Tears of Endurance (Romantic Drama) Book #1

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Tears of Endurance (Romantic Drama) Book #1 Page 12

by Torrens, D. G.


  She was meeting Casey for lunch later that day and couldn’t wait to update her on the past week. Arianna was floating on cloud nine and that’s where she wanted to remain. She didn’t want anything to burst her bubble, she wanted to enjoy every single moment of it. Happiness was worth far more than all the money in the world, she told herself. It was priceless. Love was a feeling so powerful she could feel its magic working, coursing through her veins at such a speed she felt giddy for most of the time. Arianna arrived home to a ton of messages, including one from her mum, requesting an urgent call back. She kicked off her shoes, pressed redial and waited for an answer. “Sofia speaking,” said Arianna’s mum.

  “Hey mum, it’s me, Arianna. What’s so urgent?”

  “I have the best news, Arianna. I told you I would keep an eye out for some fabulous weekend breaks to Dublin. Well, I have found the perfect one and as I couldn’t get hold of you, I went ahead and booked. It was such a great deal I didn’t want us to miss out. I booked us into a four star hotel with a swimming pool, gym and spa. It’s right in the heart of Dublin city and I booked a two-night stay. So tell me I did well.”

  Arianna went silent before replying. Of course she wanted to go away with her mother, she just wished it were a couple of months down the line. Not wanting her mum to know her thoughts, she gave her a big well done and told her how excited she was. “You did great, mum, I really can’t wait. So when do we leave exactly?”

  “The last weekend of May, darling, in two weeks time. I am guessing your passport is up to date.”

  “Oh mum, of course it is. The last weekend of May is perfect, and we can spend some much-needed quality time together.”

  “Arianna, I am heading off into town shopping for a new outfit for our trip. Is there anything you would like me to pick up for you, darling?”

  “No, no, I have everything I need, mum, but thanks anyway.”

  Arianna said goodbye to her mother and slumped down into her chair. She was happy about the trip but sad that she would be away from Ben over a weekend for two whole days. She made a quick change and rushed over to the gallery to open shop and wait for her first delivery of the day, which was due at 9 a.m.

  By one o’clock, Arianna was up to date at the gallery. She turned the sign over on the door, locked up and headed straight to the Coleshill Hotel to meet Casey for a long overdue lunch. Casey had already ordered drinks and was sitting by the window.

  “Hey, it’s good to see you. Now, come on, I want to hear everything and don’t leave a single thing out,” said Casey.

  Arianna spent the next hour updating Casey on her relationship with Ben. Casey was more than excited and let out the odd “Wow, really” comment from time to time. Casey was genuinely happy for her friend and couldn’t wait to meet the delectable Ben. She decided she would invite them both for dinner soon, after running it past Andrew first, just in case he was flying. “It’s so good to finally see you happy, Arianna. Ben sounds just right for you and, more importantly, just what you need.” Arianna took a sip of her drink and checked her messages while Casey made a call to the Ladies. She smiled as she opened a message from Ben.

  Hi beautiful,

  I missed seeing your face this morning. Thank you for last night, have a wonderful day. X

  Arianna sighed with delight at Ben’s message and an image of them in bed the night before ran through her mind teasingly. Sporting a wide smile, she pinged a quick message back to him.

  Hi Ben,

  Last night was wonderful, perfect in fact. Thinking of you. x

  “Hey, Casey, I forgot to tell you, I’m off to Dublin in a couple of weeks with my mum. God love her, she’s only booked us into a hotel for two days in the heart of the city. We are well overdue some quality time together. So if you want me to pick up a bottle of duty free perfume for you, let me know.”

  Casey shifted in her seat while reaching for a pen and paper from her huge handbag. “Guilty by Gucci, it’s an incredibly alluring smell; Andrew loves it and he can’t get enough of me when I’m wearing it!” Casey smiled as she handed over the piece of paper.

  “I can only imagine, I know what you two are like.” Arianna laughed as she slipped the paper into the side of her purse. “How on earth do you carry that bag around with you all day, Casey? It’s huge, you have everything in there bar the kitchen sink.”

  “This is called a mummy bag; trust me, when you eventually have children, and you will, then you will also be sporting a bag like mine daily. It’s a necessity. I have wipes for mucky faces, snacks to blackmail the mucky faces and a bottle of water to quench the thirst of mucky faces. My bag is filled with change for any rides we pass in supermarkets, two small colouring pads and a set of crayons and that’s just for starters,” replied Casey.

  After a much-needed catch up, Arianna and Casey parted ways and went about their day. Arianna meandered on back to the gallery and waited for her next lot of deliveries, which were due any time soon. She couldn’t concentrate on work at all; Ben was taking over her every thought. Is this what the real thing feels like? she wondered as she flicked through some rogue paperwork. Her thoughts briefly turned to Tristan and she smiled as she remembered her portfolio. She still couldn’t believe he had gone to so much trouble for her. Arianna thought Tristan needed a woman in his life, he too was a good catch and a very decent guy, and he deserved the love of a good woman. Arianna loved the closeness between Ben and Tristan; it was so apparent they respected and loved each other deeply and she very much admired that.

  Chapter nineteen

  Arianna shut the front door behind her and dragged her heavy weekend bag up the stairs. She felt tired and beat after a very energetic weekend in Dublin with her mother, who had dragged her from one end of Dublin to the other, wanting to pack as much in as possible during their stay. She couldn’t wait to see Ben; she’d missed him so much and just wanted to feel his lips on hers. Ben was due to pick her up at eight o’clock and she was going to spend the night with him. Just the thought of his strong arms wrapped tightly around her made her feel weak at the knees. She had a quick shower and changed her clothes before running over to her gallery to collect her post.

  Ben parked up outside Arianna’s house just before eight and hurriedly climbed out of the car and knocked the door. Arianna came running down the stairs as fast as she could, opened the door, and jumped on him, wrapping her legs tightly around him. “God, I’ve missed you,” Ben said, holding her tightly.

  “I’ve missed you too, Ben.” Arianna kissed Ben with all the passion she could muster and Ben reciprocated wantonly.

  “Do you have everything you need?”

  “Yes, I’ve packed an overnight bag, I’m all set.”

  Ben had made a reservation at his favourite restaurant Estillos at the Mail Box and wanted to surprise Arianna, who thought she was having a takeaway at Ben’s. Being away from her for three whole days made him realise how much he was in love with her and he wanted to tell her for the first time over dinner. He wanted it to be a special moment and one she would always remember. Such an open declaration of love needed to be made in just the right surroundings, thought Ben, and he couldn’t wait to look her in the eyes and reveal his feelings to her.

  Ben parked the car and when Arianna climbed out, he directed her towards the canals. She looked at him, very confused. “I am taking you to dinner tonight. It’s one of my favourite restaurants and I wanted to surprise you.” Ben smiled mischievously.

  “So you really did miss me then,” replied Arianna.

  As they walked along the canal arm in arm towards Estillos, Ben stopped dead in his tracks and spun Arianna around to face him. “I was going to say this in the restaurant, but right here, by the canal seems like the perfect moment. I love you, Arianna. You make my heart beat faster than it can cope with, every single minute of every day.” Ben looked into her beautiful eyes trying to gauge her thoughts; he shifted nervously on his feet.

  “I love you too, Ben.”

 
He picked her up and spun her around some more before continuing to the Mail Box. They spent an intimate two hours over a spectacular dinner before heading back to Ben’s, where they made love well into the early hours of the morning, exploring every inch of each other’s body until they collapsed exhausted and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  The following morning, Ben was startled from a deep sleep by his door bell ringing. He slipped out of bed quietly and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind him. “Morning, Tristan. What are you doing here, is everything okay?”

  Tristan’s face displayed a look of concern he was unable to hide. “Ben, we arranged to go fishing today remember. Had you forgotten?”

  Ben was confused. He could not recollect any plans to go fishing with Tristan at all, and no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn’t remember. “Oh Tristan, I’m really sorry, I completely forgot. Sorry. I think falling in love has fried my brain. Come in.”

  Tristan wasn’t convinced for a single moment. This was so unlike Ben. Prior to the accident, he never forgot a single word that came out of anyone’s mouth, much less a conversation he’d held with someone, or an arrangement he’d made. This was becoming far too frequent as far as Tristan was concerned and he decided he needed to speak with Arianna soon. He would need to get her on her own and ask her to keep an eye on him to see if she noticed anything odd too.

  “Arianna stayed last night, Tristan, she’s asleep in my room.” At that moment Arianna made an appearance, her hair all ruffled and wearing Ben’s white shirt. “Hi, Tristan,” said Arianna as she made her way towards the bathroom.

  Tristan thought she looked even more beautiful first thing in the morning. He felt the all too familiar tug in his heart and looked away from her back to Ben. “Well, looks like our fishing trip is off then.”

  “No, not at all. Arianna’s heading off to work soon. Just hang around for a while and we can go after breakfast. I’m famished.”

  Tristan sat out on the balcony while Arianna and Ben showered and dressed.

  Arianna came out of the shower first and made her way to the kitchen to pour herself a coffee. “Arianna, could I have a private word with you while Ben is showering?”

  “Of course, fire away.”

  “Look, just recently I’ve noticed Ben is becoming rather forgetful. I’m worried about him, Arianna. Will you keep an eye on him for me? Let me know if you notice anything odd or out of the ordinary. He’s been forgetting whole conversations that only took place days before. This is so unlike him, Arianna,” pleaded Tristan.

  “Of course I will, Tristan. I have to say I haven’t noticed anything myself, but I will keep a vigilant eye on him. Don’t worry, Tristan, I’m sure he’s fine. And don’t forget, it’s only been a few months since the accident.”

  “Yes I know, Arianna, but still, just keep an eye out for my sake, okay.”

  “Of course I will, it goes without saying. I promise if anything out of the ordinary occurs, you will be the first to know, Tristan,” reassured Arianna.

  Ben walked into the kitchen and gave Arianna his car keys. She finished her coffee, kissed him goodbye, smiled sincerely at Tristan and headed out of the door. Tristan remained on the balcony and watched as Arianna climbed into Ben’s car and drove off. He was falling for her big time and he had no control over his feelings whatsoever, he was powerless. He was being held hostage by his heart and he was finding it increasingly difficult by the day.

  “Isn’t she amazing, Tristan? I told her I was in love with her last night. And guess what, she loves me too. I feel like the luckiest man in the whole world right now.”

  Tristan smiled and told Ben he was really happy for him; deep down his own heart was fractured.

  Over the next few months, Arianna and Ben’s relationship became stronger and more intense. They were inseparable and were already making plans to move in together. Ben was suffering very little now from the accident and felt fully recovered. He decided he was going to propose to Arianna on their six-month anniversary. Why wait, he thought. I know she is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I love her more than life itself. He decided to go in search for the perfect engagement ring and decided to drag Tristan along.

  Tristan had kept his distance over the last few months and this had not gone unnoticed by Ben. In fact, it had angered him at times as he seemed to have developed a rather curt attitude towards Arianna for no apparent reason. He couldn’t understand what had gotten into him. He was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong that he was not telling him about. He made a mental note to try to get to the bottom of it. Tristan was spending more and more time in his studio, working late into the evenings and right through the weekends. He was turning into what Ben used to be like before the accident, not wanting to go out anymore in favour of working. It was so unlike him, and he couldn’t remember the last time Tristan actually went on a date or even mentioned a woman. Ben knew something wasn’t right, he just had no idea what or why. He picked up his mobile phone and dialled Tristan’s number.

  “Tristan, it’s Ben. Look, I need a huge favour and I won’t take no for an answer.”

  “What is it, Ben?”

  “Well, I have decided to ask Arianna to marry me, I am going to propose to her on our six-month anniversary, and I would like your help in selecting the perfect ring.”

  There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Tristan was speechless. He felt like his heart had been torn out brutally from his body. He wanted to scream down the phone, he wanted to let his feelings out right there and then; but he knew he couldn’t, he knew it would be futile. Arianna was in love with Ben and her feelings for him were no more than that of a brother at best.

  “Tristan, are you still there? Did you hear what I said? A ‘congratulations, Ben’ would do just fine.”

  “Sorry, Ben, I was in the middle of something when you called. I was distracted trying to finish off. Congratulations, you make the perfect couple, I am really happy for you.”

  “I am planning to go down to the Jewellery Quarter one day in the week. Can you please make yourself available, Tristan? I could really do with your advice on this one. I will throw in lunch, my treat, how about it?” pleaded Ben.

  “Yes sure, make it Thursday, okay? I will have completed my project by then.”

  “Okay, thanks, Tristan. I really appreciate it. This is a huge step for me, as you well know. Meet me at my apartment around ten o’clock Thursday morning, okay.”

  “Sure no problem, I will be there,” replied Tristan.

  Tristan banged his head down on his desk several times, tormented by the thoughts running amok through his mind. He wanted nothing more than to rip his heart out. He hated not being in control, he hated himself for falling in love with Arianna. If he could change the way he felt, he would do it in a heart beat. But he wasn’t in control and there was nothing he could do.

  Chapter twenty

  Arianna had been feeling under the weather lately, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She was off her food and some days she woke up suffering from nausea. She was beginning to wonder if she’d picked up a virus. She’d finally gotten around to making a doctor’s appointment, just for a routine check up. She convinced herself she’d been working way too hard and not sleeping nearly enough since meeting Ben. She had glided through the last several months on adrenalin.

  As she walked into the busy surgery and took a seat in the far corner of the room, she glanced around at all the people waiting to be seen. Mostly old people; she wondered at their lives and if they were happy. Ageing had always fascinated Arianna; she wasn’t afraid of growing old but she was afraid of growing old alone.

  “Miss Ferria, room four please,” said a voice over the speaker.

  Arianna nervously made her way to Dr Price’s room, took a seat, and waited patiently while he flicked through his notes.

  “Okay, Miss Ferria, what can I do for you today?”

  Arianna explained wha
t was wrong and how she’d been feeling for some time. She told him about her nausea, her lack of appetite and lacklustre energy. After hearing Arianna’s list of ailments, he started writing in his notes and then looked up.

  Arianna waited patiently for his advice. “When was your last period?”

  Arianna was perplexed by his question, coming out of the blue as it did. She did a mental calculation in her head and then realised it had been five weeks.

  “It was five weeks ago,” she replied nervously.

  Dr Price asked Arianna a few more questions and once he’d finished writing in her notes, he glanced up at her.

  “Okay, Miss Ferria, I will need you to take a pregnancy test for me today to confirm my thoughts. Are you okay with that?”

  Arianna was confused. She was not sure what she had been expecting but it certainly wasn’t a pregnancy test. She thought he would prescribe her some pills, and then bid her good day. But having calculated her last period and discovering it was five weeks ago, she suddenly felt like she was standing on a precipice, about to free fall.

  “Yes, that’s fine. So do you think I may be pregnant, Dr Price?”

  “It’s likely, however, I cannot confirm for sure until I have your pregnancy results. I will need you to provide me with a urine sample. The test is very accurate and we shall have your results in ten minutes.” Dr Price buzzed for the nurse, who came promptly and showed Arianna to another room. A few minutes later, Arianna was sitting in front of Dr. Price once again. Shifting on her seat nervously, she felt like she’d been thrown into the twilight zone. This just can’t be real, she thought to herself, starting to panic inwardly while trying, with all she had, to remain calm on the surface.

 

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