Beauty and the Beast Sequel

Chapter 8

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You said something, I didn't hear you clearly.", Gaston said.

" it was nothing, don't mind me now. But I already told you I don't need a guard, why do you keep enforcing it against my will?", Belle replied, pretending to sound as uninterested in the issue the same way she had been about other things prior to that time.

"And how many times have I told you that you are my woman and you will do as I please when I so please it without complaint?!"

He turns to face Adam then barks out his orders:
"You will keep me updated on all her activities, every single one if them, even to when she whistles a tune or flips her hair. I don't want her to as much as think about that lousy, no-good, ugly gorilla anytime of the day. Do you understand?!"

"I do, you can leave it all to me.", Adam replied.

"Fine then, I will leave it to you."

He turns around and storms off.

Adam and Belle are left in an awkward silence. They are both quiet, staring at the floor, both unprepared to unravel the issue at hand.

"May I sit?", Adam asked.

" Most definitely, mind my manners."

They both sit.

Adam's mind began to work through various scenarios on how to begin to tell Belle he is her Beast. Coupled with the fact that he was not sure she would believe him, he was not sure how she would take the news.

So he discarded many options and decided to leave the matter for now, she probably had much more on her mind.

"So ma'am, my name is Adam and I'll be assisting you from now. Firstly, I'll like to know what you're schedule is like generally."

Adam hated himself for chickening out, he had been so determined but once he saw her face, those hard walls came crumbling and all he wanted was her peace of mind. He hated seeing her confused or troubled by something.

Belle made no reply, she was simply staring at him as if she was trying to decipher a code written in his pupils.

Immediately, she came to and blurted out, " You are Beast, right?" Her brows furrowed as she awaited his response.
"You have to be him, I'm sure of it to my bone. That's why you stopped me in the town. What happened to you? You're human now. How did the spell break? Where have you been for the past three months?" She rambled on the questions without receiving any answer.
"I know you are him, so why aren't you answering me? Please answer me."

Adam just sat unmoved with an expression of indifference, but deep in his brain, his mind was going berserk, unsure of what reality to hold on to. He just stared at her like she was nonliving then so abruptly, he stood up and strode to where she was seated and knelt in front of her.

The movement startled her because it happened so quickly. Then he took her palms in his, caressed them with his face down, then stared into her eyes as he spoke.

"My pearl, you were always what completed me. You were always my knowledge when I failed reason. I don't know how I survived those three months without you and I'm sorry I did. I'm sorry my incompetence put you in this bizarre condition. But rest assured you'll be out of it soon, my love.

As he said the words, tears welled up in Belle's eyes.
The tears broke from their containment as she hugged him and spoke;
" I knew it was you. I knew you were still alive, you had to be. Thank goodness you're still alive, you just had to be.