Chapter 29 Arabelle
Arabelle
The sweat stings my eyes as I pace my dance studio, the silence only broken by my own breathing.
I just got finished doing a rigorous routine, trying to forget what’s happening around me.
And I still have no idea how to get over this.
I don’t know why I expected him to say something other than the truth.
How can I forgive or forget what’s happened?
Florian is a dangerous man. He doesn’t hide that side from me. And when it comes to protecting me, he’s already told me he will always do what needs to be done. It’s what I love most about him. He puts me first. But how do I stay with him after he killed my father?
“Arabelle, just giving you a heads up, Florian is on the way.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I’m not ready to see him, Hugo.”
He sighs and props himself against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest. “It doesn’t matter if you’re not ready to see him. He’s coming anyway.”
“I know.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I gaze at him.
A rare smile crosses his face. “You can trust me, Arabelle. He’s my friend, but so are you.”
Since he was shot, Hugo and I have become closer. He’s like the older brother I never had, always looking out for me, offering advice, and being there when I need him.
I sigh. “I don’t know how I can continue this relationship knowing that he killed my father.”
“Florian is a man of his word, Belle. He’s never hidden who he is from you, and you fell in love with him anyway.”
“I know but this is different, Hugo. He killed my father.”
“You need to ask yourself are you upset that he killed your father, or are you upset at yourself for still wanting the man who did it after finding out.”
I face the window with my back to Hugo. He’s hit the same nerve Florian did the last time I saw him. I do love him, but I hate I have no loyalty to my father.
“You don’t owe your father anything, Belle.
He stopped being a loving father a long time ago.
He used you. He’s caused you pain. And when Florian gave him a pass, he continued to try to hurt you.
Florian couldn’t let that drop. And I, as well as every man who works for him, would have lost all respect for him if he did. ”
“So, you believe he did the right thing?”
“I do. Just listen to him and hear him out.”
The moment Hugo leaves, a crushing weight settles onto my shoulders, making it hard to breathe. I have a decision to make.
Memories of the past few months filter through my mind. All the tears, all the laughs. Despite the deaths and how our relationship started, it’s not been all that terrible.
Whenever I’m with Florian he makes me feel like I’m the only person in the world. I’m loved and protected. I can conquer the world with him by my side. There’s no doubt I love him just as much as he loves me.
“Beauty?”
Just the sound of his voice moves against my skin like a gentle caress. I’ve missed him so much it hurts.
As his footsteps echo across the hardwood floors my body trembles. The atmosphere sizzles with so much tension.
He stands directly behind. I sigh and face him. Immediately he wraps his arms around me, and I fall into his embrace. We don’t say anything to one another. We just soak in the moment.
“I don’t forgive you,” I say against his chest.
“I know.”
“But I want to. I want to move beyond this so I can forgive you.”
He steps away from me and immediately I want to be back in his arms. It’s been absolutely hell not having him around, but I needed time to sort out my feelings even if I still don’t know where we go from here, or how to move on.
He pulls papers from inside his blazer jacket then rips them up. “What was that?” I ask.
He smiles. “That was the contract between us. I don’t want anything hanging over our heads when we move forward from this. No contracts and no secrets. So, Mrs. Larsson, you are free to stay or go. I won’t hold you in this marriage if you don’t want to be here.”
“You’ll let me leave?”
His jaw twitches, and I know he’s having a difficult time with this conversation. However, I want to see if he’s really telling the truth. Will he let me go if that’s the decision I make?
“I will. If that’s what you want.”
“Give me some time, and I’ll give you my decision when I’m ready.”
He nods, then turns on his heels and strides out the door.