CHASING MY EX-WIFE

CHAPTER 66

Richard's POV

A cold chill takes over my body, and my breathing hitches the moment she walks in gracefully and sees the huge birthday cake.

She isn't smiling.

Not looking surprised. Not angry.

As I stare at the cake while remaining hidden, a wave of panic washes over me.

I want to start blaming myself for coming unannounced and for throwing such a surprise when Natalie was clearly against it, knowing Arabel wouldn't like it.

Now I regret doing this.

I just wanted to impress her. Make her happy. Surprise her.

Suddenly, Daisy emerges from hiding, following my instructions, and starts singing the happy birthday song, while everyone else follows suit.

Emotion is back on her face.

She must have forgotten her birthday, too. Or perhaps no one knows her birthday or has wished her a happy birthday in years.

A sense of pride fills me up.

When Ashley appears in front of her, Arabel gasps and rushes into her arms, laughing heartily. When they disengage, Caleb is right next to his wife, and he hugs her too, holding onto a present.

I watch them converse for a while as another round of happy birthday songs reaches my ears.

For a moment, I feel like an intruder. An outsider.

I have been away from her and Daisy for four years. Coming back and wanting to be a part of their lives won't be as easy as I think it will be.

This is why we both keep going back and forth, from London to America, and from America back to London. I keep chasing her, and she keeps running.

Her decision to leave New York right after I told her we kissed, since she claimed she couldn't remember what happened, made me come to a conclusion.

Or rather, an assumption.

There is a part of Arabel that is still in love with me.

She doesn't entirely hate everything about me. Whenever that side of me is out, she tends to run.

Giving up is not an option. Which is the reason why I am here—why I pleaded with Ashley on her behalf and flew them here just to surprise her.

This is also the reason why I am doing everything I can to win her back, including having Ashley help me get her back and having Caleb get Fernando off her back.

Ashley points in my direction, and when she looks my way, I freeze.

Louder and harder, my heart continues to beat, making me wonder why I feel so anxious when this is all my idea.

"Richard," she says, her voice bringing me back to life. I didn't realize she was this close. Embarrassed at being caught hiding, I step out of the shadow and flash her a quick smile to hide my nervousness.

“Hi.”

“Why are you hiding?”

“I didn't know how you would feel about the surprise…”

“I love it!” She cut me short, her eyes dancing with excitement. “Thank you.”

In one swig, she pulls me into a tight embrace, making me blink twice to be sure this isn't one of my dreams or a silly imagination.

As soon as she embraces me, she pulls away and drags me to the party.

Daisy and I perform our planned song for her, and I watch as she laughs at my poor vocal performance. Then we cut the cake, and everyone had a share.

“So you still love her, uhn?” Caleb taps my shoulder, passing a glass of wine to me.

I was silently watching her converse with everyone. It is satisfying to do so from a distance, seeing her laugh and smile, not in pretense but in genuine happiness.

“Very much.”

“Uhmm. She is a lovable person. Fernando is madly in love with her as well,” he mentions, making me shift my attention from my object of affection to his face.

“I thought I told you not to mention that jerk's name ever again.”

He smirks mischievously. “Fernando…”

“Caleb!”

He laughs. “What a jealous freak?! I was just kidding!”

“Don't tell me you are still friends with him.” I glare coldly at him, feeling a sudden flare of rage.

He doesn't respond, and I turn away from him to continue my watch. I see Arabel staring at me, so I smile at her.

Gladly, she reciprocates the smile.

“I see she still has feelings for you too,” Caleb observes. “Lucky you.”

With my heart slamming against my ribcage at the observation, I turn to him. “You think so?” He nods. "Ashley said something similar too, but I don't want to get my hopes high. She is determined not to fall for me or anyone else.”

“If I were her, I would do the same,” he mutters, flashing me a grin.

“You have no idea what happened or how it happened, so don't judge me,” I find myself saying, not willing to explain anything to anyone.

This is purely between Arabel and me.

Ashley goes to start the music and rushes over to where we are standing to drag her husband to the dance floor.

I shake my head.

Two other couples are on the dance floor, leaving Arabel and Daisy. Daisy points at me, and Arabel makes her way to me.

My heart starts to beat again.

"Richard," she says, extending her hand for me to take with a shy smile. I want to believe that this behavior is a reward for the surprise party I'm throwing for her. After this has worked, we will be back to her running off and me chasing after her.

I take her hand without saying a word, dropping the glasses of wine in my hand. I spin her around and finally rest my hand on her waist as we move in slow motion, following the rhythm of the music.

Pure silence. Comforting. Allowing me to breathe in her beautiful features. Sucking in my desire to claim her.

“Thank you for today, it means a lot. I can't remember the last time I celebrated my birthday. You won't believe I forgot it was my birthday as well…”

I miss you,” I say, interrupting her rambling.

She looks shocked, but manages to mask it without a word coming from her. I wanted to say more, but I didn't want to upset her on her birthday.

Everything else can wait.

Though, I just need to say one more thing.

“Please stop running from me!” Desperation swarms my tone as she continues to peer at me intensely, her face devoid of emotion.

We don't stop dancing, either.

Should I say more? Try to see if I can get past the wall she's built around herself. Try to see if I can break in, or even manage to crack it slightly.

I didn't intend to tell her I miss her, but now I want to tell her how much I miss her. How much I crave her presence. How much I love her and want to be with her.

I wish I can tell her how I keep falling every single day. I wish I can help her understand how I have lost myself in the battle of not wanting to feel anything for her.

It is nothing but a lost cost.

Nothing is helping. Not even my aloofness. My regular desire to act indifferent, just like I did when I found out she had flown back to London.

Not how I always push myself to work so I don't end up brooding about her or about us.

Just like nothing worked to help my mental health when she first left, nothing is working now either.

And now it has morphed my fear into determination, my indecisiveness into sticking to one decision—not giving up till she is mine.

Giving up for me has never been a choice, but in her case, I have thought of that word severally, especially when Ashley told me Arabel mentioned not wanting to venture into any relationship with any man.

But then I ask myself, What if I am the one man who can make her break that rule? What if I am the man she has been waiting for? What if her heart beats for no other man but me?

I want to be optimistic about everything, but doubts and terror keep dashing my hope. Her nonchalant behavior toward everything keeps pushing me off the cliff, quenching my determination bit by bit.

Yet, I am not giving up.

Never. Ever.

When I wrap my hand around her waist more firmly, allowing her to lean more towards me, she doesn't resist.

Slowly, I let my nose touch hers alongside my forehead as we moved in sync, our breaths mixing together. When she closes her eyes, I take in every peaceful feature, admiring each part of her face.

My eyes dart down to her chest, which is heaving up and down, and I stop dancing, making her open her eyes in surprise.

Her chest. Her heart.

“Richard, what happened?” She asks out of sheer concern as she watches the dread on my face get stuck in my throat.

I shake my head without diverting my attention away from her heaving chest. She follows my eyes' direction, and her mouth drops open.

“Your chest, Arabel,” I mutter derisively before placing a hand on it, feeling the movement of her breast and also the damn thing I wasn't sure of.

Her heart.

It is beating erratically.

Just like mine, allowing me to almost sway backwards in relief and extreme shock.

She doesn't say a word, even when I look up at her. Slowly, I move my hand to my chest, and they both beat in the same rhythm.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

They beat the same way, with the same sync and rhythm, and it finally dawns on me.

Her heart beats for me.

And me alone.