Chapter 21: What She Knows

Alexander brushed his hand through his wet hair as he examined his clothing in the mirror. They were crisp and clean. Not a single loose thread in sight. The monotonous shades of black, gray, and white crowded his closet, but on days like today, he wore a deep blue instead.

Greta had been kind enough to organize and iron all of his clothing for the next two weeks before they cycled through the wash again. His button-up was felt starchy to the touch and even his tie held the calming smell of their laundry detergent.

Taking a few moments to smooth through his conditioner, the same one he had been using for years, he tried to settle his mind. Time seemed to go on infinitely as his eyes continued to drift back to the clock.

It was already 4:35 p.m. and Arielle had sent him the details of the dinner shortly after they ran into each other. It began at 5:00 p.m., but Alexander had thought to wait until Devin's arrival before departing his estate. Yet every time he checked his phone, no new notifications were alerting him of his friend's arrival.

Naturally, in the past, this would have caused him to feel frustrated. His time was valuable, he didn't become a successful CEO by accepting lateness, but this was different. Devin had been more than a friend. He viewed him as a brother and his pain was Alexander's pain as well.

It came as a shock to Alexander to realize that his close friend, who had been a wild bachelor most of his life, had fallen in love. It wasn't the idea of Devin falling in love that was horrible, but the many factors that created his red flag paradise. It was a hopeless romantic's nightmare.

Devin had pursued a mystery woman with all of his heart. One that neither of them had ever heard of before, which was alarming if she had been a part of their world of wealth. All the families at least knew of the others if there hadn't already been a formal meeting.

Yet this woman seemed to materialize out of nothing and within a few short days, she had him attached to her hip. He poured time, money, and extravagant trips on a woman he had just met, but hoped to marry, but she soon ran off to be with his older and richer friend. He found them together on his yacht after she had accidentally texted him instead of the other man.

Yet to Alexander, what seemed worse was the lack of remorse that Devin described. It had thrown him into a deep depression. Lasting weeks thus far. Alexander knew who could help him, but he didn't know how to tell him that.

The night of their call, Alexander had fully repented. Every selfish choice, every cruel remark, every sin that God brought to his remembrance poured out of him and the tears to match fell as a waterfall.

It was as if something new had bloomed within him. He could feel the sudden shift.

He wanted to share that with Devin, but he didn't know how to word it or when to say it, but he knew that he could pray and ask. He had so many questions and his godmother was much too far and too busy to reach at a moment's notice.

Devin would be there soon, temporarily staying in his estate since everything in his own home reminded him of the woman who betrayed him. Soon, when it was sold and gone, he would move back out, but for now, Alexander was grateful that he could be there for him.

Knock knock. He heard. His eyes shot over to the door briefly.

"Come in!" He yelled, half expecting Greta to peek her head in, but he was surprised to see Devin instead.

"Hey, man. You already arrived?" He asked, his shock apparent. He had thought that Devin was taking longer on his journey, not realizing that his friend had been there already. Greta surely hadn't notified him and Richard had the night off, so he wouldn't have known to do so.

Devin smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah, I've been here for a little while. Greta let me in. She's as sweet as I remember her to be. I placed my things in my room and I just needed a moment." He said with a shaky breath.

Alexander grabbed his wallet and keys. Turning toward Devin, he analyzed him for a moment. Leaving him alone didn't make sense. He invited him to stay with him so that he wouldn't be left to battle his mind on his own. The dinner was bound to keep Alexander for a minimum of one hour, not including travel. Yet even that seemed like too long of an excursion when his friend was in such a state.

"Devin, would you like to come with me? I'm sure she wouldn't mind a plus one." He requested while playing with the cool metal of the keys in his hand.

"Arielle's? No. I couldn't. I- I should be okay." He answered lowering his gaze. His hair had been noticeably unkempt and his nose still held a hue of red from prolonged crying.

"Come with," Alexander insisted. "Besides, my estate is bigger than yours. I don't need you getting lost here," he chuckled, trying to keep their conversation lighthearted. Devin rolled his eyes which told Alexander that it was working.

"I guess it would be best. I just need to grab my phone." Devin replied.

"Mhm," Alexander hummed and exited the room right behind him, heading to his car. He had a brush in his glove box. He didn't want to tell Devin to brush his hair for the sake of his looks, but he was almost certain that his friend didn't want his emotional state to be easily read from afar. So it was an offer he could make on their journey there.

He pulled out his phone, mumbling under his breath. "I should have asked first," he spoke to himself quietly. He realized how rude it was to give an invite without being sure that both Arielle and her mother were willing and able to host an extra person. Although he would be willing to give his plate to Devin if it came to that.

"Hello, Arielle. I would like to sincerely apologize" Before he could finish writing, he fumbled his phone in his hand and accidentally hit send. He shook his head, but placed everything down, deciding that it'd be better to sit down and type his message.

Alexander hurriedly entered his car, dropping everything in the little holder beside him. Before he could return his attention to his fumbled text, he received a ding back. It had only been seconds, but Arielle's name lit up on the screen.

"You can't make it? I understand. I'll let my mother know." She replied.

With a sharp breath, Alexander raced to type another response but found it quicker to call. After two rings, Arielle picked up.

"Hello?" She spoke "I understand if you can't make it Alexander there's no need to call-" She began in an understanding tone.

"No, no. I can make it. That's not why I messaged you." He spoke up in haste. Although he couldn't see her, he could picture her furrowing her brows as she usually would in moments like this.

"It's not?" She replied sounding puzzled.

He laughed lightly on the other side. "No, it's not. I was apologizing because I invited a close friend of mine, Devin. But I did so without asking you first." He clarified.

"Oh!" She replied. "That's more than fine!" She did not seem phased by the sudden change, if anything she seemed excited to host another guest.

"Thank you for understanding and I apologize again. Next time, I'll ask first." He assured her, a boyish smile resting on his face.

There was a quiet pause for a moment until she spoke again. He could hear a reciprocating smile in her voice. "I appreciate that," she answered.

"I'll see you soon?" He asked although they both intended for that. Yes, they would see each other soon, but he felt that he had to hold onto that, in hopes that the reality of it wouldn't slip away.

Although time had passed, he still cared for Arielle. It was different, not as obsessive as it felt before. It was nice and he realized how much he wished to apologize for his behavior earlier on.

"I hope so." She replied making his heart grow warm. With brief goodbyes, the call ended. Soon Devin was in the car and they drove down the windy road away from his home. He couldn't push out of his mind how unnecessarily large it was. At first, he wanted it for privacy and even status, but it just reminded him of the few people he had left in his life.

Soon they arrived at Arielle's quaint home. Devin watched in awe of its size. Both men were used to rather large properties, although Devin had been used to that kind of living since birth, unlike Alexander.

"Let's go," Alexander called out to him as he propped open his own door.

Soon both men, close in height and status, walked up to her humble door, knocking. Who knew that something he would desire so much would reside in such a small space? Yet he also knew that this desire had become tame and recently he wondered if it was right.

Arielle opened the door and her face seemed to instantly light up with a smile. She didn't ignore Devin's presence either. Instead, she nodded in his direction and reached out her hand toward him. Devin reciprocated the movement.

"Hi, my name is Arielle. You're Devin, right?" She asked politely with a smile that would melt the hearts of many suitors.

Devin replied with a soft smile. "That is my name," he chuckled. "It's nice to meet you, Arielle. I've heard much about you." He continued.

His sentence made Alexander act on reflex and slap his arm, causing Devin to laugh. Arielle's cheeks grew warm and Alexander caught sight of her reddening face.

Was it because she felt the same way? He wondered to himself.

"He's a jokester." Alexander clarified to her.

"An honest one," Devin mumbled.

"So!" Alexander proclaimed, moving past Devin and excusing himself from Arielle's presence, entering the small home. His heart shouldn't be pounding this hard, he thought. Devin wasn't lying and he sure hoped he wasn't either, but his thoughts were interrupted by Arielle's mother.

"Alexander! It's so wonderful that you have returned to our home again! Please take a seat anywhere." She exclaimed excitedly. Her eyes were bright, although slight bags resided below them. Her hair was casually sitting in a bun atop her head and her apron was already covered in some of the night's meal.

"Thank you, Ms. Burnes." He answered politely.

So..." Devin began as he sat on the worn-out couch. His surroundings were very different to him, yet although he could tell everything there was much more affordable than his home, he noticed that their well-loved couch was also much more comfortable than the one that he owned.

"So...?" Alexander asked with a raised brow, now wondering if it was a good idea to bring Devin along or not, but soon he didn't have to worry about it.

Arielle had walked to her room but returned within a few seconds with her best friend in tow. He thought nothing of it at first, but Devin fell quiet beside him. In the brief moments of his silence, Alexander sent a text in response to Vincent before looking back up. It took very little time to see that Devin's attention had been captured by Julia.

"Alexander, you have already met my dear friend Julia, but Devin you have not," Arielle spoke in a chipper tone. "So Julia this is Devin. Devin is a close friend of Alexander's. Devin this is Julia. I've known her for years and she's been a sister to me." She smiled lovingly at her best friend.

Julia smiled back briefly before her eyes landed back on Devin.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you, Devin. And it's nice to see you again Alexander." She spoke to both men before turning her attention away.

She seemed oblivious to Devin's intense gaze. For the next half hour, they all spoke amongst themselves as Arielle's mother prepared their dinner. Arielle occasionally dismissed herself to help her mom in the kitchen. Alexander appreciated how much she gave a helping hand to those around her. He just found himself loving various personality traits about her.

She was a rare woman it seemed.

He learned to not stare. He respected her and he wanted her to know that.

Talking with Devin and Julia as he waited was as easy as breathing, but he couldn't say the same for Devin. Every time Julia would ask him a new question, the once confident man would become flustered, searching his brain for the answer. Answers that he should have already known, like how old he was.

"Dinner's ready!" Angelina called. Devin slapped his hands on his knees and rushed over to the dining area, leaving Alexander and Julia slightly behind his dust.

"Is he always this excited about food?" She asked.

"Sometimes," Alexander replied with a smirk on his face. It was true. Devin surely was a foodie at heart, but he had a feeling that this had more to do with Julia than it did with Angelina's food. Food that Devin had never tasted to claim that he loved it so.

They all sat and ate, chatting causally with one another.

The food was delicious, but that was an understatement. Angelina had a gift in the kitchen and he wondered if learning to cook with her skill would be an easy feat for him or not. They all ate at a rather good pace. Alexander grabbed his plate, bringing it to the sink and offering to take any other empty plate as well.

"Alexander? Arielle?" Angelina called.

"Hm?" He hummed, his stomach feeling full.

"Can you two follow me to the backyard?" Angelina requested as she wiped excess water off of her hands and onto her apron.

Alexander raised an eyebrow, glancing over to Arielle, but nodded nonetheless. He was a guest in their home for the night and he doubted that she requested them to follow her due to any issue.

"Of course," he replied.

"Yes Mom, we'll be right there," Arielle answered too.

"Ready?" She asked Alexander. He nodded with a big smile. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt excited. His relationship with Arielle had begun to shift not too long ago. He had gone from merely pining after her attention, getting lost in her presence to where they were now.

He understood her joy and her resilience. It was refreshing at first, but it gave birth to the curiosity that simply couldn't be quenched by merely admiring her from afar. Yet now he knew why. Now he knew Christ.

They walked toward the back of the house. Julia could be seen excusing herself to her room due to something on her phone. Arielle glanced in her direction, deciding that after the talk with her mom, she'd check on her.

"You guys may have a seat." Arielle's mom kindly stated. She waved toward the two chairs and the bench. Alexander sat on one of the independent chairs and Arielle walked over to the bench. She nodded and smiled toward her mom.

"Okay, so Alexander Marque, I've learned about your curiosity for God peaking. How's that been going?" Angelina asked as she took a seat for herself too.

Alexander's smile grew on his face naturally. It felt hard for even him to believe how much had changed in such little time. Yet the peak of this change showed itself just the night before.

"It's been going well. Better than well. I repented and..." he paused. He wondered if it would be necessary or good to share the dream he had. Would it make sense to them? Would they think of him as insane?

Alexander hadn't realized how long he had pondered until Arielle's soft voice spoke up.

"And?" She inquired with an encouraging smile.

His heart began to beat at a faster pace in his chest, but he took steady breaths to calm down.

"And..." he continued. "And I saw Him. Jesus I mean." He corrected quickly. Angelina's mother could be heard gasping. She leaned forward, her hands propped up on her apron that was still covered in some of the night's meal now paired with droplets of water.

"You did?" She asked. They didn't look at him as though he was crazy, but instead, they watched him with great understanding and curiosity dancing in their eyes.

"My mother has too," Arielle said excitedly while beaming toward the two. She reached over across from her seat to grasp her mother's hand in her own, lightly squeezing it before letting go.

Arielle had propped her head on her hands as she gave Alexander her undivided attention. She seemed rather excited to hear the details of his dream. So there they all sat as Alexander began to relay all of what he remembered and wrote down.

"And so, after that, I drove home and I could feel His presence. It felt as though if I reached out, I would be able to touch his arm or face. He was just right there." He concluded.

Arielle nodded eagerly.

"That's wonderful," she said.

"Well, hopefully, this is easy to understand then, since you've already begun in your walk." Arielle's mother began. "We're going to church this Sunday and you're welcome to join. Our pastor has a discipleship program and he can help you a lot with growing in your walk with God. He also has something important to tell you and I think he should be the one to do it, but Arielle will be there too." She smiled.

"Oh, okay," Alexander replied. He could only wonder what it was that the pastor would have to share with him. He had met the man only once before. He was as kind as you expect a man leading a church to be.

"But here, let's head back inside," Angelina announced as she raised her hands.

"Was there nothing else?" Alexander asked, with mild confusion on his face.

With a sigh, Angelina answered him. "I realized, it's wiser to wait. Please forgive me for calling you out here, especially on this chilly night, but Sunday is not too far from now."

Alexander nodded. Maybe what they had wanted to say was much too big to handle right now. Arielle seemed to agree with her mother, but there was a look in her eye. It was something he couldn't quite place.

Heading back in, they found Devin alone on his phone. Alexander patted his friend's shoulder and nodded toward the door.

"Ready to head out?" He asked.

Devin sighed but nodded. "Yeah, let's go I guess."

Alexander watched him. "Want to talk about it on the way back."

He shook his head. "No. I just want to go home and rest."

"Then let's get back," Alexander answered, respecting the fact that his friend may need time alone to sort through his feelings.

With quick goodbyes, the two men exited Arielle's and Angelina's home. The ride home was much quieter than the ride there, but Alexander knew that he could and he would pray for Devin.

When Alexander re-entered his home, the same feeling came over him. It was uncomfortable being in his house. It was much too large and had little use. He tried to shake it off, but it wouldn't budge.

Yet his mind eventually wandered to Arielle. She had a look in her eye. He knew that she knew something, but he didn't know what.

Realizing that he couldn't keep his mind pondering without end, he did what seemed right. He prayed. He hoped to take time to spend with God before he was too sleepy to do so.

Remembering Jesus' promise, he got down by his bedside and lowered his head. He began to speak. His prayers always felt like they weren't as perfect as they could be, but as he grew closer to God, he realized his prayers just needed to be genuine and led by Him.

So Alexander thanked God for the breath in his lungs, for the day's event, and for the kindness shown to him. As he went on in his prayer, he found himself praying for Devin's heart to heal much longer than he thought he would. Without realizing it, over a half hour had passed. He only noticed when a knock came to his door.

"Come in!" He called after ending his prayer.

The door squeaked, demanding someone to look at it. Greta's face popped in. Alexander immediately smiled at the older woman. Maybe it was how motherly she had been toward him, but she would always hold an important place in his life.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Yes, I just wanted to say that you seem a lot happier, and whatever is doing that for you, I'm happy too." She spoke genuinely, slight tears clouding her gaze for a moment. Alexander knew he had caused her concern over his overzealous working schedule and the lack of social interactions that he had. She cared for him as more than an employee-to-employer relationship but as a family.

"Thank you, Greta. I'm sorry for causing you to be worried." He spoke sincerely.

"If you were Richard, I'd probably hold this over your head for at least a week." She replied with amusement in her eyes.

"You should give Richard a small break from your antics." Alexander joked back.

"Yes, once he gives me a break," she laughed. "Get some rest. I'll be going."

"Thank you, Greta." He called out again before she fully exited the room. The older woman paused. The slight lines by her eyes crinkled as she watched him.

"For?" She asked. "Doing my job?" she continued lightheartedly.

"It's not your job to love me as a son, but you have." He answered, watching the woman that he took onto his staff, yet she took him into her heart.

Her smile slowly faded and he could see some of the same tears threatening to come back. "It's not just because you look like him." She whispered as she looked away momentarily before turning her eyes back to him. "You and I have both lost people close to us, but somehow, like a puzzle, we fit." She said softly.

Alexander felt the odd sensation of tears attacking his eye, not prepared for this to be the bittersweet moment it had become.

"And I'd just like to add that I have found better-paying jobs, but I'd much rather be at home with those I love." She jabbed at him.

Alexander chuckled. "You know you can ask me for a raise, Greta."

"You give us enough, but I'm sure Richard wouldn't mind." She laughed once more. "Now go sleep."

"Goodnight Greta," he called out to her, as she turned away, pulling her robe closer to her, the long nightgown extending even further than the robe did.

She nodded in his direction, already exiting the room, but Alexander heard a gentle response from her, although it was rather difficult to hear. It was almost too quiet for him to pick up, but he was almost certain that he heard her say, "Goodnight son."

Alexander fluffed his pillow, promptly turning on his side. He was unprepared for the night's tale. A dream of a beautiful woman dressed in white, one that he knew, would play like a movie before him, beckoning his heart to move until sunrise.

Arielle placed two hearts on her calendar. The bright new day seemed to hold many promises and she was excited for them all. She drew each heart rather slowly as she hummed to herself. With a beaming smile, she glanced at the hearted Tuesday and Saturday. As she grew in her walk with God, she yearned for growth.

Those two days would be marked down as her new fasting days. She found that her fast drew her closer to God. She could hear Him clearly, His presence was nearly tangible. And although abstaining from food seemed like a daunting task at first, the results were well worth it.

"What's up?" Julia sang as she walked up to the door frame. Her long hair tumbled in waves with natural highlights shining throughout. The summer sun seemed to make them brighter.

"Just marking up my calendar," Arielle laughed lightly while pointing to it. The calendar had seen better days. It had markings for church events, her workout days, family outings, and now her fasting days.

"Hm," Julia hummed in response, then sighed as she tilted her head back.

Popping the cap back on her marker, Arielle pointed her attention back toward her friend. With an analytical frown on her face, she began poking her best friend's arm, causing Julia to jump.

"Ah, what was that for?" She yelped, grabbing her arm with haste.

"You tell me," Arielle said with a concerned smile. "Sorry if I scared you." She added as she walked over to her seat and sat down, gesturing for Julia to follow her.

"No, you're fine. I didn't realize that my face showed that something was wrong," she replied with a sad smile of her own. Julia walked over to the edge of Arielle's bed, sitting across from her.

She sighed. "After seeing how Ben moved on, I thought that would be the last I heard from him, but he popped back up," Julia answered with her eyes stuck to her hands.

Arielle furrowed her brows as she pulled her legs up onto the chair, leaning her head on her knees.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"He messaged me again, but from another account." She said with a sullen look on her face. "An account that has existed for the past 4 years."

Arielle's mouth dropped. "So even while you two were together?" She whispered. "Did he ever tell you about any backup accounts? I know some people who have had those."

"That would make sense, but no, he's never brought that up. That doesn't mean he did anything behind my back, but- I'm trying not to overthink." Julia concluded. She pushed her lips out as she thought quietly to herself. Her hands seemed to play a melody on the bed linen.

"And you're right. There's a possibility that he did nothing with that account. Remember that time I made that one account to find my dad's brother? I had no use for it, but I just wanted to find him." Arielle assured her.

"Well, yes, but that was your only account that you deleted soon after." Julia clarified.

Arielle frowned. She was right. She had no account before that and when she made that account, it was for that one purpose and then it met its end. There was no telling the purpose of Ben's second account, but she also found no use in trying to solve that mystery. It was possibly nothing.

"That is true, but... here-" she said as she abruptly came to a stand. She grabbed two of her Bibles from her small bookshelf and walked over to Julia, choosing to sit beside her.

"Do you mind jumping in In 1 Corinthians 13 with me?" Arielle's eyes searched to see if there was any negative emotion coming from her friend, but thankfully she seemed to be neutral about her request.

"I don't mind at all," Julia smiled as she flipped through the pages. Arielle's Bibles had seen better days, being worn and having slight tears at the edge of a few of the well-loved pages.

"So in 1 Corinthians 13, we're taught about love." She began skimming her finger lightly on the page.

"The Bible says that love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." She continued. "But there are some people who don't fully understand what the scripture means when it says "believes all things," but AMPC breaks it down even easier for beginners. Here, read verse 7 for me?" Arielle asked Julia.

Julia watched her friend for a moment before nodding and skimming the passage until she halted at verse 7.

"Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]." She read.

"So love "is ever ready to believe the best of every person," and although we don't know what he did then, unless we have proof, we can choose to believe the best in him. You two aren't together anymore and I believe that's for the best too." Arielle continued.

"You've never liked dating." Julia pointed out with a pout. Their views on dating never aligned, but Arielle stuck to her convictions and was grateful that their friendship survived all of their disagreements. She couldn't imagine Julia going through this alone, she wouldn't want that for her.

"Because God doesn't want that for us. You gave Ben your heart and that led to it breaking. He wasn't the one who was meant to care for your heart in that way. I know you're not a fan of the way I go about it, but that's because God shows what He wants us to do and that isn't dating." Arielle replied gently. "But I wish I could have protected your heart from breaking. That I could have taken that pain in your place. I never wanted that for you, Jules."

Julia's eyes filled with tears and she blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear them.

"I know. I'm grateful that you didn't leave me in my stubbornness," she laughed through her tears. "You're the sister I never had,"

"I've been stubborn before too and you didn't leave me. And you are my sister. In Christ!" Arielle giggled leaning in to hug Julia. They hugged for a moment, basking in their friendship before Julia pulled back.

"I do have a question though," Julia mumbled past her tears.

"Hm?" Arielle hummed. She reached for a napkin, handing it over to Julia and keeping one for herself. Her own eyes had grown teary.

"That Alexander guy, have you two begun... dating?" Julia's question was understandable, although it would paint Arielle as a hypocrite which she surely would be if that were true.

"Oh no, no no no no no," Arielle replied quickly.

Julia raised an eyebrow. "Then why has he come over for dinner twice?"

"The first time he stayed for dinner was because my mother invited him in. The second time we both invited him because we needed to tell him something." She replied with a shrug. The first instance had been unexpected for both parties, but the second was planned.

"Like...?" Julia's tears had been wiped away and her hair pulled from her face.

Arielle remained silent for a moment, realizing that she had never told Julia why she had been busier lately and why she went to her room more often. The prayers were rather long, but for a good reason.

"I needed to seek God." Arielle realized how vague her response was as soon as it left her mouth, but she wasn't sure how much detail to give.

"You always seek God." Julia pressed.

"Seeking God isn't a one-time thing," Arielle said as she stared off toward the window with a smile on her face. "But yes, I had to seek God about who my husband was- if I was even meant to ever get married and after fasting and praying, both myself and two others have received revelation from the Lord on who my husband is to be."

"What?" Julia asked with wide eyes. "Tell me right now! Is that why you're anti-dating?" She asked as she chucked one of Arielle's pillows at her. Arielle dodged at a quick pace, nearly falling to the floor.

"I didn't want to share it with anyone until all parties were certain and that includes the man involved."

"So he's who you're going to marry. You plan to marry Alexander Marquee!?" Julia exclaimed.

"Jules! I-" Before Arielle could speak another word, a loud crash was heard. Both ladies had turned their attention to the door. Someone had fallen into her bedroom. Arielle jumped and yelped in shock. Julia followed suit, but Julia's nerves soon calmed.

But Arielle's eyes remained wide, feeling her heart quicken in pace yet again. Alexander lay on her bedroom floor, looking up in pain and surprise. Arielle doubted that he heard everything, but he heard enough and this was not the way she meant for him to find out.