Chapter 35

Adrian smiled after hearing her, she was back, she remembered, but the rush was too much for her that she fell limp in his arms immediately he panicked.

“Call the doctor” he screamed at Nicholas who was also stunned by her words.

Daria was rushed upstairs to her room, before the doctor would arrive she was already awake, with Adrian and Nicholas on each side of the bed.

“She seems to have recalled everything” the doctor said, “what do you mean by that” Nicholas' brows furrowed.

“I’ll tell them” Jacob stopped, the doctor.

“Eight years ago on our way back to England our plane crashed, her mother, my daughter died and Daria suffered a trauma to the head that made her loose her memories, every effort to help her recall only made things worse, so I decided to stop in hopes that one day she will remember, I couldn’t loose any more children” he said.

“Why didn’t you tell me” Daria asked, “I was protecting, you I didn’t want you to get worse or completely loose your mind” 

On hearing this Nicholas stormed out of the room, everything was a mess, and he needed to clear his head.

In the evening 

Daria walked over to Nicholas room, and he opened the door, “can we talk” she said and he reluctantly let her in.

“What is it” Nicholas said calmly, “I now understand why you did what you did, and I would do the same if I was in your shoes” she paused looking up at him and taking a step forward.

“What you experienced can never be justified, but I would have preferred if you had come to me, and asked me” she said moving closer.

“Stop, I know what I did was wrong but I don’t regret it and I would do it again if I need to” he said.

Brushing his hair back, “I am only being nice to you now because you helped bring him back, but that doesn’t change the fact that you were the reason it all happened in the first place” he added.

“Nicholas whatever happened that day I had no control over it, I would never willingly hurt someone like that” she explained reaching out for him, but Nicholas avoided her touch.

“I just wanted to know if any of it was real, the beach confession, the romance, your feelings, our marriage was any of it real” “did you really love me, or was it still your plan” she asked her voice beginning to break.

“None of it was real, I did it for my brother, one thing was definitely real, the hatred I had for you” he answered.

“Okay, thank you for everything it felt real to me” Daria replied.

“But there’s one thing that has to remain real” she said.

“Our marriage, just like you said we would only be a couple to the world while we live our separate lives” she continued, “we will file for divorce after one year, then we will call it quits”.

“Deal?” She stretched her hand towards him, “deal” he replied without receiving her hand.

“And my brother, he still loves you” he said as she was about to walk out, “I can’t draw him into another lie, I don’t how I feel anymore” she replied and left.

At the dinner table, it was just Nicholas and Daria arrived together to keep up appearances with Jacob.

Adrian quickly stood up and pulled out a chair just at the same time that Nicholas did, confused Daria sat on the seat next to Jacob, “l would like to eat with my dad tonight it has been too long” she said.

The entire dinner was filled with nothing but silence, but Adrian wasn’t having it.

“Mr jones, what type of sport do you like” Adrian tried to lighten up the mood.

“Ahh I am an old soccer fan, I used to play in my days” Jacob boasted, as he laughed and till the end of dinner Jacob and Adrian filled the silence with their mansplaining.

Daria stood at the balcony facing the, moon as she stared into the darkness, “can I join in” Adrian voice brought her back.

“Yeah” she nodded, “I know there’s so many unanswered questions between us, and I will wait when your ready but there’s one thing I need to know”.

“Why did you leave that day” he asked, Daria looked up at him “I had just received my letter that night continued the college I always dreamed off but I needed to be there the very next day” she said.

“That day we had the biggest fight in our relationship, I tried to reach out to you to give you the Goodnews but you were not talking to me so I left letter explaining everything, I didn’t check to see if you got it, and I’m sorry” she continued.

“And that’s when the accident happened” he said, and she smiled in affirmation.

“Do you remember we used to walk in this very garden, as we described our future together”he turned to her,

“We could start again, we could fulfill those dreams we always wanted to have“ his eyes softened and his voice soothing.

“Daria, we could forget all this behind, let’s start all over” he took her hands and they locked eyes.

Daria felt her heart flutter, the urge to fall into his arms and let herself go began to feel her mind, but there was a restraint a feeling, faint but evident that she couldn’t deny.

“I….I don’t know what to say, I’m not sure I…” she fumbled as she spoke, her mind told her to give in but her heart just didn’t know what it wanted

Adrian squeezed her hand, “you don’t have to answer now”, “I will wait till whenever your ready, just know that I still love you always have and always will” he gently caressed her cheek as he leaned in and placed a kiss on her bottom lip.

Daria fluttered as her breath seized with how close they were and her eyes wondered and stopped at Nicholas walking away from the shed behind the house with Ludwig in tow, she knew had seen everything.