"Thank you for giving this to us, this moment, Arik," I whispered as I gently caressed his face.
I couldn't help but remember the illness he carried, but I quickly pushed it aside.Arik's expression softened even more. His jaw clenched briefly as his gaze drifted to my lips and then returned to my eyes."No, I should thank you, Celeste. Thank you for giving me this chance to be with you again, and I'm sorry for everything. Forgive me," he said in a hoarse voice and hugged me."I will ask for your forgiveness for the rest of my life, my love. Even if my memory fades away... again."The small smile on my lips vanished, replaced by fear and sadness. I held him tightly and quietly wiped away my tears.God, please, don't do this to us. I can't bear it. Every labored breath he took felt like a painful reminder of the life we were slowly losing.As I hugged him, my heart ached with a heaviness I could scarcely bear. Arik had always been the anchor of my eIn a rush, Arik sped to the hospital alongside Kim and Noah because Kim was a doctor, and fortunately, the hospital was close to our place of stay.I wished to accompany them, yet I refrained as there was no one to watch over Ariah.Arik only mentioned that something happened to Rusty without elaborating further, as he hurriedly departed.I found it surprising, especially considering his earlier demeanor, deeply concerned and somewhat upset. It made me ponder if there was still a chance for them to reconcile.Sitting silently beside my daughter, I gazed at her. She was sound asleep, but a faint smile lingered on her lips. She's probably dreaming about her father, as usual.I was in that position when my phone chimed. Arik had messaged me, followed closely by a text from Kim.Arik:I'm sorry for not updating you promptly, but we're already at the hospital. I'll be heading back home soon. Take a rest, Celeste.T
"…I couldn't stay at home. I couldn't find what I was looking for. But when I returned here, when I came back to you, one look from you, Celeste, felt like I found something that had long been missing from my life…" Arik paused and took one of my hands.I just listened as my heart felt like it was bursting with joy."...And I knew that once you touched me, once you spoke to me during those times, I knew I would keep coming back to you, over and over again. No matter how many times, I knew I would keep crawling back to you. Celeste… coming for you was like arriving home to a place I had never been but have been yearning for my whole life. I was yours before we even touched each other. That's why I couldn't stay in one house; it's because you were the one I wanted to come home to. You and our beautiful daughter, Ariah."Tears I'd been trying to hold back flowed from my eyes. I covered my mouth to stifle any sound. Arik chuckled and wiped my te
Gino ascended to the yacht first, followed by another man who would assist us. Noah and Kim followed. Then came Rusty, me, and Arik, who was behind me. I thought Arik would follow me inside the yacht, but I overheard Tatiana calling him instead."Sorry. I have a fear of heights. You know that," she said, reaching out for Arik's hand.Arik, furrowing his brow, quickly glanced at me, as if seeking permission. I just smiled and nodded at him."Let's go," Rusty whispered to me, guiding me towards Kim, who was at the yacht's railings, gazing at the sea.The yacht was spacious, rented by Arik solely for us. The island we were headed to was one of the most famous and talked-about islands in the area, but only a few people had the chance to visit. It was a private island, and the owner preferred to keep it away from the bustling crowd to prevent damage."Hey," Arik suddenly approached me while I was admiring the rolling waves.
Since we descended, Rusty had his arm around me until we reached the cottage. Everyone was silent and looked at Rusty and me with surprise, which raised my eyebrows. Especially when I saw Tatiana seated beside Arik, her body almost leaning against his arm.In utter annoyance, I sat at the far end of the long bench and quietly helped myself to some food. Rusty followed suit, taking a seat next to me, which made me smile at his action."Where were you guys?"Arik's question nearly made me lift my gaze, not just because of his question but also the tone. It always seemed threatening. I didn't intend to answer, but Rusty did it for me.Tatiana remained by Arik's side, only shifting her gaze toward me when she noticed my stare. I pursed my lips when she sighed and avoided eye contact."We were just at the rock formation nearby," he casually answered Arik while I focused on peeling shrimp for myself."What were you doing th
He's running his hands down and around my bare thighs up and up again, up past my ribs, around my lower back and down again, just past my hip bone. His fingers hook around the laces of my underwear and I gasp when he finally removes it. I felt a bit embarrassed when I noticed that he paused, so I closed my legs."Stop it..." he whispered and suddenly, his lips touched my bare stomach."Arik...please!" I fucking moaned while begging.I couldn't recognize my own voice there. He was teasing me, and I couldn't even reach him to continue. After a while, I felt him move between my legs, so I sat up, but he insisted and parted my legs."A-Arik, wait...what are you-"Before I could even continue my words, I suddenly felt his tongue between my swollen folds, it led to me feeling completely weak.. It's just a whisper of a kiss but something collapses in my skull. It's a feather-light brush of his mouth against my skin in a place I can't q
It was already noon when I woke up from a deep sleep once again. After Arik told me that, we decided to rest inside the hut. He seemed surprised by my lack of shock, but I assured him that I already knew. Aside from the fact that the disease was progressing swiftly in his brain.What can I do to help him? Lord, tell me, please. Anything. I will do anything to help him.When I looked for Arik around the hut, he wasn't there, so I decided to go downstairs carrying the food he had prepared for me earlier.As I was still on the steps of the hut, I heard a woman's voice from the large cottage in the middle of the area, so I hurried my steps. I even witnessed Rusty quickly exiting the hut intended for him, appearing angry from his expression.Out of curiosity, I rushed straight to the cottage only to find him with her. My anger flared up immediately when I saw her approach Arik, who had his back turned in my direction.I placed the tr
"I don't need your apologies, Arik. Let me be until I understand why you did that to her. I don't want to be unfair to you. I don't want to—""No, please. I'm sorry. I was just startled. It was all my instinct. I know I needed to help her, and I did, without considering your feelings . . . and I'm sorry. I really am. Please . . ." He pleaded with me, quickly taking my hand again.I allowed him to hold my hand tightly. I just looked at him while he did. I looked into his eyes. They were still filled with concern, a concern I didn't see in him when he rescued Tatiana earlier.I knew this was just my jealousy consuming me, which was why I was acting like this. I knew I'd be in the wrong if I let this jealousy consume me entirely. But I couldn't help it! I want to cry! What is happening to me?I was about to speak again when Rusty suddenly arrived, calling for Arik. He briefly glanced at me before excusing himself to approach Rusty. I sa
His gaze focused more on me. It deepened, piercing into my soul. I saw him take a sip of the beer while still keeping his gaze fixed on me. I'm starting to feel uneasy because of the way he's looking at me.He is looking—no, he's staring at me until it reaches my soul. He's staring at me as if he adores me so much. He's staring at me as if I'm the only person he's seeing right now.He is so entrancing. His eyes are so captivating and I can't get enough of it. I absolutely love his brown eyes.He was dreamy. His eyes were dreamy. I was lost in those brown eyes, and I never wanted to be found. I loved the way he looked at me.In a moment, he took another sip of his beer. I thought our staring would end there, but I was mistaken.I felt a rush of excitement when suddenly he stood up and said something to Noah and Rusty before heading towards me, leaving the guitar with Rusty.I immediately averted my gaze as he nea