He Only Married Me To Show Her That He Already Moved On

Flowers. 

Lots of flowers. 

Beautiful roses in peach, coral and white arranged beautifully and elegantly outside of my first restaurant. 

"Wow! Maybe we have wedding event right now." a smile formed in my lips the moment my nostrils filled with its fragrance. 

It's my favorite color, nude, peach, coral and white. And I always dream of this colors to become my motif when I get married, but sad to say it didn't happen in my fake marriage. 

"Good morning Ms. Madi."

"Good morning."

I greet back with a sweet smile our guard's greeting when I stepped at the entrance. My eyes filled with envy when I saw the elegant arrangements inside, because even in the walls and in the ceiling, there were lots of hanging flowers. I wish someone could also give this flower to me every valentines day, on my birthday or on whatever occasions. 

"Did Ms. Noelle accepted a wedding event today?" I asked Tony, our head waiter who has a reservation book in his hand. 

He smiled sweetly before he answered. "Nope Ms. Madi. It's just a normal day." he shrugged. 

My eyebrows crunched with his answer, then I looked back inside. And I noticed that there's nothing changed with the table arrangements or even store decorations...except the beautiful flowers hanging around inside and outside. 

"Did she order these flowers? What's the occasion?" I asked him again. 

"I don't actually know Ms Madi. I just came in my shift this morning with these flowers hanging around." he answered with a smile. 

Why do I feel that he's not telling the truth? I sighed. "Okay, thank you Tony."

"Your welcome Ma'am. And by the way, good morning Ms. Madi, I forgot to greet you when you asked me first."

I chuckled as I shake my head. "Okay, good morning to you too, Tony."

And I decided to go directly inside our office, but I stopped when I saw Noelle in the counter. She smiled when she saw me walking towards her. 

"Good morning, to the ever beautiful Madi of Maiden restaurant.."

"Huh?" my mouth hanged with her greeting. 

She's grinning widely like an idiot. And I was about to speak when I felt something cold in my left arm. When I glanced on it, I saw a peach single rose. Then my eyes followed the length of the muscular arm with a racing heartbeat inside my c.h.e.s.t. Until it landed on Gabriel's face with the most handsome smile on his lips... 

My breath hitched at the sight that came to my view. He's wearing a waiter's uniform with a white rose on the front pocket. I didn't notice the smile that crept on my lips when I noticed how devilishly handsome he is on his clothes. The waiter's uniform looks elegant on his body. Broad shoulders, muscular arms and toned c.h.e.s.t. 

He takes my hand and put on it the single peach rose. And in his other hand, there's another two peach roses that he lifted in front of me. 

"Good morning." I gulped when I heard his s.e.xy and soothing voice. "To my ever-beautiful, confident and strong Madi." then he smiled. But I blinked repeatedly when I heard my tag from him. 

How did he know that? 

"Ahh..Uhm...g-good morning?" I bite my lower lip when it sounded like a question. Gosh! What is happening to me? I can feel those stupid butterflies inside my stomach dancing and jumping in excitement. 

"For you." he also give me the other roses. 

But instead of me saying thank you, I asked him a question. 

"Is this all your idea? The flowers and the arrangements?"

And because Gabriel is Gabriel, he didn't answer my question directly and just asked me back. 

"Do you like it? It's your favorite colors and flowers, right?"

"H-How did you know about that?" I can't remember telling him this information before. 

He smiled. "Let's just say.. you have friends that are now also my friends."

Then my head snapped in Noelle's direction and the woman in her gray coat just give me a wink. 

"Hmm.. thank you. But may I ask, why are you wearing one of our waiter's uniform, Mr. Wilsons?"

"Because I am going to be one of your waiter for today, Ms. beautiful Madi. And also your personal waiter, bodyguard, boy 'plus' friend, and can also be your handsome husband 'again' if you're just going to give me chance." he winked at me. 

I don't know but my stupid heart instructed me to laugh, not sarcastically but a kind of happy laugh. 

"Yes!" he suddenly screamed. "One point for me!" my eyes questioning his actions. "One point for me because I made you laugh."

I just bite my lower lip to suppress another laugh that wanted to escape again on my lips. 

"Wow! Is this what you learned from that past three years... being corny more and more each day?" I asked as I walked past him and towards the back office. But he just followed me. 

"Yes. I got this from the three years of my wanting and longing to see you again."

I stopped walking and turned around to see him. He now has a serious and hurt expression in his face. 

"And because I love you, I can do more and more crazy things each day, just to show you that I'm serious!"

I gulped when he slowly walked closer to me. 

"That I love you, Madi. I love you and I'm sorry for those times that I didn't notice and appreciate your efforts. And I'm sorry for being ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e of your feelings."

"Huh!" I snorted and smiled sarcastically. "My feelings, Gabriel? What do you mean by your 'being ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e before'? Why, did I say I love you before-----"

"No! But I know you loved me before." he cut me off and my breath stacked inside my throat. 

He knows. 

"Yeah, you're right! I 'loved' you... past tense! Meaning before I love you, but not anymore!" I turned around biting my lips to keep them from quivering and blinked my eyes to get rid of the blur. 

-'I wish you could say that before, the times I need it more. But no.. it's too late, Gab.'-

"I'm sorry!"

He followed me inside the office. I ignored him as I walked towards the mini kitchen to get something to drink and help my throbbing throat to gulp the lump that formed inside. 

"I'm sorry, Madi. I know I have a lot of things to do just for you to forgive me and accept me again, even just for being your friend. And I'm willing...." I brushed past him and walked inside the office... he trailed me behind. 

"I'm willing to do everything! I'll give all my efforts just to have you back----"

"To have me back?" I faced him. "What are you talking about to have me back? There's nothing an us even before, to have me back! And there will be nothing an us, not today.. not tomorrow.. not ever!"

"Then I'm willing to wait!" he looked at me as I looked at him directly in his eyes. "I've waited for you for three years, just to see you, to say sorry and start a new life together with you. And if I have to wait for you to forgive me, and to give me a chance to show you how much I love you... I will! I will do everything, Madi!"

"You're not superman, nor a superhero to do everything, Gabriel."

"But I can be your super Gabriel!"

My eyebrow arched automatically as a small smile formed in my lips. He give me a smile, that shows his cute and deep dimple. 

-'Gosh! This heart!'-

"Although I don't have powers like superman or any other heroes, but I have a power on my own to love you, more than any man could do. And whoever will try, I can transform into a monster and eat them alive!"

I remained quiet.. as I tried not to laugh and even smile with his corny yet sweet lines. Who would have known, that the famous Gabriel Wilsons, who is known to be the 'devil' of the Chicago's business industry... the cold-hearted and ruthless man inside the WEC office.. can be a sweet and corny like this? 

"I'll be right outside. As I said, I'm going to be one of your waiter for today." he said and stepped towards the door. 

"Don't you have work in your office or anything to do in your life, instead of disturbing yourself and wasting your precious time here?" I asked before he could open the door. 

"I do have, but my wife is now my more priority than anything else in this world. And your not a disturbance to me, you're my strength and now my life." he said with a winked when he turned around. 

I tried hard not laugh. -'Ohh goodness! So corny!'-

"I'll be right outside. I love you." he smiled before he finally exited the room. 

I let out a deep breath that I don't know I've been holding since I saw him this morning. I bring my hand over my c.h.e.s.t and about to walk on my desk when the door suddenly opened much to surprise. 

"God! Your husband is a total package, Madielyn!" Noelle squealed and jumped in excitement. 

Yes, our office is a soundproof room, but my ears are not.. so I have to cover it from her screams. 

"He's so hot and a real God from the ancient history! Ahhhh!" she stated dreamily. 

"Huh! He's also a human, hello!" I rolled my eyes and seated beside her. 

"Hmmph!" she huffed and fall herself on the couch. "But he's a man of efforts Madi, in fairness! Do you know that he talked to me yesterday about your favorites ek-ek in life?"

"What do you mean by ek - ek?"

"Gosh! It's a gay language! Anyway, as I was saying.. he talked to me yesterday, and when I told him about your favorite color, flower, food, drinks.. and so many other favorites... God! he called immediately his florist friend and they delivered the flowers early this morning! I wish you could see them earlier, they were like robots, running there and everywhere just to finish their work early before the opening of the store! Whoo!" she exhaled loudly as she caught her breath after her none pausing statement. 

I chuckled at her. "You know, you can explain that to me slowly instead of explaining it fast, like you were in a race."

"He's so sweet, Madi." but she just ignores me. "I'll give him all my votes to pursue you!"

I rolled my eyes as I shake my head. 

"Give him a chance, Madi. I can see his efforts just to show you now his love. That has been his greatest mistake before for not showing you. Isn't a good start for you to move from the past?"

"But I already moved on, Noelle."

"Liar! Moved on your face, Madi! Don't you love him anymore?"

I avoided her gaze. 

"Don't you dare tell me you're not, or I'll put a crown on your head for being in denial queen!"

A chuckle slipped through my lips with her line. 

"I'm not yet ready, Noelle." I sighed as I admit to her the truth. "I'm afraid honestly."

"Which are you being afraid of.. to continue your love for him or for being hurt again?"

"Both." I gave her a half-smile. 

"Madi.. don't forget, he didn't hurt you intentionally. You're not in a real relationship before, so the mistakes that he did was for only being stupid, ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e, jerk and numb about your feelings for him. And if we're going to look back on the happenings before, somehow you also have fault."

"And why?"

"Because you didn't tell him your feelings. You didn't open to him. And I was just thinking, what if you confessed your feelings to him before? Do you think you're now in a second or third level of your relationship? Because as he said, he learned to love you before, but he's just confused about his plans and feelings for you."

I was left deep in thought with what she said as I am now starting to question myself and my actions before. And starting again to ask my what-ifs and what-ifs.. what if I confessed my feelings to him instead of running away? What if I waited for him to realized what was his real feelings for me by that time? Maybe Noelle is right.. maybe we're now in a second level or more than of our relationship.. but...what about Stacey? 

I sighed as I just smiled at her. Whatever happened in the past, it's in the past. We're now in the present, so better to start all over again, right? 

After our little talk in the office, I decided to go out and check the dining area.. or maybe to check for him also. And another smile formed in my lips as I watch him from the counter. Some customers were taking pictures of him while he's assisting them, while some literally asked him to take pictures with him. And he granted all their wishes.. selfies, groupies.. and he even poses like a model for them. 

And for the first time, a contented and happy sigh break through my lips.