Leave Me If You Dare

“Why are you so good to me?” For six years, she had not asked this question. She was just very thankful for everything that Damien came to her life and save her.

“Do I have to tell you? Isn’t that obvious?” William’s forehead lines deepened. He was looking at her so deeply.

“Hmmm… Forget about it.” Arabella felt the sudden awkwardness in the air. She should have not asked him as she was not ready for his answer.

“I love you.” With a deep serious voice, Damien expressed. He seemed ready to let everything out. Six years is enough for him to take the courage to confess his feelings.

“Damien.” Arabella was stupefied.

Her eyes met him.

This was the only time she stared at Damien’s eyes. She felt something different that she couldn’t clearly decipher. It was an extreme familiarity but she couldn’t jolt a bolt out of the blue.

How could she be so blind?

No. She’s not.

She was just shocked by the sudden love confession.

What’s with the night that Damien had felt the sudden urge to confess?

“You don’t need to answer me now.” Damien averted first his gaze and he started the engine again.

Arabella remained silent. The palpable awkwardness in the air surged up and had no plan to leave.

Is she ready for love?

After all her bad experiences in the past, is she had the capability to love?

The traumatizing experience made her heart hardened like a rock.

She had cursed love a long time ago.

She didn’t want to feel any pain anymore brought by it.

She already closed that chapter of her life where she dreamt of marrying the person she loves.

And Damien knew everything about it.

Is it time for her to open it again?

Ever since Damien was very good to her and Adam. His treatment of Adam was like his true biological father and Adam liked him a lot. Without asking for anything in exchange, he always got her back. She even promised before that whatever Damien wanted from her, she would grant it without any hesitation. This way, she could pay him for everything he had done for her and Adam.

If she’s going to have another man in her life, that would be Damien.

Now that he wanted her love, could she really give it to him?

The question bothered her a lot and she couldn’t find the answer elsewhere in her mind. All she knew, without Damien in her life, she’s probably dead a long time ago.

All she knew, she didn’t want to lose him in her life but she didn’t want to be unfair to him.

“Damien, let’s have dinner tomorrow.” Arabella had the whole night to think about it. She already had the answer in her mind but she was still unsure about it. Maybe a whole silent night would make a difference.

Damien looked at her with some glint of hopes in his eyes.

“Sure.” He smiled sweetly.

The silence invaded once again inside the car. It was too different from the normal.

Damien stopped in front of her house.

She looked at him again.

“Thank you and good night.” Arabella cooed.

“I hope after this night, nothing will change between us. Can you promise me that?” Damien with his deep eyes looked at her like pleading.

“Damien, please know that your presence in my life is a blessing for me. No matter what happened, I will be always thankful to you for the rest of my life.” Arabella replied with sincerity.

After her words, Damien suddenly hugged her. He hugged her very tight and Arabella was stunned but she let him if that would make him be pacified.

“Good night.” Damien then kissed her cheek.

In a daze by Damien’s sudden actions, Arabella nodded and smiled at him trying to hide her discomfort with the situation.

Upon entering her living room,

“Where have you been mom?” Adam was standing in front of her like a strict adult interrogating someone guilty.

“Oh! You frighten me!” Arabella’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t expect Adam to wait for her. When she went out, Adam was already sleeping.

“You are not answering my question mom.” Adam's face had no trace of softness. He was like an angry adult trying to sentence her for her wrongdoings. “What time is it now?” He added with arms crossed in front.

“Oh! About that, I went out with Uncle Damien. Celine invited me to a party. She wanted to thank me. So, I had to come.” She didn’t know that she was already explaining and telling him everything.

Upon hearing his mom, Adam smiled naughtily. He felt thirsty so he woke up and sneaked to his mom’s room but he found no one. He then asked his aunt Lira and she told him everything.

He already knew everything but he wanted to tease her mom. He didn’t want her mom to go out at night without him. Of all the people in the world, he didn’t want her mom to be hurt and as for him, he was the only one who could protect her. Even without a father, he would protect his mom by all means.

“Why do I feel that you are the parent here?” Arabella hugged her son and tickled him. Adam then quickly ran off to his room, laughing and giggling. Arabella followed Adam wanting to get her revenge on the little boy.

While they were giggling and laughing, in the other room, Lira’s heart was in pain. She was actually waiting for them to arrive and she waited at her window hoping to see Damien again even if it’s from afar.

She already felt sleepy from waiting and her eyes were really closing but when she heard the sound of a car stopping, her optimistic adrenaline woke her up only to see the two people in the car seriously talking and after that, they kissed.

Curling in the bed, Lira pressed her chest with her hand to quench the sadness in her heart. When she first saw Damien in the orphanage, she already felt something for him in her heart.

That time, she also knew that Damien liked her boss by the way he looked at her but still she couldn’t stop her heart to beat fast whenever she thinks of him especially when he is around.

“Huh!” Lira heaved a very deep sigh. She was letting go of the pain that she should not be feeling right now.

She knew from the start that Damien had no feelings for her and he liked someone else.

Why does she have to push through?

She just thought she could love him secretly but after what happened to them that night, she started to expect something from him. It was right to say that she was craving for more from him. She was craving a romantic relationship with Damien.

The kiss from him that night was nothing. She kissed him first and as a man, he replied.

Lira knew she had to end her feelings for him. She should be happy for them and she didn’t want to be a hindrance to their relationship.

They were good people and they were now her new family.

Meanwhile, in Adam’s room, Arabella and Adam were lying on one bed.

“Adam, Can I ask you something?” Arabella was hugging her son.

“What about it, mom?” The cute boy sounded tired.

“Hmmm… Do you like uncle Damien?” She asked.

“Of course. You and Uncle Damien were a perfect match.” Adam answered.

Sometimes Arabella questioned herself if Adam was really just a 5-year-old boy. He had all the answers to every unspoken question.

“You silly boy!” Arabella couldn’t help pinching his chubby cheeks. “Did I ask you that?” She added.

Adam just smiled at her cutely and hugged her even tighter.

“Mom, promise me. Whoever you want to love, you don’t get hurt. I don’t want to see you cry. Okay?” Adam then muttered in a very low voice that sounded like he was already half asleep.

Arabella’s heart was overwhelmed by Adam’s concern for her. She really thanked God to have a loving son like Adam. Her tears suddenly flowed while staring at the face of her cute chubby little boy who was already in his deep slumber.

Adam and Damien, they were all ready.

What about her?

It’s time for her to decide.

After pondering for a moment, Arabella sat up and fixed the quilt on Adam’s body.

Then her eyes landed on the clothes of her son on the bedside table. She remembered she had put them in there as she was in a hurry to go out to the party. She didn’t want Celine to wait for her.

She then picked up Adam’s clothes to put into the laundry bag. Just when she strode to the laundry bag’s direction, a small white card fell to the ground from Adam’s black pants.

Arabella abruptly stopped. With her brows met in the center, she picked up the card.

She remembered Adam had put something in his pocket in the restaurant.

She lifted it to see clearly the handwritten message.

‘‘Got to go. Nice to meet you, young fellow.

Bill.’

The handwritten was noble that one could easily determine that the who wrote it wasn't just ordinary.

After seeing the note, Arabella couldn’t move. She was like poured with a bucket full of ice-cold water. She shivered but her body remained stiff. The room suddenly seemed to have no air. She tried to breathe but she still felt lacking oxygen in her body. Her mind wasn’t functioning for a moment but her heart was racing so fast.

Clenching the note with her hand, her long nails dug deeply on her skin that caused her nails to break. She didn’t feel it hurt as her intense emotional displeasure aroused.

That name again!

No! It’s impossible.

Gritting her teeth, she had angrily torn the card to shreds and threw it directly to the trash bin beside her.

She then sat back to Adam’s bed and looked at him tenderly.

Now she realized why Adam said that he saw his father. Maybe because that man had the same name as his father.

She looked at her son with pity.

So, what if that man is Bill?

She also heard that name in the bar.

It’s very common.

Why does she have to go crazy with a very common name?

Arabella then promised that she would not allow that common name to affect her life. That name should be thrown also in the trash bin just like the small card.

Forget the name that it existed.

She should be happy now with Adam and Damien.

Morning came and Lira prepared their breakfast.

Good thing it’s the weekend as Arabella had no good sleep at all.

Last night, that name still followed her in her sleep. She thought she could easily throw the name in the trash bin but still, it created a nightmare. It was like a dark shadow that tailed her whenever and wherever she goes.

“Good morning, Ms. J.” Lira greeted with a smile brighter than the sun. “Coffee for you.” She added cheerfully.

Arabella was happy to see someone joyful like Lira in her house busy as a bee. It always gave her a positive vibe.

She got the cup of coffee and took a sip on it.

“You seemed to be so happy today.” Arabella uttered while taking another sip.

Then Lira sat in front of her.

“Well, I decided to tell you something.” Lira smiled at her.

“What about?” Arabella was curious. She was really excited to know what made her happy.

“I already have a boyfriend,” Lira answered excitedly.

Arabella frowned as she knew Lira was a loner type. Her everyday routine was always house-office-house.

“I met him a long time ago on a dating app and we met each other yesterday.” Lira was not good at telling lies but she had to try her best. She had to make her boss believe her so she could excuse herself with the matter of Damien and her.

“Okay. I am happy for you.” Arabella expressed her happiness by hugging her sincerely.

The dinner quickly came.

Damien picked up Arabella then they went to a fine dining restaurant.

Arabella felt a bit chilly.

Damien looked nervous but still kept his cool.

After eating, Damien ordered them wine.

They were almost finished drinking when Damien got the courage to ask her.

“Do you have the answer now?” He smiled at her to keep the cool vibe vivid.

Arabella slowly put her glass on the table. Her expression was serious. She looked at his eyes like she was connecting to his soul. She still had doubts in her eyes that she tried to settle it.

“Damien, my answer….”

“My answer is …..”

“My answer is Yes!”