Jilted at the Altar

Chapter Seventeen

"Would Ms. Clark be joining us for dinner?" Mrs. Kathy asked as she prepared dinner.

Dalton kept the glass of protein shake on the counter and sat down on the bar stool next to the kitchen island. After Elaine and Aaron left, Ariella had gone to sleep and Dalton decided to hit the gym. He had just checked up on her and she was still fast asleep.

"No, please put her dinner on a tray. I will take it up to the room." Dalton replied and headed to his room to take a quick shower before dinner.

The door bell was ringing. Ariella tried to ignore it but it kept on getting louder. She got out of the bed and headed towards the door. She pulled it open and gasped. There he stood. She couldn't believe her eyes. He smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Kaden" Ariella whispered,

"Yes Ari. I am back and I am sorry"

"Oh Kaden...I...how could you leave?"

"Some things came up that needed to be sorted but now I am here babe. I am here for you and our baby" He reached out and placed his hand on her lower abdomen, over her small bump.

"Promise me you won't leave"

"I won't Ari." Kaden said and hugged her.

Suddenly Ariella jolted awake and realized it was a dream and where she was. Her heart couldn't take and she let out a sob. She could still feel the warmth of his hand over her baby bump and his arms around her.

Dalton was about to step into his room, across from Ariella's when he heard her sobs. He immediately rushed to her room and saw Ariella curled on the middle of the bed, her frame raked with sobs.

"Ariella" He climbed on top of the bed and gathered her in his arms. This was not healthy for her and the baby. "Hey, what happened? It's okay. I am here"

"He was here. It was so real, the dream. Dalton, Kaden was here." She said in between sobs.

Dalton clenched his teeth.

"Ari, you need to move past this. I know this is tough but this is not healthy for you."

Ariella pushed him and got out of the bed.

"Don't. Not you. I am done with people telling me I need to get over him. Don't you miss him? Worry where he is? He is you best friend!" Ariella yelled at him.

Dalton got out of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to control his anger. Yes, he understood she was hurting. Kaden had been her love for eight years. They had pictured their whole life together but he was no longer here for her. It was now it had been six week since he walked out of their lives. Yet Ariella hadn't moved on even a little bit. Dalton didn't expect her to wipe Kaden from her life but she needed to start living again if not for her own, then for her child's sake.

"I miss him but I have started to resent him for walking out and not facing whatever it is face on. I resent him for putting you through this misery." Dalton shot back at her and then walked out of the room.

Ariella watched him walk out. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She appreciated what Dalton was doing but he had no right to interfere in her life in this way. She went to the washroom and washed her face. She looked at her reflection. He cheeks were hollow and black circles threatened to overwhelm her dull steel grey eyes. It had been six weeks yesterday since Kaden walked out of her life. She had often tried to bring herself to hate him but she couldn't feel anything except for hurt and ache. She wanted him back in her life because without she didn't know how to love.

Fury radiated off Dalton's body as he got into the shower and roughly scrubbed his body with his body wash. He needed to be patient with her. He had promised himself that he wouldn't push her and be what she needed him to be but the testosterone in him brought out the possessiveness for the woman he loved. It made him hate the fact she was carrying another man's child and pined after him. However he couldn't let his inner caveman instincts rule over his rational and civilized self. He dried himself off and wrapped a towel around himself.

He headed down to the kitchen. Mrs. Kathy had prepared the tray for Ariella and his dinner plate was set to the side covered. He picked up her tray and went to her bedroom.

He knocked and entered.

"I brought you dinner." He said as he placed the tray next to her bed.

"Thank you and I am sorry about earlier" Ariella looked at him. She had never really paid attention to Dalton before even though he was like a brother to Kaden. Dalton often kept to himself around her. He barely spoke when they hung out though he often avoided hanging out when it was just her, Kaden and him. She never got a chance to know him but she knew he was a decent guy and was fiercely loyal to his friends and family as Kaden had told her on multiple times.

"Don't mention and I am also sorry. I shouldn't have said anything in the first place" Dalton cleared his throat and turned to leave.

"I am trying..."

Dalton paused when he heard her broken whisper. He paused and waited for her to continue.

"It is not easy. I had my whole life imagined with him and now he is not here and it is like someone just unhinged my world from its axis and it's a mess"

Dalton turned around but didn't know what to say.

"I also miss him. He was a brother to me but life goes on." He said, looking at her. She looked so small and broken as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"You are not going to have dinner?" She asked changing the topic

"Mine is downstairs. Goodnight Ariella" Dalton said and walked out. He paused outside her room, gathering his thoughts. This was taking a toll on him. It was difficult for him, watching her bleed over Kaden. He thought it would be easy to keep his distance and let her heal but it was proving to be difficult when all he wanted to do was wipe Kaden clean from her heart and make her his.

Dalton needed to control his feelings before it destroyed whatever little chance he thought he had with Ariella and hurt her along with it.

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