The Heiress' Revenge

Chapter 201: I Love You

Ariana’s POV

"I’m sorry," I whispered, my voice sounding broken. "I’m so sorry, but I can’t do this. I can’t talk to you. I can’t look at you. I can’t be in the same room with you. Please just go.. just leave and forget you ever found me."

Dante walked toward me.

His steps were slow yet careful, like he was approaching a wild animal, afraid I would run or disappear.

"Ariana, please." His voice was shaking. "Please just let me explain, let me tell you what I’ve been through. Let me tell you how much I’ve missed you."

I shook my head. "There’s nothing to explain. There’s nothing to be sorry for. I’m the one who left. I’m the one who hid....I’m the one who let you think I was dead. You didn’t do anything wrong."

Dante knelt in front of me. He was so close I could see the tears on his cheeks. I could see the pain in his eyes.

I could see the love that had never died.

"Ariana, I don’t care why you left. I don’t care why you hid. I don’t care why you let me think you were dead; all that matters is that you’re alive. All I care about is that you’re here, that I found you."

I looked at him, the man I had left and had been running from for two years. "You shouldn’t have come. You should have married Natasha and should have moved on. You should have forgotten about me."

Dante shook his head. "I can’t. I tried too, but it didn’t work. I tried to live without you, but I can’t. Every day without you is a day in hell. I can’t breathe without you. I can’t sleep without you. I can’t live without you."

I felt the tears come harder. "Don’t say that. Don’t make this harder than it already is."

Dante grabbed my hands. His fingers were cold. His grip was desperate. "Ariana, listen to me. I don’t care what happened. I don’t care why you left, I don’t care what you’re running from. I just want you to come home, I just want you to be with me. I just want you to be with our children."

I shook my head. "I can’t"

I started crying.

Dante reached up, touching my face. His fingers brushed away my tears. "You were doing what you thought was right, and I love you for that. I’ve always loved you for that, and I forgive you"

I looked at him. "I’m sorry... I’m so sorry for leaving, I’m so sorry for hiding, I’m so sorry for letting you think I was dead."

Dante shook his head. "Don’t apologize. You did what you had to do. You sacrificed everything for us, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know how grateful I am."

I pulled my hands away.

I pushed myself off the floor.

"Ariana, please." Dante’s voice was behind me. "Please don’t walk away. Please don’t shut me out, just talk to me."

I turned to face him he was still on his knees.

On the floor.

Begging.

"I don’t know if I can do this," I said. "I don’t know if I can go back. I don’t know if I can be the woman I used to be."

Dante crawled toward me, stopping at my feet as he looked up at me with his eyes red. His face was wet. "I don’t want you to be the woman you used to be. I want you to be the woman you are now. I’ll take every part of you regardless of the circumstances, and you know that."

I sank to my knees. I was face-to-face with him, inches apart. "What if I’m not enough? What if I can’t give you what you need? What if I’m too broken to be fixed?"

Dante reached out, touching my face. His hands were shaking. "You are enough. You have always been enough and everything I’ve ever wanted, I’ve ever needed, and I’ve ever loved."

I broke.

The sob tore out of me, loud and ugly. I fell into his arms, burying my face in his chest. I held onto him like he was the only thing keeping me alive.

He held me tight with his arms wrapped around me. His chin rested on top of my head. His heart was beating against my ear.

"I’m sorry," I sobbed. "I’m so sorry for everything."

Dante kissed my head. "Don’t be sorry, just come home, come back to me... back to our children."

I pulled back, looking at him. "I’m scared."

Dante nodded. "I’m scared too, but we can be scared together, whatever it is, my love, we can face it together. We can survive anything together."

I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his. "I love you, Dante. I never stopped loving you, not for a single day."

Dante’s tears fell on my cheeks. "I love you too. I’ve loved you since the moment I met you, and I will love you until the day I die."

We stayed there for a long time on the floor, in front of the fire.

Was this finally my happy ever after?