Chapter 54: Chapter 54

JAYDEN

I watched her sit and wait for me every night at different restaurants. I watch her get pissed off and leave and I wondered if she once thought of how I felt when she left me some years back. How I had run after her, trying to make her stay. Does she ever thought of how many sleepless nights I had?. Does she ever think of the pain I passed through these past years?

I stood afar watching her sip her wine and press her phone. It's been three years since we last saw each other and she seems to be better off without me. She seems to be doing great without me. She doesn't seem to bother about me anymore.

Every morning I dropped some bunch of flowers to tell her how sorry I am and hoped to see her soon. I thought she wouldn't show up the next day but she always do. I wondered if she knew I was the one or she was here before she was curious. I wondered if she told her who her new business partner would be.

I wondered if she was here because she heard how rich her new business partner is. I wondered what she had going on in her mind. It was good to see her once more. To see her smile and get angry. To see her pissed off. To see her yell. To see her brush her hair backward as a sign of distress. It was good to see her beautiful face again.

Watching her every night, I couldn't help but remember what the last few years had been like. How I heard worked so hard to be a better person. I had always remembered her words and that had kept me going. But those last few years weren't easy ones. They were years I learned to live without her. How I learned to love my new family.

<<Flashback>>

After I missed the excursion, I returned to Washington, D.C. hoping to find out where Bella lived. My stepdad hired a private investigator to help me find her location and he succeeded but when I got there, I had a change of mind.

She doesn't want to see me. She doesn't care about me. Everything she told me about loving me, they were all lies. She never loved me as she told me. I turned back and returned home.

It took days trying to get over her. Everything I touched reminded me so much about her. My mom tried to make me go back to school but I wouldn't. That was the first place I met her. We spent so much time together there. St. Vincent will always remind me of her. I couldn't return.

Ethan wouldn't go back to school too. He was worried I might go into depression. He couldn't leave me to be alone. I realized staying indoor won't help matters so I decided to return to St. Vincent. Not because I wanted to but I want Ethan to go back. I wanted him to finish up his school and take over his dad's company. I wanted him to be happy.

Going back to school was a bit difficult but with the help of my friends and my new family, I did it. We graduated and returned to Washington, D.C.

I was afraid I might come in contact with Bella since she stays there so I left for Paris with the help of my mom. She said I needed a change of location and New York wasn't the right place either. I could meet with Bella in New York too.

I couldn't let Ethan go with me. He needed to stay back and take care of his father's company. Getting to Paris, I joined a dancing school. My stepdad offered to help me open an art gallery but I refused. I needed to make my money myself. All I asked of him was his support. He can introduce me to people who would help me get recognition when I get to open my gallery myself.

While dancing on stage, I got signed up for modeling. Though I refused at first, I accepted after my mom urged me to. She told me I could do well with the pay I get from the modeling shoots. I accepted the offer and a year later, I was able to open up my art gallery.

Years past and I kept growing. I got recognitions too. I was known in so many places and my face appears on billboards and magazines. Everything seems ok but something was still missing. I wasn't complete and I knew Bella was the only one who could complete me.

So many times my manager had tried to hook me up with some classic girls but none was up to my standard. None had what I saw in Bella. None was beautiful like she is. I kept pushing them away. Ethan tried to hook me up also but I wasn't going to forget about Bella. Never!!.

I had tried so many times but I couldn't. I couldn't take her off my mind. She was the best thing that has happened to me and I won't stop loving her. I kept working so hard, believing I wasn't good enough for her yet. I had felt I wasn't good enough for her, maybe that's the reason she left in the first place.

Maybe she left because I wasn't rich like her dad. I wasn't popular like she is. I worked hard hoping to be better and richer so that when we meet, she won't have reason to leave me.

An opportunity came when I met her mom. She was surprised to see me. It was on one of my business trips. They had wanted to collaborate with art galleries and they wanted my company. When my manager told me that, at first I rejected the offer.

I don't want to have anything to do with their company. But when she traveled from Washington, D.C. to Paris just to see me, I realized they needed it badly. I decided to take it to my advantage. I reject seeing her twice but she kept showing up.

I scheduled an appointment with her and when she saw me, she was shocked. "You've changed, Jay" she blurted out. I was happy to see her surprise at who I had become. "It's good to see you again, Jay"

I nodded in agreement. "How have you been, ma'am"

She was happy to see me and told me her reason for wanting a collaboration with an art gallery. She was afraid Bella would not get married and she was getting old. Since Bella loved art, she thought collaborating with an art gallery might make her change her mind. She wanted an art gallery owned by a male. Maybe luck will shine on her and Bella will fall in love once more.

She told me how she had prevented Bella from calling me or seeing me. How she had run away so many times. She told me how Bella had tried to come to my convocation and lost her dad in the process. After her dad's death, she had spent time at the office and had prevented any man from entering her life.

She said she regretted stopping Bella from loving me. She regretted threatening to hurt me if Bella keeps seeing me. She said she had never seen her daughter fall in love with anyone this deep. She had never seen her daughter cry and beg so much about someone. She said she was the reason, Bella left and she had been trying to cover up for what she had done. She said she came right away when she had I own an art gallery. That was the reason she picked mine. She wanted to correct what she had spoilt and hoped I haven't stopped loving her cause Bella never stopped loving me. She told me how she sneaks to buy the magazines having my pictures on them.

Hearing all this, I realized I was wrong. Bella left not because she doesn't love me but because she loves me and wants the best for me. She left to protect me. She left to make me a better person.

"How is Bella" that was the only thing I could ask. I agreed to come back to Washington, D.C.

If coming back to Washington, D.C. will make me see Bella once more, I was ready to return to Washington, D.C.

<<Flashback ends>>

Seeing her after those years, she seems happy and I doubted if she missed me as her mom said. I decided to let her see me. I wanted to know if she still cares about me.

**

I stepped down from the car and walked into the restaurant. I do not want Bella getting pissed off so I got there before she did. I was seated, and waiting for her. I was a bit nervous. It's been three years since I last talked to her.

Some minutes later, she walked in. She was beautiful as usual. I smiled as she walked closer to me. She froze when she saw me. "Jay!!!" She called

I stood up. "It's good to see...". She hugged me and I stopped talking. I hugged her back. I realized how much I have missed her.

"I-i'm sorry. I-i'm so sorry" her voice cracked and I could tell she was in tears.

I raised her chin and kissed her. We devour each other's lips showing how much we've missed each other. I stopped kissing her and she sniffed. "I missed you. I thought I wasn't going to see you anymore" I said, caressing her face.

"I'm..."

"Hey, stop crying. Don't make me cry"

She smiled. "I missed you too"

I hugged her for the second time. It's a good thing she still loves me.