Chapter 18 Finally home
Thomas arrived in the small town by the beach and took a hotel.
He had arrived in that town. But he had no clue where to start his search or what to tell Arielle when he found her.This is from NôvelDrama.Org.
He lay on the bed, exhausted, having flown economy for the first time in his life. But happy and content at being free and not having to maintain an image all the time.
However, despite his exhaustion, he could not sleep.
Various scenarios of his meeting with Arielle kept appearing in his mind making him restless.
But worst of all was the thought that she might not even be there in that town, and he would not be able to find her.
With every passing hour, as the night deepened, that thought kept getting stronger, depriving him of much-needed rest.
He locked his hotel room and decided to roam around on the beach to relax.
It was close to midnight, and the beach was almost empty. That was probably the most significant difference between towns and big cities. A city never slept, while people in small towns enjoyed those mundane luxuries.
He walked for a long time before he spotted a woman who looked suspiciously like Arielle sitting on a boulder.
He wanted to walk over and talk to her, but something kept him rooted at the spot nearly 10 meters away from her.
He watched in slow motion as his dreams broke apart.
A man holding a child came up to her, and the woman took the child from the man’s arms and kissed the kid all over his face, making him giggle and shout, “mommy” repeatedly.
“Let’s go home! It’s almost midnight, El.” The man, probably her husband, said.
“Alright!” The woman said but made no effort to move. She placed her child on the ground and made him walk. A light shone on her face, and Thomas felt his heart bleed seeing the woman he had longed for day and night with her family that did not include him.
He turned around before she could see him and walked away before running back to the safety of his dingy hotel room.
Thomas clutched his chest and found it difficult to breathe.
Over the years, his friend Mathew had reminded him, time and time again, to curb some of his feelings. He had warned him that a woman that wonderful was bound to have admirers and might not wait for him for years.
But he had stubbornly refused to listen.
He had been sure what he and Arielle had between them was something rare. In his heart, he always felt what they had was magical.
But now, he had lost all hope.
Thomas wandered in town for the next few days trying to catch a glimpse of her and figure out if she was as happy as she looked.
He had sworn that he would leave after making sure she was happy with her family.
But luck was against him as he did not see her anywhere.
Finally, he decided to wait for her at the same place he had seen her with her husband and child.
Thomas felt his heart clench at the thought of her family, but he sat on that same stone every night waiting for her.
It had been a week since he had arrived, and it was the 3rd night since he started waiting for her in the same place.
He absentmindedly picked up a little pebble and threw it on the open sea, his mind blank as he did not have a path forward.
“Is this a dream?” Thomas was startled by a familiar voice. He had longed to hear that voice for three years.
He looked up to see Arielle in tears as she gazed at him obsessively. He could not read her emotions.
He instinctively walked up to her but hesitated before holding her.
Arielle could not believe her eyes when she walked to the beach to her spot and suddenly saw Thomas sitting there.
She kept looking at him for a long time, afraid that he would disappear if she made a wrong move.
After a long time, she spoke. Her voice broke Thoma’s reverie as he stilled and turned towards her, very slowly as if he was afraid a sharp intake of breath would ruin it.
He walked up to her, and she could not help but throw herself in his arms.
Thomas held her tight and took deep breaths to calm his emotions.
Arielle looked up at him and smiled softly. It made him unable to keep hold of his emotions.
He leaned forwards and captured her lips. She responded just as enthusiastically, and, before long, they were frantically groping each other.
They were both too lost in sensations to realize a man holding a child was coming toward them but covered the child’s eyes and turned around after seeing them.
Arielle finally pulled into the last thread of rationality and led Thomas to her house while still kissing each other throughout the way.
Thomas did not hold back as she led him to her bedroom.
They melted and molded as one without even bothering to wash their feet or freshen up.
Thomas felt that he was finally home. He could finally breathe easy after three years.
He watched the sleeping woman in his arms, who had passed out exhausted.
As his emotions slowly settled, the realization of what had just happened began to set.
However, he shook his thoughts. What was done was done!
He picked her up and took her to the bathroom. He cleaned her and himself, changed the sheets, and fell asleep holding her close in his arms.
Arielle woke up, feeling sore but satisfied.
She felt held tightly in familiar arms before she even opened her eyes. She smiled softly, recalling the events of the night before.
She had missed this for the past three years.
Three years and finally, her house became complete. Finally, she felt the security that a home should provide.
But she wasn’t sure if this was fleeting happiness or the start of something long-term.