561 You Are Protecting Elijah
[I thought you were a busy man, when did you have the time to create that?]
Arianna referred to the gif.
She found his gazebo and decided to spend time there. Moreover, her chat with Marcel was becoming interesting and she didnât want to miss out on it. So she settled down on the seat, her eyes glued to the screen of her phone, and Marcelâs answer came out quickly as usual.
[Iâll never be too busy for you]
[What a sweet talker. How many ladies have you won over with those words]
It was ridiculous.
Arianna didnât even know why she typed those words, but she just wanted to know. Was she that special or had there been a more special woman in his life before her arrival? Marcel might have told her that she was his first love, but she was a kid then and didnât fully comprehend the concept, of âloveâ. In one word, she just wanted to know. Arianna wanted to know her place in his heart was unshakeable.
[None]
Marcel answered curtly and Arianna was a bit disappointed. He could have said more words, you know. However, to her surprise, Marcel dropped another message and her prayer was answered.
.....
[Youâre the first woman Iâm in a romantic relationship with. All of the women in my life were there for one purpose and that was to satisfy my sexual urges and needs. However, the moment I laid my eyes on you in that coffee shop, my soul resonated deep inside of me and I just knew it, you are worth much more than the others. You are not just here to scratch my itch Arianna, you are here to last a lifetime.]
Words failed Arianna the moment she read those words. If she ever had any doubts concerning Marcelâs feelings for her, it was cleared at that moment. And she couldnât keep lying to him either, Arianna had to tell him about Elijah.
[I need to ask you something] She typed, [Promise not to be angry]
[I promise my love, anything for you]
Arianna took a deep breath, it was now or never. So she began to type down,
[If Elijah were to return your weapons, would you let him go?]
Ariannaâs heart began to pound in her throat the moment she sent those words and when the blue dots showed Marcel received them, her anxiety increased.
She saw the floating dots showing that Marcel was typing, but then he suddenly went offline and her stomach dropped. Marcel was angry, she was sure of that.
Her palms became clammy and Arianna was still wondering what she was going to do when Marcel came online again and her hope grew, perhaps he wasnât as mad as she thought.
Ding!
He sent a message to her
[Where are you?]
Arianna swallowed down the lump in her throat. Marcel wanted to see her. It did not sound good, nonetheless, she answered,
[In the gazebo]
And he went offline.
At once, Arianna fortified herself mentally knowing an interrogation was forthcoming. This was the reason she couldnât tell Marcel about Elijah, he was irrational. She let Marcel decide Macy, why couldnât he listen to her when it comes to Elijah?
Macy was a great help to Marcel and in like manner, Elijah was the same to her too. He saved her from Big Joe and was her boyfriend. She couldnât just let Marcel end his life because of their feud when they could settle this civilly. No, she would never look at Marcel the same way if he killed Elijah out of his petty jealousy.
Perhaps, Elijah was right, she would never be free no matter how Marcel sugar-coated it.
Marcel arrived and his jaw was set and held her with a stern look. Here, they go.
âMarcel....â
However, Marcel boxed her in, his hands on either side of her as he demanded, âTell me, what do you know about Elijah?â
âWhat?â Arianna acted clueless, âWhat are you talking about?â
âDonât take me for a fool, Arianna,â He hissed through gritted teeth, âIâve been with you long enough to know youâre only curious when youâve caught up to something. What is it you know about Elijah?â
âNo, I know nothing,â
âArianna!â He screamed at her face, close to losing control.
âItâs nothing!â Arianna shouted back, âI was only thinking that I could find him and if that were to happen, would you be willing to let him go if I convince him to release your guns,â She gave him her initial plans until Elijah himself decided to reveal himself to her.
âYou are not going to go near him! â Marcel growled an order â one that she wasnât willing to obey.
âThat is unreasonable! What if there was a way to resolve all of this without bloodshed?!â
âThat is not possible. I have justice to deliver, Elijah killed enough of my men, he would pay that in blood and....â Marcel suddenly trailed off as if he realized something.
Arianna let out an involuntary gasp when he suddenly hooked his fist around her hair, thinking Marcel was about to hurt her â and her worst nightmare came through. The thought that Marcel was just like his father scared her.
However, Marcel only lifted her face so he was able to look her in the eyes. He muttered, âYou are protecting him,â
And it was the truth. Arianna didnât bother to hide it because he saw it in her eyes.
âDo you still love him?â He asked, to her shock.
âWhat? Of course, not!â
She tried to say to him but Marcel pulled away from her.
However Arianna was persistent and managed to cup his cheek and said,
âI love you with every fiber of my being, Marcel,â She hoped he saw it.
âBut not enough to let go of Elijah,â Marcel said coldly, releasing her grip on him and turned to leave
âNo, Marcel, listen -â
âI need some time alone,â Marcel stopped her from coming after him and left her alone.
Arianna thought her heart was breaking into a million pieces and she released a frustrated roar. This was not supposed to go like this. How could they go from a happy couple to this? She doesnât even know what happens next.