The Return Of His Ex Wife
Chapter 25: Agreement

Chapter 25: Agreement

Tara’s POV

My gaze was hard on his and I still tried to process what he had meant by that. How could he just reject me like that??

"I’m sorry, but I can’t have anything romantic with you. I should leave now,"

I stopped him, holding on to his strong arms like a little girl. "Wait wait, stop! Hey," being really taller than I was, I had to stand firm and tilt my head upwards to look into his eyes. "Why? What’s going on?"

He let go of my hand and created a distance between us, that was when I sighed disappointedly. Just when I was starting to look at him as a man, "it’s okay. You can tell me you’re not attracted to ladies. I can understand."

Arlo scoffed, his face dissolving into a smile. "Oh you’re so cute, aren’t you?" I flashed a warning glance at him but he just smiled even more. "Sunflower, I love girls. Please, I’m not gay, okay?"

Then why aren’t you interested in me! I nearly screamed my thoughts out loud.

"The thing is this, I promised Richard not to get myself involved with you in any sexual way at all. And I wouldn’t want to break that promise."

I was waiting for more but it seemed he was done. This was unbelievable. "Better you should have just been gay than this silly excuse. I love my son, but what kind of a man agrees to a little kid’s promise and would not want to--"

Bang me? What is wrong with you, Tara? I had to rephrase my thoughts so I would stop sounding like some horny bitch haha! I hated the fact that he pretended to care, only for him to keep rejecting me.

"Listen Sunflower--"

"--oh my goodness, stop calling me that! It’s Tara, alright? Very simple." I cut him off. I needed to sit down. The sofa was very comfortable, well at least that was a good thing. But here I was, still shamelessly trying to make myself not seem like some boring mommy to Arlo. I could be sexy when I wanted to! Did he not see that at all?

He came to join me sitting right next to me. "I have a confession to make, or should I just say another confession. Geez, you never told me your house was secretly a church."

I rolled my eyes at his remark, but another confession? "Please, blow me away." Blow me away?...what the hell was that! My cheeks flustered from the embarrassment but Arlo wasn’t staring.

Arlo’s POV

I felt like crap. I didn’t mean to toil with her emotions like that! The last thing I would like to do was to make myself look pathetic in her presence. And what did she mean by that? I wasn’t gay! I love women! To me, there was already a 55% chance this wasn’t going to work...but still, she deserved to know.

"It’s been two years now. We were at the bar of my hotel and you saved me from making a reckless decision. I’ve known you since then. And my feelings for you haven’t changed a bit."

Her expression did not change at all, and although I had never been scared of any woman before, or any man, Tara terrified me. I ignored her face and focused my gaze on anything else around that didn’t look like Tara.

"I guess what I’m trying to say is that I cannot emphasize on how much I love--" right there, her eyes bulged out in shocked. I’d trespassed. "What? No, I mean I like you. I have a huge crush on you, but I also love you being Richard’s mother, plus as a person. You are a good person. And I love good people."

Was I rambling on now? Damn it, Arlo! You’re better than this.

"Anyway, there was an annoying dude who kept pissing me off, I was having a very terrifying day. I would have punched him, but you said not to. You were so cool, and it’s such a shame you didn’t even recognize me when we saw again at Richard’s academy. A little while later, this man got into a fight with someone else and he died right on that spot. Apparently, he had low blood pressure that was too critical."

I paused, trying to recall why she needed to hear his dumb story. But it was real. That was how I’d known her and fallen in love since then.

She seemed careful, observing me with those pretty eyes. Her rosebud lips parted as she stared at me, maybe thinking of a way not to hurt me when she rejected me?? I didn’t know. The suspense was devastating.

"What if I’d been a man?" She asked.

"Sorry?"

"Well, Arlo. Would you have fallen in love with me if I was a man back then? Of course not. This thing you feel, it’s not real."

I frowned, "no, I know my feelings. It is real. And frankly speaking, I would love to take you out on fancy dates and act like a father to Richard, but only in the proper way. I really care about you and I don’t want this wasted on just a fling? Or a fake relationship? I don’t want that, for me or for Richard."

She looked disgusted as she laughed out. "For you? You are so full of yourself. Do you think I want this too?"

"Hey don’t raise your voice now, we’re just talking. I want what is best for me, is that me being full of myself?"

"Men like cheap things and I’m willing to be this low, just to protect my son."

"I don’t like cheap things. Have you met me?? I pay $31000 for a haircut from a freaking genius man who arranges a luxurious fucking private plane just to pick his customers from any where in the world down to his barbing shop at Abu Dhabi. I am very expensive so don’t call yourself cheap again."

She smacked her lips in frustration. This wasn’t an argument so why was she trying so hard to win!

"I know what I feel. And I don’t want to hurt Richard as well."

"Have you ever heard the word called sacrifice before? Richard is going to meet Derek. And he’ll take my baby from me. Derek can do that. His influence on my son will be a disaster and I don’t want that. So can’t you put your little feeling inside one box and hide it under your bed, just to protect Richard!"

I didn’t like this. Her tone was even making everything worse. But I understood her in some way. Besides, my selfish ass side was starting to think that this was the best way I could possibly get closer to Tara and win her over. Did I still have a chance?

"It’s fine if you don’t feel like--"

"--I’ll do it." I said all of a sudden, startling even myself. Did I really still have a chance with her?