Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas) novel Chapter 601

"Ariana!"

Nicholas caught up with me from behind, his warm hand grasping mine. I wasn't sure if it was from nervousness or the heat, but his palm was damp.

"Ariana, don't go back to Tabitha's room. Sleep in a different room instead."

I rolled my eyes in my mind. After all this time, he was still thinking about the same things...

I pulled my hand free without responding, assuming he was trying to convince me to move back to the master bedroom.

But then he said nonchalantly, "Let Wendy stay in the next room to watch over Tabitha. We should treat her like any other normal child."

"What?" I thought I'd heard wrong and questioned him repeatedly.

"A normal child?" I stopped in my tracks, staring at him in disbelief. "How am I supposed to treat her like a normal child?"

"She's not as fragile as you think. Trust me. I know!"

I forced a smile, but there was no warmth in my eyes. Even my usually controlled tone became cold.

"You know? What exactly do you know? How many days have you spent taking care of her? What do you know? Have you ever called her name over and over, only for her not to respond at all?

"Have you ever felt the despair of longing for just one hug from her, only to find it completely out of reach? Have you ever seen her crouch on the floor, screaming in fear and discomfort, triggered by the slightest sound, light, or touch in the house?"

I let out a bitter laugh, a sharp pain welling up in my chest. "You really do know a lot."

"Ariana, can we talk? Can you stop rejecting me like this? We've barely said anything, and you're already trying to walk away. Even if I'm wrong in so many ways, you have to give me a chance to apologize. You won't even let me say sorry. Ariana, I genuinely want to fix our relationship."

His tall figure loomed over me, his deep eyes locking onto mine. He did not attempt to hide the affection in his eyes.

I used to think his gaze had a sort of magic to it, that it could pierce through the heart. I admired him back then, always thinking I couldn't hide anything from him. I wondered now if he could still see through to the heart that'd grown cold.

Avoiding him would seem deliberate, so I met his stare head-on, refusing to back down. I enunciated each word with defiance, "It's better if we keep our distance."

I was clearly rejecting him. But without saying a word, his arms slipped around my waist, pulling me into a tight embrace.

Only when I struggled did he explain, "I'm sorry, I couldn't hold back. I really want to hold you. Do you remember this place? The last time it snowed, we kissed right here. I pushed you down into the snow. You were cold toward me then, too, but I knew you didn't reject my body. You even liked it..."