Arabel's POV
Richard is practically forcing me out on a date.
But I have my own plans.
We plan to visit places we have visited together, allowing him to experience the familiar sensation of having been there before.
That would help him recover his memory. I know I vowed to confess my feelings for him the moment he wakes up, but I can't do that when he can't even remember who I was.
My job right now is to ensure he remembers everything and makes a decision; whether he wants me or not.
My decision was a result of all the unanswered questions that kept spinning in my head. Questions about what would happen when he remembered it all? The arranged marriage, the divorce, and having him chase me around the world again for a second chance?
Would he still want that?
Having to date him when he can barely remember who he was is just like taking advantage, and I don't want that to happen.
I want him to remember me. Remember our child. Remember it all.
Then we can take it to the next level.
My body trembles with excitement at the thought of him remembering everything and having me grant him permission to take me.
Claim me as his.
Which is what I have always dreamt of as his wife.
It never happened. But it will.
All my dashed hopes are now coming true. Nothing can stop us now from loving each other so much, just like it ought to be in our marriage, except for his loss of memory.
Once it's back, everything will return to normal. And now that Eve is gone, disappearing into thin air just as she has appeared mysteriously, I am sure it is going to be a worthy second chance at love.
A smile creeps into my face.
“Why are you smiling?” Richard's voice breaks into my thoughts, making the smile disappear as quickly as it came.
Shaking my head, I reply. “Nothing.”
“We've been here, right?” He demands, as if he remembers, which makes me snap my head to watch him. “I heard you tell Mom you wanted to bring me here so it can help me recover some parts of my memory. I figured we must have been here together.”
His shrug is indifferent, like he couldn't care less if he remembered or not.
It matters to me. That's the only time we can go on a date. Be together. And make up for all the lost moments.
These past few days, he has become more full of life, unlike how dull and slow-witted he was at first, having me tell him every single thing to do.
It gives me a wide range of hope that he is going to be back soon.
The real Richard.
“Are you there?” He demands as he stops right in front of me, halting me from moving forward.
I look up and nod. “Yes, we were, but with Daisy.”
“Really? Why didn't you let her come along then?” He furrows his brow.
“She's in school,” I remind him, his brows clearing in awareness.
I've been in New York since his accident. Going back to London has been a hard decision. First, because I couldn't leave him with that bitch to poison his mind against me. Second, because the trauma of the shootout in my home and Daisy's near kidnapping is still there.
Each time I think of going back without Richard, fear fills my heart.
Richard currently has no idea what happened, and he can't protect me.
I haven't seen Alex either, which gives me a sense of assurance. All the same, I am already thinking of staying permanently in New York and getting my plans back on track to get my branch opened.
The plan was stopped because of Richard. I didn't want to be close to him. But now I am the one getting closer to him than ever.
We continued to walk in silence until we got to the area where he persuaded me to take a horse with him while a woman took Daisy with her.
I stand, having him do the same beside me.
A couple is mounting a horse, and we watch. The young woman is giggling as he asks her to hold onto the reins.
Excitement fills their expressions, and I take note of how touchy he was. When they take off, I watch them until they get to the finishing point, the same place Richard told me he loved me.
That day, my heart almost fell out.
It felt real. Like he meant it. Even though he denied it, now that I think of that moment, I know he meant it.
I was still pretending to be Bella, so it was his way of telling me I meant something to him.
I remember how mad I was. It was because of the thrill shooting up my veins at his sudden announcement.
Then he told me it was nothing but a joke, and I lost my temper.
“You are smiling again,” he mutters, his face inches away from mine.
Clearing my throat, I walk past him. Feeling nervous around him these days has been a habit I can't shake off.
Perhaps when he remembers it all, we can go back to the way we always bicker at each other. I miss that more than I miss how he always forces me to hear his confession of how he feels about me.
Even when I tell him to stop, he keeps going.
I miss all of that, and I want all of that back.
When we get to the ice cream stall, Richard's eyes widen, and he rushes over there, making me raise a brow.
I follow him behind.
I watch him order a bowl of ice cream for Daisy and myself, just like he did in the past.
The same flavor. The same quantity.
Is this working?
Richard doesn't know what Daisy likes anymore, so having him get her ice cream should either be out of reflex or a trace of his memory recovery.
Hope flares up in me, making me shake with excitement.
As soon as we get our orders, he grab my hand and move along, my eyes trailing over the dance shop, which makes me halt abruptly.
This is it.
If this is working at all and Richard isn't just doing this out of reflex, then going into that dance shop might help as well.
I yank my hand free from him before running towards the door of the dance shop. He stares at me with a puzzled expression before coming after me.
I burst in, running towards the dance floor.
He raises a brow at me, and I signal to him to drop the ice cream bowls on the table beside the window before coming to me.
He does that and approaches stealthily, my hope increasing with each passing moment.
When he is within reach, I grab his hands and begin to dance with him in slow motion, glad at the coincidence. It's the same song from that day.
The slow-like music which had us staring at each other intently before he finally summoned up enough courage to take my lips.
I think he won't say a word until he opens his mouth to ask. “So what do you say?”
With our foreheads touching, I question back. “About what?”
“About what I told you yesterday.”
We talked about a lot of things yesterday, including this. A date.
Suddenly, my heart picks up its race when I remember he asked me out. It's not just about the date. He wants a reply.
I shake my head. “I already told you now is not the time. I want you to get your memory back and…”
“Why?” He cuts me short. I sigh without a word. “It doesn't change anything, does it? My feelings for you haven't changed either, have they?”
It certainly has.
He doesn't look at me the way he used to. He doesn't talk to me with that possessive tone, like he owns me.
He doesn't bicker with me over everything and nothing. He doesn't take off his shirt intentionally just to get me mad and gittering with nervousness.
I wish I can tell him all of this, but I know he will feel bad. This is not his fault.
“Is there something I used to do that I don't anymore? Is that what is missing? Why don't you just tell me so I can…”
“Richard,” I call out, stopping halfway through the dance. “Calm down.”
He lets out a sigh and suddenly goes quiet. For a moment, I am thinking he is upset with me, but when he locks eyes with me and smiles in satisfaction, I know my Richard is almost here.
Suddenly, a shout echoes from nearby, prompting him to grab my hand and pull me behind him for protection.
Behind a curtain, a distressed-looking woman rushes out and falls to the ground, shouting. “My baby.”
With curiosity, I step aside to get a view of what was actually happening. A man grabs her from stripping herself naked, hugging her to himself, and muttering some inaudible words to the men around.
Richard leaves my side and walks closer. From where I stand, I can make out what he is asking. “What happened?”
“We are looking for our child, Darcel. She was just here with us, and now she has disappeared into thin air.” The man replies, hugging the woman more firmly. "She has a heart disease and has only a few months left to live. We decided it was best to bring her out and enjoy…”
His voice trails off, and I catch sight of a lone tear, which he darts away with his finger before his wife can notice.
Richard touches his arm and follows the other men out to find her. Slowly, I move closer to say some soothing words to the mother.
I know what it feels like.
Daisy also went missing when we came here, but we found her.
I'm sure this girl would be found, but the reality of having to lose her because of her illness has them reacting to her disappearance this way.
It is a sad reminder of what they have to face in a couple of months.
“I'm sure she would be fine,” I say to the woman who leaves her husband's side to smile at me sadly.
Despite the deep sadness etched on her forehead, she is trying to remain strong.
Before I can think of what to say to her again in consolation, the men rush back in, the last of them carrying the girl, who is grinning from ear to ear.
Her parents breathe out a sigh of relief, and I do.
When I look back at the door, I realize Richard didn't come in with them. I furrow my brows and make to go out when he suddenly walks in, his gaze on the floor, looking extremely different.
His shoulders hang high, and I move closer to talk to him when he lifts his head to meet my gaze.
And I see him.
The cold blue-eyed man I fell in love with, married and bore a child for.