Richard's POVMy balled fist hangs in the air when the door is thrown open by Arabel and Daisy, dressed for an outing.Before Daisy can notice my presence, my eyes connect with Arabel.The piercing sound of her scream jerks me back to life and makes me shift my attention away from Arabel's beautiful face.The more I see her, the bigger my regrets. The less I see her, the more I want her back with me."Hey, buddy," I say, squatting down to pick her up as she hugs my legs. “How are you doing?”“I'm fine. Why are you here?”My gaze meets Arabel again. Since they moved in, we haven't mistakenly bumped into each other or crossed paths. It was as if we were total strangers and not neighbors.That means one thing.She is uncomfortable with my friendship with Daisy, and she doesn't want Daisy to know I am next door.With a smile, I reply to Daisy. “I drove all the way here to see you.”“Really?” I nod vigorously to express my honesty.“Hi,” Arabel finally greets me, waving at me with a smile,
Arabel's POVI choked for real.“What?!” My exclamation does not come out right. My tone is too low, barely a whisper.I am melting down to my knees. Hot and irritated.With an unmistakably challenging gaze, he shifts backwards and bursts into laughter, making red crimson creep through my entire face.“Why do you look so shocked? I was kidding, I wanted to jerk you back to life!”If what I was feeling earlier was irritation, what I am feeling right now is pure anger. It bubbles inside of me, from a tiny atom until it springs full blown into rage.He tries to hold me as he laughs, but I jump down from the horse, almost losing my footing.Jerk.Idiot.Traitor.Who the hell does he think he is fooling? Why the hell would he mention such a silly statement?“Hey, Bella!” He calls; his voice is right behind me. I don't need to turn to see if he is closer than I think.Two more running steps bring him to me. He blocks my way, panting heavily. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean…” he trails off.What I
Richard's POVMy gut churns.As I rush out, I look around for Daisy, but she is nowhere in sight.Following my instinct, I rush back to the ice cream spot, glancing around for a glimpse of her wavy brown hair, but she isn't there.Quickly, I make my way back to the horse riding spot, my heart pounding hard at the thought of not finding her.I will be in deep sh*t.I didn't mean to kiss her. I didn't know what came over me.I should have paid closer attention to Daisy to be sure she was still in.Before I know it, I begin to run as fast as I can, hoping to find her there. I don't know where else to go, and I don't know what to tell Arabel.I feel so much like a bad father already. I need to find her, or I will never forgive myself for this.This is a child I am still getting to know. The same child was brought into the world without my knowledge. Just when I thought I was going to have a chance to right my wrongs, get closer to my child, and seek their forgiveness, this is happening.A
Arabel’s POVRichard is petty.I can't seem to figure out what just happened now. Did he just act petty, or am I imagining it?I thought he was going to take the cue and leave, so I wouldn't have to argue back and forth with Alex about staying in the same apartment as my ex-husband.There's absolutely nothing I can say to him to convince him that I moved in without knowing we were neighbors.Alex will conclude in his head that he was right all along, and that Richard is indeed a stalker.With Richard gone, I open the car seat to pick up Daisy. She is fast asleep. I lock the cars and head towards him. He doesn't move an inch, and he looks really annoyed.I don't know who told him I lived here. He must have his ways.“Hi,” I greet politely, watching him shift his attention to the sleeping Daisy in my arms. For a minute, I think he is going to help me with her, but he doesn't.When he isn't saying anything, anger begins to shimmer within me, so I walk past him.The one who should be angr
Richard's POVThe ringing from inside doesn't dissipate my concern. My face is still etched and furrowed with concern.Since last night, that ringing has been going on and off. I can't even figure out if it is her phone or an alarm clock.No one has come out of the apartment, either. Not Daisy. Not her. I also can't hear any sounds, no matter how hard I place my ears on the door.My insides are in disarray. A horrible feeling is stirring inside of me, as though something is wrong or about to happen.It's been two days since we went out, and I haven't set my eyes on her. The fact that the ringing is becoming more persistent and nonstop increases my curiosity.That guy—I don't trust him. He was here two nights ago. They must have had an argument, and it makes me wonder what he did to her.If she isn't in, then where is she?Frustrated, I stalk back inside, hurrying to grab my phone. I dial her number and wait till it begins to ring. A part of me is relieved that her phone is going throu
Arabel's POVBerlin, GermanyAfter sleeping in for two days without any activity other than feeding Daisy, I decide going out today will do a lot for my mental health.No one knows I am here.Not even Ashley.I just need some time alone to figure things out and get rid of my anger towards Alex.He hurt me deeply with what he said. I will never forget how he said it, as if I were a cheap whore who could easily return to her ex-husband, even if I were to forgive him.Daisy and I are having breakfast at Cappuccino Grand Cafe. Seated beside the transparent window, we can see a view of almost every person walking past the cafe.The menu was in German, but I was able to guess what I wanted. For myself, I ordered a Caprese Sandwich, a Cappuccino, and a Parma Sandwich for Daisy.I am done eating. While waiting for my slow-eating Daisy to finish up so we can take a stroll out before heading back to the hotel, I go through my phone.I didn't care about work when I made that rash decision to com
Richard's POVHow do men who want their wives back after a huge quarrel ask for forgiveness? Is there any man on earth who has ever asked his wife for a divorce only to come back after seven years for another chance?Is another chance even possible?These and more questions keep gnawing at my heart as I step foot in Germany.I should have known she would be here. But I wouldn't because I didn't know her well enough and I forgot almost everything that ought to be remembered about her.For Arabel, Germany remains a special place. She used to come here a lot before her parents' deaths. They toured the city together, and she mentioned how it reminded her of them.Instead of bringing bad memories for her, it always brought a smile to her face because of the many happy moments she had with her family here.Mother wanted us to come here for our honeymoon as a gift to Arabel, but I wasn't interested in traveling with her or honeymooning.I was still angry about the fact that I didn't get the
Arabel's POVA loud chuckle and snarl escape my lips against my will.With a small smile on my face, I fold my arms, ignoring the sudden pounding of my heart and the wave of adrenaline coursing through my bloodstream.“I think you got the wrong person, Richard. I told you I was not her, didn't I?”“Stop with the denial, Arabel,” he shouts in frustration and desperation. “Stop with the pretence already.”“I really don't know what else you want me to say. If there is anything I hate most, then it is being mistaken for someone else. I told you from the start that I was not her. Just because you want something with me and I said a big no doesn't mean you should insist I am that woman.”I want to say more.I want to scream at him, letting him know that I am not the foolish woman he married. She was a pathetic woman who loved him unconditionally, even though she knew the feelings weren't mutual.That stupid girl who was willing to show him love till he finally gave in and fall head over hee