." Damien walked into the living room just then.

"Can you guys help me talk to her? I've tried everything!" He stared at me but I avoided his gaze.

After he left my bedroom the night before, he didn't come back in and I didn't go after him because I felt that it was better we stayed apart for as long as possible.

"Is everything okay between you two?" Jesse asked, standing next to me. I glanced at him briefly and couldn't form the right answer to his question.

I guess our inabilities to speak gave us away and answered the question.

"What's going on?" Amy asked worriedly.

"Ariana hates me."

We all turned to Damien as soon as he dropped the statement. I definitely did not see that coming, no one did.

"What have you done this time?" Aiden mumbled audibly.

"Ask her." Damien threw the question back to me, putting me in a tight corner.

Gobsmacked, my eyes ran over all the expectant faces that had their attention on me alone.

"You know what? It's fine! I'll go get ready for the trip." I conceded with my hands dramatically in the air.

They all visibly heaved sighs of relief. From the corner of my eye, I saw Damien smirk and I glared at him.

He knew what he was doing after all. Always playing mind games with me, this was what I absolutely hated about him.

I begrudgingly packed my luggage with Fiona's help. In her words, she did not want me changing my mind all because I couldn't pack my bags on time for the trip. It was cute.

But, I was still so angry at the fix Damien put me in. He still used the contract against me and it was so aggravating because I had found out the truth about everything.

He knew I would be unable to speak up about whatever was going on and he definitely used it to his advantage.

He was selfish. What was so hard to understand in the fact that I needed more time to mourn my father? I just wanted to bask in his memories for a little longer until I could decide what to do with the house.

There and then, I believed that the man I married would always put his interests first, never mine and I strongly disliked him for it.

***

"Babe, let me help you with that." He said as I was trying to adjust the bracelet I was struggling to put on my wrist.

I smacked his hand off before it could reach my wrist. I ditched wearing my bracelet and shoved it into my handbag with an angry huff before walking ahead of him into the living room where everyone else was waiting for me.

"Everyone ready?" I asked no one in particular.

"All set." Fiona quipped and everyone else concurred.

"Alright then, let's go." I said, concealing how emotional I felt about leaving already.

Everyone filed out and got into the three vehicles that awaited them. I was going with Damien in the fourth vehicle as expected but I truly wished that wasn't the case this time around.

He walked past me and stopped at the porch waiting for me to join him outside.

To be honest, a huge part of me wanted to pull a fast one and lock myself in as everyone had gone out. At least I would get the much needed reprieve and alone time I craved but knowing how strong-headed Damien is, I was sure that plan would fall through.

I let out a shaky breath and blinked back the tears that had welled up in my eyes. I kissed two fingers on my right hand and placed it on my father's portrait before turning it to face the wall.

I slowly walked out, and with one last glance I shut the door behind me and locked it with the keys I had in my hand.

I evaded Damien's outstretched hand and climbed into the waiting vehicle. I sat at the very edge as far away from him as possible. I felt his gaze burning holes through the side of my face with his stare but I kept my gaze locked on the scenery outside the window.

Without a word, the ride to the private hangar continued.

Close to an hour later, we were on the flight and off to LA.

Damien kept trying to make me talk to him but I ignored his antics. From 'mistakenly' bumping my shoulder with his, to rubbing his palm over my fingers, I did not utter a single word.

He huffed and puffed non-stop.

"I'm sorry Ariana." He said with a perturbed sigh.

"For what exactly?" I turned away from my laptop and faced him

He opened his mouth to speak but I was not going to give him that chance just yet.

"You never listen to me." I stated.

He tried to protest but I stopped him with a raise of my right index finger.

"You never consider how I feel before going ahead to do whatever you want. No, it's not cute or sexy that you're so controlling. You think playing mind games with me is so intriguing? It may be, in movies and maybe novels but this is real life and it is not cool!"

He was stunned to silence by my outburst. And even when he managed to speak, I still did not give him a chance to.

"Ari, I-"

"You're sorry? Of course you are. You're always sorry but you never change. Need I remind you that this marriage isn't real and I don't have to stay with you for longer than I have to?"

His eyes widened.

"What are you saying?" He asked slowly.

"You heard me and you're free to think whatever." I said coldly and marched into the bedroom without looking back.