FATED TO LOVE {STORY OF US}

chapter 25

Ariel awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she could feel her pulse racing. She had been having a terrible nightmare, and it had left her feeling shaken and uneasy. As she lay in bed, she tried to calm her breathing and still her racing heart. She tried to remember the details of her nightmare,

"Oh, thank goodness it was just a dream," Ariel said aloud to herself. She was relieved to wake up from that strange dream where she was kissing Alex, of all people.

What had that been about? She had no idea. And she certainly didn't want to know. It was just a weird, one-off dream. That's all it was.

She pushed the thought out of her mind and got out of bed, ready to start the day.

Just then, she heard a knock at her door.
"Who is it?" Ariel called out, wondering who could be knocking so early in the morning.

"It's me, Chloe," came the reply.

"Come in, Chloe," Ariel said, getting out of bed and walking to the door.

She opened the door, and there stood Chloe, looking slightly disheveled but otherwise fine.

"Hi, Ariel," Chloe said, a small smile on her face. "Can I come in?"

"you are not a stranger, so of course you can come in," Ariel said, stepping aside to let Chloe into the room.

"Thanks," Chloe said, walking into the room and taking a seat on the couch. "I have two pieces of good news for you."

"Really?" Ariel said, a mix of curiosity and skepticism in her voice. "I'm all ears."

"Okay," Chloe said, taking a deep breath. "The first piece of news is...Alex is in love with you."

"No, no, no!" Ariel said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "This is terrible news!"

"Why do you say that?" Chloe asked, clearly confused by Ariel's reaction. "Don't you like Alex?"

"I can't even deal with this right now," Ariel said, running her hands through her hair. "Let's talk about something else."

"But, Ariel," Chloe said, her voice firm. "This is important."

"I'm not ready to talk about Alex, okay?" Ariel said, her voice pleading. "I just can't."

"Fine, we don't have to talk about him," Chloe said, relenting. "But I do have another piece of good news."

"Yes, please, anything but Alex," Ariel said, letting out a sigh of relief. "What's the other good news?"

"I said yes to Greg!" Chloe said, her face beaming with happiness.

"Congratulations, my bestie!" Ariel said, giving Chloe a huge hug. "This calls for a celebration!"

"I know!" Chloe said, her eyes shining with joy. "Let's go out for a nice dinner to celebrate."

"That sounds perfect!" Ariel said, already imagining all the delicious food they would be eating. "I can't wait!"

"I'll make the reservations," Chloe said, reaching for her phone. "We're going to have the best time!"
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"Yes, I'll be your girlfriend," Gita said, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Really?" Raymond said, his eyes wide with surprise. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Gita said, smiling up at Raymond. "I love you, and I want to be with you."