Ariel POV
Hanging out with Max today was so much fun, and I can’t deny the joy I am feeling right now. You can call me greedy, but fuck! I don’t want this to end, not ever.
“Don’t you think we should head back to the office?” I ask him once we arrive at the front of the restaurant.
“No, I will go back later,” He replies to me casually, looking a bit moody. What is going on in his mind? Is he feeling guilty about hanging out with me? Is he feeling like he’s cheating on his wife? Those are the questions that never cease to flood my mind after I glance at him. I just wish that this man is mine, and nothing is stopping us from being together, but it hurts so much just at the thought of him being someone I can never be with.
“Hmm,” I nod my head as we finally step into the restaurant. We have just been strolling around endlessly without a destination in our mind, or in my mind, rather. This restaurant is different from the one I’ve been to with Alex in the past.
Although the place doesn’t look as flashy as the one I’ve been to with Alex, but this place is also unique in its own way.
Sitting and facing each other a few minutes later, I watch as he clamps his fingers together and stares down at the table. The look on his face tells me that he has so many things going on in his mind, but I do not know what they are.
“Ariel…” He pauses, and I raise my eyebrows in a signal for him to go ahead.
“Alex… Can you stop seeing him?” He suddenly asks out of the blue, and I stare back at him blankly. I bet I saw jealousy flicker in his eyes for moments as he said those words to me just now.
“Huh?” I blink my eyes for him to repeat those words because they sounded like they are out of jealousy. At least, that’s how I feel, even if it’s not like that.
“I said you should stop seeing Alex,” He utters again, this time staring into my eyes with a look I can say that it’s mixed with jealousy, anger, possessiveness, and desire. What the hell is going on in his mind?
“Why?” I find myself asking, even if I just want to nod my head and do what he wants.
“Nothing… Just do what I asked you to, ok?” He replies to me, and my face drops disappointedly. Maybe he’s just concerned about the child I’m carrying… He only cares for me because of the baby in me.
“You see… You are pregnant, and shouldn’t be going close to him…” He further explains, and I slowly touch my stomach which is a bit bulged out. The pregnancy is already three months and a few weeks.
“Alex… is a nice person… He would never harm me,” I defend him, and he scoffs. I watch as he slowly clenches his fists and grits his teeth, rage in his eyes.
“Is that how much you trust him? What if he has other intentions, huh? What if he’s planning to harm you?” He asks furiously, and I scoff.
“Why would he try to harm me? He doesn’t even know we are together… I don’t even know him from anywhere before, so why would he try to harm me?” I snap at him the time around. I didn’t want to do this, but it’s annoying how he and his wife always wants to control me, just because I’m carrying his child, it’s annoying how he only cares about me because of the baby I’m carrying for him. It’s just so annoying.
“Ariel, I…”
“Just because I’m carrying your child doesn’t give you and your wife the right to think you can control me all you want, okay? I’m not your pet for fuck’s sake, just fucking quit being so annoying!” I slam my hands on the desk as I spring up to my feet.
“Come on, Ariel, I’m sorry, I was just…”
“I’m out of here,” I cut him off before I turn and storm out of the restaurant, leaving the food that the waiter served us moments ago.
Tears stream down my cheeks as I scurry out of the vicinity of the restaurant. I run as fast as my legs can go, and when I can’t go any farther, I stop and crash to the floor, breathing heavily as I feel my heart hammer hard against my chest.
A few minutes later, I feel someone’s presence, and I slowly raise my gaze to find Max standing in front of me.
“What do you want? Do you… do you want to tell me to stop running so I won’t hurt the baby? Is that what you’re here to say to me?” I scoff while still on the ground, and he sighs.
“Can we not do this here, Ariel? Let’s talk in the car,” He speaks to me softly, and I finally stand up.
“What? Are you scared of people seeing us together? Are you afraid they would tell your wife about it or accuse you of infidelity?” I scoff at him, and he sighs briefly.
“Don’t be like this, Ariel… Please come with me,” He tries to touch me, but I step back from him.
“You can go. I will call Alex to come pick me up,” I reply to him, and he scoffs angrily.
“Alex again? Why always him? Do you love him that much?” He asks me as he stares at me intensely, and all I see in his eyes is jealousy.
“Just leave me the hell alone!” I yell at him, turning to leave.
“And you think I would leave because you’re asking me to? I fucking told you to stop seeing him!” He snaps at me, not minding the passersby that are throwing him glances, with some making comments, because he fucking look like a maniac right now with the way he just yelled.
“Why should I stop seeing him? You have no right to tell me what to do!” I fire back at him.
“Because I fucking love you, Ariel… I get jealous when I see you with another man when I see you with Alex… It fucking drives me crazy, and if you don’t want me to end up hurting him, then you fucking stay away from him!” He yells at the top of his voice, and I freeze on the spot as his words ring in my head. Did he just say that he loves me, or am I the one hallucinating?
Turning slowly to face him, I find him standing there.
“What did you say?” My voice is low that I doubt if he heard me.
“I told you to stay away from him if you don’t want me to end up hurting him,” He replies to me as I take slow and steady steps toward him.
“Not that, Max… The one you said before that,” I utter in a low tone, not breaking eye contact with him.
“Wh… what? I get jealous when I see you with Alex. It’s driving me crazy seeing you with him,” He replies to me, and I scoff as a drop of tears slid down the corner of my cheeks. For fuck’s sake, I just want to hear him tell me again that he loves me, and not all these.
“Not that one either… The one…”
“I love you, Ariel,” He cuts me off, and I stop abruptly. The world seems to freeze for some seconds, and it feels like we are the only living beings on earth, as we just stare at each other. Did he just confess his love to me, or is this a way of making me stay away from Alex instead? What about his wife?
“Your wife… What about her?” I finally bring myself to ask, but he just stares back at me…