Chapter 68
Alaia
Chris greeted me and invited me on stage. My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. Tino, Ash, and Loli followed behind me.
“Happy birthday,” he said, and I thanked him, thrilled to be able to hug him. “This song has a special dedication to you. He wants you to know this way,” he smiled and guided me to stand right in front of the stage as the melody of “MY UNIVERSE” began to play.
You (you), you are (you are) my universe.
And I (I) just want (just want) to put you first.
And you (you), you are (you are) my universe, and I…
Fly with you
When I’m without you, I’m crazy.
Come and take my hand.
We are made for each other, baby.
Without being in control of myself, I felt goosebumps as I listened to the lyrics. The other people sang and danced while I was solely focused on the song. I felt someone’s gaze and started searching for the energy that attracted me. That was when I noticed, higher up from the stage, there was a VIP area where Nick was watching me while holding a drink, occasionally sipping from it. Our eyes remained locked, and I didn’t know what to do with what I was feeling. I took a new glass of a sweet cocktail that Ash handed me while dancing.
The concert ended after several songs, and I saw Nick finishing his drink and leaving the VIP area. I felt a bit emboldened by the alcohol in my veins and decided to go thank him. I thought I should walked, looking for the place where the entrance to the area where Nick should be. I went backstage and found Coldplay’s technicians bustling around. The band members were leaving the stage and cheerfully saying goodbye to someone I couldn’t see.
“It was a pleasure,” they said, shaking hands and hugging Nick.
“Happy birthday, have an amazing night,” Chris said again with that British accent I love, and I hugged him. They left, and I was left alone with Nick.
“You didn’t have to,” I said.
“You love them,” he drank from a new glass, and I nodded, biting my lip inside.
“I’d do anything to see you happy.” He walked slowly towards me, and I clutched the fabric of my dress for some reason. He took my hand and made me look at him. “I know you still feel something for me,” he said, caressing my face.
“No,” it came out as a faint sound, and I avoided his gaze.
“Tell me you’ve stopped loving me, that you’ve forgotten me, that you’ve forgotten the guy who loved you madly and still does with every fiber of his being.” His hand moved from my face to my waist.
“This shouldn’t be happening p>
“Tell me you don’t love me, Alaia, and I’ll let you go, even if it costs me my life.” He lifted my chin, so I looked at him, but I was unable to speak. That was when his lips crashed into mine, and feeling my body light, I let myself go. His hands roamed my back, and mine did the same.
His tongue was into my mouth, taking me into a cloud. The kiss was eager, and a slight moan escaped me as I felt the hardness in his pants. We separated our lips to catch our breath.
“I have to go,” I took a step back.
“Shhh,” Nick whispered, taking my lips again. I got lost in that kiss and touched the muscles of his arms while a tingle invaded my stomach and skin.
“Come to my house tonight,” he proposed when he pulled away from me. We heard voices behind us, and he left a short kiss on my lips before leaving while looking at the people who were looking for me.
“Aly, princess,” Tino took me by the arm. “Your ex outdid himself with his gift, and the song, my goodness, how romantic it was. I would have already fallen flat on my face p>
I looked at him. Damn, I did fall, like an i***t.
“Come on, I didn’t say anything. You missed Coldplay’s exit; they were amazing. They took some photos with us, look.” He showed me the photos on his phone, and Ash looked in the direction where Nick went and then at me.
We returned to the hall.
“Nick is already getting on my nerves. Where were you?” Cedric said, and I cleared my throat.
“I was saying goodbye to the guys, just let it go,” I responded, buying time. What did I just do?
The evening continued and the girl with Will introduced another woman to Nick; however, he only looked at him while the woman tried to talk to him. I stopped looking at him and focused on those presents, although my eyes betrayed me from time to time.
The night ended, and we all went home. I noticed Nick heading to his car once he said goodbye. My mother took the kids a couple of hours ago; they were tired.
When we got home, I went up to my room and threw my shoes into a corner of the closet. I let my dress fall and went to find pajamas.
“Come to my house tonight,” the words repeated in my mind over and over. I shook my head. and went to bed after changing and removing my makeup.
I settled next to my children, watching the dark sky full of stars through my window.
Nick
The night turned out better than I expected. I managed to contact Chris as soon as we received the invitation to her birthday, a date I’ve remembered year after year, on which I drank until I lost myself in a bar. But this time, being able to see her and be close to her had to be special. I remembered that I would take her to one of their concerts for our wedding anniversary, the same one where she would tell me she was pregnant with our children. This time, I decided to bring the concert to her. I spoke directly with Darius to tell him what I was planning. He laughed, remembering his smile and his look.
“You have a wedding to stop,” he mentioned before taking his phone to call Alaia’s birthday organizer.
I must say that a sharp pain settled in my chest when Cedric made the engagement official, but that didn’t stop me. I’m not going to stop, especially now that I kissed her, that she couldn’t tell me she doesn’t love me, that her body and lips received me the way they did.
“Do you have anything to do after this ends?” the girl Will just introduced to me asked, distracting me from watching the woman I love, although Alaia didn’t seem to pay attention to what I was doing, to my disappointment.
“Actually, yes,” I responded politely.
“What a shame,” she commented, running her nails over her neckline, but my eyes didn’t leave her face.
It was time to leave, and I just wanted to go home, although the probability of Alaia accepting my proposal was minimal.
I got into my car and drove to my house. I opened the door when I heard a car entering the driveway. With furrowed brows, I turned to see the car and didn’t understand what Will was doing there.
He got out of the car and walked towards me.
“I thought you’d be in some hotel with that girl,” I said, entering the house.
“I thought so too,” he said.
“And?” I poured him a drink.
“I don’t know what the hell happened, but I stopped finding her attractive all of a sudden and didn’t want to f**k her,” I frowned, and a look of amusement appeared on my face.
“You?” I asked, about to laugh.
“Yes, me,” he huffed and drank his drink. “She lives nearby, I dropped her off at her house, and I decided to spend the night here if that’s okay p>
I shook my head. Half an hour had passed; I knew she wouldn’t come.
“How did it go with Alaia?” He reclined back on the couch.
“I invited her to come after kissing her,” I said with a smile.
“No way,” he expressed disbelief and looked at me. “And what am I doing here? Why didn’t you tell me to leave as soon as I entered this house p>
“She won’t come,” I assured him, and he nodded.
“Damn, Alaia is tough. You’ve risked everything for her, moved heaven and earth, and she still won’t even listen to you,” he commented, pouring himself another drink.
“That’s what made me fall in love with her, and I know what I’m up against,” I said.
“Love does crazy things. Throw me off a cliff if I ever behave like this,” he pointed at me up and down with one hand. “I would have given up by now p>
“You haven’t fallen in love, Will,” I sighed, looked at my glass, and smiled.
“What’s funny? Alaia shook you up.” He shook her head.
“She hasn’t stopped loving me.” I approached the table to refill my glass.
“But she’s going to marry someone else,” he said, and I nodded, knowing Alaia would insist on that wedding.