Jilted at the Altar

Chapter Thirty

 Dalton got of the elevator and smiled when he saw the lights were off and a soft glow coming from the balcony.

The past week had been pure bliss. They spent most of the day in bed and some of it around various stores, shopping for baby supplies. Dalton was amazed when he felt the baby move around and the other time when it got hiccups. However, today Dalton had to head in to the office as something urgent had come up.

"Ariella" He called out as he walked into the kitchen. He was about to turn around when he felt her arms slide around his waist. He grabbed her and pulled her around.

"Hey"

Ariella leaned up and kissed him.

"Hey, how was your day?"

"I missed you and this little one" Dalton said as he gently caressed her baby bump and felt a kick in response.

"See, we missed you too"

Dalton laughed as he felt the kick and bent down to kiss the bump.

"Mrs. Kathy prepared dinner and I had her set it out on the balcony."

Dalton followed her out and pulled out a chair for her.

She watched him as he settled in. She wondered often now that why she never noticed him before; those stunning green eyes to his sharp sculpted jaw. Her eyes wandered to his broad shoulders and the stretch of his shirt at this biceps. She focused back to his face and realized he was saying something. These pregnancy hormones were making her life difficult.

"Ari, you okay?" Dalton asked as Ariella looked up with a dazed expression on her face.

"Yeah...you were saying...I am sorry just...continue please"

"I have to tell you something. I don't want to but you need to know. I don't want you finding this from somewhere else." Dalton said as he placed his fork back in the plate.

"What?"

"It's about Kaden"

Ariella's spoon clattered noisily against her plate as it slipped from her hands.

"Is he okay? What happened?"

Dalton tried to keep his reaction to her reaction under control.

"Please say something Dalton. What is it? Is he back?"

"No. He has settled in Italy and is engaged to that woman. They have a son now. I think almost a month old"

"He is in contact with his family?"

"No. Mr. Steele found out but ordered his people not to approach him. If Kaden wants to be left alone for now then that is it. Every time they have found out about him he had run away and now with a new born child, Mr. Steele doesn't want him to go into hiding again. They will approach him when he feels the time is right"

"Engaged....a son...." Ariella whispered as she got up, her legs unsteady. Dalton grabbed her just as her legs buckled.

"The press knows?" She asked as she allowed Dalton to guide her back inside.

"No. They have moved on from this. Plus, Mr. Steele had kept it under wraps."

Ariella nodded as she sat down and Dalton sat down next to her.

"You still love him don't you?" Dalton asked quietly as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"I don't know...I don't know if I was actually in love with him during our time together or was simply in love with the concept of being in love. I thought I had a future with him, we were together and each other's first but his infidelity changed that and I really don't know what I felt for him but what I do know is that I love you..." Ariella said looking at him. She had noticed the shift in his expression and the guarded look in his eyes when she had asked all those question about Kaden.

"I love you too Ari" Dalton pulled her against his himself and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"But I care for him you know...his family...Azalea....why does he have to go away? We all know now that he is with another woman. Why can't he just come back to the states?"

"I wish I knew" Dalton muttered wondering the same thing. He thought not knowing why Kaden was running away was confusing but now knowing that he is with another woman, why is he still on the run?

"Hey..."Dalton said as he pulled her back, "I have something else I wanted you to know" Dalton leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on her lips. He pulled back slightly. "How about we go away for a week or so before the baby arrives?" He trailed a line of kisses from the corner of her mouth to along her jaw.

Ariella felt herself melting against his soft kisses and she couldn't think straight.

"A week away sounds...perfect" She breathed as Dalton started down her throat.

"How about Arietta?" Dalton whispered against her neck.

Ariella stilled.

"No" She pulled back and shook her head. "Not there. I can't go to that place" She stood up from the couch.

"What happened?"

"Too many memories I would rather not dwell in" She gave him a smile which resembled more of a grimace.

Dalton threw his head back against the couch and spread his arms out. He didn't want to comment on this because he knew he had a long way to go and one day would come where her life would be full of memories with him and all good ones, leaving these memories she made with Kaden behind.  

"Alright" He said as he lifted hishead up and looked at her. He was speechless for a moment. She had shifted in front of him. She was wearing a knee length white summer dress. Her hair fell in soft waves down to her waist, the glow of the city lights from the balcony falling on her while she stood the cradling her baby bump. She looked ethereal.

He tried to make his thought coherent again.

"What about Westbrook?" He asked

"Connecticut?"

"Yup, family beach house there. We can spend a week or so there. We could have flown out somewhere but you are entering your last month next week so let's not take any risks. The family house is only two hours away."

"That sounds nice. A baby moon" Ariella smiled and walked to him. She bent down and kissed him.

Suddenly she pulled back and gasped.

"Ari?" Dalton shot up from his seat.

"Its..."She gasped again and clutched her belly.

"Contractions" She clenched out and grabbed his arm.

"They might be Braxton hicks. You are only 33 weeks"

"NO!" Ariella screamed as another contraction ripped through her body.

"Come on, let's get you to the hospital" Dalton said trying to stay calm. He rushed to grab her jacket and the car keys but when he came back, Ariella was pale and holding the edge of the couch.

"My water just broke"

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