Beauty Divine (Sequel)

Chapter (61): Out Loud

It's been a day since Elise's pep talk with Wren about trying her best to get Madeline back in her life. Wren went to work the next day and Madeline did the same. Both were indulged in their works but their minds weren't. Not a second they weren't thinking about each other. Not a second they weren't missing their times together. Not a second they weren't desiring each other.

Madeline was sitting across from Antony as he was checking on a new texture for their upcoming show and she was working on her computer. Antony was glad that Madeline was working, busing herself with other things rather than Wren for now. She told him what happened and he cried with her when he saw how much pain she was in.

They heard a knock on the door and their eyes turned to the source of the knock. Nate stood by the door with a small smile as he looked at Madeline and she returned back the smile. Antony saw the looks they were exchanging and cleared his throat.

"Hi, Nate." he said and Nate tore his eyes from her to him.

"Oh, hi there Antony." He sighed then looked back at Madeline. "Can I borrow you for a walk today?" he asked Madeline.

Antony raised his eyebrows and swallowed then looked back at Madeline as she looked shocked for a minute.

"Umm, now?" She chuckled nervously.

"Only if you're free and wanna take a walk with me. I mean it's been a while since our last meeting."

Her mind went back to the day when all her misery started. The day Wren showed up drunk. The day she saw her on the bed with someone else. The day they both shed tears.

"Umm, sure, let me just, uh, grab my stuff."

He nodded and waited for her as she wore her coat, grabbed her phone and instructed Antony to do some stuff while she was out.

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On the other hand, Wren was standing by the large sized window in her office with her hands shoved in her pockets. She was thinking of a plan on how to get Madeline to listen to what she needs to say. Elise's words had an effect on her, a positive effect but her mind was a bit blank and empty of ideas. She heard the door get opened and footsteps were behind her but these footsteps weren't heels echoing on her hard wooden floor, they were oxford shoes that she knew very well.

"What do you want, Dave?" she asked without turning around.

He opened his mouth in shock then closed it. "I'm here to check up on you, of course."

"I'm fine." she replied sternly looking over her shoulder.

He pursed his lips. "Also I'm here to give you... this." She frowned and turned around, looking at the pink and blue cascade. "It was Elise's idea. She said this cascade is what you need. For now, as a first step on getting back with Madeline." He said softly and offered a gentle hopeful smile.

When she didn't reply and stayed frozen instead, he walked to her desk and placed the cascade on it but her gaze lingered on it.

"A try with this won't hurt." He shrugged then placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze and a small smile. "Everything will be okay" She nodded and smiled a little. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah." she whispered.

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Nate and Madeline were walking beside each other silently after they had lunch together in a nearby restaurant. During that time, they talked about casual stuff and work. Nate didn't mention Wren, knowing it's not the time to talk about her.

"How're you, Madeline?" asked Nate.

She shrugged nonchalantly and placed her hands inside her coat pockets. "I'm okay... I guess."

He nodded, walking beside her. "Madeline I know what you're thinking about right now."

"I really got no time to think about anyone or anything."

"Then why are you so silent? This isn't you. I'm your friend and I care about you. I know you're not okay like you say. Talk to me. I'm here for you, Maddie."

She stopped in her tracks and faced him with soft tears in her eyes. "Please, Nate... I don't want to talk about her. Ever. It's over."

He nodded slowly and understandingly. "Okay. I'm sorry."

She smiled softly and blinked back her tears as she continued her walk with him again.

Nate stared down at the ground, contemplating something that has been going around his head for a while now. "I... need to tell you something." He halted and took a deep breath, wriggling his hands nervously and she looked at him with worry.

"What is it?"

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Wren pulled over across from Madeline's work place and shifted her gaze to the cascade on the passenger's seat. She grabbed it in her hand and her eyes wandered in the street till she caught something that made her breath hitch and her heart stop beating.

Her eyes wandered over Madeline and Nate as they were talking and then all of a sudden Nate took a step forward and cupped Madeline's cheek, kissing her softly with his eyes closed and Madeline shut her eyes as well, and kissed him back.

Clenching her jaw and tears gathering in her eyes, Wren pressed her foot on the gas pedal and left the scene to go anywhere but here.

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Madeline pulled away from Nate, placing a hand in the middle of his chest, looking down at the ground, processing everything, and Nate knitted his eyebrows, feeling guilty already that he took a step he should've never taken.

"I can't do it, Nate. It doesn't feel right."

She looked up at him with glassy eyes and he pulled back a little feeling disappointed. He thought she was over Wren, that's what she said a few minutes ago, but her eyes belonged to specific brown eyes. Her lips were made to kiss someone else. Her heart could only beat and live for just one person. He thought he could have her back in his arms after all these years, but the kiss he thought he shared, spoke and said otherwise.

He pursed his lips in a straight line and met her eyes when she finally raised her face and stared at him with sadness filling her orbs. "It's Wren, isn't it?" he asked her softly and had the urge to apologize for the kiss.

She nodded, letting tears fall freely down her cheeks when she realized what she wanted to say out loud for the past few days. "I still love her."