As her hand rested over his heart, she felt the temperature of his body lingering at the palm of her hand. The warmth that she was used to yet ardently longed for and the once steady heartbeats that she always hoped to disturb now erratically pounding at her touch.
"It beats for you now," he confessed.
Perhaps it wasn’t the confession that she had been waiting for with neither perfect setting nor candle light dinner or fancy dress. There weren’t flowers to symbolize their union, exploding fireworks, or an act of buying the whole place. Neither were his words the ones she had been waiting to hear.
It was just her and him, two individuals in the sa bed, under the bask of sunlight.
She was nowhere near beautiful. Battered and injured in her white hospital gown, her pale complexion was her makeup and her bandages were her accessories. She was a ss at every angle, lying bare and vulnerable in his arms. Utterly and completely every girl’s nightmare to be in such a state while facing the one their heart beats for.
Yet, when his raven eyes trailed over her, it was as though she was the absence of his heart that he had arduously searched for. A fleeting shadow that he so desired to hold, to carefully trace whether it was her soft lips that continuously provoked him or her defiant blue eyes that unwaveringly challenged him.
She was a vision that tore at his impatient soul.
"You told to admit it," he whispered as he gently nuzzled the tip of her nose. "Hence, I will deny it no more."
This shaful lust over her or the sinful deed that he was to commit. All the scorns they would be buried under, it could no longer compare to the tears she shed.
When her twinkling blue eyes t his dark ones like the night sky eting the ocean, he could finally say with confidence that there was no one else whose lips he desired to capture or heart he longed to possess other than the girl in his arms.
She was the very presence that he wished to share the million nights and the countless mornings ahead. The only one to wake up to and the last vision before every slumber. Even when sleepless nights ca to haunt, may she be the star he gazed upon instead of the forlorn sky.
"I may not be able to undo the pain I inflicted nor the heartbreaks I had caused. But, I won’t waver anymore or confuse you with my half-heartedness."
His grip on her hand tightened, yet the strength was almost too gentle to hold her back as if staying with him was optional. In the end, she was the one who held the final decision.
"I’ve ruined you but please...don’t let anyone else fix it," he pleaded as he brought her hand to his lips. "Let be the one to compensate."
With every tenderness he bestowed upon her, her heart ached like never before, even though she thought she would never again after the pain he had condemned her into.
Yet, here she was, buckling at his every word. Her resolve gradually weakened. When she initially thought all they could ever be was becoming strangers to each other if he deigned to admit his fault at the very least, but instead, he turned around and offered her his heart.
"I’m sorry I was a coward but please, let fix it."
Kyra continued to look at the man. Her eyes did not betray the chaos within her. Her expression was able to reign her feelings. So, she could ask him without showing signs of weakness.
"And what if..." she paused as she caught the hope in his eyes. "...what if it’s never enough? What if whatever you do could never heal the pain? That in the end, after everything you have offered, the scar remains deep?"
But, out of her expectation, the man didn’t shy away. His eyes remained on her with every bit of hope intact, not less but in fact, more. The corner of his lips curled into the sweetest smile.
"What I ask of you is another chance. Never did I ntion a ti limit, did I?"
As he spoke, his hand cupped her blushing cheek once again. But, instead of a desire to be intimate, she felt a tender reassurance in his touch. His every stroke gave away his feelings without any hint of restraint.
Kyra lowered her eyes. Despite the blatant confession that wavered her heart, her head remained in denial. Filled with fear and doubts, it refused to give in. Countless bad scenarios played in her head and every single one of it ending with his confession being a lie.
She thought all she ever needed was his admittance. Once he laid his feelings bare, she could even close her eyes to anything else. She would instantly lt into his arms with nothing holding her back. But, as it turned out, she was completely wrong.
The hurt didn’t just suddenly disappear nor the tears absent. It haunted her like a long slumbering nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.
In the end, all she could offer was uncertainty instead of a chance.
"I don’t know..." was all she could say.
Yet, when she lifted her eyes, expecting his disappointnt and an ending to his pursuit, all she saw was his loving gaze.
"I understand..." was his response.
Then, as he leaned in, he savored her lips in the most tender way as if he was licking her wound and soothing her pain. He guided her out of confusion patiently.
"You don’t need to say anything else. It’s okay if you don’t trust . Just by allowing to be near and touch you is already more than enough. Anything else can wait because I’ll be the one to convince you."
Her eyes widened in shock. All of the sudden, she saw a glimpse of the man she had known all these years. The distance that had separated them in the past days and the feeling of unfamiliarity disappeared in that instance as if it was a re illusion from the start.
The man had returned to being the person who always indulged her every wish and patiently doted on her, though in a different kind of way.
Kyra unconsciously broke into a smile. She leaned into his arms with a hint of dependence in her action. Even though she could yet offer him a solid answer, she was willing to let him try.
With her eyes closed, the girl nodded. "Okay."
Jas let out an amused chuckle. It really had been a long ti since the girl acted spoiled towards him. At one point, when their feelings had begun to erge and they struggled to resist it, both of them had unconsciously drifted away from each other.
And now here she was, back in his arms, and he couldn’t even begin to describe this feeling of satisfaction. As he snuggled her close, he nuzzled his nose against the top of her head.
Kyra giggled at his action. She could feel his breathing against her hair and for so reason, it felt ticklish. However, she quickly collected her thoughts and drew herself back.
She worriedly asked, "What about grandpa and grandma?"
She could care less about Cressida and Vincent since she wasn’t exactly close to them. At least far from how she was with Creighton and Jane. She could even go as far as saying that she owed the elderly couple for taking part in her growth. After all, there had been tis when Jas was clumsy with taking care of her and tis when he had to go on business trips. During those tis, Jane and Creighton were the ones to accompany her. Hence, she was not heartless enough to not consider their feelings.
Jas smiled as he tried to mask his guilt. There was no way he could tell her that Creighton was well aware of this and had even threatened him. It would break his girl and draw unnecessary conflict.
He rather kept it for now while he dealt with it himself.
"Don’t worry," he comforted her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Let handle them. However, in the anti, I hope you’re alright with hiding our relationship from them."
Kyra didn’t hold any suspicion because she was going to ask Jas to hide their relationship too in the beginning.
So, she agreed without any complaint. "It’s fine."
The delay would also give her ti to enjoy this feeling with him. Just the two of them, hiding away from the eyes of the crowd, peacefully indulging each other. No judgent or anyone to answer to.
She wanted a mont to explore this relationship with him alone.
"Let’s tell them a bit later," she suggested as she hugged his waist.
"Okay. Don’t worry. When the ti cos, I’ve already planned everything."
Jas embraced her as he stroked her hair comfortingly. He wouldn’t let her be hurt again even if it ant going against the old man.
Reviews
All reviews (0)