She was still staring out the window when the soft knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts. She rose from the window seat and sighed. Perhaps it was Mrs. Potts who had come to soothe her broken heart with words of wisdom. But no amount of words could heal the painful ache inside of her.
The knocking came again and she crossed the room to answer it. With a heavy sigh she thrust open the door. "Mrs. Potts, I know you mean well, but-." Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of her unexpected visitor. "Adam…"
He stared at her looking so handsome that it was all but impossible to resist kissing him deeply. But she refrained from doing so. Why should she give in to her desires when he no longer loved her?
"Belle, I know you don't want to see me but if you'll please just let me explain."
"You don't owe me an explanation, Adam. Now if you don't mind-."
She moved to gather her bags but he gently gripped her arm. "Belle, wait!"
Reluctantly, she turned around, trying not to look into his piercing blue eyes.
"Please…. "
"What do you want, Adam?"
He took her hand and smiled. "Just… come with me."
Almost as though in a daze, she followed him out of her room and down the long hallway. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see. But you'll have to close your eyes."
She couldn't help but smile. "But if I close my eyes, how can I possibly see?"
He chuckled softly at her attempt at humor and the air between them seemed instantly lighter. He playfully put his hand over her eyes and guided her through the darkness. When they reached the top of the curving staircase, he pulled her toward him and carefully helped her down the stairs.
"Adam… what's going on?"
"Do you trust me?"
She hesitated at first abut her heart wouldn't let the thought linger. "Yes."
"All right then."
They walked a bit further and then came to a stop. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Her heart was racing beneath her chest as she slowly opened her eyes. "Adam, what is this?"
"It's yours, Belle."
She looked around the enormous library in confusion. "I don't understand. You've already given me so much, including this library. I've spent so much time here and… we've spent so much time-."
"I thought this would be the perfect place."
Her eyes narrowed. "The perfect place? For what?"
"I want to tell you a story, Belle. A fairy tale."