"WHAT is this all about Gideon?" Amelia asked after we all settled down at the dining table. Gideon asked his parents to have dinner with us. But then Amelia insisted on having it in their mansion. "You said we are celebrating something. What is it?" Amelia stood up and opened the champagne bottle that Gideon and I brought here with us. Gideon smiled at his parents, then he turned to me. His eyes glittering with happiness. Those blue eyes of his… they're as beautiful as the ocean. "Bianca and I won't get a divorce. We both decided to give our marriage a second chance." Gideon softly smiled at me. He held my left hand and caressed the ring on my finger. The one he gave me last week. "What's this Gideon?" My eyes widened when I saw the ring on my finger. It was a gold band wedding ring. We were walking around the vineyard when he suddenly slipped something on my finger. I didn't expect it to be a ring. "You aren't wearing any wedding ring, sweetheart." I bit my lower
I SWALLOWED. "It's nothing, Gideon. Charlie and I… were just talking about the surprise for you…" I turned to Charlie to ask for help… but his jaw was clenched as he looked at Gideon. "Surprise?" Gideon's brows were in a deep frown. "I heard you, Bianca. You mentioned something about the past. Are you hiding something from me?" My heart hammered inside my chest. My throat dry. My palms wet with sweat. I didn't know what to say. I wanted to escape this moment… but I knew I couldn't. I never thought this moment would come. I knew the possibility but I never expected it. "G-Gideon…" "What is it that you're hiding, Bianca?" I tried to move my feet to take a step closer to him. "Gideon… let's just talk about this at home. I'll tell you everything there. But not here." "I wanted to hear it here," Gideon said, his frown deepening. "Why do you look so nervous?" I opened my mouth to speak, but Charlie beat me to it. "You have to know something important, Gideon," Charlie sa
"DO you have any idea where Gideon is, Charlie?" I asked Charlie when I saw him at the Henry mansion. It had been three days since that night happened. Gideon hasn't shown up yet. We all thought he just wanted to be alone. But he was suddenly gone. According to Denver, Gideon asked him to drive him home. But when I came home, he was already gone. He even left his phone in our room. I thought he'd go to Napa Valley, but I didn't find him there. "What if something bad happened to him, Charlie?" "Gideon's a grown man, Bianca. He can handle himself. If something ever happened to him, I'm sure he'd be in the news. He's Gideon Henry, after all." I looked at Charlie. I couldn't believe he'd be able to do this. "I hope you're happy with what you did, Charlie." He sighed. "Gideon needs to know the truth, Bianca. It's inevitable." "But not in that way." He looked at me, his eyes sad. "I only did this for you, Bianca. I don't want you to get hurt in the end." He shook his head.
"THIS is nothing, Bianca," Gideon answered. His jaw clenched while trying to look away from me. I blinked as I continued to examine the small bruise on his face. "Did you get into a fight?" "I was drunk last night." My lips parted. I found him at the bar tonight. Was he drinking for the past four days? I looked around at the apartment he was staying in. It was only a couple of blocks away from the bar. It was too small compared to his own room at home. What was he doing here? "Have you been drinking?" I examined him. Aside from that bruise, he looked like he hadn't shaved since the last time I saw him. He didn't answer my question. He just sighed. "What are you doing here?" I swallowed and stood up from the couch. "Everyone is looking for you. We're all worried." He took a step away from me. A sad smile appeared on his face. "What else did I do to you? Tell me the truth, Bianca. The baby you lost. Was that mine or Charlie's?" I covered my mouth with my hand. "G-g
Six months later... "WE'RE hanging out at Joe's bar later. Do you want to come with us, Bianca?" I pursed my lips at Devi. "I'm sorry, Devi. I'm going to Portland after work." Devi smiled. "It's okay, Bianca. Next time, then?" "Yeah. Next time." I returned her smile. I've been back here in New York now for almost six months. I was able to get back my old post in NYPL when the woman who replaced me before resigned from her job. After I got off from work, I drove my car to Portland. I was now living alone in an apartment in Manhattan, but once a month I go to Portland and stay at my parents' house for the weekend. Yes. I live alone for six months now. Gideon and I were already divorced. After our divorce was finalized, he left the country. Since then, we haven't seen each other again. "Hi, Mom and Dad," I whispered as I placed the bouquet of flowers on my parents' tombstone. I let out a small smile as I remembered a certain memory. The last time Gideon and I talked, we
"GIDEON…" Tears filled my eyes when he finally stopped in front of me. "Y-you're here…" I muttered, my voice breaking. I couldn't believe it. Gideon Henry. He was already here. Right in front of me. I was just praying to see him earlier… but now, he's already in front of me. "Hi, sweetheart." Tears finally left my eyes when his familiar voice graced my ears. Damn. How I missed that voice. "Hmm, I've been away for half a year and the first thing you'd do is cry in front of me?" he asked, a playful smile plastered on his handsome face. "It's because I've missed you!" I couldn't help but shout before I threw myself at him. Gideon caught me and pulled me in a hug. His arms covered my entire body. "I missed you, sweetheart," Gideon whispered, placing a kiss on top of my head. I buried my face in his chest. I inhaled his familiar manly scent. Gideon… Gideon's finally here. Suddenly, I felt at home. "You've been away for six months," I told him when we finally let go
"ARE you sure about this, Gideon?" I asked Gideon after he sat next to me. We're here in his house in New York. Gideon told me he bought a house here the moment he came back from Africa. We'd spent the weekend at my parents' house in Portland before we came back here to New York. We've talked about a lot of things that happened to us in the past six months that we're not together. He'd told me about the people he met on his mission. I've told him about my work. "I would ask you the same question, Bianca. Are you sure about this?" Gideon asked back. I pursed my lips as I glanced at the diamond ring on my hand. There were two rings on my fingers. The one he gave me six months ago, and the engagement ring he slid on my finger the other day. "I love you, Gideon." I looked at him and smiled. "And I'd marry you, anywhere at any time of the day." While we were in Portland, we decided to get married when we got back to New York. Now, Gideon was asking me after calling the pastor
"I'm sorry, Miss. Have we met before? I don't think… I know you."I witnessed how the woman's mouth formed an O with Gideon's question. "I see… you never recovered your memory," the woman, who I remembered, whose name is Kylie, cleared her throat. "We met in Paris, before you lost your memory. But we also met after your accident. I introduced myself to you when I saw you at Il Fornaio, remember? I even gave you my calling card."She was wearing a red summer dress and a wide-brimmed hat."Oh..." Gideon slowly nodded. "Yeah. I think I remember. Is your name Kelly or Kyla?""It's Kylie," she smiled. "What are you doing here?" The woman turned to me. Then she looked back at Gideon. "I heard you were already divorced from your wife."My lips parted. How could she say that when I'm right here in front of her? "We're here for our honeymoon."The woman blinked. "Honeymoon?" I was about to answer, but Gideon beat me to it. "Bianca agreed to marry me again."I couldn't help but smile when I