ã€ŠThe Accidental Wife (Emily and Julian)ã€‹


 Chapter 1

    I didn''t remember getting drunk the night before. It was just one drink. How would one fruity drink make me end up with a hammering headache? I take a deep breath and turn to the right on the soft bed, only to hit something. No, someone!

    All I managed to remember fromst night was being at Julian''s birthday party. He was my stepsister''s fianc¨¦. It was a huge party, and many guests were present. With whom did I end up leaving?

    My heart started to beat so fast as no memories ofst night made their way to my head. I looked down and saw myselfpletely naked. Fuck! Who was that stranger I slept with? Quickly, I sat up on the bed and kept my body covered with the sheets. I was drowning in shame. I was never the kind of girl who got drunk and slept with strangers.

    The stranger beside me groaned as he stirred a little. I wanted him to turn around. My curiosity was getting the best of me. I needed to see his face. My eyes were fixated on him, unable to move with millions of questions running through my head.

    I waited for him to turn around and once he did, I wanted to bury myself alive. My eyes were open wide, and my mouth parted in shock. How the hell did we end up in bed together? Out of everyone at the party, I had to find myself in bed with Julian. This was an absolute nightmare.

    I never wanted to betray Fiona. No matter how different we were, I never thought about doing something as horrible as that. My dad was going to kill me and my stepmother would make sure to give me a slow and painful death.

    "What the fuck!?" Julian''s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Pure shock was crystal clear on his face. Quite understandable. I was in the same state too. "How the hell did we end up here?" he asked.

    "I don''t know. I don''t know anything. I have just woken up and I can''t remember anything fromst night," I replied, rubbing my temples as the headache got stronger the more I spoke.

    "I don''t even remember talking to youst night!" he hissed.

    "Neither do I! Do you think I''m in love with this situation?" I fired back. Julian and I weren''t fond of one another., just like how Fiona wasn''t fond of me.

    "We slept together, Emily! Do you realize the mess we are in? I''m about to marry your sister in three months. You''ve just ruined my life!" I wanted to correct him and tell him that Fiona was never a sister to me. She was merely a stepsister, but it wasn''t the time for that. I had other things to care about, like the fact that he was acting like I was the one who lured him into sleeping with me.

    "And my life isn''t ruined? Do you think I orchestrated this or something? I have a boyfriend I''m in love with and once he finds out about this, he''s going to leave me." I was baffled and petrified. I didn''t want Chester to leave me, but this was bad, and nothing could make him believe that I was innocent.

    "Oh, I wouldn''t put it past you," he sarcastically chuckles, making me frown. What the hell did he mean by that?

    "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I reached for my clothes that were thrown beside the bed and tried to get dressed under the covers. He might have seen me nakedst night, but I didn''t even remember entering that room with him.

    For a reason I didn''t know Julian and I had never been fond of each other. I failed to remember the reason behind that growing hatred, but I honestly didn''t care about him. It wasn''t like I had to be all friendly with him. He was just my step-sister''s fianc¨¦ and I wasn''t close to her either.

    "I seriously don''t have time for this!" He stormed towards the door as he buttoned up his shirt, and I ran after him as I tried to put my shoes on.

    "We need to talk about this mess. You can''t just leave!" I snapped at him as he walked out of the room, and I followed him.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    My heart sank in my stomach once I stepped into the hall because thest person I wanted to see was standing in front of me.

    My boyfriend.

    His eyes were wide with shock, and I was sure that my face was paler than it already was.

    "What the hell were you doing in Jin''s room, Emily?"

    I gulped the moment my eyesnded on Chester. How was I going to exin that situation to him?

    "Chester, let me exin," I muttered, my heart hammering in my chest.

    "What exactly happened, Emily?" Chester cornered me against the wall and I had to suck in my breath. I didn''t know what to expect from him.

    "I... I woke up with J-Julian in bed," I whispered.

    "What the fuck!?" I flinched when he raised his voice.

    "Alright, you need to get away from her." Julian surprised me by pushing Chester away from me.

    "Of course, you''re going to defend your whore!" he yelled at Julian. I wasn''t anybody''s whore. Chester was my first and I was only twenty-two. I had always been faithful to him. "She''s not my whore. We''re telling you we don''t know what happened," Julian hissed, standing in front of Chester. By now, my body was slightly shaking. "I don''t care about her at all". "What''s going on?" I looked up and saw Fiona along with Dad, and Maggie, his wife. This was about to get so much worse.

    "Let''s get inside a room because people are about to call security on us," Dad said as he opened the door to his suite, and we all followed. "Talk," he ordered once he closed the door. "Your daughter slept with her sister''s fianc¨¦." Fiona gasped upon hearing what Chester had to say.

    "Fiona, baby, it''s not what it looks like!" Julian quickly said as he walked over to his fianc¨¦e. Fiona''s eyes were shooting arrows of hatred towards me.

    "How could you do this to me?" she whimpered, keeping her eyes on her fianc¨¦ for a moment as she looked at him with agony in her eyes, then her eyesnded on me. The look was different. I would be dead if looks could kill. Suddenly, sheunched herself at me and started to pull at my hair and p me across the face.

    "Fiona, stop! She''s not worth it!" Julian pulled her away from me, but of course, he had to throw an insult. Why was he pinning all of this on me? I knew that the odds were in his favor, not mine, but I wasn''t going to let him throw the whole me on me. Not once in my life had I looked at him romantically. I wasn''t attracted to him in any way.

    "She''s a fucking slut!"

    Knocks on the door interrupted us and Maggie went to open the door.

    "What''s going on over here?" Rose, Julian''s mum, wondered with worry evident in her tone. I just wanted to hide. Nobody would believe that I had nothing to do with that. Part of me did not even believe that I was entirely innocent. My memory was blurry, and I didn''t know how to defend myself.

    I had a feeling that I was drugged, but who would believe me? Who would pick me over Fiona? She was even my dad''s favorite.

    My eyes fell on my father who eyed me with disgust as he said, "What the hell have you done, Emily?"

    "Nothing!" I screamed. "I didn''t do anything. I woke up with Julian in bed, but I don''t remember anything and neither does he. I don''t remember going to bed with himst night. I don''t know what happened!"

    "Did you really expect a good man like him to be with a cheater?" Even my own father believed that I would cheat. He didn''t even know me well enough to use me of something like that, but of course, he would pick Fiona over me any day.

    I lost my mum when I was just ten years old. She was everything to me and my number one supporter. When she left, she took a part of me with her and ever since then, I had never felt full. There was a hole in my heart that had been bleeding for twelve years, aching for

    her.

    My dad had always been in my life, but he had just been... there. Present but not really present. He had never paid attention to me when I was young, always leaving me to my mum. When she died, he hired a nanny for me. He thought that I wouldn''t need anything if he provided me with food, clothes, and pocket money. I never saw care or love from him. I had always thought that he wasn''t an affectionate person, but I was wrong.

    He was affectionate with Fiona, always treating her like a princess, and I was just... forgotten. I didn''t understand why he did that to me, and my pride held me back from asking. I was never going to ask for love. Deep down, I knew I wasn''t a bad person and I deserved to be loved. But at that moment, I needed somebody to be on my side. I needed somebody to believe that I didn''t do anything. I needed my mum.

    "Enough of all of that. Let''s check out and continue talking at home," Julian''s father interfered. "Julian and Emily, you''re going to go to ab to get a drug test done."

    I nodded quickly. I needed to prove that I was drugged.

 Chapter 2

    My head was about to explode. I didn''t have anything to eat and didn''t even drink my coffee. Julian and I were currently at theb, waiting for our results. I was well aware that even if the tests were in my favor, my father wasn''t going to be on my side. Nobody was going to be on my side. I was all alone in that world, and I was certain that if somebody killed me, nobody would give a damn. Not even the man I loved with all my heart. If they held a funeral for me, it would just be for their image in front of everybody. "Here." I looked up when I heard somebody addressing me. Julian was standing with two cups of coffee in his hands.

    "Thank you," I mumbled, taking it from him. The two of us sat in silence as there was nothing we could talk about. Today was enough to prove to me that Julian hated me with every bone in his body.

    "You really don''t remember anything aboutst night?" he calmly asked.

    "All I remember is that I had one drink. Just one drink and it didn''t contain too much alcohol to wipe my memory like that," I replied and took a sip of my coffee. It was way too sweet for my liking, but I was desperate for any sort of caffeine to get into my system. She''s not worth it!

    His words rang through my head. Nobody thought that I was worth anything. I had been living in the shadows of my family for years. The only person who truly cared about me was my best friend, Maya.

    I didn''t get why it was easy for Fiona to use me of being jealous of her and Julian. I loved Chester with all my heart and he was as sessful as Jin, so there was no reason for me to want Julian for myself. Chester was a sessful media producer and was well- known in his field, while Julian was the heir to a huge tradepany. Each of us had sessful partners, so there was no need for any of us to be jealous of the other.

    "Julian Kensington and Emily Harolds." I quickly stood up when they called our names.

    "Are there any traces of drugs in our systems?" Julian asked the doctor once we both reached the counter.

    "Yes, we did find drugs in your systems, but Mr. Kensington, it seems like you have more in your systempared to Ms. Harolds," the doctor informed us.

    Although I was aware that the results would change nothing, some sort of relief found its way to my heart upon hearing that. I was drugged. Somebody wanted to frame me, but I didn''t know who would do that to me. I didn''t have any problem with anybody. This meant that whoever drugged me knew me too well because they knew that I got drunk easily, so I could easily get drugged. Julian didn''t have anything to say when he saw the results of my blood test and I didn''t know how to interpret his silence. I was d that they found traces of a drug in my system because that meant that I was innocent.

    My circle was very small, and the only ones who were at Julian''s party from my circle were Mr. Harolds, his beloved wife and stepdaughter along with my boyfriend. But why would any of them set me up for something like that when they wanted Fiona to marry Julian? It didn''t make any sense.

    "We need to get back home. They''re waiting for us," Julian said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I nodded and walked with him to his car in silence. Again, there was nothing we could say to one another.

    "Do you... do you have any issue with anybody?" he wondered, breaking the silence that filled the car.

    "No, you?" I found him shaking his head.

    "Somebody must have spiked our drinks," he said, earning a nod from me. I was desperate to know who. Who wanted to ruin my rtionship with Chester? And who wanted to ruin Fiona''s rtionship with Julian?

    While Julian was driving us back, I took a picture of the results and sent them to Chester, hoping he would give me a second chance. After five minutes, I decided to call him, but he didn''t pick up. I knew that he was mad at me and probably hurt, but I wanted him to give me a chance to exin myself. I wanted him to hear me out.

    I had always been loyal to him. I had never done anything to make him think that I would pick any other man in my life but him, so it was hard for me to understand why it was easy for him to believe that I would cheat on him.

    Twenty minutester, we reached the Kensington mansion, where my so-called family and his family were waiting for us.

    "What did the tests reveal?" Rose asked upon seeing us.

    "We both have been drugged and here are the results," Julian answered, handing her the two sheets of paper that revealed everything.

    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Maggie wondered, folding her arms over her chest.

    "That we''re innocent. That I didn''t do anything willingly," I replied.

    "I don''t give a fuck about all of this! I''m done with you, Julian." Fiona jumped up from her ce and threw her ring at Julian before storming off. Her attitude was weird. I thought she would forgive Julian for the mistake he didn''t willinglymit. It seemed like she found an opportunity to break up with Julian and she wasn''t about to let it go.

    "Fiona, wait!" Julian turned to run after her.

    "Julian! Sit down!" The anger in his father''s voice was enough to make chills run down my spine. "You too, Emily." His voice was softer when he addressed me. We both sat down, and I did my best to stop my legs from shaking. "What do you have to say, Dad?" Julian calmly asked his father.

    "Now that Fiona has decided to break off your engagement, I see that the partnership between the twopanies can no longer take ce," Steven, Julian''s father announced.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "No!" my dad quick said. I knew that he was dying for that partnership to take ce. "I''m sure we can convince her to reconsider marrying Julian. She is just angry and hurt." He was quick to defend his favorite daughter.

    "With all my respect, I don''t think Fiona is fit to marry Julian as he needs a more mature partner and quite frankly, I see this in somebody else." I liked the indirect insult he threw at Fiona.

    "Who?" My father gulped.

    "Emily."

 Chapter 3

    "Emily? No, you can''t be serious!" Maggie said in disbelief.

    Any woman like Maggie would want a man like Julian for her daughter. He was only twenty-five years old, and he was already a millionaire. He was set to be a billionaire soon, as he was the heir to his father''s empire. He had a sister who was also set to be a billionaire along with him, but she was married and had her own business since she wasn''t into the family''s business. Julian was eventually going to be the CEO of the biggest tradepany since he would own more shares and his sister didn''t want anything to do with administration. How did I know all of that? Fiona and Maggie never stopped bragging about Fiona''s future. Perhaps they had jinxed it with too much babbling.

    After what happened, I was certain that the distance between my family and me would only grow more. I didn''t care about losing them. It wouldn''t even be a loss because in order to lose something, you had to have it first, and I never had them as a family. Somebody was picking me over Fiona, which surely was uneptable to my father and Maggie. The thing was, I didn''t want to be picked over Fiona in that situation. I didn''t want to get married to Julian. I just wanted to talk to Chester and exin to him the mess of a situation I found myself in.

    The thing was, Julian had to get married in order to be a CEO. That was his father''s condition to step down and let his son take over. My father and Julian''s father had been close for a while and when my father learned that Steven was looking for a suitable bride for his son, he suggested that Julian could marry Fiona. To strengthen the deal, our fathers decided to form partnerships concerning a number of projects together, but they cost a lot, so they depended on marriage.

    "But the deal concerned Fiona and Julian." My father didn''t miss the chance to choose Fiona over me. I was his biological daughter. I had never done anything in my life to embarrass him. Why did he always pick her over me? I always got good grades and not once had I embarrassed him in public. What was wrong with me to make him treat me like that?

    "Let me refresh your memory. The deal concerned one of your daughters and my son," Steven said. Now that was surprising. I remembered my father telling us a year ago that Steven asked for Fiona''s hand in marriage for his son. So, he chose Fiona over me from the very start and provided her with a good husband from a good family. This man couldn''t stoop any lower. "If you''re so against the idea, we can cancel the whole arrangement, but if we do that, our deal will cease to exist."

    By the look on my father''s face, I knew that he would never want the deal to be over. The deal meant the world to him since it meant the growth of his empire.

    "Fine. Emily can marry Julian." My father''s voice was full of defeat. Something I was quite fond of.

    "I don''t want to marry Emily!" "I don''t want to marry Julian!" Julian and I said at the same time.

    "You don''t have a say in this!" My father shouted at me.

    "You''re in a tough position, son. You need to get married to be a CEO," Steven calmly told his son.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "No, I do have a say in this!" I snapped. "Why would I marry Julian? I don''t love him, and I can assure you that he can''t even stand me."

    He got up from his ce and yanked me towards the backyard. "Either marry him or you''ll pay the consequences," he threatened me.

    "What do you mean?" I frowned.

    "I will disown you and you won''t take anything with you but the clothes on you." My eyes widened when he said that. Would he really do that? "Even the remaining five installments of your car won''t be paid."

    "Why are you doing this?" My eyes brimmed with tears. Why did he have to ruin my life? Why couldn''t I just have a normal life? I wasn''t asking for much. I just wanted to be in control of my life. I didn''t want to feel like a puppet.

    "You caused this. You handle the consequences," he casually said. The test meant nothing to him. He didn''t care whether I was drugged or not. I was the perpetrator in his eyes, and nothing was going to change his mind. I was in a tough situation, and I didn''t have a choice. I looked at my phone, hoping to find any message or call from Chester, but he sent nothing.

    "If it makes you feel any better, you can get a divorce after two years," he said. I had to waste two years of my life to pay for a mistake I didn''t make.

    "Fine," I gave in. I didn''t have a choice. Satisfaction took over his features as the two of us walked back inside.

    "Emily will marry Julian," my father-no, Jeffrey Harolds-announced with so much pride in his voice.

    "I would also like if Emily could stay with us until the wedding day." I was surprised by Rose''s request. Why would she demand that? "Why?" my father asked.

    "To alleviate the tension in the family," Steven supported his wife''s request. "Don''t worry, she will be staying in our guest house."

    My father stayed silent for a while, then nodded and said, "She can stay, and we will send her belongings."

    "No," I blurted, causing everyone to look at me, including Julian who had made a fantastic effort to ignore me. "I don''t want anybody to touch my things. I want to collect them myself."

    "Shut up," my father interrupted me, "You don''t have the choice." I noticed the pity Steven had in his eyes as he looked at me.

    Soon, Jeffrey and his wife left. Julian and his parents also headed towards one of the rooms; it seemed that he had something to say to them. I was d that they had given me some sort of privacy. I needed it to think about my future, my dark future that made me wish for death. I knew my life was about topletely change, and I didn''t know what to expect. I didn''t know what to expect from that marriage. All I knew was that I had to stay married to Julian for two years and after that, we could get a divorce.

    I tried to consider that marriage as my way out of that toxic family. I had lost so much in my life and I was threatened with being thrown into the streets if I didn''tply. I was just a twenty-two-year-old who had just finished college. Two years of my life as a payment for my freedom were nothing. I was going to make the most out of the situation no matter what.

    There were many things I wanted to do. First, I needed to get a job. Jeffrey Harolds made it clear from day one that I wasn''t even allowed to ask him for a job upon my graduation because he didn''t hire fresh graduates. Working for him wasn''t my dream anyway since I wanted to be a fashion designer. Well, I did major in fashion design and business, which meant that I could work in hispany, but I didn''t want to.

    I needed to look for a job. I needed to start my own life. I didn''t know if I would be allowed to work or not during my two years of marriage to Julian, but I was hoping for the best.

    Just when I was lost in my thoughts, Julian appeared in my view and said, "Good thing you''re here." It wasn''t like I had anywhere else to go. "We have a lot of talking to do."

 Chapter 4

    No matter how much I tried, I failed to understand all that happened. One moment, I was engaged to Fiona, the next I was engaged to Emily. To be honest, I was furious because I was starting to like Fiona. I was starting to get used to her. It wasn''t like I was madly in love with her because I was aware from a very young age that I was destined to have an arranged marriage. I just didn''t want to relive the whole experience of getting to know my future wife again, especially with Emily since I knew how awful she was. I also hated how my family treated me like a puppet. They expected me to be a robot that would fulfill their wishes without questions or objections. I despised how Emily was being shoved into my life.

    Fiona told me how terrible Emily was and I didn''t want that girl to be my future wife. God only knows what she had in store for me. I couldn''t evenprehend how she managed to have my parents wrapped around her fingers like that. I couldn''t believe how my dad offered to house her until the wedding. Fiona was never allowed to stay over even in a separate room. The way my dad jumped to her defense was jaw-dropping. It was like she had practiced some sort of ck magic on him.

    When I woke up beside her in bed, I was in disbelief because I simply couldn''t remember going to bed with her. Hell, I didn''t even remember getting drunk because I wasn''t fond of getting drunk at social events and my birthday party was one of those events.

    Could that possibly be one of Emily''s schemes? Fiona told me that Emily had always been jealous of her and one time, she stole her boyfriend. I didn''t know how deep her evilness ran and honestly, I was scared of finding out. For the events of today, not once had I seen anything bad from her, yet bad people didn''t walk around with a badge on their chest.

    "Why aren''t you mad?" I couldn''t help but ask my parents when I was finally alone with them. I wanted to understand that sort of eptance.

    "Listen, Julian. From the very beginning, I wanted you to marry Emily, but her father said that Fiona would be a better match. I didn''t understand at that time why he chose her over Emily, but over time, I was able to detect the favoritism game he yed. I think you''re smart enough to have seen that yourself," Dad spoke calmly. Honestly, he was right. It was obvious that Jeffrey favored Fiona, but I thought that was attributed to Emily''s maliciousness. "I saw you happy with Fiona, so I said nothing. I didn''t even speak to you about the whole matter."

    "And you thought what happened today was an opportunity?" I failed to understand his logic.

    "I wouldn''t call it an opportunity." Then what was it to him if it wasn''t an opportunity to make me marry the girl he wanted from the very start? "I would actually call it fate. A chance to correct a mistake that was about to happen. I also wouldn''t want you to marry a woman who dared to disrespect you."

    "What makes you think that Emily didn''t n all of that?" I didn''t understand the way he trusted that girl. How did she manage to dig her ws into my father''s head?

    "Same reason I didn''t think that you might have been the one who nned all of this. Just like I''m giving you the benefit of the doubt, I''m also giving it to her. And it seems like you''ve forgotten that the blood test proved that she was also drugged." That was enough to shut me up. Whether I liked to admit it or not, he had a point that I could not argue with. Without any evidence, I could not prove to them that Emily did it.

    "You will be nice and civil to her. I have a feeling that she is way better than her sister," Mum says. She is also on Emily''s side.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "Fine," I mumbled and got up. Two years. I was only required to stay married to her for two years. I could make it work. I was going to bury myself in work to avoid her.

    My parents didn''t know anything about Emily''s games, but Fiona had put me in the know a long time ago to beware of her. Nevertheless, I fell into one of her traps.

    Dad was convinced that she was an angel and if my dad was convinced of something, it would be incredibly hard to change his point of view, so I just saved myself the hassle.

    I needed to out her to my parents. I needed to show them that she was not the angel they thought she was.

    I had to talk to her. I wanted her to know that just because she managed to fool my parents, that didn''t mean that she was going to fool me.

    When I walked back to the living room, I saw she was still in her ce, lost in her own world. Had I not known how terrible she was, I would have thought that she was actually innocent in all of that.

    "Good thing you''re here." Her eyes snapped up and met mine. "We have a lot of talking to do."

    "Okay," Emily nodded. Even though Emily was a snake, she was very beautiful with her blonde hair and green eyes.

    "Follow me," I said, taking her to the backyard. Although the house was big, I had to be cautious. I didn''t want my parents to hear what I was about to tell her.

    I sat down on one of the chairs and she did the same. "Aren''t you going to ask me what I want to talk to you about?" I asked her after a few moments of silence.

    "I would be stupid to ask this question and I''m waiting for you to talk." She shrugged.

    "Unfortunately, I don''t have any proof against you, but let me make one thing clear, Emily. I will never ever like you." Surprise took over her features for a second before she quickly recovered.

    "Unfortunately, I don''t have any proof that I haven''t done it either, so it looks like we''re both stuck. However, let me make one thing clear, Julian. If you open my diary, you won''t find me doodling your name with hearts around it." I wasn''t aware that Emily was sassy. "There are rules that you must follow if you want those two years to pass by peacefully." I tried to remain calm even though her audacity was getting on my nerves. I wanted to make that marriage difficult for her. Perhaps, that would make her run away from the whole thing.

    "I would love to hear them." She crossed one leg over the other. Her confidence had me baffled. I didn''t know if it was an act or if she was truly confident.

    "I expect loyalty," I started, keeping my eyes fixated on her face.

    "Seems logical, but it goes both ways, so I also expect you to be loyal." She shrugged. "What else?"

    "Behind closed doors, we are strangers. In front of the people, we are a couple in love," I said. Her face held the same expression. I wanted to see her surprised or angry, but she just nodded.

    "We''re not going to sleep in the same bed. Hell, we''re not even going to share a room," I told her. Again, her face remained neutral. Was she a robot?

    "More space for me." She shrugged. What was that girl made of? Did she have a heart of steel? Couldn''t she see the amount of barriers I was cing between us?

    "Do you understand what I am saying here?" I stood up in anger. I wanted her to run to my dad and beg him to get her out of that marriage.

    "I do, but what I don''t understand is the state you''re in. Did you expect me to stomp and throw a tantrum because our marriage wouldn''t actually be real?" she asked calmly as she stood up with her arms folded. Her eyes were locked on mine like it was a staring match between us. Her eyes were stunning. "Listen, Julian. For thest time, I''m saying this. I did not drug you. I did not want to marry you and I sure as hell would like to get out of this marriage as much as you. So, let''s make the two years we''re going to spend together bearable because honestly, I''m not looking forward to them." With that, she left me standing in the backyard speechless.

    I didn''t know how I was going to spend two years with so much sass.

 Chapter 5

    I got than he didn''t like me, but did he really have to make it so obvious? It was clear that he believed I was the one who set him up. He didn''t think that I was innocent, and I didn''t know how to convince him of that

    I walked back inside the house because I didn''t know where else to go, Luckily, I found Steven and Rose in front of the once I walked inside the living room.

    "1. I wanted to thank you for sticking up for me," I said, looking at them for a moment before looking away. I didn''t remember if I did anything wrong or not, however, as I stood in front of them, shame took over me. I really didn''t n any of this," I pathetically added

    "Come herr, Emily," Rose spoke with a small smile on her lips as she notioned for me to sit. I did as she said and took a shaky breath. I was mighty with their son, but it was all fake because I didn''t want him to think that I was weak. In front of them. I was internally shaking "I''m not as bad as Fiona and Maggie might have portrayed me to be," I attempted to defend myself.

    "I would never take anything that Maggie says seriously," Rose chuckled, making meugh a little. "I want you to stop thinking about what happened as much as you can, alright! Let me show you where you will be staying until the wedding. She got up from her ce and I The two of us walked together until we reached a nice-

    looking cottage at the very end of the backyard. "If you''re scared of being on your own, you''re wee to stay with us. We just thought that you may need a bit of privacy" I didn''t understand how somebody could be that considerate.

    "This is more than enough. Thank you so much," I said. I was truly grateful

    We walked inside and 1 was amazed by the beauty of the cottage. It was cozy made of two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room of a good size. I walked towards one of the bedrooms and surely chose the one with the en-suite bathroom. I liked the wooden- style furnishing of the cottage. It made the whole ce quite warm

    "Is there anything you''d like to change about the ce?" Rose asked me after she showed me the whole ce.

    This is more than enough. Can I hug you, Mrs. Kensington!" I was over the moon with all of that.

    "Only if you start calling me Rose." She grinned, opening her arms for me, Quickly, I wrapped my arms around her, and she did the same. It had been so long since I was hugged like that. I swear, I wanted to cry in her arms. She held me tightly and I felt her rubs my back, mother

    "Come on, let''s get back to the house. You haven''t eaten a thing since morning," she said as we pulled away. I realized how hungry I was at the mention of food

    When we got back to the house, Rose told one of the maids to prepare breakfast for me. While I was eating, my belongings arrived in trash bags, which was insulting enough

    "Don''t think about that. They''re just p

    petty. Would you like somebody to arrange your stuff for you?" Rose asked me and I nodded. I was d that my clothes had arrived because I really wanted to take a shower and change into something morefortable.

    Julian and his dad joined us in the kitchen while Rose and I were chatting. Seeing Julian in front of me made me want to leave the ce. I didn''t know how I was going to spend two years with him. I was sure that they were going to be like hell.

    "What are we going to tell the media! They have taken multiple pictures of Fiona and me together, Julian wondered.

    "Nothing was confirmed about you and Fiona. I made sure to keep your whole marriage a secret until the veryst minute, because I have always believed that disasters may take ce at any time. Even your wedding invitations haven''t been sent out yet, so we''re safe," S "Your first appearance will be at the new fragranceunching event we''re invited to, Rose told us

    "Honey, take Emily shopping tomorrow for a new dress," Steven told his wife who nodded with a smile.

    "I have a favour to ask if you don''t mind," I said nervously, afraid that he might refuse.

    "Do you want your dress to be from the unreleased collection of Yves Saint Laurent Julian threw a sarcastic remark, which made him earn a re from his mother.

    "Nu, I was wondering if you could get me a job anywhere," I said, addressing Steven, then turned to Julian. "But I will leave all fashion matters to you since it seems like you''re into them more than me. What you''re wearing for staying line basically costs the entire tuition of "Says the girl whose entire tuition was

    was paid by her daddy" He chuckled.

    Oh, it came with a price. I wasn''t allowed to get anything less than A- in order to have my father pay for me. Did you have to work as a waiter to 147 for

    your tuition fees, Julian?" I challenged him and the redness of his face proved that his father paid for everything.

    12:36 H

    "If you two keep bickering like that in public, people aren''t going to believe that you two like each other," Steven warmed us.

    "I''m not starting anything. He keeps pushing my buttons!" I eximed.

    "Just looking at you pushes my buttons, he snapped at me.

    "Enough!" Rose snapped at the two of us. "Emily, what did you major in? Maybe we can find a job for you at thepany."

    "I have a double major in business and fashion design," I told

    "Do

    o you have any experience!" Steven asked me.

    "I did have an internship, but not an actual job. I only graduated three months ago," I replied.

    "What''s y

    ''s your GPA?" he continged with his questions,

    3,93," I said, making Julian spit the water he was drinking. Why was he surprised? Was he told that I was barely passing my finals?N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "That''s impressive. I can definitely arrange a job for you, Steven told me, making me smile widely

    "Thank you so much." I was grateful for that. I needed to start depending on myself,

    I excused myself and went to the cottage which would be my new house for the next three months.

    I didn''t know what Julian was told about me, but 1 had a feeling that he was fed a bunch of lies. I still couldn''t believe that Steven wanted me for Julian from the very beginning, but Mr. Harolds, my so-called father, chose his amazing stepdaughter over me.

    The thing was, I hadn''t done anything to anger him. I had always been quiet and managed to stay out of trouble all the time. That wasn''t enough for him. I didn''t even know what was expected from me. I didn''t know where I went wrong to be treated like that.

    I needed to go buy some groceries because I did not n on burdening Steven and Rose with feeding me. I was already burdening them with my

    I took a shower, changed into a pair of leggings and a hoodie, and made my way out of the mansion. I took an Uber to the nearest grocery store since my car was still at my ex-

    family''s ce. When I walked towards the entrance, I had a feeling that somebody was following me, but whenever 1 looked around, I didn''t see anybody.

    Attributing that feeling to my unjustified paranoia, I tried to continue shopping in peace. Surprisingly, that was my first time going grocery shopping from scratch. Yes, I did go before to buy some things I liked to eat, but that was my first time shopping as an independent adu "I know her! I''m not stalking her!" I heard somebody exim behind me, making me look back.

    To say that I was surprised to see some security guard holding Julian''s arm firmly would be an understatement. What the hell was he doing here?

 Chapter 6

    When I saw Emily leaving the mansion, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to follow her. It was obvious that she wasn''t going anywhere fancy because of what she was wearing. Right after she got in a white Coro that was probably an Uber, I followed her. She ended up going to a grocery store. 1 didn''t know where I was expecting her to go, but I wasn''t thinking. I just wanted to get to know the girl I was going to call my wife soon. I wanted to know about the malicious girl that I was about to spend two years with. I wasn''t that discreet because she turned around more than once, attempting to see if somebody was following her, I should have left when I ended up knowing where she was, but something made me want to keep following her. I kind of felt guilty for the way 1 made her p Apparently, that decision wasn''t the best because I was suddenly stopped by a security guard. Somchody had noticed how I was following Emily and ended up reporting me.

    "I know her! I''m not stalking her!" I eximed, attempting to defend myself.

    "You wouldn''t follow a woman like that if you knew her!" the security guard said.

    I looked at Emily and saw her eyeing me with utter surprise. Her lips curled into a smirk and I had a feeling she was going to deny knowing me. My parents were going to kill me if I got arrested. I gulped when I saw her walking towards us

    "Miss, this man has been following you. Do you know him?" the security guard asked her.

    "He has been following you for so long. Are you okay?" a girl who was around twenty years old said as she approached Emily. She was probably the one who reported me,

    "Thank you so much. I''m alright Emily told the girl with a smile on her lips. "Unfortunately, I know him, though. I was surprised when Emily said. that; nevertheless, relief took over me

    "You do!" the security guard inquired, earning a nod from her. Only then did he let go of my arm.

    "My fiance is an idiot. He just loves pranking me by following me around. I told him more than once that he would eventually get in trouble, but he had never believed me. Maybe he will now." I was amazed by the story she managed to fabricate in a matter of minutes. I wa though because she was saving my ass. As much as I was happy that I wasn''t going to get in trouble, I didn''t like the idea that I was going to owe her a favor.

    "Oh I thought you were in danger. You know the world is full of creeps now," the girl said. "I''m sorry." She gave me an apologetic smile.

    "It''s okay. I should be thanking you for looking after my girl." I then turned to the security guard. "I''m free to go now, right!"

    "Yes, sorry for the misunderstanding."

    I ended up walking silently beside Emily. I was embarrassed and didn''t know how I was going to exin myself to her. Honestly, there was nothing to exin. I was stalking her.

    "I bet you found my whereabouts pretty boring, huh?" She smirked, looking at me. She was gloating, I stayed silent, not knowing what to tell her. "Tell me, Julian. Where did you expect me to got Which weird ce did your mind imagine me to be at? I mean, I know you''re n "Look, I''m sorry. I wasn''t thinking" 1 surrendered.

    "Clearly"!

    shrugged as she pushed her can. "You can leave now, by the way. You know where I am now,

    "I can give you a ride home. I don''t have anything else to do," I offered.

    "I''m not nning on having any secret meetings if that''s what you''re worried about," she said and I direw

    "What can I do to make you forget about tonight?"Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Nothing really" She shrugged, leading towards the cashier.

    Trast pay, as a sort of apology?" I wondered.

    "h that how you apologize? With money?" She raised her eyebrows as she looked at me.

    "I don''t know what else to do!" I thurw my hands in the air.

    "Brave" That''s what I would like you to do!" she housed.

    "I need to drive you home," Linsisted.

    "And

    d why is that?"

    "To make sure that you''d be safe. That made her scoff.

    don''t you?"

    my head back, groaning a little.

    "Julian, let''s not act like we care about each other. You''d probably throw a party if I got killed," she said in a quiet voice as she ced her grocery on the cashier conveyor belt.

    -I wouldn''t exactly throw a party," I mumbled, shoving my hands in my pockets

    "Right" She let out a sarcasticugh.

    I got my wallet out of my pocket and was about to pay, but she red at me and said, "Pay for me and I swear I will tell your parents that I found you stalking me. That was enough to make me put my wallet back in my pocket. Damn, she was scary when she was angry. "At least let me take you home." I said. "It doesn''t make sense to go separately."

    She stayed silent for a moment then nodded.

    I wanted to see in Emily the girl Fiona had described. The bossy and spoilt one who acted like a diva whenever she wanted something. So far, she was nowhere to be seen, but perhaps that was all an act, I couldn''t get a full image of her from just one day. My parents cou actress,

    "Why didn''t you let the security guard call the police?" I couldn''t help bat ask as I drove back home. She had an opportunity on a silver tter to put me in a tough position, yet she didn''t.

    "I have two reasons.

    reasons. One, your parents have been super nice to me, so it doesn''t feel right to do that to their son. Two, I happen to use my mind a lot. How would 1 benefit from that, Julian? Hurting your image would hurt mine and that''s thest thing we both need right now I''m a practical person" She had a point. She wasn''t peity and I liked that.

    As I was driving, her phone rang. "Hey Maya.. I know I know I have been MIA, but I promise I have a good reason. I can''t tell you now, but I will call you tomorrow. I promise I will call you

    -

    "I need to talk with Rose as soon as we get back. I want to know what I should tell my best friend about this situation," Emily said after hanging up.

    "Maya is your best friend?" I asked her and she nodded.

    "I think it would be better to tell her what we would sell the media," I suggested. "Unless you n on selling her the truth."

    "The truth is actually more confusing than the lie we''re going to tell the media, because neither of us knows what happened," she pointed our

    We didn''t talk about anything else for the rest of the ride until we reached the house. Once I parked the car, she got out of it and started collecting her croceries. "Let me help you with these," I said, reaching for a few bags.

    "Thank you. I can lundle them. Thanks for the ride, by the way" She didn''t let me carry any of the bags and I watched her as she walked towards the guest house.

    Something about her seemed interesting, but I knew that I needed to be careful. I didn''t want to fall for any of her acts. Under no circumstances should I ever be a victim of Emily Harolds

 Chapter 7

    I put on the dress Rose bought for me. Truthfully, it was beautiful. I loved its gold colour and they way it fit my body. I tried to talk her out of buying it for me, but she was incredibly stubborn. It was incredibly expensive, and I was moreThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    than okay with something cheaper, however, she wasn''t having it.

    I had been living with the Kensingtons for the past week and to be honest, it wasn''t bad at all. I was at the guest house most of the time, but I did have dinner with them two times, I was d that they were giving me the privacy 1 needed. I applied the final touches to my makeup and made my way to the main mansion. I was pretty nervous because I didn''t know what to expect from everybody once they heard the news

    1. up. 1

    A maid opened the door for me, and I walked inside the house. I sat on the big couch in the living room and waited for any of them to show u wasn''t used to attending such events because Mr Harolds didn''t use to take me. I was barely known "Hi, sweetheart. You look absolutely stunning Rose''s voice made me smile and I stood up to greet her.

    "So do you" I grinned, admiring her dark grey dress. She bought it when we were shopping together and I knew that it looked perfect on her, but in looked way better now

    Soon, Julian and his dad came downstairs. When Julian saw me, he stopped for a moment, eyeing me. I didn''t know if he was going to throw a rude remark or not, but I didn''t really have it in me to bicker with him. My nerves were already all over the ce.

    "Emily, you look absolutely amazing, Uncle Steven said as he approached me. He asked me to call him that on my second day here when I called him Mr. Kensington.

    "Thank you" I blushed, not used to that amount ofpliments.

    "You can ride with Julian tonight. You two must be seen together all the time. This is your first official appearance, okay?" he said and I nodded, then my eyes met Julian''s.

    He looked handsome in his dark blue suit and white shirt. How could a colour of a suit bring out the blue of someone''s eyes? Everything about him. was on point and his brown hair was perfectly styled.

    "Let''s go." That was all he said before marching towards the front door. I was about to follow him, but Rose held me back.

    Julian, get back here." Rose was a nicedy, but

    her stern tone sent chills down my spine, Julian stopped in his tracks, then returned. "You do not leave her like that, and she''s not supposed to follow you. She walks first and you walk behind her. I believe I taught you better than this. I dont expect you to treat her like that "Sorry." He looked down, then he lifted his face and looked at me. "Shall we go?" I nodded and walked in front of him, and he followed behind.

    The car ride was full of silence. I had nothing to say to him and he probably didn''t have anything to say to me. I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to make our lives easier, but I couldn''t just do that on my own and I had a feeling that he wasn''t going to let me break any b 115

    When we arrived, Julian put on the act of a gentleman. He opened the door for me and didn''t let go of my hand as we walked together towards the entrance. My heartbeats elerated the moment I saw the amount of people inside. The fact that many eyes fell on us did no "Breathe in," he whispered, standing in front of me once we reached our table. He acted like he was fixing my hair, and I was d that he was blocking my view. I felt

    him pull my body against his and 1 hid my face in his chest for a few seconds. "Breathe out," he instructed me. I did as he said and repeated the same exercise until I was calm.

    you, I murmured, offering him a nervous smile. "I''m not used to these events and the circumstances aren''t really the best."

    "Thank you,"11

    "Whether we like it or not, you''re about to be a Kensington, so you better act like one. I don''t expect my future wife to embarrass my family" Gone was the man who had just nursed me through the mini panic attack I was about to suffer from. Soon, Rose and Uncle Steven arrived.

    I didn''t want to be here. That was a huge show I didn''t want to participate in, but I didn''t have a choice.

    "Mr. Kensington, it''s a pleasure that you''re here. A man with grey hair approached Uncle Steven and shook his hands, then weed all of us Uncle Seven called him Mr. Williams. I didn''t know who he was

    "Who is this prettydy?" he asked, looking at me.

    "This is Emily Harolds, Julian''s fianc¨¦, Uncle Steven answered. Mr. Williams was surprised upon hearing that.

    "Wow, you''ve got yourself a finedy. Congrattions!" Mr. Williams said.

    I felt him wrap his arm around my waist and I tensed as I wasn''t used to his touch. "A very line and gorgeousdy indeed." He kissed my cheek and I managed to draw a small smile on my lips. My anxiety was getting the best of me, but I was trying to be in control of my en 1236 PM

    "Why haven''t we seen you before, dear Emily?" Mr. Williams wondered,

    up with the

    "I was busy with college and social events aren''t really my thing I came up

    the most decent lie my mind could think of

    "Let us see more of you. Such a beautifuldy like you should always grace us with her beauty. I blushed at hisment and thanked him,

    Soon enough, more people started to approach us and many of the attenders were starting to learn who I was.

    "Are you finally getting the attention you want?" Julian took me by surprise by saying that. I was not in the mood for his remarks tonight.

    "What makes you think that I want attention in the first ce?" I wondered looking up at him. Even in heels, he was way taller than me.

    "I know enough about you, Emily. He took a sip from the ss of whiskey in his hands,

    "It''s funny that you''re throwing judgments based on what you''ve heard about me, but you''re not even trying to

    give the actual me a chance even though I''m right in front of you" I sipped my champagne. "As for me, I made up my mind and it''s not based on what I''ve heard. It''s based on what I''ve seen. I have conse to realize that you''re one of the most judgmental people I''ve met in Before he could say anything, I left him standing all alone and made my way to the terrace. I was in d

    dire need of fresh air.

    SEND OUT

 Chapter 8

    8

    She looked like a goddess in that gold dress. When my eyes fell on

    her, she had me speechless. I didn''t understand how somebody could hold all of that beauty and be malicious like her. I wanted to run away from the living room because it was hard to resist her. It was hard to stand in front of her without thinking about having her backed against the wall and kissing the hell out of her.

    I was aware that it was wrong of me to expect her to follow me, but I couldn''t be that close to her. I couldn''t look at her kissable lips and breathe in her sweet scent. She was captivating in every single way and I had a feeling that she wasn''t aware how beautiful she was. When her hand started to tremble in mine, I took a look at her face and saw how nervous she seemed. I knew I had to act quickly. I shielded her with my body as I calmed her down. Honestly, I was making the

    most out of being that close to her. My body was almost glued to hers and at that moment. I hoped that my manhood wouldn''t betray me.

    I hated how I spoke to her. She didn''t deserve that, but I needed to be rude. For her own good and mine too. I didn''t want her to get close to me. I didn''t want her to believe that something might happen between us. The test did state that she was also drugged, but what if Fiona''s voice was still in my head. She used to tell me to never trist Emily, that she was a snake who always wanted things to happen in her own way. Fiona didn''t have any reason to lie to me or portray a false image of Emily.

    "Where is Emily?" Mum asked me. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I didn''t notice my parents returning to the table.

    I looked around me, trying to spot my fianc¨¦e, but she was nowhere to be seen. I was d that neither of my parents was there to witness her scolding me. I hated how right she was. I did make my own opinion about her based on what I was told by Flona. "I don''t know. I''ll look for her," I said

    "Did something happen between the two of you?" Dad asked.

    "No, I''ll go find her. I walked away before they would ask more questions. For some reason, they both seemed to be so in love with Emily.

    I made my way to the terrace after looking around and indeed, she was there, but she wasn''t alone.

    There was a man standing close to her and if my judgment is correct, she wasn''tfortable.

    "You look undeniably gorgeous in that dress of yours. I bet it would look better on my floor. I heard the man tell her. I took a closer look at him and noticed who she was, Logan Sanders. His family was in real state, but they weren''t the best. "I''m engaged," she said, taking a step back.

    "I don''t see a ring on your finger." I made a mental I note to buy one for her as soon as possible,

    "My ring is getting resized," she replied without hesitation.

    "I can make you happier than whoever your fianc¨¦ is could ever do." He took a couple of steps towards her and reached for her hand, but she quickly pulled it away.

    "You need to leave." She was struggling and I had to put an end to her misery.

    "You heard her, Logan. Leave," I said, walking towards them. She seemed surprised to see me, but I couldn''t ignore the relief that took over her features. I was d that I was the reason behind how relieved she seemed the moment she spotted me. Julian Kensington. You always get the best, don''t you?" His tone was full of envy. He didn''t know that I didn''t get to pick, but I was curious to know what made him think that she was special.

    "Of course, I do get the best," I said, wrapping my arm around her waist and kissing her temple. "Any man would be an idiot if he didn''t pick such an outstanding girl like Emily." She yed along and leaned on me although I was sure that she wanted to set me on fire. "Rea back inside, honey!" She nodded and walked with me inside.

    "Do you know him?" I asked her, but she shook her head without looking at me. I could tell that she was mad at me, and she had every right to feel

    like that

    "I wasn''t exactly the nicest," I said, bringing myselfin front of her causing her to stop

    walking

    "You have to be specific. Which time do you mean?" She folded her arms over her chest. Staring at her eyes was going to be the death of me.

    "I''m sorry about the way I talked to you a while ago." I was aware of what I had done. It was more

    than talking in a bad way, I made her feel inferior. I judged her and deprived her of any chance to show me who she truly was. I knew where I went wrong, but it wasn''t easy to ept her in my life..

    "Why did you lie and tell Logan that your ring was getting resized?" I found myself asking.

    "I thought if I told him that I was engaged, he would just leave me alone, because men have the tendency to respect the presence of other men in a woman''s life than respect her desire to be left alone." I was surprised that she answered my question without giving me a hard time. I was suddenly curious to know more about that girl and the way she thougin.

    "Did you have any boyfriends before Chester!" Why was I asking that? I had no idea, but I felt the need to know the answer.

    "Why do you want to know?" I had no solid answer for her question.

    "Fiona never said anything about you dating anybody before Chester and I want to know the girl I''m about to marry"

    "So you''re telling me that I used to be a topic of your everyday conversation?" She raised one eyebrow in amusement. She knew how to render me speechless. "In case you haven''t put two and two together already, Fiona and I have never been friends. We have never b called family. Jeffrey, Maggie. Fiona and I aren''t exactly besties" "Why?" I wanted to know her point of view. ording to Fiona, they didn''t like interacting with her, because she hated them and always felt the need to hurt them in any way.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "That''s a question I''m not going to answer. I will let you figure out the answer on your own. Her eyes were full of challenge. Something about Emily scared me. The courage she talked with whenever her family was mentioned indicated that she had every right to despise th What if she was right?

    Even if she was, I didn''t want to give her a chance. I didn''t want to give our rtionship a chance. I was tired of being a puppet in my father''s hands. I hated how he decided to end my rtionship with Fiona only to have me date her sister in the span of twenty-four hours I was angry at him, but there was nothing I could do. I was going to lose everything if I didn''t do what he wanted me to do. The best option was to do what he wanted Luckily, the marriage didn''t have to be permanent, and we could get a divorce after two years. I wasn''t going to let him think that the one he chose for me was the best choice. I wanted to have matters in my own hands. I wanted to find somebody whom I could fall in love with away from my family. Emily was their choice and they seemed to adore her, so I wasn''t goi I tried to ept that idea the first time I was told that I was to marry Fiona 1 tried to picture myself with her and I was beginning to ept our rtionship but when they ended things between us because of finding Emily in my bed, I was outraged. I made up my mind that I In addition to all of that, I already had a certain picture of Emily in my head that I wasn''t willing to change. Fiona wasn''t bad. She was a good fianc¨¦e who loved me. She wouldn''t lie to me about her stepsister and make her seem like the bad guy. There was no reason for "Let''s get back to the table." Emily snapped me out of my thoughts, and I nodded. I stared at my future wife as she walked in front of me, and I wondered if I was being unfair to her.

 Chapter 9

    when we could hardly tolerate each other.

    1. Before I knew it, I was Mr. Kensington. I had been a Kensington for the past four months. I was starting to get used to living with him under the same roof despite being very anxious at the beginni ording to the media, our wedding was legendary. To me, I was a big show that I couldn''t wait to get it over with. My family had because we didn''t want people to get the wrong idea. My father had to deliver a speech that was full of lies. Fiona acted like a loving ste I was barely involved in any preparations for the wedding. There was a wedding nner who handled everything. When she asked me about what I would like for decorations, flowers, and basically anything, my answer was always the same. Go with what''s trendy an The thing I chose was my wedding dress and I made sure to choose something I wasn''t madly in love with because nothing about that marriage was real. I didn''t want to look back at that day and smile because of a beautiful memory. Nothing about my marriage was It was a Saturday morning, so I woke up at ten instead of waking up at seven like I did every day. I had been working at thepany and I was quite happy with my job. Uncle Steven honoured my request and put me in a department that wouldn''t make me be in an I walked to the kitchen prepared breakfast for me and sat down to eat. Julian and I hadn''t eaten together except for maybe a handful of times. When I was young. I used to dream about being in love and living with the person I would want to spend the rest of my life w every day.

    My reality was way different.

    As I w

    was eating, my eyes went wide upon seeing Julian in front of me. Apparently, he was out for a run, but surely something went wrong. His knee was scraped and so was his elbow and he was limping-

    "What happened?" I stood up, approaching him.

    "I stumbled on a rock and fell," he said.

    "Let me clean you up." I told him. "Go to the bathroom and I will get the first aid kit." He seemed reluctant at first but nodded and walked towards the bathroom down the hall.

    I brought the first aid kit from one of the kitchen cabs and went to the bathroom. I found him already sitting on the edge of the bathrub. His knee was in a really bad shape.

    I crouched before him and grimaced at how the wound looked. I took cotton and a bottle of antiseptic. After putting some of the antiseptic on a cotton ball, I looked up at him and said, "This is going to hurt. I''m sorry in advance

    "It''s fine. Just do it" He took a deep breath and I started to clean the wound. Once the cotton ball touched his skin, he flinched. "Sorry," he mumbled as he steadied himself.

    It took me a couple of minutes to clean it, then ced a band-aid on it. His elbow was in a better state, so cleaning it wasn''t as painful as his knees.

    "Have you eaten breakfast?" I asked him as I stood up.

    "Do I get special treatment for being injured?" He smirked, causing me to roll my eyes.

    "Fine, make yourself something to eat." I shrugged and headed out of the bathroom

    "Wait!" I heard him call after me, so I turned my head to the side and saw him limping towards me. Managing to make me feel bad, I stopped. "I''m really hungry and I can''t help but crave whatever you made. It sunells amazing"This was officially the firstpliment 1 had received from Julian. I needed to mark the day.

    "Are you a coffer person or a tea person?" I wondered.

    "Coffee, why?"

    "To make you coffee along with your breakfast." I beaded towards the kitchen and quickly made him some pancakes, and omelet and I ced a few pieces of cheese on a te along with cut cucumber and some lettuce I took everything to the living room where he was and ced everything on the coffee table.

    "This smells amazing. Thank you," he said and quickly started to dig in. "Oh my God, Emily. What did you put in these!"

    "Are they bad" My heart sank

    "Are you kidding me! This isn''t just good. This is Michelin star restaurant good." I grinned upon hearing that, I had always been fond of cooking. and I knew that I was good, but I never thought that I was that good. 12:36 PM

    "I can make you breakfast with me if you''d like," I offered.

    "Please!" I giggled at his reaction but nodded.

    Not feelingfortable enough with being in the same ce with Julian for long, I got up from my seat.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "Where are you going!" He frowned

    "I''ll go get ready. I''m going out with Maya," I said.

    "Do you have anything on Monday?" he asked. His question was weird. Why would he want to know something like that? "There''s a business dinner and everybody is bringing their partner, so I thought maybe you''d like to apany me." Now it made sense.

    "Sure. It''s good for our image to be seen together," I replied. "What''s the dress code!"

    "Semi-formal"

    "I''ll make sure to buy a nice dress"

    "Take my credit card and get whatever you want." That was a first. "Before you say no, you''re my wife and you have the right to take money from me. This is an event that I want you to attend with me, so it doesn''t make sense to make you pay for a dress you''re going to wear in it."

    "O-okay," I stuttered, taken aback by what he had just said. "Thanks"

    I went to my room to get ready; however, I couldn''t get out of my head how nice julian was. He had never been that nice to me. I didn''t know what changed and I didn''t want to get my hopes up.

    "You''re telling me that be gave you his Amex card?" Maya gawked at me as I took a sip from my iced coffee. I ended up telling my best friend the truth about my marriage to Julian. At first, I wanted to keep everything a secret, but I realized that if I didn''t have somebo Nobody from Julian''s knew that she knew the truth, though.

    "Yes" I nodded.

    "And he asked you to make him breakfast after trying your food for the first time in four months?" Again, I nodded. "And he asked you to go with him to that business dinner?"

    "Why are you repeating everything I''ve just told you?"

    "Because this is unbelievable, Emily! You two have been married for four months and this is basically the first actual encounter you two had, which happens to be super cute and nice."

    "And this supposedly means something?" I wondered, tilting my head to the side.

    "Well, yeah! Maybe he wants to give your

    marriage a chance." I snorted at the suggestion. Julian would never want that. "Listen, Emily. You''re way better than you think. You''re beautiful, smart, kind, caring, hardworking and loving. Any man would be lucky to have you. Maybe he has just realized that."

    "First of all, thank you. Second, we need to get you out of thend you''re living in. Julian probably still loves Fiona. I yed with the straw of my drink

    "If he loves Fiona, this means that he fell on his head as a baby," Maya said it as a matter of fact, making meugh. She had never been a fan of Fiona, Maggie, or Jeffrey. She hated them for the way they treated me. Truthfully, I was thankful for her presence in my I I bought an emerald green dress for the dinner. It was a little bit expensive, but I was aware that it was nothing to Julian.

    Jeffrey Harolds yard to sei a budget for me for designer clothes, but only because he wanted to make sure that I looked presentable whenever we were seen together. My budget was nothingpared to Fiona''s budget though. She didn''t even have a budget. I honestly didn''t care about wearing designer clothes or normal ones, but what hurt me was the way I was discriminated against.

    Julian''s treatment today had me confused and I would be lying if I said that it didn''t get my hopes up. It wasn''t like I was dying to have a rtionship with him, but it wasn''t easy to be strangers with the nun you were married to.

    "Oh my God," I heard Maya say as the scrolled through her phone as we were having dinner, I gave her a questioning look. "Fiona is dating Chester

    I almost spat my drink. Why was Fiona dating my ext

 Chapter 10

    It was surprising when I read the news about Fiona dating Emily''s ex. I thought I would be angry to read such news, but I felt nothing. The only thing I felt was worry about Emily. Did the news hurt her? Was she still in love with himt The way she looked at him when he sa was beginning to doubt everything Fiona had ever said to be after living with Emily for four months Not once had I seen a glimpse of the girl Fiona described for me. Emily thought that I wasn''t paying any attention to her, but I was actually watching her. I wanted to see the spoilt brat who did not care about anyone but herself, but all I saw was theplete opposite. She I expected her to spend at

    least twenty or thirty thousand dors when I gave her my credit card, but the barely spent five thousand dors. She even asked me if the amount she spent was okay or not aftering back and offered to pay me back some of the money she spent if it was over the bud This woman surely didn''t know how beautiful she was. She had the ability to render me speechless with her effortless beauty. The Emerald green dress she had on seemed to be made for her. She ruined the design for any other woman who might buy the dress. I wanted to tell her that she looked amazing. I wanted to boost her self-confidence, but my tongue was tied. I couldn''t say a

    a single thing to her. It was rather surprising to me when I found myself asking her to make breakfast for me whenever she prepared it for herself. I was also surprised when she offered to treat my injuries. I thought she would totally ignore me because of my ill- treatment of her, but she proved to be nicer than me.

    "Are you ready?" I asked her and she nodded.

    "Wait," she said when I was about to walk. She approached me and her delicate hands reached for my tie. Being that close to her was dangerous. She didn''t know what she was doing to me or how she made my heanbeats race. "Now, it''s all good. It was a bit crooked." Sh "Thank you," I mumbled, and we both headed towards my car.

    Thirty minutester, we made it to the restaurant in time. Once we reached our table, all eyes turned towards us.

    "Emily Harolds! Is that you!?" Roman Belford eximed upon seeing my wife.

    "Roman" My wife said excitedly,

    How did he know her! He got up from his ce and pulled her into a hug. It took everything

    ng in me to not pull her back. Why was he calling her Harolds? She was

    "It''s been what! Two years!" he said as he finally pulled back.

    Kensington.

    "I think more. Almost three probably," she replied with a huge smile on her face. Was that her genuine smile? She had a captivating one. She lud never smiled at me like that. But I had never given her a reason to give me one of those smiles Why did I even care?

    "How do you know each other?" I asked, wrapping my arm around her waist. He had to know that she was my wife,

    "We had some sses together. Had it not been for her, I wouldn''t have passed. She is a lifesaver," Roman said as we all headed to our seats.

    "Don''t exaggerate. I barely did anything" Emily said, smiling at him. She needed to stop smiling at him like that.

    "Oh really" Okay, let''s make the others decide. Guys, my professor asked her to tutor me because I was falling behind after my mum''s death. Her notes were perfect, and she made the mostplicated subject simple. Do you guys think I''m exaggerating when I call her "You were start. You made my job rasy," she assured him

    "If that''s the case, he''s not exaggerating at all. I wish I had somebody who would have made college life easier for me, Timothy ck, a well-known architect,mented withinchable.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "I wish I had somebody who would have made ounting easier for me," Timothy''s date said.

    "I didn''t know she was the girl you married. I wasn''t in the US during your wedding," Roman addressed me.

    "We surely missed

    you at the wedding You''d have probably shown off your dance moves" My wife let out a lightugh, and I had to fight the anger that threatened to pour out of me. I was supposed to discuss a new partnership with him tonight, but maybe that wasn''t necessary. Mypar "Have you started working on the brand you want toundi?" I frowned at his question. What brand was he talking about? Did Emily want to

    "Not yet," she replied.

    I wanted to ask her about that, but I didn''t want to ask in front of all of those people. I didn''t want them to see the uninvolved husband I was.. "A brand for what?" one of the women asked her.

    I silently thanked her for her curiosity.

    "Clothing brand. I studied fashion designing," Emily replied. Then why was she working in thepany if she wanted to establish a brand for herself

    "My sister still has the dress you designed for her. She wore it to a family gathering once and everybody wanted to know where she got it from." My wife blushed at what Roman said. I wanted to see her designs too. I wanted to see that talent that he was talking so passionately about

    "Maybe Julian could fund that project. I''m sure he wouldn''t mind supporting his wife," Andrew Johanson said. I knew that man well. He was a good man and did not have any ill intentions. Nobody knew the truth about our marriage.

    "He did offer, but I refused. I didn''t know why she liked jumping to my rescue. "I want to establish my brand without any help, so when he offered, I refused. He''s very supportive of me and has always been up-to-date with my designs."

    The way she always had my back had me amazed. I wanted her to be bad in any way I wanted to hate her, but she didn''t give me a single reason to do so. She was everything any sane man would want. Despite all of that, she wasn''t what I wanted. She wasn''t the woma "Don''t let the girl suffer for long. Try to convince her to ept your help, Andrew told me.

    "All she needs is to say the word and I will immediately give her whatever she wants." For some reason, I wasn''t just saying that. If she asked me for help. I would help her out.

    "Yeah, that''s not going to happen any time soon I liked the teasing tone in her voice. I liked that side of her.

    For the rest of the dinner, we discussed some projects and socialized for a bit. Emily was the perfect wife any businessman would wish for. She knew what to say and when. She was smart, elegant and articte. Maybe if I had met Emily under different circumstances I wo "Thank you," I said as I drove us back home.

    ""For what?" Her voice was soft

    "Foring with me. For making everybody think that our marriage is real and I''m a supportive husband." I took a nce at her, and our eyes met for a second. I was in love with the shade of green that made her eyes special. They were jade- green, and her eyshes were ck and thick. She didn''t need makeup to make her eyes stand out because they already did.

    "I didn''t do anything other than what should be done," she replied.

    "Why?" I stopped at a traffic light

    "Huh?" She looked at me with confusion.

    "Why are you good to me? You could have easily

    told them tonight that I knew nothing about your designs, but you didn''t. Why? That question was driving me crazy. I thought she was going to make my life a living hell. In some way, she was doing that but in an unexpected way.

    "Why won''t I be good to you! Why would I make our lives harder than they already are? Why would I tell them anything about our personal lives? There is nothing to gain in doing that. In fact, I would be bringing us trouble that we don''t need. I''m not your enemy, Julian. I do any harm and believe it or not, I love to live in peace away from the press and media, she spoke

    All I could do was nod because there was nothing I could say to her.

    When I went to my bedroom after finishing a phone call I had to make, I realized that she had forgotten her bracelet with me. Its lock broke during our dinner, and I put it in my pocket.

    I took off my jacket and took the bracelet with me as I headed towards her room to give it to her.

    I knocked on her door and waited for her permission to get in. Instead, she opened the door for me. She was in some little pink shorts and a white top. Her hair was pulled

    up in a ponytail and her face was already makeup free. She had freckles on her nose and cheeks, making her look adorable

    "Julian" Her voice made me realize I had been staring at her. I didn''t understand what was happening to me tonight.

    "Sorry" I shook my head as I extended my hand towards me. "You forgot your bracelet with me."

    "Oh, thank you," she said, taking it from e

    "Why did you have to be beautiful?" The words got out before I had the chance to stop them, making her eyes go wide for a second. How did I say that out loud! What was I thinking" "W-what?" she stuttered as her bracelet slipped from her hand.

    12.37 PM

    We both beat down to get in, which made us closer in distance than we already were. Again, I found myself staring at her, but that time, she was

    also staring at me.

    "You''re.. you''re staring at my lips" She sounded nervous and cute

    "That''s because I want to kiss you" 1 admitted, causing her to furiously blush.

    "Then kiss me," she blurted, taking me

    me by surprise.

    Without thinking. I found myself closing the distance between us as my lips met hers. For a couple of seconds, I was worried that I might have crossed a boundary she felt forced to cross, but I rxed when she started kissing me back. I wrapped both of my arms around h It all started with a kiss on the lips, but the more I kissed her, the greedier I became. She was delicious and her lips tasted like strawberry. My lips trailed down her lips and a small whimper escaped her lips, yet she didn''t unwrap her arms from around me and didn''t push m "Are you sure of what you''re doing?" she whispered as we stopped kissing for a second to breathe. "You don''t like me, Julian" She didn''t understand She was a victim in all of that.

    "I want this. Do you want to do this?" She had to be on the same page with me. I wasn''t going to have sex with her if she wasn''t a hundred percent sure. She gave me a shy nod, looking down for a moment. "This changes nothing between us."

    "I know. Her voice was small. Was I being unfair? Probably Was I hurting her? I wasn''t sure. Was I dying to know what she felt like? Absolutely

    She was so small against the that I worried I might break her.

    "You still want this?" I didn''t want to hurt her.

    "Yes." This time, her eyes met mine. I could tell that she was nervous, but she gave me her consent

    I wasn''t sure what was going on with me. All I knew was that I needed to know what it felt like to touch her, I wanted to feel her skin against mine and breathe in her sweet scent.

    "If you want me to stop at any time, tell me immediately I didn''t want her to feel forced in any way.

    "You too. You can stop at any time you want. No pressure," she said with her armstched around my neck

    This wasn''t how I thought I was going to end my night, but this was surely a hundred times better than sleeping in my cold bed all alone

 Chapter 11

    I knew what I did was dangerous. He didn''t have feelings for me and I didn''t think that I had feelings for him, but we were both sexually frustrated, We both had bottled up desires that we needed to release.

    Iv

    was certain that there were no feelings between us, especially after 1 watched him get out of my bed. He didn''t n on staying the night. It

    wasn''t like I expected much, but I just wanted him to hold me for a line while. He didn''t hold me for even a second, which hurt a little.

    "Do you do you regret this?" he asked after he put on his t-shirt

    I shook my head. I truly didn''t. I just got my hopes up.

    "Good" He nodded.

    "Do you regret this?" It was my turn to ask.

    "No, I don''t. Thankfully, his answer was quick, saving me from any embarrassment

    It took me a while to fall asleep after he left, because I kept thinking about the changes that had taken ce in the span of a week. I didn''t know what to expect from him anymore. I didn''t know what he expected from me either.

    When I went to the kitchen the next day to make breakfast, I was surprised to find Julian already awake. Employees were required to be present at thepany at nine sharp, but Julian always showed up at ten since he was the CEO, so I didn''t understand the reason beh "Good morning." I said as I walked to the fridge. He used to have breakfast at the office, but for the past few days I had been making him breakfast before I left. It wasn''t really a hassle because I already made breakfast for myself every morning, so making a bigger portion "Good morning," he replied. As I walked around the kitchen, I could feel his eyes on me, which made me nervous. What was going on with him'' "Do you need help!"

    "No, thanks. It''s

    I''s not much really, I shrugged and continued moving around.

    "Do you want us to go together today?" His question surprised me. We had never done that before. "Tm up early anyway, so you won''t bete. Even if you''rete. I happen to know the CEO and I think he won''t give you a warning. That had me chuckling.

    "You want people to call me nepa-baby! That''s bad," Imented, cing his te in front of him. "I don''t mind going with you, but I can''t today." "Why?" he asked with a frown. He managed to look handsome even while frowning.

    *1 promised Sam to go with him today because we''re going to get a gift for his sister," I replied and sat down to eat.

    "Sam! Who''s he?" His tone changed. The friendliness in it lessened, which had me confused.

    "A colleague," 1 nonchntly said.

    "But why would he ask you specifically!" Juhan was acting weirdly.

    ""Because I''m his friend."

    "Doesn''t he have other friends?"

    "I''m sure he dors, but he asked me and since I don''t have anything to do tonight, I agreed. Why is that bothering you?" I couldn''t help but ask 1 didn''t want my mind to interpret this in the wrong way, but something had me thinking that Julian Kensington was Julian, which "It''s not bothering me. I was just wondering" His tone softened a linke "Are you going to be back for dinner!"

    Okay, something was definitely up with him. He had never asked me that because we hadn''t had dinner together unless it was with his parents. Last night was an exception.

    "Wewe don''t have dinner together," I reminded him. He was certainly giving me whish.

    "Oh."The frown appeared again on his face.

    Was he lonely!

    "But if you want us to havr

    want us to have dinner together, I can get back early," I offered, feeling bad.

    "That sounds good." He seemed to like the idea.

    I didn''t understand what was going on with him. It was all rather confusing, but I didn''t mind any development in our rtionship. I wasn''t fond of having any animosity with him. I wanted us to at least, be cordial. "Is there anything you''d like me to get us for dinner?" he asked me.

    "I was thinking that I could cook if you want. It may dy dinner, but it''s a fast recipe." I replied

    "What do you have in mind?" He had a stupid grin on his face that made meugh.

    "Macaroni with white sauce and shrimp, I said, causing him to lick his lips. He looked incredibly sexy while doing so.

    "Again, I know the CEO, so if you want a few days off to show off your incredible cooking skills, I will dly put in a word for you," he joked.

    "I will hold on to that offer, but I don''t want to use this card now," I said hopping off my seat: "Now, I gotta go, Not all of us are friends with the GEO.I hurried out of the house since Sam was waiting for me outside. Luckily, I was only five minuteste, so it wasn''t an issue since we had a fifteen-minute grace period.

    "Emily Kensington iste today. That''s a first Britney said with a smirk, making me roll my eyes. "Careful next time. You may not be within your grace period."

    "I''m so touched that you care about my work life." I sarcastically put my hand on my heart.

    "Of course, you''re the newbie in our department. We should look after you 1 seriously wanted to p her. I didn''t even know why she had her nose in my business.

    It was certainly a long day between work and shopping with Sam. I was more than ready to throw my exhausted body on the bed, but I knew that! promised Julian to cook tonight, so I didn''t want to let him down.

    Once I walked inside, I found Julian in the living room. He wasn''t in his usual suit and tie. I liked how he looked in sweatpants and a normal t-shirt

    "Give me five minutes. I will change quickly and we can start cooking" I told him as I made my way to the stairs.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "There''s no need. That made me stop in my tracks. "I had dinner."

    "Oh, was Ite?" I asked, turning to look at him.

    "No, but I believe that this is for the best. Contusion took over me. What did he mean!

    "I don''t get it." I wanted an exnation

    "It was wrong of me to get your hopes up. Nothing will happen between us. Just because we had sex, it doesn''t mean that things will be diferent. We were both sexually frustrated. Nothing more. I''m not going to fall for you, and this marriage will end once the two years are reason for us to get any closer." Why did he have to be cruel!

    "Thanks for the rification," I mumbled before going straight to my room. The thing was all I wanted was his friendship. I wanted nothing more. It was my fault. I should have never been that hopeful. HEND GIFT

 Chapter 12

    12

    I was an expert at being a jerk to her, but I was scared. I didn''t want to get attached to her. Not when I was nning to divorce her. I didn''t want to like her or fall for her. I wasn''t going to let my dad think that his choice was good for me. It had been almost a month since 1 broke her spirit. Surprisingly, she still made me breakfast every morning, however, she didn''t

    make it today. Perhaps she was runningte. I got used to the coffee she made. No, I was addicted to it. One day, she didn''t make breakfast for a reason I wasn''t aware of and didn''t even make coffee. I was grumpy all day due to theck of her coffee. "Mr. Kensington, 1 hope Emily gets well soon," a man with ck hair and sses told me as I made my way to my office

    "What?" What did he mean by that! What was wrong with Emily! Why was he calling her by her first name "Who are you"

    "I''m Sam. I work in IT. I''m her friend. She wasn''t okay yesterday. Even her boss told her to go home because of how sick she was and told her not toe today. It was infuriating to have a stronger give me information about my own wife. "She uh she''s still sick," I muttered before rushing to my office.

    Once I walked inside, I sent her a message, asking her how she was I impatiently waited for her response, but I got nothing. After thirty minutes, 1 ended up calling her three times, but she didn''t pick up. Worry was

    gening the best of me and no matter what, I couldn''t calm myself down.

    "I can''t just sit here," I mumbled, getting up from my ce. "Cancel all of my meetings today, I told my personal assistant on my way out.

    As 1 drove myself back home, I tried to call her again, but she didn''t answer. Was she ignoring me on purpose? I know that I was rude, but I just wanted to make sure that she was okay.

    I strolled inside the house and headed straight to her room. I knocked, waiting for her to say anything, but silence took over the house. I walked inside her room and saw her asleep on the bed. Slowly, I approached her, and my heart started to beat fast once my eyesnd "Emily," I said, gently shaking her shoulder. "Emily, can you hear me?"

    She was unconscious

    I went to the bathroom and got a small towel, then hurried back to her. Carefully, I wiped the sweat off her forehead and sat beside her. I carefully pulled her up against me and tried to wake her up, but all I got was a small whimper

    "You''re burning up." I mumbled, cing my hand over her forehead. "What am I supposed to do with you?"

    I took my phone out of my pocket and called Mum. She was the only person I knew who would know what to do in that situation.

    "Hey Mum, I need your help," I said right away the moment she answered.

    "Is everything okay!" I could sense worry in her voice,

    *Emily isn''t okay. She is very feverish and isn''t responding. All I got from her was a whimper. I don''t know what to do. Do I take her to the hospital?" I rambled

    "How long has she been like this" I didn''t have an answer to that question. We barely saw each other. Had it not been for Sam. I wouldn''t have known that she was sick

    "I don''t know.." I mumbled embarrassingly. I heard Mum sigh in disappointment and the feeling of shame only increased. "But she started getting sick yesterday. That''s what her co-worker told me!

    "You''re learning information about your wife from her co-worker?" the angrily hissed.

    "Spare me the scolding for now. I don''t know what to do," I told her.

    "Give her ibuprofen and monitor her temperature for the next hour. During this hour, bring a bowl of cold water with ice cubes in it and also some small towels. Submerge the towel in

    the water, squeeze the water out of it once you get it out and ce it on her forehead. Change the towels every three minutes. If the fever doesn''t decrease, put Emily under cold water. If it still doesn''t go down, take her to the hospital," she instructed me. "Okay, I will do all of that. Thank you!" I quickly hung up and looked down at Emily. Her body was still against mine.

    Carefully, Iid her body down and made my way to my room to get the medicine and a thermometer. I took off my jacket and rushed back to her bedroom

    "Okay, it''s my first time taking care of a sick person, so please help me out," I begged her even though she probably couldn''t hear me. I needed to measure her temperature and I didn''t know how I was going to put the thermometer under her tongue. Gently, I squeezed her My

    eyes went wide when I noticed that her temperature was almost 100 degrees. "Oh fuck, Emily," I whispered, I dashed to the kitchen to bring the bowl and filled it with water. I ced ice cubes

    in it as Munn said and ran back to her room. I brought two small towels from her bathroom and ced the bowl on her nightstand while I took a seat beside her.

    12:37 PM d

    "Emily, I know it''s super hard to wake up now, but I just need you to do it for a couple of

    seconds, okay? I just need to give you the medicine."i slowly lifted her body and made her rest her head on my chest for a second until I adjusted her position. "Emily, please open those beautiful eyes for just two seconds. Make any sound if you can hear me, I begged her "Tired, she whimpered, shuddering a little in my embrace,

    "Can you swallow a pill?" I looked down at her and she gave me a slight nod. "Good." I reached for the pill and ced it on her lips. She slowly put it in her mouth, and I gave her some water. "Thank you" I whispered and kissed her head. "Im going to take care of you." I mu I didn''t want to let go of her. I knew that it wasn''t the right time, but I liked holding her against me. Her body against mine felt so right. I gently helped hery back on the bed and started tis ce the cold

    towels on her forehead. Guilt was eating me alive. I didn''t know how long she had been like that, and it killed me. She was barely away of her surroundings. I wouldn''t have even known that she was sick if Sam hadn''t told me. What if I never checked on her? What would h

    *1 m-miss you, Mum" Theard her say, making me frown. I looked down at her and found her asleep. Was she hallucinating "I wish I died with you! Her confession broke my heart.

    After an hour, I measured her temperature again and thankfully, it went down a little. I wanted to make her a nice hot meal, but I didn''t know how to cook. She needed something to go into her body.

    1 called a friend of mine who owned a five-

    star restaurant and asked him to send me a very good meal and to make sure that the soup was good. I wasn''t going to let her eat canned food while she was sick. Melissa, the cook I hired, wasn''t going toe until three and I wasn''t going to let Emily wait for a hot meal I continued with the wet towels for a while and Mum called me to check on Emily. I was certain that the would havee right away if she wasn''t on a one-week vacation with Dad.

    I stroked her cheek, making a stupid excuse for myself that 1 was just checking her temperature. Even when she was sick her beauty was breathtaking.

    After a little while, 1 saw

    saw her fluttering gher eyes, making me breathe out in relief. She seemed confused by everything around her

    "What''s going on? What are you doing here?" she wondered as she pulled herself up.

    "You have been so sick, Emily. You were feverish, but luckily, it''s been going down for a while," I answered her.

    "How did you find our?" A frown appeared between her eyebrows,

    "Your friend Sam told me." She slowly nodded and looked down.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "Sorry for troubling you," she mumbled, pushing the duvet off her body.

    "There''s nothing to apologize for." I didn''t like how she was apologizing to me. If something happened to her, I would love hated myself for neglecting her. "Where are you going?" I asked when I saw her getting out of bed..

    "I need to shower," she replied, standing up. I was worried that she might fall out of dizziness, but she was, thankfully, steady.

    "Pleasee downstairs once you''re done. I ordered food for us, and you''re definitely dehydrated, and your body needs some nutrients I told her. I wasn''t even sure if she''d ept or not after what I said to her, but all I wanted was to make sure that she was okay. "Wait" She opened her mouth, and I ced the thermometer under her tongue. Her eyes didn''t meet mine as she looked everywhere except at me.

    I sighed in relief when I read the thermometer. She was still feverish, but not like before. "You''re getting better. Imented.

    "Thank you." She offered me a formal smile that thated. I knew what her real smile looked like; it was mesmerizing.

    "Are you dizzy?" I had to make sure that she was alright before leaving her on her own

    "No, I''m okay. Don''t worry," she assured me, but I was still skeptical. "You can wait here if you want if this will make you calmer," she suggested, and I immediately nodded

    Thank you for taking care of me. I owe you one." She offered me one of her real smiles before making her way to her walk-in closet.

    She smiled at me! That mean that the didn''t hate me. Perhaps I had the chance to fix things with her, but I wasn''t sure if I was ready for that step or not. I was scared of getting close to her.

    What if I got attached! What if it became harder for me to let her got

    Emily made it so easy to fall for her and that was thest thing I wanted

    Fiona had never made me feel like that. Nobody had ever made me feel like that.

    What was Emily doing to met

 Chapter 13

    13

    I learned from my mistake. I wasn''t going to get my hopes up again. He did enough damage when I gave him a chance, so I wasn''t going to repeal my mistake. I was fine on my own. Five months had already passed. I couldst for the remaining ones on my own. Julian wasn''t the only man in my life who disappointed me. I was disappointed before by the man I once considered my father, and my ex boyfriend abandoned me when I needed him the most. Not only that, but he was also dating my stepsister whom he knew had made care, but the pain Chester once caused me made me erase any traces of love I had for him in my heart. I could feel his presence in my room the mamem he walked inside, I was just too tired to react. I felt him resting my body against his chest and how he kissed my head. I felt him stroking my hair and rubbing nnd.

    1 heard his phone call with Rose, but I was ermain

    the worry

    in his voice was attributed to my hallucinations. He couldn''t have been that worried. He had to care about me if he was that worried and Judian did not care about me, I wasn''t an idiot. I knew that he wanted to get rid of me. He probably felt obligated to help me out because I walked downstairs after taking a shower and found him in the living room. He was getting the food out of the bags, so I walked over to help him.

    OUL

    "No, sit down. You shouldn''t be doing anything. He dopped me,

    "I''m just a bit sick. I wasn''t in a fatal ident," I smi

    "A little bit? Your temperature was almost 106 degrees, and you consider this a little bit sick?" Oh.. Was I that feverish! "I was one step away from taking you to the hospital, but Mum told me to wait"

    "Good, because I despise hospitals," I mumbled, sining down on the couch,

    "Well, we all hate hospitals, but why do you hate them that much?" he asked, giving me a spoon.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Mum died there," I whispered, not looking at him. Silence filled the room. I didn''t have anything to say to him, but when I lifted my eyes and theynded on him. I noticed how his face was full of curiosity. "What do you want to ask, Julian?"

    "How old were you when you lost her?" he asked cautiously. Did he expect me to break down? Well, internally, I was bleeding, but I learned how to put on a mask a long time ago.

    *Ten and Jeffrey married Maggie when I wasn''t even twelve. He took the from the ce I called home and moved in to a new house because Maggic didn''t want to live in the same ce as histe wil" I gave him more than what he had asked for Again, silence took over, but I could tell that he wanted to say a lot of things.

    Thank you for the food," I mumbled, standing up. I wanted to stay in my room. Being around Julian was the healthiest thing to do. "You barely ate, hemented

    "I don''t think my stomach can take any more food but thank you. The food was amazing. I turned to walk away, but be called my name.

    "Tim sorry" he apologized. Honestly, his apology was quite confusing. What was he apologizing for? Speaking out the truth?

    "There''s nothing to apologize for, Julian. You shouldn''t apologize for expressing how you truly feel

    "I shouldn''t have talked to you like that," he insisted, but I shrugged.

    "Let''s just forget it"

    gave him a small smile before heading to my room.

    When I thought about what he said, I realized that he didn''t say anything wrong. He spoke nothing but the truth. There was nothing between us and neither of us was supposed to fall for the other. He didn''t make love to me. He had sex with me. There was a huge differenc to keep my walls up high no matter what, What the hell are you doing here looked up and saw an angry Julian at my desk. I nced around and saw how everybody was looking at us. "Am I fired or something?" I frowned. Did Imit a terrible mistake!

    "No" But you''re sick. You shouldn''t be here. You should be in bed, he said. Why was he acting like a caring husband now? Was that an act!

    "I''m fine. I checked my temperature beforeing and it was normal," I said, but it seemed like he wasn''t having it.

    "Go home, Emily," he said, but I shook my head and looked back at the file I was revising, but he closed it, making me re at him. "Go home," he repeated slowly

    12:37 PM cr

    "Quick question because I''m very confused. In which capacity are you talking to me! Husband or GEO?"

    "Husband-It sounded more like a question,

    "Great, then I don''t have to listen to you. I shrugged.

    "Then CEO "he eximed, making the colleague next to meugh. "Please, go home. You were basically dead yesterday.".

    I sighed and stared at him for a couple of seconds before standing up. I enflected the two files I was supposed to revise and reached for my bag.

    "Where are you taking those files?" he asked me,

    "I will revise them at home." I said, but he wasn''t fond of my answer as he took them from me. "They''re important for the report you requested. I must finish revising them today."

    He looked around and once he spotted my boss, he walked over to him, I looked down in embarrassment. Everybody was looking at us.

    "Must be good to be married to the CEO Brimeymented with a smirk.

    "I''m surely not enjoying the show, Britney," I said, before following my husband.

    "Mr. Andrews, I promise I can finish them today 1 said, trying to stop Julian from dumping my responsibilities over somebody else.

    "Mrs. Kensington, you have already finished other people''s work before. I believe it won''t be a hassle if they help you out once. From what I''m sering, you''re still sick." Of course, he''d side with my husband. "Thanks," Julian said, handing my boss the files, before looking at me. "Go straight home, drink something hot, and do not leave the bed or the couch." I was astonished by his attitude. What was wrong with himb

    I didn''t do everything he said. I did go home, but I ended up cooking him a nice meal because I felt bad that he had to take care of mest night. I. took a long nap at first and the moment I woke up. I started preparing everything-

    I decided to make him, cream soup, Hungarian Chicken Paprikash and sauteed vegetables. I put on some music and started working right away.

    As I was cooking, my mind kept thinking

    about his actions today. Why did Julian Kensington have to be confusing! I didn''t know if he liked me or not. I didn''t know what he wanted from me. This past month had been nothing but a whirlwind of emotions. I preferred the version that used to ignore my existence. At Having him taking care of me was something but having him kissing my forehead and stroking my hair was something else.

    While cooking. Sparks Fly started ying, making me smile. I had always loved that song.

    "Drop everything now, meet me in the pouring rain, kiss me on the sidewalk, and take away the pain. Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile," 1 sang loudly while using the spat like a microphone. I jumped back upon twirling around and finding Julian watching me a "What are you doing here?" I asked, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks.

    "I live here." he said as a matter of fact.

    "I know! I mean you''re here early." I pointed out.

    *1 finished everything, so I thought I should just go home," he said. "Now, if I remember correctly, I told you to go home and rest, not go home and cook." He approached me and I gave him a cheeky smile

    "I''m just cooking for me. I shrugged

    "So, nothing for me?" He acted hurt as he ced his hand over his heart. No, he shouldn''t be that yful with me. He shouldn''t act like that. He didn''t get to make me desire more from him, then suddenly shut me out.

    "I''m kidding." I said, stepping away from him. There had to be a barrier between us. "This meal is for you. It''s my way of thanking you for taking care of me when I was sick. I acted like I was checking on the chicken even though I knew that it wasn''t done yet. "What''s wrong! You were singing and grinning a minute ago and now your face is dull. Did I do something!" I turned to look at him.

    "You can''t keep doing that, Julian" I sighed. He gave me a questioning look, not knowing what I was talking about, "You can''t just act nicely whenever you want, then switch to being mean whenever you feel the need to shut

    me out, I would rather have the mean version of you, than this confusing one." There was nothing wrong with speaking my true feelings or what I wanted.

    "I''m as confused as you are and I don''t know what you''re doing to me," he admined.

    "I''m not doing anything. I''m minding my own business. I''m trying to push myself until these two years are over, so we can go our own ways.

    That''s the thing. Emily. You''re not intentionally doing anything, but everything you do intrigues me and makes me

    want to get to know you more. I know that we''re going to end things sooner orter, but this isn''t enough to push me away."1 didn''t know what to tell him. I opened my mouth to say anything, but nothing came out.

    "And I want to kiss you and I want to feel your body against me again. He surely knew how to make me speechless. "Okay, just hear me out. Let''s make a deal

    "What deal"" Lasked in a low voice

    "Let''s be friends with benefits." His voice got lower at the end. My eyes widened at the suggestion. He was basically my husband, but he was offering me a friendship with benefits. If anybody heard this conversation, they would think that we were out of our minds, but I und "And what if one of us falls for the other?" I asked. That was expected to happen. I wasn''t made of steel 1 had feelings and I needed to protect my heart

    "We can set some rules to prevent that," he suggested.

    "I will tell you what Maybe we can discuss this over dinner," I said, turning around to turn off the stove,

    "Okay"

    That dinner was about to be super interesting.

 Chapter 14

    What I had to say was unreasonable, but part of me hoped that she''d agree. Her fear was rational. I was scared of the same thing, because it was easy to fall for somebody like Emily. I was selfish. I wanted to have her for a while without getting attached, which was somet I wasn''t even sure if the rules I had in mind would help us in that situation, but I wanted to try because I didn''t know how I was going to spend the next year and five months with her without being able to kiss or touch her. She was irresistible in every way one could think of defended the people she loved with everything in her.

    Emily was great.

    "So what are the rules Emily wondered, looking at me. She let me cat in silence for almost five minutes, but curiosity was crystal clear on her beautiful face.

    "Well maybe we shouldn''t go on danes, because usually dates make people like each other, but of course, we can go to social events together," I sounded so unsure of what I was saying.

    "That seem

    seems reasonable. She nodded, eating a piece of saut¨¦ed potato.

    "And we shouldn''t kiss unless we''re having sex." I wasn''t sure how I was going to stick to that rule, because I had kissed her before and her lips were addictive. "Keep going "Why was I scared of her reaction?

    "We also shouldn''t cuddle or stay in each other''s beds after having sex" Ladded

    "That''s a bummer." She rolled her eyes 1 like cuddles, but I understand your point of view.

    "I don''t think there''s anything else in my mind," 1 said, waiting for her decision 1 desperately wanted her to agree

    "There''s something I would like to add." I nodded. "Even after doing all of this, if one of us falls for the other, we have to admit that and. immediately stop this deal"

    "I totally agree," I said. Her fear was obvious and she had every right to feel that way. She probably thought that my heart was made of stone, but what she didn''t know was that I had the same fear. I didn''t want to fall for her. I didn''t want to wake up one day and wish to have her by my side for the rest of my life

    "There''s something else," she added. "Don''t show up at my desk again, People are going to talk."N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "I''m your husband and I happen to work with you in the same ce," Ter request was weird to me. "Has somebody been bothering you?"

    "Of course, people talk, Julian" Her answer wasn''t direct

    "What have you heard?" If she was getting bullied, I was going to put an end to that Emily was too nice to report anyburly, but I wasn''t going to len anybody mistreat her.

    "Nothing major, Julian" She pushed her food around the ce.

    "I be the judge of that."

    "Things like "Oh it must be nice to be married to the CFO'' or ''li must be rxing to know that if you made a mistake, your husband would have your back''. The worst thing wasn''t said directly to me, but I found a piece of paper on my desk once that said "Do you n on fuc "Why haven''t you taken this

    is to HR? I wondered

    "I''m the CEO''s wife. Everybody will think that I''m just being a baby and can''t handle a joke. She shrugged. "They''re harmlessments, Julian. I expected that to happen."

    "Is that why you didn''t want to go home early today?" She nodded and looked down

    "I n on quitting once Iplete a year. It won''t look good in my CV to quite before that." She pushed a strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.

    "Even if this is what you want to do, you will shouldn''t endure bullying because you n on leaving, Please think about reporting such cornments. I can''t force you to do anything, but at lease promise me that you''re going to think about it." I smiled when she nodded. "Can we add something else to our deal?" I wondered. She titled her head to the side, waiting for me to continue. "Can you cook for me once or twice a week?" I grinned, making herugh; she had such a cuteugh.

    I will think about that," she teased me and resumed eating. I had a feeling that our agreement was a dangerous one, but that was a risk I was willing to take.

    12337 PM

    "And I have a request." It was easy for me to sense howfortable I was starting to get with Emily.

    "What is it?" she asked.

    "I want to see some of your designs." She seemed startled by my request. Ever since I heard Roman talking about how beautiful her designs were, 1 wanted to see them. "I understand if you''re not ready yet. Of course, I would be disappointed if she refused, but I was quite "Tim not ready to show you my designs yet, but I can show you the dress I made for Rose." She made a dress for Mum She surely knew how to make my mum swoon.

    "I would love to." I was excited to see it. Yes, I wanted to see more than one dress, but that was all that she wasfortable shooing me, I was going to respect her wishes. She surely had her reasons.

    After washing our hands, she took me to her bedroom. She

    went to her closet to get the dress and I waited for her. While waiting, I looked around the room and noticed the touches she had added. It was clear that Emily loved nts. She had many of them there. I also noticed different candles here and there. She had one on her nightstand. I picked it up and brought it to my nose; it smelled so good. A mixture of vani and strawberry.

    "I really hope she likes it I set the candle back on the nightstand and looked at Emily. She was holding a dark blue dress in her hands. "I asked her maid to get me one of the dresses that perfectly fits her and I copied the measurements Smart. She wanted the whole thing to be a surprise. She hesitantly ced the dress on the bed and stepped back, letting me see the dress

    "What do you call the shake of the dress?" I asked her.

    "Mermaid and the top is off-

    shoulder," she replied. I loved the smile on her lips. Despite her anxiousness, she seemed proud of her work and the had every right to feel that way. The dress was magnificent. The details she added to the top made it magnificent. Even thece the chose was detailed an "What do you think?" she nervously asked,

    "I think.." I looked at her and saw skepticism in her eyes, "you''re going ces. Emily! That was enough to make her face break into a huge grin as she wrapped her arms around me. Icked her in my embrace and silently prayed that I wouldn''t end up loving that pure sou

 Chapter 15

    15

    It was ate Friday night. I was reading a book in my bed when I heard something smash downstairs. 1 set the book down and got out of bed. My heart was beating hard in my chest. Was that a burr? Was ? about to die tonight? Well, my life wasn''t fantastic, and death

    I unplugged themp beside my bed and opted for not wearing slippers as I made my way downstairs. It was a bit dark, but I could still see. The moment I reached the bottom of the stairs, Julian appeared out of nowhere in front of me, making me scream. I almost hit him v

    "It''s just me! I''m Julian," he repeated that twice until I calmed down.

    "I heard something break, so I came to check. I thought there was a burr or something, I mumbled, cing my hand over my chest,

    "You were going to fight a burr with amp?" He chuckled, making me roll my eyes at him. He took it from me and set it on a table nearby, then kissed my forehead, making me smile. "Sorry for scaring you. Lidentally knocked something on my way upstairs."

    I looked at what he was wearing and gave him a look of confusion. He was in ck pants, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket. He looked bot. Super hot. Why did he have a helmet with him! I didn''t even know that he owned a bike, "Where were you" I wondered,

    "Out with some friends," he replied.

    "What about the helmet? Do you have a bike?" I asked

    I do, but I would rather you keep this a secret," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

    "From whom?" I frowned.

    "My parents" He gave me a sheepish smile.

    "May Lask why?" I was curious to know

    "When I was eighteen, I had an ident with my old bike and Mum made me promise them I wouldn''t ride a bike again," he told me.

    "Looks like somebody has broken their promise." I smirked.

    "What can I say? I love the thrill." He grinned.

    "I will keep your secret under one condition." I folded my arms.

    "And what is your condition?" He leaned against the wall.

    "You have to take me on a ride at least once every two weeks I eximed, making himugh.

    "Fine." He nodded, making me smile widely. "But we need to get you a helmet first," he said and I nodded.

    "I will order one tomorrow," I said, reaching for themp as the two of us headed upstairs

    "No, don''t. I will do it. Any colour preferences" he asked, throwing one arm over my shoulders

    "Sacramento," I replied in a heartbeat, earning myself a look of confusion.

    "Emily, sweethean, you''re talking to a guy. My colour palette consists of probably fifteen colours at most and that Sacramento in''t one of them. Iughed at what he said.

    "It belongs to the green family, I nded.

    "I will try to find you a helmet in that shade, but no promises."

    "Thank you." I smiled and kissed his cheek. "Tm going to bed. Goodnight"

    "Sweet dream."

    When I made my way downstairs the next day, I could hear a lot of cluttering in the kitchen, which was weird. Melissa wasn''t supposed toe today since she had the weekends off.

    My eyes rose in surprise when I found Julian in the kitchen and it seemed like he was doing something. The kitchen wasn''t in the best state. Everything was out of its ce and there were many ingredients here and there. Julian was attempting to prepare God knew what "Is everything okay over here?" I asked, causing him to jump.

    12.37 PM CD

    "Well as you can see everything is far from okay?" A sigh full of frustration escaped his mouth.

    "What do you want to make!" I asked, examining the ingredients around me. He probably wanted to bake something

    "I wanted to make a cake for Mum since you know that her birthday is today, but as you can see I''m failing miserably." He threw a spoon in the sink. making it clink.

    "Easy there." I walked over to him. "Maybe I can help you out. I promise we won''t get out of this kitchen until this cake is baked to perfection, okay? I will help you out with everything you want," I said. ""You would?" The

    way

    "Yes, I most certainly would." I grinned.

    his dull face brightened made my heart tighten in my chest.

    "Do you think I should just forget about it?" he wondered,

    "Why did you want to bake it in the first ce?" I rested my elbow on the ki

    on the kitchen ind as I stood in front of him.

    Because Mum has everything and I just.. I thought maybe in addition to a gift, I could make her something myself and she loves desserts, so I told myself a cake would be perfect, but I can''t cook, let alone bake!"

    "Then we''re baking the cake. We are giving Rose the best birthday cake ever!" I grinned.

    "You''re the best," he mumbled, pulling me into a tight hug, and making me swoon. I didn''t want him to be that sweet to me. How was I supposed to not fall for him when he was being that nice? "Wait" He pulled away. "Let''s eat first. You''re probably starving." I didn''t even thi "You haven''t had breakfast yet, right?" I wondered and he nodded.

    "How does french toast sound like?" I asked.

    "If you''re making it, then it sounds perfect" I blushed at hisment and started preparing everything and he helped me out. It didn''t take us a lot of time to eat breakfast and once we were done, I put on my apron to start baking

    "Are you ready to bake, Mr. Kensington?" I grinned at him.

    "Whenever you are ready. Mrs. Kensington. His grin matched mine. My heart thumped hard when he called me that. It sounded

    weirding from him. Many people called me that, but 1 knew that he had never considered me one. Hearing him calling me Mrs. Kensington was terrifying because I didn''t want to feel like I finally belonged to a family, only to be thrown out of it within months. "Okay, let''s mix the eggs." I opened the fridge and got the right amount out of it

    "I couldn''t even break the eggs. I think I ruined five eggs 1 always get pieces of the shell in the egg" heined.

    "Let me show you how you can do it," I said, showing him how to do it properly.

    We spent around forty minutes mixing everything. Baking with him was fun. It made me feel like I belonged somewhere and that was thest thing I wanted. In my life, I lost a lot. I lost more than I could

    ever fathom. I didn''t want to feel like I had finally found the person I could spend the rest of my life with, only to have him leave meter. I didn''t want any false hope, especially that kind of false hope. I didn''t want julian to make me feel like I was his and he was mine for a w "Can I y some music?" I asked him as we prepared everything to make the icing.

    "Sure." He smiled at me. He looked so handsome when he smiled.

    I put on Latch by Sam Smith and hummed along

    "You like romantic songs," Julianmented as he ced the cake right on front of us. We were about to decorate it.

    "They''re my favorite," I said as I added one more drop of the food colouring

    "What''s your favourite song?" he wondered.

    "It''s a song by Arctic Monkeys called I Wanna Be Yours. I love it so much," I told him. I had always wanted that song to be my first dance on my wedding, but when it came to my wedding with him, I refrained from choosing it because I wanted to dance with somebody I truly "Put it on. I want to hear it," he said.

    "My hand isn''t clean. Can you put it on?" I asked and he nodded. He reached for my phone and tried to unlock it by cing it in front of my face, but for some reason, the face recognition did not work "Just type four zeros seventy-six"

    "Oh wow, you''re trusting me

    ne with yo

    your password." He chuckled.

    "I''ve got nothing to hide." I shrugged. The song started ying and my body automatically began to sway.

    12:37 PM E

    "It''s a nice song" I nodded and sang along quietly. "Oh, we don''t just sing along to nice songs" Julian took me by surprise and gently pulled me towards him, making me giggle. "We dance to them.

    He closed the space between our bodies by wrapping both of his arms around my waistN?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    I wanna be your setting lotion

    Hold your hair in deep devotion

    At least as deep as the Pacific Ocean

    Now I wanna be yours

    He gently lifted my body and twirled me around, making meugh as I kept my arms

    ms wrapped around his neck

    Despite my initial desire to save dancing to that song with my true love, I didn''t mind dancing with Julian while it yed in the background. He was stealing a moment reserved for somebody special, yet I was truly happy. Although I was currently over the moon, a voice in my head kept telling me that my happiness was only temporary

 Chapter 16

    16

    I wasn''t just nervous. I was a wreck, but I had to act allposed for the sake

    of the family. Uncle Steven decided to throw Rose a birthday party and he invited his small circle which consisted of almost seventy people. The small circle also included Jeffrey, Maggie and Fiona. I hadn''t seen them since the wedding and I was happy about that. However, Uncle Steven stressed how importance their attendance was.

    Julian and I arrived at 7:00 PM. The moment we walked inside, Rose greeted us and pulled me into a hug. She was wearing the dress I made her. I couldn''t believe that she chose my dress to wear to an important event like that. "As I was telling you, my talented daughter inw made this amazing dress for me, she told a bunch of women to whom she was talking.

    "You have done an excellent job, Emily" a curly-haired woman told me, making me smile as 1 thanked her.

    "How much do you charge for a dress?" A woman in a ck dress asked me.

    "Oh, I''m not doing this for business. I only make dresses for myself. Rose is an exception." I said.

    "That''s a shame. You should start doing this as a business. You''ll make a name for yourself in no time," she told me.

    *Maybe Julian wants her to always be with him in thepany and doesn''t want her to do work in designing "I frowned when a woman said that and was about to reply, but suddenly an arm got wrapped around my waist.

    I knew from the scent I grew to like that it was Julian. "Trust me I''m more than ready to support her in any way she wants, but my wife is stubborn and refuses to ept my help" He kissed my cheek after he finished talking. I didn''t know where he came from, but I loved h "Julian is very supportive of whatever I want to do," I said, smiling at him,

    "I''m d that my daughter is happy. Upon hearing her voice, I tensed, but Julian was quick to reach for my hand and he started to rub small circles around the back of it. I wanted to scream at her that I wasn''t a daughter of hers. She was never a mother to me and never w

    For a second, I looked at Julian with my heart thumping in my chest. I was scared that his act might falter upon seeing Fiona, but he stayed

    by my side. He kept me close to him and didn''t let go of me. We never talked about her and Chester dating. I felt like it was a sensitive topic.

    "You know I will always do whatever it takes me to ensure her happiness. You don''t know how much I care about her," Julian told her. His tone was different. He wasn''t friendly and I was scared that anybody else would catch on. I didn''t want to cause a scene at Rose''s birthday.

    "It''s so good to see you!" I stered a fake smile on my face. It was hard to act like everything was fine, but I was ready to do anything for Rose. "We will catch up with youter, but Julian and I need to greet some of his friends." My eyes fell on Fiona, and she had that stup It would probably break her heart to learn that I didn''t give a single damn about her or him. I thought I would feel an ounce of pain upon seeing them together, but boy had I been wrong. I felt nothing. The only thing I cared about at that moment was making sure that Julian I pulled Julian away from them and we both headed to a private area. "What''s wrong" I asked. When I tried pulling my hand away from his, he gently tightened his grip, refusing to let go of my hand.

    "I can''t stand your father and stepmother," he mumbled, making me frown.

    "Did they do anything to you!"

    "No, but they did to you" His answer stunned me..

    "What have you learned?" I didn''t tell him much.

    "Uprooting you from your home, basically selling you to my family for your father''spany and not to mention what I have been told before." His voice lowered at thest part as he looked away from me. What was he told about met "What were you told?" I was curious to know.

    "I promise I will tell youter. I nodded.

    "Please think of Rose, okay! Don''t say or do anything that would ruin her night I pleaded. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds, then nodded.

    "Have I told you that you look absolutely stunning tonight" Iughed a little at how random hispliment wal

    "Even if you''ve told me already, I would like to hear you say it again," I smirked. I loved that yful side of him.

    "You look gorgeous, sunshine." He closed the space between us and gave me a peck on my lips, taking me off guard. I wasn''t used to him calling me with any nickname when we were in private and I sure as hell wasn''t used to him pecking my lips. "Sorry, have I crossed a line?" He looked apologetic. My surprised face had probably given him the wrong idea.

    "No, I don''t mind." I leaned in and pecked his lips to prove to him that I was okay with it. Also, I kind of liked kissing him.

    "So, it seems like you two were actually together while we were dating after all," I heard Chester''s voice. "It was all an act." "None of us has to prove anything to you, Chester." Julian turned to look at him. "And it''s

    d it''s not like you''re aThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    man of honour. First, you abandoned your girlfriend and didn''t give her a chance to exin herself. Second, you''re so petty that you went around and started dating her stepsister who also happens to be my ex. Third, my father bought your silence about the whole thing, an took five million dors to convince you." I was In love with the confidence in Julian''s voice. I looked at Chester and could easily tell that he was angry.

    "It was so easy for you to get over me, right? You couldn''t handle that I was hurt and went off to marry him." Chester addressed me. "You forgot our love and made the decision to throw it away. I still loved you and you ended up marrying Julian. I had to hurt you, so I picke I wasn''t sure what game Chester wa

    was ying, but I wasn''t going to entertain him. I wasn''t going to let him toy with my feelings. I had no respect for him, and I knew that whatever he was saying was a lie. I kept trying to get in contact with him for a whole week after what happened, and all my calls and te married, I told him what Jeffrey had told me and he didn''t so much as give me a one-word reply.

    "Don''t you think we should head back?" I looked at Julian,pletely ignoring Chester.

    "Let''s go." He ced his hand on the small of my back and we both left Chester standing all alone, Chester was a chapter that I was more than d to end.

    SIND GIFT

 Chapter 17

    While I was making my way to my room, I heard soft criesing from Emily''s bedroom. making me stop. I knocked on the door and I heard her yelp, causing me to immediately walk inside. I though the worst. I thought she was hurt in any way, but I found her balled in he Woah what''s going on! Are you hurt!" 1 asked approaching her.

    "S-storm," she whimpered. It was a stormy night, but I didn''t know that she was scared of storms. It had been five days since my mum''s birthday party and the two of us had been

    closer.

    "Are you scared of storms?" I gently asked and she nodded. Instantly, I got in bed with her and pulled her in my arms, goals the whole no cuddle rule in our deal. I didn''t care about the rule though. She was petrified. The moment I pulled her against me, shetched onto me "It''s okay. Nothing is going to happen to you," I assured her and kissed her forehead.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    tran in her beautiful green eyes.

    "I''m sorry. I''m not usually like this. I''m not usually a mess," she whimpered, looking up at me with

    "That''s fine. You have nothing to apologize for, okay? We all have our fears" I assured her as I stroked her blonde hair. She shuddered in my arms when it thundered and all could do was tighten my hold on her.

    1 sat up and pulled her with me. 1 looked at her beautiful face and wiped away her tears. She looked adorable with her red cheeks, but I didn''t like how the reason behind their redness was crying.

    "You''re breaking one of the rules," she mumbled, making me chuckle,

    "Well I don''t mind breaking all the rules if it will make you feel better, 1 admitted. She smiled through her tears, causing my heart to melt. I had already broken the kissing rule at the party and I had no regress. "Can I know why you''re scared of storms?"

    "My mum she died because of a storm" She looked down and yed with the end of my tshirt. "She was driving back home, and it was storming. She had a horrible ident. She didn''t die on impact. She died two dayster at the hospital" She didn''t know how much I app

    I knew that it was bad, because I didn''t want to get attached to her, and having her opening up to me meant that we could form a sort of connection. I had a feeling that the damagend already been done. I was already attached to the beauty in my arm.

    "She would have been so proud of you you know."1 pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

    "She would?" Her eyes lit up

    "Yes. You''re smart, beautiful, hardworking, passionate and kind" I didn''t know what I was doing I didn''t know why I was speaking my thoughts out

    loud

    "Is that what y

    you think of me!" Her face brightened upon hearing me. I would do anything to always see that look on her wless face.

    "I would be stupid to think otherwise." I was digging myself into a deep hole and I wasn''t sure how I was ? going to get myself out. Resisting Emily had recently be impossible.

    Lightning struck, making her jump in her ce, but I quickly soothed her and tightened my hood around her small body. "Listen, I''m not leaving you on your own tonight, okay! I won''t let anything bad happen to you. I want you to trust me on this, so just close those beautiful had a long day at work:

    "I will try," she whispered as I let my body slide down and pulled her with me. She stared at me for a second before closing her eyes. "Aren''t we breaking another rule like that?" she murmured, causing me to chuckle.

    "This night is for breaking rules," I replied, kissing her nose, and making her giggle.

    I wanted to get some deep too, but I needed to make sure that she was rxed at first. I felt her flinching every once in a while whenever it thundered and only when she stopped flinching did I know that she was finally asleep.

    I looked down at her and my heart almost leaped out of my chest. Her head was resting on my chest and onend was resting on my shoulder while the other waszily draped over my torso. Why did she have to be so beautiful and perfect like that!

    When I woke up the next day, I didn''t find her in my arms, which was enough to ruin my mood. Where did she go? It was a Saturday, and we didn''t have work. I knew that Emily was an early bird, but I kind of liked having her in my embrace. I didn''t want that night to end. I made my way downstairs and found her making breakfast for us. Today was different though. There was more food. Was she waiting for

    someone!

    "You''re awake! I was about to head upstairs to wake you up. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her face was free of makeup. How was she that beautiful without even trying!

    "What''s all of this?" I asked, looking at the tes on the kitchen ind.

    12:30 PM.

    "It''s a funk you for not letting me sleep on my ownst night when I was scared." She blushed

    I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her small body. "First, no need to thank me. Second, if you ever feel scared for whatever reason, just tell me and I won''t let you spend the night on your own.

    "Thank you," she mumbled, and kissed my cheek, I wanted to kiss her lips again. I hadn''t kissed her since the party and I was craving the taste of her lips.

    "Did you sleep well?" Lasked her as the two of us sai idown to cal

    "Yes" She nodded, "I have been thinking and do you mind if I united your parents over for dinner? Why did she feel the need to ask me that question?

    "Of course not. You do whatever you like." I said, making her smile.

    "Tomorrow is line by you?" I nodded.

    As if my parents would say no to her. I bet my mum woulde back from a trip if

    Emily told her she wanted her toe over.

    At first, I couldn''t understand why they easily loved her, but now I got it. It didn''t take a genius to realize that she was amazing.

    "I want to ask you something," she said and I gave her my full attention. "Ar the party, you sad that you heard things about me. What did you hear? She seemed nervous, produbily scared of my answer.

    "When Fiona was mync¨¦, she used to tell me a lot of terrible things about you. To be honest, I believed her, but after living with you. I now know that they were all lies," I silinatcil

    Terrible things like what Lier voice was small and held something that resembled fear. I wanted to hold her and tell her that I no longer believed any of that. I wanted her to be sure that I had her back no matter what and I was not going to let anybody hurt her no matter what,

    "She used to tell me that you were jealous of her, and you were willing to do anything to sabotage her life. She once told me that you ruined one of her dresses a day before an important event because you didn''t want her so go, I told her and all she did was let out a scoff. "It''s actually the other way around," she said. "It was an important event in anothertry, and I had my dress with me and everything. When I went to put it on, I found Isaks in it. Things I couldn''t fix, Jellicy said that they were already runningte, so they left me at the hot "She said she didn''t want me to spend a lot of tinue with you, because she knew you would make move on me just like how you had done it nace in high school." I watched how my wife''s mouth parted in shock upon hearing me.

    "I caught her kissing my boyfriend in high school!" she eximed, dropping her fork in rage. She got up from her ce and went to the sink. Her back was facing me, and it was easy to see how she wanted to hide from me

    I sighed and got up from my ce. I headed to where she was and wrapped both of my arms around her from behind. "I now know that she''s a liar. I don''t believe her." I wasn''t sure if she cared about that or not, but I wanted her to know that I had her back, I wanted her "For years. I lived like a ghost in that house, I wasn''t seen. I wasn''t heard. I was marginalized by my own father. I endured it all and kept telling myself that sooner orter, I was going to leave." She didn''t turn to face me, but I let her pour her heart out. "Do you know that J I suddenly had the urge to destroy Harok''spany, I wanted to make them suffer for the way they treated her.

    "What can I do to make you feel better!" I felt helpless, "Can you please turn arounii?"

    It took her a while toply. I expected to see tears on her face, but she was an expert at suppressing them.

    "There''s nothing I want you to do," she said, looking at mr.

    There had to be something she wanted to do. There had to be a desire for revenge inside of her. Maybe she did not trust me enough to tell me. "You think about it and if you want me to do anything, I will do it." I was serious. I was more than ready to do any of the dirty worl "Why?" She tilted her head to the side er question caught me off guard.

    "Because you''re my best friend and I won''t let anybody mistreat you."

    It was probably stupid of me to friendzone a girl I was falling for, but I had to start at some point, right.

    12:38 PM c

 Chapter 18

    It had been almost two months since my mother''s birthday party. Emily and 1 had grown closer to one another, but I had to say that ever since the party, things hadn''t been the same for me. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was slowly falling for Emily. It was hard not to fall for her. Not when she was amazing at everything.

    There was something that

    stood between us though. I couldn''t forget what Chester had told her at the party. We never talked about it, and I didn''t have enough courage to ask her if she still had feelings for him or not. I was scared of what she might say. What if she still had feelings for him?

    As for me. I had no feelings for Fiona anymore and my feelings for Emily had only been growing. I didn''t know what to do. I didn''t know if I was ready to admit to her that I really wanted more than just being friends with benefits with her, but I was scared of being rejected. We were at my parents'' ce for Thanksgiving. She looked adorable in her beige skin and olive-green pullover. I just wanted to pull her towards me and kiss the

    hell out of her. Did I even have the right to do that! Theoretically, I was her husband, and she was my wife, but our rtionship wasn''t nomal

    "I can''t really decide if the way you''re looking at her is cute or creepy. My sister''s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Are you falling for her, dear brother!"

    "I''m not and it''s not like she''s ever going to be mine anyway. She doesn''t really care about me." I looked down, shoving my hands in my pockets as I leaned against a wall. "Really?" I could hear the smirk in Harne

    Harper''s voice. "Oh my God, Julian, are you okay?" she basically screeched, catching me off guard.

    Within a second, I found Emily in front of me. "What''s going on? Are you hurt!" I loved the concern in her voice. What was I supposed to tell her!

    "Don''t worry. He got dizzy for a second," Harper lied to my wife.

    "Do you want to sit down! Do you want me to get you something to eat?" Emily asked me in that sweet voice of hers.

    "Come here." I mumbled, pulling her towards me and hugging her. It was honestly an excuse to feel her body against mine. I''m okay. Harper just likes to exaggerate," assured her.

    "I can still sneak you something to eat before dinner. She grinned, looking up at me, causing me tough and give her a peck on the lips

    "I''m good, sunshine." She nodded and walked back to the kitchen.

    "So much for not wanting to marry her," Harper teased me, making me roll my eyes. I was angry when I was first told that I would marry Emily, but

    was now thankful. I was mad at my parents for choosing my bride for me, but I was starting to wonder if I could ever find anybody better than Emily.

    "Don''t be an idiot. She likes you a lot. I don''t want to jump to conclusions, but I think that she loves you. Make a move before it''s toote," Harper advised me before heading to the kitchen to help them out.

    I went to help Dad and Harper''s husband, Ansel, with whatever they were doing. I wanted to keep my mind distracted. The thing was, no matter what I did, I couldn''t keep Emily out of my mind. She was conquering my thoughts.

    When I heard somebody let out a short scream inside, I dashed inside along with Dad and Ansel. I found Emily on the floor with Mum and Harper already beside her. She was holding her wrist and I could see tears brimming in her eyes, "What happened?" I asked, carefully pulling her up.

    "1 slipped and fell on my wrist," she replied, still holding her wrist close to her chest.

    "Hey, let me check it out. I took a first-

    aid ss," I told her. Hesitantly, she allowed me to check it. Luckily, it wasn''t bruised and there was no discoloring, which meant that it wasn''t broken. I carefully started to move it, which caused her to wince, but she still managed to move it. "Not broken, sunshine." I assure "Mum, do you have one of those removable casts? She will need to wear one for a day or two," I told her.

    "Are you sure she doesn''t need to be taken to the hospital" Amel asked me.

    "Yes, but let''s just wait for an hour. If anything happens, I will take her," I replied.

    "Now, go sit down. No more helping in the kitchen, Mum told her. Emily was about to say something, but Mum stopped her. "Don''t even think about arguing with me. I''m not going to let you work with a sprained wrist."

    "You got a free pass, use it!" Harper gently nudged her.

    "Okay" My wife nodded and we all waited for Mum to get the removable cast.

    After putting the cast around her wrist, I took her with me to the backyard, not liking the idea of leaving her alone. I had the urge to know about the previous Thanksgivings she had. I wanted to know which season she loved the most. I wanted to get to know every single

    moreN?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    12:38 PM c

    "Can I help with anything!" she asked my dad.. "I still have one hand in good condition."

    "Emily, if I let you do something, my wife would kill me." He chuckled, making her bugh.

    "I''m just used to doing something," she said.

    "And you get to rest today." I pulled her from her uninjured hand and took her away from the grill. "Does it hurt!"

    "A little."

    "Iran take y

    you to the hospital now if you

    want. What if I made a wrong decision and she was really hurt?

    She shook her head. "I can move it around. It just hurts. That''s all"

    "You look beautiful today." I blurted, earning a look of astonishment from her.

    Thank you." Her cheeks reddened and all I wanted to do was kiss the hell out of them,

    "Listen, I started but didn''t know how to let the words out. I wanted to take her out on an actual date. To many people that might seem stupid, but our marriage was unique. "Is everything okay?" She frowned

    "Yeah. I just want to ask if-"I was about to do it, but Mum had to call us to tell us that everything was ready.

    -What''s going

    Emily asked me.

    "I will tell you when we''re home." She nodded

    We all headed inside to set the table. I was excited to get back home to pour my heart out to her. What if H well. What if she actually liked me? What if I had a chance with her?

    if Harper was right? Emily was

    y was treating ne

    "Emily, I think you have sone new

    ew messages. Your phone kept beeping." Harper said, handing Emily her phone. I watched as Emily checked it and saw how her face changed.

    "Is everything okay?" I asked her

    "It''s she didn''t meet my eyes. I was getting more worried. "Chester." My blood instantly started boiling upon hearing his name.

    "What does he want?" Did I have the right to be angry? Did I need to remind myself who I truly was to her!

    Instead of saying anything, she handed me her phone.

    Happy Thanksgiving, Emily.

    I miss you

    Do you

    think we can talk!

    "What are you going to say to him!" I calmly asked her. I wasn''t angry at her. I was scared that she might have feelings for Chester. She might

    choose him over me.

    "Nothing." She shrugged.

    "Has he texted you before?" I couldn''t help but ask.

    came out easily.

    "Yes, but I didn''t reply" Her answers came

    During the whole dinner, I tried to act like the texts didn''t bother me, but it was hard to do so. I was going out of my mind. My mind kept ying the worst scenarios. I pictured her leaving me for him. I saw her in his arms, and I wanted to set the whole ce on fire. No, the wasn''t his girl anymore.

    She was mine.

    She was my wife.

    I didn''t know when and how it happened, but I was fully attracted to her. I found myself thinking about her 24/7, She probably didn''t know, but she had ine wrapped around her fingers and I was ready to do anything for her.

    "Is everything okay?" she asked me as I drove us back home.

    "Yes," I muttered, keeping my eyes on the road. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" I asked her.

    y wrist is fine, but clearly you''re not. I wasn''t sure if she was observant, or it was just easy to spot my anger. What was I supposed to tell her?

 Chapter 19

    I wasn''t going to let him put me through that again. I wasn''t going to allow him to use me of being a cheater.

    I was not a cheater!

    "I won''t let you insult my loyalty! Do you hear me? I have been loyal to you. I''m not the one who messaged him. I showed you the message! If I had something to hide, I wouldn''t have let you touch my phone," I snapped at him. I had never been that angry at him, but that w won''t allowed to cros

    *1 didn''t insuh your loyalty." His voice was way lower than mine.

    "You did!" My voice cracked. Shit! I didn''t want to cry in front of him. I wasn''t thatfortable around him yet. "You know what I took a deep breath, "we need things to get back to how they originally were. I turned to leave.

    "You still love him, don''t you?" That had me stop and slowly run to him.

    "What?" I was really confused. How did hee up with that conclusion?

    "You still love him and you''re waiting for any sign from him to get back with him, don''t you?" His voice was low and raspy, as if it pained him to utter those words With every word he said, he took a step towards me until there were only a couple of steps between us. Why w "I wasn''t aware that you considered me that cheap. I muttered, stepping away from him, but he quickly closed the space between us and wrapped his fingers around my armL

    "Do you still love him, Emily? Why did I sense fear in his voice!

    "Why do you care" I had to know the answer, because you wouldn''t sound like that unless you had feelings for the other person.

    "Answer me, please. Despair was evident in his voice, making my heart skip a beat,

    I sighed and unlocked my phone, handing it to him. "Check his messages. See if I replied to any of them nicely"

    He shook his head and gently pushed my hand away "Use your words, Emily Tell me whether you still love him or not?

    "I don''t love him. I can never love a man who didn''t give me a chance. I can never love a man who chose to abandon me when I needed him the most, I told him. The way relief took over his face had me astonished.

    "Do you think you can give a chance to a man who didn''t know you well at first,

    spent the first four months of your marriage barely talking to you and asked youter to be friends with benefits with him and went crazy upon seeing the name of your ex on your phone because he was scared that you might have feelings

    for him?" My mouth parted and I looked at him, unable to say a word. What was he trying to say?

    I wasn''t blind. I could spot the difference in the way he treated me, but I wasn''t aware that things had really developed to that extent between us

    "Julian.. I''m Emily. The girl you started to tolerate only two months ago, I mumbled, trying to knock some sense in him. Was that the heat of the

    moment!

    "I know, You''re Emily. The girl who has proven in every way that she''s exceptional. The girl who has managed to conquer my thoughts and I cannot get out of my head." I must have been dreaming. "I''m tired of pretending that I don''t feel anything towards you, so please out of my misery and tell me that you can give me a chance."

    I think I took a deep breath, closing the space between us,

    "I think I want you to kiss me. His lips crashed with mine and within seconds, I was backed against a wall. I didn''t understand what was happening and I was caught in the moment, yet I didn''t mind. I wanted to savor each second.

    "You don''t know what you''re doing to me," Julian whispered, looking straight into my eyes. I was growing nervous

    "Do you like me?" I asked, meeting his gorgeous blue eyes.

    "Like you? Oh sunshine, we''re past that. Not giving me a second to react he kissed me again. What changed? I thought I was going so spend two years walking on eggshells around a man I was supposed to consider my husband, but I had a feeling that things were about are we exactly doing?" I wondered, cing my hands on his chest.

    ""What ar

    "Kissing" he replied casually, making me giggle.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "I thought we weren''t supposed to kiss unless we were having sex." I tilted my head to the side.

    -Arr you

    telling me that you want to have sex now!" He raised his eyebrows..

    "Something is surely wrong with you today." Iughed,

    I don''t want us to be friends with benefits. Let''s be a real married couple. Let''s give each other a real chance in this marriage," he told me, ying with a strand of my hair.

    12:30 PM c

    "That sounds nice, I grinned. Was this really happening? There was a little girl inside of me jumping up and down as if somebody had told her that she was about to be taken to the biggest festival in town.

    "There''s something I want to show you." He reached for the hand that wasn''t injured and took me to his office. I had probably been to that room twice ever since our marriage.

    I liked how it wasn''t dull like Jeffrey''s. Julian liked light colours and I loved his rk beige desk and the off white chair behind it. Even the couch wasn''t the usual ck or white, it was a light shade of blue,plementing the rest of the ce. "Here you go." He handed me a huge box ced on the table before the couch.

    I sat down and ced the box beside me, eager to know what was inside. Carefully, I removed the lid.

    A gasp came out of my mouth upon seeing what he got m?.

    "Did I mail the colour?" he asked me with a smile on his face.

    "You did I eximed, getting the sacramento helmet out. It was beautiful.

    I got up from my ce and kissed his lips. I loved how he held me close to him whenever we kissed.

    "I want to go on a ride!"

    "Once your wrist heels up." he replied, causing me to

    to whine.

    "No, please! I promise 1 can hold onto you well"I pleaded, but he shook his head.

    "Not until your wrist is okay."

    "Fine" My shoulders slumped.

    "Don''t pour." He pecked my lips. "It''s just for two or three days, but maybe if you let me take you on a date tomorrow I can make it up to you." A smile formed on my lips when he said that. "I would love that"

    I was excited to know the kind of life I was about to live with that version of Julian.

 Chapter 20

    Three days ago, Julian and I decided to give our marriage a chance. I was surprised, but I was certainly happy. He made me happy and treated me well. That night after Thanksgiving dinner at his family''s ce, I was about to go to my room out of habit, but he stopped m I loved sleeping next to him because the way he held me made me feel safe. I hadn''t felt that kind of love in so long. I wasn''t sure what the reason was behind that kind of change in our rtionship, but I was grateful that we were no longer enemies. Perhaps there was a "Hey, sunshine." 1 looked up from myputer and found Julian standing next to me.

    ""Hi." I smiled widely upon seeing him.

    "It''s lunch time, workaholic. Get your things ande with me," he said with a smile on his face. I nodded and grabbed my bag, then went with him. He hadn''t done that before. I honestly tried to keep my distance from him at work because I didn''t want anybody to talk about us, but Julian didn''t give a damn.

    "Where would you like to eat?" he asked me, and I shrugged.

    "Anywhere"

    "Where did you n on going?" he wondered.

    "There''s this cafe right across from thepany. It has good sandwiches," I replied.

    "No, let me take you to a better ce." I was surprised when I found his driver waiting for us

    "You do know that I only have a forty-minute lunch break, right?" I reminded him.

    "You do realize that you''re married to the CEO, night" He smirked, making me roll my cyc

    We ended up at a very nice restaurant that was only a ten-minute drive away. When we walked inside, I saw Roman Belford insideBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "For the love of God." I heard Julian munter when Roman noticed us, making me chuckle lightly. I remembered how he acted during that dinner. It was weird to see him acting all jealous,

    "Emily and Julian. What an amazing coincidence," he greeted us and gave me a quick hug.

    When I looked at Julian''s face, I silently prayed that he wouldn''t make anyment. Roman and I had known rach other since college, and he had always been that friendly.

    "Would you guys like to have lunch with us?" He motioned to his table where a group of people were already eating there.

    "No.

    thank you. I''m here with my wife on a small date." Julian wrapped one arm around my waist, pulling me close to him.

    "In that case, I wouldn''t want to intrude. Enjoy your day," Roman politely said before heading to his table.

    After being seated and handed the menu, I looked at my jealous husband and said. "You de realize that you''re my husband not him, don''t you?"

    "He is so friendly with you," he mumbled, and I tried to hide my smile.

    "And what''s the issue with that?" I closed my menu, keeping my eyes on the man before me. He looked absolutely handsome in his dark grey helped him choose the tie that morning and 1 loved how itplimented his eyes "I don''t like it. I don''t like other men hugging you," he said.

    "But this is possessiveness, babe. There''s nothing wrong with friendly hugs and I assure you that if I feel that a man isn''t being friendly, I boundaries between us."

    I will put

    "I know, but I can''t just not feel jealous. I''m also jealous of the fact that he saw your designs, but I didn''t." That was a surprise. I didn''t know that he cared about seeing my designs that much.

    "I will show them to you once we''re back, I promised him, making him smile. "In fact, you''re looking at one of them." I pointed to the soft pink

    dress I had or

    "It looks perfect on you" I blushed and looked down. I still wasn''t used to hispliments. They had a brilliant effect on my self-esteem,

    "I know that it''s almost three weeks away, but you don''t have anything nned for Christmas, right?" he asked me and I shook my head. "Good, because it would have sucked if I didn''t have my wife with me on our first Christmas as a couple. Whenever he called me his wife, my heart danced in my chest. I was aware that it was silly to feel like that since he was basically sting the obvious, but I loved the way it sounded on his lips.

    "What do you want for Christmas?" Lasked him after the waitress came and took our orders.

    "Nothing really. You don''t have to get me anything," he said. That wasn''t helping. I didn''t know what he liked other than racing. He had everything He had watches, perfumes, suits, and ties. I did know that he liked Form 1, so maybe I could buy him tickets. "What about y There was something that I wanted, but it was expensive, so I wasn''t going to ask him to get it for me. I wanted thetest sewing machine. It was for almost twenty thousand dors, and I wasn''t going to ask him to get me such an expensive gift. I was aware that money w "Nothing. Surprise me." I smiled at him.

    "So do you want a vacation house, jewelry, or a new car?" My eyes widened upon hearing the options he had given me.

    "Have you ever heard about normal gifis" I wondered

    "Those sound normal to me." He shrugged.

    "How about you do not exceed a thousand dors?" That was way above normal, but that was his normal.

    "You''ve got to be kidding me." Heughed. "Sunshine, I''m not going to go that cheap. It would be an insult to you."

    "I don''t want you to spend your money on me, I sighed, looking at him.

    "But I want to pamper you," he argued.

    "Just don''t go overboard, please," I begged him. I wasn''t used to expensive gifts. I didn''t want to make the most out of our marriage. I just wanted to have a normal rtionship with him that wasn''t built on his wealth.

    "No promises. He winked, making me giggle. "Prepare yourself for next Friday,"

    "What do we luve on Friday?" As far as I knew, we had no ns.

    "Didn''t you want to attend a race? The corners of my mouth turned up upon hearing that

 Chapter 21

    21

    "This is your second time on the

    motorbike, so please hold on tight, okay?" Julian told me for probably the second or third time. He ced the helmer over my head, and I watched him as he assessed my outfit. It was a cold night and he tried to convince me not ta Lake me with him, but 1 was not having "Julian, I''m alright. You don''t need to be worried," I assured him. I was honestly more than excited. I wanted to see him race and discover that part of his life that his parents knew nothing about

    I watched as he got on the motorbike, and 1 did that too. I wrapped my arms around his torso.

    "Don''t let go no matter what he told me.

    "I won''t," I replied and sightened my grip around him.

    Despite how cold it was, I was over the moon as the cold breeze prated my thick jacket. I had always been a fan of adrenaline, so being behind my husband on a fast motorbike was the kind of activity that made my serotonin level increase "This is amazing!" I shouted as he drove off it felt like I was in a movie and having the time of my life.

    "Just hold on tight, sunshine," he yelled through the air as he sped up. In just three months, my life had taken an unexpected turn. Chad never expected to be that happy with Julian, but here I was, bring happier than I had ever been in my entire life. I used to be very cautic letting my quand down. I found myself wanting to get closer to him. I wanted to know more about him and let him get to know me.

    He told me it was a thirty minute ride, but it felt like five minutes

    Once he parked his motorbike, I got off and he did the same. I looked around me and saw many people around. I could recognize almost all of them. It really was a secret club for the elite.

    "How was it?" Julian asked me as we both took off our helmen

    "Amazing! I want to do this again I eximed with a huge grin on my face, making himugh. He took me by surprise when he pulled me clove to him and kissed my lips.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    We can do that whenever you want, sunshine," he said once we pulled away, making me blush. "You look extra gorgeous tonight, so would you do me a favor and stay with me! Because if somebody hits on you, I''m so going to rearrange their face."Iughed but nodded an "Julian, it''s my first time to see you bringing somebody!" someone said with enthusiasm, making me look at him. It was Tanner Hemmings. He was Julian''s best man. I knew that they were close, but I didn''t know anything about the depth of their friendship, especially that Tanner left a week after our wedding and went to Spain. I heard that he had returned a few days ago.

    "It''s so good to see you, man!" Julian said as they both hugged each other. My husband then turned to me and gently pulled me towards them. "She caught me once and I ended up telling her about the club. She wanted toe and it''s hard to say no to her "It''s so good to see you, Emily," Tanner greeted me with a genuine smile. Did he know anything about my rtionship with Julian! I silently hoped that Julian didn''t badmouth me to him when he used to think that I was the devil in disguise "Thank you. Did you have fun in Spain?"

    "Yes, but of course it would have been better if the workload wasn''t that much. We need to go on a trip together if you guys don''t mind," he suggested. "We will see." Julian replied.

    We didn''t go on a honeymoon, but I wanted to go on a nice vacation with him, I wanted to travel to all the ces I had abrays wanted to visit with

    him

    "Do you n on racing with her behind you?" 1 could see the sly smirk on Tanner''s face.

    "Hell to the no," my husband was quick to reject the idea.

    "Why? I had fun on our way here. Looked at him.

    "When I race, I drive way faster. I''m not putting you in danger." His protective side took over. However, I also realized that my protective side took over when he said that he drove fast. I didn''t want him to be in danger either. I didn''t want him to get hurt. "There''s something you should know," Tanner addressed Julian. I could tell from the look on his face that whatever he had to say was not nice.

    "What''s wrong?" Julian frowned.

    "Chester is here," he said. It was hard to prevent myself!

    If from groaning. I didn''t want to be in the same ce as him. But did that mean that Tanner

    knew all about our rtionship?

    12

    14

    Tanner knows everything, sunshine, Julian answered my thoughts.

    I didn''t know that Chester knew about that club.

    Is Fiona with him" I couldn''t help but ask.

    "Yes." Tanner replied.

    "Do you want to love!" Julian asked me, but I was quick to shake my head. I wasn''t going to let Finna ruin my marriage, I was here to have fun with my husband

    "No, why would I? I''m here to cheer for you while you race," I smiled at him

    That''s the spirit! Tanner gave us a thumbs up.

    Julian took me with him when he went to sign his name up for tonight''s race. I was fascinated by everything around me. I was ecstatic with the way Julian was introducing me to everybody. It made me feel that he was proud of me and hadn''t felt like that ever since my mum''s death.

    00

 Chapter 22

    22

    "If it isn''t the cheater and the husband who can''t stand her," Chester''s voice pierced my ears while I was standing with Julian and Tanner. When I looked up. I saw Fiona with him.

    "Can''t stand her? Is that what you tell yourself to sooth your aching wounds?" Julian smirked and pulled me against him and kissed my temple "Nice show," Fiona scoffed.

    as I leaned against

    "Giving you a show means that I care about what you think and honestly there isn''t a single fuck that I can give I shrugged as Julian, I knew Fiona well. She was doing her best to hide her anger "Are you enjoying my leftovers, Julian?" Chester was trying to get a rise out of Julian.

    Julian took a step towards Chester, but I quickly pulled him back, not wanting to attract any attention. "He''s not worth it," I told him, then turned to look at my asshole of an ex. He was in a ck leather jacket, a white t- shirt, and ck pants. As I looked at him, I wondered how I was in love with him. Which spell was Lexactly under? *1 have a feeling that you''re not content with what you have, Chester. That''s why you keep annoying Julian. and me.

    "You''re so full of yoursell Fiona rolled her eyes, making meugh.

    "Me! Honey, you need to keep an eye on your boyfriend. He

    is the one who keeps messaging me and telling me that he misses me. By the look on her face, it seemed like what I said waspletely new to her. "And Chester, thank you so much for leaving me without hearing me out that day. Because of the two of you, I have the be 1 turned to Tanner and Julian and said, "Can we stand somewhere else? It smells like assholes and bitches here."

    Tanner seemed like he was doing his best to prevent himself fromughing

    "Yeah, it surely seems like it, Julian mattered as he intertwined his fingers with mine. The three of us walked away, leaving Chester and Fiona fuming. Once we were away from them, Julian took me by surprise as he snaked his arm around my waist, picked me up, and br "Give me a break and stop acting like that in front of me, Tanner muttered, causing me tough

    "It''s your best friend, not me," I said.

    "I would like to see how you''re going to act like when you fall in love." Julian teased him. I found myself stopping at what he had just said. Falling in lover Was he in love with me? No, that would be absurd. He probably did not choose his words carefully. It was too early for "Julian." We all looked up upon seeing the guy who registered Julian''s name for the big race as he addressed Julian "Somebody wants to race you tonight. Individually."" "Who?" Julian asked.

    "Chester Wilson. Why couldn''t he leave us the hell alone?

    "I will race him." Julian said without giving it a second thought. The guy nodded and walked away. I looked around and saw Chester looking at us with a smug on his face. I was starting to get worried. Was he nning on hurting Julian?

    "Can you get hurt during a race?" I blurted, looking at my husband. I knew Chester. He liked to y dirty. He used to be so proud of destroying his opponents and whenever I voiced out my dislike for his methods, he used to tell me that business was always dirty "I mean se don''t need to prove to him anything." I was rambling and my heartbeats were so fast

    "Hey, hey" My husband ced a hand on my cheek. "You''re panicking. I will be fine. It''s not my first time to race somebody individually," he assured me.

    "But Chester isn''t exactly ethical," I frowned.

    "I will be alright. Don''t worry." He engulfed me in his embrace and kissed the top of my head.

    "Can we at least stand beside your biker What if he messes with it? Was I being overprotective? Probably, but I didn''t care.

    "Will that make you calm down"" I nodded. "Then let''s go,"

    Tanner went to meet some of his friends, while Julian and I made our way to where his bike was. I knew that I might be a bit unreasonable, but I knew Chester well. He was petty and known for holding grudges.

    "Do you want something to drink! Hot chocte maybe!" Julian offered, but I shook my head. I couldn''t eat or drink while I was nervous. "If I win, how are you going to reward me?" The yfulness in his voice made me giggle. "How would you!

    you like to be rewarded!" I folded my arms over my chest as I leaned against the bike.

    0

    "You know how." A devilish smirk appeared on his lips.

    "Win first, then we can discuss your reward." I stuck my tongue out at him.

    Just when he was about to say something, his name was called to get ready for the race against Chester. I walked to the front lines with Julian. People were already starting to gather. Even Tanner was already there, "Stay with Tanner, okay?" Julian told me and I nodded. "Where''s my good luck kiss?" I smiled when he said that and leaned to kiss him.

    He seemed pretty confident, which was enough to ease my nerves a little.

    He put on his helmet and went to the rink, I saw Fiona standing not so Far away from me. She was shooting daggers at me. Her hatred was deep and nothing could ever make her treat me with respect. Tanner, is Julian reckless while racing" I couldn''t help but ask.

    "I wouldn''t say reckless, but I can assure you that he knows what he''s doing." I didn''t know what to make of Tanner''s answer. "He has been racing for four years. Emily."

    "What about Chester?" I asked.

    "Five." I hissed under my breath, but the number of years might not be relevant. It was all about the skill, right?

    A gasp escaped my mouth when the two of their drove off. My eyes were fixated on Julian until he was out of sight. Was there anybody to note if somebody yed dirty? What if Chester hurt him while they were out of sight? "Chester is going to wipe the floor with his ass" I snapped my head to my right and saw Fiona with a smirk on her lips.

    "You''re both sick and you disgust me," I hissed, trying not to attract any attention to us.

    "Fiona, leave. Tanner''s voice was calm but menacing at the same time.

    "I hope he gets hurt," she said before walking away.

    ""He''s not going to get hurt, Emily, Trust him," Tanner assured me

    Soon, the firstp ended with Julian winning, but in the second one, Chester won. Only onep was left. I kept rocking my right leg out of worry and nervousness as I kept my eyes on the rink. The two of them were suddenly in our sight and it seemed like Chester was about to win

    I didn''t care about his winning. I just wanted that race toe to an end. I wanted him to get back home with me safe and sound. As we were all watching, Julian managed to surprise all of us because only a few meters away from the finish line, he sped off. It was clear People cheered for him and gathered around him. I was finally able to let out a breath I was holding. He was safe. He didn''t get hurt.

    "What are you waiting for? You''re his wife. Co congratte him, Tanner said, giving me a slight nudge.

    I found my way to him despite the amount of people around him. Once he saw me, he pulled me towards him and kissed myps in front of everybody.

    "Congrattions," I grinned when we pulled apart.

    "Didn''t you give me a good luck kiss! I was obviously destined to win." I blushed when he said that.

    I looked over at Chester and noticed how pissed he was I wanted to flip him off, but I didn''t want to make a verne.

    "Julian, Emily. Let me take a picture of you two!" Somebody I didn''t recognize hollered, Julian brought me in front of him and kissed my cheek from behind as the guy snapped a picture of us. "I will send it to you, man!"

    Julian thanked him and we both headed to a quieter area. "Now you can get me that hot chocte," I said, making himugh. "I was worried! You can''t me met

    "You gotta start believing in me," he told me as he threw his arm around my

    shoulders.

    "I believe in you and I trust you, but I don''t trust Chester," I replied, resting my head on his shoulder.

    He pulled his phone out when he received a notification. I looked away, not wanting to snoop.

    "You look absolutely stunning herr Look?" He brought his phone towards me. It was the picture that guy took of us. This is going to be my new wallpaper. I need to look at your pretty face every once in a while." My husband was surely cheesy, but he still owned every single bit of my heart..N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

 Chapter 23

    Soon, Christmas arrived, and it was nothing like the Christmas I was used to. This time, it was full of love, happy moments and warmness, Rose Kensington took that holiday pretty seriously and the decorations she had all over the house were breathtaking. A week before Truth was, I wanted to spend Christmas with them at their ce, because I considered Julian''s family my new family. I was always happy among them and not once had I not felt wee.

    "It''s your turn" Julian got on the floor beside me since I was ying with Violet, Julian''s niece. He dragged a huge box towards us, making my eyes go wide. I told him not to spend a lot of money on me, but I had a feeling that he did not listen. What did my crazy husband get me?

    "It''s big" Imented, and I heard him mutter "That''s what she said under his breath, making me give him a yful shove

    I looked closer at the box and realized that it had the sun from the movie Rapunzel princed all over it. The box itself had the same shade of purple as the g. He knew how much I loved that movie, so seeing its reference on the box made the gift ten times better without ev I carefully removed the lid of the box, and a gasp escaped my mouth upon seeing what was in front of me. I couldn''t believe it. That was the most thoughtful gift I had ever gotten in my entire life. It had been years since Ist got a gift I truly wanted. "Okay, I''m really starting to worry. Is it a

    bad one! Did I overstep! I just wanted to get you something you really wanted," Julian said when I stayed silent for a while, making me look at him. "Shoot. Did I make you cry? I''m sorry" I had tears in my eyes, but they were happy tears.

    I shook my head and quicklytched my arms around his neck. He wrapped me in his embrace and kissed my cheek as he buried his face in my neck "You deserve the best, sunshine," he whispered. I wasn''t sure when he started calling me that nickname, but I loved it, ju "Thank you. I''m so lucky to have you, I mumbled as I slowly pulled away, looking at his handsome face. I had never imagined myself falling for Julian, but it happened and despite our bad beginning, I loved how our rtionship was. He ced one hand over my cheek and leaned in to give me a quick peck on my lips since we were among our family. That had been by far the best Christmas I had ever had since I was ten years old.

    "The thing is, we still don''t know what he got you," Harpermented, making meugh.

    "Sorry." 1 blushed. "He got me thetest sewing inachine. I have had my eyes on this sewing machine for long, but it''s very expensive, so I have been saving to get it and he got it for me," I said, looking at her.

    "I''m sorry, what?" Steven frowned looking at me "Saving to get it Sweetheart, you can buy whatever you want. Julian, you didn''t give Emily ess to your credit card?"

    "I did, but she refused to ept it. She''s so stubborn and I don''t know how I can get her to ept it. Julian sairi.

    "I''m morefortable like that. 1 like to spend the money I earn and it''s his money. I haven''t earned it. I exined my point of view to them, but from the look on their face, I could tell that they did not like iL

    "We''re going to talk about that Jater. Let''s just enjoy our night," Rose told me, and 1 nodded.

    Julian pulled me against him, letting me rest my back against his chest, and kissed my head, making me smile.

    For years, I knew nothing about true happiness. Perhaps I had some happy moments here and there, but nothing could everpare to that When I first married Julian. I thought I was going to be sentenced to a life of misery, but I was d that I was wrong. "It''s snowing!" Violet, Julian''s niece, squealed, making us look at the window. Indeed, got up and nude our way to the windows. It looked so pretty.

    "You love it, don''t you?" Julian wondered and I nodded.

    was starting to snow. I loved watching the snow fall. We all

    "I want to go out. Let''s take pictures!" I eximed and he agreed,ughing a little at my excitement.

    We headed out and Julian took out his phone. "Let me take pictures of you first," he told me. I wanted to take pictures with him, but I agreed.

    "You go stand beside her!" Harper gave him a slight push towards me after he took a few pictures of me.

    When he approached me, he picked me up and twirled me around, making meugh.

    "Don''t you look adorable in that ugly Christinas sweater?" He kissed my lips, making me look down as my cheeks reikdened.

    ily like that. We probably disgust them," I said as he set me down.

    "You really need to stop kissing me in front of your family like

    Th''s too hard when you have such kissable lips." I faced Harper to take pictures of us as I wrapped my ann around his torso.

    "You two look so in love that I want to throw up," Iughed at what Harper said and Julian gave her the middle finger after making sure that the kids and his parents weren''t looking

    We spent a while in the snow, taking pictures and just goofing around, then we all headed inside. Rose. Harper, and I went to the kitchen to prepare some snacks for everybody.

    "You know, I''m really d that things have finally worked out with you and Julian," Harper said with a smileBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Me too. I knew from the very first moment I saw you that you''d fit with our family and seeing how happy you make my son proves that nobody would have been suitable for him other than you, Rose added.

    "He really makes me happy and I''m d that things have finally worked out between the two of us." I remember how I used to hate being in the same ce as him, but things had changed. My heart would now get filled with joy the moment he would step into a room I was "There was a nasty spell cast on him by an evil witch and her mother and it thankfully got broken," Harper said, causing me to chuckle. She had never been fond of Fiona and Maggie, and she made it pretty clear. "I knew that my brother was falling hard for you on Thanks "Falling for me? I don''t think he is," I said, looking at her. Falling! It was too early for that to happen. Julian and I were just.. Into each other. Nothing major.

    "Just because he hasn''t said it yet, that doesn''t mean that he isn''t falling for you" I wasn''t convinced. It was too fast to even consider something like that

    Yes, I was falling for him, but I didn''t want to say that out loud to anyone because that was too fast.

    "I''m giving our rtionship all the time it needs because it isn''t exactly your everyday rtionship. Our start was bad, but I like where everything is going, so I don''t mind waiting until we''re both sare of how we''re feeling. I told her.

    I was more than thankful for how my life was turning out to be, and I was always praying for everything in me to not have that happiness taken away from me.

 Chapter 24

    Before I knew it, it was finally our one-

    year anniversary, the day 1 had been waiting for. I nned on telling Emily that I loved her today. I had been wanting to do that for long, but I didn''t want to freak her out. Our marriage had been amazing, but a part of me was scared that she might be waiting for the two yea "Look at you." I mumbled, approaching her once she finished getting ready. "You''re a fucking masterpiece, sunshine" I ced both my hands on her waist and kissed her lips.

    "You do know how to boost my confidence," She had a gorgeous smile that I always wanted to see on that beautiful face of hers.

    "I love how your hair looks," I told her.

    "The only thing that is keeping me away from cutting it is you" she chuckled. It had gotten long and I loved the way it looked on her. She was my linle Rapunzel with her dazzling green eyes and gold locks. "Ready to go!" She nodded, smiling,

    "But before we go, I want to give you something For a moment, she disappeared in our dressing room, then she came back with a small square box. "It''s not much, but I noticed that you like them, so I thought I should get you one"

    She seemed nervous as she gave me what she got me. She didn''t know that I was going to love whatever was in the box. I was already in love with the box because it was simply from her

    I smiled when I saw what was in the box. It was a gold and leather Versace bracelet.

    "This is officially my favorite bracelet," I said, handing it to her. Put it around my wrist Carefully, she sped the lock of the bracelet around my wrist, and I closed the space between us, pulling her into a kiss

    I wanted to tell her that I loved her, but I needed to wait for our date. I wanted that moment to be special.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    tips to kiss it.

    "Let''s go, sunshine." I intertwined our fingers together and brought her hand to my lips to kiss

    We headed outside. The driver wasn''t waiting for us since I wanted in to have our own privacy. What she didn''t know was that there was another car waiting in front of our front door. A new Range Rover for her.. "Did you get a new car?" she wondered, looking at me.

    I hated how my wife did not ask me for anything. I hated how she did not like spending my money, I wanted to spoil the hell out of her, but she didn''t give me any chance.

    "Yes, but it''s not for me." I dug my hand in my pocket and got the keys out. "Happy anniversary, sunshine" The way her green eyes widened made my heart skip a beat

    "Julian, this is... I can''t ept this, she whispered, looking at me as she shook her head.

    "And why is that?" I wondered, reaching for her hand.

    is so expensive and I will never be able to get you something like it," she exined

    "Because

    This is

    "And who said I want anything more than what you''re giving me?" I wrapped her in my embrace.

    "What am I giving you?" She frowned.

    "You shower me with your kindness and care. You share with me everything I go through. You make amazing dishes. She chuckled at thest part "What else am I supposed to wish for!"

    "I. I don''t know what to say." She looked down. It was easy to make her cheeks glow with a beautiful pinkish shade.

    "Say that you''ll ept my gift," I told her.

    1. I will ept the gift. Thank you, Julian Tloved it whenever she initiated the kissing. She was a gift sent to me out of nowhere, but I was thankful for her presence in my life. What was my life going to be like "Will you drive us to our destination?" I asked, earning a nod from her.

    I could see the excitement in her eyes as we both got in the car. She loved it. It was obvious all over her wless face.

    I put the destination in the car CPS, and she started driving, I could tell that she was nervous but happy. I knew that she was going to love the car because she once told me that it was her favorite brand. I actually had a notebook in which I wrote down all of her preferences deserved to be treated right and I was going to do that.

    12:39 PM c

    After a while, we arrived at our destination. I nned a rooftop dinner date. It was one of her favorite types of dates. We were once watching a movie and the way she acted upon seeing the rooftop date that was in it made me want to give her a better one The valet took the car and the two of us headed towards the elevator. I was nervous because the moment I had been waiting for was getting closer. I was scared of how she might react, but it was now or never. Fhad been waiting for so long. "Oh my." She had her hand ced over her chest in surprise as she took in her surroundings. Fairy lights lit up the whole roof, the table sheet was her favorite shade of green and even the cooked food was her favorite, but she did not know that yet. "You like rooftop dates, don''t you?" I wondered, looking at her. She turned to look at me and I swear, her beauty intensited ten times whenever she was truly happy

    "I love them!" she eximed and leaned in to kiss my lips.

    And I love you, I

    . I wanted

    to tell her, but I forced myself to wait

    I wrapped my arms around her and

    her back, taking in her sweet taste:

    I pulled her chair for her, and she sat down, then I did the same.

    Nobody was around. I requested the food to be left for us on the table and not to have anybody with us. I wanted us to have all the privacy we could

    gel.

    "You''re setting the bar so high. Julian," she said, smiling at me. "How could any future datespete with this?" I sulled when she said that and she must have noticed the way my face fell. "Let me rephrase what I''ve said. How could any future dates with youpete with this?"

    "As long as they''re with me, I''m willing to go overboard for you." It was easy to make Emily blush and I loved that.

    "Can you believe that we''ve actually been married for a year?" she said as we ate.

    "Time flies." She nodded at my words. "Are you still waiting for the two years to be over?" I couldn''t help but ask. I was petrified that she might turn me down.

    "Honestly, her eyes met mine and I sucked in a breath, "na. A sight of relief escaped me.

    "Do you want to dance?" I asked her after we finished eating.

    "I would love that." She loved dancing a lot and it killed me that I did not dance with her enough on our wedding day, but that was a problem i could easily solve. I could give her another wedding if she wanted. "There''s something I want to tell you. I took a deep breath as we both stopped dancing.

    "What is it?" the wondered.

    "We have been married for a year now and during this year, my feelings for you have changed. They went from not wanting to be in the same ce as you to not wanting to be anywhere without you. There is only one way to say this and I''m praying with everything in me th "I love you. Emily." Her gorgeous green eyes widened in surprise.

    "W-What?" she stammered.

    "I know you may be thinking that this is fast, and I may not be sure of what I''m feeling, but I love you. You won my heart without doing anything but being yourself. You are a source of joy in my life, and I consider myself the luckiest man alive for having you as my wife. You your Eugene Her eyes brimmed with tears and I started to worry that it was still too soon to pour my heart out to her.

    "I love you so much." My wife threw herself in my arms and I quickly embraced her. She said it back. She loved me. "I love you and I don''t want anybody else to be my Eugene but you," she whispered, making my heart dance with pure joy.

    "Are you a hundred percent mine, sunshine?" I asked as she slowly pulled herself away from me

    "I''ve been a hundred percent yours since Christmas, but I couldn''t say anything," she admitted. It was my turn to be surprised, Christmas? That was almost six months ago

    "Sorry

    that I made you wait this long." I murmured, leaning in to kiss her. I was looking forward to the kind of life that we were going to have

    jogether.

 Chapter 25

    25

    My life had been nothing but a dream for the past five months. Julian and I were truly happy, and it seemed that our marriage was going tost. I got promoted at work exactly two months ago and it was aplete surprise for me. I was told that I had the best performance

    promoted to being the assistant manager of our department.

    Of course, I heard some people saying I only got the job because I was the CEO''s wife, but I was getting used to such usations, I learned that no matter what, people were going to assume that I only had what I had because of who my husband was

    Julian knew that whatever job I had at the moment was only temporary, I was still saving to build my own brand. He had offered to help me a lot. but I always refused. I wanted to start from scratch with my hard- earned money, not the money that had been given to me by my husband. Onginally, I wanted to quit working at thepany after a year and move somewhere else, but Julian convinced me to stay

    "We don''t bring work to our home, babe." I felt Julian nting a kiss on my cheek, making me

    smile.

    "I know, but look at the transactions and calctions. Over the past month, there are around fifteen thousand dors missing." I handed him the papers, yet he pushed them away and leaned back on the couch, pulling me on top of him. "That''s normal, sweetheart. We deal with millions of dors. This is basically some sort of change for us." He pushed a strand of my hair behind my

    "That''s not right." I frowned. "This money is hard-earned. You should be aware of where every penny goes"

    "When the corporation is as big as ours, expect some sort of stealing. As long as it''s as little as the price of one of my watches, I don''t care. 90% of the time we end up finding out where the money had gone, so there''s no reason for you to be worried. We alsounch inve while and thieves always get caught. Sometimes I let things go loose for a small period of time to catch perpetrators" he exined

    "Now, can I have a movie night with my beautiful wife!"

    "Yeah, you can." I pecked his lips and reached for the remote to pick something to watch

    "Anything in particr?" he asked me. I shook my head and let him choose. Our taste in movies was almost the same, except that he was into action movies, and I wasn''t too fond of themL

    When I woke up the next morning. I didn''t find myself on the couch. Instead, I found myself tucked in bed and sleeping in his embrace. I did not remember going to our bedroom. I must have fallen asleep while we were watching the moviest night.

    I stirred a little, but that made him tighten his hold around me, which made me smile. "We have work. Mr. CEO, I mumbled and kissed his cheek.

    "Let''s call in sick. They know that we''re married and live together, so it makes sense if we both get sick. Fl is contagious" I loved the blue shade of his eyes when he woke up they were darker than their usual colour.

    "Stop beingzy and get up." I poked his nose as 1 rested my chin on his chest.

    "It''s not really a perk to get married to a hard worker. He groaned as he loosened his grip around me, and I finally managed to get up.

    Since I was alreadyte, I did not have time to make us any breakfast, but Julian, being the amazing husband he was, sent me breakfast once we arrived.

    I smiled a little at the cute note he had written and ced it in my bag. There were many gestures he usually made that made me awoon. He constantly sent me coffee and even started to go to

    work earlier, so we would be able to drive together. He also made sure to have lunch with me whenever it was possible.

    I loved thefortable routine we both had fallen into and honestly, I wouldn''t change it for the world.

    Do you wanna have lunch with metBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    I texted him when we were fifteen minutes away from our lunch break. he replied instantly, apologizing that he would not be able to do that since he had an important meeting.

    Do you want me to bring you something to eat

    That would be amazing, sunshine [

    I went to the little coffee shop right across thepany and ordered myself a sandwich and a mutin. I knew how Julian loved quinoa sd, so I got it for him along with a lemon bar since he loved them so much. "Hi, Emily" I stilled in my ce when I heard a voice I had grown to hate. I turned around and

    SAW

    Chevier.

    "Hi," I muttered, turning around, hoping that he would understand that I did not want to talk to him.

    "You''re getting more beautiful," hemented, and I took a deep breath.

    "Marriage is

    e is treating me well," I said as I tapped my finger, waiting for my order to get ready.

    1

    "You really need to drop the act" A slight gasp escaped me as 1 felt him wrap his arm around my waist.

    "Don''t you dare touch me!" I snappeil, making everybody around look at us.

    "Emily, are you okay?" I sighed in relief when I save Sain. I quickly walked over to him, wanting nothing but to stay away from Chester. "Are you

    I shook my head, not wanting to cause a bigger scene. He is my ex, and he has it in his mind that I still have feelings for him," I mumbled.

    Luckily, my order was finally ready. I took it and quickly made my way out of the coffer shop. I didn''t know how he knew that I was there. Was he following me? The mere thought made shivers run down my spine.

    1 headed towards Julian''s office to give him his lunch. I didn''t want to tell him about what happened, because I was certain that he might do

    I something stupid. 1 didn''t want him to worry or get in trouble because of me.

    "Hey Gina, 1 know that julian has a meeting, but please give him this once he''s done, I told his personal assistant, handing her the brown paper bag.

    Just as she was about to reply, Julian walked out of the offer along with another man.

    "You''re here," he said, pulling me towards him as he kissed my forehead. "This is my wife, Emily. Emily, this is Connor.

    I shook hands with Connor after Julian introduced us to one another.

    After he left. Julian and I walked inside his office. "Are you okay?" he asked me as we set the food on the small brown table he had beside the window.

    "Yeah" 1 quickly nodded. "Just a little bit tired. In some way, I wasn''t exactly lying to him because I was tired. I was tired of Chester and his games. just wanted him to leave me alone. I didn''t want anything to ruin my marriage. I was happy with Julian. I wanted to continue "You can go home if you want," he told me, but I shook my head. If I went home. I would end up overthinking the whole thing. Work was the distraction I needed.

    "Do you want to have a small getaway next weekend?" he suggested,

    "With you?" I smirked,

    "Do you have another husband?" He raised one eyebrow, making meugh

    "Just you." I grinned.

    "Great, because this husband would love to take his wife on a small getaway. He closed the space between us.

    "And this wife would love that."1 leaned in and kissed his lips. I didn''t even care where he nned on taking me. As long as we were together! knew that I would be ecstatic.

    1

    BEND GIFT

 Chapter 26

    I had been staring at the picture in front of me for the past ten minutes. My demons were getting the best of me, whispering in my ears all the fears I had been trying to push away. I was trying to fight all the dark thoughts that threatened to destroy the

    rtionship I was thankful to have with my wife.

    Everything had been fine between Emily and me. We were happy and had no problems, so there was no reason for me to believe that the picture before my eyes was real.

    It was a picture of Emily with Chester''s arm around her waist. When did they meet? Why didn''t she tell me? Would she tell me the truth if I asked

    I walked to the kitchen; she was making us dinner. Everything about her seemed normal. I had no reason to suspect anything. Even in our little getaway, everything was perfect. I didn''t want to get back and neither did she.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "Can I talk to you?" I calmly said as I took a seat on one of the chairs.

    "Sure." Her smile was genuine and dazzling

    "Have you seen Chestertely?" I asked her.

    I noticed the way she tensed for a second, but she quickly recovered as she took a deep breath and gave me a short nad.

    "Where!" At least she didn''t lie. That was good.

    "Do you remember the day you told me about the getaway?" I nodded. "When I went to get lunch for us that day, he was at the coffee shop right across from thepany. I didn''t see him until he called my name. I tried to ignore him, but he ended up putting his arm arou "Why didn''t you tell me?"

    "Because I didn''t want you to do anything reckless. I know that Chester may be doing all of that to rile you up and make you do anything stupid, so I thought.. I should just let it go." She wasn''t wrong. If she had told me, I would have probably gone to his own ce to beat I didn''t say anything. Instead, I handed her the phone. Her face fell as she read what was written.

    "Do you do you want me to call Sam? Coincidentally, he was there. He saw me pushing him away." She seemed hurt as she spoke those words. I hated how her voice cracked

    I got up from my ce and made my way to her. I took the phone from her hand and set it on the kitchen ind, then wrapped her in my arm. "I don''t need to call anyone to know the truth. I trust you and I trust whatever you say, okay?" I softly kissed her forehead. "I love you and there''s nobody else I want but you. I swear. My heart cracked at the way she poured out her feelings to me. It was stupid of me to even bring up that article. I should have kept it to myself. I trusted her with everything in me, so why did I have to upset her an "And I lo

    d I love you too." I took her in my embrace, inhaling her scent. "I love you more than you could ever imagine." I kissed her head before resting my chin over her head.

    I heard her sniffing, and I knew that I was the reason behind her tears. I hated that. I loved being the reason behind her smile, I loved how her face would brighten up whenever she smiled.

    "Why can''t he leave me alone?" She frowned, looking up at me "What am I supposed to do! He''s the one who left me! He believed that I slept with you while I was with him and now he''s chasing after me. Why? Anger was evident in her voice, and I didn''t know what to sa "You know what? Maybe I have been nice. She practically jumped out of my embrace and reached for her phone. I was confused and didn''t know what she had in mind.

    "What are you going to do?" I inquired, approaching her

    She didn''t answer. Instead, she angrily kept pressing on her touchscreen, then put her phone on speaker.

    "Who are you calling?"

    Before she was able to answer, Chester answered. Just hearing his voice made my blood boil.

    "Chester, leave me the fuck alone! I don''t know what game you''re ying, but I don''t want you and I will never want you," she snapped.

    "You don''t know what you want," he told her. The audacity of that asshole!

    You''re nothing but a mistake in my life! Nothing! I hate you, I don''t want to see you or talk to you! I''m married and happy! ept that! It''s not my

    11:01 AM

    fault that Fiona can''t satisfy you!" I had never heard her that angry,

    Was it wrong of me to be turned on by what she had just said!

    "One day I will make you realize that I''m the right person for you." He was fucking sick.

    "You need to be medicated! You''re delusional!" She yelled before hanging up.

    "Easy there." I took the phone from her hand and set it on the counter.

    "Julian, he''s sick! He is fucking obsessed with ruining my life!" she eximed in pure rage.

    "I know and I''m starting to worry about you," I admitted. "Would you please ept having a bodyguard! We can''t really have a restraining order against him since he hasn''t done anything, so the only way I could ensure your safety when I''m not around is getting you your She looked down for a moment as she inhaled sharply. "Can''t I have a normal life? Why did my ex have to be crazy?"

    "I want nothing but a normal life for you too, but unfortunately, we have to deal with a lunatic. So, please let me provide you with protection." I reached for her hand. She stayed silent for a couple of seconds, before finally giving me a nod, making me sigh in relief. I wanted nothing but her safety and I was d that she didn''t make it any harder for me.

 Chapter 27

    27

    1 was going out of my mind. How did that happen! For the past four months, money had been disappearing. The thing was, the amount was almost insignificant, but it was almost the same every single time. When an investigation wasunched, it all came back to me. I was still in utter shock.

    "Emily, we''re not using you of anything, okay? We''re just trying to understand what''s going on," Julian told me. Since I was his wife, he refused to hold any official investigation. I was currently sitting in front of him and Mr. Andrews, my boss.

    "I genuinely don''t know. I know I sign the sries document before Mr. Andrews, but that doesn''t mean that I look at each ount every single time. If I did, I would want an entire week to check every ount, 1 defended myself.

    "It''s true. It''s not logical to check them every single time, but when a constant amount gets missing every month, then you should check," Mr. Andrews replied.

    "That would be possible if I''m only signing just this document every month. There are six other documents that require signing monthly and they''re all as big as this one," I replied.

    I hated that situation. I had always been a hardworking individual. I had always given any job I did my all, so to find out that I was initially responsible for such a huge mess was tearing me from the inside.

    "Okay, we''re going to run a check on every ount here and if we find a foreign one, we''re going to run further investigations," Julian decided, and I just nodded.

    Mr. Andrews and I

    I got up to

    to leave, but Julian asked me to stay. Did he have more questions for me!

    He got up from his ce and walked over to me when Mr. Andrews left, then leaned down, surprising me with a kiss on my lips. "I don''t want you to worry, okay?" he whispered when he pulled back.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "I don''t know what''s going on. I knew that there was an amount that got missing every month and 1 did tell you about it a few months told me that it was normal" I said, standing up,

    and you

    "And I still believe that it''s normal. I also remember that I told you we run investigations from time to time to catch thieves. This is a standard procedure, sunshine. Just because it hase back to your department, that doesn''t mean that you''re fully responsible." He took "I''m sorry

    try if I''m causing you any trouble, 1 mumbled, looking at him,

    "Don''t be ridiculous." He pecked my lips. "We all make mistakes and this is your first job. You''re bound to make mistakes.

    I didn''t know what to tell him. I was d that he was understanding, but I wanted to know where I went wrong. I wanted to know how to avoid such a mistake in the future. I was his wife and I was sure that many cyrs would be on me, so I didn''t want to cause him any troub We made our way back home after work. I just wanted to throw my body on the couch and watch a movie or two,

    "Mrs. Kensington, somebody left those bank letters to you. They were delivered to your father''s house, but they had somebody drop them off for you" I frowned when one of the guards told me that, Bank letters? What bank letters!

    "This is weird," I told Julian as we walked inside the house. Something didn''t feel right.

    "This isn''t even our bank," Julian said, pointing at the name of the bank. My eyes fell on the logo of the bank and it was easy for me to recognize it.

    "Yeah. It is the old bank I had my ount at before marrying you," I replied, opening the letter. Confusion

    took over me as my eyes scanned the statement. Something wain''t right. Why did I have money in that ount? I transferred everything to the bank 1 had been using since I got married. "What''s wrong?":

    ?" he asked me. I must have been staring at the letter for long-

    "It''s just... I have money in this ount," I replied, looking at him.

    "What''s the issue with that he wondered as we both sat down in the living room.

    "I transferred everything to our bank a week after we got married," I replied. "I didn''t leave anything in it."

    "Is the amount big?" be inquired.

    "Not to you, but for any average person, it is big. It was over fifty thousand dors. How did that amount make its way to my old ount? I handed Julian the letter as I reached for another one.

    I ended up opening every single letter and it seemed that over the past few months, the same

    same amount was deposited every month.

    Who was depositing that amount in my ount? Why was somebody giving me money anyway! 11:02 AM ? ?

    "Emily. there''s something you''re not paying attention to. My husband''s voice was low, as if he were afraid of what he was about to tell me. My heart instantly started to beat faster because of Julian''s tone. "What is it?" I set the paper down on the coffee table before us.

    -

    "The amount in your bank ount is equal to the amount that is missing from thepany''s ount." My eyes widened upon hearing that revtion. That could not be true. How could it even be possible!

    "What..!" It was hard to form a sentence. How did that happen? Nobody at thatpany knew anything about my old ount but me. I had never given them any details about that ount. "We need to get back to thepany now. I jumped up from my ce. I needed to "Emily, we can wait until the morning" He tried to stop me, but I wasn''t having it. I needed to know the truth.

    "I can''t wait, I need to go now," I insisted. It felt like my entire life depended on those documents and I wasn''t going to calm down until I found our whether my ount was among the other ounts or not

 Chapter 28

    I

    I watched as my wife stared at the documents scattered on her desk inplete silence. There were billions of thoughts running through her head and I didn''t know how to assure her that I knew she didn''t steal from me. Yes, I had my own questions, but I wasn''t going to speak out a single word that would make her think that I didn''t trust her, because I trusted her.

    "I. I don''t know how it got here," she whispered, looking at her ount number that she had highlighted. "This doesn''t make any sense."

    "Sunshine, maybe we should go home and calmly think about this together," I told her. Nobody was at thepany but us and the security guards downstairs.

    Emily ignored me and opened herputer. I didn''t know what she wanted to do, but I wasn''t going to leave her alone. Even if she decided to pull an all-nighter, I was going to stay with her.

    I wanted her to know that I was on her team and I was willing to defend her before the entire world.

    "At lease tell me e what you''re doing." I said.

    "I get the file from Britney, then I print it, sign it, and give the document to Mr. Andrews. I want to know if my ount is there in the file I received from Britney. That''s why I''m looking through my inbox." Okay, smart move.

    I waited for her to do whatever she wanted. I wanted her to calm down and put this all behind her. The money wasn''t even that much. The ring on her finger cost more than the stolen money by at least seven times. "It''s not there... Her voice cracked, breaking my heart.

    "Emily, I don''t care, I swear, I don''t care," I muttered, cing my hand over hers

    I didn''t steal the money! I didn''t ce my ount among thepany ounts." Tears rolled down her checks and immediately, I took her in my arms. I didn''t believe the documents. I believed her. I knew that she wasn''t going to steal from me.

    I know you didn''t. I know," I said, caressing her blonde hair. I hated seeing her in that state,

    "How did this happen?" she whimpered as more tears trickled down her rosy cheeks.

    "I don''t have an answer and I don''t care. To hell with those seventy thousand dors. I don''t give a fuck about them," I told her, refusing to let her

    "I... I didn''t take anything," she murmured after a few moments of silence.

    "I know." I kissed her head. "It''s possible that somebody must have framed you," I told you. I did believe that she had been framed and I was going to investigate the whole thing I trusted her with everything in me. Not once had she given me the vibes of being a gold digge It took me some time to get her to get up. Her cheeks were a little bit puffy and her eyes were red. I wanted to burn the entire world for seeing her

    in that state.

    OnC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    our way back, she fell asleep on my shoulder. I reached for her hand and held it in mine. I didn''t know how I was going to cheer her up, but I had to do something.

    Once the driver stopped in front of our front door, I looked at her and found her still asleep. I didn''t want to wake her up. She seemed incredibly exhausted.

    I carefully got out of the car, trying not to wake her up, but my attempts went in vain. She was a light sleeper.

    "Hey, sunshine. We''re home," I whispered. She looked at me for a second, then nodded. We both walked inside and silence filled the room. It was very ufortable. I wanted to talk to her, to take her mind off what happened, but I didn''t know what to say. I didn''t want to "Emily, why don''t you go take a shower while I heat up the dinner Melissa prepared for us?" I suggested.

    "I don''t feel like eating, she mumbled

    "No, that''s not going to happen. You haven''t eaten anything since noon," I told her.

    "I just had it not been for the fact that I''m your wife, the whole situation would have been different. You would have fired me." She frowned, looking down. I didn''t want to tell her that it would have been awsuit had it not been for her being my wife. "Good thing you''re my wife then."1 wrapped my arms around her.

    I "But="I ced my finger on her lips.

    "Do you think I didn''tmit any mistake when I first started? I made my father lose three million dors because I forgot to send a very

    Important e muil" It was true. I wasn''t lying to make her feel better.

    "You forgot to send an e-mail You didn''t find the money in your bank ount." I hated the sense of shame in her voice.

    "Sunshine, you''re my wife, okay? 1 expect people to try toe between us. Maybe this is a game. I''m not foolish to believe that you''re going to steal this amount from me, not when you have a ck Amex card in the drawer of your nightstand," I reminded her. She stayed silent and dipped her head down, then gave me a small nod. I could tell that she was still upset and she had every right to be, but I didn''t like seeing the woman I was in love with in that state.

    "Emily, I''m giving you five seconds. If you don''t show me that gorgeous smile of yours that I''m totally in love with, I''m gonna have to do something you absolutely hate." I smirked devilishly at her. "Julian, please... I have no energy," she whined, throwing her head back.

    "I don''t care." I shrugged. When she refused to smile, I did the thing I knew would make herugh. I picked her up quickly, making her squeal, and gently threw

    her body on the couch. My fingers found their way to her waist and I began tickling her, making her erupt inughter.

    Now that was a sound I was madly in love with.

    "J-Julian, stop," she gasped for air as she tried to push my hands away, but I was way stronger than her.

    "What''s the magic word?" I said, still tickling her.

    "L.. I''m h-hopelessly in love with y-you," she managed to say betweenughter, making me stop. It wasn''t her first time saying that she loved me, yet the effect of these words never ceased. I gently pulled her up and sat beside her, then pulled her on myp. "I don''t want you to let something as stupid as stayed silent for a second, then nodded.

    that ruin

    n your

    mood, okay!" She

    I brought my lips to hers and kissed her like my life depended on that kiss. I was thankful that I was able to brighten her mood because nobody made me happy as much as she did.

 Chapter 29

    I stood frozen in front of my husband not knowing what to tell him. Everything was against me, but I didn''t do anything. The pictures looked so real that I questioned myself whether it was me in the pictures or not.

    "They''re fake!" I eximed, hoping that he would believe me, but it seemed like I was hoping for the impossible. The look in his eyes spoke a thousand words,

    "You sent me pictures of yourself in that dress that night!" Julian snapped. He was right. I did send him pictures of myself in that dress the night I went out with Maya when he was on the business trip he had juste back from, but those pictures were fake. I didn''t unde taken.

    "I don''t know what to tell you other than it''s not me." I sat down on the couch and my head fell in my hands. It wasn''t easy for me to recover from thepany incident

    that happened two months ago, but his support made it easier. I didn''t have it now though. My husband truly believed that I cheated on him.

    The thing was, it wasn''t Chester that was with me in the pictures. It was Sam, my best friend from work. Sam was with us that night, but it was only because I was trying to set him up with Maya.

    "I don''t want to hear a single thing from you," Julian spat. His tone made me flinch. I looked up at him and I swore, at that moment. I preferred death over the look he gave me. "I always chose to believe you. I always thought somebody was after you, but I... I can''t give yo you and your lies! You always made me feel like somebody was conspiring against us, but I guess I was wrong to believe you. Maybe you did drug us! Maybe you did take the money! And surely you cheated on me! I''m done with you"

    "W-

    What do you mean!" I knew what he meant, but I refused to believe it. I refused to believe that the best thing that had ever happened to me in my life was about toe to an end because of something I hadn''t done. I couldn''t believe that he brought old matters into this. It innocence.

    "Sign these." He ced a pen and some papers on the coffee table before me and my heart sank. They were divorce papers.

    "J-Julian just give me a chance to prove that I did nothing." I pleaded. His eyes held hatred I had never seen before, not even when he woke up: beside me two years ago not remembering anything about a night we had allegedly spent together.

    "Sign the papers, Emily. I have already signed them." My heart was bleeding. I looked down at the papers before me and indeed, his signature was there on every single page. "Don''t worry, I won''t leave you with nothing. There''s a cheque

    for two million dors. Usually, cheaters get nothing, but I don''t mind a bit of charity. "The belittlement in his voke made me wish for death.

    He had made up his mind. He considered me a cheater and there was nothing that I could do that would make him believe that I did nothing.

    With shaky hands, I reached for the pen and signed my name. I was no longer his wife. I was no longer a Kensington. For two years. I had everything I wished for. I had a

    family, a loving husband, and a good life that I was willing to do anything to protect. I lost everything in the blink of

    an eye.

    "Do not contact my family. Do not contact any of them, because if you do, I will make sure that you''ll regret it. And I don''t want to see your face at thepany ever again. Do you understand?" I just nodded without looking at him. "I will leave for two days. When Ie ba without telling him anything. "I never want to see you again, Emily. Not even by chance. Do you get it? I hate you and I wish I had never met you

    There were so many things I wanted to tell him, but my tongue was tied. The shock I was in was stronger than me.

    I managed to lift my head and my eyes met his for thest time. "Don''t worry, you won''t see me again." I assured him. I was actually proud of myself for being able to say anything to him.

    My husband walked away and left me alone in that big house that I once considered home. I was supposed to leave in two days, but I nned on leaving tomorrow morning. There was no need for me to take that much time. I

    nned on leaving behind many things anyway.

    I looked down at my left hand and found the first thing I nned on leaving. My wedding ring. There was no need for me to have it Tears streamed down my face as I took it off. I loved that ring so much. I loved everything about my marriage, but I had a feeling that I was ne If only I had gone with him on that business trip. It was a long one and I didn''t want to go because I knew many things would pile up on me at work since it was a sudden business trip.

    Did my refusal to go with him make him more certain that I cheated on him? All I wanted was to finish my work on time.

    I called Maya as more tears rolled down my cheeks. It was hard to control myself. The life I had grown to love came to an end.

    "Maya. Julian and Lhe divorced me. He thought I cheated on him and divorced me." I cried.

    "What the hell! I don''t understand anything" she said, shock evident in her voice.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    seed you to help me pack." I whimpered.

    there right away" She hung up and 1 g p from my ce, making my way to what was once our bedroom.

    I collected some stuff until Maya arrived.

    When she saw the way I looked, she took me in her arms, hugging me tightly. This only made me cry harder. I was hurt and upset. There were 100 many feelings inside me and I didn''t know how to let them out other than by crying. I wanted to scream at the top of my lung "I need you to tell me what happened exactly and I promise, I won''t let this go. I will make him regret hurting you," she said as she rubbed my back.

    I sat down on the couch and took a shaky breath before starting to speak, "He came back today from the business trip he was on. I was so excited to see him. I nned on preparing a romantic dinner for us and I was really happy that he was finally back. The moment I

    "The

    T

    thing is, the pictures looked so real, but they''re actually fake. Sam and I did not dance like that with each other that night. Hell! I was the designated driver, so I was sober the whole night. Even if I wasn''t, Sam and I would never do that! Julian didn''t believe me when I told "Julian has lost his mind. How were the pictures sent to him anyway?" she wondered.

    "He said that they were sent to himst night. He already had the divorce papers with him when he came back. I sniffed. "This exins why he didn''t answer my texts or callsst night"

    "Listen, let''s pack your things and see what we''ll do about it," Maya said, genting up.

    Was there something to be done?

    "Nothing can be done, Maya. It''s over, I murmured, looking u

    ng up at her. I was surprised that my eyes still had tears in them.

    "Do you really think that I''m going to let this go? Do you think I''m going to let him walk over you and just watch?" She approached me and got on her knees in front of me.

    Emily, I promise we will make him regret his decisions. Now,e on We''ve got a new life we''re about to start. She got up, extending her hand towards me. I let her pull me up

    and we both made our way to Julian''s bedroom to collect my things I was unable to ask her what she had in mind, but she seemed adamant that she wasn''t going to let what happened go easily. As for me. I just wanted to disappear from the universe.

 Chapter 30

    "Did you actually think that we were going to let them get away with what they had done to you?" I stared at the video in front of me, unable to believe that I had the proof of my innocence in my hands. Maya and Sam weren''t kidding when they said that they were going to usation that was thrown at me.

    A werk after my divorce, the pictures started circting on the inte. I had to deactivate all of my social media ounts and change my phone number. I didn''t know how they got out to the public, but I was certain that it wasn''t Julian. He would never stoop that low no n I knew who was behind everything, though. My beloved stepsister and my ex. They did not stop until they ruined my marriage, but I was about to ruin them forever. I was going to show the whole world who was the true monster. It had never been me. I wasn''t the one who man I once loved more than anything in this life.

    It took my best friends three weeks to bring me all the evidence that I could ever need to prove to every single person on this earth that I was not a bad person. It was good to have a best friend who was aputer engineer. He did a lot of things that I was pretty sure wer It turned out that Fiona and Chester had hired somebody to follow me. That person had been taking pictures of me for a long time. He had enough data of my face and body in different positions and he used them to fabricate those pictures with Sam. In some of those pi pictures and ced me inst

    ne instead.

    It didn''t help either that the bodyguard who was always with me had asked me to take the day off that night because his son was sick. If he had been there, it would have been easy for Julian to ask him. Part of me was d that he wasn''t there. It would have been humiliating to have my husband ask my bodyguard about my actions..

    As for the money that had magically appeared in my old bank ount, I also found out how that took ce. Fiona befriended Britney and offered her arge amount of money if she managed to sneak my ount among the other ounts every month. I used to leave my think that somebody was going to tamper with the documents there. I was also at fault, but I had surely learned my lesson.

    What do you n on doing?" Maya asked me as she took a seat right next to me

    She wasn''t going to like my n, but that had to be done. I needed to start a new life, away from everyone.

    "I don''t like the loo

    on your face," Sammented.

    "And you''re not going to like what I''m about to say," 1 mumbled, taking a deep breath. "Tim going to disappear."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?" There was a frown on Maya''s face.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "Just like how the pictures and everything else was posted on the inte, I will also do the same, but before doing that, there are some things I need to do. Emily Harolds is going topletely disappear. She will no longer exist" I had been thinking about that n for so l "How is that??" Sam wondered.

    "I will change my name, relocate to another state, and start a new life," I said.

    "Why all of that? Once you post everything, the whole world is going to be on your side. The Kensingtons will support you in any way you was pretty obvious from Maya''s tone that she wasn''t fond of my n.

    need." It

    running away from The Kensingtons, especially Julian. I don''t want him in my life anymore and I know that sooner orter, I''m going to have to face him, but I need to

    give myself time to be the person I''ve always dreamt of being. The Harolds aren''t going to leave me alone either. I''m going to bring all of them down and they won''t like that." 1 was aware of the massive change that was about to happen to my life, but that had to be "Again, The Kensingtons will protect you from the Harolds," Sam repeated what Maya had told me before.

    "The Kensingtons are a package. There is no Kensingtons without Julian, and I don''t want anything to do with him anymore. It hurt so much to do that. I wasn''t going to lie. I still loved him with everything in me, but love wasn''t enough. He humiliated me and hurt me and I c "You have thought everything through, right?" Maya murmured, looking at me. I could see tears in her eyes.

    "Please don''t cry." I pulled her into a hug. It hurt me that I was going to leave her behind, but everything was temporary. I was going to return, but only after achieving what I had always dreamt of.

    "We have never been away from each other and now you''re telling me that you''re about to move and start a new life. You can''t expect me to ept that easily, shar uniffed

    "We will stay in touch, but I will only contact you once everything is settled"

    11:00 WM

    "Where do you n on moving to?" Sam asked me.

    "Please don''t get me wrong, but I can''t tell you anything now. Once everything is posted online. Julian won''t leave you guys alone because he knows I trust nobody else but you. He can be pretty convincing and you may give in under pressure. I don''t want this to happen." "In other words, she won''t tell us where she''s going," Maya told him.

    you do know that if you ever feel lost or tired or you just need help, you can contact us, right?" Sam was the brother I never had and I was d that I met him. He had been a great help and I would have never been able to prove my innocence without him. "I know, Sam. I know."

 Chapter 31

    "You need to check the inte now!" A frantic Harper told me over the phone. What the hell was going on! My sister was usually calm, so for her to he in that state meant that something was surely wrong. "Which website?" I asked, reaching for my iPad.

    "Pretty much any website. You have made one hell of a wrong decision, Julian. I don''t think there''s any rurning back." Her words sent worry to my heart. What was she talking about? "rification, please?

    "Emily.. she''s innocent. She didn''t cheat on you. My heart tightened upon hearing her name.

    No, that could never be true. She cheated on me. I saw the pictures of her and Sam together.

    Harper was right. Everything was on every website. Everybody was talking about Emily and what she had posted online. A lot of videos, recordings, WhatsApp conversations and e-mails had been posted.

    1 clicked on one of the videos and saw Fiona in front of me. It was obvious that she was secretly being filmed.

    *1 so want to bring her down. She told me she was gonna hook me up with one of her ex-husband''s best friends, but she didn''t!" Was that Maya''s

    "She''s already down. She has no husband. No family. Nothing. And it''s gonna be hard for her to find a job after everybody found out that she had stolen from thepany''s money. Fiona said. Her tone was devilish "But she basically stole pennies," Maya spoke.

    "She didn''t really steal anything," Fiona admitted, making my blood run cold.

    "How?" Maya eximed in surprise,

    "I have a friend inside thepany and this friend doesn''t like Emily. Wepired together against her. She was a fool as she used to leave herptop unattended a lot, so we managed to tamper with the original files. My wi-Emily didn''t do it. Fuck! How was I going to fix that?

    "Is it Britney!" Maya asked.

    "You know h

    her?" Fiona looked surprised.

    "No, but I remember Emily telling me before that a girl named Britney used to throw snide remarks at her."

    was going to make Britney regret everything she had done to my girl.

    The ending of the video seemed to be filmed at a different ce. I was right. The voice belonged to Maya. "My best friend was never a thief. Her stepsister orchestrated all of that. She had a wide grin on her face as the managed to prove the innocence of her best friend. I skimmed through everything else and felt like I wanted to die. The pictures were truly fake. Some of those pictures were originally of Maya and Sam, but Maya was taken out of the picture and Emily was ced instead

    Chester''s iCloud had been hacked and hell, it was full of pictures of my beautiful girl. He must have used those pictures to photoshop Emily with Sam. It was clear that he had been watching her for so long as Emily wasn''t even looking in many of these pictures. There we mails between him and another ount that belonged to the person who photoshopped the pictures.

    Fuck!

    posed to fix what I had done!

    How was I supposed to

    My hands were unsteady. I searched for her name on my phone and quickly called her, but I was met with an automatic message, telling me that the number was no longer avable,

    I called Maya, but it seemed like her phone was off. Maybe she had blocked me.

    I jumped up from my ce and basically dashed out of the door.

    "I need Sam''s number now old my personal assistant. He had left thepany right after I divorced Emily.

    It took me a few days to tell my family about the divorce. When I did, my family was in shock. They loved her so much and couldn''t believe that

    she had really cheated on me...

    "Thave a strong feeling that you havemuted a terrible mistake. Harper told me when I told them about what i had done. I wish I had my user''s intudea I wali Had chosen to believe her. I wish I had reacted differently. 11 03 AM c d

    It didn''t take my personal assistant long to get me the number. I tried to call him, but he didn''t answer either. How was I going to reach her? How was I going to fix my mistake!

    The damage I had caused was severe, but if I had to beg her to forgive me, I would do it.

    Quickly. I called Mum. Maybe Emily had gone against my will and called her. "Mum, did Emily call you? Please, tell me she did." I was breathing heavily, as if I had been running a marathon.

    She. She didn''t. I tried calling her, but it seems like her number is no longer in service," Mum said. I wanted to

    I ruined my marriage with my own hands.

    scream.

    "I need to go, bye." I hung up and quickly made my way out of thepany. Luckily, I knew where Maya lived because I had driven Emily to her ce before.

    If I was lucky enough. I would

    find Emily there. I just needed to see her and apologize for everything I had said and done. I would do anything to get her back. I was going to take her on a long trip as an apology and visit every ce on Earth she had ever dreamt of visiting.

    I messed up on so many levels, but not once had I ever stopped loving her. Even when I gave her the divorce papers, I was being stabbed from the inside because she still owned my heart. When I first saw the pictures. I felt betrayed. I couldn''t believe that the girl I loved After a forty-minute drive. I knocked on Maya''s door.

    The moment she opened the door, I blurted, "Where is she? Where''s my wife?" Maya was surely aware of Emily''s whereabouts.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    I think you need to refresh your memory. She''s your ex. Maya''s tone was cold, but I couldn''t me her. I was an asshole. I destroyed everything with my own hands. I pushed the woman I loved away and used her of things she had never done, but I couldn''t just let her "Maya, listen, I know I fucked up. I know I deserve to be thrown in hell, but I swear, I love her, and I will never love anybody else as much as I love her," I made a huge mistake, but I was willing to do anything to win her back.

    My eyes widened in surprise when I saw Sam. What was he doing at Maya''s ce?

    Is Emily inside? I need to see her. She has to hear me out. I love her, I love her so much and I''m going to do anything she asks me just to win her back, I told them. Maybe if I managed to convince them, they would be able to convince her to give me a chance. "No, you don''t love her. You believed some pictures over your own wifet She needed you to have her back. She needed your support, but you believed the lies Fiona spread like everybody else. You''re no different. You don''t deserve her. Her words were cruel, but she had e "I know! I know I don''t deserve her, but I love her! I love her and I can''t just forget about her. What do you want me to do to prove to you that she''s my entire world'' How I make you believe that I won''t repeat my mistakes?" I was desperate.

    "It''s a little toote for that, Julian," Sam told me, making me frown. What did he mean? No, it wasn''tte. I was going to find her, beg her for her forgiveness, convince her to marry me again, and make her happy. The happiest woman alive.

    "No, it''s not you just tell me where she is, and I will go to her and beg her to forgive me. I will get on my knees if she wants me to." I threw my hands in despair.

    "You don''t understand, Julian. I don''t know where she is. None of us does!" She had to be lying. "I lost my best friend because of you!"

    "You''re her best friend! Of course, you know where she is!" I was getting impatient. Why did they have to act like that? Maya wasn''t making any

    "Emily is smart. She knew that you''d act this way upon finding out and... she had her mind set on not giving in to you. She told us she needed a fresh start and knew that you''d be able to convince us to tell you where she''d be, so she chose not to tell us anything" Sam filled me in.

    I leaned against the door frame in frustration. No, that could not be happening. I looked at Maya and found tears rolling down her cheeks. Her tears weren''t crocodile ones. They were real.

    Emily didn''t want me. She didn''t consider me worthy of her love.

    I wasn''t. I knew I wasn''t, but I couldn''t let go of her. She had my heart. She was everything I had ever wished for and I stupidly let Fiona''s lies get to

    "I love her. I can''t.. I can''t be without her," I whispered, looking down. "I''m willing to do anything to win her back. I don''t know what I can possibly de to fix what I had done, but she can decide. She can put all the conditions she wants, and I will respect all of them. She can d 1. I don''t know what to tell you?

    tell you" Her tone wasced with defeat,

    "Nothing. Don''t say anything I tumed away from her front door and made my way to my car. There had to be something that I could do. I wasn''t

    She was my entire world, and I wasn''t going to stop until I had her back

 Chapter 32

    32

    Six months had passed, and I couldn''t find her. She literally vanished. I got in contact with everybody she knew, asking all of them if they knew anything about her, but she was nowhere to be found. I knew that I fucked up, but did she have to do that? I would have taken a misuse.

    I hadn''t taken part in any social event after her disappearance. I didn''t want to see anybody. Working was already hard enough, but I had to. In some way, I needed to take revenge on every person who hurt her. If only I could take revenge on myself.

    "Don''t you think it''s enough?" Jeffrey Harolds was sitting in front of me. I nned on making him lose everything gradually for enabling his wife and stepdaughter. Didn''t they give my sunshine a hard life? I was going to make them all pay. "Not really." I shrugged.

    "I get that you''re doing that for what Fiona has done to your marriage, but she was just jealous. She couldn''t believe that you didn''t fight enough for her." Jeffrey defended his stepdaughter, making meugh. Either that man was stupid or he was oblivious just like I was "Don''t you know? Your beloved Fiona is the one behind ruining my marriage with her. The look on his face told me that he was oblivious. "Fiona and Chester were seeing each other while Chester was dating Emily

    and I was engaged to Fiona. They wanted to be together, but because of the arranged marriage, they couldn''t, so they nned the whole thing. Emily and I never slept together before our marriage. We were both drugged that night.

    Sam sent me some documents privately. They weren''t posted online, and I learnedter on that it was Emily''s request. They were old conversations between Fiona and Chester that revealed a lot. As for the missing parts, I got them from Chester because after reading everything. I saw red and paid him a visit. He told me everything after I made his face ck and blue.

    "Julian, if you keep doing that to mypany, I will lose everything," he pleaded..

    "And that''s exactly what I want. I want you to lose everything. You gave her a terrible childhood. It''s only right for karma toe running after you." I was doing all of that for her. She had to know that I still loved her with all my heart. Her scent is still in my nose. "You''re not just destroying me! You''re hurting Emily too" Confusion took over me when he said that. How was I hurting Emily?

    "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I straightened my back,

    "Thepany.." He looked down, What did Emily have to do with hispany!

    "What does yourpany have to do with Emilly!" I tried to be calm.

    "Tell me that you''ll stop destroying thepany and I''ll tell you." I wasn''t going to make a deal with that man.

    "No, you don''t to make the rules here. Either tell me right now or within a week, I will make you homeless." That wasn''t an empty threat. I had

    the power to do so.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    He stayed silent for a moment and I watched as his throat bobbed. "Thepany is actually Emily''s" My eyes went wide. How was it herpany? "But all the documents are under your name."

    "Thepany originally belonged to Emily''s mum. When she died, I found out that she stated in her will that thepany was to be handed to Emily once she turned twenty-

    one." He didn''t need to tell me the rest. That man was horrible. He forged the will and the documents after he found out that the woman left him nothing. He stole Emily''spany.

    "Don''t you have any shame?" I snapped. "You stole herpany, took her away from the house she considered home after she lost her mother, and ended up favoring your evil stepdaughter. What kind of father are you?" I was disgusted by sitting in front of him. "Listen here. In case you haven''t noticed, my original n was to make you homeless, but I''m giving you another chance. Provide me with the original documents that thepany actually belonged to Emily and I will buy thepany from you. Not with its actual worth, ""Five millions?! This is so low," he eximed.

    Then you''re choosing homelessness" I turned my chair to the side, acting like I didn''t give a damn. Actually, I cared so much. It was hers. It was Emily''s. I cared about anything about her or belonged to her. I will bring 1

    you everything tomorrow," he said in defeat.

    I should have been happy. I should have felt good, but I couldn''t. I was a hollow person after her. Nothing seemed to bring joy to me.

    Jeffrey wasn''t the only one who was paying for his actions. Chester was no longer respected. With a few calls, I made sure that he wasn''t going to be taking ce in any respectable projects anymore.

    As for Britney, she was currently one of the janitors in mypany. I gave her two options. She had the chance to choose between bing a punitor for three years or never being epted at anypany ever again. She definitely chose to be a janitor.

    I didn''t know how to punish myself for what I had done to her, but she was punishing me with her absence. I was dying from the inside, I wanted to see her, hug her, kiss her, cuddle in bed with her, travel with her, and do every single thing I could ever do with her. After I finished working. I told my driver to take

    me to my parents'' ce. I hadn''t seen them in so long.

    Mum and Dad had done everything in their power to find Emily, but none of them managed to do so. I was d that they didn''t tell me you so! They had probably noticed my state and thought to themselves that I already knew that there was nobody to me but me. When I arrived, Mum told me that Dad wasn''t there. He was out with his friends. It was good that she was home though.

    et me to talk

    "How have you been?" she asked me. She knew that I wasn''t in the best state, but she was trying to get me to "Not good," I admitted, looking down.

    "No m

    told

    news about her?" she wondered as she ced a cup of coffee in front of me. I missed the coffee Emily used to make for me.

    "No." I shook my head. "Sometimes I wish for a time machine. I only need to repeat thest two months of my life and I swear, I won''t doubt her ever again." I wanted to cry, but I was embarrassed about doing that in front of my mum. "I told her not to contact you... I told her to stay away from all of you. If only she didn''t listen to me

    *Maybe she is just hurt. She''s probably giving you a hard time and she will eventuallye back." Mum was trying to make me feel better, but it was hard to believe her words. "Are you sure that Maya and Sam know nothing about her whereabouts?" I shook my head. "I''m not sure of anything. They may be hiding her, but I could never know. They will obviously take her side. I shrugged. The way she looked at me when I threw the check at her was haunting me. Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw the broken look in he pain I caused her. "Did she leave you a letter or anything?"

    in her eyes. I saw the

    "No. She just left everything I bought for her. Literally, everything. Even the sewing machine," I replied, looking down. "The thing is, I can''t stay at home. I see her everywhere. Her scent is there, and everything reminds me of her. And I also can''t leave that ce because be "Would you like to stay here for a while? What you''re doing to yourself isn''t healthy." Mum ced her hand on my shoulder.

    "I deserve this. I deserve this pain because of the way I made her feel" I needed to leave. It wasn''t wise of me to pay my mum a visit when I was in

    that state.

    "You made a mistake, but you don''t deserve to live this w

    Easier said than done.

    "I wish I could, Mum. I wish I could"

    way, son." Mum took a deep breath. "Maybe it''s time for you to move on."

 Chapter 33

    Was I nervous! Yes. Was I going to back down? No.

    Over the past five years, I had achieved everything I had ever dreamt of in my life. I wasn''t going to stay hidden forever. The world was about to know who the owner behind the brand ''Masked'' was. During the past years, I worked so hard. I started online, posting my designs and taking an order every once in a while and soon, I started to get recognized. At first, people used to order my work online and it was nothing but a small business. Within a year, I opened my own atelier and it was a hit. I soon started to participate in fashion shows and celebrities were starting to wear from my brand. Everything was surreal and it was hard for me to mentally cope with the stress. Yes, I was sessful and everybody knew about my brand, but nobody knew who I really was. That was the reason behind naming my brand Masked as I didn''t want anybody to know who I was.

    After I left, people started to talk about me literally everywhere. I would be a liar if I said that I wasn''t up to date with Julian''s news. I had always been interested in what he was doing in life. He was as sessful as ever, yet he wasn''t the man he used to be. Five years ago, he was a sociable man who

    loved to attend events, but he had changed and my mind refused to believe that I was the catalyst behind that change. I refused to believe that he still loved me that much. I was even starting to be convinced that he never really loved me. If he had truly loved me, he would chance to exin myself

    I was no longer Emily Kensington or Emily Harolds. I was Amelia Eddings, owner of one of the most respectable and sessful fashion houses in the world. I still couldn''t believe that I managed to achieve all of that in five years, but apparently miracles still had a ce am "I still can''t believe that you''re back," Maya gushed, giving me a side hug as we both sat on the couch in my mansion. A lot had changed over the past few years. Maya and Sam got engaged. They had been engaged for two years and they were currently preparing for thei wedding. Sam had established his own ITpany and although it was small, it was very sessful.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "Me

    neither," I mumbled. It all felt surreal. I was certain that my life was about to change again and whether I liked it or not. Julian was going to try to get in contact with me, I didn''t know how I was going to act on seeing him. Was I even ready to meet him? How was I going to "I don''t know how I''m going to get used to calling you Amelia from now on," Sammented with a chuckle.

    "You guys can call me whatever you want as long as we''re not in public. I know it''s hard, but I kind of want people to forget the old me. I told them.

    "The old you wasn''t bad." Maya said.

    "She wasn''t bad, but she got used a lot and she was very naive," I replied.

    "What about Rosalie though! Have you finally told her about your old name?" Sam wondered and I nodded.

    Rosalie was the secret that was about to be revealed sooner orter.

    My beautiful daughter.

    A month and a half after Julian divorced me, I found out I was pregnant. It was quite a shock for me as I wasn''t ready to have a child. I was thankful that I had some money saved, but they were never enough. Had it not been for the sess of my business in such a short She knew that her father was alive, because I told her he was on very long business trip at a ce that barely had signals. A stupid lie, but she still four years old, so she didn''t have many questions to ask. Was

    Not once had I said anything had about him to her. She knew that she had a father and she was aware that he loved her so much. I had made up another lie, telling her that he sent her letters.

    I named her Roulie because I loved Rose so much. She was like a mother to me and when Julian forbade me from contacting her, it broke my heart. It felt like I lost my mother for the second time.

    He took so much from me. He destroyed me in so many ways and I didn''t know if I could ever forgive him for what he had done. The wounds he caused were deep and some of them were still bleeding till that day.

    He spent a year after 1 left asking Maya and Sam if they knew where I was. During that time, they truly didn''t know where I was. I only told them where I had been living after two years.

    Five years had passed. Surely, he had forgotten about me. ording to the news, he wasn''t dating anyone, but maybe he had a secret rtionship.

    I moved on. I had

    a boyfriend, so it was his turn. It wasn''t like I was the love of his life. We only spent two years together and our marriage was an arranged marriage. During those two years, we weren''t madly in love with each other from the start. Love came afterwards and it quickly depa "Do you n on telling him about Rosie!"

    "Maya asked.

    "He''s going to hnd one about hier on hay own."

    Was it fair to keep his daughter from him for all of those years? No.

    Was it necessary? Unfortunately, yes.

    I couldn''t get back without making a name for myself. I couldn''t be the old girl that everybody walked over before.

    "Mommy." My daughter''s beautiful voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I opened my arms for her when I saw her running towards me with a bright smile on her face.

    "Hey, cupcake," I mumbled and kissed her check. She was upstairs, ying in her room.

    "Tm hungry," she said, looking up at me. She had my blonde hair and her father''s blue eyes. She then looked at Maya and Sam and grinned. "Hi, Auntie Maya. Hi Uncle Sam!" she eximed. She loved them a lot. They came to visit us twice in New Jersey, so she had met them before. I always Face Timed them too and she would sometimes join the call, so she was close to them.

    "Hey, Rosie!" Sam ruffled her hair, making her giggle.

    "Come here, you little munchkin!" Ma

    Maya gently pulled my little girl towards her and literally attacked her with kisses, making her giggle a

    and squeal

    "What do you want to eat?" I asked her, getting up. I loved cooking for her. Although she had a nanny that I trusted and was very good to her, I still loved cooking for my daughter and she loved my cooking.

    "Turkey sandwich and some fruits!" she said excitedly.

    1 left her with Sam and Maya and made my way to the kitchen. I had been here for five days and tomorrow was the day everybody would know who the owner of Masked was. I was going tounch my new fragrance and it had already been announced that I was going to Tomorrow morning, my life would witness another change that I hoped with everything in me I was ready for.

 Chapter 34

    "How are

    are you, Julian?" My therapist. Cara, asked me.

    1 had been going to therapy for three years. I was trying to cope with Emily''s absence, but it was getting harder. I went to five different therapists I

    and decided that Cara was the best. At least she was able to make me add something to my routine that did not revolve around Emily.

    "I would be lying if I said that I''m okay, but I''ve been working with my nephew on his science project, so I guess this is good. It''s taking my mind off of Emily" Had I gone insane? Probably.

    "That''s good." She gave me a small smile. "Have you written her anything this week!" I shook my head.

    I told her before that it was hard for me to pour out my feelings, so she suggested that I could start a diary. I did, but I added a little twist. Everything I had written was in the form of letters directed to Emily. She wasn''t fond of the idea as she feared that it might intensify my issues, but I didn''t care. I liked to feel that I was talking to her in any way.

    "Have you tried writing letters to anyone else?" Again, I shook my head.

    "But I have been slowly opening up to my sister. I no longer say I''m fine when I''m not when I speak to her." I was a pathetic piece of shit, but at least 1 was sessful at my job. It was the only good thing I was good at. I had be a workaholic because it was the only thing that managed to make me think about Emily less.

    "This a great step. She seemed proud. What was she proud of thought of the stupid little things I started doing again?

    "Julian, I know that this is hard, but can you maybe try going on a date?" I scoffed at the idea. "Hear me out. It doesn''t have to be anything serious, but I want you to interact with other women." "I do interact with women. It''s not like I hate them." I rolled my eyes.

    *You interact with family members and the ones you work with. You need to work on your love life," she exined her point of view that meant nothing to me.

    "My love li

    life ended the day I divorced Emily," I said, getting up..

    "Wait. We''re still not done." She stood up too.

    "I need to go see my family. It''s Sunday." I left without giving her a chance to say anything.

    Going on a date with any woman would be cruel of me. I would end upparing any woman I meet to Emily and nobody can amount to how amazing she was. I could not be that cruel to other women. For the past year, I had been spending my Sundays with my parents. Cara was the one who suggested the idea and I liked it. It fooled my family into thinking that I was getting better when I was still the same, My life hadn''t been the same after she left. No, she didn''t leave. I made her leave. I pushed her away. I divorced her. I didn''t give her the chance she deserved.

    I once was a sociable person. I used to attend parties and social events, but I stopped a long time ago. I only went to work, attended business meetings and business dinners, visited my parents, and stayed home. Everything she left at our home was still in its ce. The only thing I kept recing was her favorite perfume, because every night, I sprayed our bed with it I was trying to make myself feel that she was there.

    No matter how many times I tried, I couldn''t forget her. She consumed my thoughts and owned my heart. Every day, I looked at her pictures on my phone and hoped to see her in front of

    me again. I didn''t understand how she managed to disappear like that. Nobody was able to find anything

    about her.

    I had taken revenge on every person who hurt her. I did my best to right some of the wrongs, but she wasn''t there to witness that. She wasn''t there to see how I brought everybody who had hurt her down. Everybody except for me. She was doing that without even knowing "Mumm, have you heard the news?" Harper said as she sat down. Sometimes she joined us on Sundays.

    "What news?" she wondered.

    "Today we''re finally going to know who the owner of Masked is!"

    sister excitedly eximed.

    "What''s that?" I curiously asked,

    "It''s one of the most sessful fashion houses. The thing is, it only appeared like four or five years ago, kupews who the owner n. Nobody even knows their name." Mum replied.

    but its sess is unprecedented. Nobody

    1 bet if Eamily had established her fashion house, she would have been incredibly sessful. She was incredibly sessful and brilliant.

    "Today, the owner isunching their new fragrance and they announced that they were going to reveal their identity to the world. I seriously cannot wait" My sister seemed pretty excited.

    I wish I had something in my life that would make me excited like that.

    Harper put on the live streaming of theunch on TV and I found myself watching with them. There was nothing else to do anyway.

    "Mum, the owner is a woman!" Harper said, looking at the screen.

    "She seems young." Mummented as a woman in a ck dress appeared on the screen. She had a huge silver mask on that covered her eyes and the right side of her face. Her ck hair fell over her shoulders in perfect waves and framed her face. "Hello everyone," she spoke and my blood froze. Her voice was so familiar. She sounded like... Emily. No, she couldn''t be Emily. Emily was a blonde and a little bit thinner.

    "Does she... sound like Emily?" Harper asked in a hesitant voice.

    "I know that my identity has been a secret for long and many of you have been trying to find out who the owner of Masked is." She sounded confident. The closer the camera was brought to her face, the more curious I got

    Her eyes. She had green eyes too. Just like Emily.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Well, here I am. I''m Amelia Eddings," she spoke and reached for the mask on her face. "Daughter of Vanessa Eddings and formerly known as Emily Harolds or Emily Kensington. The moment the mask dropped, I felt somebody pinch me in the gut. "What the hell?" Harper''s mouth parted in shock and my mum''s wide eyes were glued on the screen.

    hy we couldn''t find d her!" Mum wondered quietly.

    "Is that why we

    "She changed her name. Shepletely changed her name," I managed to say.

    "She took her mum''s maiden name and changed hers. She''s smart," Harper added and all I could do was nod,

    owner.

    1 looked again at the screen and saw how the press went crazy upon knowing the true identity of the own

    "People are going crazy on the inte," Harper said as she scrolled through her news feed. I was going

    She was back. Emily was back

    ng out of my mind too,

    I wasn''t going to let her go this time. If I had to move mountains to win her back, I would do it because, without her, I was a soulless body aimlessly roaming around.

 Chapter 35

    She had decided to move back to LA. She had just moved the headquarters of her fashion house from New Jersey to LA. Everything felt surreal She was finally bark. I knew that winning her back wasn''t going to be easy, but I didn''t care. Knowing that she was close to me She was holding a ceremony tonight to celebrate moving her headquarters here. Every single person in my family was invited. Everyone but me. Emily still gave me the chance to go and I wasn''t sure if that was intentional or not, but she allowed my mum a plus one. Dad already had his own invitation, and so were Harper and her husband.

    She probably didn''t want to address me directly. I hurt her. I understood what I had done and I deserved her coldness. However, I wasn''t going to give up.

    This was my first social event in almost five years. I was about to see her and for the first time in forever, I knew what real joy felt like.

    I arrived with my family and we were taken to the table assigned to us. I kept looking around me and didn''t find her. She hadn''t arrived yet. For a moment, I found myself looking for the blonde girl my heart beat for. I needed to remind myself that her hair was now ck. "Are you alright?" Harper''s voice made me look at her.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ""Never felt better."

    "Julian.. I don''t want you to get your hopes up. Emily won''t wee you with open arms. Hell she is no longer Emily. Her name is Amelia now." Harper felt the need to give me a reality check, but I didn''t need it, I knew that Emily was going to be hard on me. I was aware t Everyone''s attention got directed

    to the gates of the hall. My eyesnded on the woman of my dreams and I forgot how to breathe. She was there. in front of me, looking as beautiful as ever in a burgundy dress that perfectly hugged her body. I didn''t think that Emily could get more beautiful. but she never I could feel my heartbeats as they raced. There were many people around me and all of them were talking, but everything was blurry in my eyes except for her. She was the only clear image in my mind.

    She wasn''t alone though. There was a man beside her. I didn''t know who he was, but I knew that I was bound to hate him with the way he was holding her close to him.

    The moment she walked inside, everybody started to surround her. She was the owner of "Masked" after all, one of the most sessful brands to ever exist. She had managed to make a name for herself in less than five years and she wasn''t even known beforehand. Worry filled me when I saw the crowd around her grow. Was she okay? She wasn''t always good with huge crowds. I tried to steal a nce at her and she seemed fine. Perhaps she managed to get over her fear.

    Soon, she went to her table alone with the blond man beside her. I wanted to kill him for being with her. How was I going to beg for her forgiveness and ask her to be mine again if she had a boyfriend? That would make my mission ten times harder.

    I waited for God knows hold long until she was finally alone. That was my moment. I needed to talk to her and get her to listen to me.

    got up from my ce and made my way to where she was standing. The closer I got, the more nervous I became. Her eyes caught mine and she lost herposure for a moment but quickly recovered

    "Hey, Emily" I was proud of myself for managing to talk without stuttering.

    "It''s Amelia," she corrected me in a cold tone.

    "I looked for you. I looked for you for so long, but you vanished," I said. I wanted to touch her to make sure that I wasn''t hallucinating. She was right there in front of me.

    "Emily Harolds did vanish a few years ago. She had no ce in this world." She was bitter and she had every right to be, I was willing to ept anything from her. I would take her anger over her disappearance any time.

    "I know what I did was awful. I should have never given you the divorce papers. I should have never ended things with you that was. I should have listened Words rushed out of my mouth

    "Oh, don''t say that." A frown appeared on her face, but I could tell that her

    reaction was full of sarcasm. "I should be thanking you. You contributed to my sess. Had it not been for the way you threw me out and humiliated me, I would have probably never started my own brand. You and my ex-family yed a vital role" I winced at theparison, hating the way she considered me simr to her ex-family.

    "I regret everything. Em-Amelia. I want to make things right." I tried to reach for her hand, but she took a step back. It was hard to call her with her new name. She was Emily to me, the gorgeous blonde who captivated my heart, but I respected

    her wishes. I was willing to do anything she wanted,

    "You''re veryte, Julian. You believed some pictures over me. You threw me out like I was some trash, not your wish. You gave me the check to hute me. You didn''t give me a chance. You didn''t hear me out." There was disgust, pain, and anger in her tone and on her f "Let me make things right. Let me show you that I can be a good man for you." I was desperate. She wasn''t aware that I was drowning and she was

    my only glimpse of hope..

    1. e. You wa

    "Julian, you don''t want me. heart, but I deserved that.

    "I won''t give up on you."

    want Emily and Emily is no longer here. As for Amelia, she can''t stand you, so leave." Her words were knives in my

    "I have a boyfriend," she confirmed my fear.

    Speaking of the devil, I saw her boyfriend making his way towards us. I didn''t want to be in the same ce as him. I didn''t want to talk to him, but I did want to find out more about him. I wanted to know who was the man who managed to win her heart. "This isn''t over," I said before walking away.

 Chapter 36

    I knew that he was going toe. I intended to allow Rose a plus one because he was going to show up whether I liked it or not. The entrance to my event was with invitations. I wasn''t going to let him cause a scene and I didn''t want to directly address him with an invitatio Was I ready to see him? No. I needed a century to prepare myself to see him again. Julian Kensington stepped on my heart and tossed me out. I didn''t give a damn if he looked for me afterwards. Nothing could erase from my head the way he treated me. I could never forg I wanted to greet Rose, Steven, and Harper. I missed them so much.

    "Mart." I turned to my boyfriend. "I''m going to say hi to the Kensingtons," I told him.

    "Alright, baby," he said, giving me a peck on my lips before unwrapping his arm from around my waist,

    We had been dating for almost a year. When we first started dating. I told him about my n to move to LA and he liked the idea because he also wanted to move there. He was offered a good position here and he was now the CFO of a very prestigious automotivep He made me happy and I wasfortable with him.

    Harper was the first one to notice me when I made my way towards them. I was nervous. I knew they were mad at me, but I couldn''t just get in

    contact with him.

    "I''m torn between my desire to scream at you for not contacting me all of those years and wanting to hug the hell out of you because I miss you so much," she said, making me smile.

    "Can you please do thetter because I miss you too!" I told her as I stepped closer, already pulling her into a hug. "You don''t know how much I missed you

    "You would have called if you really missed me. We all looked for you everywhere," she mumbled, squeezing me.

    "Let''s not discuss this now. I will tell you everythingter, I promised. I wasn''t emotionally ready to speak about my departure.

    When we pulled apart, I walked over to Rose. She still looked as beautiful and elegant as I remembered her. She was wearing the very first dress I designed for her. A beautiful gesture that I truly appreciated.

    "I can''t believe that you have finally achieved your dream. I''m so proud of you, honey." This woman knew how to make my heart crack.

    "I''m so sorry for leaving without a goodbye," I murmured as she pulled me into her embrace and kissed my cheek. I was also sorry for hiding her granddaughter from her, but I couldn''t tell her that now.

    "You don''t know how much we miss you." I felt her caressing my hair. No words could ever be enough to describe how much I missed them too Losing them tore my heart into pieces because they were the family I never had. They were everything I had always wanted in a Julian took them from me and for that too, I couldn''t forgive him.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "I knew you were going to make it. I just wish that we were by your side," Steven said as he gave me a fatherly hug-

    "I swear, it wasn''t by choice. If I could have stayed in contact with them without having Julian in my life, I would have done it, but having them in. my life meant that Julian was going to know everything about my whereabouts.

    "You''re surely going toe over, right?" Rose asked me and I immediately nodded. I missed going to their ce. I missed everything about them.

    My eyesnded on Julian who was standing behind his mother on the opposite side of the table and I immediately looked away.

    Would he be there if I went to visit?

    I needed to prepare myself for having him around because he was going to find out about Rosalie and I didn''t n on depriving my daughter of having a rtionship with her father any longer.

    "Thave to go now, but we will talkter." I smiled politely at them, then turned to Harper. "Is your old number still the same?"

    "Great. I will text you, I said before walking away.

    When I walked back to my table, I found Maya and Sam already there. It seemed like they had just arrived.

    "Sorry for beingte, but Mum wasn''t feeling well. Maya apologized once she saw me.

    "How is the now?" I asked.

    "It''s just a stomach bug. Sam assured me. "How did meeting the Kensingtons go?"

    *She nodded,

    met all of them, including Julian." I took a deep breath. "Nothing went wrong with his family, but it looks like you guys weren''t joking when you

    told me that he was keen on getting back with me."

    "And what''s your n!" Maya a wondered.

    "I have a boyfriend. Maya. There''s no n other than putting boundaries between Julian and me. I''m not going to let him ruin my life once again. I was a fool once, but I like to believe that I finally grew up." I wasn''t going to let him humiliate me again and use me of thing "But you have to prepare yourself. I give it a month maximum for Julian to find out about Rosalie," she warned me. She was too generous. I gave it two weeks.

    "I know and I told you before. I''m not going to keep her away from him any longer. If he wants to be in her life. I will let him be involved."

    "He is not going to abandon his daughter. The poor guy hasn''t moved on from you and it''s been five years." Sam had always been more lenient on Julian and I didn''t understand why.

    1 looked at the Kensingtons table and saw his eyes glued on me. I would be lying if I said I didn''t miss him and I no longer had any feelings for him. Julian owned a piece of my heart and no matter how many times I tried, I couldn''t bring myself to hate him, but in our case, I truly wanted our marriage to work. I loved him with everything in me and I couldn''t imagine my life without him. But he forced me to live without him and now it was impossible to take him back.

 Chapter 37

    -Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "The feeling way better than I have felt in years." I admitted to my therapist.

    "Is it because she''s back?" Cara asked me and I nodded.

    When I first saw her on TV, I thought I was hallucinating. I couldn''t believe that she was there in front of me. I couldn''t believe that we were finally in the same state again." I stopped talking for a moment. "I spoke to her, you know. She wasn''t thrilled to see me, but I can''t re and I need to show her that I''m really sorry and that I still love her, but."1 looked down, not knowing how to continue talking.

    what?" Cara asked.

    "She has a boyfriend." It pained me to say those words out loud.

    "And what do you n on doing!"

    "I don''t know." I looked down.

    *Julian, I understand that you still love her, but you can''t ruin her rtionship. You need to take her happiness into consideration." I hated how right she was. I didn''t n on ruining her rtionship anyway. I didn''t n anything. Nothing was on my mind. All I knew was that I wanted her to be mine again

    "And I don''t intend to do that. I would rather die than be the reason behind her pain ever again." I did it once and 1 did not n onmitting the same mistake twice.

    once

    "Listen, I know that it''s important to you to fix what was once broken, but I need you to keep in mind that her desires are important here too, Cara felt the need to remind me.

    "I will keep that in mind." I took a deep breath and stood up. I didn''t want to talk anymore. "I will see you next week," I told my therapist before walking out of the room.

    I didn''t know what I

    was supposed to do to let her allow me to be a part of her life again. Seeing her in front of me brought back every single beautiful memory that we once lived together. I remembered the way we used to dance in the kitchen to her favorite song. I missed her food and the co coffee to the office.

    It had been exactly nine days since her return. I hadn''t seen her again after seeing her at her event

    I wanted her phone number, but Harper refused to give it to me. I knew that she had been talking to her regrly. That wasn''t weird, because they used to be close when Emily was my wife. My sister was furious at me when I first told them about the divorce and she proba When I arrived at Mum''s house, I found her in the front yard, watering her favourite nts. I made my way towards her and kissed her cheek.

    "How was your session today?" she asked.

    "Better than many sessions before," I replied. I didn''t give her the exact details of my sessions as I felt that they were personal, but I liked to give her general answers, "Is Harpering today!" I wondered.

    -She told me she wasing right after her outing with Em-Amelia. It''s so hard to get used to her new name," Mum said. It seemed like their friendship was restored.

    "I can''t get used to it, either," I agreed with Mum.

    While we were talking, a car that surely wasn''t Harper''s drove through our front gate. When Harper got out of the passenger door, I knew that car was Emily''s

    Anxiousness found its way to my heart and I did my best to prevent myself from heaving. I watched as she got out of the car and her beauty struck me as always. I loved the baby blue dress sundress she had on. Did she design it? Probably. "It''s so good to see

    ee you," Mum gushed as she hugged my ex-wife.

    "How are you?" Emily asked my mother with a gorgeous smile on her face, then she turned to me and my world stopped for a moment. "Hey, Julian

    "Hi Amelia," I murmured, not trusting my voice. She would always be Emily to me, but I was just calling her with her new name out of respect.

    "I''m good, sweetheart. Why don''t you join us for dinner tonight?" Mum invited her and I mentally thanked her

    "Mayle another time. Her eyes met mine

    somewhere to be,"

    for a moment and I wondered if her response would have been the same if I hadn''t been there. "I have

    "I will call you," Mum told her and she nodded. Was she now in contact with every single person in my family but met

    watched as she got in her car and drove off and suddenly, I couldn''t bear watching her go. Without saying anything to my family. I got in my car.

    ignoring them as they kept calling my name. Was 1 stupid for following her? Yes. Did I regret my decision? No.

    I didn''t know what I was going to tell her if she caught me, but I was willing to take the risk. I wanted to know more about her new life. I wanted to kasow the ones who were allowed in her life.

    After an almost forty-minute drive, she arrived at an amusement park. Why was she there alone?

    I parked my car away from hers and waited until she got inside and I followed her.

    Stalking her like that reminded me of the time I followed her to the grocery store. I thought she was going to act like she didn''t know me to get me arrested that night, but she didn''t. She had a chance toe back at me for the way I treated her, but she didn''t use it. She w After making a phone call, she started walking towards the carousel. I impatiently followed her, wanting to know why she was there. It was obvious that she was about to meet somebody there.

    "Mommy!" A little girl''s squeal caught my attention. My mouth parted the moment I saw the girl running towards Emily who knelt to the ground and took her in her arms. What the...?

    I couldn''t hear what they were saying, but it seemed like the little girl was telling Emily something and Emily around them and noticed Sam and Maya. Was she their child''

    No, she called Emily mommy. She was Emily''s daughter.

    The question was, who was the father?

    was listening attentively. I looked

    Was I her father! She seemed to be four years old or maybe a bit older, which meant that.. I was the father because Emily didn''t cheat on me.

    My legs suddenly felt heavy, but I pushed myself towards them. I needed to know if I was the father and something kept telling me that the girl was mine.

    By now, Emily was up on her feet again and she was holding the little girl''s hand. The first one to notice my presence was Sam, whose eyes got wide for a second. He tapped Emily''s shoulder, making her look at him. He said nothing but motioned with his head towards m Emily turned around and the moment her eyesnded on me, she paled

    "I just have one question," I said, looking at her, and then my eyes fell on the little girl who was looking at me curiously. As I stared at her face, I realized that she had my eyes, but she was a replica of Emily when she was her age. She showed me old photos of her and she Emily didn''t wait for me to ask as she said. "Yes... the answer is yes. She''s.. She''s yours."

 Chapter 38

    No matter how many times I had tried to prepare myself for this moment, I should have known that it wasn''t going to be easy

    "Hey, cupcake. Mommy has something so important to do, so is it okay if you go on the carousel with Auntie Maya?" I asked my daughter who pouted.

    "But Mommy.. I have been waiting for you to go on it together." She frowned.

    "And I''m so so sorry, but

    "Go on

    Julian interrupted me,

    on the ride with her. We can talk when you two get down." I gave him a grateful smile and nodded.

    Sam and Maya walked over to him while I walked with Rosie towards the carousel. I was nervous. I knew what I was going to tell Rosic, but I didn''t know what I was going to do with him. "Mommy, who is that man!" my little daughter asked me.

    "Can Mommy answer this questionter!" I said, picking her up. I gently ced her on one of the horses and carefully strapped her.

    "Okay, but I think he is nice," she said, making me umile.

    "What made you think like that?" I titled my head to the side.

    She shrugged. "He just seems to be."

    The ride soo

    soon came to an end and the two of us walked towards Julian, Sam, and Maya. Luckily, Sam and Maya had taken her earlier to the park, so we didn''t have much longer.

    Maya and Sam took Rosie and I turned to Julian. "I know that you have a million questions and whatever they are, I will answer them."

    "I don''t think that this is the right ce, but.. I just want to know

    why. Why did you keep her away from me! Did you think that I was going to be a bad father? Is this because of what I had done to you?" Julian looked lost and in utter disbelief. My heart broke for the way he sounded.

    "Not once had I thought that you would have been a bad father, but I needed to stay away from you and if I had told you about Rosic, you would have found your way back to my life," I told him

    "Rosie? Is that her name?" he asked, looking at her as she stuffed her mouth with pink cotton candy.

    "1

    "Her name is Rosalie and I call her either Rosie or cupcake because she loves them so much, I told him.

    y mum?" There was a small smile on his lips. His mother''s actual name was Rosalind.

    "After my

    "It was a way of showing respect to your family. I never intended to keep her away for longer than that. I just needed more time before telling you and also telling them." I couldn''t read his face. I didn''t know what he was thinking about. He didn''t say anything for a while and "Julian, do you n

    need some privacy? Would you like

    e us to

    to sit somewhere?" I asked him.

    "I need to. This is hard. This is too much." Was he having a panic attack? What was I supposed to do?

    "Julian, what would you like me to do for you?" I ced my hand on his forearm. "Let''s just sit down for a minute, okay?" I tried to

    to get him to move, but he wouldn''t budge.

    "I need a moment," he mumbled before moving away from me. I watched as he walked away and I wasn''t sure if I was supposed to follow him or

    ¦°¦¯¦£

    "Leave him for a while, Maya said. I didn''t even feel hering towards me.

    "He doesn''t look okay, Maya," I mumbled. I knew that keeping Rosie away from him was a mistake and it was selfish of me to prevent her from seeing her father for so long, but I needed to protect myself.

    "And he''s not supposed to look okay. He has just found out that he has a daughter. How do you think he''s supposed to act?" She was right. His reaction was indeed normal.

    it to me without inquiring

    I got my phone out of my bag and quickly messaged Harper, asking her for Julian''s number. Of course, she didn''t give it to about the reason, but I told her that I was going to tell herter.

    I nned on giving him one hour. No more than one hour. If he wasn''t back by then, I was going to call him. I needed to make sure that he was okay.

    I walked over to my daughter, not wanting her to feel that something was wrong. The four of us went on the Ferris wheel and she seemed pretty

    When I found out that I was going to be a mother. I contemted calling him, but the wounds were still so deep and I couldn''t find it in my heart to do that. Part of me wanted to punish him for what he had done to me. I thought about calling Rose or Haprer, but I kne Sam and Maya didn''t like the fact that I kept Rosie away from him for that long and they thought that I should have contacted him a couple of years ago. I was starting to wonder if they were right.

    "Mommy, I''m tired. Can we leave!" Rosie mumbled as she looked up at me. She had been here for long.

    "Let me just make a small phone call, then we can leave," I told her and she nodded. The two of us sat down on a bench and I told Sam a go home. I needed to be alone with Julian.

    and Maya to

    I looked around and didn''t find him anywhere, so I called him, hoping he would answer, but he didn''t. I sent him a voice note on WhatsApp waited for five minutes. I looked down at Rosie and found her already asleep against me. Luckily, Julian called me and I quickly picked up.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "Hey Julian, I was wondering if you''d like to join Rosic and me for dinner tonight to properly talk," I asked him.

    "Okay. Send me the location and I will be there by 6:30. Is that alright?" I nodded, then I realized that he couldn''t see me.

    and

    "Yes, that would be great. See you." I hung up and picked up my little girl then made my way to my car. Tonight was about to be full of surprises for her and I silently prayed that she would take it well.

 Chapter 39

    I had a daughter.

    I had a daughter with Emily.

    Going back to

    kto my car

    car wasn''t easy. I had to force my legs to take me there. I was having a panic attack. I didn''t get them a lot, but when the pressure got too nich. I usually experienced them.

    I ced my hands on the steering wheel and focused on them just like Cara taught me. She told me that I needed to focus on something and counting from one to fifty slowly.

    It took me a few minutes to calm down a little and the moment I did. I called Cara. She knew that I only called her when it was urgent, so it didn''t take her a lot of time to answer. "C-Cara. I have a daughter." 1

    1 stammered, hoping my voice was clear enough

    "What? What do you mean she sounded shocked. I was shocked too.

    "I have a daughter. I saw her today," I told her.

    "With Emily?" she asked.

    "What am I supposed to do. Cara! I saw her today with Emily and when I approached them, Emily didn''t deny anything and she she n

    named her

    Roulie." I ran my fingers through my hair. I was much calmer now, but I still wasn''t okay.

    "What would you like to do, Julian? Do you want to have a rtionship with your daughter!" she asked me.

    yes! I want to

    want to be a part a part

    of her life. I want h

    want her to know that she has a father," I quickly replied.

    "Then talk to Emily. Tell her what you want. Did you feel like she doesn''t want you to be in Rosie''s life?"

    ""I. I don''t think

    so. I think she isn''t going to stop in my way," I said. I wasn''t in my best state when I was talking to Emily, but she didn''t make me feel that she was opposed to the idea of my being in Rosie''s life. I felt my phone vibrate in my hand and I saw a number on the screen, Whose "Okay, I want you to call her, ask to meet with her, and tell her all that you want," Cara told me.

    "Alright. Thanks, Cara." I mumbled and took a deep breath,

    After hanging up. I tried to think about everything. I had only seen her for less than an hour and it was already easy for me to remember her beautiful face. I opened my WhatsApp when I saw that I received a message from the same number that called me. "Hey Julian, this is Amelia. Are you okay! Please call me. So that was Emily''s number? I quickly saved it and called her.

    She answered quickly as if she were waiting for my call

    "Hey, Amelia." I wanted to get used to her new name, but it wasn''t easy. She was my Emily, the girl who captivated my heart.

    "Hey Julian, I was wondering if you''d like to join Rosie and me for dinner tonight to properly talk." I was d that she was easily willing to talk. I was d that she wasn''t making the situation harder than it already was

    "Okay, Send me the location and I will be there by 6:30. Is that alright?" I wanted to talk. I wanted to see my daughter

    I knew that Emily and I weren''t on the best terms, but did she tell Rosie anything bad about me? Did Rosie know that she had a father?

    Millions of questions roamed my head and I wasn''t sure if I could wait until 6:30. I wanted to call Mum and tell her that I had a daughter, but I didn''t want to tell her anything before I at least had a few answers. I knew nothing about my daughter except for her name. I didn''t

    I found myself going to a toy store after my call with Emily. I didn''t know what Rosie liked, but I felt like I wanted to get her something. Knowing Emily, she was probably spoiling the hell out of her, but I wanted to

    get her something too. Did she like dolls or cars? Perhaps legos? I ended up Billing the cart in front of me with different toys. Surely Emily wouldn''t mind, right?

    1 also went to a bakery and bought six cupcakes. I didn''t know what she liked, so I ended up buying different vors.

    big

    the location Emily sent me and I had to say, I was proud of her for what she managed to achieve. Her house was amazing, I wasn''t that it suited her. She did it all by herself. I didn''t like the fact that she lived that far away from me. A freaking forty-minute drive. At exactly 6:30, I rang the doorbell, I left the toys in the car but brought the cupcakes with me. I wanted to ask Emily first if it was okay with her to

    ve her that amount of toys all at once..

    Emily opened the door for me and I sucked in a breath. She was as breathtaking as ever. She had changed into some jeans and a pink blouse. Her pair was pulled up in a ponytail and she almost didn''t have makeup on her face

    "Come m" She offered ine a polite unile and stepped aside..

    -

    told me that she likes cupcakes, so I bought these, I told Emily, handing her the box I was holding.

    "You surely n on winning her heart tonight," she said, taking the cupcakes from me.

    Emily guided me to the kitchen and for a moment, I felt like I was five years younger. I remembered how she would take me to the kitchen after a long day at work to serve me the food she made when she used to go home before me. I felt a pang in my chest and I tried to brush away the pain.

    "I''m almost done, but I thought we could talk here before you properly meet her," Emily said and I nodded.

    "Are you sure she''s not going to listen to us?" I wondered.

    Emily turned the tablet before her towards me and I saw my little girl watching Tangled. She was so into the movie, reminding me of Emily''s love

    For it.

    "It''s her favorite," Emily told me.

    Just like it''s yours, I wanted to tell her.

    "How old is she?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the tablet. She was holding a teddy bear in her arms as her eyes were glued to the screen. She looked adorable. "She''s four," Emily replied, making her way to the stove.

    "When is her birthday!"

    *September fifth."

    "Middle name?"

    "L

    I took a deep breath and asked her another questio

    question, "When did you find out that you were pregnant?"

    "A month and a half after our divorce, exactly one week after I moved away from California." Emily looked at me for a moment as she spoke, then turned off the stove

    "Why didn''t you why didn''t you contact me after finding out about the pregnancy

    ney and finding the..." It was hard to say some things out loud to her.

    "And finding the proof that I didn''t cheat, steal, or manipte you into our marriage?" she continued my question for me with bitterness in her tone. I had no right to ask her that question, but part of me wanted to know why she decided to disappear instead. "I would have done anything you wanted, you know? I would have shown you how sorry I truly was. I still am sorry, by the way. I would have begged for your forgiveness if you had given me the chance." I didn''t mind showing her my vulnerability.

    "You''re not here so we can talk about us, Julian. You''re here for Rosie, not me," she reminded me. What if I was here for her too? "As I told you before, I didn''t want to get in contact with you after I managed to prove my innocence to the whole world. After how you divorce her alone.

    "Does she know that she has a father?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

    "She knows that she has a father who loves her so much. She knows that you send her toys on her birthdays and Christmas and actually, the teddy bear she''s holding now is supposedly from you. You got it for her on her fourth birthday." I breathed out in relief when she "I would never make Rosie hate you for something you have done to me, Julian. When I looked up, I saw her eyes on me. She still had the ability to make me nervous like a high school kid in front of his crush

    "How did you exin my absence to her?" I couldn''t help but ask.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "The lie most parents tell their children. I told her you are working in a ce with no inte or phones." I let out a lightugh at the na?ve lie. "I didn''t really know what else 1 could tell her. I loved the way her cheeks reddened. I wanted to hold her and kiss them like I use "I have written many letters and told her that they were from you. I have been preparing her for this day, Julian. I know how excited she is to meet you." Emily added. Delight filled my heart upon hearing that, but I hated how I wasn''t prepared for something like that. I wish woman I loved with everything in me, I couldn''t wait

    I tried to be angry at her for keeping my daughter away from me, yet I couldn''t and I didn''t understand why. I missed four years of my daughter''s. life and no matter what, I could never get them back. Perhaps I wasn''t angry because I saw myself worthy of that punishment "Are you rearly in actually meet her?" Emily wondered and suddenly, I was more nervous. "If it makes you feel any better, she thinks you''re nice Emily smiled at me, making my heart tighten in my chest 1105 AM c &

    "She does?" I blurted in surprise.

    and Lasked her if I e "Yes, she asked me who you were that morning and I asked hadn''t felt that kind of joy in five years.

    I could tell herter. She agreed, then told me that she thought you were nice."I

    "By the way, I got her many toys and by many. I mean almost a dozen, so

    en so I was wondering

    dering if I could give them to her," I told Emily as I stood up.

    y for years, so it would make sense to her. But please don''t make a habit out of this because I

    "A dozen?" Her eyes went wide. "Well.. you''ve been away fo don''t want her to be bratty."

    "Okay." I nodded.

    Emily took me to the living room where Rosic was still watching the movie. When she noticed Emily, her eyes literally lit up. She then saw me and tilted her eyes a little to the side. "You''re the man from the amusement park," she remembered me, making me smile.

    "Cupcake, I want to tell you something" Emily said, taking a seat beside her. "Do you know who this man is?

    "I asked you this morning and you

    ou told m

    "You''re absolutely right." Emily nodded.

    me you''d tell meter," Rosie reminded her mum.

    Rosie looked at me and stared at me for a second, "What''s your name?" she asked.

    "My name is Julian," I replied, taking a couple of steps closer to her.

    you like Rapunzel!" she randomly asked, making me chuckle.

    "I do. I like her a lot." How could I not like her when she was her favourite and Emily''s favourite?

    Then we can be friends," she said with a grin on her beautiful face.

    "I would love that." I smiled widely at her.

    "But cupcake, he is more than just a friend to you." Emily told her, making her frown in confusion for a second. "Julian is your daddy." The way my little girl gasped made my blood run cold.

 Chapter 40

    I saw fear in Juhan''s eyes when Rosie gasped in surprise. He was scared that she might reject him, but I knew my daughter. She was just shocked. She had always wanted to meet him and since I had never given her a specific time for meeting him, she was startled. "He is finally back?" she eximed as she looked at me, letting go of the teddy bear the was holding.

    "He is finally back I nodded vigorously. "He came to see you this morning in the amusement park, but didn''t want to tell because he saw how much you were enjoying your day."

    Rosie didn''t say anything; however, she got up from her ce and made her way towards him. Julian knelt in front of her and I watched the way the two of them looked at each other. Could he see that she had his eyes?

    "Do you n on going to that ce again you were in?" Rosie quietly asked him. She made guilt eat me alive without even knowing.

    "No. I''m done working there. I don''t want to work there anymore," he told her, smiling

    She didn''t say anything but slowly closed the gap between them as she wrapped her linte arms around his heck. I saw the way his eyes glistened as he took her in his arms.

    Looking at them made me realize the cruelty of my actions and I wondered if I would have done the same thing if I could turn back time.

    "Are you going to live with us!!" my daughter excitedly asked Julian, startling me. 1 hadn''t prepared myself for that question.

    "No, cupcake, but you cane to my ce whenever you want," he told her. The way Rosie started ying with her lingers told me that she did not like his answer.

    "Aren''t you at least going to stay the night?" Her voice got quieter. If somebody had the ability to make me do anything, it would be Rosie.

    "He can stay here for the night if he wants," I blurted and he looked at me in surprise.

    "Please stay!" she begged him.

    "Can''t say no to you, Rosie." He grinned, picking her up. My daughter grinned as shezily wrapped her arms around his neck.

    "Are you two ready to have dinner?" I asked them, getting up from my ce.

    "Yes!" Rosie nodded vigorously.

    "I can''t wait to eat your food again," Julian said, looking me in the eye. I looked down, not knowing what to tell him.

    I would be lying if I said that I didn''t notice it, but I saw the way he was looking at me. It was the same way he once used to look at me, as if there was nobody else in the room but me.

    I put the tes on the small dining table, then reached for my phone.

    "Hey Matt! Just wanted to let you know that Rosie has finally met her father and she insisted that he should stay the night."

    I didn''t want to keep something like that away from him. I knew that he wouldn''t like the idea, but I couldn''t tell Rosie no. It was her first time to sec Julian and I wasn''t going to prevent her from spending the night with hirn. "Mommy, aren''t you going to sit down?" Rosie asked. I looked up and saw her sitting beside Julian.

    "Sorry, sweetheart. I was sending a text to Man," I told her, making my way to the table.

    "Your boyfriend?" Julian inquired and all I did was nod. His face said it all. He wasn''t fond of the fact that I had a boyfriend, but he needed to understand that I was no longer his "Do you live far away?" Rosie asked Julian.

    "Not that far, cupcake," he assured her.

    -Rosie, if you want to see Daddy at any time, just tell §±H§Ô addressing the two of them with what I said.

    and I will take you to see him. He is also more than wee to see you here. I was

    "You don''t know how much I miss your food," Julian told me. He used to tell me that he loved my cooking more after our divorce. I always wondered if anything between us was real. ne more than

    anything in the world, but

    "Enjoy your meal." I offered him a polite smile.

    I didn''t know how I was supposed to act around him. There were so many walls around us that he wanted to bring down, but I couldn''t do that. He needed to suederstand whitever we once had was meant to stay in the past. da we were rating.

    ag, the dombell rang

    I got up from my ce and in ide my way towards the door. I looked through the peephole and frowned.

    when I saw Man What was she doing here?

    I opened the door with confusion obvious on my face. When I sent him the message, it wasn''t an invitation for him to join us. I just wanted him to know that my ex was here. I would want to know if he had his ex over "What are you doing here, Matt!" I calmly asked him.

    "You have your ex over and you think I would stay calm?" he was trying to control his anger, which was unjustified in my opinion.

    "Yes, because supposedly, you trust me and you should know that I won''t cheat on you" I pointed out, folding my arms over my chest. His tense bly rxed and guilt took over his face.

    "I trust you. I didn''t mean it like that. I just.. I don''t trust him. I don''t even know who the man is," Matt said, taking a deep breath.

    "You know him. You know that Rosie''s father is Julian Kensington," I reminded him. I didn''t exactly tell him who her father was before, but it was easy for him to put two and two together. When I revealed my identity, he found out who my ex was. Before that, I didn''t tell him anything about my old life.

    *And as far as I know, the man is still in love with you I hated that he was right.

    "But I''m not in love with him. Matt, and you know that." I wasn''t in love with Julian. What we once had died the moment he used me of cheating and threw me out

    "Has he tried anything!" Matt asked, Impatience evident in his voice.

    "Anything like what?" I frowned.

    "Like kissing you." He was blunt.

    "No, Matt He respects me and my wishes," I jumped to his defense. "Mait, I promise, I''m fine. Julian won''t do anything. He is here for his daughter, not me. Had it not been for Rosie, I wouldn''t have let him stay. I know that if I ask you to stay, you will, but there will be tensi He stayed silent for a few moments, then finally nodded. He approached me, took me in his arms, and kissed my lips. I kissed him back, but I hated the foreign feeling that took over me.

    "Goodnight, Amy," he said, smiling at me.

    I closed the door and made my way back to Julian and Rosie.

    "What took you so long?" Rosie asked me.

    "It was Uncle Matt," I told her. Julian''s eyes met mine and I saw the control he had ove his emotions.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "Is he going to have dinner with us?" I shook my head at her question

    "Am I causing you trouble?" Julian asked.

    "No, everything is settled. Matt trusts me." I didn''t even realize how he might take what I had just said. I didn''t mean it in any malicious way

    After my rtionship with Julian, I realized that the thing I started to look for in people was trust. What he has done traumatized me because I realized that throughout our rtionship, there was always some sort of distrust. I remembered our first Thanksgiving and how he "I''m d that you''ve found your happiness," Julian said with pure sincerity in his voice.

    As the night passed, I couldn''t help but wonder if I had truly found my happiness

 Chapter 41

    It had been three days since I found out about my little Rosalie. She was perfect in every single way, I was already attached to her and I had just met her less than a week ago. I thought she was going to keep her distance from me, but Emily did a good job. She prepared h Not only dut she tell her that she had a father, but I also realized that Rosie knew a lot about me. She knew my favorite food, my favorite colour, my hobbies, and a lot of other things. My daughter was so smart for her age and quite talkative too.

    I hadn''t felt as good as I was now freling in so long. Rosie had brought a unique kind of joy to my heart I hadn''t felt before. I hadn''t been okay for so long. I failed to find happiness in anything I did,

    but then Emily and Rosie appeared out of nowhere and I was finally starting to taste the true meaning of happiness again.

    "You look nervous," I said, looking at Emily as we both stood beside my car. We had just arrived at my parents" ce.

    "Because I''m nervous," she replied. I liked that she wasn''t trying to hide how she was really feeling in front of me. I was aware that she had a boyfriend, but I liked that she still allowed me to see a part of her true self.

    Perhaps it was pathetic of me to think like that, but I was waiting for her. I was waiting for any moment that could be considered suitable enough for me to speak my heart out to her. I was willing to wait for an indefinite period of time. Even if she got married, I still nned to I couldn''t love any other woman on that but her. If I couldn''t have her, I didn''t want anybody else.

    "It''s going to be okay. Expect my mum to get emotional, but I''m sure everything will go smoothly." We nned on telling my family about Rosie today, but Emily was nervous as hell.

    Rosie wasn''t with us as we thought it would be better to reveal that huge secret to them first to prepare them for meeting her

    "I''m scared that they may hate me." For a moment, I saw glimpses of the old Emily. I saw the innocence I was in love with.

    "Do you care about how they feel about you?" I asked as we walked towards the front door.

    "Of course! Your family was the family I never got to have," she replied in a heartbeat.

    "Was? You do know that my parents sull love you, right? They probably consider you their daughter. Harper loves you so much and was devastated when you disappeared" She had to know that they loved her and no matter what, she always had a ce at their home. "I love them too, but... things cannot be the same Julian." She didn''t give me the chance to reply as she quickly rang the doorbell, putting an end to our conversation.

    One of the maids opened the door for us and we walked inside.

    To say that Mum was surprised to see the two of us walking together would be an understatement. I had already told her that I wanted to tell her, Dad and Harper about something, but I didn''t say anything abour Emily. "Amelia, it''s nice to see you, sweetheart" Mum got up from her ce and gave her a hug.

    "I didn''t know you wereing! It''s good to see you, Amelia," my sister happily eximed.

    Why was it easy for them to call her with her new name? She was still Emily in ky eyes. She w with learned from her what true love felt like, then stupidly tossed aside.

    was still the girl I forcefully married, slowly fell in love

    "I''m sorry for my surprise visit, but Julian and I have something important to tell you." I loved the fact that I could still read her. She was doing her best to hide how anxious she was. It was easy for me to tell with the way her fist was clenched and how she was rubbing her thumb against her index finger. She always used to do that when she was nervous. I guess some habits couldn''t just be abandoned easily.

    cane at any time, sweetheart. Have a seat, Dad assured her.

    "You can

    The two of us sat beside each other. I wanted to be close to her for support and I couldn''t help but take advantage of the opportunity that was given to me on a silver tter to be close to her.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "Is everything okay?" Harper asked us. Her voice was full of concern. She knew that Emily and I wouldn''t just unite for a trivial ma

    matter.

    "There''s something I have been keeping from you.." Emily took a deep breath. "I want to start by apologizing for what I have done, but I had to keep it all a secret because I didn''t want Julian to find me. I wanted to stay away from him." I hated that I was the reason behind "What did you keep from us?" Mum patiently asked her.

    "When I left. I was pregnant." Harper gasped upon hearing that, and Dad''s eyes went wide. As for my mum, shock was written all over her face. "Rose, Uncle Steven. You have a granddaughter"

    "You - you''re joking, right? Mum asked her.

    I nced at Lindly and saw that she was getting more nervous.

    AM

    "No. Mun I have a daughter.

    liter. Her name is R

    name is Rosalie, and we call her Rosie," I filled her in.

    "We! How long have you known?" Dad inquired, straightening himself.

    "I found out three days ago." I answered.

    *You mean to tell me that I have a niece and you selfishly decided to keep her away?" Harper stood up. Her tone held rage and pain. "How could you do this?!" she snapped at Emily. Although she was at fault, I didn''t like how Harper was talking to her.

    "I''m sorry." Emily stood up. "I know that what I did was wrong, but I was trying to build a new life for myself. I didn''t want toe back until I had achieved all that I had dreamt of. If I had told any of you, I wouldn''t have been able to do anything the way I wanted." "Oh really?! And what did you want, Emily! Or Amelia?" Harper was really angry. "What you had achieved could have easily been achieved if you had kept us in the know!"

    -If I had told you the moment I found out, I wouldn''t have been able to leave," Emily defended herself.

    "And why did you have to leave?" Harper''s voice got louder.

    my own would have been linked to your Instead of nervousness, torment took over Emily''s face.

    "Because anything that I would have done on my o family''s name or Jeffrey Harolds name! I had every single chance to use the documents in my favor and y the right cards and easily make a name for myself because I already had a name at that time! I didn''t want to be linked to the family tut abandoned me in any way or the man who believed pictures over me! I was called a gold digger and a cheater. I wasn''t going to be called a leach, Harper"" Harper''s anger slowly started to fade. Emily was heaving and I wasn''t sure if I was supposed to take her out or not.

    "Maybe we all need to calm down," Mum said, standing up. "Amelia, why don''t youe with me?" Mum approached her, cing a hand over her shoulder.

    Without saying another word, the girl I hurt the most walked away with my mum.

    Harper sat down and silence took over the room for a minute before Dad started to talk, "As much as I''m angry, I understand why she did what she did

    I understood too. The way she expressed how she felt made the picture clearer.

    "I traumatized her. She was scared that any sess she would achieve would either be linked to me or Jeffrey Harolds," I said, looking down.

    "And she didn''t want people to think that her sess was built upon the victim card," Dad added.

    It made sense, but I hated that she took away from us four years of my daughter''s life.

    "She could havee back two years ago. She was very sessful at that time too," Harpermented. She was no longer angry. She was confused and probably regretful.

    "After finding out about her brand, I did my research. Two years ago, she had many issues with big names in the industry. I know the way she thinks. She thought that if she hade back during that time, people would have thought that she was going to use our name "Should I should I go check on her!" Harper asked hesitantly.

    "Yeah, sweetheart. Do that," Dad encouraged her.

    Harper got up from her ce and made her way to the backyard where Emily and Mum were.

    "So when can I meet my granddaughter?" Dad asked with a warm smile on his face.

    The excitement in his eyes made me want to get up and bring Rosie to meet them.

 Chapter 42

    Rose and I sat in front of each other in the backyard. I couldn''t look her in the eye. I was ashamed of what I had done. My intentions were never malicious. I didn''t want to hide Rosie from them to hurt them. I just didn''t want my sess to be linked to

    to anyone but me. I had lived my entire life in the shadows of big names. For once, I didn''t want my sess to be linked to any of them.

    "My son

    yson hurt you a lot, huh?" Roses

    spoke, making me look at her.

    "He did.." I nodded, inhaling.

    "Why did you name her Rosalie?" she asked me. She had a motherly smile on her lips.

    "Because you were there for me when nobody else was. You always stood by my side and supported me in a way I had never experienced ever since my mother''s death. I wanted to show you that I never forgot about you the moment I would bring Rosie to meet you." I to "When can I meet her?" Enthusiasm was evident in her voice.

    Today if you''d like. We didn''t want to bring her here before telling you. We wanted to prepare you first," I told her,

    Something caught Rose''s attention when she looked over my shoulder. I turned and found Harper walking towards us.

    "She''s here to talk to you. I''ll leave you two to sort everything out." Rose got up from her ce and walked back inside the house.

    "Can I sit here?" Harper asked.

    "Sure," I mumbled, not looking at her. She sat on the white chair that Rose once upied.

    I wasn''t mad at her. I just didn''t like the way she spoke to me, but I understood that she was angry.

    "I''m really mad at you," she whispered, looking at me.

    "I know and you have every right to be," I told her. Harper and Julian shared the same shade of blue eyes, but her hair wasn''t as dark as his.

    "And I''m sorry for the way I spoke to you" She sounded sincere.

    "It''s fine." I offered her a small smile.

    "I understand, you know. I get it... I get that you didn''t want to be linked to Julian or us in any way," she continued talking. "I just wish that you hadn''t kept Rosie away from us. I had always wanted to be an aunt."

    "I''m sorry... For so long. I wanted my sess to be attributed to my hard work, not a family I belonged to. It was hard for me to cope with everything around after what Julian had done and I needed to have a fresh start. For once, I didn''t want to be a Kensington or a Harol Being all alone was never easy. There were so many nights when I cried myself to sleep. I wanted somebody to hold me and assure me that everything was going to be okay, but I had no one. Even Maya was far away and couldn''t just get in her car and console me like sh The day I was inbor was still fresh in my memory. When my water broke, I freaked out at first, but then I forced myself to calm down and took a cab to the hospital. I was in dire need of somebody to hold my hand and had it not been for the kind nurse who refused to lea It was never easy for me to be on my own, but I had to do it.

    "Was being a Kensington bad?" Harper frowned.

    "Not at all... I loved being a Kensington and I loved being a part of your amazing family, but you... you weren''t there, Harper. You

    didn''t see the way Julian spoke to me when he used of cheating on him. You weren''t there when he threatened to make me regret contacting you. You didn''t see how he threw a check at me and told me that cheaters didn''t get anything, but he didn''t mind a bit of charity "My brother is an idiot," she muttered. "I''m sorry for the way I spoke to you and for what he put you through"

    apology on behalf of her brother, because it didn''t

    "It''s okay. I''m not upset with you. I understand," I assured her, getting up. I meant to ignore her ap mean anything. The damage was done. "I''m going to pick Rosie up and bring her here."

    "I can''t wait to meet her!" Harper eximed happily. "Show me a picture of her!"

    I strolled through the photos on my phone until I found a cute one c of her.

    "That''sher." Thanded her the phone. Harper''s eyes glistened and they almost turned into hearts.

    "She''s adorable!

    "I will go get her," I told harr

    Harper and I walked back i

    inside

    1. The three of them seemed concerned at first, but when they saw that we were fine and talking, they rxed.

    "Im going to bring Rosie, I announced.

    "You came here with me. Let me drive you back. We need to exin to her the situation anyway." He was right. We needed to exin to her that she was about to meet her family. "Okay." I nodded.

    When she met Julian for the first time, she took it well, because I prepared her for that moment. I did tell her that she had a family, but I didn''t talk much about them and thankfully, she didn''t have a lot of questions. I called her nanny on my way back and asked her to dress Rosie because I didn''t want to waste so much time.

    "Rosie, there''s something we want to talk to you about," I said, looking at her. She was in the back seat. Julian surprised me with the car seat he bought for her upon his second day of finishing out about her.

    "What is it?" She titled her head to the side.

    "Today, you''re going to o mert s face.

    some people who love you so much, Julian told her. She didn''t seem excited though. Confusion was obvious on her

    "Who are they?" she wondered, ying with her red skirt.

    "Your grandparents and aunt," I said. I kept my eyes fixated on her face, attempting to read how she was feeling. My daughter was very talkative, so when she didn''t say anything back, I started to worry. "What''s wrong, cupcake?" "What if they don''t like me?" She didn''t even look at me while saying that

    "Rosie, they''re going to like you so much. You don''t need to worry about that Julian was quick to assure her.

    She wasn''t used to meeting so many people in a short period of time, so of course, she was nervous.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    When we arrived at the mansion, I saw how wide her blue eyes got. "They live in a princess house! It''s so big!" she eximed, making meugh. Although I was a millionaire, I didn''t choose a huge mansion for us to live in because there were only two of us. There was no need for a huge ce, "Do you like it!" Julian asked her as he parked the car.

    "It''s

    ''s perfect" She grinned.

    Julian and I got out of the car, then he got Rosie out. I looked at her and saw her clinging to his hand. I loved how it was easy for her to trust him.

    "Mommy"" she called for me as she extended her hand. I smiled and held her tiny hand in mine and the three of us walked towards the front door. If somebody saw us from afar, they would think that we were a happy family. Rosie was the linking point between us, Julian rang the doorbell and we waited for them to open the door for us. I expected a maid to do so, but I found an excited Harper in front of us. The moment she spotted Rosie, she knelt to her level with a big smile on her face.

    -You must

    st be R

    Rosie, right!" Harper beamed at her.

    "I am. Who are you?" Rosie asked her.

    "My name is Harper and I''m your aunt," she introduced herself.

    "Hi" my daughter smiled widely at her.

    "Do you think I can hug you?" Harper softly spoke to her.

    "Yes." Rosie nodded, still smiling.

    Harper didn''t hesitate and was quick to wrap Rosie in her arms. I saw how her eyes brimmed with tears, making my heart crack a little. "I''m so happy to meet you, she murmured and kissed Rosie''s check. "You know! I have two kids and they''re close to your age. I''m sure y can y with them" Rosie asked her excitedly, earning a nod of excitement from Harper.

    Harper took Rosie to the living room, and we followed her behind. The moment Rose and Uncle Steven spotted Rosie. I knew that the meeting was

 Chapter 43

    This step was important. Rosie had to spend some time with Julian and his family on her own without me.

    "You''re going to behave nicely, okay? Do not cause them any trouble," I told my little angel before kissing her cheek. I knew that she wasn''t going to cause them any trouble. Rosie was well behaved and over the past two weeks, she had gotten used to them. She had even met her cousins and they became instant friends.

    It was Saturday, and she was going to sleep over at the Kensington household. Julian and Harper along with her husband and kids were also going to

    I was invited to stay over too, but I politely declined as I wanted her to be alone with them. I wanted her to befortable around them when I wasn''t around.

    OVER

    I also needed to spend some time with Matt as I had barely seen him over the past two weeks.

    "Here are her things. If anything happens call me. She doesn''t really

    get fussy easily, but if she does, just ask her what''s bothering her. I have been teaching her how to express her emotions, so I believe everything will be good. She''s allergic to peanuts, so don''t give her peanut butter." I was rambling "Hey, hey," Julian stopped me, and I did to catch my breath. "Everything will be fine. I know that she''s allergic to peanuts. I know that this is your first time leaving her alone. If you''re worried, you''re more than wee to stay here." "No, I want her to be with you without me," I insisted.

    "As you like. If you get worried about her at any time, call me no matter what the time is, Julian told me, and I nodded.

    I got in my car and drove to Matt''s ce. I was going to spend the night with him. He nned on taking me on a date and I was going to stay over at his ce. He was excited that we were going to spend the day together. I was excited too, but my excitement didn''t matc It took me an hour to arrive at his ce. I parked my car in front of his apartmentplex and made my way to the elevator

    "Hello, darling," he said when he opened the door for me. He wrapped his arms around my body and kissed me.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    I had been dating him for almost a year. He made me happy, and it took me so long to be able

    to get into another rtionship after Julian. I hated how I was never able to love somebody else the way I loved Julian. I was neverfortable around a man the way I used to befortable around Julian. He was my first true love, and nobody was able to make me fall i "You don''t know how excited I am to spend the day with you," he said, guiding me inside with his hand on the small of my back.

    "I''m sorry. I know I have been a terrible girlfriend, but I promise I will make it up to you," I said, pecking his lips.

    Sometimes, I felt guilty because I knew Matt loved me more than I loved him, but the thing was, I had no love in me like I used to. I wasn''t capable of loving anybody the way I once loved Julian.

    "Where do you n on taking me tonight?" I asked, cing my head on his shoulder as we sat on the couch.

    "It''s a dinner date at a very fancy ce, That''s why I told you to put on something nice," he told me

    "I can''t wait," I whispered, kissing his cheek.

    "How''s Rosie? Is she having fun with her dad''s family?" he wondered. Rosie and Matt got along well. It was important for me to make him understand that Rosie was very important in my life and if she wasn''tfortable around him, it would be hard for us to date. Luckily, "She''s having so much fun with them. Her cousins are also there at her grandparents'' ce, so she isn''t going to be alone." I told him

    "I''m d that she finally has a father figure in her life," he said, and I nodded in agreement.

    Before I knew it, Matt and I arrived at the restaurant. I was surprised when I realized that he had reserved the whole ce for us. There were candles everywhere and a violinist was ying a soft melody in the background. "You did this all for me?" I was in pure awe. He went out of his way to make the night special for me.

    "Anything for you, darling," he said as he ced his hands on my waist and kissed my lips. I put my hands on his chest and kissed him back. He was amazing and I was lucky to have him. Sometimes, 1 felt like fate was giving me a second chance at love with Matt and if I didn''t appreciate him. I was going to regret it for the rest of my life.

    The two of us sat down and soon, the waiter brought us our food. He had even ordered my favourite. Everything he had done tonight was ording to my liking and although I should have been happy, fear was gradually taking over my heart

    After finishing our dessert, he got up from his ce and extended his hand to me. "Would you like to dance?" he wondered.

    "I would love dat." I smiled widely at him. I ced my hand in his and I didn''t know why his touch felt foreign. That was adding more to my guilt. Any girl would be over the moon will a man like Matthew, so why wasn''t I?

    "Are you happy here in California?" he asked me..

    "I actually am. I thought that I would be happier in a ce far away from here since a lot of unpleasant things happened in this ce, but I''m actually happier here." California felt like home, and I was d that nothing was able to ruin it for me. "Do you like it here?" I kne "I like it here," he told me with a smile on his face. "And I''m here with you, Amelia. You make any ce good." His hand cupped my cheek as he kissed me. I was lucky to have him. "There''s something I want to give you. We stopped dancing and I didn''t know why, but my increase.

    He put his hand in his pocket and got a small box out, making my eyes go wide. No, I wasn''t surprised. I was scared. I wasn''t ready to get engaged to him. How was I going to say no to him without breaking his heart? He didn''t deserve that from me,

    "Don''t worry, I''m not proposing Was worry written on my face! I hated the sense of relief that took over me when he said that. This is just a promise ring. I promise to always be here for you whenever you need me, and I promise to love you with all my heart. I promise to m I was a terrible person

    He ced the ring on my finger and suddenly, my hand felt heavy. I felt like I was being shackled and the key to my freedom was thrown into the depths of the ocean.

    "Tm the luckiest woman on earth to have an amazing man like you," I whispered as he gently brushed away my tears with his thumb

    As I kissed him, I wondered what it would take me to love him the way he deserved.

 Chapter 44

    I looked at the ring on my finger and twirled it

    around aimlessly. It had been ten days, and I still wasn''t used to wearing it. Sometimes, I took it off and when I did, I felt so much better. There was a kind ofmitment that came along with that ring, and I wasn''t ready for it. Not in the slightest I sat in my office at thepany, looking at the design in front of me. I wasn''t fond of it. Something was missing, but I didn''t know what. Usually. I drowned myself in work to keep my mind off overthinking, but I couldn''t do it today.

    I saw the way Matt smiled when he took a glimpse of the ring on my finger, and it killed me that I wasn''t as happy as he was. In some way, I felt like I was being unfaithful to him.

    While I was examining the design in front of me, my telephone started ringing. I reached for it and answered. "Hello, I absentmindedly answered.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "Miss Eddings. Mr. Kensington is here and he would like to see you, Destiny, my personal assistant, said.

    "Which Kensington?" I wondered.

    "Mr. Julian Kensington," she replied. Of course, it would be him. Why would his dade to see me?

    "Let him in." I told her and hung up. What was he doing here?

    When Julian walked inside. I stood up. He looked good in his dark grey suit. Why did he look better than the fi back?

    Julian, it''s good to see you," I politely said, extending my hand to shake it with his

    first time I saw him when I first came

    "I love the ce. It looks good" hemented as his eyes travelled around the office while shaking my hand.

    "Thank you." The two of us sat down and out of the blue, my mind attacked me with memories of us together when I used to work at hispany and he was my CEO. He used to call me in his office just to spend some time with me. On a lot of asions, he used to surp We were happy.

    We were happy despite a lot of things.

    We were happy until he decided to believe some

    me pictures over me.

    "Would you like to drink something?" I offered, but he shook his head. "So... to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" 1 wondered, looking at him. I didn''t remember him telling me that he was going to v

    visit.

    He was about to say something, but his eyes fell on my hand and he closed his mouth. I looked at where he was staring and noticed what caught his attention. The ring.

    "Congrattions," he muttered, looking away. Did he think that. Even if I was truly engaged, he didn''t have the right to be mad or upset. I once was his girl, but that had ceased to be a long time ago,

    "Thanks." I said, flexing my hand. Was 1 being petty? Yes. Part of me wanted to hurt him the way he hurt me. Another part felt bad for him, because I saw the pain on his face.

    "I came here to give you something." he said. When he first walked in. I didn''t notice the blue file he had with him, but I did now.

    "What''s this?" I asked in confusion.

    He was about to answer, but our conversation got cut by his phone and I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Why did his presence

    make me nervous?

    "What? What hospital? Is she okay?" I gave him my full attention. Worry was evident all over his face. "I''ming!" Quickly, he hung up and I watched as he stood up. Something about his posture didn''t seem right, which made me stand up. "What''s going on?" I asked, approaching him. He was trying to escape my eyes as he kept looking everywhere but me. When I noticed how shaky his hands were, I frowned. "Julian, talk to me."

    "She... she''s not okay. She''s been taken to the hospital," he stutters, finally turning to look at me. His face was a little bit pale and his eyes were wide with horror. I had never seen him in that state before. I didn''t know what to do, so I just reached for his hands and firmly he "Who are you talking about?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm even though his state was making me panic.

    Hammered. His chest was rising and falling quickly and the tremble of his hands was increasing over time.

    nokay, we will go to the hospital and check on her. I just need you to take a deep breath. Can you do that?" He was having a panic attack 1

    bened bom Maya murd in siffer fromthem at some point in her life. I also suffered from them too, so I kind of kiten how to deal with thein. ored you the answer these questions, okay! Do you need to sit down?" When he nodded, I carefully crouched

    on the floor and pulled hun

    11:06 AM C er

    with me.

    green in this roo

    "Alright, please find me something green in

    room." I needed to keep distracting his brain from the panic and make him return to reality.

    "Y-your eyes," he muttered as his eyes were fixated on mine. I expected him to mention the nt I had in one of the corners, but my eyes would

    1. do.

    "Great. Now tell me when your birthday is." I nned on making the questions a bit harder to force his mind to focus. "November 19th." He took a shaky breath as 1 gently started rubbing small circles with my thumbs over his hands.

    "Good. Now, when is Rosie''s birthday?" That was the newest piece of information I had told him.

    "September 5th and yours is January 20th, he replied. I didn''t ask him about my own birthday, but I didn''t care at that moment. That meant his mind was making a return.

    "Good," I smiled at him and scooted a bit closer. "Do you need some water? Is there anything you''d like me to do for you?" I wondered, but he

    shook his head.

    We stayed in silence for a while, then I felt him move as he started to stand up. "Are you okay?" I asked as I got up too. I watched him as he headed towards my desk to get his mobile. He seemed embarrassed by what had just happened, but there was nothing to be ash "Let''s not talk about this, please. I need to go," he said, not looking at me.

    "I''ming with you. I want to check on Rose, too." I cared about Rose a lot. She had always been an amazing person and it would kill me to see

    her hurt.

    Okay, let''s go.

    00

    was d that he didn''t fight me on that, because I couldn''t bring myself to leave him on his own when he had just had a panic

    attack.

 Chapter 45

    I didn''t want anybody to know about my panic attacks. I hated how I got one in front of Emily. I didn''t want her to think any less of me. One of the side effects of loving Emily was developing a strong fear of loss, a sort of separation issue. I had be scared of losing the p Mom suffered from a heart attack, but luckily, they were able to get everything under control. I was still worried though. I knew that I would still be worried even after I would be able to take her home.

    "Here you go." Emily handed Harper, my dad and me cups of coffee.

    "Thank you" Harper smiled at her as she took the cup. We were currently in the waiting room, while Mum was in the ICU. We just wanted to wait until she woke up, then we would go home and visit her the next day. Thanks," I mumbled, taking

    ng the cup from her."

    "Are y

    you sure that Rosie is okay with her nanny?" I asked her.

    "Yes, she''s fine. Her nanny is good and Rosic loves her she assured me. I tensed a little when Emily took a seat beside me. I wanted to run away from her. I didn''t want her to see my vulnerability, yet she had seen a huge part of it. "Are you okay?" she whispered. I hated that what happened made her pity me. I didn''t want her pity. I wanted her to talk to me and sit beside me, but not out of pity.

    "I''m fine." I replied, not looking at her.

    "You''re lying," she pointed out. She was right. I was lying, but what did she expect me to tell her? Did she expect me to admit that I started getting them after I made her leave?

    I could feel her eyes burning through me, but I acted like I didn''t notice the way she was staring at me.

    "Maybe you should go," I mumbled, without looking at her. "I bet your fianc¨¦ doesn''t like your being here." When my eyes fell on the ring on her finger, I mentally lost it. I thought that I had a chance. I was trying to get close to her, but from what I had seen, I had totally lost "He''s not my fiance." That made me look at her. It was her turn not to look at me. But there was a ring on her finger, so what the hell did it mean! "It''s just a promise ring, Julian"

    To say that I was relieved would be an understatement.

    "When I congratted you, you didn''t say anything. Why?" I couldn''t help but ask.

    "I thought you were congratting me for moving my office here." It was obvious that she was lying. I hade to realize that Emily wasn''t a good liar at all. Did she want to make me think that she was engaged? Why would she do that though?

    Ever since her return, Emily made it clear that she didn''t care about me and I was nothing to her but Rosie''s dad. But if she wanted to make me believe that she got engaged, that meant that she cared, right? What if I still had a chance!

    "Why did youe to my office today?" she asked. When I looked at her. I saw her eyes fixed on me. Her stare made my knees go weak. How could she still have that control over me even though it had been five years! I was under her spell. Did she realize that I was bas "I can''t tell you here. Would you like to go for a walk!"

    She looked around, then her eyes fell on me. "Let''s go. She stood up from her ce and only then did I notice the heels she was wearing.

    "Are you going to be able to walk in these?" I asked, pointing at them.

    "Not for a long distance." A sheepish smile appeared on her face.

    "We can just go to the cafeteria," I told her, and she nodded. "Harper, please call me if Mum wakes up. I''m going to the cafeteria with Amelia to her about something." My sister nodded and Emily and I made our way to the cafeteria to talk

    She had been here in California for a while, yet I couldn''t call her Emily in my mind. I only used that name whenever I was addressing her out of respect. She was always going to be my Emily

    fus

    "I know that what I''m about to say may seem unbelievable, but this is what Jeffrey told me five years ago, I started speaking when the two of us sat down. I saw how confusion took over her face when I mentioned Jeffrey''s name. did you meet with him?" she wondered.

    "After what I had done. I tried to right a small part of my wrongs. You were nowhere to be found, so I decided to take revenge on every person who hurt you Starting from Britney to Jeffrey, Maggie and Flona." Surprise was evident in her eyes.

    "Is that how Jeffrey''spany started to lose a lot of money?" she asked and I nodded.

    *He came to me one day and begged me to stop what I was doing to his business. I refused, so he revealed something huge to me. I took a deep breath and

    continued. "When your mum died, she left herpany to you, but Jeffrey stole it. He forged the real documents and the will, taking it all to himself" The way her eyes shed with shock broke my heart. Pain was crystal clear in them. "M-Mum left it for me?" she stammered, and I nodded.

    "When he told me that, I couldn''t find it in my heart to do anything to thepany anymore, so I offered to buy it from him at a very low price and he agreed." I said. She was silent and seemed to be thinking about everything I was telling her. "I bought it for you." That m

    me

    "What do you mean?" She frowned. past five

    "I wanted to give you something from what had been stolen from you, so... I bought it and I have been working on developing it for the p years. My only reason behind buying it in the first ce was that I decided to give it to you once I manage to find you again and here y her.

    She stayed silent and I wasn''t sure how she was processing what I had just told her. Everything I had done was for her. I had no other agenda. I didn''t do it in an attempt to win her back.

    "Why would you even buy it and give him money in the first ce?" she asked.

    "Because I didn''t want to see it in his hands for one minute afterward and it was already worth way more than five million dors, 1 didn''t want to bother myself with legal matters," I replied.

    "You said that you did something to Britney. What did you do to her?" she asked in a quiet

    Lvoice.

    "Britney was a proud girl, so I made sure to humiliate her for a long period of time. I made her work in mypany for three years as a janitor." Emily audibly gasped, making me chuckle a little at her cute reaction.

    "That''s savage," shemented with a littleugh.

    "Not as savage as outing Chester and Fiona to the whole world," I reminded her, making her blush.

    It had to be done," she replied as she drew invisible circles on the table with her finger.

    And I''m proud of you for doing it," I admitted. "I''m d that you made everybody see that you were never the devil." I was really happy for her. I was proud of her and what she had done, but all I wished for was to have another chance. "Why didn''t you tell me once you found out! Why didn''t you give me a chance to prove to you that I could be a better man for you?"

    Because our divorce wasn''t exactly clean. You humiliated me, and made me feel like I was way beneath you. Do I need to remind you of the check?" Her tone wasn''t bitter. She wasn''t throwing at my face what I had done. She was just reminding me of my terrible actions.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    If you had given me the chance, I would have spent every single day cherishing you, appreciating you, and proving to you that I could fix my mistakes," I told her.

    Too bad there''s no time machine." I saw a sad smile on her lips and I wondered if there was

    Is he a good man!" I couldn''t help but ask her.

    still a part of her that still loved me.

    "He is," she assured me "You still don''t want to tell me what happened at my office?" she wasn''t going to let it j She was stubborn and I loved her stubbornness. "Knowing that you''re not going to let it go, I guess I have no choice but to tell you. After all, how could I say no to her?

 Chapter 46

    11

    I didn''t want to know the reason behind his panic attack out of curiosity. I was genuinely worried about him and I wanted to know how he started to get him

    "After I force you to leave then found out the truth, things changed. I started to push everybody away and stayed within the walls of my house, wetu to work and visited my parents asionally. I didn''t do anything else. I didn''t like what he was telling me. I didn''t like the life separation issue. I''m scared of losing the people I love."This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    His eyes didn''t meet mine and all I wanted at that moment was to assure him that he had nothing to be ashamed of

    "I have been attending therapy sessions." I wanted him to know that he wasn''t alone.

    "I scarred us, didn''t I?" he mumbled with a sad smile. I didn''t know what to tell him, because I really got scarred. It was my first time to notice that he was scarred too,

    "Maybe we need to look at what happened from a different point of view," I said, trying to make him feel better...

    "What do you mean?" he wondered.

    "It helped us to grow, Julian, and now we have our little Rosie," I told him.

    I took a look at him face and knew that he didn''t agree with me. The more time I spent with Julian, the more I realized that he wasn''t really okay. I didn''t know what to do to help him out and I didn''t like seeing him in that state,

    I was still in a state of disbelief because of what he had done for me. He bought thepany for me. When I left, I thought that he would forget about me. Not once had I thought that he would still be hung up on me. I thought he would move on after maybe a year or two. It had been a long day, and I only went home after Rose had been transferred to a normal room. Rosie had already fallen asleep by the time I was back.

    It was hard for me to fall asleep as I kept thinking about everything that had taken ce after my return. I knew that once I was back, there would be a bit of drama, but I didn''t expect to see Julian in that state,

    While I was alone in my bed. I felt somebody open the door to my room, making me quickly sit up, I saw Rosie walking inside my bedroom, making me breathe out in relief

    "I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you?" she mumbled sleepily. I immediately opened my arms for her, and shetched onto me, letting go of the teddy bear she was holding

    "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked her, but she shook her head, holding more onto me. I kissed her head and made sure that she wasn''t cold before finally deciding to close my eyes.

    Two dayster, Rose was finally able to go back home, and Julian asked me if I could bring Rosie to see her.

    "Daddy!" Rosie happily hollered once she saw him. The bond between them had been growing and it was getting stronger with time.

    = "Hello, cupcake." He kissed her cheek. "I missed you?

    "I missed you too," she said with a bright smile on her face. Her blonde hair was up in two pigtails, and she looked extra adorable

    The three of us headed to Rose''s bedroom since she was in bed.

    The moment Rosie saw her, she ran and gave her a hug.

    "Mommy told me that you''re a little bit sick. I hope you get well soon," Rosie told her grandma.

    "Thank you, sweetheart" Rose kissed her check.

    "Can I talk to you for a moment outside?" I asked Julian who nodded at my request.

    "Is everything okay!" he asked me. I got the Filene brought to my office out of my bag and handed it to him. "I don''t understand." He frowned.

    "I can''t ept something I haven''t paid for, Julian." I didn''t w money he previously paid.

    want to let go of my mother''spany, I was hoping that he''d let me pay him the

    "It''s yours. It shouldn''t belong to anyone else," he argued. "Just because I''m the one who got it back for you that doesn''t mean that you don''t have the right to own it." "You bought it, Julian. This makes it yours, not mine." I tried to exp

    exin my point of view to him, but he wasn''t having it

    If our divorce was normal, you would have gotten way more than what thispany was worth when I first bought it," he tried to reason with me, but I shook my head 1106 AM c d

    "Even if our divorce was civil. I would have gotten nothing because I signed a prenup, remember?"

    "I would have given you something!" he argued.

    "I don''t ept charity, Julian. I either earn what I get or I don''t want it at all," I told him.

    "It''s not charity! It''s your right. It''s yourpany. Your mum left it for you. I only bought it back to give it to you because I couldn''t stand it being

    Tit

    in Jeffrey''s hand any longer," Julian tried to convince me.

    "Then let me pay you the money you bought it with at least," I gave him an option, but it was clear that he wasn''t fond of it.

    "Not going to happen." He shook his head.

    "We need to reach an agreement and you''re not helping." I sighed in frustration.

    You can just end this all if you ept it," he said, shrugging.

    "I won''t take something for free, I insisted.

    Julian and I were basically in a staring contest and neither of us seemed to be ready to give up for a while. But then he came up with a good solution when he said, "Give it to Rosie. What do you think about this?" I stayed silent for a few seconds, before finally nodding. That was a good option.

    "Is everything okay here?" Uncle Steven''s voice caught our attention.

    "Yeah, everything is fine." I smiled at him.

    My phone started ringing in my bag, so I got it out to see who was calling.

    It was Maya.

    "Hey, Maya," I said. As I heard what she had to say, I realized that I wasn''t going to bepletely free of everything I once ran away from.

 Chapter 47

    I should have known that they weren''t going to leave me alone. Logically, we no longer had any connections, but when it came teis

    nothing made sense. Theycked logic. the Harolds

    When Maya called me two days ago, she told me that Jeffrey contacted her, telling her that he wanted to get in contact with me. Maya knew better than to give him my number. She knew quite well that I didn''t want anything to do with the Harolds. After taking his number from her, I made my personal assistant call him and give him an appointment.

    I knew why he didn''t try toe to my office and opted to call Maya, Simply, the man was scared that I might humiliate him and that was something his ego could never recover from. He wanted to make sure first that I was going to treat him with respect. He was stupid though, because there was no guarantee that I might be cordial with somebody like him. Not when he had failed to show mepassion and love when I needed him the most.

    "I wish I could ask to what I owe the pleasure of this visit, but I believe you''re smart enough to find out on your own that I find no pleasure in seeing you." I spoke, resting my back against my chair as I sat behind my desk. "You''re my daughter. I should have the right to see you" I found myselfughing upon hearing what he had just said. The audacity of that man.

    "Daughter? Are you for real?" I tapped my fingers on my desk.

    "Yes! I''m your father! Why the hell was he getting angry! He didn''t have the right to get angry. I was the one who was supposed to him. That man had disappointed me throughout every single step I had taken in my life. to show a

    vanger, not

    "No, you''re not. You''re nothing to me! I only agreed to meet you to hear the nonsense you had to say, but I have no obligation towards you." I wanted him to understand that he was nothing to me.

    "Yes.

    1. s. you do! Your husband destroyed me because of your little stunt! You should pay me back what he made me loser" he dared to yell at me. I wanted to do nothing but smash his head against the wall.

    "First of all, julian is my ex-husband and I didn''t ask him to do anything, so you might want to sort out your problems with him, not me." My voice got a little louder. "As for my little stunt, it was the only thing I could do to fix the image that your dear step- daughter ruined. Do I need to remind you of what she had done to me!".

    "You could have kept it a secret! Because of you, I lost everything," he snapped. His face was getting red.

    "You lost everything? Do you mean thepany you stole?" I smirked, staring at him. Realization hit him. Did he think that Julian was going to keep me in the dark? "How could you steal thepany of your own daughter?" I spat. "What kind of a man are you?" "So what if I wanted to make myself rich! I used to provide you with everything you needed!" I didn''t understand how brazen-faced that man was,

    "Provided me with what I needed! You spent my money on your wife and her daughter! You gave them everything on a silver tter and made me work for everything I wanted even when it was my right in the first ce!"

    "It made you stronger. You should thank me!" I wanted to punch him in the face.

    "I didn''t need to be stronger! I needed to have a father in my life! I needed to feel loved!" It took a lot of effort to prevent myself from screaming at him. "What did I ever do to you to make you hate me that much!"

    "I never wanted a child from your mother. She trapped me into that marriage by getting pregnant with you. I didn''t want a child at that time."

    "But it was easy for you to love, Fiona?" I couldn''t understand his logic.

    "By the time I met Maggie, I was ready to be a father and I couldn''t find it in my heart to love you enough when you were from the woman I only married for money How the hell was it easy for him to tell me that!This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Get the hell out of here. I never want to see your face ever again." I wasn''t going to cry in front of him. He was still there, not moving a muscle. "If you don''t get out now, I''m going to get the security to throw you out," "That made him move.

    Once he left my office, I broke down in tears. He only married Mum for her money and couldn''t love me because I was simply her daughter and he didn''t want to have a child with her. It was easy for him to love

    Fiona because she wasn''t my mum''s daughter. It was easy for him to provide her with everything he had taken away from me.

    I didn''t know for how long I kept crying, but I was very detached from the world around me that I didn''t feel Matthew walking in

    "What happened, baby?" he asked me, wrapping me in his arms. For some reason, I didn''t want to tell him. I wanted to keep what happened today

    to myself. Matt was an amazing partner, but I wasn''tfortable enough to make him see the reason behind my vulnerability.

    "I just met my father and it wasn''t a pleasant meeting. I mumbled, not wanting to tell him anything else.

    Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" he w

    wondered, caressing my hair.

    11.00 AM

    "Can you just take me home?" I whispered, looking at him.

    He nodded and helped me up to my feet

    He took me to my home and I did my best to look fine in front of Rosie since I didn''t want to worry her.

    When we went to my room, he ran a hot bath for me to make me rx. Matthew was fantastic in every possible way. He was the partner every girl could ever wish for and that made my guilt intensify. I felt that I wasn''t giving him the love he deserved. When I got out of the shower and made my way downstairs, I found him ying with Rosie on the x-

    box. She was smiling andughing, enjoying her time with him. I was scared that I might be confusing her. I didn''t want her to think that I had two men in my life. I wanted to exin to her that there was a difference between my rtionship with Matt and what I had with I made my way towards them and sat down beside Matt, Instantly, he wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my temple, making me smile.

    "Are you better now?" I nodded at his question and rested my head on his shoulder. I wasn''t better, I was far from being okay, but I didn''t want to answer any questions, I didn''t want to pour my heart out to anybody

    night, I slept in Matthew''s arms and for some reason, I felt like I didn''t

    belong. There was a barrier between the two of us and I couldn''t understand what was wrong with me. As I closed my eyes, I hoped that I was only paranoid and nothing was wrong with my rtionship with Matt I silently prayed that I was still cautious and nothing more w

 Chapter 48

    "Daddy, why aren''t you living with us?" I stilled upon hearing my daughter''s question. She hadn''t asked me that question before, so I didn''t

    understand why the was asking Julian directly.

    It had been almost three weeks since Jeffrey''s dreadful visit. I didn''t tell Julian anything about the visit even though part of me wanted to do so. I kept myself busy with work and focused on working on Maya''s wedding dress. Her wedding was in two weeks and only the fina Julian gave me an assuring look, silently telling me that he got this. "Daddy made a huge mistake a long time ago, and Mommy can''t find it in her heart yet to forgive him." Something about his words made my heart clench. Sometimes, I felt like I was a terrible viin for n "A big mistake? I don''t think it''s as big as what I made. I once broke her favorite perfume, but when she saw that I was really sorry she forgave me and didn''t even punish me," she told him, making me smile. I wish his mistake was as big as she considered hers to be. "My D

    "How

    mistake was bigger than you

    yours, sweetheart," Julian told her, making her frown as she ced a piece of Lego over the other.

    Did you break two of her favourite perfumes!" she wondered.

    I wasn''t sure how Julian was going to exin the situation to her. I didn''t want her to know the exact events. She was too young to understand and I didn''t want her to get the

    wrong impression about her father Julian was a good father and I didn''t want anything to ruin his image in her eyes.

    "Okay, imagine this with me," Julian

    adjusted his position and I kept my eyes on him. The two of them were sitting on the floor, ying with leggos. "Imagine that Mommy found her favorite perfume broken, but you didn''t break it this time. Despite that, Mommy used you of breaking it, and no matter what you said, she didn''t believe you and she even ended up telling you not to talk to

    her ever again." Rosie''s mouth turned into an o shape. "I did something simr to that. Mommy kept telling me that she didn''t do what I had used her of doing, but I didn''t believe her."

    "You did that?" Rosalie said in disbelief and Julian shamefully looked down. "Yeah, it''s pretty bad." Despite the seriousness of the situation, I found myself smiling at my daughter''s adorable reaction. She had her lips turned to the side with a little pout.

    "No hope for me, huh?" He was addressing her, but I knew that the question was meant for me. I felt bad for Julian. He didn''t deserve the self-loath he was putting himself through.

    "No, be hopeful. I think Mommy may forgive you one day. It will just take time," Rosalie smiled at him.

    Rose told me before how bad he had been without me, but I never thought it was that bad. The thing was, she told me that he was getting better, so

    was the better version of him, I was petrified of seeing how he used to beN?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    if that

    "Im going to get you both juice, okay?" I said, getting up from my ce.

    "Actually, would you like to go out?" Julian asked us.

    "Yes!" Rosalie squealed, jumping up from her ce.

    I didn''t really n on going out, but I could see how excited Rosalie and Julian were, so I couldn''t find it in my heart to tell them no

    "Cupcake, I''m sorry, I should''ve asked Mommy first. Maybe she doesn''t want to go out," Julian told Rosalie whose face fell.

    "You guys can go. I''m going to stay here and work on Maya''s dress," 1 told them.

    "But Mommy, we can just go for ice cream ande back quickly. Pleasee with us," Rosie pleaded as she got up and held onto my hand. I looked at the clock on the wall, then looked at the two of them. "Fine, but no more than two hours, then we have to get back ck here Rosie cheered while Julian got up from his ce and said in a yful tone while bowing, "Your wish is mymand, your majesty."

    The two of us ended up going to a nice ice cream ce that was close to a park.

    "You still like Nute ice cream?" Julian asked me as we stood in front of the ice cream fridge. Why couldn''t he forget anything about me? "Yes, I was actually thinking about getting it," I told him. "You''re getting mango, right?" I wondered.

    "Yeah, what do you want to get, Rosie??

    "Cookies and cream. She grinned.

    The three of us waited for our order and I noticed a smile on Julian''s lips, but he was zoned ous.

    "What''s on your mind?" I asked, not sure if he actually heard me or not. When he didn''t reply, I snapped my fingers in front of him. That caught his attention. "What''s on your mind?" I repeated my question.

    "Dhawe just realized that I have only started to eat ice cream again after Rosie appeared in my life," he admitted

    ww

    I used to get ice cream regrly with him, but he only went because I loved it so much. He did like ice cream too, but he wasn''t as obsessed with it as I used to be "I don''t get it as much as I used to. After giving birth, my body changed a little and I had to look after my bod on me? I should stop him. I

    "You still look as stunning as ever" My cheeks reddened and I looked down. Why did hispliments have that effect on shouldn''t allow him to talk to me like that because I had a boyfriend. Something was wrong with mel

    ng them.

    After taking our ice cream cones, the three of us headed towards the park. There was ake there that had ducks and Rosie loved watching

    Julian and I sat on the bench in front of theke and watched Rosie as she kept her eyes on the ducks.

    "Are you working on a new collection!" Julian wondered.

    "I actually am. The fashion show is in almost three months and Maya''s wedding is near. I have billions of things to do. I barely have time to breathe." Why was I venting to him? Why was it bing easier to talk to the man who supposedly stomped on my heart? ""Mommy! Can 1 feed them ice cream?" Rosie asked me.

    "No, sweetheart. You can''t. The ice cream is just for you" I replied.

    "How was it like raising her on your own!" Julian surprised me with that question

    "It was tough at first. Giving birth on my own was hard. When my water broke, I panicked and I almost called Maya, but I knew that Maya would have probably told you about my whereabouts, so I chose to do it all on my own. I called a cab to take me to the hospital and a kind nurse there who was always with me. I was so exhausted, but the moment I held her in my arms for the first time, I forgot everything."

    I smiled when I remembered the first time I held her. She was incredibly tiny, and her skin was pink. Her cries were soft, but the moment her face touched me, she started to calm down. Tears welled in my eyes, and it took me five minutes to stop them from falling. "You raised her well," Julian said, making my smile grow,

    "And you''re doing an amazing job" He needed to know that he was a good father.

    After a while, it was time to leave, but as I was walking, a teenager on a skateboard almost ran into me, so Julian quickly pulled me towards him, but 1 ended up twisting my ankle, which made me wince.

    "Are you hurt Concern took over his features.

    -My ankle hurts. I think I twisted it." I flinched when I tried to take a step.

    "I''m so sorry! I didn''t mean to do it." The teenager ran towards me. She looked worried and slightly scared.

    "It''s okay. It was an ident." I assured her. "Just take care next time."

    She looked apologetic. Once again, she said sorry and walked away.

    "Mommy, you okay?" Worry filled my daughter''s voice..

    "Yes. I''m okay, cupcake."

    Julian ended up taking me to the hospital to make sure that my ankle wasn''t in a bad state. Luckily, the doctor told me that I needed to ice it for three days and refrain from wearing heels for a week and things would be okay. Julian was really an

    t

    was really anxious even after I told him I was fine and he didn''t calm down until the doctor assured him I was going to recover in mere days.

    "Please don''t work today," Julian said as he helped me sit down on the couch. He insisted on carrying me inside and ended up ordering pizza for Rosie and me. I couldn''t find it in my heart to let him leave without eating with us, so I told him to stay. The way his eyes lit up

    At night, before going to sleep, I decided to check the news and my heart almost stopped beating when I saw that paparazzi had snapped pictures of Julian and me. The pictures were posted on various websites and the one in which he held me when I sprained my ankle One article was titled ''Are Julian and Amelia Finally Getting Back Together?"

    I scrolled through thements, and everybodymented on how we looked so good together.

    No, we didn''t look good together. Our rtionship was in the past and we weren''t going to end up getting back together. They needed to

    understand that

    Some of thements were about how cute we were as a family

    were as a family and we all looked so good together.

    Julian had alrearly been spotted with Rosie and there were so many questions going around. I told him to confirm that she was ours. We both agreed not to tell the medu anything about us and we only told them about Rosie because we didn''t want anything negative to be 11:06 AM

    I needed to talk to Matthew about that. I needed to exin the situation to him. I might not be madly in love with him, but I wasn''t going to hurt him. I wasn''t that woman. If I ever felt that I had feelings for another man, I would never stay with him. I wasn''t going to cheat on I wasn''t a cheater.

 Chapter 49

    hapter

    49

    Was I a termble person for liking the pictures that were posted online? The night they were posted, I found myself staring at them, wishing that what was written was real.

    I knew that Krusily was going to freak out upon seeing them, so I made sure to take everything under control. I made a few calls before falling asleep and when Ewoke up, the pictures were already taken down along with the articles. Yes. I was helping her when she sprained her ankle, but I couldn''t ignore how my heart was dancing in my chest when her body was close to mine. Het sweet scent hit my nose and it took me to the first time I took her in my arms.

    I had been five days since the pictures were posted and she told me it would be better to keep it low to avoid any unwanted attention. As if we were doing anything to keep things low! We were barely hanging out and Rosie was always with us.

    As I was sitting in my office, reviewing some documents, the telephone rang, so I picked it up. "Mr. Kensington, somebody wants to see you. His name is Matthew Chapman." That was Emily''s boyfriend. What the hell was he doing here?

    I had only met him once at the party where I first saw Emily face-to-

    face after five years, but we didn''t really talk. However, I made sure to do my research about him. I wanted to know more about the man who had her heart. I wanted to know the man who nned on taking the ce I once upied, not to mention the fact that he was also "Let him in." I told him and put the documents in front of me aside.

    A minuteter, he walked inside, and I

    Thank

    you. Mr. Kensington," he said

    up to greet him "Have a seat please," I said after we shook hands.

    "You can call me Julian." I sat down and kept my eyes on him. "May I know the reason behind your visit!" I wanted to get straight to the point

    I''m here because of Amelia," he replied. What did he want to talk about?

    "What''s there to talk about?" I frowned

    "I don''t like your presence in her life" Did he think that I was going to get out of her life easily!

    "I believe that you seem to forget that Amelia and I have a child together," I reminded him.

    "I know, but you two shouldn''t go out together. I believe you have seen the pictures that were posted online and I don''t want any rumors to circte about you two," he spoke with so much confidence, as if I was going to do what he wanted. "And I''m the one who made them disappear." 1 said.

    "I understand that you have a daughter with Amelia, but that doesn''t mean that you''re wee at her ce." He had some nerve. Who the hell did he think he was toe to my office and talk to me like that?

    "I visit my daughter at Amelia''s ce and since it''s her ce, she''s the only person who has the right to prevent me from going there. I wasn''t going to let him bully me into staying away.

    "The woman you''re talking about is going to be my wife sooner orter, so if I told her I don''t like you going to her house, she''s not going to refuse." My blood started to boil when he said the word "wife.

    "Then you can discuss this with her and as long as you two do not live in your marital home, you don''t have a say in this. I will be waiting for what Amelia has to say," I smirked, resting my back against my chair.

    I knew Emily. She wasn''t going to prevent me from seeing my daughter at her ce.

    "Do you think I don''t know!" Anger started to surface in his voice.

    "Know what?" I curiously asked.

    "That you still love her, I lost myposure for a moment but quickly recovered. Was it obvious that I was still in love with her? Could Emily tell?

    respect

    her" I kept my reply short.

    "And love her." Matthew chuckled. I wanted to punch him.

    "She''s the mother of my child. Of course, I''m going to love her. I decided to get on his nerves. Two could y this game.

    going to make sure that you''ll never see her again!" He practically jumped out of his seat. Great. I managed to annoy him.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "I''ll be waiting." I called after him as he mmed the door of my office as he stormed out.

    I might be trying to get on his nerves, but from the inside, I was petrified. What if he had the power over her to make her stop seeing me? Seeing ler made me feel alive. Whenever I spent time with her and Rasie, I felt like there was hope.

    I knew that it was wrong of ine to think like that, but I couldn''t help it. Whenever I saw her, I couldn''t help but picture the two of us together. All 1 wanted was to be able to hold and kiss her like I used to.

    I missed the sensation of her skin against mine and the way our lips perfectly fit. Emilypleted me in different ways and nobody else could do that but her. Emily was my soulmate and if I wasn''t destined to spend the rest of my life with her, I didn''t want to spend it with a was it for me.

    Not wanting to keep something away from her, I decided to call Emily to tell her what happened.

    *Hey Julian," she said.

    "Hi Amelia. How are you?"

    "I''m good. I hope you''re okay." I wasn''t blind. I had been noticing the change in Emily''s behavior with me. When we first started to talk, she was very reserved and kept her answers short, but now things were different. She was much more talkative, and I liked how she di to do. "I''m all good. There''s something I want to talk to you about," I told her, taking a deep breath.

    "Is everything okay?"

    I told her everything that happened with Matthew, not keeping anything to myself. 1 even told her about how he said I still loved her. I didn''t want to lie to her. I did it once and I wasn''t going to make the same mistake twice.

    "Do you think you can pick Rosic up? I want to talk to him, but I don''t want her to be around," Emily requested.

    "Amelia, I swear I don''t mean to cause any trouble between you and your boyfriend. I just wanted to keep you in the know. It did kill me to see her with another man, but I wasn''t going to ruin her rtionship with him to have her for myself.

    "I know, Julian. I just want to talk to him freely and Rosie gets scared easily of any heated talks," she exined to me.

    "Should I send my driver to pick her up?" I asked her.

    "If you want to send the driver, that''s fine by me and if you want to pick her up yourself, you''re more than wee to do so," she told me, making relief fill my heart because it meant that I was still wee at her ce. It meant that I still had a ce in her life, and I was go me to keep that ce.

 Chapter 50

    "Why did you feel the need to visit Julian in his office?" I calmly asked Matt as the two of us sat in my backyard. I messaged him earlier, telling him I wanted to talk. Julian canie to pick up Rosie an hour and a half ago, so it was just the two of us. Matt scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "It didn''t take him long to inform you."

    Just wanted to understand his point of

    "That doesn''t answer my question, Matt Why did you feel the need to talk to Julian?" I didn''t want to fight. I just view.

    lon''t like his being around you," Matt replied.

    "Because I don''t

    I sighed and kept my eyes fixated on him. "He is my daughter''s father. I can''t just prevent him from seeing her here."

    "Yes, you can! He isn''t just your daughter''s father, Amelia, Stop lying to yourself!" he snapped.

    "Julian hasn''t done anything to make me question his motives." He hadn''t done anything, right! "Hees here to see Rosie and y with her. I''m doing my best to provide her with a healthy environment."

    "And this healthy environment should be here? Can''t it exist anywhere else?" he eximed, standing up.

    "This is her home! Of course, it should be here." I stood up too. The conversation was getting heated, and I didn''t want that.

    "Julian still loves you!" Matt shouted, but his voice was filled with frustration, not anger,

    "If you n on shouting, maybe we should get inside. I don''t want to piss off my neighbours," I calmly stated.

    "Fine, let''s get inside." He stormed inside and I followed him. That wasn''t my original n. I wanted to have a civil conversation about this, but I guess it was hard to do so when the matter involved your ex and your current partner.

    I knew Julian still loved me, but he didn''t do anything to try to take me from Matt. He respected my new rtionship and although I saw it in his eyes that he didn''t like the fact that I wasn''t his, he didn''t do anything to ruin my rtionship with Matt.

    I to

    "Listen, Matt." I took a deep breath. "I know quite well that this isn''t the best situation. I know that it is hard to ept the presence of my ex

    in my life, but from day one, I didn''t lie to you. When we started to know each other, I told you about Rosie and I told you about my ns toe back to California. I told you I wanted her father to be involved in her life, so what''s new?" "Haven''t you seen the pictures, Amelia? Haven''t you seen the way he looked at you?" Matt hissed.

    "I sprained my ankle, and he was helping me out!" I eximed. "I couldn''t even take a step because the pain was so bad! And he was just worried! He didn''t even touch me inappropriately while helping me!"

    "Amelia, 1 don''t like where this is going. You need to stop him froming here," Matt insisted. "If you''re embarrassed and can''t find a way to tell this to him yourself, I can do the hard work for you."

    "I''m not going to prevent Rosie from seeing her father here and that''s final," I said, sitting down on the beige recliner

    "Yes"

    all that you have to say?" Matt seemed pissed.

    "Then I need time. I don''t think I can handle this."

    Was he breaking up with me?

    "Are you breaking up with me?" I voiced out the question that took over my thoughts.

    "No, I just need to think about how our rtionship is going. I will call you. Without saying anything else, Matt made his way towards the door.

    I rested my back against the recliner and closed my eyes, trying to think about everything.

    When Julian divorced me, I was devastated. It seemed like my world wasing to an end. But as I sat here and thought about what Matt had just said, I realized that I wasn''t upset in the least way. Was that a sign"

    I knew that it was hard to ept the type of life I wanted for my daughter, but I wanted Julian to have a role in his daughter''s life. I wanted him to be involved and he wanted that too. I already felt bad for taking away four years of her life from him. I couldn''t take more. What if I wasn''t ready to take my rtionship with Matt a step further! If he broke up with me, would that be for the best?

    I wanted to talk to Maya, but I wasn''t going to bother her with my problems now. She was busy with the wedding preparations.

    I got up from my ce and made my way to the kitchen. I didn''t have the appetite to have dinner, but I needed something to calm me down, Mi

    11:07 AM

    ended up making chamomile tea.

    Before going to bed, I decided to check my phone and found a message from Julian. I smiled a little when I opened it because it was a picture of them with flour on their noses and a simple goodnight written on it. What were they doing? Did Julian learn how to bake after ''She''s all good and fast asleep beside me. We made muffins together. They turned out bad and we both decided to leave baking for you from now on" Iughed at his message.

    Til make sure to make you muffins! Goodnight I replied. I got a reply from him almost instantly wishing me to have a goodnight

    I drank my tea in silence and kept thinking about my rtionship with Matt. If he broke up with me, would Julian try to make a move? And if Julian made a move, would I ept him back as my lover! Was I ready topletely forgive him for what he had done to me? I wou I did my best to silence my screaming thoughts and closed my eyes in an attempt to fall asleep.

    I woke up the next day to somebody ringing the doorbell. I wasn''t expecting anybody to pay me a visit on a Saturday morning. I pushed myself out of bed and made my way downstairs.

    When I looked through the peephole, I saw Matt standing outside. Slowly, I opened the door and found him in front of me with a huge bouquet of red roses.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "Amelia, I''m so sorry. When I got back homest night, I realized that I had messed up, so I''m here to apologize. You were right. Rosie deserves to see her

    father at your ce, and Ipletely understand. I was just jealous. Please forgive me." He extended the bouquet towards me, and my heartbeats started to race. He made a quick return. I thought he was going to take at least a week.

    "Do you forgive me!" he asked, tearing my heart with guilt.

    "Yes," I whispered and managed to feign a smile.

    The heaviness I felt when he took a step towards me and kissed my lips made me question our entire rtionship.

 Chapter 51

    on her.

    "You look absolutely stunning!" I gushed as my best friend twirled in the wedding dress I made for her. It looked perfect on

    "It''s amazing! Thank you!" she eximed, giving me a tight hug. We were currently at the atelier at my house and that was the final fitting for the dress

    Her wedding was in ten days, and I was pretty excited for her. Sam was the perfect man for her, and he made her really happy. She deserved someone like him, and she was the perfect partner for him.

    I was d that I was the one who yed the matchmaker in their rtionship, and I always made sure to tease them about that.

    "Rosie, what do you think?" Maya asked my little girl who seemed a little bit sullen. She had been acting like that for the past five days and I didn''t understand what was going on. I tried to get her to talk, but she refused to tell me anything. Even Julian tried to get her to talk "You look beautiful." she smiled at Maya, but I could tell that it wasn''t my daughter''s real smile.

    "Cupcake, is everything okay?" I asked her as I knelt to her level.

    "Yes." She gave me another fake smile and nodded. I heavily sighed and pulled her into a hug, and she surprised me with the way she held me. She beld

    on to me tightly, as if she was scared.

    "Rosie, you know you can tell me anything, right?" I said, looking at her face.

    "I know." She nodded. "I''m going to y in my room."

    Not wanting to force her to stay, I nodded and let her go.

    "What''s wrong with her? Maya wondered and I shrugged.

    "I don''t know what to do. She has been like that for a while. One day she was all good and the next she was in a constant bad mood" I sighed, rubbing my forehead

    "Did anything happen recently?" she asked me and I shook my head.

    "I even made sure that she wasn''t home when Matt came over to talk to me about Julian," I told her, I had told her before what happened, but I kept some parts to myself. Precisely, I kept anything rted to the way I had been feeling out

    "Just take slow steps with her and she''s going to open up to you," Maya assured me. "Speaking of Julian, you sure you don''t mind inviting him to the wedding?"

    "Yes, I don''t mind. I have learned to co-exist with Julian and things have been good between us," I told her as 1 helped her out of the dress.

    My phone started ringing, so I went to check who was calling

    ""Hey, Harper," I answered.

    "Hey. How are you?" she said.

    "I''m good, you?"

    "All good. Listen, I''m taking the kids to the arcade, and I was wondering if it''s okay with you to let Rosie join us," she requested.

    "Of course! She has actually been really down bately and I don''t know what''s wrong with her. She doesn''t want to talk, but if you can get her to, that would be amazing," I told her.

    "I will do my best. Get her ready and I will pick her up in an hour" she assured me.

    After she hung up, I made my way to Rosie''s room and found her ying with her dolls. I sat down on the floor beside her and kissed her cheek. "What''s my most favorite girl in the world doing?" I asked her. "ying with my dolls. Do you want to y with me?" she asked me, giving me one of the dolls, specifically, her favourite one.

    "Well, I''m actually here to ask you if you''d like to go to an arcade, I wondered as I took the doll from her. I gently picked her up and ced her on myp.

    "With you?" Her eyes lit up.

    "No, cupcake. Auntie Harper is taking your cousins to the arcade and told me that you can tag along if you want, I told her, caressing her hair. Her eyes returned to how dull they were and I frowned. I didn''t know what was wrong with her. "Rosie, why are you upset?" I asked, kissing her temple.

    "Mormy, you love me, right?" I was taken aback by her question. Why would she ask me that question! Had I been neglecting her?

    "I love you and I love every single thing about you," I told her, holding her close to me. "You''re my entire world and there''s nobody else in this world that I love more than you."

    A real smile appeared on her face and she muzzled her face in my chest. "You won''t be upset if I go, right?" she asked and I immediately shook my

    head

    "Let''s pick a nice outfit, yeah!" She gave me one of those bright smiles that I absolutely adored. The two of us got up and we picked a nice together. After dressing her and fixing her hair, the two of us went downstairs. Maya was already there, making lunch for us.

    Luckily. Rosie''s mood improved and I was relieved that she was doing well Was all she needed was to hear me tell her I loved her? Didn''t I tell her enough?

    I knew that I had been busytely, but had I not been paying her attention? Maybe I needed to take her on a vacation after the fashion show. I wanted to make it up to her. I didn''t want

    to be the mother who picked her career over her child. She was my number one priority and if I had to take some time off to take care of her, then I was going to do that

    I spent the rest of the day with Maya, doing some things rted to her wedding. Thankfully, everything was good and nothing was dyed. She had a great wedding nner, who made sure that everything was

    on track. Although Maya could have left everything to the wedding nner, she chose to be involved.

    "Sam is on his way," Maya told me. The three of us were going to have dinner together. Rosie was going to have dinner with her cousins, then "Harper was going to bring her home.

    I checked on her twice and Harper informed me that she was happy and enjoying her time. Maybe all she needed was a day out. I hadn''t taken her out in almost five days. She could have told me though. I would have taken her out if she wanted.

    "I think I haven''t been paying attention to Rosie," I told Sam and Maya while we were having dinner.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "You not paying attention to Rosie?" Sam chuckled. "That''s just like saying Earth is t."

    I told them about her question and how she started to get bener afterwards. I also told them about how she was happy with her cousins and aunt. Clearly, I had been doing something wrong.

    "Rosie is a child" Maya told me. "Maybe she watched a bad video or had a bad dream and doesn''t want to talk about it." I wasn''t convinced, but I just nodded.

    After half an hour, Rosie came back and I loved how joyful she looked "Did you have fun?" I asked her, earning a vigorous nod from her. I was relieved that she was finally happy. "Do you want to drink hot chocte?" I asked her. "Yes!" she excitedly said.

    I ended up making hot chocte for the four of us since Maya and Sam were still at my ce. As we were watching tv, Rosie identally knocked my cup of hot chocte while bringing hers.

    Instantly, her eyes went wide and she looked at me with pure fear in her eyes.

    ¦°¦¥

    "M-mommy. I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to do it. I will clean it up!" she stuttered, making her frown. Why was my daughter scared of 1 I done something that made her scared of me!

    Lof me like that? Had

    "Rosie, it''s okay. I''m not upset with you, cupcake," I assured her, bringing her close to me. I didn''t care about anything but her. Why did she freak out like that!

    Maya started to clean up the coffee table while I focused on my daughter

    "I didn''t mean to do it," she cried. I looked at my friends in confusion and they seemed to be as confused as me. "Please don''t make me leave. I will be a better girl, I promise." Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks and my frown deepened What did she mean?

    "Make you leave! Cupcake, what do you mean by that?" 1 softly asked her.

    "Aren''t you nning on sending me away to live with Daddy, I love Daddy, but I want to live with you." She sniffed and I straightened my back for a moment. "I''m trying to be a good girl and not cause you trouble, so you won''t send me away." Maya and Sam seemed more confused than ever and I was utterly baffled.

    "Rosie, this isn''t true. I''m not sending you anywhere. Is it because of the night you spent at Daddy''s ce? Did you think that I''m going to send you to live with him?" ? needed to understand what made her think like that. She slowly shook her head, then looked down

    "Aren''t you going to make a new family and forget about me?" Her questions had me baffled. Where the hell did theye fromt

    "Rosic, Mommy loves you so much and she would never let you go, Sam assured her.

    "Who told you that, sweetheart?" Maya asked, cing her hand on Rosie''s back.

    She seemed scared and refused to look at any of us.

    "Rosie, I''m always going to keep you safe. You have nothing to be scared of. Somebody has been telling you lies, and Mommy needs to know who that person is, I tried to exin to her. Slowly, she lifted her head and opened her mouth, then closed it again. "Please, cupcake. Tell me who told you, that," I begged her.

    She took a shaky breath and uttered one word, "Matt"

 Chapter 52

    I was fuming. He told her I was going to send her away? Why would he do that? How the hell did he find the audacity to tell that to my own daughter? I knew Rosie wasn''t going to lie to me. She had no reason to lie to me. "Mommy did I do something wrong! You look angry." Rosie said in a quiet voice as she took a couple of steps towards me.

    My anger lessened when my eyes fell on her. 1 picked her up and kissed her cheek. "You did nothing wrong, cupcake. I''m not angry with you at all,"

    I assured her. "I need you to understand this well, okay! You''re always going to live with me, and I won''t let anybodye between us, yeah!" She slowly nodded. I kissed her cheek and set her down.

    "Guys, I need you to stay with her. I need to go somewhere," I told Maya and Sam.

    "Where do you want to go?" Sam frowned as he stood up

    "To see Mail, I want to know how the hell he was thinking to tell my daughter something like that,

    "Maybe it''s just a misunderstanding." Maya suggested. "Rosie, when did he tell you that?"

    "A few days ago," Rosie mumbled, looking at all of us. She seemed a bit shaken, and I didn''t know what to do to make her feel better.

    "Okay, sweetheart. How did he say that to you?" Maya asked her cautiously. We all saw her state, so we didn''t want to scare her more than she was already seared

    I sat down beside Maya and reached for my daughter''s hand. "You''re not in any sort of trouble, Rosie. We just want to know why Matt told you

    that

    "One day, we were watching Disney movies and he told me

    he wanted to watch a football game," she started talking. "I asked him not to change the channel, but he didn''t listen to me. I told him that Daddy lets me watch cartoon and he told me that it''s good I love Daddy because I''m going to live with him forever." I was doing my best to control my anger in front of her. "What else did he say, cupcake?"

    "I got scared when he told me that and told him that I want to live with you, but he said that he''s going to make a new family with you, and I have to live with Daddy because

    you would need my room." I was going to kill him for what he had done. "He told me not to tell you anything or I''d be a bad girl and you''d send me to Daddy sooner."

    He wanted to make sure that she wasn''t going to say anything to me.

    "That''s not going to happen, baby girl. You can stay at Daddy''s ce for as long as you want, but the moment you want toe back here, Daddy or 1 will do that I wanted her to feel safe.

    I stood up again and grabbed my phone.

    "Are you going to see him!" Sam asked, earning a nod from me. "I''ming with you." I was going to refuse, but then I thought it might be better to have him with me.

    ¡ö"Okay, let''s go"

    The two of us headed to my car and I let Sam drive since I was too angry to do so. I couldn''t believe

    that he did that. Was that his nt Did he think that I was going to give up on my daughter for him? I made it clear more than once that she was my priority, so what made him think that I would pick him over hert "Listen, I know that you''re raging, but try to be calm while talking to him, okay?" Sam said as he parked the car.

    "I''ll do my best." I wasn''t going to make promises I wasn''t sure if I''d be able to keep or not.

    "Would you I

    you like me to go upstairs with you or wait for you here!"

    I wanted him with me.

    "Come with me," I said, gening out of the car. The light wind blew my hair and I wrapped my jacket tighter around my body.

    It dawned on me that I wasn''t sure if he was home or not, but he had work tomorrow and it was already t

    I pressed on the inte button of his apartment and waited for him to answer. It took him less than a minute to do so. I could tell that he was surprised upon hearing my voice,

    His surprise grew when he saw Sam with me; nevertheless, he let us in.

    "Is everything okay!" he worriedly asked.

    "No, everything isn''t okay," I replied, looking at him. It wasn''t easy to stayposed before sim, but I wasn''t here to fight. I wanted real answers.

    11:45 AM

    "Dad something happen!" He seemed confused.

    "Dil you tell Rosie that I was going to send her to live with her father?" His eyes widened. He probably thought that she wasn''t going to tell me anything. "Did you? I hissed when he stayed silent. "I didn''t mean it like that," he said, making me scoff

    "And how exactly did you mean it? Because I can''t seem to find any other meaning behind your words" 1 folded my arms over my chest.

    "I just.." He raised his hands in frustration, then let them down. He didn''t have anything to say. "I was only trying to get her to listen to me because I wanted to watch the football game."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "So, you decided to scare her? That sounds logical to you?" I snapped.

    "That was the on

    only think that came to my mind, Amelia he eximed.

    "Listen, Mau." I took a couple of steps towards him. "Did you ever think that I was eventually going to send Rosie to live with Juliani" I wondered.

    He stayed silent for a few seconds, then nodded. "I thought that you were finally going to pay more attention to us. Rosie has all your attention and now that Julian is in the picture, you barely pay attention to us!" he angrily eximed. He hadn''t talked to me about that before.

    "Even if you have any issue with me, you don''t have the right to take it on my daughter!" I cried.

    This is unbearable! You

    You''re not even allowing me to discipline her His anger was starting to be more apparent.

    "Because you''re not her father!" I yelled.

    "I have been in her life more than her father has been. By now, the two of us were standing so close to one another.

    "It wasn''t his choice! That was my fault, not his" I reminded him.

    "That fault was the best thing you''ve ever done in your life. And I still believe that you should send Rosie to live with him. Maybe you can have her during the weekends." I wanted to panch him in the face.

    "I''m tired of this," I mumbled, taking off the promise ring he gave me.

    "Are you seriously doing that?" Shock had taken over his face. "I moved here for you!"

    "And I never asked you to do so, I calmly said. I handed him the ring. I wasn''t going to let him guilt-trip me. I didn''t ask him to move here for me. "I have been clear from the very beginning about my priorities, but clearly you had another n in mind." ""You''re going to regret this. Amelia"

    I didn''t say anything and turned to walk away

    *Consider yourself uninvited from the wedding, Sarn said before following me out of Mart''s apartment.

    Sarn didn''te with me to fight my battles, but he was there to protect me in case something bad happened. He was the brother I never had, and I was more than lucky to have him in my life.

    "Are you alright?" Sam asked me once we got in the car.

    "Would it be weird if I told you I am?" I looked at him.

    "Not really," he said. "You have been very stressedtely and I kept telling myself that it might be because of work, but i think I now realize what''s

    going on."

    "What''s going on?" I frowned. Was there something I was failing to see?

    "You didn''t want to be in a rtionship with Matt, Amy. You wanted out and you didn''t know how, so the moment you found your chance, you took. it. I didn''t say anything as I weighed his words in my head.

    I hated that he

    was right. For a while, I had been ufortable in my rtionship with Matt, and I couldn''t find the courage in me to break up with him. I kept telling myself that he was a good man, and I was fortunate to have a man like him as my partner. I always had this feeling in my gut that something wasn''t right, but I didn''t know how to prove it. At the end of the day, it was a mere feeling

    "Emily." I looked at my best friend when he called me by my old name. "Do you still have feelings for Julian?"

    My eyes widened a little at his question. What made him think like that? Had I done anything to make people think that I still had feelings for Julian?

    "I don''t," I said, not looking at him.

    "You''re now not dating anybody. Maybe you have a real chance to think," he told me as he started the car.

    11:46 AM c S

    When I got back home, Rosie was the first to greet me. She ran towards me, and I picked her up, holding her close. I took a look at her and realized that Maya had given her a shower and brushed her hair.

    "I tried to get her to sleep, but she''s as stubborn as you," Maya told me, making me smile. "How did it go?" she wondered.

    "I will take Rosie to bed, then I''ll tell you everything," I said, then headed upstairs. "Now, that I''m home, you don''t have any excuse. It''s veryte." 1 gently put her in bed and pulled the cover over her. "Sorry, Mommy, she whispered.

    1 kissed her forehead and stayed with her for a little while until she had fallen asleep. It had been a long day for her and I was surprised that she managed to stay awake until I was back since she was already at the arcade with Harper. I was very rare for her to stay up un I made my way

    downstairs to my fr

    friends. It had been a long day for them too.

    "Sam has told me everything." Maya said as I sat down beside her. "Are you okay!"

    "I am." I wasn''t lying.

    "Good thing my wedding ising. Maybe we can set you up with someone" Iughed at Maya''sment. "Speaking of my wedding. Now that you''re single, who are you going to walk down the aisle with?"

    That was an issue I wasn''t ready to find a solution for tonight.

 Chapter 53

    53

    Today, I was the luckiest man alive. Even luckier than Sam who was about to witness the love of his life walking down the aisle. When Maya called me to ask if it was okay with me to be Emily''s date for the wedding, I felt like I was dreaming. I immediately agreed upon bein

    offered to be one of the groom''s men and within two days, my suit was ready.

    I learned that Emily broke up with Matt and to say that I was d would be an understatement, because that meant that I had the chance to win her back. Now that she didn''t have a partner, she might look at me in a different way. She told me she was going to tell me the reason behind their breakup but after the wedding and I respected her desire.

    My eyes fell on her in her yellow dress and my heart skipped a beat. She looked absolutely breathtaking. She had the ability to pull off any style. It was a on -shoulder dress with a thin silver beh. The bottom was flowy with a slit that reached her mid- thigh. The design was simple, but she made it seem like it was made for her.

    "You look gorgeous," I told her and smiled to myself when I saw the way her cheeks reddened. Her ck hair was pulled up, highlighting the beauty of her face. The ck eyeliner made her green eyes pop more.

    "Thank you," she replied. I offered her my arm and she intertwined hers with mine. The two of us walked down the aisle and took our ce at the altar. While she was supposed to stand right beside the bride since she was the maid of honour, I took my ce at the end on Sam''s side, leaving space for the best man and another groomsman

    I saw Rosie

    Soon, the other bridesmaids, the other groomsman and the best man took their ces. My face broke into a wide grin when I saw down the aisle, scattering flower petals here and there.

    walking

    Emily designed her dress, and it looked amazing on her. I bet Rosie was the one who chose the colour. It was light pink and fell right above her knees. There were small glittery white flowers on the bottom of the dress and the top was in.

    The ceremony wasn''t long, but it was beautiful. Sam and Maya looked genuinely happy. I couldn''t help but think about my wedding day to Emily It was a big show and neither of us wanted to be there. When I kissed her, it was tasteless and I only did it, so that the attende do it differently. I would be excited to watch her walk down the aisle. I would really kiss her and hold her close to me. I would show the whole world that I was fortunate to have her.

    My driver took Rosie to my parents'' ce because the reception was adults only. I was sitting right beside Emily, and I felt like I was a high school student sitting beside my high school crush. She was more than my high school crush; she was the love of my life.

    I got up from my ce to answer my phone since it was an important call. I had a surprise for Emily since her birthday wasing. I wasn''t sure if she was going to ept my gift or not, but I was hoping for the best. The problem was, it had been closed for quite a while, with the cleaning agency.

    When I came back inside the venue, I heard a song I had grown to love because of her. I looked at the table where I was sitting and saw Emily sitting, lost in her own world.

    I mustered up the courage I had in me and made my way over to her. I extended my hand to her and said. "Dance with me" I hoped that she wasn''t going to turn me down.

    She looked startled by my request and stared at my hand for a moment.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "Is that an order?" She smirked as she moved her champagne ss in circles, making me chuckle.

    "I would consider it a ples," I replied, causing her smirk to turn into a smile. "What do you have to lose? It''s just one dance.

    "Nothing," she said, setting the ss on the high table. Her eyes were hesitant though, as if dancing with me was dangerous. She took my hand and the two of us made our way to the dance floor.

    The slight shakiness of her hand did not escape my attention, but my hold on it was firm. I wanted to assure her that I was right by her side. I wanted her to know that whatever terrible thoughts were taking over her mind, I was going to be there for her no matter what. Emily wasn''t the only nervous one, though. My own heartbeats were fast. I took a quick look around the room and found how all eyes were on us. Emily was the only woman I had dance with in more than five years aside from my mum and my sister,

    I ced my hand on the small of her back and the two of us started to dance to the song. My eyes met hers for a second, but she quickly looked away, as if she was running away from me.

    "You used to love dancing to it. I haven''t stopped listening to it, you know, because it reminded me of you." I admitted.

    "I stopped listening to it a long time ago." She still wasn''t looking at me, so I didn''t know if she was lying or not

    Secrets I have held in my heart

    Are harder to hide than I though

    Maybe I just wannar yours

    "I miss drinking the coffee you used to make in the morning. I blurted. My eyes were still on her, hoping that she would truly look at me.

    "I can tell you how to make it," she replied. She finally looked at me.

    "It wouldn''t be the same."

    "You really need to stop. Just imagine me as the girl who you once used to hate. Used to hate? Not once had I actually hated her, even when I thought that she cheated on me. I was hurt, but I didn''t hate her. How could anybody hate someone like her? "I have never hated you, even when I thought I should have. My heart has always been yours and honestly, I don''t want it back."

    "Just because I no longer have a boyfriend that doesn''t mean that there may be a chance for us" Emily had always been direct.

    "Why? Why are you afraid of giving me a chance?" I twirled her around and when she faced me, I brought her closer.

    "I have a history of bad exes, Julian." She let out a sarcastic chuckle. "It hase to my realization after breaking up with Matt that there was no rtionship I had gotten into ended on good terms."

    So, things didn''t end well with Matt? Did he hurt you?" I was suddenly concerned. If he hurt her, I was going to make him regreting to California

    "Not physically if this is what you''re concerned about," she replied. But I hadn''t hurt her physically either, yet the pain I caused her was deep and her wounds were still bleeding after more than five years.

    "Listen," I took a deep breath, "I will never be good enough for you, but I''m selfish and greedy when ites to you. So, I''m willing to touch the sky if it means I get to call you mine again. Just tell me what you want, and I will do it. There had to be something I could do to win her back. "Why can''t you let go, Julian? It''s been years. I''m sure there''s another woman for you out there. You just need to open your eyes. No matter what she said, I wasn''t going to believe that. Emily was it for me. She was the air I breathed. She was everything to me. "My eyes are wide open, sunshine, and all I can see is you" That was my first time to call her with the nickname I had given her before.

    As the song ended, the two of us stopped dancing I was brought back to the world I had managed to escape from for a few minutes while I was dancing with her. While I made my way to the table, I watched as Emily headed towards Maya. I looked around the venue once

 Chapter 54

    Julian was supposed to pick Rosie up today, but he messaged me an hour ago, telling me that he was so sick and didn''t want Rosie to be around him, fearing that the might get sick ino. The moment 1 learned that he wasn''t okay, I found myself strolling to the kitchen to m Maya and Sam''s wedding was ten days ago and since that day, I had barely talked to Julian. I wanted to keep my distance for my own sake. My mind wasn''t clear and I needed some space to think.

    1 knew how Julian was thinking. He thought that he would have a chance to make me fall for him again after breaking up with Matl

    Speaking of Matt, he had tried to get in contact with me, but I managed to keep him away. I wasn''t sure if I was being too harsh on him or if pushing him away was the right thing to do, but I was content andfortable like that. Matt crossed a red line. He made Rosie feel Half an hourter, the meal was ready. I didn''t know if it was smart of me to go see him instead of sending the food with my driver, but I wanted to check on him. What if he was in a bad state and needed to be seen by a doctor? Rose told me before that she tried to get hi he was living on his own, but he refused, saying that he liked to have his own space.

    "Let''s go, cupcake." I kissed my daughter''s cheek after 1 was done styling her blonde hair. I was going to take her to Harper to spend the day with her cousins since I was going to visit Julian. Luckily, the drive wain''t far from Harper''s ce to Julian''s.

    As I parked my car in front of Julian''s ce, I realized that I hadn''t been here since the day he kicked me out. For a moment, I thought about. running away because the more I stared at the house, the more I realized that part of me was still traumatized by what happene I took a deep breath and got out of my car, making my way to the gate of his mansion. I rang the inte and hoped that he would answer. After ringing again, Julian Enally answered

    "Hello" My eyes widened at how raspy his voice was

    Was he that sick?

    "This is Amelia," I nervously said. Why was I nervous? I was just bringing him food!

    Fortunately, Julian didn''t ask any question and opened the gate almost immediately. I walked through the front gate and waves of nostalgia hit me. I had many bad memories here, but I couldn''t erase the good ones from my mind.

    When my eyesnded on a specific car, I couldn''t help but linger there for a moment. It was his gift for me on our one-

    year anniversary. I remembered when he took me on a date on that day. It was going to be engraved in my heart forever no matter what. He made me feel like I was the only woman his eyes could ever see.

    I pushed myself towards the front door and when I got closer, my eyes widened. He was incredibly sick. His eyes and nose were red, and his hair was very messy. He seemed to bepletely drained of energy. I wasn''t even sure how he was standing, "Holy shit, Julian!" I mumbled, strolling towards him. I ced my hand on his forehead and realized how feverish he was

    "Tuld you I was sick." he rasped.

    "Go to your room and get some rest while 1 heat up the food I brought you, I told him,

    That was my first time to see Julian that sick. I lived with him for two years and he had never gotten that sick before. He nodded and walked

    towards the stairs.

    I made my way to the kitchen, but stopped when I passed by the living room. Everything was still the same. I thought that he would have at least gotten a new couch, but he didn''t. I smiled a little to myself when I remembered our movie nights as we used to cuddle while lyi firece and found our pictures there. I took slow steps and a shaky breath escaped me as I reached for one of our pictures together. It was the picture of the two of us when Julian won the race against Chester.

    I shook my head and continued walking towards the kitchen and my mouth parted a little when I saw that nothing had changed over the past years. Everything was just like how I remembered.

    Why was Julian doing that to himself? I was like he didn''t want to forget. He didn''t want to move on.

    After heating up everything. I put the tes on a tray and climbed the stairs. I passed by what I once considered my bedroom, and it took everything in me not to walk in.

    1 knocked on Julian''s door and when I didn''t hear anything, I slowly y turned the doorknob, When I walked inside, I saw him sleeping on the bed. I set the tray on the table and headed to the bed to wake him up. "Julian," I said in a low voice as I gently shook his shoulder. Although he was sick, he was still a light sleeper. "Come on, get up. You need to cal something"

    Tstepped away, giving him space to get out of bed. He seemed drowsy, so I helped him up.

    18

    "I''m alright," he muttered, making me roll my eyes.

    "Liar," I said, not letting go of his hand. I was just going to give him time until the evening. If he didn''t get better, I was going to take him to the hospital. "I made you chicken soup, grilled chicken breasts and sauteed vegetables" "I should have gotten sick earlier," he joked, making meugh a little.

    "You should have told me

    me that you were that sick, Julian." He didn''t say anything and started eating the soup.

    My eyes travelled around

    the room and everything was the same, like the rest of the house. When we slept beside each other the first time, I was a bit restless, so he took me in his arms and kept caressing my hair until I fell asleep. When I woke up the following day, my head was on his chest and "Do you have any medicine here for your fever?" I asked him

    "I think so," he replied. "Maybe in the bathroom."

    I got up from my ce and walked inside the bathroom. I opened the small cab and found a couple of things I could give him.

    "How long have you been sick?" I asked as I took a seat beside him, but he surprised me when he moved away.

    "I don''t want you to get tick" he justified. "And not for long. Yesterday morning."

    After he was done eating, I gave him the pills and got up. "I''m going to be downstairs. If you need anything, just call my name or text me."

    "You don''t have to stay. Amelia." He stood up. Even though people had been calling me Amelia for years, it didn''t feel right when he addressed me with that name. I was well aware that I told him before not to call me with my old name, yet it kind of felt.. right when he did th I was surely going out of my mind. I didn''t know what I wanted and was giving myself whish.

    "But I want to stay." I looked at him. "I will go only if you don''t want me here. Part of me was scared that he might ask me to leave.

    He didn''t say anything for a few seconds and I was already preparing myself to leave. "No, stay." He didn''t look at me, but I didn''t care. I wanted to take care of him. I didn''t like the idea of him being on his own while being that sick.

    The caring side of me wanted to make sure that he was well covered in bed, but I also didn''t want to be overbearing so when I was sure that he was in bed, I made my way out of the room after taking the empty tray. He didn''t eat everything, but he ate enough.

    I closed the door of the room and found my legs taking me to my old bedroom. I set the tray on the floor beside the door and took a deep breath before slowing walking inside.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Like every other part of the house, the room was exactly the same. I thought that Julian would have gotten rid of my personal belongings that I left behind, but boy was I wrong. Everything was still there in a good condition. I headed

    to the sewing machine he got me for Christmas and smiled to myself.

    I recalled the way I hugged him and how he held my body close to his. It was like our boilies were glued together. That Christmas, I felt like nobody was as happy as I was. I felt like I was blessed with the best husband any girl could ask for

    At that time, I wasn''t sure if he loved me or not. That question never left me and when he told me that he loved me. I was on cloud nine. I was taken to a beautiful world where there was nothing but joy and love.

    I opened the door to my old walk-in closet and shook my head. Everything was just like how I left

    them. He didn''t even donate the clothes. Why would he do that? My eyes fell on the emerald green dress I bought for the first dinner I attended with him. I was so scared that I might have spent more than what he intended the day I bought him, but he assured me that I sp My hands reached for the dress and slowly, I took it off the hanger. I brought it to my nose and found it clean. The whole room was clean. I thought that it was because of the maid who came to clean, but I didn''t think that the clothes would be freshly washed.

    Without thinking. I found myself taking off my clothes and putting on the first thing I bought with Julian''s money. Surprisingly, it still fit even though I gained weight. I stood in front of the mirror and smiled to myself.

    I suddenly felt like I was 7 years younger, I was the nervous girl who apanied her husband who couldn''t stand her at that time, then ended up kissing and sleeping with him at the end of the night. I was the confused girl who couldn''t understand why her husband could got to see her designs before him. I walked out of the closet, still wearing the dress.

    I threw my body on the bed, thinking about everything that had been going on in my life. As much as I hated to admit that, but ever since Maya''s wedding, Julian had been consuming my thoughts and I wasn''t sure why. I found myself thinking about him even when I didn''t Two days ago, Rosie and I made muffins together and the first thing that came to my mind was to take some to him. I prevented myself from doing that because there was no valid reason for me to call and ask him to pass by. The muffins weren''t a strong reason, and 1 kn I stayed on the bed for a while and before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

 Chapter 55

    I wasn''t sure how long I had been sleeping, but when I woke up, I was slightly better. When I realized that it was Emily who came to visit, a bolt of energy ran through my body even though could barely push myself out of bed an hour before.

    I had barely spoken to her ever since the wedding. It was clear that she was keeping her distance, and I respected her wishes. I knew that she was probably confused, and I didn''t want to add more salt to her cuts.

    Although I couldn''t eat anything since yesterday because of how nauseous I felt, I couldn''t say no to her food. I couldn''t say no to her or anything from her. Perhaps I was desperate but having her here to take care of me while I was sick gave me a glimpse of hope

    I couldn''t help but feel that there was a chance for us. I was more than aware of the pain I caused her, but I Whenever I saw her around me. believed that I could make her happy again. I could be a better man. I wasn''t going to repeat my mistakes again. If she gave me an what true love was like.

    Slowly, I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. I was in a horrendous state, and I didn''t like the fact that Emily had to see me like that

    My body was still exhausted, but I didn''t like giving in to illness. I put on a t-

    shirt and sweatpants and brushed my hair. I walked out of the room and made my way downstairs, but just before I descended the stairs, I noticed the fight of Emily''s old bedroom on, and the tray was ced right bride the door.

    "I went there and found the door not fully closed. When I walked inside, I found her asleep on the bed, making me smile. I missed seeing her here. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

    I had always loved how she looked with minimal makeup. I wondered what brought her to that room. Did she miss it? I hoped she did.

    I so wanted to get close to her, but I didn''t because I didn''t want her to get sick. I remembered the day I found her sick in that bed and I almost lost my mind because I didn''t know how to take care of her. After taking all the tips from Mum, I took it upon myself to nurse her. She was still mad at

    me for the way I talked to her, but I didn''t stop until she forgave me. I smiled to myself as memories of the beginning of our rtionship yed in the back of my mind. Although I was walking on eggshells around her, I still liked that period. Maybe I needed to do what I once I reached for her shoulder and gently shook ber. "Em-Amelia," I caught myself before calling her with her old name. "Amelia, wake up."

    She softly moaned and stretched her arms. I watched as she opened her mesmerizing eyes and I did my best not to stare at her. It was so hard to have a heart queen before you, yet you couldn''t even look at her for long.

    I watched as she looked around her in confusion and I tried not tough at how cute she looked. Once she took in her surroundings, she quickly sat up. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked.

    "Not for long," I replied, not knowing since when she had been asleep, but I only slept for three hours and I fell asleep right after she left the room. so she must have fallen asleep after me.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    I took a longer look at her and recognized the dress she had on. It was the one she wore to our first business dinner as a couple. It still looked amazing on her. She could pull anything off anyway.

    "How are you feeling?" she asked, standing up. Before I got to answer her, she ced her hand on my forehead to check my temperature. "I think your temperature is still high. Let me get a thermomrier. Where is it? "There''s one in my bathroom," I replied. She nodded at me and walked straight to my

    bedroom.

    I sat on her bed and waited for her to get back. I loved having her here. Just presence brought back the house''s spirit. She brought joy wherever she

    HEM.

    She came back and gave me the thermometer. I ced it under my tongue and waited. I watched her as she made her way to the closet where she disappeared for less than five minutes and came back wearing what she had on "You should have kept the dress on, Imented, giving her the thermometer. I wasn''t as feverish as I was; however, I was better.

    "You still need to take the antipyretic," she told me in a motherly tone, ignoring what I said about the dress. Taking care of Rosie made her mum anitude take over whenever she had to take over of anybody

    "I will" I nodded, I knew Emily well and just by looking at her face, I was aware that she had questions on her mind. "What do you want to ask?"

    She looked slightly surprised by what I had said; however, she didn''t deny that I was right. "Why did you." She looked down and I could tell that she was slightly embarrassed by whatever she wanted to ask "Why did you keep everything I left behind?" "Because they''re yours and I wasn''t going to let go of

    any of your belongings." I replied. "Did you think that I didn''t notice! You left behind everything I bought you. Your message was clear, but that doesn''t mean that I was going to let go of something you once wore or used. She stared at me as I spoke Twaited for her to say something, but she didn''t. Instead, she walked to the bed and sat on its edge, finally looking at me. "You''re making things

    harder for yourself, Julian," she sighed. "That''s

    u''s fine by me." I shrugged, taking a seat beside her. "The thing is, you don''t believe that I''m sorry. You don''t believe that I can be a good man, but I''m not willing to give up. Not yet at least." I was scared that I might be pushing her away by what I was saying, but maybe sh "You know," she let out a short chuckle. "Sometimes, I find myself wishing that you had given me the benefit of the doubt that day instead of throwing the pictures at me and making me sign the papers" 1 internally flinched when I remembered the way she looked as she s "I can still do that I can still make you happy."

    I watched her, trying to read her mind, but it wasn''t easy. She inhaled and stood up. My eyes were still glued to her, trying to find any sign that could be taken as hope.

    "Listen, Julian." She nervously ran her hand through her ck hair. I missed her blonde hair, but she was still stunning with ck hair. "Right now, I''m confused. I''m not sure of anything or how I feel. Can you just can you give me time?"

    Relief found its way to my heart, because what she had just uttered meant that there was hope and if time was all that she wanted, I would give it to her, she could have all the time in the world. I was willing to wait.

    "Okay." I nodded. Perhaps this was the best I had ever felt in almost five years,

 Chapter 56

    Rosie''s birthday was today. We decided to throw her a birthday party at her grandparents'' house. That was the biggest birthday she had ever had When we were in New Jersey, I used to take her out because it was only the two of us. She had a couple of friends there, bu I wanted to throw her a big party to make it up to her for the four years I took from her and when I wired my desire to Rose, she told me to leave everything for her.

    Knowing Rose, I was certain that she wasn''t going to disappoint me, and I was right. She turned the hackyard into every child''s dream.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    some of their

    She had bouncy castles, and every single piece of decor was rted to Rapunzel since she was Rosie''s favourite. Her cousins and som friends were here and it seemed like everybody was having fun

    Two weeks had passed since any conversation with Julian. We had been talking m more, but he hadn''t tried to do anything that could fall under the category of ''winning his ex-wife fuck'' and I was d that he was giving me some space.

    I was scareil, because I shouldn''t feel that kind of happiness upon seeing Julian''s name on my phone I had never felt like that with Mart, even before resuming to California, What if Julian was myfort zone that I couldn''t escape from! "What''s on your mind?" Harper snapped me out of my thoughts as she stood beside me in the backyard:

    **Lots of things, Treplied, moving my ss in circles absentmindedly.

    "Does Julian happen to be one of them!" The thing I liked the most about Harper was hoor direct she was. She was never the type of person who would conceal what they really wanted to say and I appreciated her honesty. ""Yes," I admitted with a heavy sigh.

    "He still loves you," she said and my heart tightened. "I''m not trying to cloud your judgment, but for years, I have seen my brother turn into a ghost and he only started to get back to life when you appeared again. I know that what he del was terrible and there are probably r loves you."

    I hated how I was sure that she wasn''t lying to me.

    "I''m petrified, Harper, I whispered, trying to calm my pounding heart down. "I had another n in mind, and I thought that I would be able to follow it. When I came back, I wanted Rosie to be close to you as her family and I wanted her to have a good rtionship with her fa Why the hell was I venting to Harper? What was wrong with me? What did I want! I didn''t even have an answer to that question

    "You still have a ce among us, Amelia. You had it once as Emily and you still have it as Amelia" She smiled at me. I was thankful for the sunsses I was wearing because they concealed the tears that welled in my eyes "Can I tell you a secret?" I took a shaky breath.

    guys call me Emily." I let out a shortugh. "Maybe I should have nevere back."

    "I miss having you guys

    "You don''t know how d I am that you''re hack. I miss having you bere, Emily" My heart thuttered at hearing my old name from the woman. I ronsidered the sister I never had.

    "I needed toe

    toe back, though. She needed to have her family around her

    "And you neriled people around you too. I know that you''re strong enough to handle the entire world on your shoulders, but just because you''re strong, that doesn''t mean that you have to endure it all alone," she replied Ildn''t know what to say to her I didn''t have the right words that could describe what I wanted to say

    Easily, my eyes managed to spot Julian and they lingered on him. He was wearing a baby blue shirt and white shorts with white sneakers. He was ying wah Besar and the two of them looked over the moon. My little girl was squealing as he camned her by cing his ha My ughter''s eyes fell on me and her grin widened. "Mommy! Come y with us" the hollered.

    "Duty calls" I told Harper before heading to my daughter and ex husband. When she saw me walking towards her, she quickly rit towards me. I

    cheiber up and unushered her with kisses

    "You look beautiful y" Julian sand when 1

    swer to him. "This dress is your design, right

    "I designed it two years ago, but I never got to wear it," I replied. I noticed how it had be easy for Julian to spot my designs. Something about that made my heart long for him.

    The two of us kept ying with Rosie for a while before she ran off to y with the other kids. Julian disappeared for a while, and I found myself an empty seat to rest on. A few minutester, he came back with two drinks in his hands and he handed me one, then sat besi "Rosie wants a tree house," Julian told me, taking me by surprise. She hadn''t told me anything about that before.

    "Where do you n on building it?" I wondered, looking at him. I didn''t want to fall for any illusions, but the more I looked at Julian, the more I realized that he looked better than how I first saw him when I first arrived in California. "That''s what I want to discuss with you," he replied. "Is it okay with you if I build it at my ce?" Why did he feel the need to discuss that with me? He had the right to build it wherever he wanted. "Definitely okay." I smiled at him.

    "What did you get her?" he asked.

    "She wanted a vespa, a pink one to be exact, so I got it for her," I replied.

    "I''m nning a big surprise for her, but I also would like it if you''re included," he said. Wasn''t the tree house her birthday gift? I looked at him with curiosity and waited for him to reveal the surprise. "I want to take her to Disnend Knowing my daughter, she was going to love the hell out of that surprise. My heart danced in my chest when I realized that Julian wanted me to be with them. It was stupid of me to feel that way, but I couldn''t help but be overjoyed. "Well, I don-"The words stopped at the tip of my tongue when my eyes fell on thest person I wanted to see at my daughter''s birthday party. It had been so long since Ist saw her, and I surely didn''t want her to be here. "What''s going on?" Julian frowned when he noticed the change in my facial expression.

    "Look behind you," I muttered, standing up.

    It was time to bare my sharp teeth to the witch who destroyed my life out of jealousy and envy.

 Chapter 57

    "Well well well, if it isn''t the bitchiest bitch of the century," I said, sauntering towards her as I lifted my sunsses above my head. I scanned Fiona from head to toe as I stood in front of her. Clearly, she hadn''t been doing well in life and I knew that Julian was the one behi used to have. She wasn''t dripping in designer clothes as she once used to and the pelty part in me couldn''t help but ginat. The woman before me destroyed me in numerous ways and I wasn''t going to forgive her for anything that she had ever done to me. If 1 could add more salt to h "You should have invited your stepsister to your daughter''s birthday party. Isn''t she my niece after all!" She smirked and it took everything in me not to p her. "Where''s she by the way?" I watched as she scanned the ce and the moment her eyes fell on my daughter, she turned to walk towards her. I wrapped my hand around her arm, intending to let my nails sink into her flesh. She yelped and tried to move my only yanked it hard and forced her to look at me. hand away, but I

    "Take a step towards her and I won''t hesitate to bury you alive right where you''re standing." I threatened. I wasn''t the naive girl she used to walk over. Either she wasn''t aware of how strong I had be, or she was just in denial. "Look at you.

    Fionaughed, but it was obvious that she was nervous, I liked how I was making her nervous. "You''ve finally learned how to fight."

    "And trust me, you don''t want to test my skills. I let go of her arm but gave her a push that made her stumble backwards.

    "It''s obvious that you''re not wee here, Fiona What are you doing here?" I felt Julian''s presence before hearing his voice. I was strong enough to fight Fiona on my own but having him by my side made me feel stronger. "You''re pathetic, Julian. You''re still running after her even though it''s obvious that she doesn''t want you. I feel sorry for you, but what can I say? I like the fact that I was the one who managed to pull you two apart," I wasn''t sure how Julian was feeling, but personally, I was fuming, I didn''t like how she spoke to him. I knew that Fiona hit a nerve, and

    I didn''t want him to falter before her, so I acted recklessly, not thinking about anything or anyone else but him. I smirked and tilted my head to the side and turned to Julian and crashed my lips into his. I could feel his surprise, but it didn''t take him long to kiss me back

    When I pulled away, I mouthed Sorry to him before turning back to the bitch whose mouth was open in shock. "I think I broke the news to you. Julian and I are dating." I loved how stunned she looked. She didn''t expect that and neither did L. but I wasn''t going to let her hu didn''t know why I felt the need to protect him from any pain

    Julian wrapped his arm around my waist, and I instantly leaned towards him, ying the part. His touch made me realize how much I missed him.

    I longed for how good it felt to be held by him. "What brought you here, Fiona? I''m certain you aren''t invited." Julian''s voice held the sort of strength I always wanted him to have

    want you to pay me back for what you''ve done to me, Fiona addressed me, making me raise my eyebrows in surprise.

    "Enlighten me, please. What did I exactly do?" I folded my arms over my chest.

    "Because of you, my life is over! I can''t get any modeling deal. Jeffrey can no longer sustain the lifestyle he used to provide us with! I can''t even get any respectable man to date me" I looked at Jn, knowing that he was behind it all and it took a lot of strength to prevent myself fromughing.

    "Correction, you can''t get any rich man to date you, because they know what will happen to them if they do," Julian spoke. My spections were

    Inc.

    "You have her back! I want my life back!" she yelled. She thought that bying here and causing a scene we would give her what she wanted, but she was absolutely wrong. I looked around and surely, people were starting to notice what was going on. Did somebodys "This is simply karma, Fiona. Did you think that I was going to let you live peacefully after destroying my love life! I''m going to make you pay for what you''ve done until yourst breath. 1 lost five years with the love of my

    life because of you and this is something I can never forget or forgive." My heart swelled when he called me the love of his life. No matter what I said to myself, I knew Jalian wasn''t ying any role here. He was speaking the truth. "It''s not my fault that you

    u didn''t trust her enough that a few pictures made you throw your marriage away.

    "I felt his body tense against mine and I wished that I could do anything to make him ignore her words.

    Julian didn''t say another word. Instead, he gave one look to one of the bodyguards and immediately, Fiona was escorted out of the party. She kept screaming and yelling, but she was quickly thrown out of the house. Ansel Harper''s husband, made sure that she was to never be allowed inside the gatedmunity ever again.

    I looked at Julian and kept my eyes fixed on him. "Are you alright?" I found myself asking. He didn''t say anything but gave me a short nod

    "I''m sorry, it''s my fault, Harper said guiltly as she stood in front of us. I looked at her with confusion, so she continued. "1 posted a picture of Rosie and me together a while ago. Fiona must have figured out that the party was here and that''s how she found out." It''s okay. Nothing happened." I assured her.

    "I don''t incan to pry, but did you actually kis Rose asked us. The excitement in her voice which she was trying to conceal didn''t escape my bolice.

    1:40 PM

    I knew what she was thinking about.

    "We uh, we did," I said, looking at Julian. He seemed to be at a loss for words and I couldn''t me him. What I did was a bit reckless, and I didn''t mean to toy with his feelings, but he was the only one on my mind.

    "Why?" Harper frowned.

    "Because of Fiona. She said a few things I couldn''t handle and L... maybe I didn''t think clearly." I looked down, then looked at Julian, "I''m sorry."

    "It''s alright." Julian offered me a kind smile. "The thing is, you told Fiona that we were back together and someone like her won''t shut up."

    I was aware of that and for some reason, I wasn''t annoyed.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "So this means that you two need to date!" Rose questioned.

    "Yes," I replied. I swore I saw Uncle Steven smirking, Was he enjoying this?

    "You don''t have to do that," Julian quickly said, but I shook my head. I was willing to do that. For him.

    "I want to." I realized that my words might hold another meaning, so I added. "If this is going to shut her up. I''m willing to do it."

    "Mommy! Aren''t we going to blow the candles?" Rosie''s voice interrupted as she came running towards me.

    "Of course, cupcake." I grinned, picking her up. I looked again at Julian whose eyes were fixed on us. Skepticism was clear in his eyes. My nerves weren''t made of steel. I was anxious and shaking from the inside. I knew that I was ying with fire, but for him, I was willing 11:47 AM

    Part of me was d that I had another chance at dating Emily again, even if it was going to be fake. Another part was scared. How couldn''t I? That was a dangerous game because I might fall more for her. No. I was sure that I was going to fall more for her. When she kissed me, my body went in a state of shock for a moment before kissing her back. The reason behind her kiss made my heart leap with joy. She couldn''t handle Fiona hurting me, so she acted without thinking for my sake.

    When her lips met mine, my world stopped, and I wanted nothing but to freeze that moment and live in it forever. Her lips were as soft as 1 remembered them and it was still impossible for me to get enough of them.

    I thought she would flinch when I touched her, but she didn''t. Instead, she leaned into me and I was taken back to when we were married and how she was rx in my embrace. I was taken back to the days when she used to cuddle into me in the middle of the night in he casy to tell that she was nervous.

    Today was the fashion show she had been working on for the past few months. Despite her massive sess, it was easy to

    "These are for you," I smiled at her as I handed her the big bouquet of light pink carnations I got her.

    "Thank you." She smiled at me as she took the bouquet from me and kissed my check, and I automatically held her close to me for a second as I ced my hand on the small of her back.

    "We had been fake-dating for the past three weeks. We went out on a date once and I brought her dinner twice at her workce when she stayed

    "You don''t have any reason to be nervous, You''re Amelia Eddings. You''re a queen in this industry now," I told her and her smile grew.

    "I can''t wait to know what you think about it," she said, looking up at me. Her eyes sparkled under the lights, adding more to her beasty.

    -I would''ve told you sooner if you had shown me the designs before the fashion show. I yfully poked her nose, making her giggle.

    "I can tell you the theme of the designs you''re about to see," she said.

    "I would love that, I grinned

    "Fallen leaves," she replied, and my smile grew. She had always loved Fall and that was her first Fall collection. Everybody was talking about it because despite how sessful she was, she had never held a fashion show during fall. When I asked her about that before, sh to stay hidden forever.

    "Are you ready for our trip to Disnend?" I asked her. We were supposed to leave in a week. I made sure to set the date after her fashion show.

    "I''m as excited as Rosie," she shylyughed.

    We were acting like any normal couple and weirdly we weren''t doing that for a show and that was enough to give me whish. Understanding her was getting harder, yet I was willing to unravel all the riddles I couldn''t understand about her. Soon enough, the fashion show started and I took a seat at the front row along with Harper, Ansel, my parents, Sam and Rosie.

    The dresses were dazzling. It was hard to choose a favorite from the collection. It was clear that Emily gave that collection her all. I had never seen anything that perfect before. I was proud of her and what she had managed to achieve in such a short period of time I knew that collection was going to be a hit.

    All the dresses were different shades of nude colours. She had added details to each dress that gave it its own beauty. Some were in, some were sparkling but my favourites were thece ones.

    My eyes fell on a beige dress, and I fell in love with the impable design. The straps of the dress were shaped like leaves and the top was a sequined sweetheart neckline- I learned that from her once. The stomach was see-t e-through, but it was still covered withce that had leaves all

    over it

    The skirt was long and made ofyers of tulle. There was a slit on the right side that exposed the model''s long leg and stopped right above her mid- thigh. I imagined Emily in that dress and I knew that it would be perfect on her. The fashion show came to an end and Emily walked gracefully on the runaway with a mesmerizing smile on her face. She looked stunning in a caramel satin dress that had a Greek style.

    "You''ve a chance to make her yours again. Don''t let her run away this time," Harper whispered to me as we all pped for the sessful woman before me.

    "I need all the luck in the world," I mumbled, not moving my eyes away from Emily

    My family, Sam, Maya and I all headed backstage after Emily went there. We were all nning on taking her out to celebrate the sess of her newest collection and Dad made reservation at a very famous restaurant that Emily loved

 Chapter 58

    "Congrattions!" Maya squealed as she ran towards Emily and pulled her into a tight hug.

    "Thank you!" Emily grinned as she held onto her best friend. "Literally everything is sold out! I can''t believe this!" she eximed. She still couldn''tprehend how big her name was. Everybody dreamt of being dressed by her. "Bummer! I had dress in mind I wanted to buy,"

    said as she hugged her.

    "You choose anything you want, and I will make it especially for you," Emily replied. "But I already had a dress in mind that I made for you. It''s not really in the collection. It''s specially made for you and it has the theme of the collection." "You never fail to surprise me," Mum said, giving Emily a side hug.

    "Why does Mum always get a special treatment?" Harper whined, making Emily stick her tongue out at her.

    "I made one for you too, silly. Maya, you also have your special dress waiting for you"

    She never failed to amaze us. She had always shown us how grateful she was for our presence in her life and made sure to pamper Mum, Harper and Maya with free dresses. Mum tried to buy a dress before, but Emily refused to ept any money from her.

    "It sucks how thedies get all the special dresses and we get nothing." Dad teased her. I knew how much my family loved her even before I fell in love with her, but I thought they would forget about her with her departure, but I was wrong. The moment she came back, I sa "Don''t tell anyone, but I n onunching a men''s line soon," she replied. I made a mental note to buy all the suits and tuxedos she nned on designing.

    "I got you something." Mum said, taking a small velvet box from her clutch.

    "Thank you so much, but you didn''t have to," Emily said, taking the box from Mum with gratitude obvious in her eyes. "Oh my God, she gushed upon seeing what''s inside. I knew what Mum bought her because

    she asked me to help her choose the perfect ne for her. Emily had always been a minimalist, so I choose a simple ne with a horizontal line of five small diamonds. Each end was held by a in gold ne.

    "I love you so much," Emily mumbled as she gave my mum a tight hu

    hug-N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "And I love you too." "Mum considered Emily the daughter she never had.

    "Ms. Eddings, this bouquet came for you," one of the backstage workers said as he handed her a big bouquet of flowers after she pulled away fr from

    Mum''s embrace.

    She took it with a beautiful smile on her face and picked the card that came with it. Her smile turned into a frown and ced the card where it

    once was.

    "Is everything okay?" I asked her, not liking the sudden change of mood.

    "It''s from Matt," she replied. I knew why they broke up. It took her a while to tell me, but I was d that she trusted me enough to reveal to me the reason behind their breakup. Surely, she made me promise her first that I wasn''t going to do anything studpid and only becau Sam reached for the bouquet and ced it on a nearby table. "You don''t need it. You''ve received better bouquets anyway." Sam managed to be one of my favorite people just by doing that

    Soon, we all left to the restaurant. Emily and I decided to leave together to make people believe that we were really dating. My arm was around

    her as we walked to my car. There were many paparazzi outside, so I made sure to keep her close to me because I knew how much she hated them. There were many bodyguards around, but I still felt the need to protect her.

    No matter what, Emily was always going to be mine to love, care for, protect and cherish and I was going to do anything to make her see that,

 Chapter 59

    "Mommy! That''s Rapunzel!" Rosic squealed once she noticed her favorite princess. Quickly, she ran towards her, making Julian and meugh.

    "How did you manage to make her love Rapunzel as much as you love her!" Julian asked as the two of us followed our Rapunzel-obsessed daughter.

    "I don''t know. She loved Rapunzel more than I''ve ever loved her," I replied, taking

    my phone out to take pictures of how Rosie was hugging Rapunzel. She stayed in her arms for a long time and since Disnend set a rule to never pull back from the hug before the child, the girl who was dressed as Rapunzel had no other choice but to keep holding her. Even when I tried to pull Rosie away, the girl assured me that it was fine.

    "You used to look like her a lot," Julian said and 1 smiled as I remembered how much he loved my blonde hair. I remembered wanting to cut it after it reached my waist, but when Julian begged me not to do it, I ended up trimming it.

    The first thing I did when I went to New Jersey was cut my hair to my shoulders and dye it ck, because I wanted to get rid of everything that Julian had ever loved me. Lately, I had been thinking of going blonde again, but I didn''t want to take that step now, because I kn

    We had been in Disnend for three hours and to say that Rosie was happy would be an understatement. She was overjoyed and excited. She wanted to go on as many rides as possible and Julian ended up buying her a bunch of Disney merchandise that could be enou Julian and I had the means to give Rosie

    a luxurious lifestyle and 1 didn''t mind pampering her, but I didn''t want to raise a brat, so I did my best to "bnce between spoiling her and teaching her to give back. I didn''t want to raise a Fiona in this world. I wanted my daughter to appreciate everything she had and to ahrays give to those who were in need.

    After Rosie took a bunch of pictures with Rapunzel, we took her to see the "Magic Happens" parade. While head, I had Minnie Mouse ears on.

    "I still can''t get over how cute you look with them," Julian Laughed, and I stuck my tongue out at him.

    Rosie had Rapunzel''s tiara over

    her

    He took his phone and snapped a picture of me. I walked over to him and took my phone out to take a couple of selfies of us together. He then picked Rosle up and I took more pictures of us.

    We looked so happy together and I found myself wondering if it would be wise of me to give Julian another chance. I would be lying if I said that I didn''t have feelings for him because I did, but I was petrified and also didn''t want to hurt him. What if I gave him another chance and failed to look past what happened before? That wouldn''t be fair to him. He had suffered enough and 1 would never want to add salt to his curs.

    Julian took Rosie and me home after a very long day at Disnend. Rosie fell asleep on our way back home. She was exhausted, but I knew that she

    had the best day ever. She was going to remember that day for as long as she could.

    "I''m going to carry her inside and you can carry the things we bought," Julian said and I agreed.

    I closed the door behind us as we walked inside my house. Julian went straight to Rosie''s room and 1 followed him.

    I watched as he carefully ced her in her bed, then kissed her forehead and pulled her nket on top of her. I ced the shopping bags aside and quietly, the two of us exited her room. Thank y you so much for this amazing day." I told him, smiling,

    "I''m d you had fun," he said. I had a feeling that he had a lot on his mind and I wanted to know what was troubling him, but I didn''t know how to

    ask him.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    The doorbell rang and I frowned. Who would visit me now?

    "Are you expecting anyone?" I shook my head at Julian''s question.

    We both headed downstairs and I looked through the peephole to see who was outside. I sighed and rested my head on the door for a second upon seeing Matt''s face. What the hell was he doing here! "Who is it?" Julian wondered,

    "Man," I replied before opening the door.

    When Matt saw Julian behind me, his face changed. "Is that why you broke up with

    me? For him he angrily spat. Immediately, I felt Julian''s hand around my wrist as he gently pulled me away from Matt. "Rosie''s situation was nothing but an excuse! You left me for him! I should have known that you were going to run back to him!" "Don''t raise your voice at her?" Julian snapped at him, showing how protective he still was over me

    "Oh really?" Matt chuckled. "And what am I allowed to do, Juliant use her of cheating on me and divorcing her without giving her a chance to exin herself?" Why did people have to drow that at his face!

    11:47 AM

    "Matt, you need to go,"

    ," I said, taking a step towards him.

    "Don''t you have some dignity! Why did you run back to him? Why did you leave me for him!" Matt was angry, but I could also sense pain in his

    voice.

    "I didn''t break up with you because of Julian. You know quite well what you did!" I hissed. "What you did is unforgivable and I''m not going to be with a man my daughter is ufortable around!" And it was true. I asked Rosie how she felt around Matt and she told me that "Stop ying that card!" he yelled, and I unintentionally flinched. I hated loud voices.

    "If you don''t leave now, I''m going to call the police," Julian threatened him as he pulled me beside him again. "Whatever was between the two of you is over. ept it!"

    "You''re going to regret this!" He pointed his index finger at me as he spoke. "He has you wrapped around his fingers. I don''t know what kind of Stockholm Syndrome you''re in, but I know that he''s going to break your heart" Matt mmed the door behind him and again, I flin Julian instantly locked the door, then turned to face me. He ced his hands on my upper arms and asked, "Are you okay? Did he do that before?"

    "I''m... I''m okay and no, he didn''t do that before," I replied, taking a shaky breath. To be honest, I was a bit scared and I was d that Julian was with

    me..

    "Come here," Julian whispered, closing the gap between us. I let him hold me and found myself wrapping my arms around him. Matt scared me tonight and I needed the sense offort Julian provided me with.

    I felt Julian rub my back gently and I closed my eyes, trying to rx my tensed body. Why was Julian''s touch soothing? Why did I findfort with him? Something kept telling me that Julian wasn''t going to hurt me like that again and I so wanted to believe that voice. "Do you nevermind," I mumbled as we pulled away.

    "No, tell me," he insisted, reaching for my hand

    "Do you think you can stay the night?" I hesitantly asked, not looking at him. "I don''t want to be on my own tonight."

    "I will stay. If that''s what you want, I''ll stay," he quickly replied and I breathed out in relief. I wanted him to hold me again. What was

    was wrong wit

    me!

    "Thank you." I managed to smile. I frowned when I noticed a small figure standing behind one of the walls. "Cupcake, it''s okay," I said, slowly making my way to my daughter. Rosie was a light sleeper. The slightest noise could wake her up.

    She slowly revealed herself and I saw her clutching one of her toys as her eyes brimmed with tears.

    "Oh no, cupcake. What''s going on?" I quickly picked her up and kissed her cheek. "What scared you? Is it the loud voices?"

    "I don''t want you to be with Mart," she whimpered, and I tightened my hold on her as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

    "Matt and I are over. I''m not getting back with him ever again," I assured her. "Does he scare you?"

    "Yes and he doesn''t like me," she murmured.

    "Don''t worry, cupcake. Mommy will never allow him in our lives ever again," I reassured her. "Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" She immediately nodded. "Let''s kiss Daddy goodnight, then we can go to bed." "Goodnight, Rosie," Julian said, kissing her cheek, making her smile.

    "You didn''t kiss Mommy," she murmured, making meugh a little. Was she ying a matchmaker?

    "Goodnight, sunshine." Julian kissed my temple and my heart swelled when he used his old nickname for me. What was he doing to me?

 Chapter 60

    The werks had passed since Rosie, Emily and I went to Disnend. Ever since that day. Emily and I had been spending a lot of time together. Although I was enjoying the new steps we were both taking. I was also confused. I didn''t know how to think clearly about our r When Mau showed up at her doorstep, I found her seeking refuge in my arms. The way she held onto me took me back to the old days. She was so small in my embrace and all I wanted to do at that time was to protect her.

    I stayed the night just like she asked me to, because I didn''t want her to be scared of anything. When I woke up the next day, I found that she had prepared breakfast for the three of us. If anybody tried to look at us from the outside, they were going to think that we were a want from me?

    I knew that she asked me to give her time when she took care of me while I was sick, but I could feel myself getting weaker. I couldn''t take it anymore. I wanted to know what was going on between us. It was hard being in her presence when I didn''t know where we stood. Behind closed doors, Emily and I were almost like a couple, yet I couldn''t help but notice how Emily would try to make things clear that

    we were both nothing but a fake couple. At first, I was d that I got to be with her even if it was just an act, but the more time I spent with her, the more I realized that I was actually being tortured. She was so close, yet fur.

    "What are you thinking about?" Emily''s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I was at her ce because we were supposed to have a movie night. after having dinner together; Rosie''s wish. The thing was. Rosie fell asleep about an hour ago and it was just the two of u "You''re not going to like what I''m thinking about," I warned her, resting my back against the couch.

    "Try me." She shrugged. Why was she testing me? I knew that she was stubborn, but now wasn''t the right time for her stubbornness,

    "I think it''s better if I keep my mouth shut." I replied. Suddenly, I felt the need to leave. Staying with her in the same ce might result in a fight and I didn''t want that.

    "I insist," she said, giving me her full attention.

    "Fine," I exhaled, turning to fully face her. "What are we, Amelia?" She seemed taken aback by my question, but she was the persistent one, not me. "See. You don''t even have an answer to that"

    "It''s not that I don''t have an answer, I''m just.." She stopped talking and looked down.

    "It''s what? You''re confused! You''re not sure! Yeah, okay." I rolled my eyes, standing up.

    **Julian, that''s not how we should discuss this," she said, standing up too,

    "I don''t need to discuss anything. I need answers. Can you give me that? Can you give whatever we have abel" I was raging from the inside, but I wasn''t going to raise my voice at her. I knew how much she hated loud voices. "We are friends. Her tone was unsure, and she evaded looking at me.

    "Do we look like friends to your 1 hissed. "Because I don''t think friends act the

    way we do. Friends don''t hold onto each other the way we do. Friends don''t kiss each other as much as we do even if it''s on the cheek. Friends don''t hold hands like we do and don''t cuddle on the couch while watching movies." She stayed silent, not seeing anything.

    "I know I hurt you, I know I deserve losing you for six years, but what you''re doing to me now is emotional abuse and I can''t take it." I was fed up.

    "I don''t mean to abuse you! I only started the whole fake-dating thing because I couldn''t handle people hurting you," she defended herself.

    1

    "Well, it seems like you started hurting me in the process without noticing" I ran my fingers through my

    hair in frustration.

    "I''m scared, Julian. I''m scared of getting hurt again," she mumbled, sitting down on the edge of the couch.

    "And I don''t know what to do to make you believe that I won''t repeat what I did before. If you can''t ept that, then you need to be clear with me. Tell me the truth. Is there a chance for us?" I asked as I stood in front of her.

    "I can''t give you the answer you want," she said, finally looking at me. For a moment, she seemed young. She was the twenty-two-year-

    old girl I married more than eight years ago and I suddenly wanted to do nothing but hug her and tell her that she was always going to have me and I was going to have her back no matter what, but I couldn''t. I wasn''t mentally okay to take that step. I needed to put my me "Fine, Amelia," I sighed, reaching for my phone that was still on the couchN?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    What do you mean by

    w line?

    She stood up and I saw panic in her eyes. Why was she doing that to us?

    "I''m going to Florida for two weeks. I want you to use this period of time to make up your mind." I told her.

    "So you''ll be here before Thanksgiving, right?" she asked me and I nodded.

    "I don''t want you to get me wrong, but please don''t contact me unless it''s something rted to Rosic or if there''s any emergency. The two of us need some space" She seemed shocked by my request. "I''ll go upstairs to kiss Rosie before leaving." I said and headed upstairs found her asleep. I kissed her forehead and exited the room where I found Emily waiting for me downstairs. "You... You don''t Why was it hard for her to say what she wanted? "You don''t hate me, do you?" She seemed nervous as her tongue formed the words she wanted to say.

    "No, I don''t hate you," I told her. I wasn''t lying. I couldn''t hate her even if I wanted. "I''ll see you in two weeks," I said, offering her a small smile before walking out of the door. It didn''t skip my notice how she took a step towards me before I walked away, probably expecting agonizing as it was a harsh reminder of the fact that she wasn''t mine.

 Chapter 61

    Julian was returning tonight. For the past two weeks, I had been thinking and I knew what I wanted. I made up my mind. I wanted Julian to be more than just a friend. I was lying to him and myself when I told him that we were friends, Julian and I were never friends. Five ye Yes, he did hurt me, but he was sorry, and he had shown that. What was I going to lose if I gave him another chance? What if he was my one love? What if we had both grown up and learned how to maintain a healthy rtionship? The more I thought about it, the more I I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled, feeling a lot younger.

    "Is it a big change!" the hairstylist.

    st asked me

    "Not really, I was naturally a blonde. It feels like meeting my old self again," I replied, standing up from my seat. Lately, I had been letting my hair grow and I decided to dye it blonde again.

    I was running away from my past by dying my hair ck and cutting it, but I no longer wanted to run away. Not everything in my past was bad. 1 managed to be somebody who was able to stand before the ones who once hurt me. I was stronger than I ever dreamt of being. But just because I was strong that didn''t mean that I didn''t need somebody to lean on in my life. Yes, I had Julian''s family that I considered my own and I also had Maya and Sam, but I wanted to have somebody I could return to at the end of the night whom I could let go of my armor in front of. I wanted to have somebody that would make me feel relieved when he would hold me. And no matter how much I tried, I couldn''t picture myself with somebody other than Julian.

    There were so many things I wanted to do, but it all depended on him. He needed to be back first. 1 was afraid, but not of getting hurt. This time, I was afraid of rejection. What if I took too long to make up my mind? What if he realized that I wasn''t the best one for him? His birthday was a few days ago, but I couldn''t throw him the party I wanted because he was away. I was scared of sending him a message wishing him a happy birthday, but I did anyway with my fingers crossed. I couldn''t just ignore the day like that. Although his reply wa Rose nned on throwing him a small birthday party tonight and she invited me. She didn''t know anything about ourst conversation, so she wasn''t aware that Julian and I weren''t exactly on speaking terms. I nned on changing everything tonight though. Only if he ga I was going to meet Harper in an hour. I bet she was going to be extremely surprised with my blonde hair. Even my daughter was going to be shocked. She had never seen me with blonde hair before

    I reached the cafe where we were supposed to meet, and I couldn''t find her. I was early anyway. I ordered a cappino and took a book out of my bag and started to read. When I was in New Jersey, I foundpany in books. They were my friends when loneliness took "Is that you!!" I looked up and saw a stunned Harper in front of me. Iughed as I got up from my ce and hugged her. "You look so much younger!"

    "Do I look better!" I grinned, shaking my hair a little.

    "Yes! You look stunning!" she eximed. "You look like the old Emily, shemented as the two of us sat down.

    "I told

    -50.

    you you could call me Emily if you wanted." I replied.

    what''s behind that change?" she wondered.

    "I have been thinking about this for a while and I thought that now might be the right time."

    "Why?" She tilted her head to the side. The waitress came to take her order, then left us to continue our conversation.

    "Because I''m done running." I said. "I have been running away from a lot of things and I think that now is the right time stop running,"

    "Why am I getting more confused? She let out a shortugh.

    "Do you think Julian still loves me?" Her eyes widened upon hearing my question.

    know that he still loves you. My brother has only started to get back to his old self when you returned. I never want to see the version we saw when you were away every again."

    "But what if I''m toote?" I looked down. I was confused and scared, but now I know that.. I want to be with him. Do you think he would ept

    "You''re oblivious" She shook her head. "Julian is waiting for you to say the word, Emily"

    "But he told me I was unintentionally emotionally abusing him." I nervously rubbed my hands together. I couldn''t forgive myself for making him 1028 AM

    feel abused, because I didn''t mean to toy with his feelings.

    "You can say whatever you want, and my answer will be the same, Julian is waiting for you to tell him that you want him back," she insisted, making me smile.

    "I''m going to tell him today once he''s back that I love him" I was just hoping that I wasn''t toote. Ourst conversation wasn''t exactly the best and I was afraid that I might have lost him. He didn''t even hug me before leaving and that was enough to make hundreds of bad nty mind.

    "What makes you sure that you love him?" Harper asked, sipping the juice she ordered.

    "Do you remember my first Thanksgiving and Christmas with you!" She nodded. "He still makes me feel the way I used to feel back then. He makes me happy when he walks in the room. I findfort in his embrace. A stupid smile finds its way to my lips when his name p screen."

    "I know you two would surely want your privacy when you tell him that, but part of me wants to hide and eavesdrop because I so want to know how he''s going to react," she said, making meugh? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Yeah, I think privacy is a vital factor here," I chuckled.

    "I have always thought that airports witness the most romantic moments," Harper smirked, and I looked at her confusingly. "Would you like to pick him up from the airport?" I immediately nodded, but then my excitement faded. What if he didn''t want to see me? "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

    "Yes, stop overthinking! I swear, the two of you are going to be the death of me." Harper rolled her eyes and I smiled.

    Julian and I weren''t anyone''s typical couple. Our rtionship had witnessed a lot of downs. They were probably more than our ups, but I still had hope, I spent five years gluing myself back together and I seeded. I was a whole again and I was strong enough to live on I arrived at the airport thirty minutes early. I was stoked and wanted nothing but to hug and kiss him. Rosie was already at her grandparents'' ce. I drove her there earlier beforeing to

    the airport. Everybody was there waiting for us to celebrate his birthday. I got him two gifts and couldn''t wait to give them to him. I had a lot of ns in mind and I hoped that he would allow me to bring them to life with him.

    I was waiting in a small hall since it was specialized for private jets. It wasn''t my first time to be here, and from what I was seeing, it seemed that something was wrong. 1 looked around and studied the employees who were rushing here and there, whispering to each other. "Excuse me, what''s going on?" I asked one of the workers.

    "A private jet experienced some issues with itsnding, and it caught on fire." My eyes widened upon hearing that, and my heart sank in my stomach. No, that couldn''t be his private jet.

    "W-which one?" I was scared of what she was going to say.

    "The Kensington jet." My hands flew to my mouth to silence my gasp.

    What kind of trick was fate ying on me?

 Chapter 62

    62

    My whole body was trembling as I sat down on one of the silver seats, waiting to hear any news. I had been crying ever since I was told that it was his jet that caught on fire whilending. I hated the helplessness I was in. All I could do was wait and it was pure torture. I trie I couldn''t tell anybody anything, because part of me still believed that he would make it

    despite all the odds. I was praying that Julian was okay. I couldn''t imagine him getting hurt like that. He was a good person and didn''t deserve in die like that. He was still young and had a long life ahead of him. That wasn''t supposed to be his end.

    "Ma''am, I know we shouldn''t say anything unless we''re sure, but words have been going around that the passenger is okay," one of the workers told

    I looked up at her. "Really?" What if she was lying to get me to stop crying?

    "Yes" She offered me a kind smile,

    A thirty minute wait turned into an hour and a half. When Harper called to check why we werete, I had to lie and tell her that his flight was dyed. What was I supposed to tell her? Her brother might be dead? That she might not be able to see him ever again? dy to lose h My eyes traveled to the big window, and I looked up at the ck sky, silently praying that Julian would be okay. I wasn''t ready to lose him. Was I being punished for taking too

    long to figure out how I truly feh? But if I was the one being punished, shouldn''t I be the one on that flight, not him! It didn''t make sense that he would get hurt on my behalf.

    Was I the reason behind the sudden emergence of that trip! He only told me about it after I failed to answer his question. What if I had answered him that night! would he have stayed?

    A door opened, catching my attention. I sucked in a breath upon seeing the one I wanted to see the most at that moment. Slowly, I stood up despite how wobbly my legs were. Tears filled my eyes when they fell on him, and my surroundings blurred in the background. I ign steadied myself. My body collided with his that he stumbled back for a second before steadying himself. I tightly wrapped my arms around his neck and closed my eyes, convincing myself that he was okay!

    His hold immediately tightened on me, and I felt my legs leave the floor as he gently lifted me. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I breathed his scent. I was petrified of losing him. I felt him move to the side while still holding me to make way for other people to pass.

    "Im alright, I promise, he whispered and kissed the side of my head, and 1 felt my body shake against his. "How did you even know? My driver was the one who was supposed to pick me up."

    "I thought I lost you." I cried. "I never want to lose you.

    "You won''t I''m not going anywhere," he said, rubbing my arm. Was I still shaking?

    "I wanted to surprise you, so Harper and I told your driver to let us know when you''d arrive, so I could pick you up." I sniffed as my eyes met his blue ones. His forehead was smeared with ash, and I wondered how big the fire was "Are you alright?" I whispered. "I swear, I''m okay," he assured me, caressing my hair. "Somebody is blonde again," hemented making me smile.

    "I w-wanted to surprise you," I stuttered, wiping away my tears as 1 pulled away.

    "I love it," be murmured, kissing my head as I rested it on his chest. As clich¨¦ as in sounded, I needed to listen to his heartbeats. I needed to assure myself that he was alive.

    "I have the answer to the question you asked me before you left." I was nervous.

    "Which question exactly?" he wondered, cing a strand of my hair behind my ear, God, I missed his touch

    "You asked me if I couldbel us and. I can, but thebel I have in mind demands mutual consent," I started talking and he ced his finger on my mouth, silencing me. My heartbeats raced, thinking that he didn''t want to take the step I wanted us to take.

    "I''m the one who''s supposed to ask, not you. I''m an old school. Relief washed over me when he said that. "Does that mean I can finally get to call you mine again after losing you for six years?" The hope he had in his voice made my knees go weak. "Yes, I want to be called yours again." I nodded smiling at him.

    "Hello, sunshine," he murmured, closing the space between us as he ced one hand on my cheek and kissed my lips.

    Kissing him felt so right. Despite everything that happened between us, it wasn''t easy for me to ept the touch of another man and when I did, it didn''t feel right. But with Julian, I wasfortable. I felt like I could easily let go. He was my home, and I didn''t want anybod "Can Luke you home?" he wondered as we pulled apart

    "I need to take you somewhere before doing that, I told him, "But first, you really need to wash your face because you have ash on it." If Rose and

    1,2

    0

    10:28 AM

    Uncle Steven saw

    w him like that, they were going to freak out.

    "Okay" He pecked my lips before going to the bathroom.

    I looked at my hand and realized that neither did 1ve my bag nor my phone. I must have left them when I ran towards Julian. I looked at where I was sitting and found my bag

    I went to grab it and thankfully, my phone was inside. I had no memory of where Ist put it.

    I found a couple of missed calls from Harper and six ones from Rose in addition to numerous messages from them. Did they find out?

    Quickly I called Harper and she answered immediately. "Don''t lie to me, Emily! Is my brother okay? I heard the news. Is that why you''re not answering!"

    "He''s okay! I promise, he is. I saw him and spoke to him. He is fine. He is

    just in the bathroom washing his face." I tried to calm her down. I looked up and saw Julianing towards me. "Listen, he''s in front of me now. Talk to him. I handed him the phone as I mouthed ''Harper'' to him.

    I realized that Julian had no luggage with him. He must have left everything behind when he evacuated the jet.

    "Rosie doesn''t know anything, right?" I looked at him when he said that. He was still talking to Harper on the phone. "Good. Don''t tell her anything. Emily and I are going to pick her up from Mum''s ce now." I smiled a little when he called me Emily. I knew that he couldn''t He handed me the phone and held my hand. "I can call you Emily, right?" I smiled a little at his question and nodded.

    "Yes, you canText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    The two of us walked to my car and I got in the driver''s seat, knowing that he wasn''t in the best trapped in a fire less than an hour ago. I was going to lose him, but thankfully, fate decided to give us another chance.

    state to drive. I still couldn''t believe that he was

    When we arrived at his parents'' ce, I parked the car and the two of us walked towards the front door.

    "We''re getting Rosie, then we''re going to go straight home, okay?" he said, and I nodded. Technically, we were getting Rosie, then we were going to head home. We just had to spend like an hour or two here first since his family was inside, ready to celebrate his birthday, I rang the doorbell, and the maid opened the door for us.

    "Daddy" Rosie squealed as she came running towards Julian who was quick to pick her up. "I missed you."

    "I missed you too, cupcake," he said, kissing her cheek.

    We walked to the living room where I knew everybody was waiting for us. The moment they spotted us they yelled ''surprise'' and confetti bombs exploded.

    "I forgot to tell you that we''re not exactly here just to pick Rosie up." I smiled sheepishly at him. "Happy bted birthday, Julian."

    And as I looked around me, I realized that I had everything I wanted in life and that time, I was going to fight with everything in me to always keep them in my life.

 Chapter 63

    63

    Too many things happened in the past twenty-four hours. They had been the best and worst hours of my life. One moment I thought I was going to die, the next I found Emily in my arms crying her eyes out, thinking that she had lost me.

    My private jet caught on firest night duringnding due to someplications. At first, I was trapped inside along with the two flight attendants, the pilot and co-pilot. Miraculously, the rescue team managed to get us out.

    It took them less than ten minutes to do that, but they were the longest minutes of my life, because I realized then that I didn''t want to die. There were so many things that I wanted to do in my life that I didn''t get to do. I wanted to be there for my daughter and watch her gr

    I wanted to grow old with Emily even though at that moment, I didn''t even know if she would ever take me back or not. I wanted to go stargazing with her and take her on many plenie and rooftop dates because they were her favourite. I wanted to dance with her to her fav scent as sheid her head on my chest.

    my I wanted to spend more time with give up on my life. I wasn''t ready to

    my parents and bicker with my sister until myst breath. I wasn''t ready to give in to the fire that threatened to melt the skin covering my bones, so I fought with everything in me until they managed to get us out

    The breath I took when I was finally away from the fire brought me back to life. It made me realize that there were many important steps I needed.

    I needed to to take. I needed to fight more for Emily and show her that she was still the love of my life. I needed to appreciate all that I had more. enjoy my life and stop giving all my time to work. I didn''t need any more money. I needed to live,

    I wasn''t even working for money anymore. I was just living like that because there was nothing else I thought

    of doing. But being trapped in a metal box with fire threatening to eat me alive was enough to make realize that there were many things I wanted to do. I wanted to travel the world and spend more time with my family, I wanted to live.

    When Emily ran towards me and hugged me with everything in her I thought I was hallucinating. I wasn''t even sure what she was doing at the airport, but I was d that she was there. When I wrapped my arms around her shaking body, a voice in my head told me to be It was hard to prevent myself from texting her for two weeks, but I wanted to give her time to think. I didn''t want to make her feel forced into a rtionship with me only to wake up one day to realize that I wasn''t the man she wanted.

    I was currently lying down in her bed while she was sleeping soundly in my arms. I still couldn''t believe that she was a blonde again. I loved her with her ck hair and her blonde hair, but blonde suited her more. It reminded me of the first time I realized that she was the w She shifted a little in my embrace and nuzzled her face more in the crook of my neck. She was absolutely adorable and all I wanted was to kiss her. but I didn''t want to wake her up. I spent years dreaming of living that moment again and I wasn''t going to take it for granted When I told her I wanted to take her home yesterday, I didn''t have a specific ce in mind. I didn''t care whether it meant going to her ce or mine because home meant being with her and Rosie, even if that meant living in a cottage

    in the middle of nowhere. She told me it would be better to go to her ce and I agreed. I had a feeling I was going to sell the house I was living in and purchase a new one soon. Yes. I made with Emily great memories there, but it also witnessed our divorce, something I w I wanted to give her a fresh start and maybe it would be better if it happened at apletely new home.

    She shifted again in my arms and when I looked at her, I saw her fluttering her gorgeous eyes

    "Good morning sunshine," I said, smiling at her.

    "Morning," she yawned, stretching her arms, "What time is it?"This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Ten thirty." I replied.

    "I slept in," she murmured, pulling herself up. "Did you have a good sleep?" she asked me. How could I not when I was sleeping beside her all night!

    "The best sleep I had in a while," I said, sitting up too.

    "Do you have anything in mind you want to do today?" I asked her.

    "Other than giving you your birthday gift, nothing," she replied.

    "Didn''t you give it to me yesterday!" She gave me a Rolex yesterday with ''You''ll always be my Eugene'' engraved on its back. That was officially my favourite watch.

    "Yeah, but there''s another gift that I made for you," she said, getting out of bed. I watched her in her yellow little shorts as she disappeared in her closet for a moment before emerging again with a suit cover. "I made it for you. The line isn''t out yet and I don''t have all the de 10:29 AM

    I took the suit cover from her and opened it. My eyes stole a glimpse of her, and my heart danced at the excitement in her eyes. The suit was a dar shade of green and thepel was ck. I didn''t know which material she made the suit of, but it was very solt

    "I know the colour isn''t something you really wear, but I thought I could try something new. You don''t really have to wear it or anything. I just thought I could make you one. If there''s anything you don''t like about the design I can definitely change it and if you want a differen I love it and I love you" I said, silencing her. The way her cheeks reddened made me want to kiss her. "I would kiss you, but my morning breath isn''t the best." Sheughed and nodded.

    "I think I have a spare toothbrush," she told me as she made her way to the bathroom. I set the suit

    aside and followed her. "Here it is." She handed me a grey toothbrush before turning on the faucet. "Il freshen up quickly and leave you the bathroom" I nodded and exited the bathroom, giving her some privacy me clean clothes.

    While she was inside, the doorbell rang. It must have been my driver because I sent him to my ce to fetch me

    I opened the door and took what I asked him to bring. I told him to leave the car and to have the rest of the day off, then closed the door and headed back upstairs.

    Emily walked out of the bathroom in a towel. Her hair was wet, and her nose and cheeks were a little bit red.

    "You still preferva hot showers, don''t you?" :

    "Yes." She gave me a cheeky smile. "Who was it?" she wondered.

    My driver. I asked him to bring n "My

    me some clothes." I emptied the bag he gave me on the

    bag he gave me on the bed to see what he brought me.

    "We can go bring some of your stuff if you want today," Emily offered.

    "You don''t want to live at my ce, right?" I asked her. She shifted ufortably and looked down.

    "It''s not that I don''t want to live there, but... I don''t see myself living there anymore after what happened, she admitted

    "I understand." I replied, earning a look of surprise from her.

    "You do?"

    "The worst part of our rtionship happened there. I kicked you out of it and it witnessed our divorce. I wouldn''t want to live there too if I were you," I told her. "We can look for a new ce together?" I suggested

    "That sounds like a good idea." She smiled brightly. "You go shower while I get dressed and make us some breakfast."

    I nodded, kissing her cheek before disappearing inside the bathroom.

    Emily refused to ept her mother''spany because I bought it back for her and opted for giving it to Rosie once she was ready, so I wasn''t sure how she was going to react upon knowing what I nned on giving her for Christmas. I was sincerely hoping that she wou I made my way downstairs where I found my two beautiful girls making breakfast together.

    "Good morning. Daddy," Rosie grinned at me.

    "Good morning, cupcake." I kissed her cheek, then went to kiss Emily. "Now, I can give you a morning kiss."

    Our daughter gasped when she saw me kissing Emily and it dawned on me that she had never seen us being intimate like that before.

    "Rosie, what do you think about the three of us living together?" Emily asked Rosie whose eyes immediately lit up.

    "We''re going to live here?" she wondered.

    "Well, we were thinking about getting a bigger house," I told her.

    "Yours is bigger

    Yeah, but Mommy doesn''t like it there, so we were thinking about living here temporarily before moving to a bigger ce," I told her.

    "I would love that!" She grinned. "But when do you n on building me the tree house?"

    "How about after we move to our new ce?" Emily suggested. I loved the idea of living with her. The way she said "our new ce'' made me feel

    warm.

    As the three of us prepared breakfast together and talked about anything and everything, I realized that I hadn''t been that happy in so long and 1 wanted nothing but to live with the two of their until my veryst breath

 Chapter 64

    "We''re going to spend the whole day packing," Julianmented as we got out of his car and made our way to the front door of his house.

    Since we didn''t have any ns for the day, I called Rosie''s babysitter to see if she was free for the day to watch Raste and luckily she was. I didn''t like the idea of having a live-

    in babysitter because I valued our privacy. She had been Rosie''s babysitter since my little girl was less than two years old and when I decided to move to California, I asked her if she wanted toe along. Surprisingly, she agreed. I bought a studio- apartment and allowed her to live there for as long as she was working for me to relieve her of the burden of rent, but she had to pay for utilities. Today was her day off, but since she didn''t have anything to do, she agreed to babysit

    "We don''t have to pack everything today. We just need to focus on clothes, any important documents that you have and any personal belongings you want to take with you." His house was bigger than mine, but mine wasn''t small. It wasn''t massive, but a family of four or fi The two of us walked inside and made our way to Julian''s bedroom.

    "If you feel ufortable and want to leave at any moment, tell me," Julian told

    "I''m not exactly traumatized by the ce. Don''t worry." I assured him and kissed his lips. I could stay here if I had to, but I just didn''t like the ce

    anymore.

    Julian and 1 each grabbed a suitcase and started filling

    it with clothes. He e took care of the casual wear

    ual wear while I handled the suits.

    After an hour of nonstop working, we threw our bodies on the bed and I subconsciously crawled into his embrace.

    "I think we packed enough clothes," he mumbled, ying with my hair.

    "If you keep ying with my hair like that, I''m going to fall asleep. I yfully warned him.

    "Yeah, let''s nap." He tightened his embrace around me and closed his eyes, making meugh. Julian had never been the one to say no

    "You''rezy." I poked his nose.

    sleep.

    "Have some mercy on me, I almost burnt to deathst night," he chuckled, but I didn''t. The two hours I waited to know whether he was alive or not were the worst. I never wanted to experience something like that ever again.

    "Not funny. I was petrified of losing youst night," I whispered, nuzzling my face in the crook of his neck

    "You didn''t." He probably sensed my angst because he started rubbing my back. "I''m right here with you, sunshine." He pressed a long kiss to my forehead.

    We stayed in bed for a while and as expected, Julian managed to fall asleep. Not wanting to wake him up, I gently slipped away from his embrace and made my way to the kitchen to make us something to eat. I wasn''t sure what he had in the house, but I was probably could make a meal out of

    As I passed by the living room, something on the coffee table caught my eye. A sacramento green velver notebook

    Why did he have a notebook in my favorite colour!

    Curiosity got the best of me, and I reached for it. I sat on the couch and opened the first page.

    Dear Emily,

    My therapist told me that writing might make me feel better, so I decided to write, but to you. Since I can''t really speak to you because I don''t know where you are, I''m going to write you letters that you probably won''t read, but what do I have to lose? I have already lost th I told myself I was going to buy the notebook in your favorite colour because I wanted it to be a reminder of you, but I''m stupid. Not once have I forgotten you in the first ce to try to remember you.

    My body went still as I realized what I was reading. He had been writing to me for the past years. Was I viting his privacy by reading the notebook! But it was addressed to me. Those were things he wanted to

    tell me. I wanted to read more. I wanted to know what he had been through during my absence.

    You know, when I first divorced you, I wanted toe back home and tear apart the papers we signed, but I was hurt. A voice in my head kept telling me that I was going to regret my actions and stupid me, I didn''t listen. I think it was some angel trying to warn me, but I wa been like if we hadn''t gotten a divorce and I think that it would have been great.

    1 looked down at the date and found that it was three years after I left.

    I like to think that we would have be parents because I know that you''ll make a great mother. I remember how you used to treatThis material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    my nieces

    10:29 AM 1

    and nephews. Did you know that they asked m

    sunshine.

    asked me about you two months after you left! I didn''t know what to tell them. If only I could turn back time,

    Despite everything. I still have hope and I think it''s the only thing that is keeping me alive. I like to believe that I will get to call you mine again, but I just don''t know when.

    My heart was beating so fast. He was still thinking a

    about me like

    that after three years of my departure. How was he like during the first year?

    I flipped a few pages and my eyes settled on a new entry.

    Dear Emily,

    It''s getting harder to keep going without you. I don''t know how to stay strong anymore. I know that I''m the one to me, but don''t I deserve some mercy? Haven''t I done anything good in my life to make up for what I had done to you?

    I had another nightmarest night. I saw you getting hurt and I wasn''t able to save you because I was so far away and no matter how much I tried t move, you were still getting further.

    I heard your voice. You were ming me for the pain you were in, telling me that if I had just believed you and stayed with you, you wouldn''t have gotten hurt.

    I woke up drenched in sweat and out of breath. I couldn''t fall back asleep because the worst ideas haunted my mind. I couldn''t help but think that you were truly hurt, and the universe was ying some sick game on me to let me know that I have failed to protect the one I Pleasee back.

    I can''t take it anymore.

    Hot tears trickled down my cheeks as I realized the amount of pain he was in. I hated myself for noting back sooner, but I couldn''t. I couldn''t just forget everything ande back. I wanted toe back sooner because my n was to always

    return to California, but during my third year in New Jersey, I faced a lot of problems with my brand and a lot of people were trying to bring me down due to the rapid sess I achieved. If 1 hade back at that time, people would have said that I only came back to be pr "I''m okay now, you know." I gasped and the notebook fell from my hands when I heard Julian''s voice.

    I bent down to pick it up, then slowly stood up. "1.. I didn''t mean to vite your privacy." I whispered, trying to stop my tears from falling

    to you," he replied. He took a few steps

    ps towards me closing the space between us. He

    "You didn''t vite it. The letters in this notebook were written to you reached for the notebook, taking it from my hand.

    He took me in his embrace, and Itched my arms around his neck, taking a deep breath. I felt him rub small circles on my back. He kissed my temple, and a trembling breath escaped me. "Why are you crying, sunshine?" he asked in a gentle voice. "Because... I never wanted to hurt you, but as I looked at the dates, I realized that you spent the past years in pain. I thought you would have moved on after a year," I said, staring at his eyes.

    "I didn''t move on and never wanted to in the first ce." He

    other woman but you and as much as it hurt to have you away from me for years, I knew that I deserved that. I deserved to be hurt because of what 1 put you through." 1 shook my head, suddenly hating myself for what I had done although I was hurt in the first ce. my cheeks and with his thumbs, he wiped away my tears. "I didn''t want any

    "Hey, can we forget about what happened!" he said, cing a strand of my hair behind my car. "We can have a new start. We can decide how we want our life to be this time. I regret hurting you and those five or six years were necessary because they taught me to apprec What happened hurt the two of us and perhaps he was right. Perhaps we needed that to hap

    to happen to learn to appreciate each other more.

 Chapter 65

    Before I knew it, it was Christmas. I was excited for this one, because that was going to be the first Christmas I got to spend with my daughter. It had also been six years since 1st spent Christmas with Emily, so to say that I was excited would be an understatement. The past six Christmases had been the same for me. I spent them with my family, and we exchanged gifts, but I had always felt that something was missing. Emily was missing. I was pathetic

    as I ended up buying her a gift each Christmas when I didn''t even know if I would ever see her again or not. Each Christmas, I remembered my first Christmas with her and the way she looked when she realized that I got her the sewing machine she had been saving to ge This time, I knew how I felt, and I wanted nothing but to make her mine. I wanted her to have myst name again. I wanted to see my ring on her finger. I was giving her time though, I was sure of my feelings. I was in love with her and wanted to grow old with her; however, I didn''t want her to feel rushed. I wanted to give her all the time she could ever need,

    I didn''t know which reaction I was supposed to expect from her. I was aware that what I nned on gifting her was huge, but she deserved the best.

    "You look good in your ugly Christmas sweater!" She grinned, looking at me. She had a red sweater on with

    white and green reindeers. What made her extra cute was the reindeer ears she had on. If somebody didn''t know who she was, they would never guess that she was a multimillionaire who owned one of the most sessful fashion brands.

    "So do you." I kissed her nose and adjusted the reindeer ears she had over her head. The two of us brought the snacks from the kitchen to the living room where everybody was. As usual, we were at my parents'' ce and the whole family was present. "It''s good to finally have you here again on Christmas Harper smiled at my girl who blushed as she took a seat beside her on the couch.

    "Are you ready to exchange the gifts?" Mum eximed, earning cheers from her grandchildren.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Are you

    Ansel, Harper''s husband, got up from his ce and made his way to the Christmas tree to help Mum hand over the gifts.

    "This is for Julian," Mum said, handing me a medium-sized box. "It''s from Harper and Ansel. The children of our family knew that adults got each other''s gifts while Santa got them gifts, so we freely said in front of them who got the gift to whom. "Thanks, guys," I said, smiling at them as I took the gift from Mum. I found many things when I opened the box. Gold cufflinks, a bottle of my favorite champagne, Two VIP tickets to the next game of my favorite football team and my favorite candy. We all exchanged gifts with each other, and Rosie was over the moon when she found out that she was going to attend the next concert of her favourite artist. It was Emily''s gift to her, and Rosie was ecstatic because it was also an over-the- sea trip. I liked the fact that Emily ended up buying a third ticket even though when she made the purchase we weren''t dating at that time. She wanted that trip to be a familial one and I was as excited as my daughter.

    "This is yours, Emily." Ansel handed a small box to Emily. I knew that it was my gift.

    "Is this your gift to her!" Nosy Harper asked me, and I nodded.

    I still couldn''t wrap my mind around the gift she got me. She still remembered how much I wanted to go ziplining, so she booked it for us. In Zanzibar. I told her about that a long time ago, exactly when we were married. I was stunned when I realized that she hadn''t forgotten.

    I watched as the woman I was dying to call my wife carefully remove the wrapping. She opened the box and found inside some keys.

    "What are those?" she asked me with a small smile on her face.

    "That requires a car ride. Are you up for it!" I asked her and she nodded. I loved the enthusiasm I saw in her eyes. I got up from my ce and gently pulled her hand as she stood up. "When will you be back?" Dad asked us.

    "Not really sure," I replied. I couldn''t give him a straight answer. We might take an hour or five. I wasn''t sure what to expect. I was about to take Emily to a ce I was certain she missed a lot and I didn''t n on leaving unless she wanted to. -Should

    we take Rosie?" Emily asked.

    "Leave her here to y with her cousins. We aren''t going anywhere," Mum replied on my behalf.

    The two of us headed to my car and I started driving.

    "Oh my God! Are we presentable enough to go in our ugly sweaters?" Iughed at her question

    "Nobody is going to be where I''m taking you but us," I assured her.

    "I wonder where you''re taking me." I knew how curious Emily was. She was probably dying to know what I was keeping from her. "Give me a hint!" I nced at her and loved the way her eyes sparkled. True happiness looked perfect on her. TUGAS JUNT

    I hummed, then smirked as I stole another nce at her. "You''ve been to that ce before, but you haven''t been there in so long."

    When we stopped at a traffic sign, I looked at her. She was thinking hard, trying to guess where I could be taking her, but I was certain that it would never cross her mind.

    "I can''t really guess," she whined, throwing her hands in frustration.

    "You''re about to find

    out in exactly ten minutes, I told her.

    In less than ten minutes, we finally reached our destination. I parked the car and looked at her face. She was staring at the house before us in pure awe. I saw the way her eyes glistened, and I wasn''t sure how to interpret that reaction.

    I knew that she was going to get emotional; however, I wasn''t sure if those tears were out of sorrow or joy. When Emily disappeared, I vowed to give her back all that was stolen from her, so here I was fulfilling the vow. She once told me that she never wanted to leave her

 Chapter 66

    66

    No words were sufficient to help me express how I felt. I couldn''t believe my eyes. After all of those years, I was finally standing in front of my childhood home, and it was all because of Julian.

    I was speechless, unable to tell him how thankful I was that I was finally here. When I came back from New Jerry, Lavoided passing by in neighbourhood because I couldn''t bring myself to see the house I loved the most and not being able to get inside because it simply wasn''t in

    anymore.

    I made the best memories of my childhood in that ce. My mum and I used to y together in the garden and since she loved gardening, she always used to attend to her nts. She taught me a thing or two about gardening and I still remember them until that day "I don''t want to interpret this the wrong way. I told Julian, hope filling me. "Is this house yours? Did you buy in

    Julian shook his head, and my heart sank. Then what were those keys in my hand!

    "This house isn''t mine, sunshine. I did buy it, but I bought it for you" he told me, and my face broke into a huge smile. "Merry Christmas, sunshine." I found myself closing the space between us and 1 kissed Julian for as long as I could

    He ced one hand on the small of my back and the other on my cheek. I was on cloud nine, Julian was making each of my dreamse true and I didn''t even ask him to do anything for me.

    "How did you get the idea?" I wondered as we pulled apart,

    "Do you remember when I found yo

    you so sick in your bed during our first year of marriage?" It took me a moment to recall what he was talking about. That day, I was terribly sick, and my body was so weak that I couldn''t even bring myself to call Maya or anybody else to bring me any medicine. I didn''t know "That day, you told me about your childhood home and how much you loved it" I was upset with him on that day because of the way he spoke to me when I came back from my outing with Sam. I was only replying to him because I was trying to be polite since he took great -When you left because of me, I made a vow to myself that I was going to get back everything you lost and I knew

    how much that house meant to you, so I made it my mission to get it back and I did. It has been waiting for you for years and now that you''re here... it''s yours." My heart danced as I realized the love he had for me and all I could do was hide myself in his embrace. "I wanted to give it to you a long time ago, but when you refused to take back yourpany, I hesitated, so I thought to myself maybe I should hold on until the right time woulde. I think there''s no better time than this."

    "You''re the absolute best," I murmured as I kissed his cheek.

    "Let''s get inside, beautiful," He kissed my head and reached for my hand. 1 opened the front gate with one of the keys in the sunshine keychain 1 held in my hand. The closer I stepped towards the front door of my childhood home, the quicker my heartbeats got.

    When my eyes fell in the garden, I noticed the massive changes that had been made. Instead of Mum''s favorite light pink carnations that lined the edges of each green patch in the garden, there were red roses. The light pink carnations looked so much better. I was going t Rosie.

    I looked at one of the huge trees that once had a swing dangling from it and frowned when I didn''t find it. Julian was surely going to help me reinstall it. The house was finally mine and I was going to do whatever I wanted with it

    I smiled a little to myself when I noticed that the front door hadn''t changed despite the long years I had been away from that ce. At least something was still the same.

    I ced the key in the lock and twisted it. There were myriad emotions inside of me and was hard to tame them all. I looked at Julian and found him smiling at me. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and took a step inside. Slowly, I ambled inside and felt Julian right b There was no furniture inside the house, which was something I was d for. I knew that somebody must have lived here for a while, but I still didn''t want anything to tarnish the look I had in mind for the house. I was aware that the

    style was different than how it used to be thirty years ago, but there was a vision I had in mind that I nned on implementing.

    wanted

    you to style your house ording to your liking. That''s why I didn''t furnish it," Julian spoke.

    "I''m d you didn''t," I said, kissing his cheek "Come on! Let me take you to my childhood bedroom. I was like a little child who was excited because they finally received their dream toy.

    I opened the door and saniled upon walking inside. This could be Rosie''s room just like how it was once mine. There was an en-suite bathroom, vo she could have all the privacy she needed.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "I used to have a tent here!" I pointed to one of theers. "I liked to sleep in it even after I started to grow. My mum would find me balled inside with one of my dolls in my arms.

    --47 201

    §±

    Would you like us to build one for Rosie?" he asked me and I vigorously nodded. "What else would you like us to have?" he asked, turning me to nce him as his hands rested on my waist, I want a big firece!"

    Consider it done. What else?"

    "A swing dangling from one of the big trees in the backyard."

    Your wish is mymand, sunshine.

    "A mini atelier for me to design freely here."

    "I already have this in mind."

    ""And a big library!" I eximed

    "Sure." His lips met mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck as I took in the minty taste of his lips. "Now, let me show you something."

    He intertwined our fingers and took me downstairs. We headed to the backyard and I asked myself what else he had in mind. Wasn''t that surprise enough

    I gasped when I saw arge pic nket on the grass along with a massive basket that probably contained food and beverages for us. My eyes fell on the JBL ced on the nket and I immediately knew what he had in mind.

    I stopped walking and made him look at me. "You''re absolutely perfect and I''m in love with you" I wanted him to know that the past was finally behind us and there was nothing in this world that could make me run away again "And I''m n in love with you too," he said. "You''re the air I breathe and thepass that guides me in this life. He leaned in and pecked my lips.

    Was that what true love felt like? When I was with Matt, there was this heaviness in my chest that refused to set me free whenever he would tell me that he loved me. But with Julian, things were way different. I felt like I was walking on clouds. He made me experience a sort of ecstasy. I was a bird, flying freely and enjoying the beauty of nature.

    Julian dug his hand in his pocket and took out his phone. He connected it to the speakers and yed one of the songs I loved. "May I have this dance, mydy?" He extended his hand towards me.

    "I would love that." I smiled widely and ced my hand in his.

    I didn''t know how long we stayed at the house, but I knew that we stayed there for long because one moment we were dancing, the next we were having dinner together, then wey down and ended up stargazing.

    For years, I was alone, trying

    to findfort in thepany of my daughter and attempting to fool myself that I could be in another rtionship with another man other than Julian. I tried to numb all the feelings I held inside of me by drowning myself in work, but all it took was a nce at him.

    I tried to act like I didn''t care and he was nothing to me, but I was a liar because he had always been everything to me. I tried to build a life with Matt and kept telling myself that love didn''t have to be the main basis of our rtionship, yet it was hard to do that. Because I k I know what it

    felt like for the time to stop and for everything to blur because all you wanted was to be with a certain person. I knew the desire to run towards the one you loved the most to tell them about everything that happened in your day. I knew what true joy felt like because your pa were in and suddenly, you were no longer alone. I knew how amazing it was to have the person you loved as your best friend.

    Julian was the one who taught me all of that. Even my rtionship with Chester was nothing like what I had with Julian. I thought that I loved him and after what happened, 1 would never be able to love anybody else.

    But then Julian came. He exceeded all the expectations I had in mind and stole my heart.

    The best thing was, I didn''t even want it back.

 Chapter 67

    66

    No words were sufficient to help me express how I felt. I couldn''t believe my eyes. After all of those years, I was finally standing in front of my childhood home, and it was all because of Julian.

    I was speechless, unable to tell him how thankful I was that I was finally here. When I came back from New Jerry, Lavoided passing by in neighbourhood because I couldn''t bring myself to see the house I loved the most and not being able to get inside because it simply wasn''t in

    anymore.

    I made the best memories of my childhood in that ce. My mum and I used to y together in the garden and since she loved gardening, she always used to attend to her nts. She taught me a thing or two about gardening and I still remember them until that day "I don''t want to interpret this the wrong way. I told Julian, hope filling me. "Is this house yours? Did you buy in

    Julian shook his head, and my heart sank. Then what were those keys in my hand!

    "This house isn''t mine, sunshine. I did buy it, but I bought it for you" he told me, and my face broke into a huge smile. "Merry Christmas, sunshine." I found myself closing the space between us and 1 kissed Julian for as long as I could

    He ced one hand on the small of my back and the other on my cheek. I was on cloud nine, Julian was making each of my dreamse true and I didn''t even ask him to do anything for me.

    "How did you get the idea?" I wondered as we pulled apart,

    "Do you remember when I found yo

    you so sick in your bed during our first year of marriage?" It took me a moment to recall what he was talking about. That day, I was terribly sick, and my body was so weak that I couldn''t even bring myself to call Maya or anybody else to bring me any medicine. I didn''t know "That day, you told me about your childhood home and how much you loved it" I was upset with him on that day because of the way he spoke to me when I came back from my outing with Sam. I was only replying to him because I was trying to be polite since he took great -When you left because of me, I made a vow to myself that I was going to get back everything you lost and I knew

    how much that house meant to you, so I made it my mission to get it back and I did. It has been waiting for you for years and now that you''re here... it''s yours." My heart danced as I realized the love he had for me and all I could do was hide myself in his embrace. "I wanted to give it to you a long time ago, but when you refused to take back yourpany, I hesitated, so I thought to myself maybe I should hold on until the right time woulde. I think there''s no better time than this."

    "You''re the absolute best," I murmured as I kissed his cheek.

    "Let''s get inside, beautiful," He kissed my head and reached for my hand. 1 opened the front gate with one of the keys in the sunshine keychain 1 held in my hand. The closer I stepped towards the front door of my childhood home, the quicker my heartbeats got.

    When my eyes fell in the garden, I noticed the massive changes that had been made. Instead of Mum''s favorite light pink carnations that lined the edges of each green patch in the garden, there were red roses. The light pink carnations looked so much better. I was going t Rosie.

    I looked at one of the huge trees that once had a swing dangling from it and frowned when I didn''t find it. Julian was surely going to help me reinstall it. The house was finally mine and I was going to do whatever I wanted with it

    I smiled a little to myself when I noticed that the front door hadn''t changed despite the long years I had been away from that ce. At least something was still the same.

    I ced the key in the lock and twisted it. There were myriad emotions inside of me and was hard to tame them all. I looked at Julian and found him smiling at me. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and took a step inside. Slowly, I ambled inside and felt Julian right b There was no furniture inside the house, which was something I was d for. I knew that somebody must have lived here for a while, but I still didn''t want anything to tarnish the look I had in mind for the house. I was aware that the

    style was different than how it used to be thirty years ago, but there was a vision I had in mind that I nned on implementing.

    wanted

    you to style your house ording to your liking. That''s why I didn''t furnish it," Julian spoke.

    "I''m d you didn''t," I said, kissing his cheek "Come on! Let me take you to my childhood bedroom. I was like a little child who was excited because they finally received their dream toy.

    I opened the door and saniled upon walking inside. This could be Rosie''s room just like how it was once mine. There was an en-suite bathroom, vo she could have all the privacy she needed.

    "I used to have a tent here!" I pointed to one of theers. "I liked to sleep in it even after I started to grow. My mum would find me balled inside with one of my dolls in my arms.

    --47 201

    §±

    Would you like us to build one for Rosie?" he asked me and I vigorously nodded. "What else would you like us to have?" he asked, turning me to nce him as his hands rested on my waist, I want a big firece!"

    Consider it done. What else?"

    "A swing dangling from one of the big trees in the backyard."

    Your wish is mymand, sunshine.

    "A mini atelier for me to design freely here."

    "I already have this in mind."

    ""And a big library!" I eximed

    "Sure." His lips met mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck as I took in the minty taste of his lips. "Now, let me show you something."

    He intertwined our fingers and took me downstairs. We headed to the backyard and I asked myself what else he had in mind. Wasn''t that surprise enough

    I gasped when I saw arge pic nket on the grass along with a massive basket that probably contained food and beverages for us. My eyes fell on the JBL ced on the nket and I immediately knew what he had in mind.

    I stopped walking and made him look at me. "You''re absolutely perfect and I''m in love with you" I wanted him to know that the past was finally behind us and there was nothing in this world that could make me run away again "And I''m n in love with you too," he said. "You''re the air I breathe and thepass that guides me in this life. He leaned in and pecked my lips.

    Was that what true love felt like? When I was with Matt, there was this heaviness in my chest that refused to set me free whenever he would tell me that he loved me. But with Julian, things were way different. I felt like I was walking on clouds. He made me experience a sort of ecstasy. I was a bird, flying freely and enjoying the beauty of nature.

    Julian dug his hand in his pocket and took out his phone. He connected it to the speakers and yed one of the songs I loved. "May I have this dance, mydy?" He extended his hand towards me.

    "I would love that." I smiled widely and ced my hand in his.

    I didn''t know how long we stayed at the house, but I knew that we stayed there for long because one moment we were dancing, the next we were having dinner together, then wey down and ended up stargazing.

    For years, I was alone, trying

    to findfort in thepany of my daughter and attempting to fool myself that I could be in another rtionship with another man other than Julian. I tried to numb all the feelings I held inside of me by drowning myself in work, but all it took was a nce at him.

    I tried to act like I didn''t care and he was nothing to me, but I was a liar because he had always been everything to me. I tried to build a life with Matt and kept telling myself that love didn''t have to be the main basis of our rtionship, yet it was hard to do that. Because I k I know what it

    felt like for the time to stop and for everything to blur because all you wanted was to be with a certain person. I knew the desire to run towards the one you loved the most to tell them about everything that happened in your day. I knew what true joy felt like because your pa were in and suddenly, you were no longer alone. I knew how amazing it was to have the person you loved as your best friend.

    Julian was the one who taught me all of that. Even my rtionship with Chester was nothing like what I had with Julian. I thought that I loved him and after what happened, 1 would never be able to love anybody else.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    But then Julian came. He exceeded all the expectations I had in mind and stole my heart.

    The best thing was, I didn''t even want it back.

 Chapter 68

    what I was

    My eyes scanned Emily''s body and I found her bleeding from her leg and her stomach. For a moment, I panicked, not knowing supposed to do. The idea of losing her wrapped its ws like a monster around my neck and I was suddenly breathless. There were two wounds DII yelled to no one in particr as I

    "Tim going to take care of you, okay? You''re going to be okay." I whispered, attempting to assure her. "Call I yelled took off my jacket. I pressed on the wound with it and she winced

    "It h-burts," she whimpered, I caught a tear falling from her right eye and I wiped it with my finger. "I don''t don''t want to die, Julian." A sob excaped her, making her wince again.

    "You''re not going to die." I shook my head. She couldn''t die. It didn''t make sense. Everything was good. No, it was great. She couldn''t just die like that! It was too early. We still needed to grow our family. I knew that she wanted more kids and I wanted that too. I wanted us as I kept her close to me.

    Who would do that to her? Why would somebody hurt an angel like her? She was amazing inside and out. She was loving, caring,passionate and perfect in every single way. She gave money to charity and if anybody asked for her help, she didn''t hesitate to extend a

    "If anything happens to me, promise me that you''ll take good care of Rosie. More tears fell from her green eyes, but my mind refused to ept that losing her might be a possibility.

    "Stop talking like that. Nothing is going to happen to you." I wasn''t sure of that. She was losing a lot of blood and I didn''t know how to stop the bleeding. It was so fast and I was utterly helpless.

    Her eyelids started to close and I gave her shoulders a simple shake. "No, I beg you. Don''t close your eyes. Please, keep them open." I pleaded.

    "S-sorry," she stuttered, My Emily was a fighter and she was never the one to give up easily. The exhaustion she was battling was way stronger than her. The fear inside of me intensified when she lost consciousness

    Tears fell on her face and I realized that they were mine. I didn''t even realize that I had been crying.

    o the

    Soon, an ambnce arrived and the paramedics took her from me. I refused to let her ride the ambnce on her own. My eyes were glued to heart monitor, scared that the zigzag might turn into a t line.

    Her face was paler than usual and her lips weren''t as pink as they usually were. I didn''t like seeing that version of her. She wasn''t supposed to be on that stretcher fighting for her life.

    We had ns for the night. We were going to cuddle in bed until we would fall asleep. We were supposed to go to our new house tomorrow to check how the renovation process was going.

    I didn''t know how long it took us to reach the hospital. All I knew was once we reached it, the medical staff gathered around her and she

    was taken to the emergency room. I tried to go with her, but they told me that I wasn''t allowed inside, so I sat outside the room, waiting for any news.

    Only when I saw a small child staring at me did I notice that something was wrong with me. I looked at my clothes, the thing that the child was staring at, and I found lots of blood. My shirt was once white, but it wasn''t anymore. Emily''s blood turned it red. I wasn''t even sure

    re if my phone was with me or not, but when I touched my pocket I found it there. With trembling hands, I took it out of my pocket and unlocked it. I needed to tell my family. They had to know what happened to her.

    Rosie!

    No, I didn''t n on telling her anything. I needed to shield her from the truth for now. She was strongly attached to her mum and if she knew that something bad happened to her, she would be traumatized.

    I searched for Harper''s number and called her. I wasn''t sure how she was going to take the news. Emily had be her best friend over the past year, so finding out that something bad had happened to her best friend would break her. "Hey, bro. How''s it going?" she answered in her usual cheery voice.

    "Harper, are the kids around your] asked her.

    "No, what''s going on! Are you okay?" Worryced her tone.

    "It''s Emily she has been shot. The words were heavy and bitter on my tongue.

    "What?" She screamed through the phone that I had to move the phone away fro my ears. Julian, this is nothing to joke about. Is this true?" Her Voice cracked.

    10:30 AM.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "It''s true. Harper. It''s true," I said in defeat. After knowing which hospital I was at, I hung up the phone and waited.

    I wanted somebody to walk out of the room and give me any update; however, I was petrified of what I might hear. I didn''t want somebody to walk out of the door and tell me that I had lost the woman I nned on proposing to. 1 didn''t want to be told that it was toote to save her. What was I going to do without her? I barely survived those

    five years. I wasn''t ready to lose her for the second time. Not after everything we had been through. Not after she had finally allowed me to be part of her life again.

    When the door of the emergency room opened, I stood up with shaky legs and braced myself against what the doctor was about to tell me.

 Chapter 69

    They told me that the bullet hit a very delicate part of her stomach and she lost a

    lot of blood. They didn''t tell me anything else before rushing her to the emergency room. I knew that doctors didn''t make any promises to save a patient''s life, because a patient might die at any moment, but I needed any sort of assurance. They didn''t provide me with that, "Mr. Kensington, I''m detective ck and this is detective Wilsons. We know that the timing isn''t right, but we would like to ask you some questions about what happened to Ms. Eddings. Detective ck was tall and his hair had a buzz cut "Sure," I nodded, getting up from my ce.

    "Can you please tell us what happened?" Detective Wilsons asked me. Her blonde hair was tied back in a tight bun and she had a notepad in her hands.

    "I was standing outside the restaurant with her. Everything seemed fine, then we heard gunshots. I tried to protect her by covering her body with me and getting her on the ground, but when the shooting stopped, I looked at her and found blood on her clothes," I recounted "Did you manage to see who fired the gunshots?" Detective ck asked me

    "No." I shook my head. "My priority was to protect her." And I failed to do so. I promised her before that I would protect her and I failed her

    "Do you have any animosity with anyone?" he wondered. At first, I was going to say no because I didn''t think that anybody might be malicious and envious enough to try to kill Emily. But then I knew some people who were evil enough tomit such an attorcious act. "Jeffrey Harolds and his family. He is her father, but they''re not on speaking terms," I said. I didn''t know to which extent their hatred for her had reached. I knew that they hated her, but would they really try to kill her.

    "Is there anything else you''d like to add, Mr. Kensington? Detective Winstons asked me.

    "1 would like to know as soon as you catch the perpetrator, please," I told them.

    When they left, I made my way to my family and took a seat beside Maya. She looked exhausted and pale. When I took a closer look at her face, 1 .tearstains on her cheeks.

    1 like to believe that she''s going to get out of the operating room alive," I told her.

    "I don''t want to lose her" she whispered. "It was already hard when she decided to disappear. She didn''t call us for a year or more because she was scared that Sam might be able to locate her. That period was the worst one in my life because I missed my best friend so m the operating room alive, there would be nothing for me to make the pain go away or even sedate it. More tears fell down her cheeks and Sam pulled her towards him, gently rubbing her arm.

    I took my phone out of my pocket and texted Rosie''s nanny, to make sure that my daughter was okay. I asked her to tell her that we had something important to do and we couldn''t get back home. I didn''t want her to know anything, at least for the time bring

    1

    "Hey, man, I got you these clothes," Ansel said as he stood in front of me. I didn''t even notice that he had been gone for a while. My mind had been preupied with Emily and the worry that filled me about her.

    I took the bag from him and thanked him, I walked to the nearest bathroom and took off my clothes. Her blood leaked through my shirt and tainted body. I needed to take a shower, but I couldn''t just do that here and I wasn''t going to leave to take a shower thene back tcleaned myself up as best as I could and put on the new sweatpants and sweater Ansel got me

    When I walked back inside, I sat down and waited for any news about her. Dark thoughts haunted my mind and all I wanted to do was scream at the top of my lungs. I experienced that fear once when I received a call about my mum having a heartattack, It was an atrocio 1 didn''t know for how long I waited for anybody to tell me anything about her, but the moment I saw a doctor walking towards me, I jumped up from my ce. My hands were shaking and my knees threatened to buckle at any given moment. My chest tightened and it was harder to breathe. I was on the verge of having a panic attack

    "It was hard to get the fiullet out without harming a viral organ and she needed blood, but luckily we managed to save her und she is going to a full recovery. She is currently in the ICU and is going to stay there for twenty-four hours

    just to make sure that she''s okay" When the doctor finished walking, relief took over me and I was finally able to breathe again.

    She was okay.

    She made it.

    She wasn''t going to leave me on my ow

    1 kept repeating those words to calm myself down,

    makeText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    10:30 AM

    "When can I see her? I need to see her," I asked her. I just wanted toy my eyes on her to make sure that she was still here with me

    "She is currently asleep and as I said, in the ICU, but if you''d like to check on her, only one person can do that and it will be for just five minutes." I immediately nodded.

    All I wanted was to see her. I wanted to see her breathing to make sure that she was truly alive.

    The doctor guided me to where Emily was and the moment I saw her, I smiled. She was unconscious, but she wasn''t as pale as she used to be and her lips were almost back to their normal colour.

    "You scared me so much, sunshine," I whispered as I took a seat beside her on the chair ced to her right. "I know how much you hate hospitals and I''m sorry that I can''t stay the night with you, but I promise that I will be here first thing in the morning I just need to check

    I looked at the heart monitor and found it beeping steadily, assuring me that my soulmate was okay. The past few hours had been the worst in my life. I was so close to losing her forever. I must have done something great in my life because God didn''t let her die. "Sir. you

    you

    need to go now," the doctor told me.

    I nodded and stood up. "She hates hospitals and I''m not sure how she may react once she wakes up and finds herself in a hospital bed, so please keep a close eye on her." I didn''t want her to freak out and end up undoing her stitches. "She''s also a well- known fashion designer, photographers may try to sneak in to take pictures of her. She wouldn''t want her pictures taken and neither do I, to be honest."

    "Don''t worry. She is in good hands," the doctor assured me.

    It took me a while to convince myself to leave her on her own, but I knew that I didn''t have a

    choice. I kept telling myself that I needed to get back to Rosie since she was alone. I wasn''t going topletely lie to her as I nned on telling her that Emily had fallen sick, but I was worried about how she might react. She is extremely attached to her mother and there 1. Tandu to handle all of that heruice Emilu was our and it was hasta matter of time until Lcould make her home

 Chapter 70

    My chest was heavy and so were my eyelids. My ears were ringing and there was this sense of difort that had taken over me heaviness my eyes experienced, 1 did my best to open my eyes, but immediately closed them as I got blinded by bright white ligh

    What was going on!

    We didn''t have bright white lights like that at home.

    Despite how painful the lights were to my eyes, I slowly opened them again and found myself in a foreign ce. Where was 1 What beeping noise?

    I looked around me and when it dawned on me where I was, I started heaving. No, I didn''t want to be here. I didn''t want to lie in this bed

    I looked at my arms and saw an IV. What were they giving me? I wanted to get out of her.

    I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain prated my abdomen and my leg, making me yelp.

    Suddenly, I found two nurses in the room with me. My mind couldn''tprehend what they were saying, but they were trying to get me to

    down.

    ""L. I don''t w-want

    to be h-here," I stammered, already feeling hot tears in my eyes.

    "You''re s-safe. You need to calm down. Nobody is going to hurt you here, the nurse told me, keeping my back against the mattress as her gentle hands kept me down.

    "W-what happened?" I asked her, still crying.

    "You got shot, but we were able to save you" she replied, making my eyes go wide.

    I got shot!

    Memories started to flood my brain. I remembered feeling like my guts were being

    torn apart and how I couldn''t stand on my feet and being in Julian''s arms as he tried to calm me down. I remembered how Rosie was the first person who came to my mind when I thought that I was about to die. I didn''t want to leave her while she was that young. She still needed me.

    "Julian where''s Julian"" was he okay" Did something happen to him! My memory was still blurry as I couldn''t recall everything, but as far as my mind could take me, I believe that he wasn''t harmed. "Who is he?" the nurse wondered.

    "My hus-" I caught myself before saying husband. He wasn''t my husband. "He''s my boyfriend. He has blue eyes and brown hair. He is a bit tanned."

    "Oh, I know who you''re talking about. He is in the waiting room. Would you like to see him?" I immediately nodded. I needed to ser a familiar face. I didn''t want to be alone here.. "Help me sit up, please," I requested, and she did so.

    I impatiently waited for him. I wanted to make sure that he wasn''t hurt in the process. I was scared that my mind might be fooling me into thinkin that he was okay when he wasn''t

    Somebody entered the room and I immediately looked up, thinking that it was Julian, but it was just the doctor. After asking me a bunch of questions and making sure that I was okay, she left me on my own. I didn''t want to be in thepany of somebody I didn''t know, so the left.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    I just wanted to see Julian or anybody from my family.

    Again, somebody opened the door and this time, I managed to smile. When my eyesnded on him, I wanted to jump out of the bed and throw myself in his arms. Instead, he rushed to me, closing the distance between us. Gently, he engulfed me in his embrace and kept "I was purified of losing you, sunshine," he whispered, kissing my lips.

    "You didn''t get hurt, right" "I couldn''t help but ask

    "No. I''m perfectly fine." he assured me as he took me

    k me in his arms again,

    "I want to get out of here. I don''t want to stay here. I plearled

    "We need to make

    sure that you''re okay first, Emily," he said, caressing my hair. "You''re still in the ICU, sunshine" My mum died in the ICU (data). want to dar here. I didn''t want to die yet. There were still so many things I wanted to do. I wasn''t ready to leave everything behinil. 1030 AM

    "Hey, look at me." Julian said, holding my chin with his index and thumb as he tilted my head up. "Nothing bad is going to happen

    to you here. talked to the chief of the hospital and asked him to keep bodyguards outside your room. You''re done with surgeries, so there''s no reason to be scared, okay?" Julian wouldn''t lie to me and I was certain that he would do anything to keep me safe. "Okay." I whispered. "How long have I been here!" Was I in aa or something?

    "We only got here yesterday," he replied. That was good. I didn''t want to be here for long.

    "Do you know when I can get out?" I wanted to leave now, but that was probably impossible.

    "In three days, sunshine, if nothing goes wrong. Would something go wrong? What would go wrong? "And I''m sure that nothing would go wrong." he spoke to my panicky brain.

    "What did you tell Rosie! Please don''t tell me that you told her I got shot" I said.

    "No, I didn''t tell her

    r that you

    I nodded, taking a deep

    you got shot. I just told her that you got hurt."

    deep breath, but ended up cing my hand on my abdomen when it racked with pain.

    "Is everything okay!" he asked me with concern in his voice.

    "My stomach hurts, I mumbled. Carefully, I tried to lift the hospital gown I was wearing and saw the huge bandage on my stomach. There was another one on my leg.

    Julian''s phone rang and just by looking at his face, I knew that it was an important phone call "Are you okay if I leave you on your own for a little while? I need to make a few phone calls and talk to your doctor. Is this okay with you?" he asked me. "Yeah, don''t worry about me," I assured him with a small smile. "Can you just help me lie down?" He did as I asked and kissed my forehead before heading out of the room. Despite wanting to know who was calling him. I felt that he needed some privacy for now.

    I was still in a state of disbelief. I couldn''t believe that I was about to die like that. I was thankful for being alive. I knew that I would never take my life for granted ever again. All I wanted to know was who did that to me, but I had a feeling that I already knew the answer and

 Chapter 71

    One of the detectives called me, so I needed to answer my phone, but I couldn''t do that in front of her. I didn''t want her to hear anything that might upset her,

    "Hello Detective Wilsons," I said once she picked up. "I''m sorry for my inability to reply

    immediately. I was with Amelia and I didn''t want her to listen to our conversation." To the police, she was Amelia Eddings and it felt weird to use the official name, but I knew that I had to do it.

    "It''s okay. I just want to let you know that we''ve just caught the shooter. I was informed about your desire to attend the investigation." That was true. I pulled a few strings and asked them to attend the investigation once they caught the perpetrator. It seemed like they caug "Who did it?" I asked her.

    "It''s Jeffrey Harolds. Her father." I shouldn''t have been surprised, yet I was. How did he find it in his heart to do that to his daughter? He had spent years mistreating her and now he wanted to kill her. What kind of man was he?

    "Listen, I don''t want to leave her alone, so may you please give me a couple of hours until I get my sister or her friend to be with her? I know I''m asking for too much, but she has a fear of hospitals and I don''t think she would be okay on her own."

    "Of course, Mr. Kensington. Give me a call once you''re on your way."

    After ending the call, I quickly called Harper to tell her that Emily was finally awake. I asked her toe as soon as possible and gave her an update about what I had just been told. She too was shocked. Who wouldn''t be? When I called Sam and Maya to

    assure them that Emily was okay, they couldn''t believe it when I told them who did that to her. Nobody in their right mind would take such news lightly. I was going to do whatever it took me to make sure that he would rot in prison. I wasn''t going to let him get away with hurt

    I spoke with her doctor to understand the steps of recovery. Luckily, she was doing well and she was going to be discharged soon. I requested to allow her to have somebody who could stay with her due to her fear and although it wasn''t something that the hospital approve agree.

    Donations could do wonders.

    I immediately returned to her once I was sure that everything was under control. I loved how her face would light up whenever she saw me.

    "You''re getting out of the ICU," I told her as I took a seat by her side and reached for her hand.

    "I want to leave," she murmured, looking down.

    "Well, I know that this isn''t an ideal situation, but would it make you feel better if I told you that I''m going to be staying with you until you''re out?" The smile on her lips proved that it did make her feel better. "Thank you for epting my fear," she said.

    "I love and ept everything about you, Sunshine. I need you to be sure of that." I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed it.

    "Did they... did they find out who did it?" Her tone was nervous and cautious.

    "They did."

    "Who did it?"

    I took a deep breath before answering, "Jeffrey."

    I hated the sad smile that appeared on her lips.

    "I had a feeling that it was him."

    "What made you think like that?" I asked, frowning.

    "He came to my office a few months ago and demanded money from me, saying that I was the one behind what happened to him. He told me that he never wanted me as his child because he felt that my mum trapped him..." A single tear rolled down her cheek and I reach "He''s not worthy of your tears. Hell! He isn''t even worthy of the second you take to think about him." I leaned in and kissed her lips. I didn''t want to see her cry because of him. I was going to make him suffer for what he did to her. Nobody was allowed to hurt my sunshine. "I love you," she whispered once we pulled away. She had said those three words a lot, yet they never failed to make my heart flutter.

    "And you''re my everything. I love you so much." I kissed her hand again. "Listen, I have to go, but I''m not going to leave you on your own until

    173

    D

    Harper or Maya arrives, yeah? I promise I will be back tonight. You''re not going to spend the night on your own here," I assured her.

    "If you want to leave now, it''s okay," she offered, but I shook my head. I didn''t want her to be on her own. "By the way, I noticed men in suits outside. Who are they?"

    "They''re here to guard you," I said, making her smile.

    "You don''t forget anything, do you?"

    "Not when ites to you."

    Were we cheesy? Probably, but I didn''t give a fuck. I made it my mission to shower her with love because she deserved to know that she was absolutely loved. I wanted her to be sure that she was always going to be the girl who owned my heart.

    After Harper came, I left and made my way to the police station. I was fuming and wanted nothing but to kill the man who wanted Emily dead, but I knew that I needed to be in control of my emotions.

    "Why did you try to kill Amelia Eddings, Jeffrey?" the detective in the interrogation room asked him. I was watching from the two-way mirror.

    "I lost everything because of that bitch," he hissed. He didn''t even try to deny it.

    "Let''s keep our wording civil. Did she take anything from you?" the detective questioned. She took nothing. He was the one who took a lot of things from her.

    "My wealth. The fortune I kept growing year after year." It wasn''t even her who did that. I''m the one who did it. "I lost my wife and the daughter I loved because of her."

    I wasn''t aware that Maggie and Fiona left him, but it was expected anyway.

    "How did she take the fortune you''re talking about?" Another question was thrown at him.

    "She pushed her puppet to do the dirty work for her." He meant me.

    "Who are you talking about?"

    "Julian Kensington," he replied.

    "As far as we know, Mr. Kensington and Ms. Eddings didn''t have any contact with each other for five years. How did she manage to get him to do that? Not to mention the fact that Mr. Kensington is a well-known businessman and his reputation is impable." He didn''tment and chose silence. He didn''t have anything to say. He was aware that Emily had nothing to do with what happened to him. It

    was all me.

    "I wanted to hurt him," he muttered, catching my attention. "I wanted him to lose the woman he loved the most."

    He tried to kill her to get revenge on me? He had officially gone crazy. How could he find it in his heart to do that to her? She was his daughter, for God''s sake!

    "And why is that?"

    "Because I lost a lot because of him. He should taste his own medicine."

    I wanted to kill him. If I was given the chance, I would kill him!

    "He needs to rot in prison," I muttered.

    "Don''t worry. He admitted that he tried to kill her. This willnd him in prison for a long period of time," the police officer beside me assured me.

    After he was taken back to the cell, I left. I needed to get back home to check on Rosie and take her to Harper and Ansel''s ce. I didn''t want her to be on her own. She was surely going to ask me about Emily. I wanted to take her to see her mum, but Emily asked me not f "Hey, cupcake." I hugged her tightly as she held onto me. "How is my favorite girl doing?"

    "I want to see Mommy," she said, looking down. She looked upset, which was unusual since she was a cheerful child.

    "She will be back in two days, sweetheart," I told her, but her frown deepened.

    "Why can''t you take me to see her?" she asked. How did I tell her that her mum didn''t want her to see her in the hospital?

    "Hospitals aren''t the nicest ce, cupcake." I hoped that I was doing a good job.

    0

    11:39 AM

    "Can I at least call her?" She sighed. "Did... Mommy go to the ce you were in?" I frowned at her question. "The one that didn''t have phones or inte."

    Shit! We didn''t think that she would think like that. Maybe I needed to take her.

    "No, I promise you Mommy ising back." I kissed her cheek. I set her down and told her to wait for me in the living room. I needed to call Emily and tell her about that. Maybe she would let me bring Rosie.

    "Hey, Harper. Can you give the phone to Emily?" I said through the phone.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "Hi, Julian." I heard Emily''s voice.

    "Hey, sunshine. Listen, maybe you should let me bring Rosie. She is scared that she might not see you again and asked me if you were in the ce I was once at," I told her.

    "Oh... I didn''t think about this." Emily sighed. "Fine, bring her." She gave in.

    I sighed in relief and hung up then made my way to the living room.

    "Who would like to get dressed to go see Mommy?" The smile that was drawn on her lips was enough to light up my entire world.

 Chapter 72

    "I miss you, Mommy," my sweet daughter murmured as shey down by my side. She had been sitting like that for a while. When Harper tried to take her, she refused. She wasn''t causing me any difort anyway. She was small against me and wasn''t

    hurting my wounds.

    "I miss you too, cupcake." I kissed her head. Originally, I didn''t want Julian to bring her because I worried that she might get scared of seeing me in the hospital bed with needles in my arm and bandages around my body. However, when Julian called and told me how she w she might not see me again, thinking that I went to the same ce I told her her father was at for four years, my heart cracked. I couldn''t do that to her again.

    "You''reing back home, right?" she asked, staring up at me with her beautiful big blue eyes. I hated the fear and uncertainty I saw in them.

    "I promise I''ming back," I assured her, rubbing her arm. "Have I ever broken a promise I made to you?" She slowly shook her head. "Just give Mommy a couple of days to get better. I will be back home before you know it." A small smile appeared on her lips as she noc "Honey, it''s time to go." Harper told Rosie.

    "Can I just stay for five more minutes?" she requested.

    "Yes, cupcake," Julian answered on behalf of his sister. We could all notice how anxious she was, which was out of character when it came to her, so if five more minutes were going to help her calm down, we didn''t mind granting her that.

    "I love you, Mommy," she whispered, pushing herself up to kiss my check.

    "And I adore you," I said, wrapping one arm around her. She stayed in my embrace for a little while and thankfully, she left with Harper without crying.

    I watched as Julian went to speak to one of the guards outside my room and when he came back, he took a seat beside me and reached for my hand.

    "Are you feeling alright?" he asked me, and I nodded.

    "Julian, the couch doesn''t lookfortable at all. Maybe you should go home. I''ll be fine on my own," I said, but he shook his head.

    "Not leaving you. You''re stuck with me." He stuck his tongue out at me, making meugh a little.

    "Don''tin then if you wake up with back pain." I shrugged.

    We stayed awake for a while and the guard he had spoken to brought us food. After eating, we ended up falling asleep. To be honest, I was d that he chose to stay as I didn''t want to be alone. I wasn''t as petrified as I was when I first woke up, but that didn''t mean that I w Two dayster, it was time for me to leave. To say that I was d would be an understatement.

    "No paparazzi around, right?" I asked Julian who helped me put on one of his sweaters.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "No paparazzi. Don''t worry." He kissed my forehead as he helped me to stand up. My leg was still hurting because of the bullet wound. "On

    a side note, you look absolutely stunning in my sweater. Maybe you should steal more of my clothes." I blushed a little when he said that.

    "I didn''t even steal it. You''re the one who brought it for me," I reminded him.

    "Because my clothes look way better on you." He grinned.

    A nurse brought us a wheelchair and Julian carefully helped me to sit down on it. As Julian pushed me towards the car, the nurse apanied us as a standard procedure.

    The driver was already waiting for us in front of the hospital. Instead of helping me to walk towards the door, Julian picked me up me and put me inside the car. As promised, nobody was around. He also made sure to have bodyguards surrounding

    us to make sure that nobody would invade our privacy.

    Relief filled me as the driver took us away from the hospital. Having Julian with me made my stay way easier than it would have been if I had been

    on my own.

    When we got home, I insisted on using the crutches since I was going to be using them for the next two weeks. Julian opened the front door and my daughter''s excited voice weed me. She

    excitedly ran towards me and for a moment, I feared that she might expect me to carry her. Instead, she stopped when she noticed that I was using crutches.

    "Are you okay, Mommy!" she cautiously asked me. "You told me she was doing well." She looked at her dad.

    11:39 AM

    "I''m doing well, cupcake. Mommy has a wound here and another one here, but they''re going to heal soon," I told her, pointing to where my wounds were. I like to exin everything to her and keep her in the know. Yes, she was a child, but even if it was hard to exin son that it was better to let them know the truth. As a parent, it was my role to simplify things for her. Julian walked towards her and picked her up, bringing her closer to me. I wrapped one arm around her and kissed her cheek.

    "I miss you," I told her.

    "I miss you too." I was in love with her bright smile.

    The three of us headed towards the living room and I gasped when I saw everybody waiting for me.

    "Wee back!" Maya squealed, walking towards me. She carefully wrapped her arms around me and I did the same. "I was so so so scared of losing you."

    "It will take more than that to get rid of me," Iughed, not letting go of her.

    Everybody greeted me after Maya and I pulled away. The way they all showered me with me made me want to cry. It still made me overwhelmed to see people loving me like that. I wasn''t sure if I could ever get used to that kind of affection.

    "Are you sure you want to stay here, honey? We can take better care of you if you stay at our ce," Rose offered again.

    "Mum, I''m going to take good care of her. Don''t worry," Julian answered.

    "But what about when you go to work?" she argued, making me smile.

    "I can move around, Rose. I promise, I''m okay. We''ve already hired a maid to help us around and she''s starting tomorrow," I assured her.

    "And I''m going to work from home until the next week," Julian added.

    "Good. If you need any help, just let me know. Did you run a background check on the new maid?" Uncle Steven asked Julian.

    "Yes, she''s all good," Julian replied.

    I had learned over the years that the Kensingtons were very protective over each other. They were willing to do anything for one another and I loved that about them. I was happy that my daughter was luckier than me. She had a family anybody could wish for and I was  After everybody left, Julian helped me to go upstairs and by helping me I meant carried me upstairs. He helped me shower and get dressed, then for hours, we cuddled in bed.

    "I was going out of my mind while you were in the OR," Julian whispered as he yed with my hair. "You''re not allowed to scare me like that ever again."

    "I think we''re even," I smiled as I stared into his eyes. "Didn''t you scare the hell out of me when your ne caught on fire?"

    "Is that so? You got shot as a payback?" Iughed slightly as he raised his eyebrows at me.

    "Not intentionally," I mumbled, kissing him.

    "I love you, sunshine," he whispered, making me smile.

    "I love you more." I closed my eyes and ended up falling asleep in his arms, which had be my favorite position.

 Chapter 73

    "It hase to my notice that we''ve never done that before, so I''m really excited about the whole double date thing," Harper said as she applied anotheryer of mascara.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Officially, I had recovered from my bullet wounds and Jeffrey''s hearing was in ten days. I knew that he wasn''t going to receive a lifetime in prison, but I knew that he wouldn''t get a year or two either.

    Julian and Ansel decided to take Harper and me on a double date which was a first. We had never been on a double date before, so we were a bit confused, yet excited.

    "Do I look good?" I had an olive green dress on with gold heels and a gold clutch. My hair was pulled away from my face in a half updo and it fell against my back. "You look absolutely gorgeous!" she gushed, making me smile.

    "And you look dashing." She was on fire with her baby blue dress and silver heels. Ansel was so lucky to have someone as beautiful as her as his partner. Honestly, she was lucky too because Ansel was a great husband. He loved and supported her in a way many women "It''s kind of weird that they said they would be waiting for us at the restaurant. Don''t you think?" I wondered, adding some touchups to my lipstick.

    "Yeah, like why didn''t we go together?" she agreed with me. "Men are weird." She shrugged, making me chuckle.

    "They probably say the same thing about us sometimes," I told her.

    "One time Ansel couldn''t understand why I was crying because the hot water wasn''t working and I wanted to take a shower. He told me to just take a cold shower since it was Summer and I burst into tears." I could see myself in the same position. "He didn''t understand that "I get it, but he probably won''t," I said. Men couldn''t really get everything about women and that was fine by me. The thing I loved about the man I

    was in love with was how he would ask me ''What can I do to make you feel better?'' whenever he felt lost. Usually, all I wanted was for him to hold me for a while.

    "Are you done?" I wondered, looking at Harper.

    "Yeah, let''s go." The two of us headed towards my car and I drove off to the restaurant they told us about.

    I spent around two weeks at home and Julian made it his number one mission to take care of me. I wasn''t allowed to cook or do anything and only when the doctor said that I needed to start walking did he allow me to start

    moving around. He was absolutely insufferable, but he was lucky that I loved him. I also didn''t want to worry him at work since he had to get back to the office after two spending a week working from home, so I thought if I did what he wanted, he wouldn''t be anxious while were always with me.

    I was relieved when the doctor cleared me and said that I could move freely. I also wanted Julian to get back to his normal life, but it didn''t escape my notice how overprotective

    he had be. Before the incident, we didn''t usually go out with bodyguards. Now, having bodyguards was a must. I could clearly see the car driving behind me. Those were the bodyguards Julian assigned for me. A few months ago, I would have hated the idea. But now, Harper and I arrived at the restaurant. After parking the car, the two of us got out of it and made our way to the restaurant door.

    "Shoot! I forgot my phone in the car. You go inside and I will get it," Harper told me. Since I was basically at the restaurant stairs, I nodded and handed her the keys.

    When I opened the door, I was surprised to see that the ce was empty. There were dim lights and rose petals on the floor.

    What was going on?

    I loved the romantic gesture, but did Julian and Ansel need to go that far? Did they need to book the entire ce?

    I felt bad for walking alone and taking in the surprise on my own. Harper should have been with me. Where did she go anyway? Why was she taking so long?

    I looked at the rose petals on the floor and noticed that they made a path. Curiosity killed me and I decided to follow it. Soft music yed in the background and I felt like I was in a romantic movie scene.

    I made a left turn, following the path, and found myself in a secluded area of the restaurant. When I raised my head to look in front of me, I ended up giggling loudly. Julian was waiting for me at the end of the path with a huge bouquet of pink carnations in his hands. "What''s going on?" I asked softly, looking around.

    "Hi, sunshine," he said, smiling at me.

    "Hi." Again, I giggled as I took the flowers from him. "What''s all of this?" I gestured to the romantic atmosphere around me.

    "I have been thinking and I havee to the realization that you''re my entire world. I cannot imagine myself living without you. You understand me like nobody else and when you''re near, I feelplete. I look forward to waking up next to you every day. My whole world bri I held the bouquet close to my heart and my eyes glistened with tears as I listened to the love of my life pour his heart to me.

    "I lost you once and that taught me to love you with everything in me. I blindly trust you and I will do anything for you just to see you safe and happy. This time, if you agree to marry me, I promise you a version of forever just like the ones you see in Disney movies, especiall I found myself nodding vigorously as he took my left hand and put the ring on my finger. More tears fell down my face as I looked at the ring. That wouldn''t be our first time to get married, but this time had its own beauty.

    He took the flowers from me and ced them on the table beside us. "I''m hopelessly in love with you, Emily." He brought my body closer to his and kissed my lips like there was no tomorrow. He took me to another world and portrayed the most delightful image in my mind. Slowly, he pulled away and there was the most beautiful smile on his lips. "Maybe you should look behind you," he said, making me turn around.

    I gasped when I saw basically everybody I loved behind me. It dawned on me that Harper was in on it.

    "You didn''t forget your phone in the car did you?" I asked Harper, who shook her head with a grin on her face.

    "Liar," Iughed as she approached me and we hugged each other.

    "One step away from being my sister-inw again!" she excitedly said.

    After being congratted by everybody in the room, we all decided to have a family dinner. I was still in pure awe and

    couldn''t believe that Julian really took that step. It wasn''t like we weren''t both serious about our rtionship, but I thought that he would want to wait more.

    I was d that he didn''t wait though. I wanted us to be husband and wife again. I wanted to be officially his and remove all doubts. I wanted the whole world to know that nothing was going to pull us apart again.

    "You know," Julian said as we bothy down in our bed at night, "I still have the old ring. I never gave it away, but I thought giving you a new one would be better. I want this marriage to be different. I want this one to be sessful and I thought that maybe giving you the old "I''m in love with this one," I said, raising my hand in front of my face to look at my stunning ring.

    "I''m d you do." He reached for my hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it. "I have a question."

    "Shoot," I looked at him.

    "Would you want to take myst name?" he wondered, making me look at him with confusion. "I mean, you now built a name for yourself and you might want the world to know you as Amelia Eddings."

    "I want to have yourst name. I want to be a Kensington again. I''m even thinking about officially going back to the name Emily, but I feel like it might be confusing," I said.

    "Confusing to whom?" he asked, ying with my fingers.

    "To... the people around." I was slightly unsure of what I was saying.

    "Don''t think about anybody else. Just think about what would make youfortable. That''s all," he said,cing our fingers together. "I can''t wait until I see you walk down the aisle."

    "We already did that," I pointed out, but he shook his head.

    "It doesn''t count. This time I want to see you walk towards me willingly. I want you to be sure the man who will be waiting for you at the end is head over heels for you." I slightly pulled myself up and crashed our lips together.

    Julian was just like the men I read about in my books. No matter how many times I tried to convince myself that this was all true, my mind failed toprehend that. Because I wasn''t used to being that lucky. Every night, I prayed with everything in me that nothing would take him away from

 Chapter 74

    I put on a dark blue suit and pulled my hair in a low ponytail. Jeffrey''s trial was today. I didn''t know if I could stomach seeing him, but I wanted to be there. I wanted to look him in the eye as he would get sentenced to at least five years in prison.

    If I was going to bepletely honest, I didn''t think that five years were enough, because he had done so much. However, even if they were just five years, at least he would be punished for what he had tried to do.

    My own father tried to kill me.

    I couldn''t even wrap my mind around that fact until now.

    I was starting to make peace with how he never loved me and didn''t even try to, but even if I made peace with that idea, it wasn''t easy to ept that my father pulled the trigger against me.

    He

    had seen how Fiona and Maggie were towards me, yet he had always made sure to find excuses for them no matter what. I guess if Fiona was the one who tried to shoot me, he would have found an excuse to help her get away with her actions, considering that she was t daughter he had always wanted.

    "Are you sure you want to go, sunshine?" my fianc¨¦ asked me.

    I took a deep breath and nodded. He had asked me that questionst night and I told him that

    I wanted to go, but Julian understood well how I was feeling. He understood how hard it was for me to find out that my father wanted to permanently get rid of me. He suggested that I shouldn''t go, yet I wanted to be there. I wanted to see him being punished for his desire to Julian punished him before when he found out that he stole my money and had always mistreated me. It was now thew''s turn to punish him.

    "I''ve got you, Emily. If you want to leave at any moment, just tell me," he said, wrapping me in his arms. His touch would always be my number one source offort.

    "Thank you for always having my back," I whispered, leaning in to kiss him.

    Julian and I headed to the car where his driver was waiting for us. He opened the door and we both got inside.

    During the whole ride, Julian didn''t let go of my hand and kept rubbing small circles on its back; a way to help me ease my nerves.

    When we arrived at the court, I was surprised to find Ansel, Harper, Sam and Maya waiting for us there. My eyes welled with tears at the idea of seeing theming to support me, but I quickly blinked them away, not wanting to get emotional.

    "Did you really think that we were going to leave you alone?" Sam said as he tightly hugged me. "I can''t wait to see that old bastard rot behind bars."

    "Yeah... I can''t wait for this to happen too," I mumbled as we pulled away.

    Once it was time to get inside the courtroom, my anxiety intensified. I wasn''t sure if I was ready to see him or not. What eased my nerves was the presence of my family with me. They made me feel stronger.

    When my eyesid on him, my heartbeats elerated. Hatred was obvious in his eyes. For years, I thought that something was wrong with me. I thought that I didn''t deserve to be loved because my own father didn''t love me. But yearster, I found myself among people w Julian told me that Jeffrey said during interrogation that he lost Maggie and Fiona because of me, yet they were here. He didn''t want to admit to himself that they abandoned him because all they wanted was his money and once he ran out of it, he became useless. Their res towards me didn''t escape my notice. To them, I was the devil who took away the luxurious lifestyle they were ustomed to. Yet, they didn''t consider themselves criminals for what they had done to me for as long as I could remember. Not only did they mistreat me, but they also made sure to ruin my marriage after they were the reason behind it. I couldn''t understand their logic. I wanted to know how their brain worked, but I believe that was one hell of a mystery that I would never be able to solve. "I know that he is going to get more than five years in prison. Actually, more than ten years. Once the judge delivers his verdict, I want us to end this chapter in our lives okay? No more thinking about him, Maggie, or Fiona, yeah?" Julian told me. "How are you so sure that he''s going to get more than ten years?" I wondered, tilting my head. My fianc¨¦ was full of surprises. He never failed to

    amaze me.

    Before Julian got to answer me, the judge walked inside. Silence took over the ce and the trial started.

    As I stared at Jeffrey for a while, I realized that he had grown so much. More wrinkles were visible on his face and something about his eyes was different.

    11:39 AM

    My mouth dropped when I realized that Jeffrey wasn''t just being tried for trying to kill me. I understood why Julian was speaking with confidence. Jeffrey was also being prosecuted for forging my mother''s will and a lot of other things he hadmitted. I looked at my soon-to-be husband and I found a sly smirk on his mouth.

    "Just five years for trying to kill the love of my life? Not on my watch, sunshine," he whispered, making me smile.

    It wasn''t a long trial and I was surprised with how Jeffrey admitted to doing everything he was used of. Why did he give up on life like that? He wasn''t like that. What happened that broke him to that extent?

    "I hereby sentence you Jeffrey Harolds to twenty-three years in prison," the judge ruled and I sucked in a breath.

    I didn''t expect that to happen, but I found myself feeling sorry for him. If he had been a good father, none of that would have happened. We would have been a good family and I would have introduced him to Rosie.

    But I had to remind myself that he was the one who chose that path. He was the one who tried to kill me.

    Knowing that there would be a lot of reporters outside, we all knew that we needed to leave as soon as possible. My eyes met Fiona''s and I saw a sly smile on her lips that I could not decipher. Was I just being paranoid and reading too much into it? I wanted to forget about them and live my life peacefully. I wanted Julian and Rosie to be safe and not get hurt because of some people that were once considered my ''family'' in the eyes of the public.

    Once Julian and I walked inside our ce, we were greeted by Rosie''s babysitter who informed us that our daughter was asleep. We sat on the couch. Automatically, I rested my head on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

    "I thought... I thought I would be happy after this day, you know? But I... I''m upset. I never wanted this to be the end. I never wanted him to be my enemy, but he... he chose this," I replied, looking at him.

    "It''s normal to feel this way. I didn''t expect you to be ecstatic. I know that this may be hard, but let''s just forget about this, okay? Let''s have a new start. We deserve it. You deserve it." Julian was right. We did deserve it.

    "Are you ready to move to our new ce?" I loved the smile I saw on his lips.

    "I can''t wait." I grinned.

    "Mommy." A sleepy Rosie walked towards us, making me smile. I picked her up and put her on myp, smothering her with kisses, causing her to giggle.

    "I missed you, cupcake," I told her.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "I missed you too," she said, putting her head on my chest. "Hi, Daddy."

    "Hello, cupcake," he said, poking her nose yfully. "Are you both up for a little adventure?" he asked us.

    Rosie and I looked at each other for a moment before looking back at him and nodding. "What do you have in mind?" I wondered.

    "Who would like to go to the amusement park?" Rosie squealed as he made the suggestion and jumped off myp.

    And just like that, we spent the rest of the day, having fun and enjoying thepany of our daughter. Our family was small, but I loved everything about it. I couldn''t wait until Julian and I grew it together.

 Chapter 75

    I watched my beautiful fianc¨¦e pushing our daughter as she sat on the swing. Everything had been going greattely. We moved into our new house and it wasn''t just a well-decorated,

    massive mansion. It was a ce I had always dreamt of having. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to have my wish

    If somebody told me three years ago that I would be standing in my own home that I had with Emily and we would

    be happy, I would haveughed at their face. I was in a horrendous state without her in my life, but now that I had her, I realized that she was the definition of happiness. She was everything I had ever wished for.

    Not only her. Rosie was the beautiful addition that I never expected, yet she was that unique source of joy that I was grateful to have in my life.

    But despite the blessings I had in my life, I was scared. No, I was petrified, because there were always reminders of what I had done to her. It was like the world didn''t want her to forget how terrible I was.

    "Have you decided on a date for your wedding?" Dad asked me, taking my mind away from the dark.thoughts that threatened to swallow me.

    Perhaps I needed to call my therapist.

    Emily and I decided to hold a family barbecue party to celebrate moving to our new home. We had been living here for almost a week and since Emily loved having our family over, she was excited when I suggested having a barbecue party. "It''s going to be in five months. I want to get married to her now, but I can''t," I answered him, taking a sip from my beer.

    "Why?" Sam wondered. It was crazy how my friendship with Sam had evolved after Emily appeared in my life again. At first, he was my wife''s best friend whom I was jealous of because he got to know her before I did.

    I still could not forget that I learned from him about how sick Emily was. I knew I should have been thankful that he informed me, because I wasn''t sure what would have happened to her if I hadn''t returned home quickly.

    For more than a month, I wanted to destroy his career before it even started when I saw him in the pictures with her,

    yet my desires quickly changed. They went from wanting to make him unemployed for life to being ready to help him open his ownpany if he helped me find her.

    Now, he had be family and it surprised me how easily the two of us managed to put the past behind us.

    "Emily has a very important event in Paris soon and we want to have our wedding and honeymoon without needing to worry about work. We checked our calendars and found that the best time would be in five months," I exined to them. "I bet you can''t wait," Ansel smirked, making me chuckle.

    "I can''t but I have to," I said. But waiting was scary too, because I was afraid that Emily might change her mind.

    Music started ying and I found Mayaing towards us. She pulled Sam away who willingly walked away with his wife.

    Soon, it wasn''t just Sam who just got pulled away as my gorgeous girl strolled towards me and pulled me away.

    I automatically found myself smiling widely. as the two of us danced together. The lyrics caught my attention and they felt so right. That was what I always wanted her to be sure of.

    Just tell me it''s not the end of the line

    Just tell me it''s not the end of the line

    I never meant to break your heart

    And I won''t let this ne go down

    I never meant to make you cry

    I''ll do what it takes to make this fly

    "I bet you already have a song in your head for our first dance," I said, twirling Emily.

    "You know me too well." She wrapped her arms around my neck and I held her close for a couple of seconds. I loved the way her body fit against mine.

    "I Wanna Be Yours, huh?" I wondered and she nodded with a grin.

    "But if you have something else in mind, I don''t mind," she said, but I shook my head. I also wanted that song to be our first dance because I vividly remember the way we first danced on it in the kitchen. It was hard to remove from my memory how beautiful she looked as s 1/2

    11:39 AM

    that day, she was helping me bake a cake for my mum. She saw my frustration and instead of offering a whole new alternative, she helped me do what I originally wanted to do. The more I thought about the beautiful days we lived together, the more I realized that it was for her to fall for me, yet she made me believe that it was effortless.

    "Can I ask you something?" I said, looking into her green eyes.

    "Of course."

    "Have you ever regretted being with me?" She looked taken aback by my question, yet her answer was so fast, as if she didn''t need to think about

    her answer.

    "There were times when I told myself that maybe my life would have been better if I hadn''t met you, but the truth is... you have always been an important part of my life. I can''t really regret being with the man who showed me what true love is."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "But I showed you what betrayal is, too," I pointed out. What the hell was I doing? She was finally mine and what? I was trying to convince her to leave me? What the fuck was wrong with me?

    I just needed to be sure that she wouldn''t wake up one day and regret being married to me. That was one of my greatest fears.

    "Why are we exactly talking about this now? What''s going on?" I loved the concern I sensed in her voice. She took me away from the crowd and the two of us sat down away from everybody else.

    I took a heavy breath and took my phone out of my pocket. I opened a specific website and handed her my phone.

    I watched her face as she read the article written about us. I waited for any sort of realization to appear on her face, but the indifference I saw calmed me down.

    "Do you think that my love for you is so fickle that an article could sway me?" her tone was so steady.

    "It''s true, Emily," I argued.

    "And don''t I

    know that, Julian? Don''t I know that we have been through shit? I don''t care what those articles say. The media is going to talk whether we like it or not. I love you and nothing is going to change that. I have put behind what happened and I wish you could too, because ever "And I''m in love with you," I said, pulling her into a kiss. "Do you know what I would like to do?"

    "Enlighten me," she grinned.

    "There''s a race tonight and it''s been so long since Ist went to one," I told her.

    "I think I better call Rosie''s babysitter."

    And just like that, I knew that I was going to have a unique date with the love of my life tonight.

 Chapter 76

    I excitedly put on my jacket as I practically jogged down the stairs. It had been so long since I rode behind Julian on the

    motorbike. The memory of the first time he took me there was engraved in my memory. I remember how protective he was of me. He knew how much I hated being in crowded ces, so he made it his number one priority to make sure I wasfortable. He didn''t know a "Somebody is ecstatic." Julian grinned as he greeted me at the end of the stairs.

    "I am!" I eximed, taking my helmet from him. One of the things that made my heart soften when I came back was how he kept everything I left behind. For years, he held onto some things I had deemed worthless, hoping I woulde back, even when there was no sign The kind of hope and optimism he had inside of him was unbelievable. Even after I returned, I wasn''t exactly the nicest towards him. As I looked back at the way he used to act, I was grateful that he didn''t give up on me.

    Before I got on the motorbike, Julian took the helmet from me and put it over my head.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "You look adorable with the helmet on," hemented, making me smile.

    "And you look hot with a leather jacket on." My eyes lingered on him as he secured the helmet over my head.

    "Should I ditch the suits and start wearing more leather jackets?" I loved the smirk that adorned his lips.

    "You look hot in everything," I said, opening the lid of the helmet. Julian took me by surprise when he took off my helmet and crashed his lips against mine. I smiled through the kiss as I ced my hand over his cheek. He ced one hand on my waist and gave it a slight sc I was in love with him.

    I was in love with every single thing about him.

    After our short make-out session, he helped me put on my helmet again, then he put on his and drove off to where the race was held.

    I held onto him tightly as the wind crashed against our bodies. Despite how heavy my jacket was, I was still cold,

    but I didn''t care. I just wanted to be with him. I wanted to spend the night with him in a world he loved. I knew how much he loved racing and in spite of the fear that took over me whenever he was on the bike, I still wanted him to do whatever he loved.

    We reached our destination and Julian parked his bike. Once we stopped racing the wind, the coldness that froze my bones lessened.

    "Your cheeks are flushed. Are you cold?" Julian asked me as I set my helmet on the motorbike.

    "Yeah, a little," I replied, rubbing my hands against my pants.

    "Give me five minutes." He pecked my lips before walking away. I wrapped my jacket tighter around myself and waited for Julian to reappear.

    When I looked around me, I realized that the ce was still the same. It was like I had just left yesterday.

    "Emily! Is that you?" I looked to my right and found Tanner, Julian''s best friend,ing towards me with a huge smile on his face. I hadn''t seen him in years.

    "It''s me!" I grinned as the two of us hugged. I didn''t bother correcting him when he called me ''Emily'', becausetely, I had been feeling like Emily. Six years ago, I hated Emily because I viewed her as a weak person, a punching bag that got mistreated by everyone. That wa Now, things were different. Amelia taught Emily how to be strong. She yed her role perfectly and it came to an end upon finding out how Emily was still loved, appreciated, and wanted.

    "How have you been!? I haven''t seen you in years!" he eximed as we pulled back.

    "I''m all good. It''s been a while I know," I said. "How are you?"

    "I''m good. I''ve got myself a girlfriend finally," he proudly said, making my smile widen.

    "Got you hot chocte," Julian said as he came from behind. "Hi, Tanner."

    I took the hot chocte from my fianc¨¦ and studied the two men. I could tell that there was some sort of... estrangement. What happened? They used to be close. Tanner only muttered a quiet hello and diverted his attention away from Julian. "Tanner, is your girlfriend here tonight? I would love to meet her!" I attempted to break the tension.

    "No, she''s not," he replied. "She is in New York for the week."

    "It''s good to see you, man. Maybe we can talkter?" I looked at Julian and saw clear hesitation on his face.

    "Yeah, maybe. See youter." I watched as Tanner walked away and I looked at my fianc¨¦ in confusion.

    "What was all that about?" I wondered, sipping my hot chocte that was terribly needed.

    "I had been a shitty friend," Julian sighed as I leaned against his motorbike. "After you left, he tried to reach out more than once. He was a good friend. A great one actually. He tried to help me out and get me to go out, but... not only was I not responsive, but the day I decid "What did you do?" My question was free of judgment. I just wanted to know what he had done to help him fix what had been broken.

    "One time he showed up at my ce and tried to get me to go clubbing with him. I told him I didn''t want to, but he was persistent, so Ished out and said terrible things. I told him to leave me the fuck alone and it wasn''t my fault that a yer like him couldn''t understand th "Have you tried reaching out?"

    "Too ashamed to do so," he mumbled.

    "Listen, you''ve got a great opportunity tonight. Seize it. Go talk to him. I''m sure he''s going to forgive you." He was once his best man and I knew how close they were, so I had a strong feeling that their friendship could be salvaged. I didn''t like seeing it go down the drain lik "Should I do it now?" he asked me, seeming lost.

    "When is your race?" I asked.

    He looked at his watch then said, "Thirty minutes."

    "Then wait. You wouldn''t want anything to interrupt your conversation with him."

    He nodded, then leaned in to peck my lips. "I''m the luckiest guy to have somebody like you in my life."

    I blushed at his words and my hold on the cup tightened slightly. Julian positioned himself beside me and I rested my head on his shoulder. I extended the cup towards him and he took it from me, taking a sip. It was our habit. Neither of us could drink anything without letting "Still cold?" he wondered as he gave me the cup back.

    I shook my head, "Not really. The hot chocte did its magic!"

    He chuckled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as he kissed my head.

    Twenty minutester, Julian and I headed to the front, where the race was held. I watched as he looked around, not sure what he was exactly looking for.

    "Can you stay on your own?" he asked.

    "Of course! You''ve got nothing to worry about," I assured him. I gave him a good luck kiss and stood in the front, among the crowd.

    I cheered for him once he drove off. Despite the nervousness I felt inside of me, I did my best to push it away and have fun. I reminded myself that Julian knew what he was doing and there was nothing to worry about.

    I was aware of how happy he felt whenever he was on that bike, so I wasn''t going to talk him out of something he loved because I was scared that he might hurt himself.

    My talented fiance easily won the race and

    once he took off his helmet people moved towards him to congratte him. I was about to do the same too as their sudden movement moved me to the back of the crowd instead of being at the front like I originally was. But just as I started moving. strong hands held me ba

    idental

    Wife

    The idental Wife

 Chapter 77

    The crowd lessened around me, and I couldn''t find Emily anywhere. Where did she go? At first, I thought she wanted to give some space to other people to congratte me, but then her disappearance took longer than expected, making worry gnaw at my guts. I told her to stay close and there weren''t really any attractions that could have driven her to wander around.

    "Tanner!" I called out after my ex-best friend. "Have you seen Emily?"

    "No, but I did see her at the front line. She was even there when the race ended." My anxiety intensified as he said that. "Let me help you look for her."

    I nodded and we both started looking for her. She told me that she would be fine on her own. Did the crowd make her nervous? But she was now better at controlling her anxiety among huge crowds.

    "I''m d you two are back together," Tanner broke the silence, probably trying to make a conversation to ease my growing fear.

    "Me too. I''m thankful that she took me back," I said as I looked everywhere.

    "You seem happier," he pointed out.

    "Because I am happier. She makes me so happy," I admitted, looking at him for a second.

    Tanner was about to say something, but a crease appeared between his eyebrows. I looked at him in confusion, but he motioned for me to stay quiet. The two of us moved towards the back of the fast food and beverages kiosks. There was a closed kiosk at the far left, whe Was that my Emily?

    Tanner tried to open the door at first, but it was locked. Muffled screams erupted, making Tanner and I break the door in a matter of five seconds.

    My eyes widened in horror at the sight in front of me. My fianc¨¦ was held against her will as there was duct tape over her mouth and her hands were tied together with a zip tie. Her jacket was thrown aside, but she still had her clothes on.

    Rage took over me as I roughly pulled the guy away from her. I found myself beating the hell out of him. Who did he think he was? I wasn''t going to let him live for another day. He terrorized her and I wasn''t forgiving when it came to Emily. "Leave him for me! Focus on Emily!" Tanner''s voice snapped me out of the bout of anger I was in.

    Quickly, I moved towards her and gently removed the duct tape. She broke into sobs, and I held her close. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry." I kept repeating those words, not knowing what else to say.

    I looked around me as I held her and found a knife in the corner. Did he use it to scare her? I used it to cut the zip tie that held her wrists together. Her skin was already red. Once her hands were free, she wrapped her arms around my neck and her sobs intensified. "I''ve got you." I kept kissing her head. I looked at Tanner and found that he had already beaten the hell out of the monster who forced himself on my girl.

    "You''re going to spend the rest of your life in prison!" I yelled, causing Emily, who was still holding onto me, to flinch.

    "Man, I wasn''t going to do anything to her," His tone was pathetic, as if I was going to believe whatever he wanted to say. "Somebody paid me to do that to her." My head snapped back at him once he said that.

    "Somebody paid you to assault his fianc¨¦e?" Tanner spat.

    I looked down at Emily''s hands and gently took one of them in mine.

    "Yes! A red-haired woman! She gave me two grands and told me to scare this woman and take a few pictures of her in scandalous positions and she''d find me again next week to take the pictures and give me another three grands." He was breathless as he spoke. "I d-don''t know someone with r-red hair," Emily stammered, looking up at me. Neither did I, but hair colour wasn''t an indicator of anything.

    I reached for her jacket and helped her put it on, making sure to shield her from the bastard before us. Taking a closer look at her face, I realized that the skin under her left eye was a bit red. Did he hit her?

    "He hit you?" I whispered to her and she slowly nodded, causing my blood to boil. Had it not been for how she was holding onto me, smashed his face against the wall.

    I would have

    "How do we know that you''re telling the truth?" Tanner asked him.

    "You''ll find the money in my back pocket." Tanner reached for his back pocket and indeed, he found the money.

    00000

    "What do you want to do?" Tanner looked at me.

    "First, I want to take Emily home, then I can pay attention to that rat," I said. She needed to be home. I had to make sure that she was safe first before making any move.

    "Listen, go get two of the bouncers and take Emily home. I know what I will do. I''m going to keep him in one of my warehouses. I will send you the details and we can see what we can do tomorrow," Tanner gave me clear instructions. "Alright. Thanks, man." I got up and helped Emily up too. She was shaking but was calmer than how she was before.

    Quickly, I made my way to two of the bouncers, making sure that Emily was by my side. I wasn''t going to leave her alone again. The thing was, that area had always been safe and nothing like that had happened before. Was Emily targeted? I thought we were finally done. After making sure that the bouncers headed to where Tanner was, I took Emily back to my bike. At a moment like that, I hated that I only had my bike with me, not a car. She wasn''t in a good state that could allow her to ride a bike.

    "Are you going to be okay on the bike?" I asked her, studying her face.

    "Yes. Let''s just go home, please," she whispered, looking at me with her beautiful green eyes. I loathed the glossiness I saw in them.

    "Sunshine, you''re safe, okay?" I murmured, taking her in my embrace again.

    "I w-was so scared." Another one of her sobs tore my heart and I tightened my hold on her.

    "And I''m sorry it took me so long to find you." I kissed her head, not letting go of her. If she needed me to hold her for a while, I would do that. I would do anything to make her feel better.

    After five minutes, Emily was calm enough to get on the motorbike. I put her helmet on her head and secured it, then took us back home.

    Once we arrived, I took her to the bathroom and ran her a hot bath to help her calm down. There were a few bruises on her body, but thankfully, there was no serious injury. Once she walked out of the bathroom, I brushed her long hair as she sat down on the bed.

    I brought her one of my T-shirts and helped her put it on, then took her in my arms as I tried to get her to fall asleep. I knew that it would take her long to fall asleep, but I made sure to stay awake until she was out.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    Tomorrow was going to be a long day. I wasn''t going to let somebody hurt her and get away with it. He was going to regret lying his hands on her.

 Chapter 78

    I ignored the shooting pain in my knuckles as Inded another punch on Emily''s attacker''s face. I couldn''t ignore the bruise I saw on Emily''s facest night. When I looked at her face before leaving this morning, it was already getting darker. That was enough to make me f "Julian, we kind of need him alive since we want him to talk." Tanner cautiously pulled me away as the pathetic creature before me wiped the blood dripping from his nose with the back of his hand.

    I knew I needed to calm down, but it wasn''t easy. Not when I saw the love of my life tied up and screaming for help. Not when she looked vulnerable and scared in my arms as she sleptst night.

    "I told you. Somebody paid me to do it. A woman with red hair. She even had sunsses on and she had this scarf wrapped around her hair. It was like she didn''t want anybody to know who she was," the culprit filled us in.

    "Did she seem old or young?" I questioned.

    "I couldn''t have a clear view of her full face, but... I think she was either in herte twenties or early thirties," he replied, trying to sit up.

    "Do you have anybody in mind?" Tanner asked me in a quiet voice as the two of us moved away from the scumbag on the floor.

    "I do have somebody in mind, but her hair isn''t red," I replied, rubbing my hands over my face. I just wanted to live with Emily and Rosie in peace. I wasn''t asking for much. Why was there always somebody who wanted to hurt any of us? "Who do you have in mind?" he wondered.

    "Nobody hates Emily as much as Fiona and Maggie," I sighed.

    "But neither of them is a redhead," he reminded me.

    "I know, but it could be a wig. You never know," I replied. I wouldn''t put anything past them. They held Emily ountable ever since they lost thevish lifestyle. They didn''t take into ount what they had done to her. They thought that all that they had put her through could be forgotten, but how could she forget what they had done to her? I couldn''t forget it!

    "I know that you don''t want him to get out of here alive, but we need him alive," Tanner said.

    "I know what you''re thinking and to be honest, I think it''s a good idea," I said. "But I don''t want him to roam the world freely until next week. What if he runs away?"

    "Who said he''s going to roam the world freely? We''re going to keep him here until next week." Tanner shrugged. Now that seemed logical.

    "But before we let him out, we gotta let him shower and look good, so whoever paid him wouldn''t be suspicious," I told him.

    "I will take care of everything. Go stay with Emily. She''s probably still shaken up," he said and I nodded.

    "Thank you, Tanner and..." I looked down for a second, "I''m so sorry for everything I once said." I hoped that Emily was right. I wanted him to forgive me, but at the same time, I couldn''t force him to do so.

    "You were in a bad ce. Can''t say that I wasn''t hurt by what you said, but I''m d you''re back." He smiled at me as he patted my back. "Wee back, best friend."

    I was beyond grateful that he didn''t choose to reject my apology even though I had been nothing but the worst friend you could ever ask for.

    I made my way back home, desiring nothing but to be with Emily at a time like that. I wanted to take care of her and assure her that I wasn''t going to forget about what happened.

    Upon arriving home, I found my two girls cuddling on the couch, watching a movie. Well, they seemed to be watching a movie at first, but Rosie was actually asleep and Emily was a little bit zoned out. However, when she noticed my presence, she smiled a little and moved I immediately engulfed her and kissed her lips. She looked better than yesterday and I was grateful for that.

    "What happened to your hand?" A frown appeared between her eyebrows as her fingers traced the red skin of my knuckles.

    "Nothing to worry about, sunshine," I replied, but she shook her head.

    "Tell me." Her pleading tone made my knees

    "I was teaching somebody a lesson," I replied. go weak.

    11:40 AM

    "Did you find out who sent him?" She was quick to understand whom I was talking about.

    I took her to the backyard as I didn''t want Rosie to hear us talking about that. I told Emily everything I had learned so far, which was basically nothing newpared to what he had already saidst night. I informed her about the n Tanner, and I decided to follow to catc "I think the only good oue of this is that you finally made up with your best friend," she told me, making me smile.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "I''m d I did, to be honest. Tanner is great and I did miss our friendship together," I said.

    For the rest of the day, we decided to spend it together as a family. We cooked, watched more movies, and even yed some board games. I wanted to take Emily''s mind off what happened, so I did my best to keep her upied. Even if the man said that he didn''t n on taped her mouth.

    She was trembling in my arms as I held her when I found her inside the kiosk. My heart broke when my eyesy on her in that state.

    I hated how my girl was always targeted by people who had already hurt her before. I didn''t know why it was hard to take a break from them. Why were they keen on harming her when all she wanted to do was live her life in peace?

    Whatever their reasons were, I had had enough, and I wasn''t going to let anybody hurt her like that ever again. We managed to put Jeffrey behind bars. It wasn''t going to be hard to do that to the rest. I was aware that I didn''t have any solid proof that Fiona was the one who

    *****

    Emily wanted toe with me tonight, but I convinced her that it wouldn''t be wise to do so. We weren''t sure who did that to her even if we had our doubts, so if she showed up and was spotted by whoever incited the guy to do that to her, they might run away. That was the Tanner and I stayed hidden but kept our eyes on the asshole who was paid to hurt my girl. Before letting him out of the warehouse, Tanner gave him clean clothes, so the woman who wanted to cause Emily harm would not be suspicious.

    "I need you to be rational once we spot her, okay?" Tanner told me. It was hard to think logically and act rationally after seeing my girl in that state, but unfortunately, despite my desire to strangle that woman with my bare hands, I had to do what Tanner said. "Fine," I muttered, keeping my eyes glued to the bastard.

    I didn''t know how long we kept waiting, but after a while, we saw a woman approaching him. She was dressed in a ck jacket and ck pants. There was a scarf around her hair. It wasn''t meant to cover her hair. She wore it to conceal her face. To better hide her face, sh Carefully, Tanner and I walked closer to them. I watched as he gave her the sh drive as we agreed. That was our cue to move faster. Once she got the money out of her small purse, I grabbed her wrist forcefully.

    Her gasp was audible and despite how much of her face was covered, I could see worry on her face.

    "Nobody gets away with hurting a Kensington," I said, removing the sunsses away from her face.

 Chapter 79

    I waited for Julian in the living room. He called me a while ago, telling me to get dressed since he wanted to take me somewhere. He didn''t give me any details, which was enough to heighten my anxiety. Thankfully, I asked Rosie''s babysitter to stay for the night since I had Thirty minutes after he called me, I found him waiting for me outside in the car. I looked at his face and found it rxed. That was a good sign. If something was wrong, it was easy for me to tell just by looking at his face. "Where are we going?" I asked him.

    "You''re about to meet the assholes who wanted to hurt you." My eyes widened when he said that.

    "Is it Fiona?" I quietly asked even though I had a strong feeling that she was the one behind it all.

    "And Matthew." My gasp was audible. Matt... How did this happen? Why would he do that? Was it because I picked Julian over him?

    "They teamed up against us? Why? I thought everything came to an end with Jeffrey''s imprisonment." I sighed, looking at my soon-to-be husband.

    "They can''t get over your sess, sunshine. They can''t ept the fact that you made it without them. As for Matthew, I guess

    he didn''t take your picking me over him well." I didn''t say anything and just looked out of the window. I felt Julian''s hand cover mine, causing me to

    look at him. "We''ve got each other, yeah? We can take them all down together." I slightly smiled as he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.

    For most of the ride, silence took over the atmosphere, but it was afortable one. Every once in a while, one of us said something, but no long talk was necessary.

    Soon, we arrived at a warehouse I didn''t know anything about that ce. Did Julian own it?

    "It''s Tanner''s," Julian answered my thoughts.

    The two of us walked inside and I found Tanner and a few bulky men. In front of them, Matthew, Fiona, and the one who attacked me sat on metal

    chairs.

    Matthew and Fiona''s eyes were fixated on me. I never knew I had such violence in me, but all I wanted to do was tear them into pieces because I was so done with people trying to ruin my life.

    Why couldn''t they just forget about me and let go? Why did they feel the need to make me live in worry and fear?

    "You''re so obsessed with ruining my life that you ended up ruining yours," I told Fiona as I walked towards her. "If you think that you''re going to walk out of this ce without any consequences, then you''re surely a na?ve little bitch."

    "Why?" Her voice was low, yet full of venom. "Why did you get to have everything!?" She looked me in the eye and all I saw was pure hatred and envy. "You have your perfect little family, an amazing job, a man who practically worships you, and everything anybody could ask for! Why would you have all of that!?" The more she said, the higher her voice got.

    "As if I achieved all of that while spending my entire life hurting others!" I let out a sarcasticugh. "I worked my ass off, had to raise my daughter for five years on my own and endured a tremendous amount of hate nobody could handle!" Who put it in her head that I had it easy? Why couldn''t she remember what they all had put me through for years?

    "Nothing breaks you, Emily," she spat her words.

    "Maybe if you paid attention to your own life instead of focusing on mine like the madwoman you are, you could have done something with it," I muttered, before moving away from her.

    I kept my eyes on Matthew as I moved towards him. I didn''t understand what kind of pain I caused him that made him act like that. What he wanted to do to me was beyond anything I could ever imagine.

    "All I did was refuse to be with the man who hurt my daughter. Why was it hard for you to ept that?" I calmly asked him.

    "Stop lying to yourself! You used what happened with Rosie as an excuse to be with Julian!" He snapped at me.

    "Raise your voice again at my wife and you''ll no longer have working vocal cords." Julian''s voice was low but scary. It didn''t escape my notice that he called me his wife even though we haven''t officially gotten married yet.

    "I''ll humor you. Let''s say I used what happened with Rosie as an excuse. Why couldn''t you ept that another man owned my heart?" I folded my arms over my chest.

    "He hurt you! He threw you out of his house! Despite all of that, you ran back to him like the pathetic bitch you are!" It looked like Matthew hadn''t taken Julian''s warning seriously. One moment, Julian was behind me, and then I found him on top of Matthew as he tackled him 178

    11:40 AM

    kept beating him until he was ck and blue.

    "Julian, that''s enough," I said, trying to get him to move away. Tanner interfered and pulled him away, which wasn''t an easy thing to do.

    "You shouldn''t have done that," I mumbled, looking at his hands that were already red and bloody. I couldn''t even tell if that was his blood or Matthew''s.

    "I have wanted to do that for a while actually," he said, flexing his hands.

    "What do you want to do with them?" Tanner asked us.

    Julian looked at me and said, "I want to give them a slow and painful death, but that''s her call."

    "You can''t do anything to us!" Fiona eximed, jumping up from her seat.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "Sit your ass down before I give Julian the green light to skin you alive," I said while ring at her. That was enough to make her sit down again. I loved how scared she looked.

    "I want them in jail for as long as possible," I told Julian and his best friend.

    "Consider it done." Julian nodded.

    Many people might think that sending them to jail would be merciful, but I knew that doing that to them would ruin

    them forever. None of them would be able to get a respectable job. They would eventually lose their social status, and nobody would give them a second nce. They would be done for good and that was enough for me. Julian and I headed home prettyte. It was already five in the morning and all I wanted to do was fall asleep.

    Once we arrived home, I took him to the bathroom and cleaned up the torn skin of his knuckles.

    "I think you need to refrain from punching people if you want your hands to heal," I joked, dabbing the cotton ball that I had previously submerged in disinfectant on the small wounds scattered on his right hand.

    "I can''t help it when ites to you," he said, looking at me. I smiled a little without saying anything else and continued cleaning the small wounds.

    "Thanks, sunshine." He cupped my chin after I was done and kissed my lips.

    "I love you," I murmured, holding onto him for a moment.

    "I love you more." Call me clingy all you want, but I loved having my body pressed against his. I loved the way he held me. It made me feel safe.

    Whenever he held me, I felt like it was easy for me to detach myself from the world even if that was just for a few moments. His hugs gave me the energy I needed to go on.

    I threw my body on the bed and Julian did the same. Automatically, he pulled me close to him until there was no space between us.

    "Do you think this is the end of it?" I whispered, looking into his eyes.

    All I wanted was to live with my family in peace. I wanted to have a happy life with them and stay away from any drama. Why did it feel like I was asking for much?

    "I hope so." Julian pushed the left side of my curtain bangs away from my face. "Even if this isn''t the end of it. We can face anything together, right?" I simply nodded because it was true.

    "Would you be able toe to Paris with me?" I wondered as I rested my chin on his chest. I wanted him there with me. As clich¨¦ as it sounded, I wanted to have a rooftop date with him with the Eiffel Tower twinkling with its magnificent lights as our view. "Do you want me there with you?" he asked.

    "Is that even a question? Yes, I want you with me. In fact, I want you anywhere I go," I grinned, making me chuckle.

    "Then I''ming." He kissed my head and tightened his hold.

    I closed my eyes and fell asleep with one thought in my head. I couldn''t wait until I was married to Julian Kensington.

 Chapter 80

    "This dress makes you shine. I adore it!" Harper gushed as I looked at my wedding dress in the mirror. I designed it myself. I had always had this image of the perfect wedding dress for myself, and I was d that I managed to bring it to life. I didn''t like bright white dresses, so when I designed my dress, I chose an ivory shade. It was an off- shoulder dress with a cape that was connected to the shoulders. It was fully beaded, but the beads started to fade until they no longer existed at the very end of the chiffon skirt. It was tight from the waist to give my body a nice shape, but I chose the A- line style for the skirts.

    "I''m in love with it." I smiled, looking at my reflection in the mirror. My heart was beating so fast. There was no valid reason for my nervousness. Julian and I had known each other for years. Not to mention the fact that we had been living with each other for almost a year. D jumping out of my body.

    "You look beautiful, Mom!" Rosie eximed. Lately, she had been calling me ''Mom'' instead of ''Mommy''. Although I was aware that this transition was bound to happen, I couldn''t help but miss the way she used to

    call me ''Mommy''. It felt like she was growing up so fast. I needed time to slow down.

    "Thank you, cupcake." I widely smiled at her.

    "Are you having cold feet?" Rose joked, making meugh. If she had asked me that during my first wedding, I would have said yes. In fact, I would have told her that all I wanted was to run away and disappear from the entire. Today, all I wanted was to walk down the aisle to my soon-to-be husband. I couldn''t wait until I was officially his wife.

    "Not at all. I''m really excited," I admitted. Saying that out loud made me blush.

    "Do you have your something blue?" Maya asked me. I had postponed my wedding until she gave birth because I wanted her to fully enjoy the day.

    "Yes." I pointed to the small blue crystal in my bouquet.

    "Something borrowed?" Harper wondered and I pointed to the earrings Rose gave me five days ago.

    Something old?" Rosie asked.

    "Here it is," I pointed to the two bobby pins studded with diamonds in my hair. They belonged to my mum. I liked having something she owned with me. "Something new?" Harper asked.

    "Got it." I smirked. I wasn''t going to give more details while my daughter was around. My underwear was my something new.

    A knock made all of us look at the door. Maya opened the door and Sam walked inside.

    "It''s time," he said, then looked at me. "Oh my God... Emily, you look absolutely gorgeous!"

    "Thank you." I grinned at my best friend.

    "Come here." Sam walked over to me and gave me the tightest hug he had ever given me. Sam and I had gone a long way and without him, I would never have been able to make it. He

    was the brother I never got to meet when I was young, but fate decided to bring us together yearster.

    We all headed out of the room. First, the groomsmen took their ce, followed by the groom. Afterwards, the bridesmaids walked down the aisle. My heartbeats elerated. Julian and I hadn''t seen each other in more than twenty-

    four hours, and I couldn''t wait to see him waiting for me at the end of the aisle. My little girl walked down the aisle, scattering flower petals here and there.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    It was finally my turn. My hands were slightly trembling. I was a few minutes away from being Mrs. Kensington. For five years, I did my best to run away from having any rtionship with this family. Today, I couldn''t wait until I was officially one of them for the second time. Julian and I decided that we didn''t want to hold the ceremony at a church. Instead, we chose a nice and vast outdoor venue where the ceremony and the reception would be held.

    I stood at one end of the aisle for a couple of seconds and my eyes met Julian''s. A wide smile appeared on his face the moment he saw me. I slowly walked towards him even though all I wanted to do was run, but I couldn''t just run down the aisle.

    Once I was close enough, he extended his hand towards me and I took it. I looked into his eyes and I saw them glistening with tears. He pulled me close to him for a moment and kissed my forehead.

    God! I was madly in love with him.

    "My eyes have never seen a woman as beautiful as you," he whispered before the two of us stood in our designated spots. I handed my bouquet to Maya who was my maid of honour and held Julian''s hands.

    The marriage offciant started talking and all I could focus on was the man before me and the way he was looking at me. Not once had he failed to make me feel like I was the only woman in the room.

    As we held hands, he kept rubbing small circles on the back of my hands, a habit he acquired over the years and I enjoyed. These small circles never failed to make me calm down whenever I got nervous. "Have you written your vows?" the officiant asked us.

    "Yes" we both said in unison.

    Julian let go of one hand and got out a paper he kept in his pocket

    "Emily, ever since you walked into my life, it has never been the same. Just by being you, you made me fall in love with every single thing about you I never thought that this kind of love existed, but then you came and convinced me that I could love in a way I never conside "I vow to give you the best life I could ever give you, I will do whatever it takes me to make sure that you know I love you with everything in me. I will protect you until myst breath. I will always be your Eugene as long as you are my beautiful Rapunzel. Thankfully, my ma "You surely know how to ruin a woman''s makeup, Julian." Iughed making everybodyugh as well.

    I looked at Maya and she handed me the folded piece of paper on which I had written my vow.

    "When I was young. I wasn''t a reader. I used to pick a book every once in a while just to kill time. At some point in my life, I turned to books, especially romantic novels. I used to tell myself that the kind of love I read about in them didn''t exist. It just didn''t seem real. But the that book boyfriends and husbands did exist." Another round ofughter erupted from the crowd.

    "You love me in a way I have never experienced before. Whenever I am with you, I feel safe andfortable. Even if the world was ending outside and you were with me, I would be okay with that because for a reason I still cannot figure out until this very moment, everyth vow to love you with all my heart. Just like you said Town your heart, I want you to know that you also own mine. I like that. I don''t want it back anyway because I know that you''re going to keep it safe until we''re grey and old. I vow to be your rock and to always have your After exchanging the rings and saying "I do" to each other, the officiant dered us husband and wife.

    Not wasting a second, once Julian was told that he could kiss me, he pulled me towards him as he ced his hand on the small of my back. His lipstched on mine, and I closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy the moment. I felt the crowdughing around us, so I opened my eyes, only to find my husband''s fist in the air in triumph.

    "Im in love with you. Emily ire Kensington," my husband mumbled as we pulled away. Officially, I was Emily again.

    "And I can''t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Julian Beau Kensington" I held onto him like my life depended on it. Julian was the love of my life and I was thankful that fate managed to bring us together despite everything we had been through

    Soon, it was time for the reception, which was absolutely magnificent. I was in love with everything about my wedding. This was the wedding of my dream and here I was about to dance my first dance with the love of my life.

    I was living a fairytale and all I wanted was to stay in it until the day I die. I didn''t want

    want to change anything about my life.

    "I have waited so long to dance on this song g with you as my wife, Julian said as he ced his hand in mine.

    If you like your coffee ho

    Let me be your coffer pol

    You call the shots, babe

    I just wanna be yours

    Secrets 1 have held in my heart

    Are harder to hide than I thought

    Maybe I just wanna be yours

    I wanna be yours, I wanna be yours

    0

    11:40 AM

    "I don''t know if I have told you this before or not, but this song has always been yours," I said, staring into his blue eyes.

    Instead of saying anything back, he closed the space between us and with just one arm, he lifted me and twirled me around as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

    This was a dream that I never wanted to wake up

    from.

    How did my life end up being this perfect?

    When the first dance ended, everybody joined us on the dance floor. It was easy to see that everybody was truly happy for us.

    I looked at Julian and saw him dancing with our little girl who seemed to be ecstatic. Julian was the best dad you could ever find and I was that he was the father of my daughter. I couldn''t wait until we grew our family together. At the end of the wedding. Julian reached for my hand and I gave him a confused look.

    "Come with me." he said and Iplied despite how tired I was.

    We stood in the middle of the dance floor and I watched as my husband nodded at the Dj.

    Love Story by Taylor Swift started ying and I broke into a fit ofughter before the two of us started dancing.

    We were soon joined by our close family and friends and when the famous bridge came, I started singing

    "But I got tired of waiting

    Wondering if you were evering around

    My faith in you was fading

    When I met you on the outskirts of town and I said

    "Romeo, save me. I''ve been feeling so alone

    I keep waiting for you, but you nevere

    Is this in my head? I don''t know what to think

    He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring, and said."

    I giggled as my husband knelt on the ground on one knee and sang at the top of his lungs, "Marry me. Juliet

    You''ll never have to be alone

    I love you and that''s all I really know

    I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress

    It''s a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

    754

    thankful

    Julian made me believe that true love did exist and I was thankful that I got to call him my husband. In fact, he was more than that. Julian was my soulmate and I was d that I got to spend the rest of my life with him.

 Chapter 81

    81

    For the past two years, my life had been nothing but an absolute fairytale. It all resembled one of the books my wife was so in love with. To be honest, some of them were amusing and

    quite enjoyable, but I would never tell her that out loud. She didn''t need to know that I had downloaded a few of them on my phone to know what she liked to read about. She was very fond of those billionaire CEO novels and i I was good that I was one of them

    I remember one day I dreamt of making a family with Emily and even though she was mine, it still felt surreal that she was my wife and I had three children with her. Well, we had Rosie and there were two on the way, I couldn''t wait to meet them.

    Our backyard was full of people since Harper and Maya decided to hold a gender reveal party for our babies Honestly, I didn''t care about their genders. I just wanted them and definitely Emily to be healthy. That was my number one priority.

    "Hey, sunshine" I kissed my wife''s cheek as I handed her a ss of juice, making sure that she was hydrated on that sunny day. Her swollen belly was visible under the light yellow dress she had on. Her cheeks hadtely be a little bit chubby, which made them more "Hey, babe" She leaned against me.

    "You''ve been standing for a while, Emily. Don''t you think it''s time for you to sit down?" I was really worried about her, especially since she faced some difficulties during the first three months of her pregnancy.

    "The doctor said it''s fine for her to move around, Julian. Don''t be overbearing Mum scolded me.

    "Well, excuse me for wanting to make sure my wife is okay."I yfully rolled my eyes I was aware that I might be overprotective, but Emily had been through a lot and throughout the years. I learned not to take any risks when it came to her. It took me a lot of time to win he "It''s okay, Rose. I''m used to him being insufferable. Emilymented as she smirked in my direction. I knew she didn''t mind how I had recently be overbearing and I was d that she gave me the chance to visibly show my worry and overprotectiveness without havi I loved every single thing about this woman, but the thing I loved the most about her was how she was very understanding of me. Not once had she judged me for my fears and vulnerabilities. She met my worries with a beautiful

    smile and her soothing nature. She had never let me face whatever kept me awake at night on my own, even if she had her own things to worry about. She was the shoulder I could cry on literally and figuratively, She was everything I had ever wished for

    I was so incredibly proud to get to call her my wife. That sessful, beautiful, resilient,passionate, and kind woman was mine.

    Emily was my partner in everything in my life and every day, I thanked God that we managed to find our ways to each other despite all that we had been through. I wasn''t sure how I was going to continue living my life if she wasn''t in it, but I was d that I didn''t have an a "Don''t you guys want to take some pictures?" Ansel hollered from afar, catching our attention.

    "Let''s go," Emily said and we all headed to the rest of the crowd.

    The event was a familial one as neither Emily nor I wanted any kind of unwanted attention. We knew that our family wouldn''t leak anything to the media, but we didn''t trust outsiders, even if we had known them for years. We had had our fair share of betrayal, so it was bett safe than

    sorry.

    sily wondered, looking for our daughter.

    "Where''s Rosie Emily v

    Ever since Emily found out about her pregnancy and toki Rosie, she made sure to give her more attention than before because she didn''t want her to think that she might be forgotten or neglected even for one moment.

    "Here I am, Mom!" Emily''s smaller version called out as she jogged towards us with her cousins.

    I loved the fact that my daughter took after my beloved wife in a lot of things. That was enough to assure me that she would end up doing amazing things with her life. She was very independent for her own age and that scared me a little. What calmed me was looking at E After Emily and I got married, Rosie was starting to truly understand that our family was very well-

    known in society and sometimes, we needed to be extra careful because many people wanted to know our private matters. We tried to make things as simple as possible when we exined to her how

    she should act and how privacy was important. Luckily, we were blessed with a very intelligent and witty daughter who made the process a lot

    eavier for us

    I remember how anxious Emily was when we decided to send Rosie to school after being homeschooled for a long while. We sent her to a prestigious private school, yet it was hard for Emily to not be worried about Rosie. I was worried too as I was well aware that snakes

    AM

    One of the things we made sure to tell Rosie after she was old enough was the truth behind my not existing in her life for the first four years. When Emily and I made the decision to tell her, I was petrified; I didn''t want my daughter to hate me. I didn''t want her to think that or Fortunately, I was blessed with an understanding and forgiving daughter. She told me, "Mom forgave you and I trust her judgment. I know you won''t do that to her again" with a reassuring smile on her face.

    After taking a lot of pictures, we decided to do the gender reveal, Emily and I decided to use confetti bombs. There were many ideas to choose from, but my wife favored simplicity and she didn''t want anything that might cause harm to anybody. Whatever Emily wanted, Emily got. That was the thing I always made sure of. I didn''t mind spoiling my girls, because they deserved everything they wanted.

    "Are you ready to know the gender of your first baby?" Maya asked as she gave Emily the first bomb

    "I can''t wait!" she beamed, looking at me.

    "Please let it be a girl. I heard my daughter say, making me chuckle. She wanted a baby sister so bad.

    Emily twisted the end of the bomb and blue confetti got scattered in the air, making everybody cheer around us.

    "You still have another chance," Harper assured her niece who looked slightly bummed that she was getting a baby brother instead,

    Sam handed me the other confetti bomb and I saw excitement in my wife''s eyes. She was so eager to know the gender of the other baby. I too was excited, but I was more excited to meet the baby no matter what their gender was than to know what the gender would be. I was so thankful that 1 got to experience this pregnancy journey with Emily.

    I twisted the bomb and pink confetti erupted, making my daughter squeal happily; her voice was the loudest. She was getting the sister she had always wanted. I knew that Rosie was going to be a fantastic big sister. I had seen her with Audrey, Maya, and Sam''s daughter

    I turned to my wife and pulled her into a hug before kissing her. I was in love with the genuine happiness anybody could easily detect in her beautiful green eyes. It looked so good on her and I hoped to always see it.

    Harper handed Rosie two small onesies for our babies. One of them was blue and the other was pink. Rosie made her way towards her with a big smile on her face and the three of us took pictures while holding the small onesies

    "Don''t gang up with your sister on your brother," I yfully warned her.

    "We won''t, but it''s good to have somebody I can share my interests with," she replied, still smiling.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    No matter how much I tried to express how thankful I was for everything I was blessed with, I was certain that words would fail me. I didn''t think that there was a man on this who was as happy as I

    was. I didn''t need anything else from life. I was thankfully given everything I had always wished for.

    "I can''t wait to meet them" Emily eximed, cing her hands on her belly and I ced my hand over hers. We still

    had four months to and I wasn''t sure how my eager wife was going to wait. I caught her talking to them a lot and when I asked her about it, she said she was trying to bond with them and she did the same when she was pregnant with Rosic. "You still want more babies?" I asked her, pulling her close to me,

    "Absolutely! Just give me three years to catch my breath after giving birth and we can try for thest time" She grinned, making me chuckle. She already had a n set in her head.

    Honestly, if she wanted more babies, I didn''t mind. I knew that Emily had dreams of having a big family and if pregnancy didn''t take a toll on her health, then I was surely going to give her what she desired.

    "Your wish is mymand, sunshine," I pressed my lips against hers, tasting the sweetness of her lips.

    Yes, I was the luckiest man alive.

 Chapter 82

    82

    "Rosie is here! It must be my lucky day." But this is certainly not my lucky day. It''s

    effortless to detect that voice. Ss Cromwell. The most annoying human being on earth. Had it not been for his sister''s birthday. I would have punched him in the face, but I don''t want to ruin the fun. The little girl doesn''t deserve that from me. "I can''t miss the opportunity to see you," I sarcastically say as I turn around to face him. Either he has grown taller, or I have shrunk.

    "Oh, I know you''re in love with me." He smirks, making meugh.

    "More like in love with the idea of strangling you."!

    "I point out.

    Sometimes, we wish we could get rid of some people in our life. Ss Cromwell is somebody I want to get rid of, but it''s almost impossible.

    1

    How can I get rid of him when his sister, Aniyah, is best friends with Lily and Holden, my siblings? Out of every single person in their school, did they have to pick his sister to be friends with?

    He has been getting on my nerves since day one. I remember when Lily and Holden came to Mum one day, telling her that they had made a new friend at school and her name was Aniyah

    The next day at pick up, Mum met Aniyah''s mum and invited them to our ce so my siblings and their new friend could have a y date. The

    t weekend, Aniyah and her mum showed up at our ce, but they weren''t alone. There was a boy with them and he seemed older than me.

    I thought we might be friends, but oh man was I wrong. That boy liked to prank me, snoop through my stuff, and ssh me in the pool whenever the five of us would go for a swim. He used to make fun of how short and petite I was for my age.

    Our siblings have been friends for five years and throughout these years, I have put up with his arrogance and terrible personality. Well, it isn''t that terrible, because he is sometimes nice to me, but I try not to trust him so much because Ss cannot be trusted, "Keep up the act of hating me and I might believe it." He chuckles, taking a sip from the energy drink in his hand. Instead of saying anything, I check my phone. I''m supposed to be going out with Kendall, my best friend, after a while.

    I wasn''t supposed to take Lily and Holden to the birthday party, but when Lily told Aniyah that I wasn''t going to attend, she begged me toe, and I couldn''t say no to that little girl. She is like my Einle sister, and I can''t say no to her. Her parents transformed their backyard into any child''s dream. Bouncy castles are everywhere and mermaid-themed decorations are all over the ce. There is even an artist for drawing on the children''s faces "Are you texting your boyfriend!" Ss says.

    "And what if I am?" I wonder, eyeing him. I don''t have a boyfriend. I dated once when I was fifteen and that rtionship did notst for more than seven months. He said that I was boring and a prude because I didn''t want to sleep with him.

    "I need to make sure that he is not as bad as your ex. I don''t want to get my knuckles bruised again." He doesn''t look at me as he speaks.

    My breakup with my ex-boyfriend wasn''t exactly a clean one. I caught him cheating on me at a party and when I confronted him about the whole thing, he said that I was the one who drove him to do that because I refused to sleep with him. He called me a bunch of names at that party, but Ss was there, and he made sure to make him regret insulting Inc.

    He took me by surprise that night. I thought he was going to give me the "I told you so speech, because he did tell me before that my ex wasn''t a good person. Instead, he held me as I cried and took me to get ice cream. That was the nicest thing he had ever done to me "You don''t need to worry about that," I say, typing my reply to KendallText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "Are you still single?" he asks. Why is he so interested in my love life!

    "I am." I reply.

    "Same here." It doesn''t take a genius to know that he is single. Ss doesn''t like any sort ofmitment, and this is widely known in our social circle. He ys football and is widely popr. I have seen how girls act around him, yet he doesn''t give them his attention at all "Expected"1 shrug. I have always wondered why he doesn''t date, but I haven''t found it in me to ask him that question out loud. I don''t want him to know that I find myself thinking about him. About how infuriating he can be to be exact

    "Are you ready for college?" he asks while looking at me this time, changing the topic.

    in bet you''re excited about the new football season," I tell him, taking a sip from the ss of juice I have in my hand

    I''m more excited about your joining the same university as me. I''m trying to forget about that, but I know Ss will

    "Very excited" He nods "Rat Im news det me forget it

    "It''s a huge campus, Ss, I don''t think we''re going to bump into each other." I''m trying to convince myself of that, because I surely don''t want to see him on campus.

    "I will make sure that you see a lot of me." Again, he si

    smirks.

    "Is it toote to change my destination? I loudly wonder, making himugh.

    "It''s your dream university, Rosie. Would you really ditch it because of me?" He has a point, I cannot just ditch my dream university because I cannot stand Ss. For some reason, my parents like how Ss and I will be at the same university, saying that he would be there I don''t understand why my parents like Ss that much. Maybe it''s because of how nice he is around them. It''s not like he bullies me. I can never consider him a bully. Not when I know that I can count on him if I get in trouble. But he knows how to get on my nerves. He is "Am I going to see you tomorrow at my family''s event?" he asks

    "Yes. I bet you''re not a fan of that," I tease him.

    "Actually, I want to ask you for a favor. He takes me by surprise upon saying that. Ss isn''t the one to ask for favors.

    "What is it?" I''m curious. What does he want from me? And why me exactly?

    "I want you to be my date for tomorrow''s event."

 Chapter 83

    Has hell frozen?

    ars working properly?

    Are my ears

    Has Ss Cromwell just asked me to be his date!

    "Are you serious? Is this another one of your pranks? Do you n on bailing on me if I say yes?" I can''t help but throw my thoughts at him. There are too many girls that he can ask, so why did he choose met

    "You have a lot of faith in me, don''t you?" He chuckles as he brings himself in front of me. "I may like to infuriate you, but I can never bail on you, Rosie." For some reason, I believe him. I know he won''t embarrass me like that.

    "You see what happens when I go to such events, Rosie. I hate saying this out loud, but girls don''t leave me on my own, so maybe if they see

    y see that I have a date, they will stop bothering me." If somebody other than me hears him say that and they don''t know him, they may think that he''s exaggerating, but I know that he''s not.

    Cirls don''t really leave him on his own that I sometimes wonder whether they have any so

    sort of dignity. In our social circle, Ss is quite the catch Hees from a very prestigious family and is a sessful footballer at just twenty and single. On top of that, I hate to admit that he is very handsome with his chestnut brown hair and brown eyes "And what''s in it for me. Ss?" 1 grin. If I am to be his date, I have to make the most out of it.

    "Anything you want, cupcake." He knows how much I hate it when he calls me that. Nobody is allowed to call me by this nickname but my parents.

    want you to stop calling me cupcake. That''s my price," I quickly say. I don''t want him to hear him call me Rosie ever again. If he can''t find it in his heart to respect my wishes, I think I need to pay the price of what I want.

    This is

    "This is a very expensive price, Rosie. You may need to be my date until I die if you truly want that." I scoff when I hear that. I would rather die. I can tolerate Ss, but definitely not for the rest of my life.

    "I think you need to look for another date, then." I turn to walk away from him, but he is quick to stop me.

    "Come on, I don''t trust anyone as much as I trust you to ask for this favor," he says, putting his hands on my arms,

    "You know the price, Ss. Take it or leave it," I challenge him, moving my arms out of his gentle hold.

    "I can stop calling you cupcake for a week," he offers. I love the desperate look on his face.

    Three months," I say.

    -Two weeks

    "Two months."

    Three weeks."

    "A month."

    -Fine. We have a deal," he huffs, shaking my hand. A month may not be long, but I will try to make the most out of it. Maybe I won''t see him for long since both of us will be super busy with college. Maybe I will get more than a month after all. "I''m going to pick you up at 7, okay?" he says, and I frown.

    "Why should you pick me up! Save yourself the hassle, I wille with my parents," I tell him, but he only chuckles.

    "I don''t know which kind of men you''ve been on dates with, Rosie, but let me tell you about me. If I''m taking a girl on a date, I will pick her back and make sure that she is back home safely." I should not feel like that! My heart should not be pounding in my chest in this way "All right, Ss. You can pick me up, I say lifting my chin.

    "What''s the color of your dress he wonders. No way is he nning on matching with me.

    "Don''t you think you''re taking it a bit too far?" I speak. I can''t help but smile.

    "Oh. I would go this far, especially if it''s for you, Rosie." My mouth parts in surprise

    se when he says that Ss Cromwell has just rendered me speechless

    "Blue," I manage to say.

    11:44 AM

    be

    any

    different!

    I have known him for more than five years and he has been a thorn in my back 90% of the time. However, something tells me that Ss is going to

    be very different tomorrow. I have a feeling that I''m going to be with another version of him tomorrow. A version that I may like.

    "I''m surprised that it''s not pink," he says.

    Pink has always been my favorite color ever since I was young, but I own clothes in other colors too.

    "Not this time and I don''t think you''d like to be seen wearing a pink tie," I tell him.

    "Pink may not be on my list of favorite colors, but I can make an exception for you." What is wrong with him today! What has gotten into him? And what has gotten into me?

    Is he messing with me on purpose? Because if this is one of his pranks, I don''t think I will be able to forgive him.

    my siblings up

    After we blew out the candles, I left the party since I had ns with my best friend. I already informed the driver to pick m

    "Is Ss still getting on your nerves?" Kendall asks me as the two of us enjoy our smoothies while walking down the street

    "Same old same old, but he did surprise the hell out of me today." I tell her. "He asked me to be his date for an event we''re both attending

    tomorrow."

    "Shut up!" she gasped. Kendall has this theory in her head that Ss likes me but doesn''t know how to express his feelings, so he opts for annoying me. This is absolutely absurd in my point of view. "What did you say?" "Don''t get your hopes up, Ken. He asked me to be his date to push other girls away," 1 rify. "Plus, I made him pay me to get me to agree, but not

    in money.

    "What was your price?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "He agreed to stop calling me cupcake for a whole month!" I proudly say, making herugh

    "Mark my words, Rosie. Ss is going to ask you out soon," she says, but I shake my head in response.

    Ss and I can never date. I can''t see myself being in love with him. We arepletely different and I''m certain that he sees me the same way. Asking me out is nothing but an escape for him to avoid other girls. I''m sure. As I get in my car, ready to get back home, my phone dings with a notification. Curiosity takes over me when I see that it''s from Ss. What does he

    Have a goodnight, my beautiful date xx

    This message should not make me smile like an idiot, yet it does, I don''t know what he is doing, but it feels like he''s ying with fire and weinl think I want to y the same game too

 Chapter 84

    I adjust my tie and make sure that I look extra good for the night. The truth is, I don''t really care about this event. I have been to numerous ones like it before, but this one is different. I have Rosie Kensington as my date. It is more than special,

    For years, I have had a crush on her ever since I was a senior in high school, but I couldn''t do anything about it. I know how she sees me. I''m just the annoying guy she met five years ago because of Holden and Lily. I had just turned fifteen when I met her, and she was tw She made me so nervous, and I didn''t know how to act around her, so I just decided to annoy her. I so want to p my fifteen years old self for making things harder for the adult version of me

    I always tease her about the amount of clothes she has in pink, but I actually love pink on her. I don''t think any other girl can make pink this beautiful Rosie is one of a kind.

    But maybe things can work in my favor since she''s going to my university. I know how huge the campus is, but I''m going to make it my casually bump into her as much as possible.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Rosie is so beautiful and if I don''t do anything about my dire situation, somebody is going to ask her out in college. I''m sure of that.

    mission to

    I make my way to my car and drive to her house. Luckily, she only lives thirty minutes away from me. I can''t wait to see her in her blue dress. She may not know this, but I have ties in different shades of pink to match all the shades of pink I have seen her wear throughout Once I arrive, I knock on her front door. I expect her to open in for me, but Julian opens the door instead.

    "Hello there," Julian wees me as I walk inside the house. I know I''m ten minutes early, so I don''t expect Rosie to be ready.

    "It''s good to see you, Julian," I''m on a first-name basis with her parents, which gives me hope that she may look at me differently one day. I know that they like me and I''m d about that, but I want their daughter to like me.

    "Rosie told us that you asked her to be her date yesterday," he tells me, and I nod. "I guess I don''t need to tell you that I expect you to behave and take care of her."

    "Don''t worry, I n on taking good care of her, I assure her dad.

    "And no pranks for tonight," he warns me.

    "No pranks. I promise," I say. This is my first time to be nervous around Julian, but today is different. His daughter is my date, and this is a first.

    I hear the clinks of heels against the floor and when I look at the direction of the sound, I find Rosie in front of me, looking as gorgeous as ever. Her royal blue dress looks like it is made for her. I bet her mum made it for her. Tre on time," shements, and I smile at her.

    "You''re o

    "I told you I will," I say

    Emily, her mum, walks into the living room and I make my way towards h

    her to greet her.

    "Don''t you look beautiful, Emily," I say as I kiss her cheek.

    "Thank you, Ss. You look very handsome today. Seems like you cleaned up well for Rosie. She smirks and I chuckle nervously as I look down. "I think I don''t need to tell you to take care of her, because I have a feeling somebody has already told you thatTM "Yes, Julian has given me this talk." I mod.

    "Shall we go? Let''s not make things awkward. This is a one-time thing anyway," Rosie says as she walks towards me. But I don''t n on making this a one-time thing at all,

    I want to take her on numerous dates and show her how I can treat her right. 1 want her to take me to her favorite ces and introduce me to her world. I''m done being the jerk in her eyes. I don''t want that anymore. She doesn''t know what she means to me and it''s entirely

    -sure.

    ''s go." I offer her my arm and she links hers with me.

    let''s y

    The babysitter is supposed to be here soon. Once she arrives, we''ll leave," Emily says.

    "Tim sorry if my parents made things awkward, she apologizes once we walk out of her house,

    "I wasn''t awkward at all. They''re just looking out for you." I say, opening the door of the passenger se

    nil start it. "Here, you can y whatever you want." I hand her the aux and start driving

    o her and she

    givevine one of her dazzling.

    11:44 AM ch

    "Don''t be too nice. I don''t want to get used to this version of you," she jokes as she ys a song I don''t recognize.

    But I want you to get used to this version of me, I think to myself.

    "Let''s just imagine that I have never teased or pranked y

    "Sounds like a n," she says,

    you and you''ve never done the same," I tell her, making her chuckle and nod.

    Soon, we arrive at the venue where the event is held. The valet opens the door for Rosie, and I walk towards her. There are so many photographers, but we have both grown up in the spotlight, so they don''t bother us anymore.

    She links her arm with me, and we both walk inside. It is the annual event to celebrate the sesses that thepany has achieved throughout the year. This year, we have added a new streaming website and app to our projects. My family owns one of the biggest produ "Do you n on fangirling when you see your favorite actor?" I smirk as I look at her.

    "Have I ever fangirled loudly?" she says as she turns to look at me with her ocean-blue eyes. I''m in love with them.

    "You fangirl internally. I gotta give you that," I say,

    "See! And aren''t we supposed to act all civil tonight and refrain from teasing one another?" she reminds me.

    "You got me. Sorry," I say, smiling. "But seriously, if there''s anybody you want to say

    y hi to or take a picture with, just tell me."

    "What I want right now is something to drink because I''m really thirsty," she says, and I nod.

    "Version mojito?" I ask to make sure.

    "You know me so well" She grins.

    "I''ll be right back." I walk to the bar and get the two of us the same drink. I want to know more about her like knowing her favorite drink, her favorite actor, and her favorite color. I want to learn everything about Rosie Kensington. I thank the bartender when he hands me the drinks and head back to my date.

    When I spot her, I frown because she isn''t alone. A guy is talking to her. I know him. Ezra Maine. A wannabe heartthrob.

 Chapter 85

    85

    "Yes, I''m sure that I''m not alone. My date is just bringing us something to drink," I reiterate as 1 shift ufortably.

    "If you want, we can dance until he''s back," he says, taking

    ep closer towards me and I automatically take one back. Why can''t he get the hint that I''m not interested?

    "Hello there." I have never been so relieved to hear **s voice. He sets the drinks on the table and ces one arm on the small of my back as he kisses. my forehead. He has never done that before, has he? "I''m sorry it took me long." "It''s okay." I smile at him. When I notice Ezra is still hanging around, I lean towards Ss.

    "Don''t worry, I''ve been keeping herpany," Ezra says, and I me***lly roll my eyes. It is an unwantedpany. I don''t know why he couldn''t get the

    memo.

    "Funny, because I didn''t ask you to keep my girlpany." The look on S**s''s face is so stern. Did he just call me his girl?

    uh....

    "Oh, I... I didn''t know that she''s yours. Had I known, I would have left her on her own," Ezra stammers. I want to tell him that I''m not anyone''s girl, but I don''t n on embarrassing Ss like that. "It''s really weird, Ezra, that I could see from afar how ufortable you made her feel, yet you couldn''t notice that while you were only two feet away." If looks could kill, Ezra would be dead. He looks at a loss for words and I''m not sure if I should interfere or not. "Approach her again and trust me, I will make sure that no one hires you for anything, even if it''s just social media paid partnerships, got it?"

    "Got it." He nods with obvious fear in his eyes before walking away.

    Why did I find what happened hot? Am I in the right state of mind?

    "Did he hurt you?" he asks me.

    "No, and you need to take a deep breath because you look really tense." Only

    when I say that does he rx his jaw. "But thank you foring to my rescue. He may not have hurt me, but he has surely ruined my peace of mind for a few minutes."

    I how can we restore your peace of mind?" he asks with a beautiful smile. on his face. His hand is still on my back, and I don''t really mind it. I, in fact, love how close we are.

    "First," I turn to take my drink, "let me enjoy a coup. of sips." I set my ss. down, then turn my attention to him, "Second, you can dance with me." I don''t give him time to react and pull him to the dance floor.

    "If it''s going to restore your peace of mind, I can be your M**k Jagger for the night." Iugh as he twirls me around.

    This ispletely new. We have never acted this way with each other, but I like it. I like how it feels easy tonight to be around him. I like how his touch feels incredibly right.

    When the songes to an end, the two of us make our way to our parents who are sitting at the same table.

    "You look amazing tonight, Rosie," Naomi, S***s''s mum, says as I take a seat beside her.

    Tha you! I love your dress.

    Thank It looks amazing on you." Gold and white surely make this woman shine. "Is my son behaving himself?" Don, Si***s''s dad, asks sks me.

    "Oh, he is being very decent tonight. I almost can''t recognize him," I joke with. him.

    "So, no pranks for the night?" Tristan, S**s''s older brother, wonders.

    "No, we called a truce. She even made me stop calling her cupcake for a whole month to agree to be my date," Ss tells his brother, making everyone on the tableugh.

    "I like your way of thinking," Tristan says to me, and I notice how Ss rolls his eyes at us. "Make him work for anything he wants."

    12:06 Tue Sep 17 BG.

    "That''s the n!" I grin at him as I take a sip from the ss of water in front of

    me.

    "Are you excited to start college soon?" Naomi asks me. study it

    "Yes, I''m really excited," I reply. But there''s another thing I''m worried about. I have always loved fashion ever since I was young. That''s why I want and make it my career in the future, but the thing is, I know how people are going to look at me. I will be a nepo-baby in their eyes because of my mum since she is one of the best designers in the world.

    No matter how much I work, I know they will think that I don''t deserve any sess I may achieve. They won''t take anything into consideration except for who my parents are. They judge me because I was privileged enough to bet born into a wealthy family when they would never feel guilty if they were in my shoes. I know that I I eventually have to to learn how to ignore them, but it''s not something easy to do. When I look at Ss, I admire how unaffected he seems by everything around him. He is living his life the way he wants and doesn''t care about anything going on around him. He doesn''t give a da**n about what i is being said about him. Maybe if we had been closer, I would have asked him how he could do that. "I''m going to say hi to some of my friends. Wannae with me?" Ss pulls me out of my thoughts.

    I know

    "Sure." I get up with him and we make our way to a group of people standing with each other, having augh.

    "Ss! It''s so good to see you." An extra cheery voice makes us stop in our tracks.

    "Here we go." I hear him mutter and I try to stifle myugh. "Brenda, it''s nice. to see you," he says as we turn around.

    "I haven''t seen you in so long!" she exims as she hugs him and I notice how his body stiffens for a second before returning the hug, but not as passionately as he. Why am I jealous of a simple hug? Do I need to remind myself that we''re not here together because there''s something between us and this is nothing but a favor? 3/6

    316

    BG.  8.74%

    "Brenda, meet my date, Rosie Kensington," Ss says as he pulls himself away from the hug. She looks at me with disinterest and mutters a quiet ''hi.

    "I wasn''t aware that you started dating," shements. The bitterness in her tone doesn''t escape my notice. "Some things are bound to change by time," I say, reaching for hand. The

    way she res at our hands makes me think that she''s going to follow me back. home to kill me in my sleep.

    "It was nice seeing you, Brenda. I have to go say hi to my friends," Ss says before we walk away. "I think you need security for the night. I have a feeling she''s not going to leave you alone," Ss jokes. "Have you turned her down before?" I ask him.

    "Twice."

    I''m scared." I

    "Ss Cromwell! It''s great to see you, man!" A blond guy exims as he gives him a bro hug.

    "You

    You look familiar," a guy with ck hair says as he eyes me.

    "This is

    "As in

    is Rosie Kensington, my date," Ss introduces me to them.

    in Emily and Julian Kensington''s daughter?" a girl asks me, and I nod. "How does it feel like to live in a fashion house?" she wonders, making meugh.

    "I would say it''s pretty amazing," I reply.

    "Is your mum the one who made this dress for you?" Another one in a gold dress asks me.

    "No, I''m the one who made it," I reply, earning a surprised look from her.

    "The apple doesn''t fall far from the tree, the ck-haired guyments and I just smile.

    "Rosie is going to major in fashion design," Ss says with a hint of... pride? Is he actually proud of me?

    "As if she needs it, the girl in the gold dress scoffs. "Your mum can make a name for you. Here you go.

    "Just like how your mum made a name for you in modeling, Mindy?" Ss. fires back. "Rosie is one of the most hardworking people I have ever met in my life. She doesn''t need her parents to help her out and it''s not her fault that she was born into a rich family. Aren''t we all familiar with the s e situation?" "Whatever." Mindy rolls her eyes.

    "It was good seeing you guys. See youter." Ss pulls me away after I mumble a quick ''nice meeting you.

    He takes me to the terrace which is surprisingly empty. I don''t know what takes over me, but I find myself hugging him.

    "Thank you.... for sticking up for me," I say as I keep my arms wrapped around him.

    "You can always count on me, Rosie," he whispers. I know that I can count on him. I know that despite how we act, I can trust him with my life. His hold on my body is firm, yet gentle. I don''t want him to pull away. I want to enjoy this moment.

    I don''t know what to do when people say things like that," I admit and look down as we pull apart.

    "You defend yourself." He holds my chin between his fingers and makes me look into his eyes.

    "It''s hard to do that sometimes." We are close, yet it feels right. I don''t want to move and part of me hopes that he feels the same.

    "Then I can do it for you until you learn to stand up to bullies." His words make me smile. "Nobody teases my cupcake but me."

    "Your cupcake?" This is the first time I don''t feel annoyed when he calls met cupcake.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Rosie, I''m going to do something, and please... forgive me." I frown in confusion, not knowing what he''s talking about. But soon, confusion turns. into surprise when he leans down and kisses me. The most shocking part is 5/6  that I find myself kissing him back.

 Chapter 86

    I kissed herst night. I now know how her lips taste like, and the thing is, I''ve been craving them ever since. I wish I could kiss her again, but when we pulled apart, the first thing she said was ''this is a big mistake. I didn''t know what else to say except to agree with her. Deep down, I know that this is not a mistake. It was never a mistake to me. She tasted like she was made for 1 A surge of jealousy takes over my body when I imagine her kissing anybody else. It doesn''t seem right. Rosie should be mine. I know how to treat her right. I won''t hurt her like her

    CX.

    A knock on my door pulls me out of my thoughts.

    "Come in," I say, squeezing the grey stress ball in my hand.

    Mum walks inside and by the look on her face, she seems like she wants to talk about something. I sit up straight on the bed as my eyes stay glued to her while she takes a seat at the end of the bed. "Did you kiss Rosie at the party?" My eyebrows rise in surprise. How did she find out? I didn''t tell anyone. Did Rosie tell her? Why would she do that when she was the one who told me not to mention the kiss to anyone? "Who told you?" I ask.

    "The news," she replies, handing me her phone. I look at her screen and find a picture of me and Rosie kissing. An article is written beneath the picture about how the Kensington sweetheart managed to make me change how I view dating. "We... we did kiss, but we agreed on forgetting about it," I tell her.

    "Don''t you like her? Why would you want to forget about it?" My eyes widen when she says that. I haven''t told her anything before. "What? Do you think I don''t know?" Sheughs.

    "She doesn''t feel the same way, Mum. I''m just the guy who irritates her." I sigh, squeezing the ball harder.

    "Then stop irritating her. Make her see that you have feelings for her!" she

    12:06 Tue Sep 17 BG.

    Chapter No

    exims.

    "Cany

    you help me out?" I ask helplessly.

    "I have never thought that you''d ask me for dating advice." Sheughs.

    "Only when ites to Rosie," I mumble, looking down.

    "Lucky for you, I love this girl, so I will help you out, but I think y check your phone first," she tells me before leaving.

    need to

    When I check my phone, I see tons of messages and e-mails. Some are from my friends, happy that I finally managed to find a girl I like. But others are from some famous brands, inquiring about having me and Rosie as their brand am**ors or just being the faces of their new campaigns. What is going on?

    Why do people care so much about my love life?

    I look through the messages and find one from Rosie. It is a very simple ''We need to talk'' text.

    I''m certain she wants to talk, but I have no clue what she may want to say to

    me.

    "Where would you like us to meet?'' I quickly send back.

    Her reply is rather quick. ''My ce seems fine."

    I take a deep breath and get up to change my clothes. How am I supposed to face Emily and Julian? I don''t want them to think that I''m toying with their daughter.

    It doesn''t take me long to arrive at her ce. When she opens the door for me, it''s easy to detect how nervous she is. Neither of us expected that to happen. It was just a kiss that meant a lot to me but was only a mistake to her.

    "Do you want something to drink?" she asks me.

    "Coffee would be great," I say, following her to the kitchen. "You''ve seen the news, haven''t you?"

    "Yes." She nods without looking at me.. And?"

    want to know what''s going on in her mind.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "I think we should let people know that this is nothing. We can say that we were fooling around and just wanted to know how it would feel like if we kissed," she says, finally turning to look at me. "Why did you kiss me, Ss?" "You... you looked kissable," I answer her question. My answer. ms to startle her for a second. I''m aware of how s**id my answer seems, but what else can. I tell her? Do I tell her that I can''t get her out of my mind? Do I tell her that she''s all that I think about and the only girl I want?

    "It''s one thing to prank each other, but it''spletely another thing to y with my feelings." Her tone is stern and her words are painful.

    "Is that what you think of me? Do you think I''m capable of ying with a girl''s heart?" I say. I know I haven''t exactly portrayed the best image of me in her mind, but I have never thought that she thinks so low of me like that.

    "No! This isn''t what I meant!" she exims, covering her face with her hands for a moment before brushing them over her blonde hair. "We don''t kiss. people because they look kissable, Ss!"

    "Then why did you kiss me back?" It''s not like she didn''t reciprocate. I might have initiated the kiss, but she kissed me back.

    "I... It was..." she sputters, looking down. "I don''t know. It was the heat of the moment," she mumbles.

    "Okay, Rosie." I nod. There''s nothing else to say. "How would you like us to deal with what happened?" I ask her. I will do whatever she wants.

    "As I said, we can say that we were fooling around. It''s widely known that we''re in the same social circle and our parents are close. We can just say that we are. close friends, and we wanted to see how we''d react to kissing each other. That''s it." She shrugs. "Fine. I If this is what you want. I can post a story, and you can share it or whatever. If you want to write your own statement, do it," I say, getting up from my ce.

    Tue, Sep

    "Where

    are you going?" She frowns.

    "I have somewhere to be," I reply, making my way towards the door.

    Maybe Mum is wrong. Maybe I can''t have her.

    "Ss, are you upset?" I turn to face her before I open the door. I look at her face, taking in her features. She is absolutely stunning in the most effortless way. It is impossible to stay mad at or be upset with her. Not when she looks at me with pure innocence.. "No, I''m not," I tell her. It "Are you... mad at me me?"

    re

    How can I be mad mad at her?

    "I thought you couldn''t stand me, Rosie. I chuckle. "Why do you care?"

    "I don''t know, but... I care," she says. The more I look at her beautiful face, the more distressed I find her.

    "Come here." I sigh as I make my way towards her. I take her in my arms and surprisingly, she quickly hugs me back. I''m not sure what''s going on in her mind, but I want to calm down the loud thoughts in her head. "This changes nothing, Rosie. I will still annoy the hell out of you, okay?" Sheughs in my embrace, and I smile. If this is all I can be to her, then so be it.

    Maybe I''m destined to be nothing but a friend to her and I just need to ept my fate.

 Chapter 87

    "Everything is more than fine, Dad," I whine as Dad checks on everything in my new one-bedroom apartment.

    I''m starting college in two days and since we don''t exactly live near the campus, my parents decided to buy an apartment for me to use ring my college years. It''s a cozy one-bedroom apartment in a high-security building because Julian and Emily Kensington won''t be able to sleep at night without making sure that their daughter is in a very safe ce. Not only did they make sure that the security system of the building is top-notch, but they also asked their close friend Sam Gavinski to run checkups on the system and install an extra security system in my apartment.

    "Try to make it home as much as possible, okay?" Mum says as she gives me at tight hug.

    "I''m only an hour and a half away, Mum. Expect me to be home a lot. You know I can''t stay away for long," I assure her as she lets go of me.

    "If you need anything, call us. Even if it''s in the middle of the night," Dad says, as he hugs me.

    "I will," I say, hugging him back.

    My parents are superprotective, and I know it''s hard for them to let me live on my own. Even though I am eighteen- well, two weeks away from being eighteen to be exact, I know that I''m probably still eight in their eyes and it''s hard for them to watch me group up, but this is life. I''m d that they let met do whatever I want. They trust me and I value this trust.

    When they leave, I stay in my apartment for a little while before deciding to go check out the neighborhood. All I know is that it''s very close to the campus, but I don''t know anything else about it. I don''t know if there are any good stores around. I surely want to find a good caf¨¦ to get my coffee from before ss. As I''m walking down the street, I spot what''s better than any caf¨¦. I find a beautiful bookstore! Having a bookstore this close to me is very dangerous. How am I going to stop myself from visiting it every day? I grew up with a

    0

    mum that adores reading and she has passed on her love for books to me.

    I excitedly enter the bookstore and let myself get lost in the aisle filled with hundreds of books. Before I know it, I end up buying six new books. My TBR list is quite long, but more books won''t hurt.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    I''m d that my new apartment has a big bookcase, because this means that my books have a new home too. I couldn''t take all of my books with me, especially when I''m not nning on living on my own fo. ver, but I did take around twenty-five books. I walk inside the apartmentplex and stop in my spot when I realize who is standing in front of me.

    "Ss?" I speak, surprise obvious in my voice.

    "Rosie? What are you doing here?" Ss says as he looks at me. I haven''t talked to Ss in a week.

    Everything hasn''t been the same between us after the kiss. I''m d that the whole h**le on social media has died. My phone kept buzzing with notifications for three days that I almost had a breakdown.

    Till this very moment, my feelings are blurry. I don''t know why Ss kissed. me and that "you looked kissable" excuse did not sound right. And it''s not like I know why I kissed him either, but all I can say is that kissing him felt so right. I liked how his hands felt on my body and how his kiss was gentle.

    I didn''t find enough courage in me to tell him that when he asked me why I kissed him back. The sudden change in our behavior is enough to give me. whish.

    "I have just moved here. What are you doing here?" I ask.

    "I live here. I moved in two days ago." My mouth part in surprise when he says that. He has got to be kidding me. "Maybe you should let me get that," he says, reaching for the three paper bags filled with books..

    I watch as he checks the name of the store on the bag, and he chuckles to himself. "I think you''ve got a radar inside of you that can detect bookstores, Rosie," he says. "Let''s see how many books you''ve bought." He sets the bags on the table in the lobby and no matter how much I try to get him to stop taking

    273

    the books out of the bag, I fail.

    I won''t be able to handle hisments about my choice of books. I''m in my sports romance and dark romance era.

    "Oh my God..." he slowly says as he checks the synopsis of one of the books. I contemte taking pictures of his expressions. "Rosie, what the hell do you. read? Is this supposed to be a romantic novel? He stalks her! he shock on his face makes meugh. How do I tell him that this is an entire genre?

    "It''s called dark romance," I point out.

    "And... wait a second? A mafia boss? Is this what you want? Do you want to fall in love with a mafia boss?" His eyes widen.

    "Again, it''s called dark romance and no, this isn''t what I want," I assure him.

    "Should I book you an appointment with a therapist? I know a good one. I personally visited him after I got injured during my freshman year," he says with a serious tone that makes meugh more.

    "I don''t think this is the best ce to have this conversation. How about youe to my ce where I introduce you to my world of books?" I suggest.

    "Yeah, I definitely need to be introduced to this world."

    "Which floor do you live on?" I ask him.

    "The seventh," he replies. I live on the fifth.

    At least we don''t live on the same floor.

 Chapter 88

    88

    "I I would like to know what kind of books you read," Ss says as he takes a seat on the white couch. It still feels surreal that this ce is actually mine. It''s not. because I''m in shock that I now own an apartment- Mum basically made me the owner of apany when I was five years old. The thing is, I have always been attached to my parents and siblings, so leaving them. A living on my own even though we live in, the same city is slightly startling. "Would you like to drink something first?" I ask him. "I actually n on making some mac and cheese. Do you want to eat with me?" While Mum is an amazing cook, I''m not as good as her. However, I can make a few good dishes. I don''t feel like cooking something fancy today, so I''m opting for boxed mac and cheese. "I''m sorry I can''t. I have somewhere to be in an hour," he replies apologetically. Why do I feel disappointed? Why have I been enjoying hispanytely? I''m trying to detect when our rtionship has started to evolve like that, but I can''t really determine a specific point in time. "But if you want, I can bring us something to eat on my way back and we can have dinner together. Does seven sound good?" "Sounds like a n," I say with a ***id wide smile on my face.

    tell me about these books." He gets up from his ce and makes his way to my white bookcase. He reaches for one of the books and turns it around to read the synopsis. I don''t like people touching my books, but he is handling them with care, so maybe he can be an exception. "Hockey romance? I feel offended. Why isn''t there any football romance?"

    "It is actually a very popr genre," I tell him. "But I thought you wanted to know more about dark romance." Do I tell them that football romance is my favorite type of sports romance? No, he doesn''t need to know that.

    "I''m very interested in all types of romance." He shes me a bright smile. "But, okay. Tell me about dark romance!

    "Okay, so basically the MMC can be a-" Ss stops me before I get to continue talking and asks, "What does MMC mean?"

    "Oh, sorry. I forgot you''re not a bookworm. MMC means male main

    175

    character. Anyway, in dark romance, the MMC can be a mafia both, a gang. leader, a psychopath, or even a serial killer," I start by exining the basics. His lips part as he hears me out.

    "And a lot of people like these novels?" he asks, and I nod. "Is it your favorite?" He seems to be pretty interested in my books.

    "I prefer contemporary romance," I answer his questions.

    "Tell me more." He takes a seat on the couch again, giving 1 attention.

    his full

    "What we, readers, like the most about these novels is that the MMC is always more than ready to set the world on fire for his girl," I walk him through the

    genre.

    "Since when do girls like viins? I thought heroes were more popr," he says as he rests his elbow on the armrest of the couch and ces his hand in his hair. I don''t understand how someone can look this good with the least amount of effort. "Oh Ss, this ship has sailed a long time ago." Iugh, taking a seat on the light pink loveseat.

    "So should I turn into a viin to get the girl I like?" he wonders, and I frown.

    "There''s a girl that you like?" I can''t help but ask.

    "I''m speaking hypothetically." I don''t know why his answer puts my heart at ease. "But don''t mafia men and gang leaders seem to be tough and hard?"

    "Here''s the thing. They are bad for the world, but good for their girls. That''s what makes them attractive. Like the MMC could kill ten men but get back home before nine because he promised his girl a date." "I''m really invested in this." He chuckles.

    "I don''t mean to kick you out or anything. I''m more than happy to talk about books, but don''t you have somewhere to be, Ss?" I don''t want him to go, but I also don''t want him to bete.

    He looks at his phone and curses. "I should go," he says as he stands up. "But

    BG

    you will answer all of my questions over dinner, deal?"

    "Deal." I smile at him.

    12

    12

    I stay on the loveseat for a while and reach for one of the new books I have bought. Like a typical reader, I have a long TBR list, yet I end up picking my next read from my newest collection. Part of me is d that I didn''t buy any football romanc would have been embarrassed if Ss had spotted them. ecause I know I

    !

    !

    I still cannot believe that we''re neighbors, but weirdly, I''m not annoyed. There are only two floors between us and the distance now is shorter than ever, but I don''t know why I have a good feeling about this.

    Iugh at my ridiculousness, because it seems like the romantic novels I always read have messed up with my head. What could possibly be good about Ss living in the same building as I am? Perhaps he may consider this at better opportunity to prank me. I close the book after reading the first chapter and reach for my phone. I have to tell Kendall about thetest news. "Guess who I found earlier in my apartment building?" I say the moment she picks up.

    "Who?"

    "Ss

    Cromwell." Her gasp is so loud that it makes meugh. "He lives here, Kenny. Can you believe that?"

    "Out of all the buildings in your area and he ends up in the same building as you?" she exims. "Something is fishy about that."

    A crease forms between my eyebrows when she says that. "What do you mean?"

    "This is all based on the theory you refuse to believe, so I''m not going to say anything, Kendall replies, and I roll my eyes, already knowing where this is going.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "He doesn''t like me, Kendall," I insist.

    "Yet, he kisses you," she brings up the kiss.

    "It was the heat of the moment!" If that kiss wasn''t posted all over social

    I wouldn''t have told her about it, because I''m well aware of the way she thinks.

    media, I woul

    "No, it wasn''t. Ss likes you so much, but he doesn''t know how to tell you."

    "I beg to differ," I mumble. How does she strongly believe in this? I have known Ss for five years. If he really liked me, he would have said anything. "Anyway, what makes you think that this isn''t a coincidence?" "Maybe he learned that you were moving to that building, so he decided to move as well to be closer to you." What in the name of rom is this? My best friend has officially lost her mind.

    "I''m the one who reads lots of romantic novels, not you! I should be the one who believes in this, not you!" Iugh as I get up from my ce and make my way to the kitchen.

    "Maybe because you read too much you now beli

    believe that great gestures only happen in books, not real life." I can see her shrugging as she says this. "Anyway, I want you to keep me updated." "About what?" I ask as I open the fridge to get the cheddar cheese and turkey out to make myself a sandwich. Since I''m going to have pizza with Ss for dinner, I''m not going to eat mac and cheese for lunch. "Anything about you and Ss, Rosie!" As if there''s anything about me and Ss.

    "Sure," I humor her and hang up after telling her ''bye''.

    I can simply call my mum and ask her if she has told Naomi about where I now live, but I don''t want to do that. I don''t want to have a straightforward answer from her. If I find out that she has told Naomi and Naomi has told Ss, then I will find myself entertaining Kendall''s idea and this is thest thing I want to do. I don''t want to get any s**id ideas in my head. Not now at least. I want to focus on my studies and be the best fashion designer. After finishing my sandwich, I make my way to my bedroom and throw my body on the bed, deciding to sleep for a little bit until six thirty since Ss is

    Tue, Sep

    going to be here by seven.

    ?KS.74%0

    But when I wake up and the clock ticks seven, I fail to hear any knocks on my door. I wait until seven thirty, then decide to call him, but I find his phone turned off. I wait until eight, yet he is nowhere to be found. Ie to the conclusion that he won''t make an appearance and w Caesar sd. pup a quick dish of

    I don''t know why I''m so disappointed like that. It''s not like he stood me up on a date.

    At exactly nine-thirty, my doorbell rings and I know who is behind the door. Truth is, I don''t want to talk to him, but the well-behaved girl in me cannot keep him standing, so I get up and open the door for him.

 Chapter 89

    I know I messed up by keeping her waiting, but my tar**s wasn''t

    intentional. I was out with my teammates to celebrate the beginning of the season, and I lost track of time. By the time my eyesnded on the clock at the diner we were at, I realized that I was already forty-five minuteste. I already had my rm set to ring by six, but whe set to ring by six, but whe checked my phone, I realized that it was dead. I don''t know Rosie''s phone number by heart, so I couldn''t use any of the guys'' phones to call her.

    I quickly ordered the pizza and made sure to order her favorites, hoping they could make her forgive me faster, but by the look on her face, I don''t think she is going to forgive me any time soon. I please exin?" I say, looking at

    Can

    at her.

    "There''s nothing you need to exin. Just go to your apartment, Ss." She is about to close the door, but I stop it from closing with my foot.

    "I didn''t mean to keep you waiting. My phone died and I lost track of time. I was with my teammates. We were celebrating the new season," I give her details, hoping she may forgive me.

    "I don''t care, Ss. I have already eaten, so please leave," she tells me coldly. No, I don''t like it when Rosie is cold to me. I want her to fight with me. I want her to scold me for keeping her waiting. "I''m really sorry, Rosie. Please let me make it up to you," I plead with her.

    "The only good thing you can do now is leave," she insists, and my shoulders. fall in frustration. What can I do to make her forgive me?

    "Can you at least take one of the pizzas? I got your favorites. Chicken ranch without jpeno and pepperoni," I say.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "No, thank you. I''m not hungry," she insists. "Can you please leave?" Not wanting to upset her more than she already is, I just nod and move away from the doorframe. She doesn''t waste time and closes the door the moment I move away.

    I don''t know what I can do to make her give me another chance. I truly didn''t

    12 07 Tue Sep  mean

    I

    to ruin whatever friendship that was blossoming between us. I don''t. understand why whenever I take a step forward with her, something bad. happens and makes me take a couple of steps back. Why am I never destined to have a chance with her? I go back downstairs and hand one of the pizzas to the two security guards. I won''t be able to eat the two of them and they surely deserve it more than I do.

    I make my way back to my apartment and cat on my own... wish I could have looked at the clock earlier. It''s just that I haven''t seen the guys in almost two months and 1 lost track of time.

    Ima

    When I learned from Dad by total chance that Julian and Emily bought a new apartment for Rosie close to the campus, I told Mum that I wanted to move to the same building. No, I''m not a stalker. I just want to be close to her. I want. her to look at me differently. I''m done being the guy who annoys her. I want to be the one who takes care of and cherishes her.

    I plug my phone into the charger and wait for it toe back to life. I wonder how many times she has called me. I groan in frustration when I imagine her waiting for me, thinking that I ignored her on purpose.

    keep messing things up with Rosie to the point that I don''t know how her parents may ept me as her boyfriend if luck decides to be on my side and she ends up giving me a chance.

    sit on my grey couch as I look through my phone. She tried to call me five times. Five freaking times! Why couldn''t I make sure that my phone was charged? I have never cared about having my phone charged, but maybe I should start caring, so I could avoid something like that in the future with Rosie. That is, if she allows me to be in her life.

    I try to prevent myself from messaging her, but I fail and end up sending her a text, apologizing for what I did.

    1 I look around my apartment and realize how different our apartments are. Hers is all white and a light shade of pink with a few beige objects here and there. Mine is a mixture of grey, white, and dark blue. Of course, Rosie would. choose light colors. The girl is a palette of happy, girly colors and I love that about her. I love the aura of happiness she brings with her wherever she goes. She is a bundle of joy and I want her to be my bundle of joy.  974%

    It''s the first day of college and while part of me is excited for the new football season, another part is still bummed about what happened with Rosie. It''s been two days and she hasn''t talked to me. I haven''t seen her either.

    I told my mum about what happened, hoping she could help me out, but all she said was I should give Rosie time. As if I can do anything se.

    When I reach the parking lot, I spot Rosie there too. She looks adorable in her baby-blue top and white pants.

    "Hey, Rosie," I say. I''m d that our parking spots are opposite one another. "Good luck on your first day."

    "Thanks." She offers me a small smile.

    I

    "Let me know if you need anything, okay?" I tell her. If she wants me to do anything for you, I will do it in a heartbeat. nods. "Thanks again." in her convertible Mercedes. Even her car suits personality. .!

    At least, she replied. This means that she doesn''t entirely hate me for what have enne gets the person drive to a caf¨¦ around to get myself something to eat and drink for breakfast

    At

    Surprisingly, when I s I step inside, I find Rosie there too. Maybe this is my chance to make it up to her. But how can I do that?

    She''s standing in line like me and there are two people between us. I take a deep breath and stand right beside her.

    I

    "If I buy you breakfast, will you forgive me? I swear I didn''t keep you waiting on purpose," I apologize for probably the fifth time.

    "What makes you think that I cannot buy my own breakfast?" She folds her arms over her chest as she looks at me.

    "Oh Rosie, I''m aware that you''re more than capable of buying your own breakfast, but consider this an olive branch," I say. She seems to be in a good mood, which means that she could forgive me. "Come on, Rosie. I want to  BG

    know more about your bookish world."

    "Even if I forgive you, Ss, I won''t tell soon. You gotta work for it," she replies.

    "Fine by me. I will take whatever I can g

    "You can buy me breakfast, Ss." The s my notice and it is by far the best thing day so far.

 Chapter 90

    The thing is, I''m never at ease with huge crowds and I prefer to keep my circle small.

    My feelings are a mixture of excitement and anxiousness. Today is my first day at college and I don''t know what to expect. I don''t have any friends here and I''m not exactly an expert at making friends. I''m not a social butterfly, but I know how to act when I need to socialize. Fortunately, I manage to make it to my first ss five minutes before it begins. I have never been fond of beingte. I have two lectures today. The first one is History of Clothing and Fashion and the other one is Introduction to Marketing since I chose marketing as a minor. The first lecture passes by quickly and I end up taking a lot of notes that filled three pages. The professor seems to be nice, but her ss is not what I''m really excited about. Don''t get me wrong. I love the history of fashion, but I''m excited about designing clothes. I want to learn more about the art of designing. I still have an hour until the next lecture and I already know where it is held, so I just opt for roaming the campus, wanting to explore it. I wish Kendall was here with me. She would have made my college experience way better.

    I''m pretty cautious when ites to making friends. Usually, people already know who I am before I get to introduce myself and I remember how some people tried to use me for my family''s name more than once. It''s not easy for me to trust anybody.

    I sometimes wonder if Ss feels the same too. Hees from a very prestigious family and he is very sessful, so he probably faces the same struggle that I face. Yet, when I look at him, I see that he seems unfazed by everything. He knows how to treat everyone and doesn''t let anything bother him. I don''t understand how he has the ability to block the entire world the way he does.

    I didn''t n on forgiving him anytime soon, but he made it impossible with how adorable he acted. I know that he didn''t lie when he told me he had lost. track of time. Well, I don''t really have proof, but knowing Ss, I''m sure he won''t lie to me or keep me waiting on purpose. He may be an expert at annoying the hell out of me, but he has manners. 1/4  1

    When I realize that I only have twenty minutes left until the next lecture, I head to the hall and take a seat on the fourth row. I don''t like sitting at the ve front or the very back of the ss. I open thest page of my notebook and start scribbling a design for a ballerina''s dress.

    Lily loves ballet so much and she already practices ballet three times a week. Mum and I have designed numerous ballet dresses for her and she loves the dresses we make for her.

    1

    +

    "Wow, this looks really nice." I hear a guy''s voice. look up and find myself looking at a pair of green eyes. "Thanks." I politely smile at him.

    "So what''s an artist doing at a marketing ss?" he wonders.

    "I want to learn how to sessfully market my art," I reply, closing my notebook. The dress is nowhere nearplete, but I can''t focus on designing when somebody is talking to me. "Are you majoring in art?

    "Fashion design," I correct

    correct him.

    I''m Everest," he says, extending his hand towards me.

    "Rosie. Nice to meet you," I say, smiling. "Are you a freshman?"

    "No, I''m a sophomore," he replies. "Are you a freshman?" he asks me.

    "Yes. What''s your major?" I wonder.

    "Finance and I''m taking marketing as a minor," he replies.

    The professor walks in, and all the side talks stop. As I start jotting down notes, I look at Everest and find him trying to get his pen to work. Quietly, I reach inside my pencil case and take out an extra pen I have with me, then hand it to him. "Thanks," he whispers with a smile. I have to admit, he has such a beautiful smile. His smile isn''t the only beautiful thing about him. His dark hair looks so good on him, not to mention the beauty of his skin tone. Its bronze color  GG.

    3.74%1

    ?.

    makes his

    makes

    his green eyes pop. I bet if he puts on earthy colors, they will look so much better than the light grey t-shirt he has on.

    The lecture passes by quickly and I collect my stuff, ready to leave. I cannot wait to get back home and make myself something to eat. Maybe I will end up getting something ready.

    "Thanks again for the pen," Everest says, handing me my pen back.

    "You can keep it," I tell him. "I''ll see you next week," I say as I stand up.

    "Wait. Would you like to get something to eat before your next ss?" He stands up too. "I don''t have any more sses today," I reply. "But maybe we can get something to eat another time." I don''t feelfortable hanging out with people I have just met, but I also don''t want to close the door for future friendships. you like, Rosie. See you!"

    As

    I wave him goodbye and make my way out of the ss only to bump into a hard chest as I''m checking my phone. "Oh, I''m so sorry. I wasn''t loo-" I start apologizing, but when I look up and find that the one I''ve just bumped into is Ss, I say, "In this case, I''m certainly not sorry. What are you made of? Cement?"

    Heughs and ruffles my hair since he knows I don''t like it when people touch my hair. I have taken my mum''s genes when ites to my hair. It''s super long and shiny, which attracts people''s attention. I remember when I was young how much people liked ying with it and I hated when they touched it. "How is your first day so far?" he asks.

    "Nothing exciting really. The lectures are just too... informative and theoretical," I reply.

    "I bet you thought you won''t bump into me." He smirks.

    "Honestly, yeah, but looks like we will be seeing each other a lot," I say.

    314

    197458

    1974Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Hey man, aren''t you going to introduce us to your friend?" A guy approaches us as he drapes his arm over Si**s''s shoulder.

    "Nope. She''s off limits," Ss says. Something about his tone seems serious. Why on earth would I be off-limits?

    "Don''t be rude, Ss." I roll my eyes. "I''m Rosie," I introduce n., self to the guy.

    "Rosie, nice to meet you. I''m Knox. You look familiar. Have I seen you before?" he wonders. I sincerely hope that he doesn''t remember me from the article about my kiss with Ss.

    "Maybe you'' ''ve e seen me before at S**as''sst birthday party," I say.

    "Probably. I was there."

    "You done for the day, Rosie?" Ss asks me.

    "Yes, I''m about to head home."

    "Okay. Dinner is on me tonight and it won''t be likest time. Mexican food. sounds good?" I nod, deciding to give him another chance. I swear, if he messes this one up, I''m never going to acknowledge him again. "You better make it on time, Cromwell, I yfully threaten him as I walk away.

    "You can count on me, Kensington!" St**ly, I smile at his statement.

 Chapter 91

    91

    problem with me because of who my

    mum is.

    Before I know it, a month has already passed. I''ve already gotten used to being a college student. Everything seems fine and I even made two friends; however, there''s one professor who is keen on making my life a living hell. Professor Berton. I think she has a huge I remember her first lecture. She looked at me and said, "I don''t want anyone to expect that they''re above anybody here because of who their parents may be. Just because you''re rted to anybody in the fashion industry, that doesn''t mean that you''re good." I don''t even want anybody to give me any special treatment because of who my mum is. I don''t want to live in her shadow. I want people to appreciate my designs because of how good they are, not because I''m the daughter of one of the most famous designers in the world. Hell, I didn''t even want anybody to know who I was.

    I

    She always points out ws in my designs and trust me, I don''t mind as long as her criticism is constructive, but she barely gives me feedback. She always tells. me to just "figure out" what''s wrong with my designs. I can ask Mum for help with figuring out what I''m doing wrong with my designs, yet I don''t want to do that. I want to make it on my own. I''m aware that I''m one step or even a few steps aheadpared to my peers, but the market won''t respect me for long because I''m the daughter of Emily Kensington. This market is incredibly ruthless. I y with the ne I have around my neck as I lie down on the couch. I turned eighteen neen days ago. My birthday was simple, yet beautiful. Mum and Dad threw me a beautiful party in our backyard. My close friends, our family and family friends were invited. Of course, Ss was there, and he was exceptionally nice to me. He has been exceptionally nice since the event. and I''m not sure why. However, I won''tin about that. The ne was gifted to me by Ss. It is a simple diamond ne with three small diamonds falling vertically in the middle. I think I have only taken it off once ever since I put it on during my birthday. It took it off for a couple of days only to get back to wearing it again. It is so simple, yet so beautiful and it goes with every outfit I wear.  KS74%

    It''s already eleven at night and I''m so tired. I''m lucky that tomorrow is Saturday, and I don''t have any lectures. I thought I was going to spend every weekend at home with my parents, but it turns out tha it''s not the easiest thing to do.

    I did spend the previous weekend with them, but I can''t spend this one with them. Not all of it at least. I''m going to drive to their ce tomorrow night since I''m going out with Sabrina, my new friend, for lunch. just finished an assignment that I''m supposed to submit next Monday. I''m trying to free myself as much as possible because I want to spend all of Sunday with my family.

    I have

    It t doesn''t take me a lot of time to fall asleep; however, a phone call wakes me up in the middle of the night.

    I sleepily look at my phone and frown in confusion when I see S**s''s name on the screen. Why is he calling me at 1:00 A.M? "Hello," I answer the phone. "Hello Hello my

    gorgeous cupcake," he slurs. Is he drunk? "The month is over. I can call you cupcake again. I don''t even know why you don''t like it when I call you that. Cupcakes are adorable and cute, so are you." He is definitely drunk. "Are you okay, Ss? You''re drunk, aren''t you?" I sit up straight in bed.

    "Smartie Rosie. Yes, I''m super drunk and I don''t know how to get home. Do you think you can do me a favor and pick me up?" I can barely make out what he says.

    "Where are you?" I ask, already getting out of bed.

    "At some party. There are a lot of people and... I don''t want to stay here, Rosie. It''s not... it''s not nice." Something is wrong. Something about his voice tugs at my heartstrings.

    "Send I me the location and I will pick you up," I tell him.

    "Thank you so much, Rosie. I owe you one," he says and hangs up. I''m not exactly sure what happened at that party, but I know that something is not right. I can tell from his voice.

    12 08 Tue, Sep 17 OB

    DBG

    DBG

    I quickly throw on some leggings and a sweater, and take my keys, then head. to my car. I''m d that he is sober enough to send me the location. I get in my car and it takes me around thirty minutes to reach the location.

    It''s easy for me to spot him, sitting on the patio. I get out of the car and make my way towards him. The moment he spots me, he stands up and stumbles. his way towards me. "Thank you," he mumbles, wrapping his arms around me. It takes me a

    second, but I do the same too. I don''t know what''s wrong with him, but what I''m certain about is that I want to kill whoever made him feel like that and I''m not even a violent person. "Thank you for calling me. I never want you to drive while you''re drunk," I say, pulling away.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "I think I need to leave my car here and return in the morning to get it." He rubs his hand over his face.

    I

    "We can do that. Let''s just go to my car now." We both get in my car, and I drive back. I look at him as I stop at a red light and see his eyes closed. Has he fallen asleep?

    "I''m sorry for waking you up, Rosic, but the guys were drunk and I just... I wanted to leave," he says after around five more minutes of pure silence.

    "It''s okay. I''m really not bothered. You can call me anytime you want," I assure him. I would rather he wake me up than drive while being drunk. Thank you," he whispers.

    "You''re wee," I quietly reply.

    Ss is luckily in a state that allows him to walk, so when we arrive at the apartment building, he manages to make it to the elevator with little support. from me.

    "I have a very odd request. Do you think I can crash at your ce? I can just sleep on the couch." His request is surely odd, because he has never asked me something like that before. However, something about his state, makes me agree. He looks... hurt. I don''t know who managed to hurt him like that, but I hate seeing him broken.  DB G

    We walk inside my apartment, and I lock the door. I get him an extra nket and afy pillow and ce them by his side on the couch.

    ''Do

    ''Do you want me to get you something to eat or

    nk?" I ask him. Thanks, Rosie." He offers me a small smile. It''s easy for me know that this isn''t his real smile. Ss has a gorgeous smile. A contagious one. This one is forced. I don''t like it. I want to see his real smile. Thank "Do you want to talk about what''s bothering you?" I take a seat beside him. If he wants to stay away until sunrise to talk about whatever is bothering him, I''m going to sit right by his side and listen to every single word he says. If he wants to pour his heart out to somebody without being given any advice, I can be that person.

    Over thest couple of weeks, my friendship with Ss has developed. He has surprised me with breakfast five times. He invited me to his football game that is next Tuesday and although I''m not a fan of football, I want to show up for him. I have been to a few of his games before since his parents used to invite us to his big games. I had mostly been dragged to all of them, but this one is different. I willingly want to go.

    "Not now... but yeah, I do want to talk." He nods. "Thanks again, Rosie. You''re an amazing person," he says as he gently pulls me into his embrace again.

    "Just like how I know I can count on you, I want you to always be sure that you can count on me too," I say, tightening my hold on him.

    I''m not sure anymore what type of friendship I have with Ss, but what I''m a hundred percent certain about is that we are much closer than we used to be. And I like that so much.

 Chapter 92

    It feels like somebody is constantly hitting my head with a hammer. I can. barely lift it up. Did I drink a lotst night? I usually don''t drink a lot, because I have practice most of the time, not to mention that I''m not legally allowed to drink yet, but it seems likest night was an exception. I slowly open my eyes and frown in confusion when I notice where I am. This bright living room is not mine. What am I doing in Rosie''s living room? How did I end up here?

    Fighting the pounding headache that is about to make my head explode, I sit up and rub my face with my hands. Suddenly, everythinges back to me. I called herst night to pick me up. I asked her if I could stay the night at her ce and she agreed without asking me any questions. I look at the coffee table in front of me and I find a ss of water and two pills along with a sticky note.

    For your headache ''I smile a little at the note and swallow the two pills.

    I get up from my ce and make my way to the bathroom. I wash up quickly and walk out. I notice Rosie''s bedroom door open. Is she awake? I slowly walk towards her bedroom, only to find her fast asleep. What time is it? I take onest look at her before walking away. I don''t t want to disturb her. I have already caused her enough disturbance.

    I still can''t believe that she camest night. If my memory serves me right, she didn''t take long. There''s a hazy image in my head of us hugging each other in front of the house and God only knows how much I needed that hug.

    I head to the kitchen and decide to make us breakfast. It''s the least thing I could do for her after waking her up in the middle of the night. Luckily, I find everything I need to make her something she likes. I know how much she loves pancakes, so I prepare them. I also find some fruits, so I cut some and put them nicely on a te, and I also make some scrambled eggs.

    Rosie surely goes grocery shopping. I barely have anything in my fridge except for leftovers. I mostly depend on take out or eating out after sses or practice. Maybe I should learn from her. "Ss Cromwell making breakfast in my kitchen? I''m impressed." I look upText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    and I''m met with her gorgeous face. How can somebody look this wless? Is this how she looks like once she wakes up? It should be illegal to look this beautiful. Her beauty is radiant. Her long blonde hair is pulled back in a loose ponytail and her cheeks have a slight pink shade.

    She is too good to be true. And I''m not just talking about how she looks. Rosie has an amazing personality and the kindest heart in the en world. The world will surely be a better ce if there are a lot of people like her. "I feel bad about waking you up, so this is my way of thanking you," I admit.

    "First of all, there''s nothing you need to thank me for. Second, I''m super hungry, so I will go brush my teeth and wash my face, then I''m so going to dig in this banquet," she excitedly says and disappears in the hallway.

    It takes her less than five minutes to get back. I watch her as she opens the fridge and pours two sses of orange juice for us. "You do like drinking it in the morning, right?" she asks and I nod.

    I know it''s wrong to think like that, but I could get used to this. I could get used to waking up to her beautiful face and eating breakfast with her. I don''t mind making breakfast for her every morning if she agrees to be my girlfriend. "This is so good," she mumbles, eating some of the scrambled eggs.

    "Thank you," I offer her a genuine smile.

    "Are you feeling better?" she asks, looking at me. "You seemed pretty bummed yesterday."

    "I''m better." I nod. I may be better, but I need some time to take in what happened.

    "Do you.... do you want to talk about it?" she asks cautiously. I know I can trust Rosie. She is one of the very few people I can trust.

    "I was friends with this guy untilst night," I start telling her. "I first met him in freshman year and we got really close. He became one of my closest friends and I thought that he was a good guy. Last night, I heard him talking to another guy at the party, telling him that he was only friends with me because I''m loaded and I take him to nice ces and not let him pay." I thought I

    learned how to differentiate between people, yet I was wrong Looks like I still have a lot to learn.

    "I''m so sorry about that." She ces her soft hand on my arm and gives me an apologetic smile. "I''ve been there before in high school. Definitely not the best feeling to know that somebody befriended you because of your money or your family."

    I know who she is talking about. There was this girl who started getting close to her when she started high school. Rosie thought that the girl was nice butter found out that the girl''s parents instructed her to get close to Rosie and form a friendship with her, so it could be easy for the girl''s dad to strike up a partnership with Julian. A very s***d approach if you ask me because Julian Kensington is a very practical man and he won''t partner with somebody just because their daughters are friends. This is what the girl''s father found out and when Julian refused the partnership deal, the girl told Rosie that she didn''t like her and didn''t want to be friends with her. "I''m d I have real friends in my life, but I thought I was finally able to tell who ny real friends are," I say, taking a bit of my pancake. I considered him a very close friend of mine and not once have I felt that he was using me for my

    my

    money.

    "That''s why I''m very cautious when ites to making friends now. Once bitten twice shy." She shrugs. "People think I''m an introvert, but the truth is, I don''t want to be used."

    T

    I get her. It''s her defense mechanism and I''m starting to wonder if maybe I should do the same.

    "Are you going to tell him that you heard him?" she asks.

    I''m a confrontational person. I won''t let him walk

    the of using I

    "I wish I were like you," she murmurs, staring at her te. Moment of truth." She looks at me and her sparkling blue eyes meet mine. "I''ve always loved how you don''t let people walk over you. I wish I could be the same, but I can''t. I just walk away."

    "Ites with practice, cupcake," I say as I yfully poke her nose. "I can help

    §ä

    +

    you out if you want."

    "You won''t let go of that cupcake thing, huh?" She scrunches her nose.

    "Not when it suits you." I shrug.

    I

    "You told me yesterday that you didn''t understand why I didn''t like it when you called me cupcake when cupcakes are adorable an ute and so am I." I freeze for a moment when she says that. What did I exactly say "You call

    called me your gorgeous cupcake." She smirks and my eyes widen. "But you were drunk, so that''s okay." But I wasn''t drunk when I called her my cupcake under the stars before I discovered how kissable her lips were. "So how can I repay you, Rosie?"

    "I didn''t repay you when you took me home after I discovered that my ex was cheating on me," she reminds me.

    "That''s because there was nothing you were supposed to do," I tell her.

    "Same goes here. There''s nothing you''re supposed to do. You can call me to pick you up whenever you get drunk." She smiles and my heart flutters.

    "I don''t get drunk often. It was just a ime thing," I reply. "I think I need to ask you for another favor. Don''t tell your parents or mine aboutst night."

    "I think now is a good time to make another bargain with you." She grins, making meugh.

    "What do you want in return? Another month of me not calling you cupcake?" I wonder, resting my arms on the kitchen ind.

    "No, I want you to be my model." Now this is an interesting request.

 Chapter 93

    I don''t n on telling our parents anything. This is our secret, but I want him. to agree to be my model for a project. "Your model?" He seems surprised by my request.

    I

    "Yes. I have this project where I need to make a suit for a m, but the professor has this condition which is each student must have a model. The suits we are supposed to design shouldpliment the body of the model we choose." Anything would look perfect on him; want me to be to be your model?" he asks.

    however, I think I can make him something good.

    "And

    you Honestly, it''s either you or Everest, but I actually nned on asking you first," I admit. Ss is my first choice and I want him to be my model, but if he''s notfortable with the whole idea, I would never force him to do it. "Hold on. Who is Everest?" he asks, straightening his back.

    "Yes.

    "He i

    is a friend. We have marketing ss together." "You don''t need to ask anybody else. I will do it," he quickly says.

    "Really? I was actually joking about wanting you to be my model and not telling our parents aboutst night in return. I wasn''t nning on telling them anything," I say, suddenly feeling bad.

    !

    "I will do it, Rosie. I can be your model. You don''t need to ask Everest or Alps or any other mountain you''ve befriended during your first month in uni." I cover my mouth with my hand as I giggle. Why does he seem irritated? What''s the thing about Everest that makes him this grumpy?

    "Be nice!" I yfully pull a strand of his hair. "Everest is a good guy."

    "Whatever"

    hatever He rolls his eyes.

    Is he... jealous? No way! Why would he even be jealous?

    "Are you jealous that I made a new guy friend?" My tone may be teasing, but I surely want to know the reason behind his attitude. 12:08 Tue, Sep

    "He may be your guy friend, but I''m your guy best friend," he says.

    "I''m not sure about that." I decide to tease him more.

    "What do you mean, Rosic?" He frowns, standing up.

    "I mean, he may be closer to me." I wiggle my eyebrows, loving the fact that I''m the one who gets o met on his nerves now "Take that back, Rosie," he speaks slowly.

    "Nope." I shrug as I fold my

    arms.

    "Don''t test me, Rosie." I love how irritated he is. Why can''t he ept the fact that I may have another guy friend or even best friend? "Or what?" I raise my chin.

    for it." The smirk on his face tells me that I may not be able to keep my victory. Before I know it, Ss strides towards me and I run away from him. It doesn''t take him a lot of time to catch me and I squeal as he throws me over his shoulder like I weigh less than five ask pounds. He gently throws me on the couch and starts tickling my stomach, making meugh loudly as I squirm, trying to get away from him.

    "Ss, stop!" I squeak, stillughing.

    "Say I''m your guy best friend and there''s no other guy best friend but me," he sets his condition.

    "You''re foolish," Iugh more. I''m not even sure if I''mughing because of how he is tickling me or because he cares so much about being my only guy best friend.

    "Then I''ll just keep going." He tickles me more and I squeal.

    "Y-you''re guy best friend a-and there''s no other guy best f-friend but you," I manage to say betweenughter, but I surely stammer.

    sits

    "See. That wasn''t too hard." He smirks, moving away from me as he on the couch. I sit up, ring at him. I''m so going to make him pay for tickling me. I have no n in mind now, but I won''t let this go. I will take my revenge.

    214

    "What''s your n for the day, Rosic?" he asks.

    "I''m going out with my friend, Sabrina, then I will head to my parents'' ce," I say, standing up.

    "I''m thinking about going to my parents too," he says. "Thanks, Rosie."

    "For

    "For what?" I frown in confusion. Is there something else he isn''t thanked me for yet?

    "You made me feel so much better," he says. He reaches and hugs me and I smile as I hold onto him. Our friendship is evolving in a weird way, but I''m loving every part of this.

    "Are you ready for your game?" I ask him as we pull apart.

    "Yes,

    I''m actually pretty excited. You''reing, right?"This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "I

    "Of course." I nod.

    "You should write number twelve on your cheek since it''s my number," he says with a cheeky smile.

    "Nope. Not gonna happen." I shake my head.

    You don''t want to support me?" He pouts. Why does he look so good all the time without even trying? How is it possible for someone to look kissable while pouting? All I want to do is cup his face and smack my lips against his. "Oh I do want to support you, but no numbers on my cheeks, Ss." I smile to myself, trying to ignore how cute he looks. "Fine." He dramatically sighs as he rests his back against the couch.

    I reach for the remote control and switch on the TV. I''m not used to people invading my personal space, yet having Ss over feels natural. It''s as if he belongs to my world.

    It''s funny how much things can change in less than two months. Ever since Aniyah''s birthday, things haven''t been the same between us. I don''t know what has taken over him and made him treat me differently, but I like this. I like that he doesn''t try to make me fume with rage whenever he sees-me. Is it the 73%

    12:00 Tue Sep 17 @BG

    12:00

    kiss? Has something changed because of it? Maybe he has just grown up, or maybe he has finally realized that I''m not the little thirte

    used to love pushing into the pool.

    year-old girl he

    "I have to go now, but I will see you on Monday, yeah?" he says, standing up. Disappointment fills me because I don''t want him to go, which is absolutely absurd. I shouldn''t feel this way towards Ss. "Breakfast together on Monday?" I find myself suggesting.

    "Sounds great, cupcake." Then he does the most unusual and unexpected thing between us and kisses my cheek.

 Chapter 94

    94

    I may not be a huge football fan, but I''m huge supporter of Ss. That''s why I''m dressed in blue and white. I debated wearing a jersey with his number on it, but I decided against that at the veryst second even though I had already purchased one. It felt like a girlfriend move and I''m not his girlfriend. We are just best friends. I''m still not used to that, but I love eve single thing about our friendship. We had breakfast together yesterday. The way I was excited about seeing him worried me. I''m not supposed to be this excited when I''m meeting, my friend I have never been this excited about meeting Everest. Is it because Ss and I have a special bond now? "You look beautiful!" Sabrina tells me as I meet her in front of the entrance of the field. The game starts in forty-five minutes, but we agreed on getting here carly to find good spots. "You too!" I grin at her. Sabrina looks absolutely gorgeous with the way her ck hair is pulled back in a high ponytail. She has a jawline that anyone. would die for. The eyeliner she has around her green eyes makes their color

    pop. We quickly buy hotdogs and I get a blueberry smoothie while Sabrina gets a Sprite then head to the benches. It seems like a lot of people have thought the same, because even though there are thirty-five hours to go, the ce is almost fully packed. However, we manage to find a good ce to sit. I look at the yers and immediately manage to spot Ss. He looks incredibly hot in his uniform. They are doing some warm-ups and the way he moves his body makes it impossible for me to keep my eyes off him.

    "How does it feel like being friends with the bulky one in number twelve?" Sabrina smirks as she nudges me. "Might I say that it''s very unusual for friends to eye each other the way you''re eyeing him?" Her teasing tone makes me groan. Sabrina believes that I like him and Kendall believes that he likes me. At least none of them thinks that we like each other.

    Great!

    "Pretty

    1:73%

    Ring

    "And

    good actually, but I know what you''re hinting about. We''re in c

    I say, sipping my smoothie.

    I''m going to Italy tomorrow." I look at her in confusion. "Oh, I''m sorry. I thought we were mentioning things that aren''t true." She gives me a sheepish smile.

    You''re i

    You impossible," ¨ª mutter and look at the field, only to find that said friend waving at me excitedly. How did he manage to spot me? "Good luck!" I yell, cing my hands on the sides of my mouth in an ampt to amplify the volume of my voice. "You know him personally?" The girl beside me asks in disbelief. "Yeah," I reply casually.

    "It''s just that he keeps to himself," she says, surprise still evident in her voice.

    "I know." I shrug. "I''ve known him for years."

    "I''m going to buy you a new book if Ss doesn''t ask you out within two months," Sabrina says. "But if he does, you''re buying me lunch for two days." She seems quite confident about what she''s saying.

    The thing is, if Ss really asks me out, am I going to say yes? Do I even like Ss to date him? It''s not only about liking him. I have always been against friends dating each other, because what if you break up? Wouldn''t that ruin your friendship? That would be such a bummer. Would I waste a good friendship for the sake of a possible rtionship?

    I shake my head at this rediculous thought. How can I even allow myself to entertain such thoughts? Ss would never ask me out. I''m the friend whom he feelsfortable with.

    "You''re unbelievable. I think I''m going to set you up with someone to keep you busy," I tell her.

    "Can you set me up with number 23?" She grins.

    "I will make sure to ask Ss about his avability."

    I

    Soon, the game starts and I like how our team, The Hawks, are doing really well, but the problem is that the opposing team is doing well too. The

    215

    BK973%

    audience roars with loud cheers when Ss scores another goal, making it his third one so far.

    I haven''t seen him y in a while and I must say, he has gotten so much better. He doesn''t spare any effort and is willing to do anything to make his team

    win.

    The first two quarters end before I know it. I''m very proud of Ss for scoring seven goals. The pride in me intensifies when I hear people screaming hist name, cheering for him to keep going. But the thing I cannot stand is how the girls around keepmenting about how hot he is. Why do I feel jealous? I''m not supposed to feel like that. He is nothing but a friend.

    The third quarter starts and our team is winning by three points, but I know that this can easily change. Ss manages to catch the ball and he strides. towards the opposing team''s end zone. He is about to score a touchdown, but a yer from the opposite team tackles Ss, making him take a hard fall.

    I gasp and stand up. Worry fills me and I silently pray for him to be okay. I wish I was able to go down the field and check on him.

    can

    "Come on, Ss," I mumble. His teammates are already around him and I see two medical staff, heading towards him. I breathe in relief when one of his teammates helps him stand up. He motions to the medical staff that he is okay and the game proceeds. I don''t think I can watch every game if there is a possible pity that he may get hurt. I cannot handle this kind of stress. My heart almost stopped when he was barely moving.

    "That was scary as hell," Sabrina says beside me and I don''t think I have agreed. to anything she has ever said the way I agree to her statement.

    "I need some water." I sigh and reach for the water bottle in my hand.

    After an a

    additional period is yed and our team scores the winning goal, the gamees to an end. I cheer with the crowd for The Hawks. Part of me wants to attend more games to support Ss, yet I cannot handle the idea of watching him hurt.

    I shoot a text to Ss, congratting him for winning the game, then ?abrina

    12:09 Tue Sep 17 BG.

    and I head to my car. I drive her to her ce and head home.

    When I walk inside my apartment, I check my phone and find a message from Ss. Ss.

    Thanks cupcake! You left early. Thought you''d give me a congrattory hug

    Iugh at how adorable he is.

    If you make it home before 11, pass by for your congrattory hug!"

    I pick the book I''ve been reading for the past couple of hours and prop myself on the couch. I''m enjoying this book so far. It''s a marriage of convenience. romance and while I love everything about the plot, I don''t know if I can ever fall in love with somebody I''m married to out of of convenience. My parents'' marriage started as a marriage of convenience, then they eventually fell in love. Their marriage makes me believe that maybe love can blossom between a couple in the strangest ways. After all, Dad was supposed to get married to Mum''s step-sister. Mum told me about their story when I was quite young, because she didn''t want me to find out from anybody else but them. I was already aware of bits and pieces before she told me anything, but the picture became much clearer after she added the missing pieces. Personally, I want a kind of love that would make me think that it''s too good to be true and I don''t know, but I sometimes think that my standards are unattainable. I''m not sure if I can ever find this love in real life or not.

    I sometimes find myself wishing I could escape from this life and dive into one of my books for a while. It''s not that my life is bad. I''m grateful for everything I have. I know I''m blessed with an amazing family and although my social circle is small, I know it''s not made of fake people. My doorbell rings at exactly 10:50. When I open the door for Ss, he tackles me with a strong hug, making me giggle as I wrap my arms around him.

    "Attend as many games as possible. You bring me luck. I have just realized that I''ve never lost a game you attended," he tells me as we pull apart, yet he keeps his hands on my waist.

    09 Tue, Sep 17

    "I don''t think it''s possible," I say. "My heart almost stopped when you took that strong fall," I admit.

    "Oh, Rosie. Were you worried about me?" he yfully coes and Iugh.

    "Yes. Who would get me coffee in the morning if you got hurt?" I say with a sly smile.

    "Ouch! So you''re only my friend because I get you coffee?" He puts his hand on his heart as if I wounded him. "And here I aming to share my good news with you, but I guess I can''t since you''re not my real friend." He turns to walk away, but I pull at his arm with my two hands. "No, tell me!" Excitement suddenly fills me.

    "I can''t, Rosie, cause you''re only my friend for coffee." He dramatically shakes

    his head.

    "But you''re my only guy best friend," I whine, giving him my best puppy eyes.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    He stares at me for a couple of seconds before his shoulders slump. "Can''t say no to this cute face." He shakes his head as he chuckles and turns to face me.

    "You''re now talking to the co-captain of The Hawks." I don''t know what takes. over me, but I basically squeal and jump over Ss and wrap my arms around his neck. The best part about this is how quick he is to catch me.

 Chapter 95

    94

    I may not be a huge football fan, but I''m huge supporter of Ss. That''s why I''m dressed in blue and white. I debated wearing a jersey with his number on it, but I decided against that at the veryst second even though I had already purchased one. It felt like a girlfriend move and I''m not his girlfriend. We are just best friends. I''m still not used to that, but I love eve single thing about our friendship. We had breakfast together yesterday. The way I was excited about seeing him worried me. I''m not supposed to be this excited when I''m meeting, my friend I have never been this excited about meeting Everest. Is it because Ss and I have a special bond now? "You look beautiful!" Sabrina tells me as I meet her in front of the entrance of the field. The game starts in forty-five minutes, but we agreed on getting here carly to find good spots. "You too!" I grin at her. Sabrina looks absolutely gorgeous with the way her ck hair is pulled back in a high ponytail. She has a jawline that anyone. would die for. The eyeliner she has around her green eyes makes their color

    pop. We quickly buy hotdogs and I get a blueberry smoothie while Sabrina gets a Sprite then head to the benches. It seems like a lot of people have thought the same, because even though there are thirty-five hours to go, the ce is almost fully packed. However, we manage to find a good ce to sit. I look at the yers and immediately manage to spot Ss. He looks incredibly hot in his uniform. They are doing some warm-ups and the way he moves his body makes it impossible for me to keep my eyes off him.

    "How does it feel like being friends with the bulky one in number twelve?" Sabrina smirks as she nudges me. "Might I say that it''s very unusual for friends to eye each other the way you''re eyeing him?" Her teasing tone makes me groan. Sabrina believes that I like him and Kendall believes that he likes me. At least none of them thinks that we like each other.

    Great!

    "Pretty

    1:73%

    Ring

    "And

    good actually, but I know what you''re hinting about. We''re in c

    I say, sipping my smoothie.

    I''m going to Italy tomorrow." I look at her in confusion. "Oh, I''m sorry. I thought we were mentioning things that aren''t true." She gives me a sheepish smile.

    You''re i

    You impossible," ¨ª mutter and look at the field, only to find that said friend waving at me excitedly. How did he manage to spot me? "Good luck!" I yell, cing my hands on the sides of my mouth in an ampt to amplify the volume of my voice. "You know him personally?" The girl beside me asks in disbelief. "Yeah," I reply casually.

    "It''s just that he keeps to himself," she says, surprise still evident in her voice.

    "I know." I shrug. "I''ve known him for years."

    "I''m going to buy you a new book if Ss doesn''t ask you out within two months," Sabrina says. "But if he does, you''re buying me lunch for two days." She seems quite confident about what she''s saying.

    The thing is, if Ss really asks me out, am I going to say yes? Do I even like Ss to date him? It''s not only about liking him. I have always been against friends dating each other, because what if you break up? Wouldn''t that ruin your friendship? That would be such a bummer. Would I waste a good friendship for the sake of a possible rtionship?

    I shake my head at this rediculous thought. How can I even allow myself to entertain such thoughts? Ss would never ask me out. I''m the friend whom he feelsfortable with.

    "You''re unbelievable. I think I''m going to set you up with someone to keep you busy," I tell her.

    "Can you set me up with number 23?" She grins.

    "I will make sure to ask Ss about his avability."

    I

    Soon, the game starts and I like how our team, The Hawks, are doing really well, but the problem is that the opposing team is doing well too. The

    215

    BK973%

    audience roars with loud cheers when Ss scores another goal, making it his third one so far.

    I haven''t seen him y in a while and I must say, he has gotten so much better. He doesn''t spare any effort and is willing to do anything to make his team

    win.

    The first two quarters end before I know it. I''m very proud of Ss for scoring seven goals. The pride in me intensifies when I hear people screaming hist name, cheering for him to keep going. But the thing I cannot stand is how the girls around keepmenting about how hot he is. Why do I feel jealous? I''m not supposed to feel like that. He is nothing but a friend.

    The third quarter starts and our team is winning by three points, but I know that this can easily change. Ss manages to catch the ball and he strides. towards the opposing team''s end zone. He is about to score a touchdown, but a yer from the opposite team tackles Ss, making him take a hard fall.

    I gasp and stand up. Worry fills me and I silently pray for him to be okay. I wish I was able to go down the field and check on him.

    can

    "Come on, Ss," I mumble. His teammates are already around him and I see two medical staff, heading towards him. I breathe in relief when one of his teammates helps him stand up. He motions to the medical staff that he is okay and the game proceeds. I don''t think I can watch every game if there is a possible pity that he may get hurt. I cannot handle this kind of stress. My heart almost stopped when he was barely moving.

    "That was scary as hell," Sabrina says beside me and I don''t think I have agreed. to anything she has ever said the way I agree to her statement.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "I need some water." I sigh and reach for the water bottle in my hand.

    After an a

    additional period is yed and our team scores the winning goal, the gamees to an end. I cheer with the crowd for The Hawks. Part of me wants to attend more games to support Ss, yet I cannot handle the idea of watching him hurt.

    I shoot a text to Ss, congratting him for winning the game, then ?abrina

    12:09 Tue Sep 17 BG.

    and I head to my car. I drive her to her ce and head home.

    When I walk inside my apartment, I check my phone and find a message from Ss. Ss.

    Thanks cupcake! You left early. Thought you''d give me a congrattory hug

    Iugh at how adorable he is.

    If you make it home before 11, pass by for your congrattory hug!"

    I pick the book I''ve been reading for the past couple of hours and prop myself on the couch. I''m enjoying this book so far. It''s a marriage of convenience. romance and while I love everything about the plot, I don''t know if I can ever fall in love with somebody I''m married to out of of convenience. My parents'' marriage started as a marriage of convenience, then they eventually fell in love. Their marriage makes me believe that maybe love can blossom between a couple in the strangest ways. After all, Dad was supposed to get married to Mum''s step-sister. Mum told me about their story when I was quite young, because she didn''t want me to find out from anybody else but them. I was already aware of bits and pieces before she told me anything, but the picture became much clearer after she added the missing pieces. Personally, I want a kind of love that would make me think that it''s too good to be true and I don''t know, but I sometimes think that my standards are unattainable. I''m not sure if I can ever find this love in real life or not.

    I sometimes find myself wishing I could escape from this life and dive into one of my books for a while. It''s not that my life is bad. I''m grateful for everything I have. I know I''m blessed with an amazing family and although my social circle is small, I know it''s not made of fake people. My doorbell rings at exactly 10:50. When I open the door for Ss, he tackles me with a strong hug, making me giggle as I wrap my arms around him.

    "Attend as many games as possible. You bring me luck. I have just realized that I''ve never lost a game you attended," he tells me as we pull apart, yet he keeps his hands on my waist.

    09 Tue, Sep 17

    "I don''t think it''s possible," I say. "My heart almost stopped when you took that strong fall," I admit.

    "Oh, Rosie. Were you worried about me?" he yfully coes and Iugh.

    "Yes. Who would get me coffee in the morning if you got hurt?" I say with a sly smile.

    "Ouch! So you''re only my friend because I get you coffee?" He puts his hand on his heart as if I wounded him. "And here I aming to share my good news with you, but I guess I can''t since you''re not my real friend." He turns to walk away, but I pull at his arm with my two hands. "No, tell me!" Excitement suddenly fills me.

    "I can''t, Rosie, cause you''re only my friend for coffee." He dramatically shakes

    his head.

    "But you''re my only guy best friend," I whine, giving him my best puppy eyes.

    He stares at me for a couple of seconds before his shoulders slump. "Can''t say no to this cute face." He shakes his head as he chuckles and turns to face me.

    "You''re now talking to the co-captain of The Hawks." I don''t know what takes. over me, but I basically squeal and jump over Ss and wrap my arms around his neck. The best part about this is how quick he is to catch me.

 Chapter 96

    somebody''s office and demand to meet them immediately unless it''s a matter of life and death.

    Mum arrives fifteen minutes early. I didn''t know that she called the dean''s office yesterday, informing his secretary that she needed to meet him urgently. Mum doesn''t leave anything to chance, so I should have probably expected her to do that. She wouldn''t just walk into I don''t know how to take her calmness. I wonder if she is about to make Professor Burton''s day worse than she could ever imagine. "No matter what this professor says today, I want you to remain calm, okay?" I nod and wait with her until we''re allowed inside the dean''s office. "It''s a good thing that Sabrina sent you that video."

    I didn''t even know that Sabrina was filming the whole thing. After the ss came to an end, she called me and said that she took a video of the whole encounter. She sent it to me and told me to use it in whatever way I consider possible. Ten minutester, we walk i walk inside the dean''s office and we both sit down.

    "It''s a great pleasure to have you here, Mrs. Kensington," the dean wees my mum.

    "The pleasure is all mine. I wish the circumstances were better, but it is what it is," Mum calmly says.

    "What''s going on?" he asks with a frown.

    "Yesterday, Professor Burton used me of something, I would never do. Although her usation is indirect, it is still an usation that I will never ept." I love Mum''s boss attitude.

    so if something happened that has you, but can you walk

    what happened?" he requested.

    "Rosie, please tell Mr. Thatcher what happened."

    Ox X

    SafeAuth Authenticator

    Authenticator App Verificaci¨®n Segura - Identidad segura en cada inicio de sesi¨®n.

    4.5 FREE

    Google y INSTALL  QB

    "Yesterday, Professor Burton used me of not working on my design on my own. She said that it could never be the work of a freshman and I must have asked my mum for help. I told her that I would never do something like that and mum would never agree, but she insisted that I did that. I told her that Mum had taught me how to design ever since I was fourteen, so my experience exceeded mere months. I even offered to make a design in front of and kicked me her if she didn''t trust that it was mine; however, she refus

    out of the ss, telling me that I was going to fail this course."

    "Not only has she insulted my daughter''s integrity, but she has also used me of helping her cheat, which is something hical and I would never participate in something like that even if it''s for helping my daughter," Mum adds.

    "I''m so sorry to hear that. We will definitely investigate the whole matter," Mr. Thatcher apologizes to us.

    "I would also like to let you know that this professor has been verbally bullying my daughter. From day one, she has announced that Rosie is my daughter, which is something my daughter did not want to announce out loud.

    Professor Burton told her not to expect any special treatment just because she is my daughter," Mum tells him.

    "I also have this video of the incident. My colleague filmed the whole thing," I say as I hand the dean my phone.

    "Rosie has been a brilliant student throughout her school years. I believe if you ask any of her professors, I''m certain you''ll receive positive feedback about her performance," Mum fills him in.

    "This is definitely uneptable and I''m so sorry Rosie that you had to experience all of that. I will ask Professor Burton to join us now." Mum and I wait while the dean makes a phone call. I find a small smirk on Mum''s face when I look at her and I''m already confident that things are going to work in our favor.

    Less than thirty minutester, Professor Burton walks inside the dean''s office. Surprise is evident on her face when she sees Mum and me.

    214

    G  63%

    "Good afternoon, Professor Burton. Please have a seat," Mr. Thatcher tells her. "Would you please tell us what happened with Rosie yesterday?" he asks her after she sits down. cheated and I kicked her out of my ss," she simply says.

    She

    "If you may excuse me, Mr. Thatcher, I would like to say something here." Mum smiles politely at the dean, then looks at my professor. "Let''s not keep any detail unsaid. You told her that I helped her with her design, and you had no proof other than her design being very good. This is an usation I will not ept, so I would like to know how you came to that conclusion." Mum''s tone is so calm, yet so threatening. She told me once that Dad is the one who taught her how to treat people like that. "It is not an usation. It

    "I don''t mind making this was merely an assumption." She is doing her best to seemposed, yet I can tell that she is nervous.

    assumption cost you your career," Mum tells her, and Professor Burton''s eyes go wide.

    "Mrs. Kensington, let''s try to solve this issue amicably," Mr. Thatcher addresses Mum.

    "First, I want to restore my daughter''s dignity," Mum says as she reaches inside her bag. She takes out a sketching notebook, pencils, and colors. "Give Rosie an assignment. I would like you to see how talented she is." "This isn''t necessary. Rosie can get back to ss," Professor Burton tries to de- escte the situation, but I understand that Mum is not having it.

    "But it''s no longer about her returning to your ss. It''s about restoring her dignity. If you do not cooperate, this will turn into awsuit. Oh, and this isn''t a threat. I''m merely telling you what''s going to happen. I believe Mr. Thatcher can assert that I have every right to press charges." I want to be as strong as my mum. I don''t know how she manages to do all of that, but I want her to teachContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    me.

    "We don''t need to waste Mr. Thatcher''s time. I understand that he has other meetings and matters to attend to. If you''d like, Mr. Thatcher, Ms. Burton, 13.00 Tue. Sep 17

    Rosic, and I can go to any vacant room and have anybody you''d like with us and let Rosie implement the design Ms. Burton gives her. I fully trust my daughter and I know that she will nail the assignment, Ms. Burton has to apologize to Rosie in front of the entire ss just like how she insulted her in front of all of them," Mum states her conditions to not press charges. "Whatever you want, Mrs. Kensington," Mr. Thatcher agrees.

    We head to a vacant meeting room and Ms. Burton gives me an assignment that I''m supposed to finish in two hours. I have to say that the whole situation is quite nerve-wracking, but my main motivation is not to disappoint my mum. I implement everything she has ever taught me. I do everything in my power to make a beautiful design. She believes so much in me and I want her to know that she can trust me. After an hour and forty-five minutes, I hand the design to Professor Burton

    my who looks rather impressed with work.

    She apologizes to me and my mother once again and agrees to apologize to me in front of the whole ss next week.

    Mum and I finally walk out of the meeting room and once we''re out, I wrap my arms around her.

    "Thank you so much," I whisper.

    "Anything for you, sweetheart. I will never let anybody walk over you," she tells me as she caresses my long hair.

 Chapter 97

    "Hello co-captain!" I love this version of Rosic. I love it when she is bubbly and yful. It makes me feel like the world is such a beautiful ce and maybe it is not as bad as people think. But maybe it''s bad for them because they don''t have someone like Rosie in their life. To be honest, it''s hard to find somebody as beautiful as her because she is simply one of a kind. "Hey beautiful," I say, giving her a quick hug. Fall outfits look amazing on her. She is wearing a maroon long sleeved dress with a beige jacket on. I love everything about her outfit. No, scratch that. I love everything about Rosalie Leia Kensington. "When do you have practice today?" she asks as we both sit on the grass in one of the campus gardens. It''s already noon. She had a ss at ten, but I have just arrived because I have a ss at twelve-thirty. I now know her schedule by heart. She has another ss today at one and I afterwards, she usually gets a takeout. "From seven,"

    "I want to give you something," she says as she hands me the gift bag she has with her. I thought it was for somebody else. The fact that Rosie got me a gift makes my heart dance in my chest. "I know this is small, but I wanted to get you something since you''re now the co-captain." Why does she look nervous? She could give me a used pen and I would love it.

    I dig my hand inside the bag and take out what looks like a hoodie. I unfold it and chuckle when I see the whole thing. It''s a blue and white hoodie with my number on it. That''s not the best part. "Best co-captain ever" is written in bold across the chest. "I''m in love with this, cupcake," I say, pulling her for a side hug again.

    ???

    "There''s something else in the bag." She looks at me with those glittering blue eyes of hers. They are going to be the death of me without even knowing.

    I look inside the bag and find a perfume bottle. My favorite perfume. How did

    she know? Does she know its scent?Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "I called Naomi and asked her to tell me what your favorite perfume is," she answers my thoughts. I love how considerate she is. She didn''t want to get me anything. She wanted to make sure that she would get me something I would love. "Aren''t you the best?" I yfully poke her cute little nose.

    "I am." She grins, flipping her hair and I chuckle at how ridiculously cute she

    is.

    "I just love how modest you are," I sarcastically say as I ce the hoodie in the gift bag. "Do you have any ns for tonight?"

    "Other than watching the new episodes of my favorite TV show while eating dinner? Nothing," she replies before taking a sip from her water bottle.

    I can get us some pasta from this Italian diner, and we can have dinner together." I don''t think I''m being subtle. I''m trying everything in my power to spend more time with her and get her to like me. I want her to get used to me and to stop seeing me as the irritating guy she couldn''t stand.

    "Just thought you should know, the TV show I n on watching is a girly one and I''m not giving it up," she warns me.

    "I can live with that." I grin. I check the time and let out a heavy sigh, knowing that I have to head to ss. "I gotta head to ss, but I will see you tonight." I kiss her cheek before standing up and walking away. I''ve tried to stop myself from kissing her on the cheeks before, but it seems like my attempts are all doomed to failure. It''s so hard to do that when she has the most kissable cheeks on earth.

    Whenever my eyesnd on her, joy instantly fills me. She is like a drug that takes my mind off of every negative thing. I sometimes find myself thinking about her when I''m alone in my bed. No, I don''t think about her in a sexual way. I usually wonder what it feels like to have her cuddled up against me. I wonder if her skin feels as soft and delicate as it looks. I wonder if she would fit in my embrace. She probably would. I can''t imagine holding anyone but her.  DOB

    0076

    Maybe if I''m lucky enough, one day she will be mine. I''m willing to wait for this day because I think there''s nothing else I can do but that.

    ***

    oday''s practice,

    I''m seething. The coach has exhausted the hell out of us i preparing us for the uing game. Our opponent isn''t a team to underestimate, so we need to prepare well for the game.

    I think I can drink two gallons of water, but what I care more about is showering. I cannot just meet Rosie looking like that. I always try to look my best when I meet her. After showering, I head back to the lockers to finish getting dressed. I put on some of the perfume she got me and double-check that my hair looks good.

    "Aren''t you heading home, dude? Why do you care so much about how you look?" Dave, one of my teammates, says.

    "He''s probably not heading home. I think he''s heading to meet this girl we''ve been seeing him with," Aaron, another teammate, tells him with a smirk. I have seen her on the news before."

    "Isn''t she Rosie Kensington?" Karl wonders. "I think

    "Yes, this i is Rosie Kensington and she''s off limits," I tell them in a stern tone. I''m not going to let them turn her into a boys-locker room talk. She is so much better than that. "If you''re not together, I would actually like to shoot my shot. The girl is super attractive," Karl says. Knox tenses beside me because he knows how much I like her. "I said she''s off limits." I''m trying to have control over myself.

    "I don''t want a fling, man. I want to ask her out as in take her on a date," Karl rifies his desires.

    "You I can''t," I simply say.

    10:01

    Tue, Sep

    "And why is that? You do realize that I don''t need your permission ask her out?" He is pushing it. He doesn''t know what he''s talking about. can''t because we''re dating," I blurt.

    "You

    "Woah... sorry, man. I didn''t know," he says, raising her hands in surrender.

    "When did this happen though? You''ve never been the one to date," Dave

    "Looks like she''s the exception. We want to meet her, man," a sophomore called Nash, says.

    "Maybe you could bring her to the next outing?" Aaron suggests. "She can meet our girlfriends."

    "I will check with her, but I should go. Can''t keep her waiting." I quickly walk out of the locker room as I hear them hollering how whipped I have be. "What are you going to do?" Knox asks. He walked out with me.

    "I don''t how I''m going to talk to her about that, but I know that I need to do it fast," I reply, rubbing my forehead.

    I''m not sure what I have just gotten myself into, but all that I''m worried about now is Rosie''s reaction.

 Chapter 98

    "Ss, you zoned out again," I say, looking at him. Something is definitely wrong with him, but I don''t know what is wrong exactly. He was in a better mood this morning, so something must have happenedter to make him seem like that. going to worry.

    He is silent in a worrying way. Ss is never silent. He is the one who knows how to start conversations. He can talk about the weirdest topics and manage to make them seem interesting. So, when I see him like that, with billions of thoughts roaming his head, I''m surely "Sorry," he mumbles, as he pushes his food around the te. He had a three-hour practice, yet he doesn''t have the appetite to eat? That doesn''t sound like him at all.

    "Spill the beans." I drop my fork and pause the episode we''re watching. I twist my whole body to face him and crouched. "I''m not blind. I can tell something is bothering you."

    "I''ve been trying to build this friendship with you for over a month and... I guess I ruined it today," he says, not looking at me. My heart sinks at his words. What is he talking about? What has he done?

    "What t do

    you mean?" I calmly ask although I was nowhere near calm. I can feel my heart hammering in my chest. My mind is already ying the worst scenarios I could ever think of. Has all of this been one hell of a big prank? Has he betrayed me in any way? "I got you into something without thinking and I don''t know how to fix it." He finally looks at me. He gives me an apologetic look and I can''t help but expect the worst.

    Ss has always been a good person. He has never done anything illegal except drinking under twenty-one and I''m sure that this is something verymon. I have never heard that he was into drugs or anything fishy. How am I suddenly involved in something I know nothing about? Tue, Sep

    Chapter os

    "Okay, I''m starting to get really worried, so I think I need you to start talking," I say, taking a deep breath. I''m trying my best to mentally prepare myself for whatever is about toe out of his mouth.

    "After practice, the guys in the locker room mentioned you. They asked about who you are,menting that we spend a lot of time together." His tone is nervous. I don''t know what could result from locker room talk, but the way his

    >. "One of them eyes keep escaping mine is telling me I should be worried recognized you as Rosie Kensington. I told them you were off limits and to stop talking about you."

    I still don''t understand where the problem is. Has anybody said something bad about me? Is there a lie about me I''m not aware of that is being spread around the football team? I don''t know any of them except for Knox whom I have spoken shortly to twice when I saw him with "What happened afterward?" I inquire. The way his anxiousness keeps increasing makes me close to losing thest bits of control I have over my

    with Ss.

    nerves.

    "Another teammate said that he wanted to ask you out and I... something took over me. I saw red. I couldn''t handle the idea of seeing you with him," he says and I can''t help but frown.

    "Why? Is he that bad?" I wonder. Why would Ss react in that way? There must be a valid reason for his reaction.

    "He''s not bad, Rosie, but...you''re out of their league, You''re so much better than all of usbined." Something shifts inside of me when he says that. Is that how he sees me? Am I that valuable to him? The thought itself makes me want to dance around like a happy child with no care in the world.

    "So... until now, I don''t understand what''s that thing that irks you that much. What''s that horrible thing you''ve done that makes you feel this guilty?" I ask. The worry I once had inside of me begins to lessen, because I have a strong feeling that Ss is exaggerating and whatever he has done is not as bad as he thinks it is. 2/4

    Tue, Sep 14  63%

    "All I wanted at that time was to stop them from talking about you without losing my teammates, so I said the most irrational thing ever." He looks down and I wait. I no longer know what to expect. "I told that teammate who wanted to ask you out that he could not do that because... because I was dating you."

    My eyes widen when he says that. What the hell? I couldn''t expect anything; however, this exceeds any expectations I have in mind.

    "Let me get this straight. Now your teammates think that we''re dating, right?" I slowly ask, looking at him and he nods.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "And they want you to

    to attend the next outing with us," he adds and I throw my body back on the couch and stare at the ceiling. What has he gotten me into? I''m surely d that it''s not something illegal and I have to admit that I was very s** of me to think that Ss would do something like that; however, this i is quite absurd. What was he e thinking? How am I supposed to act around him? Technically, I know the answer to that question because I have read a lot of novels with this trope, but I never thought that it would happen to me.

    Suddenly, I burst intoughter and cover my face with my hands, trying to gain whatever control I still have over myself.

    "Rosie, I''m aware that you''re shocked, but I don''t really understand why you''reughing hysterically like that," Ss cautiously says. I force myself to sit up and look at him. He thinks that my reaction is purely out of a shock, but it''s something else.

    "Do you know the saying ''Be careful what you wish for''? I have just learned what it truly means now," I say, attempting to conceal myughter.

    "You wished to fake-date me?" And he thinks I''m the adorable one? He should see the look on his face. I want to squish his cheeks and kiss him for being this

    cute. "Not you in particr, but I was reading a book with this trope. Fake-dating. I taught you what trope means, right?" He slowly nods. "Well, I found myself thinking that it would be quite interesting to fake-date somebody and I

    thought that it would be quite interesting," I exin. "So, four dayster, youe to my ce and tell me that you told your teammates that we''re dating because you wanted to push them away from me. It''s like there was a shooting star when I wished for the whole fake- dating thing. He stays silent for around five seconds, then it''s his turn to burst intoughter. It doesn''t take me long to join him and I wonder if something is wrong with our pasta. It''s like we''re high without taking any drugs.

    "I''m done eating, but I do need hot chocte," I say, wiping the tears from my eyes as I stand up. "Would you like some?"

    "And I thought that you were going to kick me out, but in reality, you''re asking me if I want hot chocte. I''m in love with this version of you, Rosie," he admits. "I do want hot chocte."

    "Trust me I''m very surprised and I can''t believe my own reaction, but I think I need to take it all in to know what we''re supposed to do," I reply, taking out the milk from the refrigerator.

    "You don''t need to worry." He stands up. "You mean so much to me and I don''t want to lose you because of a lie I made up in the heat of the moment. I will tell them I lied," he says as he walks over to me. "What if," I grip the kitchen ind with my palms, letting the heels of my hands be on the top while my fingers curl around the curve, "I''m willing to act?"

    Oh how I love the surprise on his wless face.

    B.

 Chapter 99

    "Rosie, are you in the right state of mind?" Ss asks with a hint of concern in his voice. I know that what I have just said is rather surprising, but I have my

    reasons.

    "I am and I''m well aware of what I said," I assure him.

    "Why on earth would you be willing to do something like that?" he asks, confusion evident in his tone.

    "Because I''m bored, Ss, and I want something exciting in my life." My answer seems to shock him. "I''m tired of being the goody good who doesn''t lie and is always seen as the cutie who does no wrong. I want something exciting in my life and honestly, I don''t think anything can match the excitement of fake-dating." "You''re

    u''re willing to act like my girlfriend because you''re bored?" Why is it so hard for him to believe that?

    "A little bit of acting never hurt nobody, Ss. Plus, I won''t just act with anyone. I trust you and you are the one who got us into this mess, so I guess you should be thanking me. Don''t you agree?" I say as I pour the water into the two mugs. "Do you know what we''ll have to do if we fake-date?" he asks me.

    Do I need to remind him that I''m an avid reader and I have at least read fifty novels that have this trope? The thing that concerns me the most is how those who fake-date tend to fall in love, but I think this won''t be the case with Ss and me. "Enlighten me," I say, resting my chin on my palm as my elbow is ced on the kitchen ind. Ss is standing on the other side.

    "We''ll need to go out," he starts and I shrug. Don''t we already do that? "You may need to attend a few of my games." I don''t mind attending his games. The thing that would worry me the most is the possibility of him being hurt.  QB

    "Until now, I don''t see a problem."

    223

    "We will have to act like a couple in front of people," he points out. "And we will probably need to kiss." My mind takes me back to the event he took me to. I still remember the way his lips felt against mine. Although this kiss made me very confused, I still liked it and found myself wishing that he would kiss me again.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "See! You''re blushing just because I mentioned that we will need to kiss each other," he frantically says. He doesn''t need to know that I''m blushing because I can''t take our kiss out of my mind. I still don''t understand why I''m the one who is super calm about the whole thing and he''s the one who is freaking out. "Ss, I''m not dying to fake-date you," I say, feeling embarrassed because of his reaction. If anything, I will be doing him a favor. "I''m simply trying to deal with a problem you got us into. We don''t have to do it." I shrug and take my mug back to the living room and sit down on the loveseat.

    He groans and keeps pacing back and forth, probably thinking about the whole thing.

    "Your parents will kill me if they find out, Rosie," he tells me.

    T

    "They don''t have to know." I shrug. But I don''t think they would be entirely mad about the whole thing. After all, their rtionship had the weirdest start.

    I don''t know how he expected me to react, but I''m sure that my reaction has taken him off guard. Honestly, I''m quite surprised myself. I thought I would throw a fit if something like that happened to me, but as stupid as I may seem, I find the whole thing exciting. I have alwayspared my life to the books I read and whenever I do that, I find my life very boring. Don''t get me wrong, I''m very grateful for everything I have, but I just want a little bit of... adventure. My life is very monotonous and nothing new happens, so maybe this can give me the enthusiasm I''m looking for.

    "I don''t want you to make a decision now only to regret it in the morning," he tells me. "I don''t want to lose this friendship between us." He sits on the

    d  armrest of

    of the loveseat.

    I really appreciate how he wants to maintain our friendship and how he''d rather admit to his teammates that he lied than force me to do something for him. I have always had this idea about Ss that he may be. oying as hell, but trustworthy, Lately, this idea has changed. He is no longer the annoying guy I used to avoid as much as possible. He has turned into someone I want to spend my time and watch movies with him. I love it when we go out for breakfast before our lectures. I love how he sometimes surprises me with coffee whenever we have the same break "Ss, I made up my mind, but it seems that you''re the hesitant one here. I won''t tell you again that I don''t mind doing it, because I don''t like the way you make me feel that I''m throwing myself at you." I sigh and pick up the book on the coffee table. "I''m sorry that I made you feel this way. I''m just worried about you. I don''t want you to make any decision for my sake and end up hating me for itter" Sincerity coats his voice, making my heart ache. How could I ever hate him? Even at our worst moments, I never hated him. I just couldn''t stand him.

    He sighs and takes the book away from me. Usually, I would be so mad if somebody did that, but I don''t mind when Ss does it. He seems to be the exception to a lot of rules I have. "If you want out at any moment, tell me and we will stop, okay? Promise me that," he tells me. "I promise." I smile at him.

    "How long should we keep doing this?" he asks me.

    "Three months maybe?" I suggest and he nods. "Maybe we should also let our parents think that we''re dating too, because since we''re going to be a couple, we should post pictures together on social media and they will see them."

    "Aren''t you great with nning?" He chuckles as he yfully ruffles my hair. "Books taught me a lot of things." Iugh as I move my head away.

    "I can tell." He nods. "Do you n on telling anybody that we''re fake-dating?

    Authenticator App

    B.

    18¡Á62%

    Knox already knows we''re not dating, so he will surely know that we''re fake- dating."

    "I think I may tell Sabrina and Kendall." I don''t tell him why I want to tell them. I don''t want to tell him that I want to tell them because I don''t want them to keep pestering me with ''I told you so'' since they have this belief in their head that Ss likes me. "If you can trust her, I''m sure I can too," he replies. "But do you know what''s the most exciting part about this whole thing?" I tilt my head to the side, waiting for him to tell me. "I finally get to see you wearing my jersey." The way he wiggles his eyebrows makes me burst into a fit ofughter. Maybe I''m finally getting the adventure I have been craving.

 Chapter 100

    When I was talking to Rosie about the lie I made up, I thought she was going to end whatever friendship we had. I thought I was going to lose her forever, but the way she reacted surprised the hell out of me. I couldn''t believe that she agreed to fake-date me. The joy and excitement I have inside of me should not exist because, at the end of the day, this is all nothing but an act. To her, not to me. When I look at the whole thing, I see it as an amazing opportunity that life has decided to grant me. Even if this is all nothing but pretending to her, I know that it''s not like that to me. It''s me getting the chance to imagine that she is truly mine. It''s my chance to show her that I can be good for her. I may not be the best one out there to deserve her heart, but I know that I can try to be my best for her sake. I''m willing to do anything to see her smile.

    She may have agreed out of boredom, but I will show her that I can be the one for her. I just have to do it all subtly and the thing is, my feelings are never subtle when ites to Rosie. I have always thought that I had great control over myself, but I guess I lose whatever control I think I have whenever my eyes fall on her. Ipletely lost it when I kissed her. But how was I supposed, to stop myself from doing that when she looked wless in that blue dress? How was I supposed to move away from her when holding her felt so right? I think she regrets kissing me, but that kiss is a moment I want to remember forever. She has the ability to elerate my heartbeats. I''m sure that she knows nothing about this, but she is the only girl who has ever had this effect on me. When I''m with her, I want to stop time because I don''t want her to leave. A simple smile from her makes my day a hundred times better. I take a deep breath and ring her doorbell. Today, she''s going to meet my teammates for the first time, and I have a feeling that I''m way more nervous than her. She doesn''t take long to open the door, and I forget how to breathe when I look at her. She is dressed in a short off-white skirt and a maroon long-sleeved tight top that shows the beauty of her corbones. Her hair is pulled up in a bun, disying her long neck and all I want is to kiss that sweet neck of 1/5

    hers down to those corbones.

    "Do I look okay?" she wonders, twirling around.

    "More than okay. You''re absolutely gorgeous," I say as I walk inside her apartment.

    "Thank you." Her cheeks redden as she walks by my side. She is too shortpared to me, but I love her height. "I''m just going to put on my boots, then we can go." She strolls to her bedroom, and I take a seat on one of the bar chairs. She doesn''t take long andes back within a minute in some high boots that add more to the beauty of her outfit.

    "So," I start nervously. "I don''t want to take you off guard, but since we''re going to act like a couple, expect me to kiss you or wrap my arms around you from time to time."

    "You don''t I need t to warn me, Ss. I know that this is going to happen," she assures me as she grabs her bag from the couch. "Let''s go."

    We get in my car once we reach the garage, and I drive immediately to where we will be meeting the guys.

    "Where

    are we going anyway?" she asks me. I know that we''re going to a barbecue, but I don''t know whose house we''re going to. "Well, there''s a house that the team has for those who live far away. We usually gather there every once in a while," I exin to her.

    "I''m kind of nervous," she admits, and I notice the way she''s fiddling with her finger.

    "There''s nothing to be nervous about, Rosie," I tell her and instinctively, reach for one of her hands when we stop at a red light. I thought she''d pull away, but she didn''t do it. if they don''t like me? I''m not exactly a social butterfly." She stares at me with her magnificent blue eyes. How could she think like that? It baffles me 09:37 W 09:37 Sep 18

    Wed,

    how she fails to see how amazing she is. I don''t know who managed to shake her self-confidence, but I''m going to make it my mission to make her see that she''s one of a kind.

    "You don''t have to be a social butterfly for people to like you. You''re great without even trying, so I''m going to need you to stop bringing yourself down with doubts that have no basis," I tell her. "Thank you," she says and reaches to kiss my cheek. I''m not sure if she is preparing herself to act like my girl or if this is nothing but a friendly kiss; however, I''m not going toin about that. "Only stating the truth." I smile at her and start driving once the light turns

    green.

    After a while, we arrive at the house, and I park the car. Rosie and I walk to the front door and before I get to ring the doorbell, she intertwines her hand with mine. Her hand is so soft, and I can''t help but wonder if my calloused one is hurting her.

    I don''t say anything and just ring the doorbell. I''m a bit nervous, but when I see howposed Rosie looks, my nerves instantly ease.

    "Hello there," Aaron says as he opens the door for us. "You must be Rosie." He looks at her.

    "I am. It''s nice to meet you." She smiles brightly at him and jealousy instantly fills me. I don''t want her to smile like that at anyone but me. When did I be territorial? What is she doing to me?

    We walk inside and Aaron tells us that everybody is in the backyard since they''re all having a barbecue.

    When we reach the backyard, all eyes turn to us. I know that they didn''t expect me to bring Rosie and they probably thought that I was lying, but she saved my a** and I''m forever grateful for that. I''m not just grateful because she didn''t make me a liar in their eyes, but also because she is giving me the chance to live my dream, even if it''s just for a short while.

    3

    "We''ve been waiting for you!" Knox hollers. "Hey, Rosie," he wees her.

    "Hi Knox." She waves at him.

    "When Ss told us that he was dating you, I personally thought he was lying, but since you''re here, it looks like he wasn''t," Dave says to Rosie as he approaches us.

    "We just like to keep a low profile," Rosie replies with a small smile. you his

    "We never thought that Ss would get a girlfriend," Karl tells her. I don''t want Karl to talk to her a lot. After all, he wanted to take her out. Surely, he hasn''t forgotten about what he wanted.

    Are? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    first

    Aaron t girlfriend?" wonders.

    "No, he had a girlfriend during his junior year of high school," she replies. She doesn''t know I broke up with my ex-girlfriend because of her. When my feelings started to get stronger for her, I couldn''t bring myself to be with another girl, so I broke up with her. "Let the girl breathe. She has just walked in," Aaron''s girlfriend scolds the guys as she makes her way to Rosie. "Hey, I''m Caroline." She pulls Rosie into a quick hug. Caroline has always been a hugger, and we''re all to her. She has been Aaron''s girlfriend ever since he was a sophomore and now he''s a senior.

    "Hello Caroline," Rosie greets her as she returns the hug.

    "You have to excuse them. It''s just that we''re all in disbelief. W that Ss has a girlfriend," Caroline exins to her.

    Can''t believe

    "I didn''t know you all were so interested in my love life like that." I roll my

    eyes.

    C+

    "That used to be nonexistent until a few weeks ago," Justin, the captain of the teams, teases me. "We''re starting to think that we may need to give him sses on how to treat girls to make sure that he doesn''t mess up since he hasn''t dated in a while."  GB?

    "I can assure you that he''s doing really well." Rosieughs, casually leaning against me and I instinctively wrap my arm around her shoulders.

    300

    "Don''t suffocate my girl. I don''t want her to run away," I joke as I kiss her hair.

    "So did you two start dating after the picture that was posted on the news?" Natalie, Justin''s girlfriend, wonders.

    "Not exactly. There was nothing really between us when we kissed. It all started when I moved to the same apartment building and we started seeing more of each other," Rosie replies. She easily lies and I find myself wishing that whatever she said was true. "Let''s leave the barbecue mission for the guys and let''s go inside to prepare the sd and make some fries," Caroline says and Rosie nods. She stands on her tiptoes and gives me a quick peck on the lips, before walking away with the girls.

    "You guys got the chicken breasts for her, right?" I ask them once she is back inside the house. Rosie doesn''t like eating meat at all except for hot dogs, so I made sure to send the guys some moneyst night to get some chicken breasts, so she could have more than just some hot dogs to eat.

    "This is your third time to check. Yes, we did," Knox replies.

    "We didn''t expect you to be that whipped," Dave smirks and I flip him off.

    I know I''m so whipped and the thing is, as long as it''s Rosie who has me wrapped around her fingers, I don''t really mind.

 Chapter 101

    Thu, Sep 19 G

    "I was worried you''d be a stuck-up **h to be honest," Caroline says. One thing I''ve learned about her in the past forty-five minutes is that she''s very blunt, but nice at the same time. "was worried about that too," Natalie admits, and I frown. Why would they think about that? "Why? Have you heard something about me?" I can''t help but ask.

    "Oh no, we haven''t heard anything. Knox actually told us you''re very nice and the fact that you''re the only girl that managed to win ***s''s heart says that you''re a good person. One can''t help but worry though. I mean, you''re the daughter of Emily and Julian Kensington, so we thought you''d be full of yourself," Caroline exins. But my parents are nice, so why would they think like that? I smile at her

    "I

    although I don''t totally get it. I''m kind of used to people thinking that I would be c** *** **y when they first meet me because of who I am, but it''s honestly exhausting. "Theard that you and Ss have known each other for years, Alexa, Dave''s girlfriend, Comments. She came fifteen minutes ago, and I learned that she is studying psychology.

    that

    "That''s right. We met because of our siblings. They became friends around six years ago and they''re basically why the two families know each other," I exin as I prepare the quinoa sd, something Mum taught me to make around two years ago.

    After

    a while, we take everything we prepared and ce them on the table in the backyard. To my surprise, I find chicken breasts on a separate te. "Ss reminded us three times to get chicken breasts because he knows you don''t like meat except for hot dogs and didn''t want you to be stuck with them," Knox informs me when he sees me staring at the chicken in front of me.

    "Can''t let my girl starve now, can I?" I feel Ss wrap his arm around my waist and I instantly smile. The thing is, the smile isn''t an act and neither is the way my heart is hammering inside my chest. "Thank you." I turn to face him and kiss his cheek.

    When I learned that we were going to a barbecue, I didn''t ask him to get me something special because I didn''t want to bother him. I know that the purpose of the outing is for me to meet his friends, but I still didn''t want to bother anyone with a special request

    J

    from the very first time. I felt like that would leave a not-so-good first impression.

    We all sit down once the table is ready and start to eat.

    "Since you''ve known Ss for a long time, Rosie, why don''t you tell us some embarrassing facts about him?" Dave says, earning agreements from everyone around except Ss.

    "Cupcake, I''m the one who takes you on dates, remember? You''re dating me. You should be on my side," he says, making me giggle.

    "I don''t know about that, especially since you insist on calling me cupcake," I point out, wiggling my eyebrows yfully at him.

    "You don''t like getting called cupcake?" Alexa a

    asks.

    "It''s a nickname my mum gave me a long time ago when I was a toddler because I was obsessed with cupcakes. They kept calling me with the same nickname and when Ss heard them, he decided to use it for teasing me," I exin, then turn to look at Ss with a smirk, "My sweet boyfriend here wasn''t always the sweetest?

    "Are you seriously going to out me to my friends now?" Ss feigned being hurt.

    "Your lunch is on us for five days, Rosie, if you tell us how bad he was," Karl offers, making meugh.

    "I get her lunch already, so your offer isn''t valuable to her," Ss says.

    "There''s nothing here to tell really," I tell them, wanting to put poor Ss out of his misery. "He just used to get on my nerves when we were young. He used to s**ch my books from me while I was reading or push me into the pool. Nothing major. I had myebacks though." They don''t need to know the extent of our friendship or rtionship in this fake-dating case, so I just tell them very superficial things.

    "What did you use to do?" Justin wonders.

    "She once put bleach in my shampoo," Ss replies, making othersugh.

    "You put hot sauce in my smoothie!" I exim. I had the right to take revenge.

    "Okay, you deserved it," Karl points out.

    We stay at the table for a while as we eat and chat with each other. At first, I thought that I wouldn''t have fun with them since they are a group of people whom I have never met before, except for Knox. However, they turned out to be very nice and I''m having a great time with them. They''re very friendly and I don''t feel like I''m the newest member

    214

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    IN

    who has just been introduced to them.

    "Do you guys want to watch a movie?" Aaron suggests as we all clean the table. We all agree, so we end up gathering in the living room after cleaning the table and preparing enough snacks for everybody.

    Since there isn''t enough space for everyone to sit, Ss ends up pulling me on hisp and I furiously blush. We have never done that before, but I know that it''s supposed to be something normal between couples, so I do my best to act like I''m okay with it. "Look at how red your cheeks are," Caroline teases me and I hide my face with my hands.

    "Leave her alone, Car," Ss yfully whines. "We''re still not used to acting like that around people."

    "As if you weren''t like her when we started dating," Justin reminds his girlfriend, making her roll her eyes, but her smile doesn''t escape my notice.

    I try to shift a little while we''re watching the movie, which makes Ss look at me. "Sorry I''m a bit heavy," I shyly whisper, looking down. His legs must be numb because of my weight. I try to lift myself to sit on the armrest of the recliner, but Ss gently tightens his grip around my waist. "You weigh nothing, Rosie. I lift twice your weight at the gym," he murmurs and I find myself sinking back into my original positionfortably. As we''re watching the movie, I untie my bun because it''s beginning to give me a headache. I can never keep my hair up for a long time because of how heavy my hair is, but I like how my face looks when it''s pulled away from it. "Headache?"

    Ss

    dance in my chest.

    whispers and I slowly nod, looking at him. I catch his brown eyes staring at me and I look away, suddenly feeling shy. We may have kissed before, but this is entirely different. We''re intimately close and the way he ys with my hair is making my heart I ce my head on his shoulder,pletely ignoring the movie.

    !!

    "Close your eyes for a little bit if your headache is strong, he murmurs.

    "Not strong," I say in a very quiet voice, not wanting to annoy the others.

    We stay like that for over an hour with my head on his shoulder and his hand in my air. This all is supposed to be an act, yet it doesn''t feel like that at all. This all seems so real, and I can''t help but wonder if maybe I made a huge mistake when I suggested the

 Chapter 102

    102

    "Ss,, I swear to God you don''t stop moving, I''m going to poke you with the needle," Rosie hisses in frustration. I have recently learned that there''s a whole new side of Rosie that onlyes out when she''s working and it''s her hottest side. She is so focused and doesn''t let anything snap her out of that state easily. "I''m not even moving!" I exim. She is taking my measurements again. This time I have the suite she designed on. ording to her, it''s far fromplete, but she wants to make sure that the measurements are correct before she proceeds. "Your body says otherwise," she snaps, and I roll my eyes. "Arms up!" she orders me and it takes everything in me to prevent myself fromughing. She barely reaches my shoulders, yet the bossiness in her is enough to be distributed among the whole football team. She reminds me of my coach. "All done!" She exhales as she notes down thest measurements in her notebook.

    "Can I change now?" I ask and she nods. I make my way to her bedroom and get dressed in my original clothes. I walk out of her bedroom and make my way to the living room. She is sitting on the loveseat,pletely lost in her own world.

    I know what''s wrong with her. Today, we''re going to meet our parents and will tell them that we''re dating. She hasn''t told her parents anything yet, so she is extra nervous. I''m the one who is supposed to be nervous, not her.

    I

    I''m not worried about telling Emily and Julian that I''m dating their daughter. I''m more concerned about what I will be telling them in three months. They''re going to think that I broke their girl''s heart and that is thest thing I want to do. I know that they love me and I don''t want to lose the love they have for me because of the inevitable break-up.

    to waste.

    I told Mum the truth, but Rosie doesn''t know that Mum knows. I only told her because I wanted her to help me out with turning Rosie from being my fake girlfriend to being my actual girlfriend. I''m not even sure if this is possible or not, but I have a chance that I don''t want When I took her to meet some of my teammates and their girlfriends, I loved the way she seemed to get along with them. But that wasn''t my favorite part of the day. When she sat on myp, it was so hard for me to remind myself that what we had wasn''t real. How was I supposed to convince myself of that when everything seemed so real? The way her head rested on my shoulder and how I yed with 1/5

    GBG.

    her hair made me think that we had atual chemistry.

    3

    "It''s going to be okay, overthinker," I say as I poke her arm to get her out of her thoughts.

    "This is my first time lying to them," she says, looking up at me. 30% 30%

    "Do you want us to tell them the truth?" I won''t befortable telling them that I''m fake dating their daughter, but if this is going to make herfortable, I don''t mind. I will do anything she wants. She stays silent for a few seconds before shaking her head. "No, I want to keep this between us. I don''t want them to be more protective than they already are," she decides. I feel bad about telling my mum, but I trust her opinion and I''m going to need her input if I want to keep Rosie as my girl.

    "Whatever you want." I nod and take her hand in mine and pull her up. "Let''s not keep them waiting."

    We end up taking her car this time and she drives to the restaurant where our parents are already waiting. Fortunately, we are only ten minuteste. Rosie easily spots our parents and the moment they see us, they greet us like we haven''t met in

    aw''s everything going?" Julian asks us.

    "All good," Rosie replies with a smile.

    "Made new friends?" Emily asks her.

    "Actually yeah," she says a little bit nervously. "Ss introduced me to his friends a few days ago and we all spent the day together."

    "That''s great!" Mum says with a wide smile. We all know how Rosie doesn''t getfortable around people easily, so to know that she met a group of people whom she has never met before and liked them is great news.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "So, we''re d that we''re spending time together, but we''re all wondering why you asked to see us all together," Dad says after a while.

    I look at Rosie and reach for her hand to calm down her anxiety. Emily''s frown doesn''t escape my notice. I''m not sure how they''re going to take the news, but I hope that it won''t be bad.

    215

    16:36 PM, Sep

    "Ss and I are... dating," Rosie speaks. Julian''s eyes go wide for a second and Emily ends up smirking.

    "You owe me a new Birkin," Emily tells Julian. I look at Rosie and see her as confused as me.

    "You had a bet?" Mum asks Emily as sheughs.

    "I knew it

    it wasing." She shrugs and my confusion only grows.

    "Wait a minute. Did you expect Ss and me to date?" Rosie finally asks for the two of us since I have the same question.

    "It''s been very obvious. I knew it was bound to happen," Emily says and my conflicting thoughts erupt again inside of me. So, Emily has always known that I''m in love with her daughter, hasn''t she? That''s what she means, right? My mind reminds me that my feelings may real, but whatever it is between us is not. This is enough to make guilt start gnawing at my guts. "But... you''ve never said anything about that before," Rosie says.

    be

    "Because I didn''t want your feelings to be impacted by my observation," Emily replies.

    "And you had the same thoughts too?" Rosie asks her dad.

    "Honestly, yes. Ss has always been very obvious." I nervously chuckle at Julian''s remark. I surely don''t want her father to out my feelings for her. His daughter isn''t aware of my feelings and I don''t want her to find out this way.

    "I''m very surprised that it took you a while to realize that he has feelings for you when you have read hundreds of enemies to lovers," Emily tells her daughter and I nervously gulp.

    I didn''t expect the conversation to stray towards this. I didn''t expect her parents to be observant like that. I take a look at Rosie''s face and I don''t know what to make of her facial expressions. Clearly, she is shocked, but her shock isn''t enough to tell me about the thoughts in her mind. "Enough of that. The poor girl can''t take all of that at once," Mum thankfully says, probably noticing how Rosie is absorbing all of that.

    "Don, you know how much I love your son, but I''m sorry. If he breaks my little girl''s heart, I''m going to make him regret it," Julian jokes with my dad, but anybody

    can tell that he''s not entirely joking.

    "He''s not s**d to break her heart. Not after he has finally managed to win it after years of loving her in silence." My heart s**ps a beat at my dad''s words. F**k! Has he noticed too? Was I not subtle? I only spoke to my Mum about my feelings for Rosie. Has she told him? "Has he told you he has feelings for me?" Rosie asks Dad and a lump forms in my throat. "No, honey. He hasn''t said anything to anyone. He has been keeping it all to himself," Mum saves the day.

    I don''t know what Rosie may say to me after this lunch, and I''m kind of worried. I don''t want to admit my feelings to her now. If I do, she is going to be confused. I also don''t want her to think that I intentionally acted like that with my teammates to fake-date her.

    Thankfully, for the rest of the time, nobody speaks anymore about our

    rtionship. Our parents just ask us about how we''re doing at school and Julian and Emily check with Rosie to see if that professor is still targeting her.

    I have been checking on Rosie after each ss with that professor to make sure that she''s doing well. I know her well. She is not a fighter at all and she may endure any professor''s abuse, so nobody would call her a nepo-baby. I want her to learn to ignore everything and to never allow anybody to walk over her. I''m not sure how I can do that, but I''m going to do everything in my power to make her stronger. "Take care of her, okay?" Emily says as she hugs me before we leave.

    "You don''t need to worry about that," I assure her.

    As we make our way to her car, Rosie tosses me her car keys and I look at her in confusion. "You''re not in the mood for driving?" I ask as I get in the driver''s seat.

    "No, my favorite author is going live, and I want to watch it." She smiles sheepishly

    at me.

    I chuckle as I start the car. Not only do I need an excellent n to make her fall for me, but I also need topete with her book boyfriends to win her heart. Making her notice me isn''t going to be easy, but she is worth it.

 Chapter 103

    Ever since that lunch we had with our parents, their words have been ying in my mind on repeat. I cannot seem to get whatever they said out of my head. How can I do that? All four of them basically agreed that they saw iting. They expected Ss and me to

    eventually fall in love with each other. My parents had a freaking bet on it!

    At first, I wanted to talk to Ss about that. I wanted to know what he thought about the whole thing, but I couldn''t bring myself to do it. I was and still am afraid of what he may say. What if he told me what they said if true and he had been in love with me for a long time? How would I take it? What if he told me that what they said was not true and they were just imagining things? The mere thought in my head seems hurtful. I''m not even sure which option is worse.

    Tin

    Am I in denial? Have I always had feelings for Ss, and I wasn''t even aware of them? How could that be possible? How could one have feelings for a person without knowing? This all seems absurd to me.

    I''m not even S**s''s type. Well, I don''t exactly know what his type is, but I think that if Ss wants to date, he won''t go for someone like me. I''m quiet and usually like to keep to myself, while he likes meeting new people and trying new things.

    I''m the girl I whom he used to pull her hair just to irritate her for Heaven''s sake. No way can I ever be the one he wants. My mind takes me to what Mum said about reading many enemies to lovers books and I shake my head. Novels cannot be true. I know that in the books, football yers end up falling for thepletely opposite girl, but when I think about it, Ss and I aren''tpletely different.

    We have a lot inmon. We like eating the same food, we loveedy movies and we''re from the same social circle. We both like to attend good parties from time to time, but we''re not party animals. We''re both hard workers and determined. I can easily write a long list of all the things we share. I take a deep breath, trying to push away all of these thoughts from my head. I have this paper I need to write, but my mind is elsewhere. Whenever I try to focus on what I need to write, Ss takes over my thoughts. With a lot of with of difficulty, I manage to write two paragraphs. When I''m about to start the third one, my phone rings. T

    It''s quite strange for Naomi to call me.

    "Hello Naomi, how are you?" I say, putting the phone on speaker

    "Hey, honey. I''m all

    "Of course,

    I say witho 11

    I hope you''re okay too," she tells me. "Listen, can you do me a favor?" t hesitation.

    "I don''t think Ss is okay, so I was wondering if you could check on him," she says and my heart drops. What does she mean by he''s not okay? What''s wrong with him?

    Today is is Wednesday and we usually don''t see each other on Wednesdays because of our schedule. He is supposed to be at practice now.

    "Isn''t he at practice?" I I ask, already getting up from my ce.

    "No.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    No, he''s home." Now this is worrying because Ss isn''t really the one to ski**

    "I''m going to check on him now and let you know," I assure her and hang up.

    ring

    I take my keys and his apartment key before leaving my apartment. Each of us gave the other a key to the other''s apartment in case of an emergency It takes me less than a minute to reach his door. the doorbell twice and worry ignites in my body when he doesn''t open it. I open his door with the key and walk inside trying to prevent my mind from expecting the worst.  le

    The ce is very quiet and almost dark. The only sources of light are the windows and the light of his hallway. "Ss, are you here?" I ask, walking inside and closing the door beside me. 8 95%

    My frown deepens when I''m met with silence. His living room is empty, so maybe he''s in his bedroom. I make my way to his bedroom and my heart S**ps a beat when I see him. I don''t need to turn on the lights to see him. He''s sprawled on the bed and I''m not sure if he is sleeping or unconscious.

    "Ss, can you hear me?" I say, cing my hand on his shoulder. I gently shake him and all I earn is a grown. "Ss, what''s going on? Are you all right?"

    Souk Theme clied me wondering his recheck ore "whatin, ought you hereghi can barely make out what he''s saying due to the raspiness of his voice yo

    mum called me and asked me to check on you," I exin. He heavily coughs and tries to sit up, but I shake my head. "Stay here. I''m going to make you some soup while you rest. I''m also going to run to the pharmacy first to get you some medicine." don''t have to do do that," he says between coughs. Does he really think that I''m going to leave him like that?

    "I''m not going to leave you like that, Ss," s," I say. "Stay here. I''m not going to take long." He sighs and nods, letting his body fall back into a sleeping position.

    I pull the duvet over his body and exit the room. I go to my apartment first to take some money with me and quickly change my clothes. I also make sure to call Naomi because I know how worried she is. It takes me a while to convince her not toe and luckily, she agrees. I go to the pharmacy and get him everything I believe can help.

    Before going back to his

    to his apartment, I go to mine first and take everything I will need to make the chicken soup. I''m not sure if he has anything in his fridge, but I''m not taking any chances.

    I head to his kitchen the moment I walk inside his ce and quickly. I end up making the chicken soup from scratch because I didn''t n on making him something canned. After finishing, I set the food on the coffee table and walk to his bedroom to wake up him. "Ss, I know you''re tired, but I need you to get out of bed, okay," I say as I gently y with his hair. He shifts in his sleep before opening his eyes. "Do you think you can get up?" I ask.

    He nods and removes the duvet. I move away, giving him the chance to get out of bed. He sits on the bed for a moment, and I reach for his hands.

    "I think you''re thrice my size, but let me try to help you stand up, I say with a smile, making him chuckle, but soon, his chuckle turns into a coughing fit. "You''re breaking my heart," I mumble as I rub circles around his back. I have known Ss for years, but this is my first time seeing hims sick. "I''m s sorry." He sighed as he stood up.

    What is he exactly apologizing for? There''s nothing he should apologize for. "I''m surely hoping that you''re not saying sorry because you''re sick."

    "I don''t like bothering you," he tells me as we both walk to the living room. He sits on the couch and eyes the soup with a smile. What''s so special about my soup? It''s a simple recipe. Ever since I was young. Mum would always make me soup whenever I would get sick. It usually helps with my sore throat, and it doesn''t take a genius to realize that he has a sore throat

    "Please finish the whole bowl, yeah? It''s going to help with your throat, I tell him as I pick the bowl up and hand it to him.

    "You''re exploiting how I cannot say no to you, right?" He smirks and I give him a mischievous smile. "Aren''t you going to cal too? I don''t want to eat alone," he tells me  le

    I 0 95%

    "I''m going to get myself a bowl." I head to the kitchen and serve myself, then go back to the couch. I know I''m not going to get back to my apartment anytime soon because I''m not going to leave him on his own while he''s that sick, so I make myselffortable beside him. After a little while, Ss finally finishes his bowl. I hand him the ss of water and give him the pills he''s supposed to take. "If you want to go back to sleep, you don''t need to worry about me. I''m staying here for the night." "You''re staying?" He seems surprised.

    "Do you actually think I''m going to leave you on your own?" I question him.

    "You probably have a lot on your te, Rosie. I don''t want to be another burden you feel obliged to shoulder." I''m not sure why he thinks like that, but taking care of him isn''t a burden to me. It''s something I want to do. I can''t bring myself to leave him on his own. It doesn''t feel right at all. I know that if I leave, I''m going to keep thinking about him. "You''re not a burden, you idiot. I want to take care of you." And I don''t know why I want to do that and luckily, he doesn''t ask.

    "I don''t want to stay in bed anymore. I have been in bed since yesterday," he mutters, rubbing his face. "I think I''m going to take a shower. Maybe it will freshen me up."

    of

    He gets up-from his ce and I watch as he disappears in the hallway. I open his Netflix ount and choose something to watch. Somehow, spending the night here doesn''t bother me. However, what I cannot stop thinking about is the type rtionship I have with Ss.

 Chapter 104

    45

    "Hey, Everest." I hear Rosie''s voice and Ie to a halt. "Yeah, we can still meet today. Three is good." Why does she need to meet him? Something about this guy sets me off. I have a strong feeling that he doesn''t see her as a friend, and this is thest thing I want. It''s already hard trying to win her heart, so I don''t needpetition. I woke up about half an hour ago. Well, we both woke up at the same time and I think this is the best sleep I have ever had. I did fall asleep on my couch before, but I have never fallen asleep with my head on Rosie''sp with her hand in my hair. I feel bad because the poor position, yet she didn''t evenin. Why does she have to be so good like that? Mum shouldn''t have called her." She ended up missing her lectures today and when I asked her about that once we woke up, she brushed it off and told me not to worry about it. I don''t want her to miss any important lectures because of me.

    girl fell a I asleep in the most t ufortable

    I make my way to the kitchen and find her already making breakfast for the two of us. I already feel so much betterpared to how I was yesterday but knowing that she is going to spend some time with Everest today doesn''t make me feel good at all. If anything, I''m incredibly nervous. What if she falls for him? How am I supposed to ept seeing her with somebody else?

    !

    "Are you feeling all right?" she asks with a beautiful smile on her face.

    "All thanks to you." I kiss her cheek and the way she blushes doesn''t escape my notice. "I''m really sorry that I made you miss your lectures. I didn''t mean to do that."

    "It''s okay. Sabrina and Everest will give me their notes. I trust them," she assures me.

    "I uh... I heard you talking on the phone. Are you meeting Everest today?" I try to sound casual, but I have a strong feeling that I don''t sound casual at all.

    "Yeah, we''ve got a project we''re working on together," she replies, taking a seat beside me.

    Where are you guys meeting?" I wonder. Maybe I do sound casual.

    Busted.

    She has a smile that depicts confusion.

    "Just asking." I shrug, trying not to meet her gaze. How do I exin my nosiness to her? She''s never going to understand. "Maybe after he leaves we can go out and have dinner together." We eat together almost five days per week now and I love this routine. I sincerely hope that she''s not getting bored of it. "Okay, you cane around five. We will be at the caf¨¦ around the corner," she tells me and I nod.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    If I had the choice, I wouldn''t even let her go alone, but I don''t want to be overbearing. I don''t want her to think that I''m suffocating her.

    "I gotta go now, but I will see youter." She hops off her seat and wraps her arms around me, giving me a chance to inhale her sweet scent. "I''m d you''re okay."

    "All thanks to you, cupcake" She shakes her head but smiles. She has probably given up and now knows that I''m not going to stop calling her cupcake.

    "See youter." She kisses my cheek before making her way to the door. When she shut it behind her, I bring my fingers to the spot she has just kissed and I smile like the idiot I am.

    Rosie isn''t aware of the effect she has on me and I wonder how long it should take her to notice that I really love her.

    I decide to call my mum to assure her that I''m okay. At first, I didn''t like that Mum called her because I really didn''t want to cause Rosie any trouble, but I''m honestly thankful for that call too. I got to spend the night with Rosie, which is a dream that came true.

    "I wanted toe over, but she told me not to," Mum says over the phone.

    "She made me soup and got me medicine. She took great care of me," I assure her.

    De

    you

    I think that maybe she''s starting to like you?" Mum asks and I sigh. I don''t want to indulge myself in fantasies, so I try not to think about that. It''s a question I don''t have an answer to because I don''t know if I''m ever going to figure out how she

    sees me.

    "I don''t know. All I can tell you is that we''re having a good time together," I tell her the truth.

    I

    I stay on the phone with her for another fifteen minutes before I hang up. I take my medicine then I decide to work on one of my assignments for a while. I take longer than usual because of how I keep coughing. After a while, I decide to take a shower and get ready for my dinner with Rosie. I put on a he from the cold weather. sweater to protect myself Since I have I have an hour to spare, I head to the bookstore close to the apartment because I want to buy Rosie a couple of books. I wonder what her reaction will be upon seeing the books. Does she even like it when people buy her books? I hope for the best and ask the shop assistant to guide me to the newly released romantic novels. I spend almost thirty minutes, trying to guess which ones she will like most. I end up getting her five books even though my original n was to books I think she will enjoy.

    After paying, I head over to the caf¨¦ which is a ten-minute walk from the bookstore. For the past few hours, my nerves have been all over the ce because Rosie is with Everest. I don''t like it when they meet after ss or outside the campus, tell her not to meet him. He is Rosie told me that they had a project together. Even if they don''t have that project, I can''t in

    get her two, but I don''t know which ones she will prefer, so I just end up getting her the fir

    her friend after all.

    but

    but

    At exactly five, I walk inside the caf¨¦ and easily spot Rosie. Everest is still there. It''s not my first time to see him, but whenever I do, my mood instantly shifts to the worse. I frown when I see him reaching for her hair. Why would he touch her hair? She doesn''t even like it when people touch her hair. I tighten my fist when he tucks a strand beside her ear. My eyes dart to her face and I can tell that she''s notfortable.

    The two of them get up from their ce and when they hug, my frown deepens, especially when I notice how tightly he is hugging her and the way his hand moves to the small of her back. He even dares to kiss her cheek.

    I walk over to them and Rosie is the first to notice me. She beams the moment she sees me and I instantly give her a kiss on the lips the moment she moves towards me. I want Everest to understand that she is mine. He doesn''t need to know that she is actually mine. "How was studying, sweetheart?" I ask her, keeping my arm wrapped around her waist. I like how she keeps her body pressed

    to mine.

    "Quite exhausting," she mumbles.

    "I gotta go now. It was nice seeing you, Ss," Everest says and I finally look at him.

    "Nice seeing you too, Everest. But it wasn''t nice seeing you get touchy with my girlfriend," I say. I immediately feel the way Rosie tenses and I wonder if I should have dropped it.

    "It was a friendly hug," Everest says.

    "That included rubbing her back and keeping your hand on the small of her back? Didn''t look friendly to me, Everest," I pointed out.

    "Nothing happened, Ss. We''re just friends," Rosie tells me in that soft voice of hers.

    "Oh cupcake, I know you didn''t do anything. You were friendly, Everest wasn''t," I assure her.

    "Sorry if you got the wrong idea, but Rosie is just my friend. I will see youter, Rosie." I watch as he walks away. Something about this guy doesn''t seem right and all I want is to keep Rosie away from him; however, I don''t know if Rosie is going to ept that or not.

    idental

    Wife

    The idental Wife

 Chapter 105

    3

    I''m furious. I don''t understand why Ss acted that way with Everest. He was being territorial and I didn''t like that. Everest is my friend and I don''t like the way Ss treated him. I admit that Everest may be a little bit touchy, but he was just being friendly. This is how he usually is with me. "You shouldn''t have acted like that," I tell Ss with a frown as we walk out of the caf¨¦. "Everest is my friend and you shouldn''t have treated him that way." "Friends don''t act like that Rosie," he argues. His face shows the anger he''s doing his best to conceal.

    "We act like that Ss and we''re friends," I remind him. Why is he giving himself the right to act that way, but expects Everest to act differently? Doesn''t he see the way we hug and how we kiss each other on the cheeks?

    "Are you actuallyparing our friendship to your friendship with him?" Disbelief is obvious on his face and I can''t help but wonder if he''s right. "We have been friends for six years, Rosie! You have known him for less than six months and he''s acting like that!" "You''re acting like our friendship has been long," I scoff. Maybe I''m taking it too far. Why am I acting like this? My friendship with Everest is fairly new, but I still don''t like how nosy Ss is being. He doesn''t have the right to act like that. He is just my friend! A friend who used to do nothing but infuriate me!

    "What do you mean?" He frowns in confusion.

    "Nothing," I mumble, not wanting to escte the situation.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "No, Rosie. I want to know," he presses and I sigh.

    "Drop it, Ss." I avoid his gaze.

    "No, I''m not going to drop it," he says.

    "We''ve been friends since July or August, Ss. Before that, all that you cared about was getting on my nerves! Our situation isn''t that different from my friendship with Everest. And we''ve only gotten closer because of the fake-dating thing." The way his face falls makes me realize how much of an a* I a**ike it. He doesn''t have the right to choose my friends.

    "I''m sorry for overstepping, Rosie," he says and takes a step away from me. Something about that breaks my heart a little. What the hell is wrong with me and why am I doing this to him?

    "Maybe we shouldn''t have dinner together today," I mumble. I don''t want him to feel forced to spend time with me when we have just had a fight.

    "As you like." He nods. No, I don''t want him to agree with me. This isn''t the Ss I''m used to, "I got you this." He hands me a bag before I even get to react then walks away.

    I watch him as he leaves and I debate going after him. Hurting Ss isn''t something I''m fond of, but when I felt like he crossed a line, I couldn''t help it.

    I sigh and walk to the nearest pi**a to get myself something to eat since I''m not in the mood for cooking. After I ce my order, I sit at one of the tables and look inside the bag.

    My heart sinks in my stomach when I realize what he has gotten me. Five books. Five newly released books that I don''t own. My eyes

    brim with tears as I eye the books and I suddenly feel awful because of the way I treated him.

    0 84%

    I have noticed the way Ss has been acting with me and I keep wondering if Ss maybe likes me in a way more than friends like each other. I don''t want to entertain those thoughts because I''m scared that they may be nothing but imagination.

    5

    I sometimes find myself drawn to Ss in a special way. I find myself thinking about him and the way he treats me. He treats me so well. No guy has ever treated me like that. Whenever we''re together, it''s hard to get bored. I cannot bring myself to forget the way he massaged my scalp when I told him I had a headache when we were watching a movie with his friends.

    If he has feelings for me, I want him to tell me. Perhaps I can then excuse the way he sees Everest. I don''t know how to deal with mixed signals. I want him to be clear with me.

    Everest knows that Ss and I are dating and I told him nothing about it being fake, but I know that our rtionship is fake, so I don''t know why Ss acts like it''s real. If he acted the way he did because he was just ying the boyfriend role to sell our lie to the people, he would have told me. He didn''t attribute his actions to our fake rtionship. Maybe I would have justified his actions if he had done that.

    Ss wasn''t acting. He was simply being himself. He seemed very... jealous as if we were a real couple.

    We have known each other for years and I don''t know if something has blossomed between us. I don''t know if Kendall and Sabrina are right. Am I more than just a close friend to Ss?

    Is he scared of making a move? Is it because he doesn''t know how I feel? Well, I''m not sure how I feel too, but all I know is that I don''t hate him. Even at our worst, I have never hated him. If anything, I think I''m starting to feel something for him.

    So many thoughts are running through my head and all I want to do is call him and let him exin why he acted the way he did. As I''m waiting for the pizza, lost in my own thoughts, a loud explosion erupts in the ce that causes everything to shake, including my body.

 Chapter 106

    *

    Grey smoke takes over the ce for a while, but I don''t know for how long. I look around me after I find enough courage in me to open my eyes and I realize that I''m under the table. I don''t know when exactly I decided to hide under the table, but as I look around I find shards of ss everywhere. The ce was neat and nice less than a minute ago, but now it''s a pure mess.

    My legs are shaking. No, my whole body is shaking. I force myself to stand up after Ie out from under the table and I end up cutting my left palm with the broken ss on

    my bag off the ground as I rush out of the ce with the ground. My heart is pounding and I find it hard to breathe. I snatch other people.

    My eyes widen when I notice somebody unconscious with blood over them. I don''t know if they are dead or not. Somebody gives me a hard push and I stumble, but manage to regain my bnce and make it out of the p** "Miss, are you okay?" Somebody asks me. I don''t know how to answer them. "Miss, you''re bleeding."

    Am I? Why don''t I feel anything?

    Come on, let''s

    wounds. .me.

    et''s clean your wound I think it''s a small one." This is a paramedic. I finally manage to focus on who is talking to She takes me to the nearest ambnce and starts working on my

    "Wha''s your name?" she asks as she deals with my wounds carefully.

    "Rosie." I''m not sure if she hears me or not, I know my voice is very low, but I can''t find it in me to raise t

    anybody you'' you''d like me to call call. Rosie?" "she asks me. Who would I want to call? Should I call my parents? They''re my emergency contact numbers.

    "S-Ss," I stutter, looking at her. "I don''t know h-his number."

    "Is your phone in your bag?" she asks and I frown. My bag? Oh, I have it. When did I grab it?

    I look through the bag and find my phone. With shaky hands, I unlock my phone and call him. I''m not sure if he''s going to pick up or not. We have just had a fight. "Rosie! Are you safe? I was just about to call you. I heard about the explosion. You''re safe, right?" His voice is rushed and I''m not sure if I hear everything he says. "..." I look at the paramedic, then look down "I w-was there."

    "What? Rosie, where are you now? Are you hurt? Tell me where you are. I''ming." Anxiousness suddenly fills his voice and I feel bad for making him feel that way. "Would

    you like me to talk to him?" the paramedic gently asks and I slowly nod, handing her the phone.

    "Hello, this is Ang, the paramedic who''s treating Rosie. She has minor wounds... I promise she''s okay... She''s about to be transferred to the hospital to double-check that she''s okay and doesn''t suffer from a concussion. You cane to the hospital if you want... San Jose hospital." She hands me the phone and when I check the screen I see that he hasn''t hung up yet. ... I''m s-sorry," I whimper.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    I don''t want you to think about anything right now, yeah Can you do that for me?" His voice is sweet and soothing. "Pleasee," I beg him as tears form in my eyes.

    "Of course, I''ming, cupcake. Do you think I''m going to leave you on your own when you''re hurt?" I say nothing and just look down. "You still there, honey?"

    yes."

    "I''m in

    in my car, Rosie. I''ming for you, okay? I''m going to hang up now," he tells me.

    "Okay."

    The paramedic helps me get inside the ambnce along with two other patients with minor injuries. When we arrive at the hospital, somebody ushers me to one of the empty beds in the emergency room. "All right, can you tell me your name?" the doctor asks me.

    "Rosalie Kensington, but people call me Rosie," I quietly answer.

    Osie, how c

    old are

    you?

    18, "I reply, looking up at him.

    "Rosie,

    I need you to follow my finger. Do you remember what happened?"

    "I was at this pi**ria and suddenly an explosion happened," I reply, following his finger with my eyes.

    "Rosie, you have a mild concussion, which isn''t worrying, but we''re going to run a CT scan to make sure that nothing else is wrong with you," he tells me and I slightly nod.

    I notice as Ss walks into the emergency room and the moment he spots me, he rushes towards me. "Oh thank God you''re okay," he whispers, hugging me. I immediately hold onto him with all the strength I had in me. I don''t want him to let go. "Let me look at your face." He gently cups it. "You''re all right. Just a small wound on your temple."

    "I''m sorry." Tears well in my eyes as I stare at him. "I didn''t mean to lose the books. They were on the table in front of me and when the explosion happened, I got carried away and I-" I ramble, but Ss stops me.

    "Rosie, with all my respect to your love for books, but seriously, f**k them. I don''t care about them." This makes meugh "You''re my priority, not some ink on paper that can easily be reced."

    "You can rece me with a new friend," I mumble, wiping away my tears.

    No, Rosie." He shakes his head. "Neither can I nor do I want to rece you." I find myself leaning against his body and he wraps his arms around me so protectively. He stays with me until the CT scan is done and they clear me.

    "Are you hungry?" he asks me as we walk inside my apartment.

    just I say, then I turn to face him. "Do you... do think stay with me until I fall asleep? You don''t to the or but just until I sleep. I I rather quickly."

    "You don''t have to give me reasons to convince me, Rosie. If you want me to stay with you, will stay," he tells me. Why does he have to be so good to me? He doesn''t even treat me differently because of our fight, it''s like nothing has happened, which makes me feel

    You

    worse.

    "I''m sorry for how I treated you in the morning." I haven''t apologized before, have I?

    "There''s nothing you need to apologize for, Rosie. You were right. I crossed your boundaries and interfered when 1 shouldn''t have done that. I''m sorry about that." My mouth parts a little at his words. I don''t have the energy in me to discuss this with him, but there''s something about his words that makes me want to cry. I feel like he''s indirectly telling me that he Tue, Sep 24

    is pulling himself away from my life and I don''t want that.

    "I shouldn''t have talked to you like that and... I wasn''t being fair to you," I try again.

    1&2 84%

    "Rosie, it''s fine." He gives me a what''s supposed to be a reassuring smile that doesn''t reassure me at all. "Listen, it''s been a long day for you. Go get some sleep and if you want to talk, we can do itter."

    I want to talk, but I can tell that he doesn''t want to talk, so I just nod. However, I still reach for him and wrap my arms around his body, not sure if he''s going to reciprocate. Thankfully, I feel his hands on my back, and I take in a shaky breath.

    "Goodnight, Rosie." He kisses my head. "I promise I''m going to stay until you fall asleep." I know that he''s not going to break this promise. He doesn''t break promises, but I have a strong feeling that I ended up breaking something between us.

 Chapter 107

    107

    I''m not an idiot. Ss hasn''t been the same with me. It''s been a week since the fight and the explosion that turned out to be because of a gas leak. Ss checked on me for two days after what happened, then he didn''t call again. Not even once. I asked him numerous times if he wanted to get breakfast, lunch, or dinner with me and he always had excuses. We don''t even get coffee anymore. It''s like he''s avoiding me like the gue. I cannot take this anymore and I want him to talk to him. I want him to get whatever is bothering him out of his system.

    "If you really want to talk to him, I think you should make an ambush." I frown at Sabrina''s suggestion. How am I supposed to ambush him? Do I even want to do that? It doesn''t seem right. Shouldn''t I respect his wish if he doesn''t want to talk to me? "What if he doesn''t want to talk, Rina? What am I supposed to do?" I sigh, pulling the pillow close to me.

    "Give it onest try, Rosie. You need to talk to him to put yourself out of your misery," she tells me, but I shake my head.

    "I was at fault. You didn''t see the way I talked to him or how his face fell." I just wish I could turn back time.

    "We all make mistakes. You apologized and if he doesn''t want to forgive you, then that''s on him, not you." She rubs "But Rosie, does that mean that he is more than just a friend to you?"

    my

    arm.

    I have been asking myself the same question and even though I have been trying to avoid answering it, I think I can now admit that Ss is more than just a friend to me. I think I''m starting to see him differently.

    "He is more than a friend." My eyes water as I say these words out loud for the first time.

    "Come here," Sabrina mumbles as she pulls me into a hug. We were supposed to be studying, but what we''re now doing is far from that. "For what it''s worth, I think he has the same feelings for you. I don''t think Ss sees you as a friend and maybe) that''s what hurt him the most." Could this be true? Does Ss see me as more than a friend?

    "But !..." I don''t even know what I want to say. To be precise, I don''t know how to articte what I want to say. "I have never thought that he has feelings for me." I frown, looking at her.

    "Rosie, you''re really smart and a talented designer, but I think when ites to Ss, your IQ drops to the deepest point of the ocean," she says, shaking her head. "Do you remember when you went to meet your parents and his parents and they all said that they expected you two to end up together?" she reminds me and I slowly nod. "Do you think that they''re all wrong? I want you to try to remember the way Ss reacted. Was it normal?"

    I think about it for a while, attempting to remember the way he acted. Ss became very nervous when they started mentioning how they knew we would end up together. If I remember correctly, Naomi was the one who tried to help him

    out.

    Oh my God... Have I been blind?

    "I don''t know how to talk to him," I tell her, looking down. "I don''t even know what I''m supposed to tell him. I can''t just directly ask him if he likes me."

    "Don''t do that. Just try to get him to talk about what happened. Try to understand from him why he reacted that way," she tells me. This is a huge step and if Ss ends up admitting his feelings for me, I know that there will be no going back. I will tell him that I have feelings for him too and we will probably start dating. This idea is so scary because I have never liked the idea of dating friends. What if it doesn''t work? How are we going to act then?

    IP

    83% 83%

    "Rosie, you''re overthinking." Sabrina takes me out of my thoughts. "It''s better to try.

    my thoughts. "It''s better to try. This way, you won''t ever me yourself for not trying."

    She is right. I need to give this a go even if I''m petrified of the oue.

    "Message him." She hands me my phone. I take my phone from her and send him a text. I don''t think we''ve reached the stage where he starts ignoring me.

    If we had reached that stage, he wouldn''t have picked up when I called him after the explosion. When I called him that day, it didn''t even cross my mind that he might not pick up. He was the first person who came to my mind when the paramedic asked me if I wanted to call anyone.

    I finish practice at eight today. I cane over once I''m done.'' He replies and I sigh in relief. There are still four hours left.

    ''Are you going to have dinner with me?'' I ask him.

    ''If you want to.

    ''I will get us Mexican food.'' I know that he loves Mexican food.

    "Maybe we can continue studying for three more hours or something," Sabrina suggests after I show her the messages.

    We fail to keep studying for three hours and end up closing our textbooks after two hours and Sabrina leaves, saying that I need to think about everything on my own. I decide to read for a while after I make an order. I don''t know what I''m going to exactly say to him, but I know that we need to talk. I know that I can''t keep things like that between us. I don''t want to lose him.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    At eighty-thirty, my doorbell rings. I try not to seem eager as I open the door for Ss. I''m used to Ss hugging me once he sees me, but this time he doesn''t hug me. He just smiles and says a simple ''hi. This breaks my heart because this is not us. We don''t act like that. "Food is I is here," I say, trying to seem okay, even though I was far from feeling okay. "You must be starving, right? I bet you always feel like that after practice." I try to strike up a conversation. "Yeah, I''m very hungry," he says, taking a seat. "Are you doing okay?" he asks me.

    "Yes." I nod.

    "Your wound is healing," he says, taking a look at my temple where you can barely see the wound now.

    "It doesn''t hurt anymore," I tell him as I take a seat beside him. "I want to talk to you about something."

    "I also want to talk to you," he says. "If you don''t mind. I want to go first." Why am I suddenly more worried?

    "Okay, but maybe we should eat first," I suggest, and he agrees.

    The two of us chat about college as we eat to avoid making the atmosphere awkward. I''m not sure what Ss ns on telling me and as always, I''m expecting something bad.

    "So, what do you want to talk about?" I ask him after we finish eating.

    "Well... I just want to say that I have been acting childishly," he starts. "I shouldn''t have ignored you like that. That was pretty immature of me." Hope fills my heart when he says that because all that I can think about is that his words mean that we can move forward. "I was ignoring you because I didn''t want to talk to you, but I needed to do that to be able to understand how we can act around one another." 09:00

    How we can act around one another? We should act

    "Is there anything wrong with the way we act?" I ask, de

    same! Nothing should change.

    to know more about what''s going on in his mind.

    "Not exactly wrong, but we kind of removed whatev

    boundaries that once existed." I gulp at his words. "When we removed those boundaries, I guess I got carried away and I gave theself rights that were never mine from the very start."

    I can feel where this is going, and I don''t like it at all.

    "Ss, you didn''t do any of that. I just didn''t like you telling me what to do and what not to do with my friend," I try to exin my point of view.

    "And that''s what I mean. When I did that, I vited your right to decide how to act around your friends."

    "I don''t understand how you want us to treat each other no

 Chapter 108

    108

    To say that I was nervous would be a huge understatement. Julian asked to meet me yesterday and I cannot help but keep wondering why he wants to do that. Well, he now knows that I''m his daughter''s boyfriend, so this is probably the reason; however, that is enough to make my anxiety spike. It''s been three days since my talk with Rosie and I thought things would be clearer between us, but it turns out that my misery has intensified. I don''t just like Rosie, I''m starting to think that I actually love her. But what am I supposed to do when she doesn''t see me the way I see her? I thought about it for a while, and I reached a painful conclusion. I have to stay away from her. I need to keep my distance to avoid heartbreak. I need to I to convince myself that Rosie is going to be mine. I should understand that she can never be more than just a friend. I forgot my ce when Imented about her friendship with Everest and maybe I needed her reminder even if it was a harsh one. I wish we could stop the whole fake-dating thing to put myself out of my misery, but I''m not sure if I have this kind of strength in me to just walk away from her now. I need some time with her even if we''re just pretending.

    any

    I have never had a problem with talking to Julian, but it doesn''t take a genius to figure out that this time is going to be different, especially since he asked me not to mention anything to Rosie. This is my first time to have a one-to-one meeting with him.

    I

    I walk inside the restaurant, making sure to arrive early, but to my surprise, I find him sitting inside. Once he sees me, he ends his phone call and smiles. I take a deep breath and let my legs take me over to him. My heart is loudly thumping in my chest, and I silently pray that my face doesn''t show how tense I am. "How''s it going?" he asks once I sit down.

    "All good. Busy with practice and assignments, but I''m managing," I reply. "What about you? How''s work?" Work is work. I''m used to it," he replies. "Do you n oning with Rosie to Holden''s ser game?" go with her with her

    toe. I can''t say no to him." Just like how I can''t say no to Rosie. She asked me to "He called me and asked before I received Holden''s call and what Rosie wants Rosie gets.

    How

    is it it going with Rosie?" he asks and my stomach twists. I should not feel like that. Or maybe I should. What am I supposed to tell him? Should I tell him how I thought things were going great at first, but then everything went downhill?

    "Everything is going great," I answer with a smile and I hope that he doesn''t see through my lies. Everything is truly great. At one moment, what we had almost felt real. We fell into a pattern that I was madly in love with. I loved how we had our meals together. I used to take my textbooks to her ce to study with each other even though our majors arepletely different. We had even cooked together more than once and I just loved how she bossed me around the kitchen.

    "You finally got what you wanted. I know that you''ve always liked her," Julian points out and I nervously chuckle. How I wish that was true. I wish I got what I wanted.

    "I still can''t believe it," say, rubbing the back of my neck.

    "So.... How did you manage to make her see that you like her?" I want to correct him and tell him that I don''t just like her. I, in fact, love her. This, however, should not be my main focus. I wish I had an answer to that question, but the truth is, I don''t. I don''t know how to make her like me. I don''t know how to convince her to be mine. If anything, I have given up on that.

    "I stopped pranking and irritating her. I... I paid attention whenever she talked." I shift ufortably in my seat not knowing what I''m supposed to say.

    "Go on," he says. Something about the look in his eyes makes me want to sh**t my pants.

    "It''s... It''s not real," I blurt-and mentally p myself.

    To my surprise, Julianughs as he ps his hands together. I don''t understand his reaction. Shouldn''t he punch me or something?

    "I knew it wasn''t real," he says, and my eyes go wide. "Now, why don''t you tell me the truth?" And I did. I told him everything about what happened in the locker room and how Rosie took the whole thing. As I''m talking, I feel like I''m betraying Rosie because she didn''t want her parents to know, yet here I am, telling her father everything. "How did you know?" I wonder.

    "My marriage with Emily started as an arranged marriage and the whole world knows about it, Ss. We faked being a real couple in front of everyone for a while, so I know how to spot fake ones," he casually answers. "But I have to say, I almost believed you at first until I saw your face when we talked about how you''ve had feelings for her for a while."

    Was I that bad at schooling my face during that lunch?

    "I didn''t want her to find out that way," I admit, looking down.

    "Listen,

    I know that you''ve always liked my daughter and frankly, I don''t mind if she ends up with you, because something about you makes me trust you." Have I just gotten Julian''s approval? "But if you break her heart, I will break your neck." "Fine by me." I could never do that to her. I cannot break her heart. Not when I want to win it. Not that I have a chance now

    anyway.

    "Do you think this whole acting thing would bring you closer?" Julian asks me.

    "Not really." I look down. "Things haven''t been the same between us."

    "What do you mean?" A crease forms between his eyebrows.

    end I up telling him everything, hoping he can help me out. I''m desperate and I don''t know what to do.

    ime you

    "I think the first thing you need to do is to observe the way she acts around you after the decision you made. See if she still wants to get closer to you or not. If she makes an effort to talk to you or spend time with you, this means that she likes you! If she keeps her distance, then you''re both simply not meant to be." What he says is absolutely right, yet his words manage to instill fear in me. Am I ready to see her doing what I asked her to do? "I won Emily back even when I gave her every single reason to hate me. I think you can do it "But Emily loved you before, so it was easier for you to get her back," I tell him, but he shakes his head.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    100.

    too."

    "She was engaged when she came back. All odds were not in my favor, but I was lucky. God saw me worthy enough of another chance," he replies. "I may not be a fan of the whole fake-dating thing, but I think it can bring you two closer if you make use of it wisely. However, don''t ever force her to do something she doesn''t want."

    "I can never do that to her. Rosie will always have a choice," I assure him. Even if her choice will cause me heartbreak, H would rather break my own heart than force her or trick her into doing something. I can never manipte her. If her feelings aren''t genuine, I don''t want them. I don''t want to build my rtionship with her on a lie,

    "I think you''re smart enough to be able to win her heart." His words give me a push I truly need.

    "Can I ask you for a favor?" I ask him and he nods. "Please don''t tell Emily anything. Rosie already told me not to tell you anything and now that you know, I feel like I have betrayed her trust."

    "I won''t tell her only because she is very happy that you two are dating." Julian says. He loves his wife so much to burst the bubble of joy she is living in.

    When I first told him that Rosie didn''t want him and Emily to know, he seemed hurt. Julian isn''t used to his daughter keeping anything from him, so it hurt him to find out that she wanted to keep something like that from him. I did my best

    to exin to him that she only did that because she wanted a little bit of an adventure, and it would never be easy for her to exin to her parents that she was in a fake rtionship.

    "I have to go. I have an important meeting," Julian says, standing up. "Take care of her." Nobody needs to tell me to take care of Rosie because no matter what, I will always take care of her, but I nod anyway.

 Chapter 109

    "Thank you foring to the game," I tell Ss as we both sit beside each other on the bench. It''s Holden''s game tonight and my little brother seems really excited.

    I thought Ss wouldn''te after what happened, but he surprised me when I found him texting me one day before the game, asking me when he was supposed to be there. this," "he says, handing me a cup of hot chocte. "It''s a cold night and I know you get cold easily."

    "1 got

    you

    I hate how thoughtful he is. It makes me wonder how I''m supposed to keep my distance when he is like that. He has bought beverages for each one of my family. "Thank you." I smile at him and take the cup from him.

    He hands Mum, Dad and Lily their cups and I watch him as he waves to Holden whose face lights up upon noticing Ss. Aniyah was supposed toe with him, but since she was sick, Naomi didn''t let here.

    "I really hope his team wins. He''s going to be devastated if they lose," I say, attempting to make a conversation. I don''t want him to ignore me. It''s not like he''s ignoring me, but I just want to make sure that we always have something to talk about. I want to make the best out of the forty-seven days we have left. Yes, I''m counting.

    "I hope he wins too, but even if he loses, I''m going to do my best to cheer him up," he tells me.

    "I remember how upset you were when you lost an important game before." I look at him. "I think you take losses now better than the past."

    you

    wonder if "I do take them better, but that doesn''t mean that they don''t hurt. Losses hurt no matter what and they make your hard work was never enough. But they are important because they make you appreciate the moments of victory." Why do I have a feeling that he''s not talking about sports anymore?

    "I do agree that losses in general are pretty painful." I don''t look at him as I talk, not wanting to meet his gaze. I want him to know that I don''t want to lose him. I''m scared of losing whatever we have.

    Luckily, my brother''s team wins and he gets to go home with a huge smile on his face. But before going home, Dad takes us to Holden''s favorite restaurant to celebrate his victory.

    We have a good time together and after a while, Ss and I get ready to make our way back home since we have lectures tomorrow. We already came together on Friday and he took me to my parents'' ce before going to his ce.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Call me once you arrive, yeah?" Mum says as she hugs me.

    "Okay," "I tell her, hugging her bac

    "Call me if you need anything or just call."

    "I call you at least four times a week, Dad." Iugh as we hug each other.

    After they hug Ss too, the two of us head to his car. He opens the door for me and my heart flutters at the small gesture. Even if we''re not on our best terms, he is still a gentleman with me.

    "Do you want to go somewhere before we go home?" he asks. His question makes it seem like we live together and something inside of me shifts at the mere thought. Technically, we live in the same building, so in some way, we live together. "Well, I know it''s cold, but I''m in the mood for ice cream," I tell him. Is it wrong of me that I''m trying to spend more time with him? I don''t want to go home because I know that once we reach the building, we will barely talk  BGG

    98%1 +5

    "Any specific ce in mind?" he asks, and I shake my head, already happy that he''s going to take me to get ice cream. "I know this ce. I think you''ll like it." How do I tell him that I don''t care about ice cream, and I only suggested that to spend time with him? I want him to know that I miss his hugs and the way he used to kiss my forehead.

    He parks his car in front of a ce that seems cozy. I walk with him to the door and my heart sinks when he doesn''t reach for my hand like he used to. It''s all my fault and I have no one else to me but myself, yet it still hurts.

    "What do you want to get?" he asks me as we stand in front of the ice cream disy case. I eye the avable vors and choose pistachio. "Just one scoop? Don''t you want something else?"

    "One is is enough. Thank you." "I hate how formal we are with each other.

    He orders pistachio for me and chocte chip for himself. We sit on the red stools ced in one of the corners of the shop.

    "It''s really good. How did you find this ce?" I wonder as I lick my ice cream.

    "Aniyah saw their Instagram page once and wanted to try them, so I took her," he replies. I nod, not knowing what else I can say. "There''s another gathering at the team''s house before Christmas. Do you want to join us?"

    "Of course!" Did I sound eager? I''m eager to spend more time with him and while part of me wants him to notice, the other part doesn''t want me to seem desperate.

    "By the way, I got you somethingst Thursday, but I forgot to give them to you," he casually says, managing to pique my interest.

    "Them? As in more than one thing?" I ask.

    "Yes."

    Yes.

    "What did you get me?" I want to ask why he even got me something in the first ce, but I refrain from doing so. It''s not because I want him to buy me gifts, but I truly want any excuse to talk to him. "You''ll find out once we''re back home," he says in a teasing tone, making me roll my eyes.

    "Fine." I hop off my seat. "Let''s go home. I''m done with my ice cream anyway." I grin and heughs at me.

    "You truly have no patience," hements, still sitting on the stool.

    "That''s right, so let''s $ go." "I hold one of his hands with my two hands and do my best to get him to stand up, but he doesn''t budge. "Why do you have to be twice my size?"

    "I''m probably thrice your size, Rosie," he says, standing up. "Which means I can easily do that." I let out a light squeal when he picks me up with one arm.

    "I''m so sorry," I blush as I look at the girl behind the counter. I''m d that there aren''t any customers but us. He doesn''t even bother to put me down until we reach the car and when he does, I catch a smirk on his lips. "Am I that light?" Lhuff, folding my arms. "As light as a feather, Rosie." He chuckles, opening the passenger door for me. "Maybe I need to hit the gym," I grumble as I get in his car, but when he closes the door, I smile. I like it when we''re this yful. I don''t want whatever boundaries he thought we needed. Ss gets in the car and I turn on the radio. I gasp upon hearing the song because Mum and I used to dance to it when I was young. Do you like this song?" he asks me, and I nod vigorously. "Oh, don''t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me, I said you''re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me, this woman is my destiny, she said oh, oh, oh, shut up and dance with me," I sing along and dance in my seat.  BGG?  98%

    I

    109

    I think I got lost in my own world for a little while because when the songes to an end, I find Ss holding his phone, filming me. I look around and realize that we''re not so far away from the ice cream shop. Did he stop driving to film me? "Yes, I stopped driving to film you, Rosie." He chuckles.

    "Did I say that out loud?" I sink into my seat in embarrassment.

    "More like murmured it," he points out as he starts driving again. "Do you always throw parties in cars like that?" he asks with a hint of amusement in his voice.

    "Only when I''m in a good mood and there''s a song that I like," I reply.

    "d that I put you in a good mood, Rosie." He grins and I roll my eyes as a short chuckle escapes me.

    "Never said you''re the reason behind my good mood." I shrug as I tease him.

    "You were sent from above to mar my ego." Hisments make meugh as he ces his hand him.

    on his heart as if I wounded

    "Sorry not sorry." I stick my tongue out at him.

    Ten minutester, we make it back home and take the same elevator. "Come to my ce first to take your gift." I agree, enthusiasm already filling me.

    One moment we''re in a good mood, the second everything changes because the elevator suddenly shakes violently andes to a halt. I look at S**s face with pure worry because he knows that I''m ustrophobic.

 Chapter 110

    I look at Rosie the moment the elevator stops between the third and the fourth floor and the look on her face tells me that she is on the verge of panicking. I quickly press the emergency button while keeping my eyes on her. "Rosie, I need you to take deep breaths, okay? Can you do that for me?" I tell her as I keep pressing on the emergency button. "A-Are we going to die here?" she stutters, looking frantically around her.

    "No, cupcake. We''re not going to die. We''re going to get out of here," I assure her as I take her hand in mine. "Listen, stand here in the middle." I gently bring here to the middle of the elevator. "I want you to stretch your arms beside you. Can you do that?" nods and do I does as she is told.

    She

    She

    slowly

    "See the space between your hand and the wall? You have a lot of space, cupcake. The walls aren''t going to close in on you," I try to calm her down.

    "Hello," I hear somebody say through the speaker, so I quickly rush towards it.

    "Hello, there are two people stuck in the elevator. We need to get out of here. One of us is ustrophobic," frantically say, worried about Rosie.

    "We''ve already informed the technician and he''s going to start working on solving the problem now," he tells me. "Hurry up, please," Rosie whimpers and when I look at her face, I notice how her eyes are brimming with tears.

    "Hey, let''s sit down, yeah?" I say as the two of us sit on the floor. I wipe her tears with my thumb, then reach for her hand again. "Please distract me," she shakily says, and I nod.

    you "Okay, listen. Close your eyes and tell me about your favorite scenes from the million books you''ve read. Do you think can do that? Personally, I think you can do anything. I have always loved how you never let fear take control of you," I say, rubbing circles on her hands with my thumbs. I''m d I''m with her, because if I weren''t, she would have fainted.

    "There''s this scene in an enemies to lovers book that I really love. The guy is supposed to be her neighbor whom she never got along with, but one day, he saw her crying as she struggled to unlock her door and she broke down in front of him. He unlocked her door, took her inside her apartment, helped h I her wash her face then made her some chamomile tea to calm down without asking her what was wrong," she recounts the scene to me. "Sounds like he is secretly in love with her." I know the type of books she likes and she is a s**ker for romantic novels, so I''m sure that neighbor turned out to be the love interest.

    "He was very much in love with her," she tells me. "He was always grumpy with her because she had a boyfriend and he hated how he didn''t have a chance with her. When he found her crying it was because she caught her boyfriend and best friend in bed," she tells me. Her eyes are still closed, but she''s not heaving anymore and I''m thankful for that.

    "Please tell me the neighbor treated her right."

    "More than you can ever imagine. It''s like they were made for each other," she tells me with a smile that makes my heart swell.

    Slowly, she opens her eyes and for a moment, I fear that she may break down again.

    "I know that you said we needed boundaries, and I really respect your boundaries, but do you... do you think you can just hold me for a minute?" Her voice is soft and small.

    "Oh Rosie, f**k the boundaries," I mutter, pulling her into my embrace without giving it a second thought. She quicklytches her arms around my neck and takes a trembling breath. I want to tell her that I hate what I said, and I want to take it all back, but I don''t know how to do that. "I miss you, Ss," she whimpers in my arms and my heart clenches in

    my chest.

    "I miss you too, Rosie. I swear I miss you." I kiss her temple as I tighten my hold on her.

    "I want you to know something," she says, looking at me with glossy eyes. Is she going to cry again? I don''t want her to cry again. "You''re not like Everest. What we have or had isn''t like my friendship with him. It is so much better."

    What do I tell her? Do I admit my feelings for her? Now isn''t the right moment. I don''

    This doesn''t sit right with me.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Maybe we should put everything behind us," I suggest, and she nods vigorously.

    want to exploit ther vulnerability.

    "Please." The look she has in her eyes makes me want to crash my lips against hers, but I''m petrified of losing her again. "Do you want to tell me about another scene? Do you want distraction?" I ask her, cing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I don''t need another distraction, but I can tell you if you want," she offers with a small smile on her pink lips.

    "I wou-"I don''t get toplete my sentence because the elevator shakes violently, making me pull her quickly against me and cover her head with my arms, expecting the worst which is the fall of the elevator. I sigh in relief the moment I feel it working normally again and I look at her. "We''re getting out, cupcake." I stand up and pull her with me. "We''re so sorry for the inconvenience," the security guard says once the door opens. Rosie practically jumps out with her hand on her chest.

    "Is it safe if we use it now?" I ask him.

    it''s safe," he assures us, but Rosie shakes her head.

    "Yes, it''s

    "Rosie,

    you live on the fifth floor. No way in hell are you going to use the stairs daily," I tell her. "I can use them today at least. I don''t want to use the elevator tonight," she replies. "You take it and I will just use the stairs. "Nope. Do you wanna take the stairs? Let''s take them," I say, taking her hand in mind as we head towards the stairs. know I''m being irrational and you don''t need to humor me." She looks apologetic. "Rosie, taking this flight of stairs is nothingpared to what the coach puts us through. I just don''t want you to develop a fear of elevators. That''s why I wanted you to take it tonight," I exin as we start climbing the stairs.

    She

    She stays silent until we reach the first floor and stops moving. "I think you''re right. Maybe we should take the elevator." I watch the way her throat bobs as she talks. She is scared. It''s so easy to see how fear is written all over her beautiful face. "You can do it, Rosie," I encourage her. She takes a deep breath as we both walk towards the elevator. She presses on the call button and once it arrives, we both walk inside. I reach for her hand and the way she immediately intertwines our hands together makes me the happiest man on earth. Once we reach my floor, she breathes

    asio

    of relief and quickly walks out.

    The moment we walk inside my apartment, she looks at me with a wide smile on her face and raises her arms up as she squeals, "I did it!"

    I find myself chuckling at her reaction. "You did it!" I high-five her. I want to pick her up and kiss the hell out of her lips. I want to have her legs wrapped around my torso as I press her back against the wall and kiss her long neck down to her delicate corbones.

    213

    0*

    "Let me get you your gift," I say and walk towards the small dining table I have and take the bag that is on it. "Here you go, cupcake."

    +3

    She takes the bag from me and gasps when she sees what''s inside. I watch as she takes the books out of the bag and reads the titles.

    "They''re the same book I lost in the explosion," she whispers, looking at me with teary eyes.

    "I will take them back if you cry," I joke and sheughs but tears still fall from her eyes. "I never want to lose you, Ss," she murmurs and reaches to hug me. I wrap my arms around her body and kiss her cheek. "You won''t. I can''t really live without you, cupcake." I want her to take the hint. I need her to understand that she is not just a friend to me.

    "Same here, icing," she says and I look at her in confusion.

    "Icing?"

    *

    "If I''m a cupcake, then you''re the icing. You know since cupcakes have icing," she says, looking into my eyes as we she pulls herself away from the hug.

 Chapter 111

    I don''t just like Ss. I think I love him. I''m sure that ''like'' is too weak of a word to describe my feelings for him. Ever since we made up, we''ve been spending most of our time together like we used to.

    Being stuck in the elevator was one of the worst things I have ever experienced, yet I''m d that it happened, because Ss and I made up when we were stuck. I can''t get the way he said ''fuck the boundaries'' out of my head. His voice is stuck in my head and my body re The thing I love the most about Ss is that he embraces me when I''m vulnerable. I don''t feel ashamed when I''m vulnerable in front of him, because I know that he won''t make fun of me.

    Sometimes, I feel that he likes me, but I''m scared of taking the first step. I''m afraid of his rejection. I mean, what if he is just being nice to me and I''m making things up in my head? I wish I could read his mind.

    When he gave me the books the first time, he managed to make my heart ache because he gave the books despite the way I acted towards him. He bought them for me again because I lost them in the explosion. It''s not about the gift. The gesture itself made me want to ki I don''t know what I can do to make him notice me. I just wish I could find out his true feelings. I don''t want to give myself any hope only for it to be snatched away from me in the blink of an eye.

    Christmas break starts in exactly four days and today, Ss is taking me to the gathering his team is holding. I asked him if I could bring Sabrina and luckily, he said I could. I have already bought his Christmas gift and I can''t wait to give it to him. I bought him tickets for the next game of his favorite football team.

    My doorbell rings and I get up to open the door. I know that this is Ss.

    "Don''t you look beautiful." I blush at hispliment. I''m wearing some ck leggings and an oversized sweater.

    "Thank you." I grin and give him a quick hug.

    "Ready to go?" I nod and grab my bag off the kitchen ind.

    "It''s cold today. Is this heavy enough? Do you need a jacket?" he asks just before I close the door.

    "My jacket! Thank you!" I rush back inside and bring my jacket. I put it on the couch to remind myself to take it, but as always, I ended up forgetting it.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Is Sabrina going to meet us there?" Ss asks me as we get in his car.

    "Yeah, she lives close to the house," I say as I fasten my seatbelt.

    "Do you n on giving me another show in the car, cupcake?" He smirks and I roll my eyes.

    "Nope, you''re not worthy of my amazing shows, icing." I stick my tongue out oat him. "Tell me about some songs that you like."

    "Why?" he asks.

    "Just tell me!" I insist. He stays silent for a few seconds, then tells me about a few songs, Luckily, I know some of them too. "Okay, I''m gonna put one of them on and we''re going to sing them at the top of our lungs." "At the top of our lungs?" he says, sounding skeptical.

    "Yes." I nod. "Trust me this is the best way to get rid of negative energy." I grew up with a mum who loves sting her favorite songs around the house. Until now, she dances with my siblings on their favorite songs just like how she used to do with me.

    1/3 Chapter III

    "Fortunately, I don''t feel like I have any negative energy in me, but let''s terribly sing at the top of our lungs, Rosie," he agrees and 1 excitedly cap.

    1 put on a song and start to sing along. At first, I notice how shy he seems and it takes him around a minute to loosen up. It doesn''t take us a lot of time to sing aloud, earning, the attention of the people around us in the surrounding cars even though our windows are up. "How does it feel like?" I ask him once the songes to an end)

    "Pretty good actually," he says with a wide smile. "Maybe we should do that more often"

    ""Deal" I beam.

    Soon, we arrive at the house and we make our way to the front door. I love the way his arm is casually draped over my shoulders. He rings the doorbell and Dave opens the door for us

    "Hi guys," he says, letting us in. "Good to see you again, Rosie"

    "Good to see you too, Dave" I smile at him.

    "Rosie! You''re here!" Alexa wees me as she pulls me into a hug.

    "You''re here early this time!" I say, wrapping my arms around her.

    The doorbell rings again and this

    time, Knox goes to open the door. When I look around, I realize that there are more people here than thest time. Ss told me yesterday that having a Christmas gathering at this house before the beginning. of Christmas break had been a tradition for many years even b They bring a variety of fast food and for all day long, they keep on ying different games and just have fun.

    "Rosie, your friend is here!" Knox announces as I''m taking off my jacket. I turn around and find Sabrina already making her/ way towards me.

    "Hello there!" We give each other a quick hug. I introduce her to everyone and I can''t help but notice the way Knox keeps his eyes on her.

    "Are you guys ready to y Act It Out?" Natalie hollers excitedly

    "We''re verypetitive, so you better prepare yourself," Ss tells me as we all gather in the living room. "Are we going to be divided into two teams or more this year?" Ss asks, already pulling me on hisp as he takes a seat on the couch.

    "Let''s keep it two this year. Last year was pretty confusing with four teams especially when people started shouting the answers together," Aaron says, taking a seat on the recliner and his girlfriend sits on the armrest and wraps her arm around his neck.

    We divide ourselves into two teams, and surely, Ss doesn''t let me be on the other team, saying that we need to stick- together. Sabrina ends up on the opposite team because somehow, Knox has convinced her to stick with him.

    Apparently, football yers are quitepetitive even when ites to games. For the first couple of rounds, I stay stunned; however, it doesn''t take me long to get in the mood,

    I have been incredibly stressedtely and I''m so d that I''m here with Ss because I really needed to spend a good

    day like this. The way we''re all enjoying our time is perfect. It''s like Ss unknowingly made me get rid of a lot of negativity I have in me with just a simple outing.

    "Thank you so much for inviting me! I''m having so much fun!" Sabrina gushes as she sips her Redbull. We''re currently standing in the backyard because apparently, ying dodgeball sounded like a great idea to a bunch of footballers thirty minutes ago.

    <

    Chapter III

    V

    2 X 58%

    "I''m d you''re having fun and I have a feeling that you''re enjoying your time a lot with a guy called Knox." I smirk and she yfully pushes me.

    "He''s cute." She blushes and I giggle. "I''m not really convinced at all that whatever is going on between you and Ss is an act." Seriousness coats her tone.

    "I don''t want it to be an act anymore," I admit. She seems surprised for a second, probably not believing that I''m saying that out loud. "I''m starting to develop strong feelings for Ss and.... I don''t know how to get his attention."

    "I knew it!" She squeaks and I try to shush her. "Sorry. Sorry! But I just love how you two look together. You''re awesome together and I''ve been secretly wishing for the two of you to remove whatever blindfold you have around your eyes to see how you''re truly made for each other."

    "I don''t know if he has feelings for me," I tell her, taking a deep breath.

    "I think he doesn''t just like you. He loves you. If you can''t see it from the way he acts, then your judgement is really clouded," she points out. I''m really scared of the oue. I''m scared of losing whatever we have if I make things awkward after admitting my feelings for him. I don''t even think that I have the courage to speak my feelings out loud.

    "Sabrina, Rosie, we''re about to y twisters!" Caroline calls for us.

    "Coming!" holler, then turn to Sabrina. "Let''s just enjoy our day and think about thatter."

 Chapter 112

    "Man! You gotta shoest pour son! You have a chance! Knox excitedly tells me and I frown. What does he mean?

    "You need to make yeast more. The cost is dear! Why is he speaking in ricelles

    Do you realize that you''ve still being vague? What the hell do you mean I ask. The evident exciternent in his voice tells me that he''s the bearer of good news, yet he still hasn''t figured out a way to let me know what he wants to say.

    "Rosie likes you!" he exims in a quiet voice and my eyes go wide. How is this possible? "I swear I heard her?" he asserts.

    "Beard her? Who was she talking to?" I frown, still unable to wrap my mind around what I have just heard.

    "Sabrina. She

    told her that she didn''t want to act anymore, and she was starting to develop feelings for you. She also said that she wanted to get your attention, but she didn''t know how to do it! Get my attention? She already has my undivided attention. Am 1 not making my feelings clea Maybe I should be more precise with my words. I need to make the first move. It''s already bad that I haven''t made a move until now, but I cannot leave her waiting any longer.

    Tonight, I''m going to pour my heart out to her. This is the sign I need to tell her that I truly love her. No, I can''t tell her that I love her at first. I don''t want her to think that I''m love-bombing her. I certainly don''t want to freak her out.

    "Speaking of Sabrina, I can see that you can''t keep your eyes off of her." I smirk, looking at my best friend.

    Yeah..." He awkwardly scratches the back of her neck. "I think I want to ask her out."

    "Do that. She''s single and Rosie says that she is really nice. I trust Rosie''s judgment," I tell him.

    "You trust anything Rosie says because you''re whipped!" He lightly punches my shoulder.

    "Can''t wait to see you whipped as well." I chuckle.

    Rosie and I leave around nine at night. I''m d that she had fun, but it''s easy to see how exhausted she is.

    "You look sleepy," I say as I stop at a red light.

    "I usually seem sleepy when I''m out, but once I step inside my apartment, energy flows through my body and I stay awake for long afterwards," she replies. "I want to ask you something." "Sure." I nod.

    "Is Knox a good guy? I saw the way he kept acting around Sabrina and I really love her and don''t want her to get hurt." Typical Rosie. She always looks out for those she loves.

    "Knox is a great guy. He''s not a yer. You don''t need to worry about her when ites to him," I assure her. "Do you have anything to do tomorrow?" I ask her.

    "I finish my lectures at one, then I''m free. Why are you asking?"

    "I want to take you out," I reply. I''m not going to sugarcoat my words anymore. I mean what I have just said. I want to take her out on a date. I thought about telling her about how I truly feel the moment we''re back. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized tha "In this case, do you think you can take me to the Winter Amusement Park?" she shyly asks. This isn''t the n I had in my mind, but I will do whatever she wants.

    111

    V with it my coke." I tell her. Despite the darker, her smile doesn''t escape my notice.

    hers histle o pefefe-

    58

    I''m not wir if I will be able to deep tonight. All that I know is, Fan''t wait for tomorrow toe, because I know that the moment I''m going to admit my feelings for her, nothing is going to be the same.

    She looks absolutely amazing today. As always, her outfit is simple, yet it looks like it''s made for her. Her hair is up in a ponytail, but I''m sure that she''s going to let it down by the end of the day because keeping it up for long gives her headaches. "Which ride do you want to start with?" I ask her. The ce is slightly crowded, but Rosie seems to be happy even before we start going on rides. I don''t need anything else. Her happiness is enough for me.

    "Let''s start with something easy," she says, scanning the ce with her eyes. "Maybe bumper cars!" She excitedly looks at me.

    "Let''s go." I nod, smiling. I take her hand in mine and head to where the bumper cars are.

    Rosic seems to like bumping into me during our whole turn and whenever I try to run away from her, she always finds a way to bump into me. I love the mood she is in. She is yful and happy and this version of her is my favorite one. "Look at this rainbow cotton candy! I''m gonna buy one!" Like a happy kiddo, she rushes to the stand and Iugh as I follow her.

    "Do you want one?" she asks me and I nod. When she''s about to pay, I quickly give the guy the money and she frowns at me. "I told you I was going to get it."

    "You don''t pay when you''re with me, Rosie," I tell her and hand her one of the cotton candies.

    "And why is that?" She tilts her head to the side.

    "Because this is how girls are supposed to be treated, cupcake," I reason with her.

    "But it''s not fair to you to pay for everything," she argues, trying to convince me that it''s okay to let girls pay. The thing is, I''m an old school and I don''t believe that girls should ever pay.

    "ording to how I was raised, it''s pretty fair." I shrug. "Anyway, which ride do you want to go on now?" I change the subject.

    "Skyscreamer!" she exims.

    "Let''s go, gorgeous." I take her to the ride she wants. I keep my eyes on her as the ride starts going up. Pure joy is evident on her wless face and the more I look at her, the more I realize that I would do anything to always see this smile on her face. "Why are you staring at me? You should enjoy the view from up above! It''s amazing," she says, looking at me.

    "Trust me, I''m enjoying it very much. Seeing you this happy is my new favorite view." I don''t care if I sound cheesy, because I''m telling her the truth. I don''t understand how this happened, but Rosie has be my entire universe. Everything I do revolves around her. Rosie looks like she is lost in her own words with a simple yet breathtaking smile on her face. Her head is tilted backward and her arms are spread beside her. I manage to take my phone out of my pocket and snap a few pictures of her. She looks at me and her smile beco "I wanna see the pictures!" She practically jumps in front of me once we get down.

    B B

    I unlock my phone and show them to her.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Oh my God, Ss! They''re amazing!" She wraps her arms around me and I''m quick to embrace her.

    "Rosie, there''s something I want to tell you," I say, taking a deep breath once she lets go.

    "What is it?" She turns to look at me. The thoughts in my head are so loud, that they blur the crowd around us. This is a crucial moment in my life and I don''t want to mess everything up. My heart is loud and I''m doing everything in my power to stop my hand from shaking." Knox told me that he heard her telling Sabrina that she had feelings for me, so I''m not sure how I''m that nervous.

    "What I''m about to say will

    change everything between us, but I''m willing to take the risk because I can''t wait anymore," I nervously say. There''s a possibility that she likes me, yet she doesn''t want us to be anything more than friends. There are a lot of possibilities. "Rosie, I... I like you a lot and I''ve h speak out my feelings for you. I didn''t know how to act around you. You paralyze my brain and make me unable to think or act rationally. I thought I could continue suppressing my feelings, but I can''t. I can''t do that. I know that you may walk away from me and this is thes

 Chapter 113

    "I know that you may walk away from me and this is thest thing I want, but I can''t spend one more day pretending that i don''t have feelings for you, because my heart simply beats for you, cupcake" I can''t believe what I have just heart. It all feels like a dream For a while, Not a single romantic novel could give me the thrill I have inside of me now. No, this isn''t a thrill. This is like flying. I''m on top of the world. Being told by the one you like that they like you back is an unmatched feeling. An indescribable. unmatched feeling that has a unique b As I stare at his shocked face, I realize that l''have been lost in my own thoughts and I need to tell him how I feel.

    "Say something, please." His pleading voice brings me back to consciousness. I focus on his handsome face and for the first time in a while, I see fear.

    "I''m d that you told me about how you feel," I say, taking a step closer to him, closing the space between us. "Because I''m really tired of pretending that we''re just friends." I stand on my tip goes and kiss him. His surprise is clear because it takes him a couple of seconds This kiss is different. We''re not kissing because we want people to believe that we''re together. We''re not kissing because I look kissable and it is the heat of the moment. We''re kissing because we want to. Because we truly feel something for each other.

    "Just to make sure that I understand, you like me too, right?" Iugh at his question and rest my head on his chest.

    "In case my initiating the kiss wasn''t enough, yes, Ss, I like you. I like you so much it hurts," I say, staring at his beautiful

    eyes.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Oh my God," he mutters, engulfing me in his arms as he picks me up and

    twirls me around. "You don''t know how long I have been thinking about this, cupcake." He sets me down, but his hands stay on the small of my back. "I was so scared because all that I could think about is that you might run away from me and we wouldn''t be able to go bac were."

    "It''s a good thing you finally said something, because I was so close to saying something myself." He chuckles at my words and I justtch my arms around him. "Frankly, I don''t want to go back to the way we were. I want us to start something new."

    "I want that too. I want that more than anything you can imagine," he says, pecking my lips.

    "So what does that make us?" I ask, eager to hear him call me his girlfriend.

    "This makes me your boyfriend and makes you my girlfriend if you agree to be mine," he tells me. I want that more than anything. I''m so tired of pretending to be his and now I want to really be his.

    "Yes, I want to be your girlfriend and I want you to be my boyfriend," I admit. I never thought I would be able to say this to him while maintaining an eye contact with him, yet here I am, unable to move my eyes away from his.

    "So... which ride does my gorgeous girlfriend want to go on now?" he asks me. Being called his girlfriend sounds incredibly amazing.

    "The Ferris Wheel!" I beam, reaching for his hand.

    This all seems like a dream. I cannot believe that Ss Cromwell is my boyfriend. If somebody had told mest August that Ss would be my boyfriend by December, I would have used them of being crazy. This is surreal, I don''t know how I fell for him, but I''m  My mind still cannot ept that he has been in love with me for years. I never thought that I would end up with him one

    111

    day, but I like the unexpectedness of our rtionship. Well, it we all unexpected to me, because apparently, my parents have always thought that Ss liked me.

    "Penny for your thoughts?" Ss says as we stand in the Ferris Wheel line.

    "I remember how my parents acted when we told them we started dating. I thought that they were out of their minds to think that you actually like me. I admit, causing him to chuckle.

    "I was petrified that day. I didn''t want you to ask me about what they had said," he confesses, snaking his arm around my waist. I still need to remind myself that we''re not pretending anymore.

    "Why?" A crease forms between my eyebrows.

    "I didn''t want to tell you about my feelings because your parents outed me. I didn''t want you to think that I spoke out my feelings because of what they said. You deserved better than that, he tells me. My heart is jumping in pure joy in my chest.

    Would I be exaggerating if I said that I have never experienced this kind of happiness? This is all new. Developing feelings for someone in silence for a while and not knowing what to do only to find out that they also have feelings for you sounds like a fairytale and I''m loving "I have a silly request," I say as we step inside the cart.

    "I''m sure it''s not silly, but go on." He smiles at me. I''m in love with his smile. It is captivating.

    "I want you to kiss me when we''re on top," I shyly request. "I know how cheesy it is, but I have always wanted to try all of those cheesy kisses."

    "And I''m here to make your wishese true," he says, making my heart flutter.

    "So you''re gonna kiss me under the rain?" I wonder with a grin.

    "I would love that." He takes my hand in his.

    "And under the mistletoe?"

    "I don''t break Christmas traditions, Rosie." It''s so hard to prevent myself from kissing him.

    "What about under the water? Like in a pool or in the ocean," I ask.

    *I can hold my breath, so we don''t have an issue." He shrugs.

    "You''re the best," I giggle and close the space between us as I rest my head on his shoulder.

    We stay infortable silence for a while and I just enjoy the view. I''m trying to wrap my mind around what has just happened and the more I think about it, the more I want to squeal like a little child.

    "Hey cupcake?" I raise my head, looking at him.

    "This is our first cheesy kiss and I can''t wait until I give you a thousand of them." His lips meet mine once we reach the top and I realize that no matter how much I try, I know I will never be able to describe the way I feel. I don''t know if there are a thousand cheesy kisses out there, but I do know that if there are, I want to share them all with Ss,

 Chapter 114

    She''s mine.

    Rosalie Kensington is my girlfriend after so many years.

    It all feels like a beautiful fantasy I''ve stepped in and honestly, I n on devouring every single moment in this fantasy.

    When I told her about my feelings, I thought of the worst. I thought she was going tough at my face. I thought she might consider it a prank even though our pranks had never been emotionally or even physically painful.

    Despite being told by Knox that she also had feelings for me, I found it hard to believe that she finally started seeing me differently. I''m no longer the guy who irritates her. I''m no longer the best friend. I''m the boyfriend who gets to kiss and cherish her. I get to hold her without needing the ''acting'' excuse.

    "I can''t wait till I see you tomorrow," I tell her as I wrap my arms around her petite frame. I love the way she feel against my body. She fits so well.

    "Me too. I hope you like the gift I got you," she says, looking at me with those magnificent blue eyes of hers.

    "I''m sure I''m going to fall in love with it," I say, kissing her forehead. She could get me a bar of chocte and I will be the happiest person alive. She doesn''t need to go above and beyond to make me happy. Her existence makes me over the moon. "I think you''re going to lo "Can you give me a hint?" she excitedly says, but I shake my head.

    "You refused to give me a hint, so no," I tease her, making her huff.

    "Shouldn''t you be nicer?" she whines, giving me her puppy eyes.

    "I''m not falling for that." I stand my ground. We''ve arrived at her family''s ce a few minutes ago. We decide to take my car and leave hers at the parking lot of the apartmentplex. She already knows that if she needs a car, she can take any from the collection her pare I don''t want to leave her, but I know that she has a family she misses and I''m certain that they miss her a lot. I get to spend more time with her than them, but that doesn''t mean that I''m not going to miss her.

    "You''re cruel, but I like you." I know when she''s about to kiss me. She always reaches for my neck and wraps her arms around it. So now when she does it, I like to take her in my embrace, slightly pick her up, and let her initiate the kiss.

    We haven''t exchanged ''I love yous'' yet. I wanted to say it in the amusement park, but I didn''t want to freak her out. I don''t want to give her any reason to run away and I surely don''t want to love-

    bomb her. I know that Rosie is a hopeless romantic and based on what she has told me about the romantic novels she adores, she doesn''t like it when the couples skip any step, so I don''t want to skip any step with her. I want to give her everything she wants. "Aren''t I the luckiest guy in the entire world?" I whisper, setting her down.

    "Probably." She yfully smirks.

    When we hear the front door open, we both look in its direction.

    "Rosie!" Lily hollers as she runs towards her sister. Rosie doesn''t waste a second and crouches to her sister''s height.

    "I miss you, Lil," Rosie says, kissing her sister''s cheek.

    "I miss you, too," Lily tells her.

    "Hey buddy," I greet Holden once I see him. "How are you?"

    III

    Q

    "I''m good. How''s football?" He always likes to ask me about football and practice. Rosie once told me that he looks up to me and ever since she told me that, I try to establish a strong rtionship with him.

    "The season is in our favor until now," I reply. "What about ser?"

    "We lost ourst game," he grumbles, looking down.

    "Didn''t we say that it''s okay to lose?" Rosie tells him as she ruffles his hair.

    "But I trained so hard, Rosie," he speaks to his sister. His voice indicates that he''s not over the loss.

    "When we train hard, we aim to win, but we also need to remember that training hard is a reminder to never use ourselves of not doing enough when we lose. You trained hard, so don''t me yourself. Be proud of what you''ve achieved so far and learn from your mistak "Ss, what are you doing out there? Come on in!" Emily invites me in as hees to the front door.

    "Stay for a little while," Rosie requests, reaching for my hand. Since I don''t know how to say no to her, I end up walking imide with her.

    I stay for an hour, desiring to spend more time with my girl and her family. I love the way Rosie keeps talking and looking at me. It''s

    different. It doesn''t take a genius to notice the difference in the way we act. I love how she is now more rxed to touch me and hold my hands. I love how she automatically leans into me whenever I''m standing close to her. However, the thing I love the most is the way she "How''s everything going? Julian asks me when Emily and Rosie disappear for a moment.

    "She is actually my girlfriend now." I try to hide the excitement in my voice because I don''t want Rosie or Emily to hear me.

    "You finally did it." I like how Julian is looking at me. I like that he approves of me. I''m d that he trusts me with his daughter, and I don''t n on breaking this trust.

    "Call me once you''re home, okay?" Rosie tells me as she walks me to the front door.

    "Okay" 1 kiss her lips. "Merry Christmas, cupcake."

    "Merry Christmas, icing" She beams and kisses my cheek.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    I''m already in love with how I''m going to start the new year. Rosie is my girlfriend, and everything seems to be in its right ce.

    I pray with everything in me that life doesn''t turn upside down, because for once in a long while, I feelplete.

 Chapter 115

    I put on the red dress Ss sent me yesterday. I love everything about it. Usually, I''m not the one to wear red as I sometimes feel that it''s not my color, but yesterday, Ss surprised me. He sent me three dresses: a red one, a green one and a ck and white one. We''re attending a New Year''s Eve party and he asked if he could pick the dress for me. Knowing that he has a great sense of style, I agreed. He sent the three dresses with a note, telling me that he couldn''t choose between the three, so he bought them all for me. A Typica At first, I thought the green one would be the best one for me, but when I put on the red dress, I fell in love with it. It''s a one-shoulder long satin dress with a slit that goes slightly above my mid-thigh.

    I''m used to spending New Year''s Eve with my family, Maya, Sam, and their children, so this is the first time to break this tradition. When I talked to my parents about it, I thought they wouldn''t be fond of the idea, but they surprised me. They told me that I was an adult and n When the doorbell rings, I walk towards it in my silver high heels.

    Once I open the door, Ss whistles, making meugh as I look down.

    "I''m dating a beauty queen," he says, closing the space between us and his lips find their way to mine. "I''m really worried about messing up your lipstick," hements once he lets go of my lips.

    "Don''t worry, I made sure to wear a kiss-proof one," I say, cing my hand on the small of his back.

    "In this case, I''m going to enjoy kissing you all night long." He gives me a quick peck on the lips.

    "Dad wanted to see you before we leave," she tells me and I nod. She guides me to their living room where I find the whole family.

    "Hi Ss, I see you''re stealing my daughter for the night," Dad jokes with him.

    "Only with your approval," Ss tells him with a shortugh. He asked Mum and Dad for their approval to make sure that they were okay with us spending the night together. Well, not exactly the whole night since he''s going to take me home after the party is over, but I know "When do you n on bringing her home, Ss?" Dad asks him.

    "The party ends at two, so she''s going to be here by two-forty maximum."

    "You don''t n on drinking, Ss, do you?" Mum knows that he''s not even allowed to drink yet, but she still wants to make

    sure.

    "I won''t drink. Don''t worry about that," he assures her.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "And if you two end up drinking, don''t drive. Call me and I wille and get you. No questions will be asked," Dad tells us.

    "Don''t worry, Dad. We''ll be responsible," I reassure them.

    After wishing them a happy new year, Ss and I head to his car. As the gentleman he is, he opens the door for me and helps me get inside the car.

    The drive isn''t long, but once we arrive, I take a deep breath, realizing that there are a lot of reporters outside. I expected. that since a lot of celebrities are invited to this part, yet a tiny part of me hoped that reporters wouldn''t be that much.

    The valet opens the door for me and Ss is quick to appear by my side. I engage my arm with his and the two of us walk to

    III

    Thu, Oct 3 MBB

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    We keep dancing for God knows how long, but after my feet start to ache because of the heels, we make our way back to the table.

    "I''m gonna go to the toilet real quick, okay?" he says and pecks my lips.

    "Okay." I smile widely at him.

    I take my phone out of my clutch and scroll through Instagram, watching the stories of my friends. I check Kendall''s story and see that she''s spending the night with her siblings. She has three older siblings, and they tend to spend New Year''s Eve together from time to time When I told her that Ss and I started to really date, she managed to pierce my eardrum with the way she screamed. She was very excited and the amount of ''I told you he had feelings for you'' I heard during the phone call is enough tost me a lifetime.

    I look around me after I ce my phone back in my clutch and frown when I notice something I''m certainly not fond of. A girl standing too close to Ss and her hands are fiddling with his tic.

    I may not be a fighter, but the anger I feel inside of me is enough to make me wage a war.

 Chapter 116

    After making sure that my suit looks good on me, I walk out of the bathroom, not wanting to keep Rosie waiting for long. I''m d that she is enjoying her time. I know that she is not exactly fond of attending huge events, but I want her to get out of her shell. I want her to try new things.

    We have already talked about that before when she told me that she wanted to be bolder. We agreed that I was going to take her to more events to make her used to being in huge crowds and if she ever felt ufortable, I would take her home immediately. It''s not "Ss," a girl says, making me stop in my track and turn to face her.

    "Izzy, it''s good to see you," I politely say. Truth is, it''s not good to see her at all. Izzy doesn''t take no for an answer and I don''t know how to make her understand that I''m not interested in dating her.

    "I heard some rumors," she says, walking towards me. I want to walk away from her, but I''m also trying not to be rude. "Is it true that you''re now dating some girl?" She closes the space between us and my back is pressed against the wall, so I don''t know how to run away f "I''m dating and she has a name. Her name is Rosie," I tell her, attempting to keep her hands away from my body. Why can''t she get that I''m not interested?

    "Rosie? Is she from our circle? I don''t think I know a Rosie who can be good enough for you." She dares to let her hand travel down my body, and it takes a lot of control from me to stop her from doing that without being aggressive.

    "She is more than enough for me. In fact, she is way out of my league and I''m thankful that she is mine." I hope she now understands that Rosie is the only girl I want, but I think that she doesn''t get the memo, because she refuses to keep her hand away from my body. "I bet he made it clear more than once that he''s not single, and I''m assuming you''re not deaf, so why the hell are you all over my boyfriend?" I look up and see Rosie in front of me, she looks outraged, and she has every right to be.

    "I wasn''t aware that he''s serious," Izzy rolls her eyes as she looks at Rosie in a not-so-nice way.

    "He is," my jealous girlfriend walks over to us, pushes Izzy away and presses her body against mine, "very serious." My girl ces her hand on the back of my neck and gently pushes it down. I obey and lean down. Her lips meet mine and for a second, she catches me off the way she usually kisses me. Her kiss is usually sweet, and she shyly initiates the kiss, but this one is way different. It is daring. She''s iming her territory. She wants to make it clear that I belong to nobody else but her.

    "I believe this shows you how series he is, right?" Rosie turns around, pressing her back against mine. I wrap my arm around her waist and watch the way Izzy''s face falls. Rosie has made it clear that she''s not going to go easy on anyone whoes near me. I like this sid "Right." Izzy''s lips tighten into a straight line before walking away.

    I turn my gorgeous girl to face me and kiss her like there''s no tomorrow. I don''t care that we''re surrounded by many people. She is my girl and I''m proud to be hers. I want everyone to

    know that my eyes see nobody else but her. I''m aware that people may be taking pictures of us, but what''s so wrong about that? I''m simply a man who is kissing his girl. I''m a man who is madly in love and cannot wait till he tells his girl that.

    "Jealous, baby girl?" I smirk as I ce my hands on her waist, keeping her body glued to mine..

    "Just making sure that everybody knows you''re mine," she murmurs. "Don''t I have the right to do that?"

    "Oh Rosie, you''ve every single right to do that. Remind everyone every once in a while that I''m yours, Remind them in the

    III

    217 Thu, Oct 3 BB

    way you deem appropriate. I''m proudly yours," I tell her. The smile drawn on her lips weakens my knees and they threaten to buckle.

    This girl has me wrapped around her fingers and I don''t mind it. I want her to own my heart. I''m in love with her and I want to scream it on top of my lungs. I want the world to know that she is all that my eyes could ever see.

    "How could she do that?! I''m sure you''ve told her that we''re dating, so I can''t grasp her actions," she furiously exims. I want tough at how adorable she looks.

    "I promise I told her, cupcake, but she wouldn''t budge." I caress her soft skin.

    "I know, Ss! I blindly trust you, but I just don''t understand the audacity of some people! You told her you''re taken, so she should respect that!" I cup her chin between my fingers and lean down to kiss her soft lips. "Don''t think about her, Rosie. Don''t let her ruin our night, gorgeous." She nods. I snake my arm around her shoulders and kiss her temple as we make our way back to the table.

    We''re an hour away from the new year. I can''t wait to spend the next year with her. I have a lot of ns for her. I want to make her the happiest girl. I want to take her to nice ces and travel around the world with her. I want us to make unforgettable memories. I want to st "Hey, Ss." I look at her when she calls my name. "We''re five minutes away from the new year. "Come with me." She intertwines our hands together and takes me to the terrace. "You said you''re going to give me all the cheesy kisses I want, right?" "Yes, I''m going to give you every single kiss in the history of kisses," I tell her.

    "I want our New Year''s kiss to be under the stars! It''s rare to find such a starry night in Winter, so this is a sign," she excitedly says. I look up and she''s right. There are a lot of stars in the sky and the moon is bright.

    "Your wish is mymand, beautiful," I tell her. She looks wless tonight. Absolutely wless. I''m the luckiest man alive to call her mine.

    When the clock ticks and the new year arrives, I pull her towards me and kiss her, giving her the kiss she wants. I can feel her smiling through the kiss and it''s a delightful feeling. It''s bewitching to know that she wants to kiss me too. I think I will never get used to this. "Happy New Year, Rosie."

    "Happy New Year, Ss. I can''t wait to spend my new year with you." I swear, in this moment, I feel like I own the entire world.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 117

    I walk inside the apartment, knowing that my gorgeous Rosie is inside, waiting for me. She

    had a problem with her bathroom this morning, so I told her to stay with me until the problem got fixed. It''s been a month since New Year''s Eve. Every day, I keep thinking that I want to tell her that I love her, but I take it back at the veryst minute because I''m scared that s When I walk inside the apartment, I do not expect to find my gorgeous girl dancing her way around with the earphones in her ears. Every time I see her I keep telling myself that I cannot fall in love with her more than I already am, but then she does something so small that me wonder how my heart beats only for her.

    "Shirts off, and your friends lift you up over their heads, Beer sticking to the floor, Cheers chanted, cause they said, There was no chance, trying to be, The greatest in the league, Where''s the trophy? He justes running over to me." She beautifully sings and the lyrics s singing this song around for a while.

    1 take advantage of how she''s not facing me and while she''s dancing, I pick her up from behind, making her squeal loudly. Iugh as I remove her earphones and turn her around to look at me.

    "You scared the hell out of me!" She punches my chest, but then wraps her arms around me.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "I missed you," I mumble before kissing her lips. I still cannot believe that she''s actually mine. Her agreeing to be mine still feels like something I''m working to achieve.

    "I missed you too," she says when I finally let go of her sweet lips. I had an away game and the team stayed away for three days. I''m used to seeing Rosie every day, so not being able to see her for three days was pure torture. "What''s that song you were singing?" I ask, finally setting her down. I take a seat on the armrest of my couch and she leans against my thigh while standing between my legs. She has one arm around wrapped around my neck.

    "It''s a song I''m madly in love with and honestly... I feel like it fits our rtionship because it''s basically about loving an athlete." Now I''m very interested in listening to that song.

    "Put it on. I wanna listen to it," I tell her, and she immediately nods. "It''s called The Alchemy."

    I carve the name in my memory. I''m not nning on forgetting a song that she considers ours. I pay attention to the lyrics and understand what she means. I look at my Rosie and find her mouthing the lyrics as the song keeps ying. The part she was singing starts ying and I notice how it resembles the way I celebrate with my team after we win any

    game.

    "Definitely ours." I peck her lips. I take a mental note to run and hug the hell out of her the next time I win to make the song extra special for her. "The part you were singing is my favorite."

    "It''s called a bridge," she says, and I nod. "Most of the time, the bridges are the best part about the songs."

    "I want to listen to your favorite bridges," I tell her. I want to know everything she loves. I want her to share with me all of her interests.

    "Really?" The way her eyes light up indicates that I did something good by asking her to introduce me to her favorite bridges.

    "I know that you''ve won, so I decided to make you a nice meal. I called my mum and asked her to tell me one of her great recipes. If all goes well, you''re going to love it" she excitedly fills me in. I know that I''m going to love it. I love everything she does and everything abou Loving Rosie feels like I''m under a love spell. She has be my everything and I don''t want to change anything about. that. She is the sun that lights up my morning and

    the beautiful moon I stare at during the night. She is the air I breathe and the nourishment of my soul.

    r

    1217 Thu, Oct 3 #BB

    Rosie, I need to tell you something." I find myself saying I have been waiting for the right moment, but the more I think about it, the more I feel that there may never be apletely right moment.

    "What is it?" She stares at my face and I fail to divert my attention away from hers. She has her hair in a low ponytail and the way her lips appear glossy makes me want nothing but kiss them. I have learned that

    Rosie is obsessed with lip gloss and likes to wear it all the time

    "You know that for years I have had feelings for you, so whatever I''m going to say isn''t based on the 41 days we''ve spent dating." I tell her, and a gigglees out of her mouth.

    "I''m sorry, but I thought I was the only one counting. It''s such a relief to know that you''re counting to." She wraps both of her arms around my neck.

    "I''ve been counting, cupcake. I kiss the tip of her nose. "I want you to know that I don''t just like you, Rosie. What I''m feeling surpasses the word ''like I love you, Rosie. I love you so much. I sometimes feel that ''love'' is too weak of a word to express what I truly feel for you." I wanted you to know about my true feelings."

    "I love you too, Ss. I love you too." At first, I think that my ears are ying a trick on me, but as I stare at her face and see the way she is waiting for a reaction from me, I be sure that she has actually said it.

    "Come here, my beauty queen" My paims rest on her back as I bring her close to me. She rests her soft hand on my cheek as I lean down, and our hips meet. Her kisses are always sweet and full of passion. She fuels me with a burning desire for her and my favorite thing the way we kiss is the way she melts into me, as if we''re just one soul.

    Nothing in this world beats the way Rosie Kensington ma

 Chapter 118

    "Can you stop bossing us around for a second?" Knox whines as I give him and Dave instructions on how to hang the fairy lights in the backyard.

    "Aaron is going to bring him soon and we''re far from done! I can''t just stop!" I tell him before rushing to the table to make sure that everything is nicely set on the table.

    Ss''s birthday is today and I called the guys a few days ago, telling them that I wanted to throw him a birthday party at the team''s house. I know his mum is going to throw him a birthday party since he''s officially turning twenty- one, but I wanted to do something for him, that''s why I''m throwing him a party.

    It''s already April. Ss and I have been dating for four months. I still cannot believe that we''re dating. Our rtionship has gotten stronger than ever. I almost forgot how we used to be before we started dating.

    His love is surreal. It''s like I''m living in one of the novels I read. Despite the happiness I''m living in, part of me is scared. Because just like

    how the books I read are full of happiness and love, they also tend to have turning points that can break hearts into millions of pieces. I''m petrified of this moment and praying with everything in me that it neveres. The cake isn''t here yet and

    I''m trying not to freak out. Alexa and Caroline are supposed to be bringing it. Aaron is twenty minutes away from here and the cake is nowhere to be found. When is the right moment to freak out? Well, it''s not just the cake I''m worried about. It''s not like we''re going to blow To be honest, I''m thankful that Ss introduced me to his friends. I have never been a member of a huge group of friends like that. I thought I wasn''t fit for such friendships, but this group proved me otherwise. They weed me among them and made an effort to get to kr The girls made sure to include me in their girls'' night from the first month I got to know them and we formed a bond that I will always be grateful for. What I love the most is that recently, Sabrina has also be a football girlfriend. Knox asked her out two months ago and "Nash, you''ve got the speakers all set, right?" I check for probably the third time.

    "Yes, and Karl has all the beverages in the tank over there, so you don''t need to check that with him," Nash replies, sitting on one of the chairs, just chilling. I wish I were as rxed as he is.

    "The cake is here! Calm down!" Sabrina hollers. I breathe out in relief the moment I spot Alexa and Caroline.

    "I''m gonna put it in the fridge. Thank you so much!" I blow them a kiss in the air before taking the cake from them. I set it on the kitchen counter and open the box to make sure that it''s the same one I ordered. After making sure that everything is great, I ce it carefully in t "Aaron has just texted me! They''re outside the house," Caroline tells us, and we all gather in one spot. He won''t be able to spot us once he opens the backyard door. He will need to turn slightly to the right since we set everything on the right side of the backyard. I look at my dress and smoothened its skirt. It''s avender dress he bought me two weeks

    ago while we were at the mall. Ss loves pampering me and to be honest, I like it when he pampers me. I check my wrist to make sure that the bracelet he got me on Christmas is on. It''s a diamond bracelet that has an open book in the middle. I cried when he got it for me Dave, Nash, and Karl twist the bottom part of the confetti cannon upon seeing Ss and the confetti fills the sky.

    "Happy birthday!" We all shout in unison.

    I run towards him and wrap my arms around his body. "Happiest of birthdays, icing!" I beam. The way he squeezes my body makes my smile widen. Whenever Ss hugs me, I never want him to let go. He doesn''t just make me feel loved, but he provides me with a unique

    don''t know I want or need....

    D

    7.7.

    "Thank you, cupcake!" He pecks my lips. I steal a nce at his face and my heart swoons when I notice the way he''s smiling. I know Ss''s real smile and this one is a breath-taking real smile that I would kill to see every day. I step aside, letting everybody greet him. "Thank you, guys. This is amazing!" Ss says, looking at everything we''ve prepared in the backyard.

    "You should thank your girl! She is behind all of this," Justin tells him, but I shake my head.

    "We all worked together." I don''t like taking credit for something I didn''t do. Without them, I would not have been able to do anything.

    "On a side note, God be with you, man. She''s bossy!" Knox yfullyins and I throw an empty stic cup at him. "Don''t attack my bestie!" Sabrina jumps to the rescue. "She is just detailed and very organized."

    "You''re my girlfriend. Take my side!" Knox looks at her, feigning being hurt.

    "They''ve known each other for longer, so don''t try to get between them," Ss warns him, and I wiggle my eyebrows at him to tease him.

    "As a thank you, you''re all invited to dinner at my ce next Saturday. Does that make it up to you, Knox?"

    "You''re bribing me with food, Kensington?" He raised one eyebrow at me as he folded his arms over his chest.

    "Precisely." I grin.

    "And I ept this sort of bribery." He grins back, making the othersugh. "Have you tried her food, guys? She is really good."

    "You haven''t tried Mum''s food. She is amazing!" I tell him. "Maybe we can host a gathering at my ce during Summer." I know that my parents won''t mind hosting a big gathering.

    "That would be cool," Caroline exims.

    Usually, I don''t like letting peoplee to my ce, but I trust this group. They''re all great friends and I have never seen them act maliciously. I feelfortable around them, and I''m certain if any of them weren''t good, Ss would tell me.

    For the whole day, we end up dancing together, goofing around and just having fun. Our finals are close and some of these guys won''t be around next year because they will be graduating, so we''re trying to make the most out of the time we have left.

    I know that Caroline is going to miss Aaron a lot because he is graduating this year while she still has a year left. We talked about it, and she told me that she knew she was going to struggle a lot with the long- distance rtionship, yet she was doing her best to appear strong in front of him. He has already been drafted and is supposed to sign the contract next month. He is going to be a professional football yer.

    When I look at her rtionship with Justin, I find myself thinking if this is how I''m going to be

    next year. Ss is going to be a senior and I''m certain that many teams will want him to join them. I''m so used to him being in my life now, that I don''t know what I''m going to do without him.

    Whenever I catch myself wandering about such thoughts, I try to push them away and tell myself to enjoy the moment because nobody knows what''s going to happen next year. Life is full of surprises and nobody can expect anything.

    "Thank you for organizing all of this," Ss says once he horizontally lies down in bed and I curl up against him. We haven''t even changed out of our clothes, but we have developed a habit of lying down on the bed for a few minutes before changing.

    111

    "You deserve the best. This is the least I can do," I mumble, looking up at him. "We need to change," I remind him.

    "I know," he says, but neither of us moves.

    It takes us a while to move and when we do, we quickly change, then lie down in my bed for a while. Sometimes, we spend the night at my ce and other times, we spend it at his ce. For the past month, I don''t think either of us has slept on their own. 1 like cuddling with Ss. I love the way he holds me in his sleep. When I wake up every morning, I usually find him spooning me.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "Hey Rosie," he whispers, causing me to look up at him. My chest is pressed against his chest. He has one arm under my body and the other curled on top of it. He likes holding me like that even though I always ask him if his arm gets numb because of my weight. He alwa much, cupcake."

    "I love you too, icing," I murmur, smiling up at him.

    I don''t think my life could get any better.

    0

 Chapter 119

    Before I know it, freshman year is over. Ss and I have the entire Summer to spend together. Well, it''s not like we''re going to move in together during Summer, but I know that we''re going to spend most of it with one another. Part of me is excited to be back home, but I know that I''m going to miss being a minute away from Ss. What I''m really excited about is our trip to Italy. We''re leaving in four days, and I cannot wait to spend those then days with him. When we talked to my parents about that, I was scared that they might get upset, because I would spend ten days of my Summer vacation away from them. However, all they cared about was making sure to remind Ss to keep me safe.

    I wait for Kendall at the mall at a caf¨¦ I love. We''re supposed to meet today to go shopping, but Kendall isn''t exactly the most punctual person in the world. She is thirty minuteste, but since I have downloaded a book on my phone, I know exactly how to kill this time/Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    My phone dings with a notification from Ss and I instantly smile when I see what he has sent me. For the past week, he has been sending me pictures of romantic ces in Italy, telling me that he is nning on giving me cheesy kisses in all of these ces. ''You taste as delicious as Italian gto :** His text says. It is a picture of two gto cones in front of the most famous gto ce in Rome.

    I went to Italy three years ago, but I''m sure that this time is going to be very different. Not just different. It''s going to be special because Ss knows how to make everything special for me. You surely know how to make me excited babe

 Chapter 120

    120

    Rosie was supposed to be here over forty minutes ago, yet she hasn''t arrived yet. ording to the GPS, there is no traffic, so I don''t know what''s taking her so long to arrive. I tried calling her, but she didn''t pick up. This makes me on pins and needles. Rosie always picks up whenever I call, so to have her disappear like that is causing my nerves to be all over the ce. "Dude, chill. She is probably on her way," my friend attempts to calm me down.

    I don''t want to be pessimistic, but I have a strong feeling that something is wrong. I don''t have Kendall''s number, so I can''t even call her. I should have had her number saved. I hate how helpless I feel. There must be something I can do to get to her. My eyes are glued to my phone, hoping I can see her name on the screen, I don''t know for how long I''ve been staring, but when my phone rings, I jump up from my ce. Why is Emily calling me? This cannot be good.

    Hesitantly, I answer. "Hello, Emily."

    Maybe I''m just thinking of the worst. Maybe there is some sort of surprise Rosie is preparing for me and she just wants her mum to get me to go somewhere for the surprise.

    &

    ¦Á

    "Ss." She sniffs and my heart sinks. This is surely not good. "Rosie had a terrible ident." I knew something was wrong.

    "What ident? When? She told me she wasing." I''m already on my way to the car. Everything is spinning around me. I cannot think straight.

    "She was on her way back to you, but a car hit hers and... I don''t know the rest," Emily is crying over the phone.

    "Which hospital? I''ming now!" My heart is threatening to jump out of my chest. Maybe ¨¦mily is just exaggerating because it''s daughter. Maybe this isn''t a bad ident.

    My Rosie survived an explosion. I''m sure she can survive it. She is a fighter. She wants to go to Italy. She isn''t going to miss this trip. There are a lot of cheesy romantic kisses she wants me to give her and I''m certain she''s not going to throw this opportunity away. The hospital isn''t far away from where I am, so it takes me less than twenty minutes to get there. The moment I arrive, I call Emily to know where she is. "I''m here. Where are you?" I''m breathless. I just want toy my eyes on Rosie to make sure that she''s okay. I want to take her in my arms and let her sweet scent hit me. the reception. I''ming," she tells me before hanging up. I wait anxiously for her to appear in front of me. Millions of thoughts are running through my head and none of them is positive. Negativity is taking over me and I can''t silence it.

    "Stay at

    "Ss" I turn around and find Emily. This is the worst state I''ve ever seen her in. Her face is puffy and her hair is messily pulled back. I approach her and when I get closer, a sob escapes her. I pull her into a gentle hug and she holds onto me as her body shakes. I''m scared of asking her why she''s crying like that. I don''t know what to expect. No, my expectations are all terrible and I''m scared of voicing them out. My tongue is heavy and as I rub Emily''s back, I try to speak, but I can''t. I''m petrified. I''m not ready to hear her telling me that Rosie is between life and death

    "H-how''s Rosie?" I stutter as she moves away from me. I need to know what''s wrong with the girl I love.

    3

    6

    "The doctors say that it''s a miracle she''s alive. The ident was so bad. Julian saw the car and it''s all crumpled," she tells me as she wipes her tears.

    I breathe out in relief. Rosie is alive. I haven''t lost her.

    "Where is Rosie? Can we see her?" I ask Emily, but she shakes her head. Why is she shaking her head? Haven''t she just said that she''s alive?

    "She''s in surgery. They say that she''s in a critical condition. She lost a lot of blood." My heart shatters upon hearing that. No, she''s going to be okay. She''s going to make it. I know my girl. She is a beautiful fighter who can do anything she wants. She has a strong will and

    this is one of the things I love about her.

    "She''s going to make it. I don''t understand why you''re crying. Rosie is one of the strongest people I''ve ever met in my entire life." How does she not know her daughter? I don''t understand why she''s acting like that. She''s going to make it. Even if we''re going to postpone our trip, that''s okay. She''s going to get out of the hospital and we''re going to make sure that she''s all good and healthy, then we can go wherever she wants. "Come with me," she mumbles as she rubs my arm.

    I follow her, trying to push away from my mind any negative thoughts. I don''t want to allow my mind to wander into any negative area.

    I find Julian in the waiting room and take a seat beside him.

    est

    "She''s going to be okay," I find myself telling him. I have a strong belief that she''s going to walk out of this ce all well and healthy.

    "They said that they would do everything in their power. The ident was terrible," he says. He sounds like his spirit has left his body, as if I''m talking to a robot.

    "She didn''t want to tell you when it happened because she didn''t want to scare you, but did explosion?" I need them to believe that she''s strong enough to make it.

    you

    know that she

    survived an

    ""What explosion?" He frowns, looking at me.

    "Around November, I think. She was at a pizza ce and an explosion happened at that ce due to a gas leak. She survived with a mild concussion, a gash on her palm, and a small wound on her temple." Y didn''t she tell us?" Emily asks. didn''t want you to worry," I reply.

    My parents arrive in fifteen minutes. We wait for a while and I try to stay calm even though I want to break down. But if I break down, Emily''s going to get worse. She is a mess and Julian is doing his best tofort her. Julian isn''t okay, but he''s holding himself together for her.

    I don''t know how long I''ve been waiting, but when I see two doctors walking towards us, I stand up quickly. I don''t know what they''re about to say, but I''m scared. There''s only one thing I want to hear. I want them to tell me that she''s okay and we can take her home within a day or two. "We managed to stop the bleeding. She''s stable now, but we''re going to monitor her for the next twenty-four hours to make sure that she''s okay." The way Emily breathes makes me think that she has been holding her breath for hours.

    "Can we please see her?" I request. I want toy my eyes on her face. If I cannot talk to her, I, at least, want to look at her. You may look at her from the window, but you can''t enter the ICU," one of the doctors tells me. I will take what I can get. I''m sure that seeing her is going to ease my burning heart. I''m sure it''s going to alleviate my pain.

    We all walk to the ICU and stand behind the window. I suck in a breath when I see her. She is hooked to many machines and

    BG BB 160.72%

    her face has many bruises. I remind myself that she''s going to be okay and that she made it. All of these are going to fade over time.

    I want to hold her hand and feel her skin against mine. It may seem silly but touching her will provide me with the assurance I need to remind myself that she''s still here.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "We should all go home. It''s no use staying here," Mum says, cing her hand on Emily''s shoulder.

    "I don''t want to leave her on her own." She sniffs, her eyes not parting from the ss window.

    "Staying here won''t benefit her, honey. We wille first thing in the morning," Julian speaks gently to his wife. When she looks at him, he brings his fingers to her face and wipes her tears. "I promise we will be here early, yeah?" Julian says as his wife hides her face in his chest. The way he holds andforts her speaks a million words about the love he has for this

    woman.

    Just like how it''s not easy for Emily to leave. It''s not easy for me to leave too. I don''t want Rosie to spend the night on her own here. I know that she''s not going to wake up until tomorrow but this isn''t enough for me to go; however, I know my parents won''t let me stay here. I stare at my injured girl for a few more seconds before I force myself to walk away from the window. I''m not sure if I''m going to sleep tonight, but I''m sure that I''m going to be here the moment the sun rises. A

    5

    3

 Chapter 121

    I have been here for four hours, and Rosie hasn''t woken up yet. Thankfully, she is stable, which helps a little with my nerves. I''m trying to prevent my mind from wandering to the darkest ces by reminding myself that she is still stable, but as time passes, the effect of this is starting to fade. I told Knoxst night and he told Sabrina who didn''t take it well ording to what he had told me. She wanted toe, but I told Knox to tell her to wait until Rosie woke up. As for Kendall, she learned about what happened yesterday. Instead ofing, Emily asked her if she could stay with Holden and Lily because the two of them had not been okay after learning about what happened to their sister. I''m trying to

    to hold myself together, but it is not easy. I don''t know for how long I''m supposed to keep the strong fa?ade. I''m anything but strong. The moment I arrived, I stayed in front of the window for an hour, doing nothing but watching her, hoping she''d wake up, but she didn''t. The doctor said that was normal and she was supposed to wake up anytime throughout the day if her vitals remained stable.

    ??

    "Here you go," I say, handing Julian and Emily the coffee I bought them. I''m trying to keep myself busy, but even while doing that, Rosie is the one consuming my thoughts. "Thank you." Emily offers me a small smile. She looks better than the way she looked yesterday. She is dressed in some ck leggings, a beige top, and a ck cardigan.

    "The ident is all over the news," Julian mutters as he scrolls through his phone. "I expected that to happen, but I really wish they could give us some privacy."

    "I can call the securitypany my family deals with to bring us some bodyguards to the hospital," I suggest. I want to help in any way. I want to feel useful and helpful. Seeing Rosie like that makes me feel helpless and I hate the way this feels, so I just want this family to feel that I can offer them any sort of support.

    "Thank you, but I''ve already called them. We deal with the samepany," he gently reminds me, and I nod.

    There must be t be something I I can do. I can''t just sit there and do nothing. It doesn''t feel right.

    "I''m going to check on Rosie," I tell them before walking away. If there''s nothing I can do for them, I can at least stay with my girlfriend in some way. I know that she cannot see me, but I don''t want to leave her on her own.

    Once I arrive, rive, I see a flood of medical staff running inside the ICU, making my heart sink. I rush, attempting to see anything from the window, but they''re hindering my view. I see a nurse walking out of the door, and I dash towards her. "Is she okay? What''s going on with her?" I frantically ask. "She is okay. She''s actually waking up and the doctor is making sure that she''s okay." Not once in my life have I felt this kind of relief before. Rosie is okay. She is okay. She woke up.

    I rush to the waiting room to deliver the news to her parents. I''m finally able to put them out of their misery.

    When

    Julian sees me jogging towards him, he quickly stands up with worry written all over his face. I know that he''s thinking of the worst, but I''m not here to deliver any bad news. "She''s awake! She woke up," I breathlessly say. His tense shoulders fall in rxation when I tell him that and Emily''s eyes tear up while a smile gets drawn over her lips.

    The three of us rush to the ICU. Julian knocks on the door, not knowing if we''re now allowed to walk inside or not.

    Once a nurse opens the door, Julian quickly says, "My daughter is inside. We learned that she woke up. Can we please see her?"

    100000, 72% B B.

    do you know these people?" the doctor asks Rosie when we approach her.

    "Let t me check with the doctor." She keeps the door half open and I try to catch a glimpse of my girl. She doesn''t take long toe back and when she opens the door, I sigh in relief. We''re about to see her. Finally, we''re going to see her without any ss windows between us. "Rosie, "Of course." She slowly nods as her eyes move among us. Her eyes linger on me for a couple of seconds and I try to tell myself that the look of confusion that shes through her eyes is something I''vepletely imagined. "These are my parents and this is Ss." "Cupcake, are you okay?" Emily coos as she holds Rosie''s hand.

    "I have a

    e a headache, and my body is in pain," she replies her eyes moving among us.

    "This is normal, Rosie. The ident was terrible. Do you remember what happened exactly?" the doctor asks her.

    She stays silent for a few seconds, attempting to remember anything about the ident. "No." Her voice is shaky. I want to hug her and assure her that everything is going to be okay. to leave you

    I''m

    "That''s okay. This is normal," the doctor assures us. going to When he walks out, Emily leans down and presses her lips against Rosie''s her for a while. Don''t exhaust her and don''t make her get out of bed unless it''s necessary, but she can sit up if she wants."

    forehead. "I''m so thankful that you''re okay, cupcake. I can''t believe that I almost lost you."

    "Can you please raise the back of the bed? I want to sit up," she requests, looking at all of us. Julian reaches for the remote control of the bed and raises it until it''s good enough for her. "Was the ident that bad?" Rosie quietly asks. Yes, cupcake. It''s a miracle that you''re alive," Julian tells his daughter as he kisses the top of her head. "A car hit you from behind while you were on your way to Ss yesterday."

    A frown appears between her eyebrows as she looks at me. "On my way to you? Why was I on my way to you?" She genuinely sounds confused.

    "We were going bowling together," I remind her, but her confusion only increases.

    "Together? Why were we going together? Since when do you go out together?" Herst question hits me hard and I try to hide my shock. There is one thought in my head and I try to ignore it. I look at Emily and Julian and the same worry I have inside of me is drawn all over their faces. "Rosie, we have been dating for over six months," I utter the words that I''m aware are about to reveal a lot of things.

    Her eyes widen for a second before a smile appears on her face. Soon, her smile turns into augh and I try to hold myself together.

    "This is a nice prank, guys. As if Ss and I would ever date." Everything I have ever nned with her has just been destroyed in the blink of an eye.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 122

    I know that Ss is a prankster when ites to me, but does he really think that now is the right time? I have just woken up and ording to what I have been told, I survived an atrocious ident, so now can never be a suitable time. "Rosic, what''s thest thing you remember?" Mum asks me. I don''t like the look on her face. It is full of concern and anxiousness, causing my stomach to turn. "I have just finished my junior year and I''m ready to start my senior year," my answer rolls off my mouth with ease.

    "Oh God..." I hear Ss say. The look of shock on his face brings ne a kind of pain I do not understand.

    "Okay, maybe this is just temporary," Mum says, looking between Ss and Dad.

    "What''s temporary?" I frown. I suddenly feel the urge to get out of this bel. I try to lift myself up, but I wince in pain. The way Ss hurries towards me to get me to stay down and the look he has in his eyes say a thousand words. "You heard the doctor. Don''t move now," he gently reminds me,

    "Have eyes.

    I lost my memory?" I find myself asking him. I choke on my own wards and tears suddenly brim at the corner of my

    "I need you to calm down. Julian has gone to fetch the doctor, okay? Let''s not freak out now." I can sense myself heaving, but something about the way Ss is holding my hand is preventing my state from getting worse. don''t want him to let go of my hand. He is bringing me some sort offort, which is very weird. I know that deep down, Ss and I don''t hate each other, but I never thought of him as anything but a friend. I know that if I''m in trouble, I can depend on Ss to help me out, but I never thought that I could fall for him.

    Dad walks back inside with the doctor and I take a shaky breath. I don''t know what to expect and I''m scared. The sense of loss I''m now experiencing is awful.

    "Rosie, you look tense. Try to rx, please." The doctor says as he stands beside me. "Your dad is telling me that there are things you don''t remember. You don''t remember your boyfriend, right?"

    "No." I shake my head. "I mean I know Ss, of course. I have known him for years, but I don''t remember anything about us dating."

    "Rosie, how old I are you?" he asks me.

    "Sixteen. I''m about to turn seventeen soon," The way Mum closes her eyes when I say, that tells me that there is a gap in my life that I know nothing about. "Am I not sixteen?" I cautiously ask.

    "Rosie, you''re eighteen and you finished your freshman year in college." I gasp when Dad tells me that. This can''t be true. How did I manage to forget two years of my life? Is this normal? Am I going to get my memory back?

    "Did I... did I get into my dream college?" I ask. I have so many questions, but this is the first one I manage to utter.

    "Yes, honey," Mum answers me and I let out a small smile. At least something good has happened throughout these two years I know nothing about. What else did it manage to do?Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    I know that I now have a boyfriend, but I wonder if something exciting took ce during those years.

    "Am I going to be able to remember those two years I remember nothing of?" I ask the doctor. I hate not being in the know, so to find out that there are two years I have no memory of is quite torturing.

    I

    "Most people regain their memory," the doctor says and my heart drops.

    TU:17

    que, uci O

    -

    "Most people? Does themean that some people fail to regain their memory?" My voice cracks. No, I don''t want that. I want to regain my memory.

    my

    "Yes, but we don''t need to focus on that. You must be positive and focus on getting better," he tells me, but I shake head. There are millions of thoughts going on in my head, yet I can''t trante them into words. Mum and Dad walk outside with the doctor, leaving me alone with Ss. I look up at him, feeling lost. I don''t know what to

    do.

    "Rosie, I know this is hard and I understand that you have lots of questions. I will do anything you want to make you feel better," he tells me. My breath starts to quicken and I look down. I don''t know what I''m supposed to say. It''s not like I can talk right now. I just want to cry.

    Tears start rolling down my cheeks and Ss sits on the bed beside me. Gently, he wipes my tears with his fingers and hesitantly, he slowly pulls me into his embrace. His touch is warm and full of love that I find myself holding onto him.

    "I don''t like this, Ss. I don''t like not knowing what happened during the past two years," I whimper and he rubs my back. I remember the way Ss took care of me when I found out my ex-boyfriend cheating on me.

    "Nobody would like that, Rosic, but you''re going to get through this. You''re very strong and you won''t let this bring you down. You''re way stronger than that," he says as I slowly pull away from his gentle hold. "You have all of us with you, Rosie. You won''t be alone. We will help you out. You have great friends who will do everything in their power to help you out."

    "Did I make new friends?" I quietly ask as I sniff.

    I about you," he replies with a smile.

    Amazing friends and they''re all s?" I 1

    "Do you... do do you I have pictures

    of us?" I wonder. Maybe if I see some pictures I can recall anything. Maybe I just need to be told about the life I remember nothing about to stimte my memory.

    "Of course." I watch as Ss scrolls through his phone. He then hands me the phone and I look at the various pictures in his gallery. Some of them are for us, some of them are just for me and others are for us with a group of people I don''t remember any of them. I stare at the pictures of us and it''s hard to deny how in love the two of us look. "We look so happy and... in love." I hand him back the phone. It''s not easy to say these words out loud to Ss.

    "Because we are or were, I mean are." Frustration takes over him as he rubs his face. "I''m sorry. I don''t know what''s the right tense to use." "Does this ident make

    less?" I ask, fiddling with my fingers.

    "Of course not!" he ke you love me anyhout the way he answers makes me relieved.

    quickly says. Something a

    "Did we use to spend a lot of time with each other?" I ask. I want to know more.

    "Almost every day. During college, we live in the same apartment building." My eyes go wide upon hearing that.

    The same building? How did we even end up living in the same building?

    "Will you... help me out with all of this?" I cautiously ask. I don''t want to put any burdens on him, but I have a feeling that Ss can be of great help.

    "I will do anything you want, Rosie. Just tell me what you want and consider it done," he replies, reaching for my hand. I like the way our hands fit together.

 Chapter 123

    I stayed at the hospital for three days. They needed to make sure that I was okay. Ss didn''t leave me during those three days except when the nurses told him to do so at night. admit, I''m enjoying hispany, but I don''t feel anything towards him. Yes, I''m more than grateful for his help, but shouldn''t I feel love for him? The kind of love that would make me want to throw myself in his embrace the moment I see him. The kind of love that would make me long for his kiss. I caught myself one time thinking about how his lips tasted against mine, but it was mere curiosity. He has been very considerate with me. Yes, he hugs me, holds my hand and kisses my cheek, but not once has he tried to kiss me. Is he waiting for me to give him the green light? Am I supposed to make the first move or ask him to kiss me? "You remember me, right?" Lily asks me with fear in her voice when I walk inside our home. "Of course I do,

    I tell her. "Aren''t me She towards me when I say that. I wince when into and quickly apologizes. Mum and Dad didn''t bring Lily and Holden to the hospital because the whole family has been trying to keep a low profile ever since the ident took ce. There were a lot of reporters in front of the hospital this morning. I was not sure how they learned that I was leaving, but Mum told me they had beening on a daily basis, trying to catch any photos for the family.

    My right ankle is fractured, so my leg is in a cast. With the help of my dad, I walk to the living room. I take a seat on the couch and stretch my legs. Ss was with me this morning when I left the hospital, but he said that he needed to go pick his sister up because she wanted to see me.

    I''m still not used to being around him all the time. I''m not sure if whatever I''m feeling is some sort of difort or if this all just seems foreign to me because my mind cannot ept that we''re now dating, but I think I need my distance. The thing is, I don''t know how to tell him that without hurting him. He has been absolutely considerate and nice to me, so causing him the least amount of pain is thest thing I want to do.

    "Here you go." Kendall hands me a ss of strawberry juice before taking a seat beside me. "You''ve got a lot on your mind, she says, looking at me.

    "Can you me me?" I inhale. "I''m perplexed and... I hate how I feel that there''s a big chunk of my life missing."

    "That''s understandable. You don''t have to feel bad because you feel like that. I can help you out with anything you want," she tells me.

    "Rosie!" I hear my brother''s voice calling my name the second he steps inside the house. I know that he had ser practice. That''s why he wasn''t home when I first arrived.

    "Hey buddy," I say with a smile, handing my juice to Kendall before hugging Holden.

    "I was so worried about you," he says, making my heart tingle. "You''re okay now, right?"

    "I''m all right, Holden. My memory is just a little bit fuzzy, but I''m sure that I''m going to get it back," I tell him. I''m not sure if I''m going to get my memory back or not, but I want to assure my brother that there''s nothing to worry about. I cannot push away the doctor''s words about the possibility of not getting back my memory

    "What can''t you remember?" he wonders. "You can remember us, right?"

    "Of course, I can remember you, but I cannot remember thest two years," I exin.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "We can make you a notebook of everything we remember about thest couple of years and give it to you to read. Maybe this can help you out," Lily suggests when she joins us. Her words bring a smile to my face. I love how considerate my siblings are.

    69

    "Thank you, Lil. I think that would be great," I tell her. I love the look of encouragement she has in her eyes.

    My siblings decide to leave me with my best friend for a while. There are a lot of questions I want to ask her, but I don''t

    know which ones to start with!

    5

    "Ss told me that I now have lots of friends at college. He even withowed me pictures. Am I friends with a lot of people now?" ask that I have never been surrounded by a huge group of friends

    when he introduced you to the team, you became friends with some of them and their girlfriends too. You also have a friend called Sabrina. She has the same major as you. There''s another friend who is called Everest. Ss is not too fond of him though." "Why isn''t Ss fond of him?" I frown as I inquire about that guy I don''t remember anything about. "Ss has always thought that Everest has feelings for you," my best friend fills me in. Was my college life dramatic? I have a feeling that many exciting events took ce and I''m really irritated that I can''t remember anything. I really wish all of this is temporary. I hate not being in t in the know.

    As we''re talking, the doorbell rings and the maid goes to open the door. "Where''s Rosie?" I hear Aniyah''s voice.

    "I''m here!" I call out. I hear her running towards me before I get to see her. My mouth curls into a huge smile when I see the balloons she''s holding and the chocte basket. "Oh my God, Aniyah. This is so thoughtful of you!" I exim, opening my arms for the young girl. Thank you," 1

    I''m so d you''re okay," she murmurs as she holds onto me.

    "Hello, Cusay, gently caressing her hair. "Holden and Lily are upstairs. Do you want to join them?" I ask and she nods.

    "All right. I''m going to leave you to catch up. I will

    Ss says as he wraps one arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head. Why isn''t he kissing me on the lips? "How are you feeling?" he asks, beside me.

    "Why haven''t you kissed me?"ting down pass by tomorrow," Kendall says, standing up. After giving me a quick hug and saying goodbye to Ss, she leaves.

    ¡°I

    He looks taken aback by what I''ve just said, but I want to know why he hasn''t done it yet. What''s stopping him from kissing me? Aren''t I his girlfriend? Shouldn''t he want to kiss me?

    "I want to kiss you more than anything, Rosie, but I don''t know how I''m supposed to act around you. I don''t know the boundaries you now have or how you see us," he tells me. I hate the evident frustration in his voice.

    "Kiss me, Ss," I softly demand. The way he closes the space between us in less than a second and his lips meet mine. He cups my cheeks with his hands and I wen my hand into the back of his hair, feeling his soft hair against my fingers. Kissing Ss feels weird, but it doesn''t feel bad. I feel like something is wrong, but I don''t know what it is. I don''t know what is missing. Could it be my feelings for him?

    He slowly pulls away and I feel his eyes searching my face for something. I don''t want to look him in the eyes, because I don''t know what to tell him.

    "You don''t... you don''t feel anything for me, right?" He is trying to sound natural but the pain in his voice doesn''t escape my notice.

    just need some time. Can you give me that?" My heart is beating so fast.

    "Of course, Rosie. Tell me what you want, and I will do it." His smile isn''t real, and I don''t like it. I don''t like the pain in his eyes. I''m not used to Ss being like that.

    "Ss, I''m not breaking up with you. I just need you to walk me through our rtionship and be patient with me," I tell him.

    I don''t want to lose Ss. I know I may be selfish, but part of me knows that I need him because he is a big part of the period I cannot remember.

    He reaches for my hand and brings it to his mouth to kiss it. "We will do anything you want, Rosie," he assures me. Despite the confusion I''m drowning in, I''m certain that being with Ss will provide me with the safety and security I''m currently looking for.

 Chapter 124

    I''m trying to act strong, but I don''t know if I can keep up the act. I know that what happened is out of Rosie''s hands, but I''m only human. I can''t act like I''m not bothered by how she cannot remember our rtionship. I see the way she looks at me and I try to make her believe that I don''t notice it. She makes me think that she''s trying to figure out how she managed to fall in love with me. It''s been two weeks since her return home. Part of me wants to see her every day, yet I know that she needs her distance. I know that she wants to figure things out on her own without me. That''s why I''m giving her space as much as she needs and as much as I can. To say that she was shocked when I told her about how we started dating would be an understatement. She couldn''t believe. that she was on board with the whole n. When I told her about how she said that she fed up with being the good girl and she wanted any kind of adventure in her life, she seemed in disbelief. I kind of understood where she wasing from because the decision to fake-date me was out of her character. When I talked to her about our first date, she seemed to like it. I even offered to redo it if it was going to help her remember and she liked the idea. I want to help her in any way, but I also don''t want to intervene with her life. Even if she wants my help from afar, I will do I''m a little worried about how today is going to go. I''m supposed to be taking her to the team house to meet those who can make it to the gathering we''re holding especially for her. I asked everyone to keep their distance until I felt like she was ready, but Rosie was the one who asked me if she could meet them.

    that.

    that.

    $

    P

    I ring the doorbell and wait for anybody to open the door for me. It takes less than thirty seconds for the door to open. My mouth automatically turns into a smile when I find Rosie in front of me in a pink floral dress. She is thankfully getting better and all of her bruises have faded. "Hi Ss." She smiles at me.

    "Hello Rosie," I say. It''s been two weeks since Ist kissed her and I''ve been craving her lips ever since. But I can''t kiss her. I can''t do it now. She has to be fullyfortable with the kiss. "Are you ready to go?" I ask her.

    "Yeah, let''s go." I like that she''s in a good mood. I don''t know how she''s going to take being surrounded by a bunch of people she remembers none of, but it''s a step that she wants to take, so I''m going to take her hand and let her take every step she wants.

    But what I really hate is that Everest is going to be there. I don''t want to see him, but I''m not going to take away part of her memories just because I don''t like that part. I could never do that to her. "Do I look good enough?" She sounds skeptical.

    "You look absolutely gorgeous," I tell her, causing her to blush.

    She closes the door behind her and the two of us head to my car I open the passenger door for her and she stares at the passenger seat for a few seconds. "What''s wrong?" I ask, looking at her.

    "It''s just... I don''t think I''m ready to get in the passenger seat," she admits with a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "I''m... scared."

    "Do you want to get in the backseat?" I offer. If she''s notfortable with sitting in the front, she can sit in the back. I don''t want her to be stressed.

    "Would that upset you?" she carefully asks.

    "Of course not! I want you rxed, Rosie," I assure her. I close the passenger door and open the door of the backseat.

    She breathes out in relief and surprises me by giving me a kiss while thanking me.

    3

    "Do you think they will take well how I cannot remember them? she cautiously asks as I start driving. I can see how nervous she is as I look at her face in the rearview mirror. I wish there''s something I could do to ease her nerves. "Of course, Rosie. They will never hold that against you," I assure her. "You told me before that singing along to your favorite songs puts you in a great mood. Why don''t you st your favorite songs?" I want her to feel better. I hate seeing her like that. "Did we use to do that together?" she wonders.

    "You''re the one who taught me to sing at the top of my lungs in the car. You told me that it improved the mood, and you were absolutely correct," I remind her.

    "What else did we use to do?" she asks, looking at me.

    I stop my car when we stop at a red light and look at her. "You used to tell me about your favorite scenes from the books you read. You even taught me all the bookish terms you know like trope, MMC, FMC, enemies to lovers, and all of these things." "Has my favorite tropes changed over the years?"

    "I don''t know what you used to like before, but now you adore enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience. You hate mimunication trope," I tell her.N?velDrama.Org content.

    "I used to be a s**er for found family trope when I was sixteen," she fills me in. This is my first time to learn that about her. "Do you think we can stop by my apartment before we get back home?" she requests.

    "Of course! What else do you want to do?" I want to make her happy andfortable, so I''m willing to do anything for her sake

    "I don''t know. Do you think we''re going to have time to do anything else?" She wonders.

    "We can always return whenever you want, Ro?ie," I tell her.

    "But don''t you

    i have

    the world, I will take I will take her anywhere she wants.

    other things to do?" She doesn''t understand she is my priority. Whatever she wants, I will get it for her. She is at the top of my list. If she wants me to take her on a drive in the middle of the night, I will do it. If she wants us to take a ne to any ce in "Even if I have millions of things to do, Rosie, you''re still my priority. It may be hard for you to believe that, buttely this has been the case," I tell her. The way she blushed makes me want to take her in my embrace and memorize every single detail about her wless face as you so much, ss. I don''t know to repay you for everything I have put you through," she says, looking down. nt kisses on it.

    "Thank you so much,

    I want to reach for her hand. I miss the way her hand feels against mine. "You don''t need to repay me, Rosie. You''re my girl. It''s my role to be here for you. I want to be here for you." After ten more minutes, we make it to the house. I help Rosie get out of the car and I watch as she stares at the house, probably trying to remember anything about it.

    "I came here before, right?" she hesitantly asks, looking at me.

    T

    "Yes, you came here at least four times," I tell her. The way her shoulders slump makes me want to take back my words. I hate how frustrated she is. I wish I could put an end to what she''s going through, but it''s out of my hands.

    "I''m scared." The mask she has been wearing falls and her vulnerability shows. I take a deep breath and gently pull her against mine. I can feel how tense she is in my arms, yet she wraps her arms around my body and holds on with all the strength she has in her. "I know they may seem like new people to you, but I want you to be sure that they know you and they love you," I say, caressing her long hair. "I''ve got you, Rosie. If you wanna leave at any moment, just tell me."

    "Okay." She slowly nods, staring at me for a second with her captivating blue eyes.

    9

    "Let''s go, cupcake." I kiss her forehead before taking her hand in mine, hoping for the best because I cannot handle seeing her upset.

 Chapter 125

    stunning

    Ss was right. I had no reason to be scared of meeting them. They are all so nice and understand what I have been through. I thought that they would feel offended by how they were wiped away from my memory, but I was wrong. When Ss first rang the doorbell, a girl with ck hair opened the door for us. She introduced herself as Sabrina. When I heard her name, I remembered what Ss told me about her. Sabrina and I have the same major and we have grown very close over the past year. I know that she is dating Knox, Ss''s best friend. They met when I invited her once to one of the gatherings held at the team''s house. She told me that she wanted to visit me at the hospital, but she didn''t want to overwhelm me, so she opted to check on me from Ss until I gave him the green light that I was finally ready to meet them. "Can I ask you something?" I ask her as we''re sitting in the backyard. Currently, the guys are in charge of the barbecue. They, apparently, know that I don''t eat meat except for hotdogs, ''so they already have chicken breasts for me. This is very thoughtful of them. "Of course," she says, looking at me. "How was I with Ss before the ident? I mean... were we in love?" I hesitantly ask.

    My question seems to take her by surprise, but I want to know how we were from somebody other than Ss. Maybe if I hear about our rtionship from another point of view I will be able to remember anything.

    I know it hasn''t been long since I wasst discharged from the hospital, but it''s so hard to live with no memory of thest two years of your life. I''m tired of not remembering the people around me.

    "You were really in love. Ss doesn''t just love you, Rosie. He practically worships you. If he can make all your wishese true, he will do it in a heartbeat. He is never embarrassed of showing affection to you in public. He is proud to be your boyfriend and is very protective of you," she tells me. I''m dying to remember all that she''s telling me about. I want to remember this version of us. "Was I in love with him?" I ask, drawing invisible shapes with the tip of my fingers on my thigh.

    "You do know that you guys used to fake date before you started to actually date, right?" I nod at her words. "And did he tell you about the fight you two had because of Everest?" Again, I nod. "After your fight, Ss started to pull himself away because he thought that it would I be the right thing to do. He wanted to give you space, but you hated every second of it, Rosie. You wanted to get back to how you two were. You were so ready to do anything to get that back." This is my first time learning anything about this. Ss did tell me about our fight because of Everest- who hasn''t arrived yet, by the way- but he didn''t tell me anything about how we spent some time apart. How would he have known about what I had done during that time?

    "Did I do anything about that?" I wonder.

    We

    we were studying together and you texted him after we talked about him. I think your heart got broken that night, because when he came over and you two talked, he told you that he wanted to set some boundaries between the two of you and he said that he was going to keep his distance once the two months you had left in the fake-dating deal end," she gives me more details. "What brought us close?" I frown. It looks like our rtionship is really interesting

    didn''t give me all the details, but you two got stuck in an elevator and you had a breakdown, then everything was fixed afterwards." I wish I had given her the details. Maybe I can ask Ss about that.

    As we''re talking, I see a guy making his way towards us. I think he has just arrived, because he wasn''t there when Ss and I

    came.

    B

    @3.77%

    "This is Everest," Sabrina tells me. I automatically look at Ss and I find him staring at Everest. The way he has his fist clenched says a lot about the way he feels towards Everest. I know that he doesn''t like him. "Rosie, it''s so good to finally see you," Everest says with a huge sinile on his face as he stands in front of me.

    "Hello Everest," I say, attempting to stand up to properly greet him, but he prevents me from doing that.

    "You''re still hurt. You don''t need to stand up," he tells me, taking a seat beside me. "I was so worried about you, Rosie. I''m d you''re okay."

    "Thank you. I can''t believe I got out of that ident alive. I don''t really remember how bad it was, but I saw the picture of my car," I tell him. Everest is very attractive with his hazel-green eyes and bronze skin. do to help you out, I will do it," he tells me with a genuine tone.

    "If there''s anything I can do to

    "I don''t think there''s anything anybody can do for me. I just need to wait for my memory toe back," I tell him.

    "I know how important it is for you to get your memory, but maybe you just need to let it be for you. Why don''t you keep yourself busy with making new memories?" he suggests.

    For

    the past few days, I have felt like I have been stuck in a circle. I wake up every day, have breakfast, try to force myself to remember anything, have lunch, try to squeeze my brain again to generate any memory, have dinner, head to my room and again, keep thinking about those two years I remember nothing about.

    "That sounds like a a good idea," I say, looking at him. Something about Everest seems intriguing and I find myself desiring to know more about him. "We don''t have the same major, right?" I ask.

    "No, but we both take marketing as a minor," he replies. "Do I strike you as someone who majors in fashion?" He smirks and I giggle, shaking my head.

    "Honestly no, but I just wanted to make sure," I admit, looking at him. Everest is an attractive man and the way I''m attracted to him scared me. I have a boyfriend and I shouldn''t feel like that towards anyone. Well, Ss and I aren''t exactly dating now, but we haven''t officially b broken up. I guess this is the definition of a break.

    I know that everything between Ss and me is not that clear and he is giving me the space I asked for, but we haven''t officially broken up. I''m a loyal person and I can never cheat on him as long as he''s somehow my boyfriend.

    "Rosie." I turn around to look at Ss when he calls my name. I look at him with a small smile when he stands behind me. "Are you doing okay?" he asks, kissing the top of my head.

    "Yeah, I have been talking to Everest and Sabrina," I tell him. The way Ss looks at me makes me feel guilty. His eyes hold a lot of adoration and love that I cannot believe are for me. I can''t believe that Ss, the one I have known for years and used to bicker nonstop with, is my boyfriend who loves me unconditionally.

    Why can''t I love him the same way?

    "Hi Everest," Ss acknowledges him, then turns his attention back to me. "Are you hungry?" He brings himself to He ces his hand gently on my shoulder and starts massaging it

    my

    side.

    "Starving actually," I say. "Is the food ready?"

    "Everything is ready," he replies. Sabrina is the first to stand up and when I try to do both Everest and Ss are quick to help me out. I watch as Ss shoots one look at Everest and says, "I''ve got her. Thanks for your help."Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    and

    and

    make our way to the huge table where the food is ready to be devoured by everyone in this gathering.

    "Here you go." Natalie hands me a te to fill it with whatever I want. When I arrived, Natalie introduced herself to it didn''t take her long to start showing me pictures on her phone of us together along with two other girls called Alexa and Caroline. I learned that Caroline was Aaron''s girlfriend and he was the captain of the team. Alexa was Dave''s girlfriend.  BUT.  DODDE //%

    Unfortunately, they couldn''t make it because they had other things to do, but as I stared at the pictures, I felt that I really wanted to meet them. They seem fun.

    "I brought dessert with me, but it''s inside," Everest says.

    "Thanks, man." Knox is the first to thank him and soon a chorus of thanks follows. I look at Ss and notice how his voice is almost m***d as he mutters the word. He really doesn''t like him. "Why don''t we y charades after we''re done eating?" Sabrina suggests.

    "Are we gonna be divided into two teams?" Natalie asks.

    "You know it''s always better when there''spetition," Karl says as he takes some potato chips and ces them on his te.

    "Is it

    it something you usually do?" Everest wonders, looking at the guys.

    "Yes, that''s how we usually spend our time whenever there''s a gathering." Justin answers him. "Sometimes we throw pool parties, too."

    "Oh wow," Everest lets out a t a short chuckle that earns everybody''s attention.

    "What?" Ss asks, looking at

    him.

    "It''s just... you guys are football yers. Shouldn''t you be into partying, getting drunk, and hooking up with girls?" Sabrina looks at him like he has grown two heads.

    "That''s wrong on so many levels." She shakes her head. "I think you need to let go of your stereotypical mindset."

    "I second her opinion," Ss chimes in.

    "Have I yed charades before with you guys?" I quickly change the subject, not wanting to have any tension in the atmosphere.

    I have a feeling that Everest doesn''t really belong with this group.

 Chapter 126

    126

    because this isn''t how

    I''m not blind. I can tell that something is different about Rosie. The barbecue was five days ago and ever since that day, something has changed about her. To be exact, something has changed about the way she sees Everest. The way she looks at him scares me, look at your

    you

    Rosie may be confused now, but I''m scared of Everest. I know that he likes Rosie and he may take advantage of her state. Everybody knows that Rosie and I are not on the best terms. It''s not like we''re fighting and cannot stand each other''s presence, but anybody can tell that we''re not the same anymore. Nothing has changed about the way I feel about her. She is the love of my life and I''m ready to do anything if it''s going to make her happy. When we first started dating, I thought that I was in a dream. Now, I''m sure that it was all a dream and the, thing I hate the most is how it has turned into a nightmare.

    When ites to Rosie, I''m certain that she doesn''t love me anymore. It is very painful to even think about that, but maybe may tell me that we cannot I need to face the truth. I can''t just continue living in denial. I need to consider that one day, she be together anymore. I have a strong feeling that she is already thinking about that, but she probably cannot make up her mind now.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "How''s it going, man?" Knox asks as he takes a seat beside me. We''re at a pub. I called him yesterday and told him I needed to talk to him. I need to vent to anyone and Knox is a good listener.

    "Terrible," I mutter, taking a gulp from the drink in front of me. I''m thankful that I''m twenty-one. Maybe alcohol can silence the raging thoughts in my mind. &

    "It''s not getting better with Rosie?" he asks and I slowly shake my head. "She''s been talking to Everest and I''m petrified, Knox. I don''t want to lose her. I can''t lose her. Not after what we''ve been through."

    "I know how scary it is, but I''m sure that this is all temporary. She''s going to remember you, Ss. Just give her time," my best friend tries to make me feel better, but it is so hard to overlook all of what has been going ontely.

    "What if she doesn''t remember anything, Knox? What am I supposed to do?" I quietly ask. I want to m my head against a

    my mind. wall until I pass out. I think this is the only way to silence

    "Make her fall in love with you again. You did it once. You can do it again." He ces his hand on my shoulder. "Take her on dates. Act like you have never dated. Maybe she needs to live it all again from the beginning to understand the depth of your feelings for her."

    A

    I weigh his words in my head. Maybe he is right. Maybe I should start all over again. I don''t mind making an effort for her. Hell, I would move mountains for her.

    "Everest isn''t going to back down easily this time." I sigh, twirling the liquid in the ss I''m holding.

    "That''s fine. You won her before when he was around. You can do it again," my friend insists. "Tell you what? Message her now and tell her you''d like to take her on a date tomorrow."

    I stay silent for a couple of seconds before eventually nodding. I can begin again from the start line. I can take her on dates and charm her just like before.

    I shoot her a message, asking her if she''s free tomorrow. I haven''t seen her in two days and it''s not because I have been busy, but I was trying to see if she was ever going to ask me to spend some time with her. Unfortunately, that didn''t happen, and I hate to think that she was enjoying the distance. It doesn''t take her long to reply and luckily, she tells me that she doesn''t have any ns. I quickly text her again, suggesting taking her on a date. I make sure to mention that this is a date. I''m tired of acting like I''m nothing but her best friend when she is the one I love with every piece of my heart.

    Her reply is fast, and it takes me a minute to bring myself to look at it. When I do so, I breathe in relief, I admit, disappointment filled me because her reply is rather cold, but I will take what I can get. Her ''Okay! What should I wear? is

    Sat,

    97

    nothingpared to ''Lean''t wait for our date'' or ''I would love for you to take me on a date'' but maybe we can reach this stage againter.

    "I need something that would make her over the moon," I say, looking at Knox.

    "Think about something she would like to do," he tells me.

    I take a deep breath as I rub my forehead. I need something that would make her look at me differently. Something that might make her see me more than a friend.

    I know how much Rosie loves to move around, but her fractured ankle is hindering her movement. She still has a week left to remove the cast, so I''m aware that my options are limited.

    One thing I know about Rosie is that she loves the beach. She adores it, so maybe I can take her on a date at the beach.

    "Knox, I didn''t drink a lot, but I think that it''s not a good choice if I drive. Can you drive me?" My friend agrees in a heartbeat, and we make our way to his car. I have a lot of things I need to do.

    I know that I could have made our date in a few days, but I''m petrified and desperate. I''m afraid of losing her and as time passes, I can''t help but feel that losing her is inevitable.

    I can''t bring myself to ept that losing her can be an option. So, I''m going to do everything within my power to win her

    life. back. I''m going to do everything I can do to make her realize that she is the love of my

    I know that Rosie is my end-game and so long as there''s a door that she is keeping open for me, I won''t spare any effort until she is mine again.

    §­

    0

 Chapter 127

    check myself in the mirror, making sure I look good. I have a white dress on with small baby blue flowers on it. It is a tie- strap maxi dress that I don''t remember buying. There are many pieces of clothes that are in my closet that seem unfamiliar to me. I like them though. Something about them tells me that my style hasn''t changed much during the past two years, but it has somehow gotten better. I''m d that something still feels the same, because I''m tired of discovering new things about myself.

    I hate how a lot of things seem foreign and the fact that not a single piece of memory hase back to me is really frustrating. I sometimes feel like I want to break down, but I''m doing my best to hold myself together. I''m trying to remind myself to be grateful for making it out of the ident alive, but it is getting hard. So hard. I don''t know what I am supposed to do anymore. Everest has been texting metely, urging me to enjoy what I have and forget about my memory loss. He has even taken me out once and I have to say, I truly enjoyed myself with him. I liked how for a little while, I was able to disconnect from all that I had been thinking about. Even though I have known Everest during the two years I cannot remember anything about, something about him puts me at ease. Perhaps it is because he doesn''t try to push me to remember like everybody else. But while Everest hasn''t been trying to shove any memory down my throat, he has been trying to get me to stop thinking about what has happened, which isn''t easy at all. I know that he means well, but how am I supposed to simply forget about two years of my life? How am I supposed to give up on them? Part of me is missing. There''s this hollow feeling that a lot of people don''t seem to get, and I don''t know how to make them understand.

    Ss told me yesterday to dress nicely and if I wanted to wear a dress, I could do that. This is why I have put on this dress. I style it with sky-blue ts since I cannot wear heels. I want to get rid of the cast. My leg has been feeling itchy and I want to get rid of it as fast as possible. At least my scratches have healed, and my bruises have faded.

    When Ss messaged me yesterday, telling me that he wanted to take me on a date, I was a bit hesitant at first before agreeing. My thoughts are all messed up and I don''t want to lead him on. I don''t want him to get hurt because of my inability to remember our rtionship.

    I make my way downstairs after I finish getting ready and wait for Ss in the living room. I find my mum downstairs and I remember that it''s Saturday. Ever since I was young, my mum has always made sure to keep Saturdays and Sundays for the family to bond. We don''t all need to be there, but she has made it clear throughout the years that she was always going to be there for us whenever we needed her. "You look beautiful." She widely smiles at me as I take a seat beside her.

    "Thank you." I kiss her cheek. "Do you remember when I bought this dress? I found it in my closet, but I don''t remember getting it."

    "I got it for you when I went to Spain almost a year ago, but I think you haven''t worn it before. It looks stunning on you though." I don''t know why I feel relieved whenever I ask anybody about something I cannot remember, and they end up. answering me. "Ss is taking me on a date," I tell her, and her smile gets brighter. It is no secret that my parents love Ss. They have always loved him.

    "But you don''t seem too excited about it," she points out and I look down You do know that if you don''t want to go on a

    date you don''t have to do it, right?" "I know, but I also want to remember what we once used to have. How am I supposed to remember if I''m keeping myself away from him?" I give her my reason. "You know," I continue, "he told me once that he had always had feelings for me and I kind of find that hard to believe." "You didn''t notice that before, but your father and I have always been aware of his feelings for you. He has always loved you in his own way," she tells me. "Stop thinking about the period you cannot remember for a while. Try to think about how he 59%

    used to treat you for as long as you have known him whenever you were upset. Remember what he had done for you when you found out your boyfriend was cheating on you."

    I remember what he has done. The way he keptforting me until I calmed down is glued to my memory.

    "I know that you''re confused and you''re not sure of anything, which is totally normal. Don''t be hard on yourself and just go with the flow. And I don''t want you to force yourself to do anything you don''t want to do," Mum advises me, and I slowly nod. Maybe I do need to go with the flow. Perhaps this is the best option for now. While I''m t I''m talking

    to Mum, the doorbell rings. I know that this is Ss. He is very punctual. I turn around when the sound of his footsteps be more audible and I have to admit that he looks absolutely handsome. He is dressed in white jeans and a dark blue shirt. I smile at him as I attempt to stand up on my own. I can do it, but it takes me time. However, Ss, being the gentleman he is, doesn''t let me struggle and rushes to help me stand up. kissing

    "You look ook gorgeous," he he says, You look

    my cheek as he ces his hand on the small of my back. You good, too," I tell him. I like the cologne he has on.

    I

    "Hey, Emily." Ss? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    moves towards my mum and greets her by kissing her on her cheeks. "How are you?"

    "I''m all good." She beams, looking at him. "When do you n on bringing her back?"

    "It all depends on her. We can leave whenever she wants to," Ss tells her as his eyes move towards me.

    I

    "I will message you. Don''t worry," I assure her. Two days after I got out of the hospital, my parents got me a new phone and luckily, we were able to retrieve my old number. Unfortunately, I couldn''t remember the password of my online cloud to get back my pictures. I wish I could remember it, so I could look at my old pictures.

    Ss and I make our way out of the house, and he opens the passenger door for me. I thank him before getting inside and he closes the door for me. My heart is beating so fast and I know that it''s going to keep acting like this for at least five minutes. I wish I could get rid of this feeling.

    "Do you want to sit t in the backseat?" Ss offers, but I shake my head.

    "No, I guess I can sit in the front," I say, taking a deep breath before getting inside the car.

    "When we started dating, you became in charge of the music during any car ride, so feel free to y whatever you want," he tells me.

    "You don''t mind if I y anything?" I ask to make sure, and he nods.

    I scroll through my ylist, trying to find something I want. It takes me half a minute to settle on a song and when I put it on, I notice a small smile appearing on his lips.

    "What?" I ask, keeping my eyes on him.

    "You usually y this song and its nice to see that some things haven''t changed," he replies, keeping his hands on the steering wheel. sudden

    change that happened is a huge inconvenience, isn''t it?" My voice is low and I''m suddenly nervous.

    My eyes are still on him, so it doesn''t escape my notice when his face falls. "You got me all wrong, Rosie. I didn''t mean it like that. All I meant was that..." He nervously runs one hand through his hair. "I''m really sorry. I just meant that it was good that the ident didn''t take everything from you. I''m just d that you still have some connection with what you like even if this is subconsciously," he tries to justify what he has said. 10.59 Sun, Oct 13

    859% +5

    "It''s okay," I say with a smile, not wanting to ruin the day because of something this small. Frankly, Ss has been really nice to me, and I know that he doesn''t have any malicious intentions.

    "But to answer your question, Rosie, no, I don''t see what happened as a huge inconvenience. You don''t know how grateful I am that you came out of this ident alive. So, what if you cannot remember what we used to have? That''s okay, I will do my best to show you that we once used to love each other." My heart dances a little at his words, because it doesn''t take a genius to realize that he is really sincere. "Have you always been that good with words?" I smirk, slightly turning my body to face him.

    "I''m often good with words, but when ites to you, I sometimes mess up," he admits. I can tell that Ss is nervous, which makes the whole situation really cute.

    ere do you

    n ¨¤ on taking me?" I wonder.

    "I know how much you don''t like sitting for long, but since you still have the cast on, I''m aware that you cannot move a lot. That''s why I''m taking you to the beach." Enthusiasm fills me when he says that because I have always wanted to go on a date at the beach. He is bringing one of my dreams to life. "Have I told you before that I have always wanted to go on a date at the beach?" I ask. If his answer is yes that would be good because it means that he is a good listener. If his answer is no that means that he knows me well and knows what I would want to do without having me tell him anything. "You have never told me that before, but I''m d that we''re doing something on your bucket list." The way his face brightens up when I tell him that shows how he truly cares about my happiness. Maybe today''s date can be the start of something good between Ss and me.

    0

 Chapter 128

    08:37 Mon, Chapter

    128

    Upon arriving, I realize that nobody else is around. He takes his hand in mine as we walk from the parking lot to the beach entrance. I sigh in relief when I notice a wooden path, knowing I won''t have to struggle while walking with my cast on. "Why is there nobody around?" I ask Ss as I look around me again. "Because I booked the whole ce for us," he sheepishly says. "I want you to have a nice experience and I know how much you value your privacy, so I thought to myself that if I want to see you truly happy, maybe I should make sure that you have all the privacy you may ever need." My heart flutters at his thoughtfulness. "Thank you so much." I stop walking and slightly pull at his hand, causing him to look at me. I reach for him and wrap my arms around his body. It doesn''t take him long to do the same. He ces a gentle kiss on the top of my head before I slowly untangle my arm from around him. Ss hasn''t kissed me on the lips ever since he did it once and I told him I didn''t feel anything. I still feel bad about that day because I knew that I hurt him, but I also didn''t want to lie to him. I can never toy with his feelings like that. He doesn''t deserve that from me or At the end of the wooden path, I find a round table with flower petals on it. Rose petals to be exact. He really has thought about everything. The effort he has been making with me makes guilt eat at my heart. He is doing everything in his power to make me remember how I once fell in love with him, yet my heart is a block of ice and I hate that. "Ss, this

    anyone else.

    is truly amazing," I say, looking up at him. I love the height difference between us "I''m d you like it," he tells me as he guides me to my seat.

    "I don''t just like it. I love it. I love everything about it," I tell him. I want him to know that I''m truly grateful for his presence in my life and all that he has been doing for me.

    I enjoy the swooshing sound of the waves as I stare at the sea for a few seconds. I want to start a conversation with Ss, but I don''t know what to talk to him about. I feel like there are millions of things we can discuss together, yet I cannot think of one of them. "How have you been? I haven''t contacted you during the past two days," Ss starts the conversation. "Why haven''t you contacted me?" I ask. I want to know more about this mentality.

    "I was

    giving you space, to be

    e honest," he admits, keeping his eyes on me. Something about his gaze makes me feel like he doesn''t see anything else whenever we are together but me. "I don''t want you to think that I''m love-bombing you, Rosie. Thest thing I want is for coerced into being with me in any way." He is very considerate, and I love that about him. "Thank you for that and... I didn''t do much except for going out with Everest once," I tell him. The way he tenses when I mention going out with Everest makes me wonder if I should have kept that piece of information to myself.

    you

    to feel

    "Where did you did you go? If you don''t mind me asking, of course," he tries his best to sound casual.

    "He took me to a nice park, and we sat by a pond. We talked about a few things, then he took me back home," I tell him.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    "Did you have fun?" he asks. There''s something about the look in his eyes I cannot decipher.

    "I did," I admit, hoping my answer won''t upset him.

    I''m d that you had fun. You need that." If he''s hurt, he does his best to conceal his true feelings.

    "What about you? What did you do during those days?" I change the subject.

    "I went out with Knox, spent time with my family, and prepared for this date," he replies.

    "I love everything about it. Thank you so much," I thank him again.

    "And you''re going to love the food. I made sure to have the chef cook your favorite," he tells me. "Would you like to eat now?"

    "That would be great. I''m starving." I say with a small smile.

    Ss motions for somebody behind me and when I check, I find a waiter walking towards us with a tray of food. When the waiter sets everything on the table, my stomach growls at the delicious smell of the food Ss has chosen.

    The way he knows me is mind-blowing. I don''t even know if this is because the fact that we used to date or because he has known me for years.

    Ss and I agreed to stop referring to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend when he realized how ufortable I was with the whole situation. I could easily see that he didn''t want that, but when I made that request, he agreed because he wanted me to be at ease. He asked if we could spend time together and I agreed, knowing that he was a huge part of thest six months of my life.

    How would I connect with the missing years if I don''t have any connection with a huge part of it? More importantly, how could I ever find it in my heart topletely kick Ss out of my life when he has been nothing but nice to me? He has been very helpful and caring and I cannot just tell him to walk away. I cannot do that to him.

    "Do you think we can sit closer to the shore?" I request, looking at him after we finish eating The food wasn''t just good. It was phenomenal. The way he has taken care of all the details makes my heart dance with joy:

    "Whatever you want, Rosie," he says, getting up from his seat. He walks towards me and carefully helps me stand up. "Maybe

    into your I should carry you. We don''t want sand to get

    cast."

    I think about it for a second, then nod, knowing that if sand gets into the cast, it will be a big hassle. In one swift movement, Ss picks me up. I giggle as I wrap my arms around his neck and unconsciously let my head rest against his shoulder. Being carried by him feels familiar and nothing about it feels unnatural. It''s like I belong to his arms. s sets me down once we''re close enough to the shore, then takes a seat beside me. The salty breeze of the sea makes my hair fly around and no matter how many times I try to tame it, I find it impossible to do so.

    Ss takes me by surprise when he takes a hair tie out of his pocket and hands it to me. When I look at him with a smile that surely depicts my confusion, he looks at me and says, "You always forget to bring a hair tie with you whenever you go out and I noticed that, so I always carry one with me just in case you need it." Why does he have to be so caring like that? I have never seen somebody as caring as Ss before except for my dad. I have always admired the way Dad loves Mum and I never thought that I would be lucky enough to find that kind of love for myself. Yet, here I am with a guy who is is offering me a unique kind of love and I cannot bring myself to remember how much I used to love him. know t that during college, we used to live in the same apartmentplex, but... did we use to text a lot?" Fm trying to get to know how our rtionship used to be because I am scared that if I ended up walking away, I would be abandoning something I would never be able to find again. "Yes, we used to text a lot," he answers and reaches for his phone inside his pocket. He unlocks his phone without hiding the screen from me, but I look away, not wanting to vite his privacy. He hands me the phone that is open on our Whatsapp messages. "Feel free to read them all if you want."

    I take the phone from him and start reading our messages. They bring a smile to my face when I see how yful we used to be. We seemed pretty in love and every part of my heart wants to remember how we used to be. "Thank you, Ss," I say, looking into his eyes. "Thank you for being patient with me. I know that this isn''t okay and what you''re going through because of me is too much to handle, yet you haven''tined at all. Not even once."

    "I will do anything for you, Rosie. I want you to be sure of that," he says, leaning towards me. He ces a soft kiss on my forehead. I have thought a lot about walking away because I feel that I have caused him too much pain, but the way he is with me is preventing me from doing so. I wonder if I stay for longer without being able to remember anything about us would cause him more pain than walking away now.

    0

 Chapter 129

    I''m trying to ept my new reality, but it''s hard to do so. Rosie called me twenty days ago, before we started college, to tell me that she couldn''t do it anymore. She told me that she wasn''t able to remember anything about us and needed to officially end everything with me. It''s not like we were dating. I don''t think I can name whatever we were doing, but whatever it was, it made me believe that I still had a chance. Now, this chance has been snatched away from me.

    She said that it hurt her to see me holding onto the remains of our rtionship and needed me to move on because she couldn''t stand seeing me in pain like that. I don''t know what made her think that moving on would be easy. How am I supposed to forget about her like that? I have spent years dreaming of being with her and all I got were six months that I am incredibly thankful for I cannot force her to do something she doesn''t want. Yes, I want her to be with me, but out of love, not out of pity. What hurts the most is that she told me she wanted us to keep our distance because she thought that it would be the best for the two of us. I agreed because what else was I supposed to do? I need to adapt to my new reality. I need to get used to my life without Rosie. I once had her as a friend, then she became my girlfriend, and now, I don''t have her at all. I regret moving to her apartmentplex and I''m genuinely thinking about moving to a new ce because I won''t be able to see her daily. I haven''t done anything that bad to deserve this kind of punishment. "Good afternoon, everyone. Happy new season and congrattions to Ss on being the Captain," the coach says. I''m officially a senior and the team captain. I should be over the moon, but I''m numb. I remember the way Rosie congratted me when I told herst year that I became the co-captain, but I shake this memory away. "Thanks, coach," I say and fake a smile.

    "This year, we have something new," the coach announces. "The university has decided that we needed to be present on social media, that''s why we have Maisie with us." He points to the curly-haired brte beside him. I have just noticed her now. I guess I''m half here half somewhere else.

    "She''s going to spend a lot of time with us to capture moments of our practice and the games too," he fills us in. "She''s also going to hold one-to-one interviews with you, so you better not give her a hard time." I don''t like this. I''m not here to be filmed and have interviews with anybody. "Ss, I expect you to help her out since you''re now the captain. Once we appoint a new co-captain, you can divide the responsibilities between the two of you." This is thest thing I need. "Coach, can somebody else take care of this, please?" I ask. I take a look at the girl''s face and the smile on her face doesn''t falter. She is so cheerful. I envy her. I miss being happy.

    "Are you running away from your responsibilities as a captain on your first day?" The coach''s tone is stern, and I instantly understand that the topic isn''t up for discussion. "No, coach. I will do it," I say, looking away.

    "Excellent. We''re going to start working out now and Maisie is going to take a few shots," he announces pping his hands.

    "She looks so... bright. Is she a freshman? They''re usually this cheerful," Knox wonders and I shrug. Cheerful or not. She''s my responsibility and I have to deal with it.

    I nce at her and something tells me that she isn''t a freshman, she is so focused on her camera and although none of us seem excited about her presence, she doesn''t seem to mind. I want whatever kind of inner peace she has.

    "Let''s just start our practice," I mutter as we all start running inbs as a warm-up.N?velDrama.Org content.

    Something in me is broken and it is beyond getting fixed. I don''t like the way I am now and I don''t know how to get back to the way I used to be. I want to be the happy guy who knows how to easily socialize and get to know new people. After we finish practice, I find Maisie waiting for me. "Can we talk?" she asks, looking at me.

    For a moment, I think about telling her that I''m not in the mood to talk because that''s the truth, but when I look at her face, something about her makes me stop myself from being an asshole. Maisie is shorter than me, but she is taller than Rosie. Her eyes are bright, wide and hazel and her skin is bronze.

    "Sure, but make it quick," I tell her, drying the sweat on my face with the towel I have over my right shoulder.

    "I know you''re not excited about the whole social media presence and you''re probably thinking that this is some sort of game, but I promise, it''s more than that. We want to highlight the talent of this team to bring more opportunities to the yers," she exins, attempting to make me see the good side of her presence. I feel bad for making her feel unwee, but I''m not the same anymore.

    "Listen, Maisie. I can''t say I look forward to your presence with us, but I can assure you that nobody is going to stand in your way. I''m going to help you out as much as I can and my team will cooperate. Is that enough?" I impatiently ask.

    "At least for now," she says, giving me a wide smile. "I will see youter!" She walks away and I wonder if her presence is going to make things harder than they already are for me.

 Chapter 130

    "Hey, babe" Everest gives me a peck on my lips as he sits down beside me. I still cannot believe that we have started dating. We have been dating for ten days and I keep telling myself that I''m going to get used to our rtionship, but the truth is, I haven''t. It''s not that I don''t like him, I actually like Everest a lot, but I feel like maybe I''m still not mentally prepared yet to get into another rtionship. Maybe I like him more than a friend, but less than a boyfriend, if this is even possible. When I officially ended everything with Ss, I told myself I needed time to think everything through. I didn''t like how he was waiting for me and I thought to myself that it would be better if I freed him from the shackles of a rtionship I wasn''t sure I could ever give him again. It''s been more than a month, and I still cannot bring myself to forget the look of pain in his eyes. It''s been haunting me, and I don''t know if I can ever forget it. His speechlessness that day broke my heart into a thousand pieces and all I kept thinking about was that maybe I was wrong. Maybe I needed to give us more time. I didn''t want to make him hold onto something that didn''t exist, which was hope in our case.

    I''m trying to ept the fact that I''m not going to remember anything, but I still haven''t made peace with that idea. However, at some point, I realized that the whole situation was hopeless for Ss and me, so I made the decision to walk away to avoid causing him more pain. When I told Kendall and Sabrina about my decision, they supported me, but it was easy to see how neither of them was fully on board with that decision. When I asked them if I acted irrationally, they both had the same answer. They told me I needed to do what I thought was right for me, which didn''t ease my agony. "Hey there." I give Everest a wide smile. I have to say, Everest has been incredibly nice to me, and he hasn''t tried to force any old memory on me. Instead, he has been trying to help me create new ones. I''m thankful for that. I wasted three months trying to remember those two years and not a single memory came back. On our third date, Ever Everest asked me to be his girlfriend, telling me he understood my confusion. He told me he didn''t mind if I never remembered anything, and he was willing to start anew with me. I don''t know why, but I found myself saying yes, even though I wasn''tpletely ready. But s But something about the way he spokepelled me to do so. I told myself that maybe giving him a chance could help me out. I have been trying to convince myself that my decision wasn''t bad, because Everest hasn''t done anything wrong, yet Perhaps it''s because I

    off.

    something feels inc feel like I have betrayed Ss and his friends, who were also my friends at some point. Ss has never like Everest, and he has made it pretty clear, but here I am, dating Everest after cutting ties with him. It feels like I have stabbed him in the back

    and a huge part of me hate myself for r it.

    "What are you working on?" he asks after ordering something for himself. We are at a caf¨¦ near the campus.

    "I have this paper due on Tuesday and I want to finish it today," I reply, taking a sip from my water bottle.

    "You still have tomorrow," Everest points out, but I shake my head.

    "One of the authors

    I love is dropping her new novel tomorrow and I know I will spend the whole day reading it," I excitedly say, causing him to chuckle. "What?" I can''t help but frown at his reaction. "Rosie, you need to grow up." My frown deepens when he says that. What does growing up have to do with books?

    do you mean?" I ask, forgetting the essay

    "Reading isn''t for adults. You need to let go of your books and join the real life," he casually says. Anger bubbles up inside of me, but I try not to let it show.

    "I can assure you that reading isn''t just for kids. In fact, some books should never be avable for kids, I point out. I try to imagine kids reading some of the crime or romance books I have, and I shudder at the thought. They would be traumatized. 08.30 Wed, Oct 16

    "I just feel that reading is for lifeless people." He shrugs and it takes a lot of self-control to remain calm.

    "I mean this in the most respectful way, Everest, but please tell me how busy your life ispared to my mother''s? She reads three books per month at least." I fold my arms over my chest.

    I think he notices the change in my mood and behaviour as he immediately says, "Oh babe, you got it all wrong. I didn''t mean it in a bad way. But you''re young and you should go out and explore life instead of spending your time fawning over ink on paper." "Thank you for looking out for me, but I can assure you that I''m quite content with my life and I''m already enjoying every aspect of it," I tell him. I hate it when people attack others'' interests just because they don''t like the activity. Aren''t we allowed to be different?

    "I want nothing, but your happiness," he says with a smile I fail to interpret, but all I can say is that it''s not a genuine one. "So, what''s your n for the weekend?" He changes the subject and I''m d about that.

    "I''m going home because my family is attending an event rted to Dad''s work and I''m supposed to be there," I tell him. "What about you??

    "I don''t have anything in mind, so maybe I could be your date for the event," he suggests, and I immediately want to say no. I don''t want him to be with me and I don''t even know why.

    "I''m sorry, Everest, but you can''t. This event is very private, and I cannot bring a plus one," I apologize. This is a lie. I can bring whoever I want, but he doesn''t know and I''m grateful for that.

    "But I''m your boyfriend," he argues. "Shouldn''t you introduce me to your family?" We have been dating for a little more than a week. Why does he expect me to introduce him to them this fast? I haven''t even told them yet that we started dating.

    "They don''t know that I have a boyfriend, Everest. I n on telling them this weekend and it won''t seem right to bring you with me while telling them. Plus, this event is strictly for family members and our very close circle," I exin, hoping he''ll understand. "Very close circle? Does that mean that Ss is going to be there?" he wonders. I haven''t thought about that, but Ss''s family is very close to mine, so they will probably be there, but I don''t know about Ss.

    "I don''t know, but there''s a huge possibility that he may attend," I answer truthfully.N?velDrama.Org content.

    "It''s pretty annoying that your ex gets to attend these events, but I can''t," he huffs.

    "He doesn''t attend because he is my ex. Ss''s family is very close to my family and there''s business between the two families," I exin. Why does he want to meet my family that bad? I haven''t so much as thought about meeting his family. I. don''t like moving fast in rtionships.

    "You still n on taking an Uber tomute?" he asks me.

    "Is there any other way?" I wonder. Now that I think about it, there''s another way. Or at least, there used to be another way. Ss. I don''t know if he would offer to give me a ride if he''s going or not and I''m not sure if I should ept such an offer if it is made. "Maybe it''s time to get behind the wheel again, Rosie."

    No, it''s not the right time for that. I''m not ready to drive again. I get anxious when I''m in the passenger seat, so I can''t bring myself to imagine how it would be if I sat behind the wheel again. I tried doing it once and I had a panic attack. I have been going to therapy and it''s helping, but but I believe that I need to take it slow. One step at a time.

    Everest believes that I should embark on new adventures and face my fears to get over them and simply, this is not me at all. "I still need time, Everest," I say, hoping that he would drop it.

    ved, Uc TO

    "Okay, but think about it. You need to get over your fear and move on," he tells me.

    "I know and I''m sure that this moment wille, but as for now I need to take things slow," I say.

    Everest wasn''t that pushy before we started dating and I don''t know what happened during those ten days. However, the way he''s acting makes me feel like my decision to date him has been rushed and uncalcted.

 Chapter 131

    "Are

    sure that this is okay?" I skeptically ask as I get in the passenger seat. I can already feel my heart racing and I''m not you sure if this is because I''m in the passenger seat or because I''m going to spend almost two hours in a car with Ss. "Give me one reason why this won''t be okay," he wonders and I stay silent, not having a reason I could give him. Maybe it''s because we haven''t spoken in so long, and if he hadn''t messaged me yesterday, asking me if I wanted to tag along with him, I wouldn''t have spoken to him. "Exactly, there''s no reason that we know of. Has Everest told you something?"

    Well, he

    "He

    the captain now." My eyes go wideelings, but his face is neutral. He has cut his hair and the haircut suits him a lot. "How''s football going?" I change the subject, not wanting Everest to be the main focus of our talk.

    I look

    he indeed has said lots of things. He expressed that he didn''t like how Ss was my ride, but when I told him that my parents insisted that I should go with Ss, he gave in. My parents didn''t say anything, but it was my way out if I wanted to save myself any hassle. I wasn''t in the mood to escte the whole sit but here I am," I say looking at him. "Wait! You know that I''m dating Everest?" I ask, fully taking in his question now. situation to a fight. expressed his I his dislike for the whole i idea, but "Yeah, I know. I saw you two kissing once in the lobby of our apartmentplex," he answers and I slowly nod. I want to ask him how he''s feeling, but I''m not going to do that. I can''t do that. Not when I know that he''s probably hurt. I''m dating someone he doesn''t like. I at t him, attempting to to decipher his "I''m the when he says that. I remember that he told me he became the co-captainst year, which meant that he was bound to be the captain. However, hearing such great news from him is great. "Congrattions!" I "I exim, feeling genuinely happy for him. I may not remember anything about our rtionship, but I do remember Ss being a great man and there''s no doubt that he deserves the best in life. for a second I before looking back at the road. It''s like we don''t know what we''re thirteen and no matter what, silence never had a ce between us, because we used to bicker more than anything in the world. "How are the guys?" I ask, ying with the end of my sweater. When I decided to pull myself away from Ss, it didn''t feel right to stay friends with them. They are his friends and I don''t want things to get ufortable or awkward because of my presence, so I chose to walk away even though I liked theirpany. "They''re doing great. If you want to attend one of the barbecues we hold at the house, you''re wee toe. You know that, right?" he says, but I know that he''s only saying that out of courtesy. How am I wee among them when I''m the one who broke their friend''s heart? I can''t even bring myself to text the girls because of the same reason. "Thank you,

    Thank you." He smiles at me supposed to say to each other. There''s a voice in my head that keeps telling me we were never like that before and I feel like I''m inclined to believe it. Maybe it''s because Ss has been there for long. I have known him since I was almost

    but I guess it''s better if I keep my distance," I say with a small smile.

    "Do whatever makes youfortable, Rosie, but I want you to know that my door will always be open for you." His words are so kind that I find myself despising who I am because of what I had done to him.

    "You''re doing a lot better in the passenger seat," Ss points out

    "Therapy is helping me a lot. My heart still beats fast once I get in the passenger seat, but it only takes five minutes for it to calm down. I give him an update that he probably doesn''t want.

    I''m so proud of you." His tone is sincere and encouraging.

    "I can''t bring myself to drive until now, though." I hate my inability to drive and I wish I could do something to get over this

    fear.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    .  0077%0

    45

    "And this is totally okay-If you''d like, we can give it a try on Sunday morning," he suggests. I want to say yes, because I know that Ss will be patient with me. As much as I hate to admit it, ot Ss is my safe zone. Even after everything, I know that I''m certain that he''s going to get to my rescue if I ever need him. Because I know that, I don''t want to take advantage of his kindness. That''s why I can''t bring myself to say yes.

    "Why are you overthinking it? I know how to deal with panic attacks, Rosic. So, even if you get one, I know who

    assures me.

    "Don''t you have ns with your friends?" I ask, attempting to get out of the situation in the politest way possible. to do," he

    "Not really." He shrugs and I stay silent. I''ve got nothing to say to him. "Do I... Do I make you ufortable now?" I hate how small his voice is as he asks me this question. It''s like he''s afraid of what I may say to him.

    "Ss, I can never be ufortable around you. You make me feel good about myself and safe too," I tell him. I find myselfparing how gentle Ss is and how pushy Everest hastely been with me and I wonder if I have been making a bunch of bad decisionstely. "Are you going to be okay with being around me?" I''m hesitant as I ask, not knowing if there''s a better way to phrase my question. "Why won''t I be? Just because we broke up, that doesn''t make me unable to be around you. I''m a grown man, Rosie, and I respect your boundaries," he tells me. "Then I guess we can give it a try on Sunday," I finally ept his offer. If I''m going to try getting behind the wheel again after the ident, I would like to try it with Ss. "Great!" he he says a genuine smile on his face.

    with

    When we reach my house, I invite him toe inside, but he politely refuses, telling me that he needs to get home as soon as possible because he has ns with his friends. I''m going to see him tomorrow and I wonder how it''s going to be.

    I saw many pictures of us on the inte kissing once as we were entering the venue of an event we attended together. I kept thinking about the way we looked, because we seemed pretty in love. I hated how I was unable to remember the type of love we had and I hated myself more for being unable to love him again the way I once did.

    I take a deep breath and make my way to inside the house with only one person in person in my mind: Ss.

    0

 Chapter 132

    3

    "

    I

    I walk inside the venue where the event is being held and my eyes instantly search for Rosie. It doesn''t take me long to find her. She looks majestic that my knees weaken at her beauty. Her long hair is pulled back in a low ponytail, highlighting the beauty of her face. It is one of a kind. Her olive green dress perfectly hugs her body and I reminisce the fact that she was actually mine one day. I''m thankful that I got to call her mine for a while, but I''m also in pain because she is no longer mine.

    I can''t believe that she is dating Everest now. He doesn''t deserve her. She is way out of his league and I honestly don''t know what she sees in him. When we invited him to the barbecue we held for her, he managed to get on everybody''s nerves, especially with his stupid

    "Honey, I know you still love her, but you''re staring." Mum softly says beside me, making me dart my eyes away from the girl who still has my heart.

    I''m

    Her eyes look up "Hey," she says, still:

    going to get myself something to drink," I inform her before walking away. I need to keep myself busy to prevent myself from thinking about Rosie, but I don''t know how I can do that when she consumes every thought in my head. Involuntarily, my eyes move towards her and I find her still standing beside her parents. She looks lost and not sure what to do. I would usually jump to her rescue, but now, I don''t know if she wants to get rescued by me. Our rtionship has gotten weird and we''re standing at a a strange point. up and meet mine. I want to look away, but the way she smiles at me makes me unable to do so. I give her a little wave and can''t help the sense of surprise that rushes through me when I find her walking towards me. still smiling at me. "I feel like I know some of these people, but I honestly don''t want to socialize with them, Do you think I can hang around with you?'' I can surely go if you''re waiting for someone." She rushes thest part. I love Rosie. I love her so much, but right now, she''s giving me whish. I don''t know what she wants and frankly, I think she doesn''t know what she wants either. "I''m actually waiting for someone," I lie and the way her face falls makes me think that I deserve to be punched. "But you can stay until my friend arrives," I quickly say. Maybe I can tell herter that my friend has cancelled. Are you sure?" she

    TN?velDrama.Org content.

    she asks, the cheerfulness in her voice that was once there disappears.

    "Positive," I assure her. I take my drink and walk with her away from the bar. "Why didn''t you bring Everest with you?" I find myself asking. I have millions of questions that I want to ask her, but not all of them can be asked. "He wanted toe, but I refused." Her answer takes me by surprise. Why would she refuse? "I told my parents about him yesterday, so it didn''t feel right to introduce him to them without giving them prior notice that I started dating him." "Does he make you happy?" I can''t help but ask. The real question that I wanted to ask her is, does he make you happier than me?

    "He... does." The way she hesitates sets me off.

    "Do you even want to be in a rtionship with him, Rosie?" I blurt, taking a sip of my whisky.

    "she says. "Ss, I know that you don''t like him, but that doesn''t mean that I should also feel the same too." She''s quick to put me in my ce. I can''t believe that she is picking Everest over me. Well, of course, she is going to pick him now. What was I thinking? right. Sorry." I monotonously say. "Everest is a good guy, Ss," she defends him and I just nod. "He takes me to new ces and doesn''t try to force me to remember anything. He epts that I may not remember anything.

    "And I didn''t, Rosie? I didn''t give you the eptance you were looking for?" I can''t help but ask. Why am I being portrayed, as the viin when all that I ever wanted was herfort?

    "You didn''t, Ss," she says in a low tone. It would have been way less painful if she had chosen to stab me in the heart. "You always talked about what we used to have and were keen on introducing me to every part of my life that I forgot! It was overwhelming." It takes a moment for everything she has said to sink in. Is she serious? I know I did that, but what did she expect from me when she was the one who would ask me about those two years? Wasn''t I supposed to share with her any beautiful moment we once had? Was showing her pictures and taking her to ces we once visited wrong?

    "I think you''re forgetting a very important part."

    "It won''t be the only thing I forget." She shrugs.

    having Everest and me around. One of tell me that you were fed up with talking about your past. You didn''t tell me that you wanted to try new things. Do you know what you have done, Rosie? You might have done it unintentionally, but in your head, you probably liked "You didn''t say anything, Rosie. You didn''t You ended up up choosing what''s more convenient for you and trust me, I''m not holding that against you. You get to choose whatever you want, but don''t go around and twist everything to make me the bad guy in your story, because I have never been and I never will." This

    One of us was introducing new things to you and the other was talking to you about your past.

    is my first time to not be able to stand being close to Rosie. She doesn''t have anything to say to me. I wasn''t aware that I had the ability to render her speechless. "I think we''re done here," I tell her before walking away. Why didn''t she talk to me? Why was it easy for her to choose him over me when I had always put her first? Why wasn''t I enough for her? I wish I had answers to these questions, but I don''t. "Ss. "I stop in my ce when I hear her soft voice. I take a deep breath and turn to look at her. "I''m not a bad person. I don''t know what I''m doing. I know you''re all tired of how much I''m whining, but it''s been three months and I cannot remember a single thing. I''m petrified, Ss." The way h her voice cracks breaks my heart. When I look around me, I for that." Her glossy eyes look up at me and it takes me a lot of effort to prevent myself from kissing her.

    ank God that nobody is giving us attention. I take a deep breath and close the space between us "Don''t cry," I whisper, and wrap her in my arms. She looks so small and vulnerable in my embrace. "I hate that I hurt you. I''m so sorry." She whimpers. Again, I look around me and this time, I find few people looking at us. Quickly, I take her to a secluded area to keep her away from the people''s eyes. "If I ever make you feel like an option, I truly didn''t mean it and I''m so sorry for that." can''t

    an''t bring myself to tell her it''s okay because nothing is okay. I don''t want to lie to her. "Everything will eventually get better, Rosie," I say, wiping her tears away. "Come on, you''re ruining your make-up." I stroke her cheek, making herugh a little. "I''m still here for you, Rosie. I won''t abandon you. Never," I assure her and ce a kiss on her forehead.

    "I know I''m selfish, but I... I can''t lose you, Ss." Something about her words gives me hope. Maybe she can be mine again one day.

    "You won''t. I''m here for you, Rosie," I assure her. "Be ready for our driving lesson tomorrow," I remind her, and she nods with a small smile.

    I still cannot understand how she has me wrapped around her fingers like that and I wonder if her effect on me will always

    be like this.

 Chapter 133

    "All right, start the car whenever you feel ready," Ss tells me. It took me ten minutes to get myself to get into the driver''s seat. Ss kept his word as always. He showed up at noon to help me get over my fear.

    When my parents learned about that, they were ecstatic that somebody managed to convince me to start driving again. They understand that it''s a slow process, but the fact that I''m now in a car behind the wheel counts for something. We are still in our driveway, and I''m supposed to go on a ten-minute drive today, but I''m not sure if I will be able to do it or not. "I don''t think I can do this," I murmur, looking down. I don''t remember anything about the ident, but I do know that I came out of it without thest two years of my life. Part of me is petrified that I may lose more than what I have already lost.

    "I know you can do it, but if you don''t feel ready now, we can postpone this little drive," he tells me, giving me the freedom to decide. I stay silent, not knowing what I should do.

    "It''s been three months already. I''m supposed to start driving again." I heavily sigh, resting my head against the back of the

    seat.

    "Says who? The only thing you''re supposed to do is move at your own pace," he says. Ss always makes me feel that what I''m doing is enough, but Everest always thinks that I should do more, and I don''t know who is right. I don''t understand which paced should follow. Everest is the one who told me I should be driving again by now but I''m not going to tell Ss that. I don''t want to give him another reason to hate him.

    "Rosie, I want you to remember something. You weren''t the reason behind the ident. Somebody hit you from behind. and it was their fault. You lost control because of how strong they hit you, not because you weren''t paying attention. Let that sink in," Ss gently says. "But what if it happens again?" I ask, sounding like an idiot.

    ??

    "But what if it doesn''t happen again?" He smartly uses my logic against me, making me smile. "You can''t hold yourself back, from doing normal things due to others'' mistakes."

    I look at the start engine button and stare at it for less than a minute before finally deciding to turn the car on. I make sure that I have my seatbelt on, and the rearview mirrors are adjusted before I start driving slowly.

    My heart is about to leap out of my chest and my hands are getting slightly sweaty, but I don''t feel as bad as I thought I would feel. I thought I would wind up breaking down, unable to calm myself down, but here I am, driving without shedding a single tear. "I''m driving!" I exim, letting myself enjoy the feeling of being able to do something again after three months of not being able to do it.

    ''re driving! You''re doing pretty well!" Ss encourages me and my smile only grows. He sounds proud of me. I cannot believe that I''m really doing it! "Do you think you can take me for coffee? I''m really craving Spanishtte," he suggests. I know he''s not craving

    thin and only wants me to drive more, but I agree. I feel like I can do it.

    I''m driving slower than usual, but I''m not as slow as a snail! I look at my hands and find them not shaking, making relief take over my fast-beating heart.

    "Do you think I should y some music?" Ss suggests, but I shake

    my head.

    "I think I''m not ready yet for any distractions. We can do itter though," I tell him, and he nods.

    I hear my phone ringing, but I ignore it, not wanting to focus on anything but driving. It dings with a few notifications after

    it stops ringing and for a moment, I think there''s something urgent. However, I know that if it''s a familial matter, any of my parents would call Ss because they know that I''m with him.

    94%1 +5

    After five minutes, I reach a coffee ce Ss, and I like to go to. The two of us get out of the car and I can''t help but squeal like a little kid the moment I step out.

    "I did it!" 1 happily exim as I high-five Ss.

    "I told you you could do it!" He grins,

    "I wouldn''t have been able to do it without you, though," I admit.

    "No, you would have done it either way. You just needed some encouragement," he tells me, making me feel better about myself. He has always made sure to boost my self-confidence whenever I needed him to, and this is something I absolutely adore about him. The two of us walk inside the caf¨¦ and Ss orders two Spanishttes for us. As we''re waiting for our order, again. I look at my screen and find Everest calling me. "Hey Everest," I s Say

    as I answer. I don''t want him to think that I''m ignoring him.

    "I called you earlier, but you didn''t pick up," he tells me.

    "Yeah, sorry about that. I was driving." I bet he''s going to be excited upon learning that.

    "Driving? Did you finally do it?" Excitement fills his voice, making me smile.

    "Yes! Thank to Ss," I casually say.

    "Ss." The excitement in his voice dies.

    Phone rings

    he offered to apany me, and I agreed," I tell him, not knowing what the issue is. I''m not going to cut ties with Ss for Everest''s sake.

    "And you didn''t think you should ask me before agreeing?" He sounds angry.

    "No, because Ss is my friend. He is somebody I trust." He needs to understand that.

    "Is everything okay?" Ss mouths to me with concern etched on his face. I give him a small nod with a smile.

    "He is your ex!" he snaps.

    "We were friends before we started dating and our families are close, so I''m not going to stop talking to him just because we broke up and I''m now dating somebody else," I calmly tell him.

    "I can''t believe you!"

    "I think we can talk when you''re ready to talk without snapping at me." I''m not in the mood to fight. I don''t want him to ruin a happy moment for me.

    "Whatever. Bye, Rosie." He hangs up and I shove my phone into my bag.

    "What''s going on?" Ss wonders, handing me mytte. I haven''t even noticed that the drinks are ready. "Everest is mad

    ar

    me because we''re hanging out together," I mutter as we walk out of the caf¨¦.

    "I can take you home if you want," Ss offers. "I don''t want to cause any trouble between the two of you." "No, I don''t want you to take me home now. Unless, you want to go, of course. Everest needs to understand that I don''t n on cutting ties with you because you happen to be my ex." The mere thought ofpletely losing Ss makes me experience of sense of insecurity I''m not fond of.

    3N?velDrama.Org content.

    "I appreciate that you want to keep me in your life and trust me, Rosie, I never want to lose you too, but if you ever feel that my presence is causing you more issues thanfort, please, walk away." I stare at him, unable to fully ept what he has just told me. I can never walk away from him. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" I joke, attempting to lighten up the mood.

    "Maybe." He yfully smirks and I shove him as I roll my eyes.

    Why am I seeing another side of our rtionship after ending things with him? Why was I blind while he was trying to tell me about what we used to have?

    1

    "Up for a walk?" I

    for a

    Sure

    I wonder. I don''t want to go home. Something about spending today with him makes me happy.

    he says. He''s wearing a grey hoodie with ck sweatpants. His outfit is effortless, yet Ss has the ability to pull anything off. "How''s college?" he wonders as we amble down the street. "Slightly exhausting, but all is good so far," I reply. "What about you?"

    "I honestly can''t wait till I graduate," Ss says. Something about the idea of not having him with me next year doesn''t sit well with me. The selfish part of me wants to have him around at all times. you have a n for what you want to do after graduation?" I inquire, desiring to know more about him.

    "Do

    "I honestly want to receive an offer from any good football team he tells me. Ss has always been a great football yer and I''m certain that he is going to receive many offers; it''s only a matter of time.

    "You will," I say with certainty in my voice.

    "What makes you so sure of that?" he asks with a light chuckle.

    "Just a gut feeling." I shrug.

    "If this happens, I promise to get you tickets to all my games," he tells me.

    shock. "And watch you get hurt again like that one time when I was with Sabrina? Nope, I don''t think I can handle attending all of your games, but I can show up to the important ones." I giggle as I look at him, but all I can see on his face is pure

    I look at him in confusion, not understanding at first why he''s looking at me like that, and then I realize what I have just said,

    I have just remembered something from those two years, and it''s rted to Ss.

 Chapter 134

    134

    "Ss, have you told the yers on the list I gave you about the interview?" Maisie asks me. Shit! I forgot. She gave me the list yesterday and I told her I was going to let them know that they had an interview, but I totally forgot.

    My mind has been upied. I still cannot believe that Rosie has remembered something. She was starting to give up on remembering anything, but that memory came out of nowhere surprising the two of us. That memory gave me hope, because it meant that I still had a chance. She might remember everything we once had, but I don''t know how she will react if she remembers. I don''t know if she will choose me over Everest.

    "I forgot, Maisie. Sorry." Thest thing I care about is the whole social media thing. I have already helped her out with a few tasks, but I can''t just make my life revolve around what she wants to film. I get that the university has given her this task, but social media isn''t with is getting my teammates to film with her. "God, Ss," she groans. "This can''t be be postponed!"

    simply for me and thest thing I want to tire myse she exims. "Call them now please and see if they cane, so I can film with them."

    "Fine," I mumble and take my phone out of my duffle bag. Unfortunately, I only manage to get two of the yers toe to film with her. The other three are unavable. One of them is studying for an important test, so he didn''te to practice today. Another one is out with his With s girlfriend on a date and the third one is already on his way home and can''t make it back to film.

    "Nash and Steven are the only ones who can make it," I deliver the news to her. She doesn''t look thrilled at all. If anything, I think she is about to kill me.

    "Ss, this is important! They''re thest group I''m supposed to film with and this video is supposed to be published next Thursday! What am I supposed to do now?" She throws her hands in the air in frustration.

    "I don''t t know. Maybe postpone publishing it," I suggest, not knowing what else to do.

    She looks at me like I''m the stupidest person in the world. "Fine! Postpone the game you have next Friday!" she "That can''t happen!" I exim.

    snaps.

    "Exactly! And postponing the video can''t happen either because it is supposed to be posted online Thursday night before the game!"

    "We

    were doing just fine before you! I don''t even understand the importance of your presence with us!" I angrily snap at her. "We don''t need your innovative ideas and the attention you''re getting us. We were doing that before you came, so maybe you should leave!" She stares at me for a moment, and I have a feeling that she is about to punch me. "If you think I''m here because I love being among you, you''re absolutely wrong! It is a task from the university and part of my final project that I will not let your ruin! Own up to your goddamn mistakes, Ss, instead of whining like a child." She storms away from me

    takes me a minute after she storms off to realize that she is totally right. I haven''t been the nicest with her ever since her arrival. I need to make it up to her. I''m not usually an asshole like that, especially towards somebody who is trying to do their job right.

    I shoot some texts to the guys, asking them if they can film the video tomorrow morning and it takes a lot of convincing. Thankfully, I schedule everything with them.

    It I need

    Sun,

    to look for her to apologize for what I have said, but the thing is, I don''t even know where she has gone. I try calling hef, but obviously, she doesn''t pick up.. Oct 20

    I rush to the parking lot to look for her car. If I spot it, this means that she''s still around and if she is, I can look for her.  091%1 5"

    I find her blue Ford Fiesta easily in the parking lot, but what I don''t like is that she''s inside it, crying her eyes out. I hate being the reason behind a girl''s tears.

    Nervously, I approach her car and knock on her window. I think she has been lost in her own world because upon knocking on her window, she literally jumps in her seat. When her eyesnd on me, she looks relieved for a second, probably because I''m someone she knows, then her mood quickly changes. I have a long way to go.

    "Can we please talk?" I request, not sure if she can hear me or not. She stares at me for she is plotting how to kill me in this parking lot without getting caught.

    a

    couple of seconds and I wonder if

    I watch as she deeply inhales and reaches for the door handle. I step away from the door, giving her space to open it. She steps out of the car and folds her arms as she says, "What do you want?" "Apologize," I tell her.

    "Why the sudden change

    of heart?" Sarcasm coats her voice and she has every right to act this way.

    "Listen, I promise I''m not a bad person. I really am sorry for how I spoke to you. I have been really stressedtely and I took it out on you, but this isn''t an excuse. I promise it won''t happen again. The two teammates who said that they coulde have already arrived and T the others will be here in the morning at 9 to film their parts. How does that sound?" I have no idea how long she needs to edit the video, but this is the best I could do.

    "You managed to do that in the span of twenty minutes?" she asks with a smirk. Maybe she is letting me off the hook.

    "Fifteen, to be exact," I reply with a shrug as I shove my hands in my pockets.

    She stays silent for a few seconds, twirling her body slowly in quarter circles left and right, then a smile appears on her lips. "You''re forgiven, Cromwell," she says, making relief wash over me. "Thank you for being generous s with your humble servant, Queen Maisie." I yfully bow, making herugh. Come

    on,

    .

    I have videos to film," she says as she heads back to the field and I follow her. I know that I don''t have to stay until she''s done filming, but I don''t want to leave her alone. Not after what I have done. Luckily, it doesn''t take us a lot a lot of time to film everything she wants. After the guys finish filming, they leave and Maisie starts collecting her stuff.

    "Since I''m basically your assistant, do you think I I get to to watch the video earlier?" I give her a cheeky smile, making her roll her eyes.

    "And here I thought you a give me any special treatment," I mybody else," she teases me.

    "No, you''re to wait until it''s posted on the ount like

    "Did I break your heart?" sheughs and she puts on her backpack.

    with a pout.

    "No, it''s already broken." Myugh is short because it''s not real. I''m trying to lighten up my situation, but it''s hard to get over my heartbreak.

    Although I have spent years hoping to date Rosie, I have always been scared of the possibility of getting my heart broken or breaking her heart if we end up dating then eventually break up. One of my fears hase to life. "And who broke your heart, pretty boy?" Maisie gives me her full attention.N?velDrama.Org content.

    "It doesn''t matter. Let me walk you to your car," I quickly change the subject.

    "All right." She nods and we both head to the parking lot. I''m thankful that she doesn''t push me to talk more.

    "Have a good night, Maisie, and I''m sorry again for the way I treated you," I apologize again when we reach her car.

    "It''s okay," she assures ine. "And Ss, if you ever want to talk about that heartbreak of yours, tell me. People say I''m a good listener," "Thanks, Maisie." I close her car door and wave her goodbye before making my way to the car.

    Maybe if I keep myself busy with Maisie and her social media work, I can reduce the amount of time I spend thinking about Rosie.

    ED

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 Chapter 135

    "11

    135

    I feel ttered that I''m included in the first memory you got back, Sabrina gushes in a yful tone, making meugh even though this is thest thing I want. I told her about remembering the first game we went to together. To say that she is ecstatic would be an understatement. She also believes that it''s just a matter of time before I will be able to remember everything again. I wish I were as hopeful as her, but I am not. My mind is busy with the enormous amount of thoughts that have been roaming inside it nonstop. Whenever I remember the way Ss reacted when we both realized that I had remembered something I smile like an idiot. His face broke into a huge smile and in less than a second, he carried me like I weighed nothing and twirled me around as I yelled at the top of my something." I ask you "Of course." She nods.

    ¡°?

    lungs. "Ire?" I tell her as 1 cut a piece of the molten cake in front of me.

    "Can I ask

    "Why were you surprised when I told you that I started dating Everest?"

    "Because... Fdon''t think that he''s the one for you," she cautiously says. I guess she''s trying not to hurt my feelings. "I honestly don''t understand why you broke up with Ss in the first ce. Then, you suddenly started dating Everest out of the blue. and... I just felt like your decisions were rushed and it made me worried about you, because you have never been irrational I like how she''s being truthful with me. I''m tired of people trying to be careful with me. She is blunt and honest and I''m thankful for that. "I have caused enough confusion and pain to Ss. I couldn''t keep doing that to him. How was I supposed to keep him hanging when I wasn''t sure of my feelings? It didn''t feel right to do that to him, even if he didn''t mind waiting for more." I sigh, running my fingers through my hair. "Ss would have waited for you," Sabrina points out and I shake my head.

    "Just because he was willing to wait, that doesn''t mean that I should have taken advantage of how good he was," I tell her.

    I don''t want to say this out loud to anyone, but part of me regrets dating Everest. Whatever sparkled between us was purely out of admiration for someone I didn''t know well and once I learned more about him, I became sure that Everest and I werepletely different. I''m not sure what I am supposed to do now. There''s a voice in my head telling me to break up with him, but there''s another one telling me to wait because all I have been doingtely is making bad decisions. It''s like I''m standing in the middle of nowhere and I have nowhere to go. "You''re stressed and exhausted, Rosie. You need to take some time off. Maybe you should call Everest and tell him that you can''t hang out with him today," Sabrina suggests. I''m incredibly tired, buttely, I have turned into a whiny creature who does nothing but annoys everyone around them, so I need to suck it up and go with the flow. I have exhausted the hell out of everybody around me and they don''t deserve what I''m doing to them. Kendall and Sabrina have turned into my therapists and Ss has be my punching bag. I hate myself for doing that to him. The worst thing is, not once has beined, except for that one time at the ceremony we were at and he did it in the nicest way possible. "I''m all right." I give her a small smile. I don''t want to go on that date either, but I keep telling myself that my judgment is clouded now and maybe Everest isn''t bad for me. I''m tired of pushing good people out of my life. What if he turned out to be another good person that I decided to cided to push away? I know that I barely remember them, but I know that I was once friends with some of Ss''s teammates and their girlfriends, and even though I asionally say hi to them whenever I bump into them, the friendship we used to have no longer exists. I feel like I don''t have the right to be their friend.

    I met them because of Ss and they became my friends because Ss introduced me to them. Without Ss in the

    equation,Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    I would have never been friends with any of them. I don''t want to put them in any weird position and I don''t want Ss to think that I''m taking his friends from him. Not after I have taken a lot of things from him. "I will see youter." Sabrina says, getting up from her seat. I get up too and give her a hug before she leaves. I love the way she holds onto me for longer than usual, probably thinking that I''m in dire need of this hug and honestly, I am in great need of such hugs of any kind of support, but I''m not going to cay that out loud to anyone.

    Everest arrives on time. We''re going to watch a movie, then we''re going to a pub to watch one of his friends who sings in a band.

    "Hi babe." He wraps his arms around my body and kisses my lip I kiss him back although I don''t want to. "Are you ready to go?" he wonders and 1 nod. I take my bag and Everest takes mynd in his before we both walk out of the cafe. "How was your day?" I ask, attempting to make a conversation. In doing everything I can to give this rtionship a chance.

    "Nothing much." He shrugs. "I was at the office today for my internship, but it''s as boring as you can imagine" We get into his car and I put on the seatbelt.

    "But you know this i sis important for your CV. Companies now won''t hire fresh graduates without experience and luckily. internships count as a sort of experience," I encourage him. I know how much he hates the internship he got because it''s not at a bigpany, but it''s

    not like thepany is

    bad.

    "Do you think your mum or dad could help me out?" he asks, catching me off guard. Everest makes sure to include my parents one way or another in our conversations and sometimes, I find it annoying. can ask my dad," I hesitatingly say.

    "Thank you so much, babe!" he excitedly says and leans towards me to kiss my cheek.

    We reach the movie theatre and check the movies. I find a movie I want to watch and as always, the movie Everest wants to watch is different than mine.

    "Ss, In

    I really don''t want to watch another action movie," I tell him. The only time he let me choose was before we started dating.

    "And I''m not going to watch a chick flick!" he exims, making my eyebrows crease in confusion.

    "It''s not a chick flick. It''s a thriller, but the main character is a female. We''re talking about a woman who kills. How on earth can this be a chick flick?" I argue.

    "Whatever, Rosie. I''m really not in the mood for such movies. I''m not wasting my money on something I don''t enjoy. His sentence renders me speechless.

    "I can pay for myself" I point out.

    "Of course, I know that." He lets out a short chuckle and I wonder what he exactly means.

    "Whatever, Everest. Pick whatever you want. I can watch itter with Kendall or Sabrina," I mumble.

    "Okay." Sometimes I feel like he takes me on dates because that''s what is expected from him. I don''t think I have ever picked something on our dates. He''s always the one who makes the choice and they''re constantly ording to his liking, not mine.

    I make my way to the popcorn stand and buy two small buckets of popcorn. He likes the normal salty one, while I prefer the caramelized one.

    I hand him his bucket once he gets the tickets and the two of us head inside the theatre.

    As expected, I don''t find myself enjoying the movie. It''s the third part of a series I haven''t even watched, so I don''t know how he expected me to enjoy it. I don''t think he cares about my enjoyment. Maybe it''s all about what he wants.

    3

    100 76%¡ã

    45

    45

    We head to the pub ant to say that it is packed would be an understatement. It''s a small one and the venttion is terrible, so it only takes me half an hour to feel like I''m being suffocated,

    I manage to stay for one song, then I tell Everest that I need to go because I don''t feel well. Luckily, he doesn''t pressure me to stay and I quickly get out of the pub. Fresh air hits my nostrils the moment I step out and only when I take a walk for ten minutes do I feel okay then.

    I take an Uber back home. When I reach the apartmentplext, I think about messaging Everest to let him know that I am home, but I remember that he hasn''t asked me to do that, so I decide against it.

    I hear someughter, causing me to look up from my phone. I find Ss with a girl whom I have never seen before. She is really beautiful and I''m already in love with her curly hair.

    "Rosie, how are you?" Ss says with a smile.

    "I''m good. You?" I try to hide the curiosity coursing through my veins.

    "All good. Let me introduce you to each other. Rosie, this is Maisie. Maisie, this is Rosie," Ss politely says.

    "Hi Rosie, it''s nice to meet you," Maisie cheerfully says. She seems super nice. Ss deserves someone like her. "Nice to meet you too." I try to ster a real smile on my face. "I gotta go get some sleep. It''s been a long day." "Are you okay?" Concern is obvious in Ss''s voice.

    "Yeah. There''s nothing to worry about! Goodnight guys." I don''t give Ss time to say anything else and hurry to the elevator.

    I think being with Everest and seeing Ss with a beautiful and nice girl like Maisie is the universe''s way of punishing me. And I know that I deserve this punishment for what I have put Ss through.

    0

 Chapter 136

    Maisie is usually cheerful and fun, but today, something about her doesn''t feel right. I don''t understand the reason behind this, but something about the way she seems bothers me. I don''t like seeing her this upset, and I want to make her feel better somehow. On my way out, I walk towards her to check if she is okay. "What''s going on?" I whisper as I take a seat beside her. We''re both studying at the library, but from what I can see, she''s not studying. She keeps zoning out and every once in a while, she takes a look at the textbook in front of her. I have been here for the past two hours, looking at some resources for a paper I''m writing. When I arrived, Maisie was already here, but I don''t know how long she has been sitting like this. "Nothing," she murmurs, but I know that she''s not telling the truth.

    "Do you

    I want to get out of here?" I ask in a quiet voice, not wanting to get kicked out of the library. She stays silent for a couple of seconds, before nodding eventually.

    We collect our things and make our way out of the library. Maisie seems to be on another and it stuns me that the girl who has the most cheerful personality I have ever encountered is feeling so down like that. As we''re walking, Maisie trips over something and the contents of her bag fall to the ground. I hear her curse as the two of us bend down to collect the fallen items. when

    I reach for a bottle of of pills and frown

    "Give me that, please," Maisie mumbake you feel better?" I ask after a few moments of silence.

    do to mak

    "Maisie, is there anything I can do

    my eyes fall on the name of the medicine. It''s an anti-depressant. The doctor prescribed the same medication for Rosie when she first got out of the hospital. and I quietly hand her the bottle without saying a word.

    s up at me and I see how her eyes are brimming with tears. to talk?" I

    I suggest and for a moment, I wonder if she may get the wrong idea. "I promise I don''t have any malicious thoughts!" I quickly say.

    "I don''t think so." Maisie''s head is hanging low and I hate that. I''m not used to seeing her looking like that.

    "Do you want t to tell me what happened? Because I''m sure that you''re not just this upset out of the blue." I look at her.

    "I don''t feel li crying in

    in public,

    Ss." She finally

    looks

    "I live near the campus. Would you like toe to my ce to "Let''s go." She nods and the two of us head to the parking lot. We agree on leaving her car, then I will drive her back to her car whenever she wants to leave. "I know you''re a u''re a good guy, Ss." A faint A faint smile appears on her lips.

    "Do you want something to drink or eat? We can order something if you want," I offer as we both walk inside my apartment. It dawns on me that Maisie is the only girl I have brought here beside Rosie.

    "I will just have water," she replies, taking off her jacket. She sits on the couch and I hand her a ss of water and take a seat a little far from her.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "What''s going on, Maisie?" I ask, feeling genuine concern towards her.

    "Today is a day I wish I could forget." The sorrow I see in her eyes tells me that something big happened on that day. "I lost my sister exactly a year ago." Her words are weighed down by the heaviness of the sadness they hold. I''m so sorry, Maisie." What else am I supposed to say in such situations?

    "She had colon cancer. I watched her as she whithered away before my eyes. She was the brightest person you could ever see in your entire life and she was so so smart, but cancer took her away too soon. I couldn''t do anything to help her out." She

    +5)

    wiped away her tears and I-find myself bringing myself closer to her. "She was one year older than me. We were so close. She was my best friend." "I can''t sa

    I understand how hard this loss is because I have never lost a person the way you lost your sister, but I can promise to be here for you whenever you need me." I don''t like making promises I know I won''t keep, but I know that I can keep this promise. "Is that why you take anti-depressants?"

    She nods. "I didn''t leave my room for almost a month after losing her. My parents were going out of their mind and decided that I needed to attend therapy, saying that they weren''t going to lose their two children. At first, I protested, but honestly, I''m thankful that they made me go because I would have probably done something to myself had it not been for therapy.

    "Is there anything you''d like us to do today to honor her memory?" I ask, desiring nothing but to make her feel better.

    "You would do that for me?" she asks, her tone showing a bit of disbelief. "Of course." I smile at her. "Margo

    was in love with mac n cheese. It was her favorite dish. Maybe we can cook it for dinner," she shyly suggests and I immediately agree. If mac n cheese is going to make her feel better, then we can stuff our faces in mac n cheese. We get up from our ce and head to the kitchen. Fortunately, I find some boxed mac n cheese, so we cook it for dinner. I learn a lot of things about Maisie while we''re preparing the food. She was supposed to graduatest year, but because of losing her sister, she took a gap year. She is originally from Nevada, but her parents moved to California when she was seven. She has always wanted to be a journalist, so when she got in her dream college, it was a dream that came true. "Can ask you something?" she wonders as we sit down in front of the TV. "Sure." I nod.

    I asked you before who broke your heart, your demeanor changed. Did you get your heart broken before?" "Yes," I tell her. Just thinking about Rosie makes my heart tighten with pain. a girl?"

    "When I

    "By a

    She

    "Yes. She

    was r girlfriend, but we broke up. I still love her," I reply.

    "Then why did you break up? Did she fall out of love?"

    "It''splicated." I take a deep breath.

    "If you want to talk about it, I''m all ears. But I totally understand if you don''t want to," Maisie says nicely. Maisie seems like a trustworthy person and I don''t know, but I have a feeling that talking to her may help. I don''t expect her to offer a solution, but maybe she can provide me with moral support. Plus, she told me about a sensitive part of her life, so it only seems fair if I do the same. Maybe I need to get all that has been going out off my chest.

 Chapter 137

    137

    I take a deep breath and start talking, "I have loved Rosic since I was sixteen. I met her when I was fifteen. She was a cute girl and her siblings became best friends with my sister, so the two families got close. I didn''t know how to act around her, so I did what all stupid boys do at that age. I opted for annoying the hell out of her." I manage tough, but I know deep down that it is a sad one because remembering the way we used to be brings me sadness.

    1

    "Sounds like a typical fifteen-year-old," Maisie points out with a smile and I nod.

    "My feelings for her grew, but as we both grew up, it became almost impossible for me to speak out my true feelings. But Rosie knew that she could always depend on me if she ever needed anything and I knew that she would be there for me if I needed her. One time, I lied to my teammates and told them that Rosie was my girlfriend. I made up that lie because a teammate wanted to date her. The thought itself made me want to set the world on fire."

    Even though the whole thing was a long while ago, I still don''t like it whenever Karl is close to her. Well, he no longer gets close to her because she pulled herself away from the group, which is something I hate. I know how much she loves them and I also know that she only did that because she thought she would ruin my friendship with them. This isn''t true at all.

    "I told her about that lie and we ended up fake-dating." Maisie looks at me in utter surprise. "What started as a fake rtionship turned into a real one. I was the happiest person on earth. Being able to call her mine was a dream that came true, but then... she got into a car ident and literally forgot thest two years of her life, which includes the time we dated." "Oh my God, Ss..." Maisie ces her hand on my shoulder.

    my

    "For months, I tried winning her back. I tried to do everything in my power to show her that she meant something to me. That world revolved around her, but I failed. She broke up with me, telling me that it wasn''t fair to keep me waiting for her when she wasn''t sure of her feelings. She wanted me to move on, but here I am. I cannot move on." I look down, trying to take in all that I have just said. It''s hard to ept this new reality. Not after I had her.

    "I kind of understand where she''sing from. The poor girl is confused and feels guilty. She didn''t want to give you any false hope," Maisise says. Part of me understands that too, but it''s not easy to ept that. There''s a difference between understanding and epting and right now, I cannot push myself to ept that the love she once had for me is gone. "I was willing to wait, Maisie. I didn''t mind waiting for an eternity for her. After she broke up with me, she started dating another guy called Everest. I hate him. He was her friend whom she met in college, but I had always known that he had feelings for her." I look at Maisie and find her frowning. "But... this is But... is too soon, especially for someone who has been through a lot in a short period of time."

    "I honestly

    think that Rosie is still confused and she doesn''t know what she''s supposed to do, but there''s nothing I can do. I cannot just force her to make good decisions. The thing is, I know that Everest isn''t good for her. He doesn''t make her happy. It doesn''t take a genius to see that. I know how she looks like when she''s happy. I know her like the back of my hand and if anything, Rosie is almost miserable and I''m worried about her," I tell Maisie.

    "Are you still friends with her?" she asks and I nod. "Listen, I know that you love her and everything. I know that she is important to you, but I think you need to put yourself first, Ss

    "What do you mean?" I frown. Is she implying that I need to distance myself from Rosie? I can''t do that. Not when I know that she''s not okay. She doesn''t need to tell me that she''s not okay. I know her.

    "I bet if Rosie calls you right now, crying because something happened, you''re going to drop everything and rush to her." I nod. Of course, I will do that.

    "And while this makes you a great friend, it also negatively impacts you," she says. How can helping Rosie out negatively impact me? Standing still while knowing she needs me not only will negatively impact me, but it will also make me hate myself. "You need to think about what being with her does to you."

    *Believe it or not, I feel really happy whenever she is around. I don''t think I can exin what being with her does to me. She Wed, UCI 23 D

    lives in the snake building and no matter what, I can''t bring myself to move out because I''m scared that she may need me at any moment. I want to be able to take care of her in any way," I try to exin to Maisie what Rosie means to me.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "All right, but I think you should start seeing a therapist to understand where to set your boundaries and to know how to deal with this new friendship you have with her." I agree with her. I thought about seeing a therapist, but I have been hesitant about it. Maybe I should give it a go. All that has been happeningtely is taking a toll on me and I want my senior year to be a good one. *I can think about that." I smile at her before getting up. I take the empty tes to the sink and quickly wash them.

    Maisie

    says with gratitude in her voice.

    Thank you, Ss. I''m d that you didn''t leave me alone at the king her smile. "Do you want to watch a movie?" 1 suggest

    "Now you know where to find

    to find me if you ever feel feel down." ''I tell her,

    "Don''t you have things to do? to do?" she wonders

    and I shake my head, I wasn''t nning on doing today, so watching the movie with Maisie doesn''t seem like a bad idea. "Would you let me pick?" she excitedly says, making meugh. *Pick whatever you want, Maisie, but next time. I''m picking Today is Maisie''s day. I want to take her mind off of everything that has caused her pain. I want her to do everything the wants to do to make her feel better. Two hourster, Maisie tells me that she needs to leave, so we both leave the apartment because I promised her earlier that I was going to take her back to the campus to get her car "But seriously though, I can''t get that line out of my head." Maisieughs as we get out of the elevator. I

    "s stuck in my head too." Iugh, looking at her for a moment before looking in front of me again only to find Rosie. "Rosie, how are you?" I say, keeping my eyes on her. She seems started.

    "I''m good. You?" Something about her seems different. Has Everest done something to her? I swear, I will dly kill him if be so much as thinks about hurting her.

    "All good. Let me introduce you to each other. Rosie, this is Maisie. Maisie, this is Rosie," I say, realizing that Maisie is still standing beside me

    "Hi Rosie, it''s nice to meet you." Maisie says with her normal cheerfulness. She extends her hand to Rosie who stares at her for less than a second before shaking her hand

    "Nice to meet you too." Rosie is trying to be polite, but it''s easy to tell that something is on her mind. "I gotta go get some sleep. It''s been a long day."

    "Are you okay?" I ask as worry fills me

    "Yeah, There''s nothing to worry about! Goodnight guys." She doesn''t give us time to say anything before dashing towards

    the elevators.

    "So this is your ex-girlfriend? Maisie wonders and I nod. "She''s really gorgeous." Yeah, she is gorgeous and no longer mine.

    Only when we step to the street do I realize that Maisie and should have beaded to the garage, not the lobby, fr is like two wanted me to bugs into Rosar today, but I''m not sure if it''s a good thing or a bad thig GY  14%

    lives in the snake building and no matter what, I can''t bring myself to move out because I''m scared that she may need me at any moment. I want to be able to take care of her in any way," I try to exin to Maisie what Rosie means to me.

    "All right, but I think you should start seeing a therapist to understand where to set your boundaries and to know how to deal with this new friendship you have with her." I agree with her. I thought about seeing a therapist, but I have been hesitant about it. Maybe I should give it a go. All that has been happeningtely is taking a toll on me and I want my senior year to be a good one.

    "I can think about that." I smile at her before getting up. I take the empty tes to the sink and quickly wash them.

    "Thank you, Ss, I''m d that you didn''t leave me alone at the library," Maisie says with gratitude in her voice. "Now you know where to find me if you ever feel down," I tell her, making her smile. "Do you want to watch a movie?" I

    suggest.

    "Don''t you have things to do?" she wonders and I shake my head. I wasn''t nning on doing today, so watching the movie with Maisie doesn''t seem like a bad idea. "Would you let me pick?" she excitedly says, making meugh. "Pick whatever you want, Maisie, but next time, I''m picking." Today is Maisie''s day. I want to take her mind off of everything that has caused her pain. I want her to do everything she wants to do to make her feel better.

    Two hourster, Maisie tells me that she needs to leave, so we both leave the apartment because I promised her earlier that I was going to take her back to the campus to get her car.

    "But seriously though, I can''t get that line out of my head." Maisieughs as we get out of the elevator.

    "It''s stuck in my head too." Iugh, looking at her for a moment, before looking in front of me again only to find Rosie. "Rosie, how are you?" I say, keeping my eyes on her. She seems startled.

    "I''m good. You?" Something about her seems different. Has Everest done something to her? I swear, I will dly kill him if he so much as thinks about hurting her.

    "All good. Let me introduce you to each other. Rosie, this is Maisie. Maisie, this is Rosie," I say, realizing that Maisie is still standing beside me.

    "Hi Rosie, it''s nice to meet you," Maisie says with her normal cheerfulness. She extends her hand to Rosie who stares at her for less than a second before shaking her hand.

    "Nice to meet you too." Rosie is trying to be polite, but it''s easy to tell that something is on her mind. "I gotta go get some sleep. It''s been a long day."

    "Are you okay?" I ask as worry fills me.

    "Yeah, There''s nothing to worry about! Goodnight guys." She doesn''t give us time to say anything before dashing towards

    the elevators.

    "So this is your ex-girlfriend?" Maisie wonders and I nod. "She''s really gorgeous." Yeah, she is gorgeous and no longer mine.

    Only when we step into the street do I realize that Maisie and I should have headed to the garage, not the lobby. It''s like fate wanted me to bump into Rosie today, but I''m not sure if it''s a good thing or a bad thing.

 Chapter 138

    .

    I don''t know this ce, but this is not the weird thing. The weirdest thing is that I can see myself sitting at a table with a few books in front of I''m at a pizzeriae. I''m looking at them with tears in my eyes for a reason I don''t know. I look around me and realize that Am I waiting for my order?

    I stare at my face and it''s easy to tell that I look sad. Something must have happened, but I don''t know what it is. I walk closer to the sitting version of me and my eyes scan the names of the books on the table. The covers seem to be something I would enjoy. Suddenly, the ce I''m at turned into a cloud of fire and smoke. For a few seconds, my ears stop working. Everybody around me is harmed one way or another, but I''m not. In fact, it feels like I''m invisible to everyone. I look at the other version of me that was once sitting at the table beside the window, and I find her unde? This is very confusing, and I don''t know the appropriate way to refer to myself. under the table. I

    I walk towards myself, and I find myself crouched under the table. The shock written all over my face is valid. The ce has just exploded. Something seems to pull me out of the state of trance I''m in and I push myself to get up. I stare more at that other version of me and see a wound on my temple and blood on my hands.

    This wounded version ends up getting out of the destroyed ce and I watch a paramedic as she guides me to an ambnce.

    When she asks me if I want to call someone, I tell her I want to call Ss. I ce my phone to my ear and all I manage to say when he picks up is his name.

    "Ss!" I gasp as I jump up from my sleep. My heart is beating so fast it hurts. I ce my hand on my heart and look around my bedroom, trying to understand what has just happened.

    I decided to tak

    take a nap a while ago and I have just been awakened with that dream.

    I

    Is this a dream?

    Have I just remembered something? Is this a memory? I remember Ss telling me once that I was in an explosion. Is that the explosion he told me about? Oh my God.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    !

    I have just remembered something else!

    I quickly get out of bed and put on my slippers before dashing to my front door. I snatch the key to my apartment and rush to the elevator after closing the door.

    I press

    on number 7 once I get in and impatiently wait to reach Ss''s floor. Once I reach his front door, I ring the doorbell, hoping he''s inside. I need to tell him that I have remembered something. He spent months trying to get me to remember anything and it finally happened again. My first restored memory was about attending his game with Sabrina and this is my second one.

    I bet he is going to be as excited as I am.

    I

    However, my excitement slightly fades when the curly-haired girl I have seen before opens the door for me. I remember her name, Maisie. "Rosie, hi," she says with a wide smile on her face. She stares at me for a moment before frowning. I look at myself and realize that I have practically jumped out of bed and run to Sss ce. "Are you okay?" T  887%

    "Rosie, is everything okay? Lhear Ss''s voice. Maisie moves away from the door and Sses into my view. "Did something happen?" he worriedly asks. "Maybe you shoulde inside."

    "No, s-sorry." I step away. What was I exactly thinkinging up here without checking with him first? I feel stupid. "It doesn''t matter. I need to go. I''m sorry." I turn to move away, but Ss is quick to close his door as he follows me down the hall. "What''s going on?" he asks, cing both of his hands on my arms as he stands in front of me.

    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t havee like that," I apologize.

    "There''s nothing to apologize for, Rosie," he says. "Is it because of Maisie? Do you not want to talk in front of her?"

    "I remembered something," I blurt, and his eyes go wide. "I''m sorry foring up here without giving you prior notice, but I was just excited and wanted to share the news with you."

    He shakes his head and pulls me into his embrace. "This is amazing, Rosie! I''m d you''re getting your memory back," he says and kisses the top of my head. The way he''s hugging me makes me feel safe. I don''t want him to let go. "What did you remember, cupcake?" cups my cheeks, and I smile at the nickname that I used to hate. When did I start liking him calling me that?

    He

    "You have your girlfriend over. It doesn''t feel right to talk right now. We can do thatter," I say and gently pull myself away from him.

    "Maisie isn''t my girlfriend and if you want toe inside, we can do that. You''re more than wee toe over any ne you want, Rosie," he tells me. Why am I relieved to know that she''s not his girlfriend? This shouldn''t concern me. He needs to move on with his life. I shouldn''t hold shou t hold him back for whatever reason in my head. If I''m a true friend, I must be happy for him.

    "We can talkter, Ss. You go enjoy your time with Maisie." I smile at him and give him onest hug before walking towards the elevator.

    After making it to my apartment, I look at myself in the mirror of my bathroom and curse. I look like a mess. What was I thinking? I made Ss''s friend see me like that. The girl must be thinking I''m crazy. My t-shirt is a bit disheveled and my hair isn''t neat like it usually is. I turn on the water and ssh my face, trying to get myself to calm down.

    I take deep breaths and make my way to the kitchen to make myself some coffee. After turning on the coffee machine, I head to my bedroom to get my phone. I need to call my parents to tell them the news.

    When I told them about remembering something before, they were ecstatic. Mum actually cried tears of joy.

    I don''t know how she may react when I tell her about the new restored memory, but I know that she will be so happy.

    "Hey, Mum," I say once she picks up. "I''ve got good news for you"

    "Really? What is it?" I love how curious she is.

    "I remembered something new," I announce. She squeals in response, making meugh.

    "Really? What did you remember? Listen, are you overwhelmed? Is everything okay with you? Do you need me toe over?" she rambles, making meugh more.

    "I''m all good, Mum. Don''t worry. I would for you toe over if you want, but I''m alreadying tomorrow," I assure her. Tomorrow is Friday and I feel like spending this weekend with my family. "Okay, I can''t wait to see you, sweetheart. I miss you so much." She tugs at my heart with her sweet words.

    "I miss you more, Mum." I really miss her. I feel like I want to throw myself in her arms and tell her about everything that has been happeningtely.

    "What did

    I you remember?" she asks me again.

    We both end up talking for over an hour. I tell her about the new restored memory and how I''ve been feelingtely. There are a lot of things I want to tell her, but I don''t know how to interpret my thoughts into words.

    After I finish my call with her, I decide to go out for a walk. I put on afy outfit and just when I''m about to head out, 1 stop myself. I walk to the bookcase I have in my living room, and I find myself searching for the books I remember from the memory I have just had. I know that I lost the books in the explosion, but I feel like I have seen the names of these books in my bookcase. As I check the bookcase, I realize that I am right. They are here. How do I have them if I have already lost them in the explosion? It doesn''t make sense. Something is missing. Well, a lot of things are missing and honestly, I can''t wait to piece it all together.

    I shake my head and make my way out of my apartment. First, I head to the bookstore and like usual, I don''t leave empty-handed. Funnily, I find myself looking for books with FMCs who suffer from memory loss like me. I want to know if such stories end up with happy endings or not. I''m petrified of not getting my happy ending, because I have a feeling that I already had my happy ending, but I let it slip away from me.

 Chapter 139

    "How are you feeling, Rosie?" my therapist asks me. She always asks me this question. Usually, I can interpret my feelings into words, but today, I can''t do it. I don''t know how to exin to her that I have never felt this confused in my entire life. puzzled and perplexed. I thought when I first got out of the ident that I had reached the ultimate level of confusion, but I guess what I''m feeling now is way more confusing." I do my best to express how I''m feeling. "What''s making you confused?" she asks and I take a deep breath.

    "I''m

    "Ss has been hanging out with another girl," I start, looking at her for a second before looking down again. "I''m not supposed to feel jealous or upset, but... I do." I raise my head to look at her again.

    "But didn''t you say that you weren''t sure of your feelings for him?" she wonders and I nod. "Then why do you feel jealous?"

    "I think I made a terrible mistake." I sniff, trying to prevent myself from crying even though she has made it pretty clear that this is a safe ce for me to cry. "Leaving Ss was one of the worst mistakes of my life, and I hate that it took me seeing him with another girl to realize that." do you want to do?" she asks.

    "AndN?velDrama.Org content.

    what

    ""What I Why can''t what I want

    I to do is knock on his door and apologize. I want to tell him that I want to be with him again and I want to give us a genuine chance this time, but I can''t do that." My tears betray me as they roll down my cheeks. ''t you do do that?" She sets her pen down as she looks at me.

    moment before my eyes move to the nt ced in one of the corners I tilt my head back, staring at the in ceiling for a moment before my eyes move to the nt ced in one of the corners of the room. I have always like the d¨¦cor of her office. It makes me feel at ease and andfortable. "Because I hurt him enough and it doesn''t feel right to jump back into his life once he is starting to move on. What kind of person would I be? I can''t do that to Sis. He doesn''t deserve that at all. I want him happy and if...if his happiness means that he should be away I stay away from him.

    I don''t want to stay away from him. When he held me in the hallway after I told him I remembered something, I wanted to hold onto him as long as I could. I didn''t want him to let me go.

    "Sometimes, things don''t go our way in life, Rosie, and I know that it''s hard, but we need to learn to ept whatever happens. We''re not in control of everything," my therapist tells me and I wipe my tears.

    of my stupidity," a sob escapes me even though I''m trying to calm "The thing is, I was in control once, but I lost it because of my stupidity," a sob escapes me even though I''m trying to calm myself down. "I wish I could turn back time."

    You

    , though, and what we need to work on now ise to terms with your new reality," she tells me. Her tone is soft but her words are bullets prating my heart and chest.

    "I remembered something new and... guess what? Ss is part of it too. When I woke up with that memory in my head, the first thing I did was rush to his ce. I had this image in my head I thought he was going to hug me tightly, and celebrate with me, but he didn''t open the door for oor for me. Maisie did. And when I saw her, everything crumbled before my eyes." "Did you tell him that you remembered something?" she asks and I nod.

    "I didn''t tell him in front of Maisie. He took me to the hallway when I refused to get inside his apartment. When I told him, he had the biggest smile on his face and hugged me like usual." I sadly smile when I remember his reaction. "I said something to him and he told me that Maisie wasn''t his girlfriend. I''m not gonna lie, I was relieved, but... I have a feeling that it''s only a matter of time." "So if she''s not his girlfriend, what''s stopping you?" she wonders, resting her back against her dark brown chair.

    H "He is moving on. I can''t just walk into his life and tell him I want him back and I have a boyfriend... I need to break up with him. I don''t feelfortable in our rtionship, but I can''t just go back to Ss the moment I break up with Everest," I say. My heart is already beating fast. "What makes you ufortable with Everest?"

    "Maybe the fact that he''s not the one he once was before we started officially dating. He always wants things his ways. He''s always interested in my family. He sometimes mocks my interests. He wasn''t like that. Maybe he was like that when we were friends, but I cannot remember," I reply, ying with a pen I found in front of me. "Do you feel safe around Everest?" she asks. "I don''t think he would hit me, but emotionally, I don''t feel safe around me. I constantly feel like I need to defend myself and my actions. Rtionships shouldn''t be like that." I rub my forehead. I don''t know when things may calm down, but I really can''t take it anymore. "Listen, Rosie. I I don''t really trust Everest, so maybe when you break up with him make sure that you have somebody you trust in the same ce as you or at least close to you," my therapist suggests. The first person whoes to my mind is ?s, but I don''t want to bring him into this I can easily ask my dad. He is going to be there for me in a heartbeat, but I don''t want to bring my parents into this either. When I told them I started dating Everest, they weren''t thrilled, but they said that as long as I was happy, they were happy for me. I wasn''t happy when I told them and I''m not happy now. I haven''t been happy in a while.

    I

    Maybe I can ask Sabrina or even Knox. I haven''t talked to Knox in a while, but I know that he''s a great friend. He makes Sabrina happy and she always tells me that he is a great boyfriend.

    !

    "I think I can do that. Better safe than sorry." I smile a little. "What do you think I should do?"

    I

    "I think you need to learn to discover yourself on your own. I want you to spend a day by yourself, but not inside your apartment. I want you to go out and do something you love. When youe back, write down how you felt throughout the day," she replies and I nod. Maybe I need to do that. Maybe I need to be alone for a while.

    After I leave her ce, I call Kendall to catch up with her. I haven''t spoken to her in a week and that hasn''t been the case before.

    Perhaps I need to stopparing my life now with how it once was before. I need to ept that things cannot stay the same

    anymore.

    On my way back home, I head to the supermarket to get a few things I need. I don''t know why fate loves ying games with me, but while I''m filling my cart with the groceries I need, I find Ss in the same supermarket.

    I don''t understand why I always bump into him. It''s like there''s a ma that pulls me towards him.

    "Hello there, neighbor," he cheerfully says when he notices me. Is that all that I am to him now? Just a neighbor?

    "Hi, Ss." I smile at him, but my smile doesn''t reach my eyes.

    "What''s going on?" he asks, probably sensing with his inner radar that something is wrong. hate that he knows me so well. "Nothing. I just had a session with my therapist and it was a heavy one," I tell him, putting something random in my cart. "Rosic, there are raspberries in this." Ss frowns, taking the item out of my cart. I''m allergic to raspberries. "I''m not paying attention." I shake my head.

    "I can tell," he says. "If you don''t mind, I''m going to take you home after we''re done grocery shopping. I want to make sure you''re okay," he tells me. I don''t have enough energy in me to argue with him, so I just nod.

    @

    "You don''t usually go grocery shopping. What brings you here?" ask, pushing my cart.

    "Maisie ising over tomorrow and we''re going to cook togetlier, so I''m just getting the ingredients." My heart breaks at his words. I wonder if we used to cook together.

    "You seem to be spending a lot of time with her." I sincerely hope my tone doesn''t show the jealousy I''m feeling.

    "She is responsible for the ount of our team and I help her with organizing everything. Not just me now, because the co- captain helps her too. We''ve gotten pretty close to each other," he casually says. Ss seems to be doing better and I guess should thank Maisie for that. She has been a great addition to his life. An addition he needs to get over what I have done to him. "She is really nice and pretty." I smile up at him as our eyes meet for a moment before I look away.

    "Maybe we can all hang out one day," Ss suggests. I don''t think I have this kind of strength in me. I can''t be in the same ce as the girl he has been spending tike with. I already have a feeling where their rtionship is going and I need to teach myself to bear seeing them together. But I can''t just spend time with them. Not in the beginning at least. "Maybe," I lie with a smile that I hope is convincing enough.

    I know that this is all my doing and I have to bear the consequences of my choices. I just don''t think I''m strong enough to bear them.

 Chapter 140

    or annoying.

    "Ss, stop," Maisie whines, making meugh as I hold the bottle high in the air. She is shorter than me, so she''s struggling to reach it. Our friendship has grown stronger over the past two weeks and I no longer find helping her out with her work with the team exhausting She''s over at my ce today and we''re cooking together. I enjoy teasing her, and I''m aware that she hates our height so to annoy her more, I hold the difference because it makes her feel short even though she''s considered tall among girls bottle she wants up. "Why do

    you I have

    to be a pain in the a****" she groans as she jumps up, trying to catch the bottle. "What''s the magic word, Maisie?" I smirk, making her roll her eyes at me. words f

    "No magic

    for you, Cromwell!" she hisses, doing her best to jump up, but ends up slipping. Quickly, I drop the bottle and catch her before shepletely loses her bnce. She holds onto my arms tightly as I adjust her body. My arms are around her waist. There''s almost no space between us. "I owe you a a thank you I guess," she says with a smile.

    "I guess,"

    "I say. I know I should let go of her, but I don''t and I''m not sure why.

    I find myself leaning towards her and she does the same. Before I know it, we''re kissing. I know I should pull away. I miss Rosie and I probably want to fill the void I have in my life, yet I don''t stop myself from kissing Maisie.

    Kissing her doesn''t feel wrong, but it doesn''t feel right either. I know if I keepparing every girl that walks into my life with Rosie, it won''t be fair, because nobodypares to Rosie. She has this special ce in my heart and I''m certain nobody can take her ce. "I think we should casually date," Maisie blurts when we pull apart, taking me by surprise. I don''t know where this ising from, but I don''t find myself annoyed by the idea. "Nothing serious, Ss. But you''re lonely and I''m lonely, so maybe we can help each other with "I''m not looking for something serious, Maisie," I truthfully say.

    loneliness.N?velDrama.Org content.

    says. "Neither am I. I''m not ready to be in a serious rtionship, but I miss dating and I trust you. I trust that you won''t take advantage of me in any way if we casually date and I won''t take advantage of you either," she

    There are two conflicting voices in my head. One is telling me to go for it because there''s nothing to lose. We''re not looking for anything serious and we''re just trying to find sce in each other''spany. The other one is screaming at me to snap out of it. It''s urging me to remember Rosie and my love for her My love for her isn''t dead and whenever I see her, I fail to focus on anything but her. However, Rosie is moving on and she''s building herself a new life that doesn''t have me as her lover. What if I need to start thinking about doing the same?

    "Maybe casual dating can be good for us," I find myself saying.

    "But there''s something I want you to keep in mind, Ss," Maisie tells me in a serious tone

    "What is it?"

    "If

    If you ever feel that our casual dating is standing between you and getting Rosie back, we both have to stop," she says. I don''t understand how she''s casually talking about all of that. She jumps onto the kitchen counter and looks at me as she continues talking "Ss, I know that I''m going to be your rebound and I''m okay with that. It''s casual dating, remember? Nothing serious. You want distraction from Rosie''s rtionship with that guy and I wantpany in the form of rtionship." "I want you to promise me one thing, Maisie," I say. I don''t want to cause her any pain and I want to make sure that we''re

    both on the same page.

    "What?"

    3

    "If you find the whole situation hurtful, walk away," I tell her.

    "Deal." She smiles at me.

    83% +5

    I''m not sure if the decision we have just made is right or wrong, but I''m tired of overthinking. Maisie is right. I do need a distraction from everything that has been going ontely.

    "Do you want this to be our secret?" she wonders, and I frown. "I mean, do you want us to keep this from the team?"

    "Why would I want that?" I ask in confusion. Even if we''re casually dating, why would I make Maisie my secret?

    "There are many reasons actually. The whole team knows that you love Rosie and maybe the coach would think that it''s not good if we mix personal life with business." She forms quotation marks as she says the word business. "I''m also putting Rosie into consideration to be honest," she admits. away from me "I''m not keeping you a secret, Maisie. Rosie has her life and I have my own. She made her decision to walk and date Everest and I have the right to make my own decisions. I run my fingers through my hair. "As for the team, I don''t interfere with anyone''s personal life, so I don''t really appreciate anybody''s interference with mine and I know how to put everyone in their ces if I need to. As for the coach, he should focus on me being a good yer and captain and you being a good social media manager. Nothing else." "If you say so." She shrugs with a smile as she hops off the counter. "Do you know what the best part of this is?" I give her a questioning look as I watch her movements. "I," she bends down and takes the bottle off the floor, "got the bottle in the exd." A wide grin is stered on her face.

    I have to admit, Maisie really puts me in a good mood.

 Chapter 141

    83

    I put on some high-waisted red jeans and a yellow crop top. I pair my outfit with some sneakers and apply some lip gloss as a final touch for my make up. To be honest, I don''t want to go to that party, but at least Sabrina ising with me. Everest told me that he wanted to go to a party thrown at some house and although I don''t feel like going, I find myself agreeing. I''m going to break up with him soon, but before soing so, part of me wants to know all aspects of his life before I leave him. I asked him if I could bring Sabrina with me and luckily, he said it was okay. Knowing Everest, I''m certain he is going to abandon me for a long time to spend time with his friends with whom I don''t get along, so having Sabrina with me is a must. I don''t want to be alone at a ce I don''t know. She knows that I''m going to break up with Everest soon and although she is trying to hide her true feelings, I can see how happy she is. She has never been fond of him, but she hasn''t been vocal about for the sake of my feelings. It''s not just Sabrina who has these feelings; Kendall does too. Their obvious dislike for him makes me wonder if I have been blind all along. The thing is none of them talked to me. They have never been vocal about their opinion on our rtionship. Ss is the only one who has expressed his dislike for Everest. I should have listened to him. I should have taken his opinion into consideration. This is all my fault.

    I''m finally driving again, thank to Ss. So, I''m going to drive to Sabrina''s ce to pick her up, then we''re going to the party. I lock my ce and make my way to the elevator. When I get inside, my eyes linger on number 7. I want to see him. I want to spend some time with him, but I can''t do that. The mere possibility that Maisie may be with him makes me unable to see him.

    I shake my head and press P to get to the parking. I get into my new car thay my parents bought for me the moment they heard I''m ready to drive and head to Sabrina''s ce.

    as inside

    Hello there," I give her a wide smile. Thank you so much foring with me." This is probably the third time I thank her.

    "Enough with that." She throws her head back. "You''re acting like I''m doing you a huge favor when all I''m doing is going to a party with you."

    "But I know that you''re not exactly thrilled about it," I say as I start driving.

    "Neither are you I''m not sure why you''re going, but I know that we''re going to enjoy our time as long as we''re together, so stop thanking me and take us to this atrocious party already," she yfully bosses me. "Aye aye, captain." Iugh as I focus on driving. I can''t believe that I can now drive and talk to somebody or listen to music while driving. I''m d that I finally get to do that again. I was scared that I would still stay petrified of driving, but thankfully, everything is now getting better. Everything except for my rtionship with Ss.

    It doesn''t take us long to arrive and the moment I do, I know I want to leave. It''s not because I''m against partying, but being in this ce without thepany I know I would like to party with makes me want to run away. If this party is thrown at the team''s house, I''m certain I would love everything about it.

    But this isn''t the team''s house. Ss and his teammates aren''t here and the girls aren''t here.

    I take a deep breath and stroll inside the huge house with Sabrina. The music is loud and although the ce is sp**us, I feel like I''m getting suffocated. It''s probably because I don''t want to be here.

    "Your boyfriend is over there." Sabrina points to where he is. I want to ask her not to call him that, but I bite my tongue. I sometimes wonder where my mind was when I said yes, but I guess regret is useless now.

    I know I''m overreacting when ites to Everest because he hasn''t done anything major; however, I can''t help but feel that something is incredibly wrong with our rtionship. I just cannot pinpoint what''s wrong.

    !

    I look to where he is and find him with three of his friends. I ster a fake smile on my face as I head over to where he is. When he spots me, he widely smiles. His smile makes guilt bite at my guts and I wonder if I''m the worst girlfriend any guy could ask for. "Hey babe," he says, pulling me into a hug. His lips meet mine and all I want is to pull away, especially since I can feel the taste of liquor. I hate the taste of liquor while kissing. "Hi," I say when we pull back.

    I

    He introduces me to the guy I don''t know in the group and introduces Sabrina to them.

    "Would you like to dance,

    "I have a boyfriend," she pretty girl?" one of them asks her as he takes a couple of steps closer to her.

    says and her tone indicates how disinterested she is.

    "I don''t see where the problem is." He rolls his eyes as he shrugs.

    friend shoots back at him. with them for a

    "Probably loyalty, my them for a while before we decide to go to the backyard to have a breath of fresh air since the inside of the house has turned into a stuffy box.

    Sabrina and I stayN?velDrama.Org content.

    "When he came to the gathering at the team''s house, I had a feeling that his mentality was unbelievable. Now, I''m certain that he''s totally unbelievable." She huffs as we make our way to the backyard. I totally agree with her. I don''t understand what I saw in him, but I''m going to put an end to all of this soon. This has to be done as soon as possible. "When would you like to leave?" I ask her as we step into the backyard. "Whenever you want to." She shrugs.

    We end up talking for a bit and she does her best to keep me distracted from everything that has been bothering metely. I''m really lucky to have Sabrina in my life and I don''t know how college life would have been without her. I head back i side and

    "I''m really thirty I''m gonna get us something to drink," I tell her and she nods.

    walk towards the kitchen. I get us two cups of non-alcoholic drinks and on my way back to the backyard, I spot Everest standing close to where I am. "I know she''s not my style, but I''m trying to make the best out of it." I stop at what I hear and I hide myself to hear what he''s saying. Is he talking about me? I''m not sure which would be better. Would I want him to be talking like that about me or talking about another girl because he''s cheating on me?

    "Are you benefiting from her in any way?" his friend wonders and I watch my soon-to-be- ex-boyfriend shrugs.

    "I don''t always pay for our dates and I''m trying to get her to get me a good internship at her dad''spany." I suck in a breath when I make sure that he''s talking about me.

    "Good luck. She looks like a good fuck too," his friendments and Everestughs as he nods his head.

    "I know how to f***k her well. She''s pretty addicted to me," he boosts and my mouth parts in shock. He hasn''t touched me! I''m still a virgin! He is a f***ng liar.

    I have e a lot of anger in me and all I want is to punch him. I should have believed my guts. I have always had a feeling that something is wrong, but not once have I imagined him to be this sick.

    I 6 8 00 83% L

    I deeply inhale and walk towards him and his friend. His friend is the first to notice me, which makes him quickly nudge

    him.

    "I''m not really addicted to you, Everest. Lately, I''ve been addicted to the idea of dumping your ass because you''re the worst boyfriend any girl could ask for." He looks shocked for a moment, not knowing what to say to me. "It''s not what it looks like, babe," he pathetically says and I let out a short chuckle.

    "FYI, this sad excuse for a man has never touched me," I tell him friend before sshing one of the drinks I had at Everest''s face.

    When

    wher turn around, I find people looking at the encounter and among them, I see my best friend who has a wide grin on her face.

    "I think it''s time to leave," I tell her. As much as I am hurt, I''m also relieved because I finally got rid of him.

    "Give me that." She takes the other drink I have with me and heads over to Everest. "Rosie has always been too good for you. I''m d she finally got to see the a***le you are." She sshes him with another drink, making others gasp. I try to stifle myugh at Everest''s shocked expression. She takes my hand and guides me out of the house. We both get in my car and I drive away from the party I didn''t want to attend in the first ce.

    So

    why did we ssh him with our drinks?" she asks, making me raise my eyebrows in surprise.

    "Wait a minute. You sshed him without knowing why?" I inquire. I just want to make sure that I understand the situation correctly.

    "When you took too long, I went to check on you and I saw you standing with Everest and his friend. By the time I approached you, I saw you throwing your drink at his face. I know you won''t do something like that out of the blue and honestly, I have been dying to do something like that, so I kind of did." I seize the opportunity to look at her face when I reach a red light. I find a sheepish smile on her face that makes meugh. And this is why I love this girl so much.

    0

 Chapter 142

    142

    "What has your undivided attention like that?" Maisie snaps me out of my thoughts. Since we both have a gap, we''re having lunch together. It''s been ten days since we started to casually date. I really like spending my time with Maisie. She knows how to put me in a good mood and distract me from everything I''m trying to stop thinking about. But when I''m alone at night, Rosie is the one who upies my mind and hear.

    "Nothing important. I saw an article about a novel Rosic likes that is about to be turned into a movie," I answer her truthfully. Maisie and I are always honest with each other, so even if it''s something about Rosie, I always tell her if she asks. "Do you think she''s going to be excited about that?" she wonders!

    "Excited, but she''s surely going to overthink the whole process. She prefers when books get turned into tv shows, not movies," I reply, setting my phone down.

    "Why?

    "Because TV shows have more time than movies and she doesn''t like it when directors omit parts of the story," I tell her. "Enough about Rosie. How''s that paper you''ve been struggling with?" I change the subject.

    "It''s going to be the death of me." She buries her head in her folded arms resting on the table for a second. "But I don''t have much left. I think I will be done with it tomorrow."

    "So if I would like to take you out tonight, would that be convenient with your schedule?" I wonder.

    s as she nods.

    "Yes." She grins a

    "Is there anywhere you''d like to go to?" I ask her.

    "Not really.

    You

    I can surprise me," she says.

    "Do you want to do something before or after having dinner?" I ask her. I don''t know her enough to surprise her with a full n and I don''t want us to do something she won''t enjoy. "Well, I''m in the mood for bungee jumping, but since we can''t do that, we can just have dinner," she says, making me chuckle.

    "Yeah, it''s going to to be hard to go bungee jumping now, but we can n something like thatter," I tell her with a grin. "But we can go ice skating if you want?" I suggest. I''m not sure if this is something she will enjoy or not, but I know how much Rosie enjoys ice skating. "I''m not a fan of falling on my butt." She chuckles, standing up. "I gotta go now, but I will see you tonight." She leans towards me and we share a quick kiss before she leaves the ce. Our kisses are usually short. They''re not intimate or full of longing, We just kiss because couples kiss. Nothing else.

    After a while, I get up too and make my way to my lecture. On my way there, I spot Knox and Sabrina, so I jog over to them.

    "Hey guys," I say.

    "Hey!Long time no see," Sabrina greets me.

    "I know, but I have seen you at ourst game," I tell her.

    "Yeah, somebody here wanted me to attend." She smiles, leaning on Knox who kisses her temple. I love their rtionship and how chill they are together.

    UThis is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "You bring me luck," he tells her, and I instantly remember when I used to call Rosie my lucky charm.

    "I gotta go now, but I will see you tonight!" Sabrina waves us goodbye, then looks at her boyfriend when she mentions their n for the night.

    I will pick you guys up at seven!" Knox tells her and she nods before rushing to wherever she needs to be.

    "You guys are going out t tonight?" ''I casually ask. To be honest, I''m curious. I want to know who they''re going out with, because usually, I''m the one who tags along with them.

    "Yeah, we''re going out with Rosie tonight. Sabrina doesn''t want to leave her alone." Worry instantly fills me when Knox says that.

    "Is Rosie okay?" I ask, hoping the answer is yes.

    "She broke up with Everest. While she''s not exactly heartbroken, we don''t know if she''s just good at hiding her feelings or she''s genuinely okay. We just want to make sure that she''s fine." It takes me a moment to process what I have just heard. She broke up with Everest. She is no longer dating anybody. But I am. I''m dating Maisie and I respect her. "Why did they break up?" I find myself f asking.

    "She heard him talking about her

    in a a terrible way. Turns out he was only with her because he wanted to benefit from her family, Knox fills me in, and I curse under my breath. who was trying to use her. I don''t want her Not again. It took her a lot of time when she was young to get over the friend go through that again. Do her parents know? Is there anything I can do to make it better for her? There are a lot of questions in my head, and I don''t know what to do. Should I stay away, considering that I now have a girlfriend?

    "I need to check on on her. Wh When did did they break up?" I ask Knox. The fact that I''m learning Rosie''s news from Knox doesn''t sit

    met Knox through me. well with me. This shouldn''t be the case. Rosie was my friend first. Sh

    I do is nod.

    "Three days ago," he replies and all I do is

    "I gotta go now, but I will see youter," I tell my friend before walking away. I need to call Rosie. I know her better than them, and I''m a hundred percent sure that she''s not doing as well as she''s making them believe.

    I look at my phone and curse under my breath. I only have ten minutes to get to ss. I rush there with only one thought: Rosie. I want to see her and spend some time with her. I''m not sure what I''m supposed to do, but all I know is that I want to be there for her. Once the professor announces that the lecture is over, I practically dash out of the ssroom and take my phone out of my pocket. I call her and to my surprise, she doesn''t pick up. Rosie always picks up. The only time she didn''t pick up was when she had the ident. Just thinking about that makes me want to search for her everywhere.

    I try calling her again, but she doesn''t pick up. I don''t even know her schedule, so I''m not sure if she is home or at the

    campus.

    I still can''t believe that she chose to tell Knox and Sabrina but didn''t tell me. Does she want me out of her life? Have I been that bad to her? My mind refuses toprehend the reasons behind her actions. There must be something I''m not aware

    of.

    01.

    I make my way home and before going to my apartment, I head towards hers. I just want to see her with my own eyes to make sure that she''s okay. I ring the doorbell and impatiently wait for her to open the door for me.

    Just when I''m about to give up, she opens it for me and to say I''m relieved would be an understatement. I find myself

    wrapping my arms around her body and kissing the top of her head like I''m used to.

    3

    "Is everything okay?" she asks when we pull away. She looks like she has been asleep. Didn''t she have lectures today?

    "I was worried about you," I say, looking at her face. "I called, but you didn''t pick up."

    "Sorry, I was napping," she tells me. "Did you want something?"

    "I wanted to check on you. I heard that you broke up with Everest. Knox told me about what he did," I reply and watch as she takes a heavy breath.

    guess you were right." A sad small smile appears on her lips. "He was bad after all.

    "I''m not here to tell you I told you so, Rosie. I just want to make sure you''re okay," I tell her. I would never be happy that Everest turned out to be an awful person. He caused her pain, and her pain could never bring me joy. If anything, it''s a source of misery for me. "Why didn''t you tell me?" I ask even though I have a feeling I''m not supposed to do so. It didn''t cross my mind." She sounds unsure and I wonder if we have reached the end of our friendship. "I know that you''re now dating Maisie, so it doesn''t feel right to annoy you with my love life."

    Is that why? Is it because of Maisie?

    want to tell her that whatever Maisie and I have doesn''tpare with what we once had, but the look on her face tells me that she''s not ready for such a conversation.

    I can still be your friend while dating Maisie," I remind her.

    "I know." She smiles at me. "Thank you for being here for me, Ss. You truly are the best and I''m lucky to have life."

    you

    in my

    "Promise to call me if you ever need anything, Rosie," I tell her. I need to make sure that she knows how much she means to

    me.

    "You surely like to take care of me." She offers me a bigger smile that I know isn''t real. "Thank you, Ss. I owe you a lot." She wraps her arms around me, and I do the same.

    "You owe me nothing, cupcake," I say, and I swear, I feel her body shaking in my embrace for a second.

    "I will see youter," she says, pulling away from me.

    "Maybe we can go out sometime," I suggest, and she nods, but I think she doesn''t want to go out with me anymore. "See youter, Rosie." I smile at her onest time before walking away from her front door. It dawns on me when she closes the door behind me that this time, she didn''t invite me in. Not only that, but she didn''t

    promise to call if she needed me. I hate to think that maybe this is the end of our friendship, but I guess everythinges to an end even if it''s against our will.

 Chapter 143

    5

    I''m either a good liar or my friends have given up on me. I don''t mind either of these things. I know I have caused everyone around me enough trouble and I don''t expect them to help me anymore. They deserve to live their life the way they want without needing to worry about me.

    It''s been a few days since Ss showed up at my ce. I lied to him when I said I didn''t hear my phone because I was napping. He called me before I went to take a nap. I didn''t want to pick up.

    I made the decision to get out of his life and although it is hard to do so, I know that it''s the right thing to do. He has a girlfriend now and I''m trying to ept that he can no longer be mine. But just because I''m trying toe to terms with my new reality, that doesn''t mean that I''m strong enough to maintain a friendship with him.

    I truly value all his efforts to make sure that I''m okay, but it doesn''t take a genius to figure out that my presence in his life isn''t healthy at all. He needs to have a normal life away from me.

    My heart broke when I learned that he started dating Maisie, but I knew that was bound to happen sooner orter. She is a beautiful girl who seems to be fun, and they have been spending a lot of time together, so what would hold him from dating her?

    It''s Friday already. I lied to my parents and told them I had important projects I needed to work on, so I wouldn''t be able to go to their ce this weekend. I can go, but I don''t want to. I want to spend some time alone.

    In fact, I''m going out tonight all alone. I n on having a drink or two. I don''t want to get shitfaced, but I just want to drink a little. They say alcohol numbs the pain a little and I need to numb my pain.

    I never thought that getting my memory back would be that painful. The doctors didn''t prepare me for this moment. Lately, I have been remembering a lot of things; however, sometimes, I can''t help but wonder whether I''m truly remembering things or tricking my mind into making false memories based on what I have been told by Ss, my friends and my family.

    I know I could ask them, but I don''t want to. I want to be alone for a while. Maybe if I spend more time alone I will be able to figure things out in a better way.

    I put on something nice and apply make up before heading out of my apartment. I wish I could move out of this apartment to be away from Ss, but my parents won''t like this idea.

    Since I n on drinking, I opt for taking an Uber instead of driving. I don''t n on putting myself or any other person in danger. To be honest, I''m nervous. I have never drunk before, but what''s the worst that''s going to happen? It''s not like I n on gettingpletely drunk, but that doesn''t take away the anxiousness I''m feeling.

    I pay my Uber once I reach the bar and I sharply inhale. For a moment, I think about going back home, but even if this is a bad decision, what''s the worst that''s going to happen?

    I walk inside the pub and head straight to the bar. This ce is nicer than the one Everest took me to. For a moment, I don''t know what to order, but then I decide on something fruity.

    The bartender asks for my ID and I feign being confident as I show him the fake ID I bought. Luckily, the bartender bought my lie. It''s probably because of the make up I have on. I have applied a slightly heavier amount to make myself look older.

    I finish my first drink before I know it. I thought the taste would be heavier, but I guess it is fruitier than I thought.

    "What''s a beauty like you doing on her own?" A man says as he brings himself beside me. I''m not interested in talking to anyone. I just want to be on my own.

    "I want to be on my own," I reply without looking at him.

    "Maybe we can be alone together." I roll my eyes and ignore him I''m not in the mood to talk to anyone. "Come on. Let''s have some fun," he stresses. I feel him ce his hand on the small of my back, but I quickly p it away.

    "Leave me alone!" I snap at him.

    "Man, if you don''t leave her alone, I''m going to get the bouncer to throw you out," the bartender chimes in and I breathe out in relief.

    The man shoots me one dirty look before walking away. At least he walked away.

    "Thank you." I smile at the bartender.

    "You don''t look like you belong here," hements, but I say nothing. I don''t even know where I belong anymore. It feels like I don''t belong anywhere. I sometimes wonder if I''m a parasite that''s trying totch on to whatever surface it can find. "Can you make me a stronger drink?" I request and he nods. I''m d that it''s not talkative. I don''t want to talk to anyone.

    My original n was to have two drinks, but I end up having four. Realizing that even alcohol isn''t strong enough to numb my pain, I decide that it''s time for me to leave. The thing is, I know I''m too drunk to leave on my own and I''m scared of ordering Uber. I reach for my phone and after five minutes of thinking, I decide to call Knox. I''m not going to ask Sabrina toe and get me and surely, calling Ss isn''t an option.

    "Hello Knox," I slur. This is my first time to hear myself sounding like that.

    "Rosie, are you all right?" He sounds worried. I hate myself for worrying everyone around me.

    "I''m drunk. Do you think you can pick me up?" I embarrassingly ask.

    "Of course! Send me your location and I will pick you up." After hanging up, I send him my location.

    Being the queen of stupid decisions, I order another drink and sip it until Knox arrives. I don''t know what I''m doing to myself, but all I know is that I want to silence the war that has been going on in my mind.

    My therapist isn''t helping anymore and I wonder if it''s because I don''t have the urge to get better or she''s just not good. "What have you done to yourself, Rosie?" I look up when I hear a familiar voice that does not belong to Knox.

    My eyes widen for a second when I see Ss in front of me and I wonder if alcohol is ying tricks on me. I blink, thinking that he will disappear when I do so, but he doesn''t. He is still there, standing in front of me.

    "I called Knox, didn''t I?" I ask him. I called Knox, didn''t I? Did I call Ss by mistake, thinking he was Knox?

    "You did, but you got me instead," he says, looking at the empty ss in front of me.

    "Lucky me," I mutter, looking away from him.

    "She''s only neen. How could you serve her alcohol?" Ss snaps at the bartender.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Leave him alone. I have a pretty convincing fake ID. Plus, he has been nice, keeping his eyes on me," I defend the poor man whose name I don''t know.

    "Let''s go." Ss sighs heavily.

    I attempt to stand up on my own, but I think the alcohol in me is strong enough to make me unable to stand. Before I fall, Ss catches me with one arm and I find myself holding onto him.

    "Let''s get you home, Rosie," he whispers, still holding onto me.

    Even in my darkest moments, he is there to pick up my broken pieces.

 Chapter 144

    Knox and I are currently ying some video games together at my ce. It''s been a while since the two of us spent some time together. "How''s everything with Maisie?" Knox asks.

    From the outside, everything seems fine. However, from the inside, a huge part of me isn''t fond of this casual rtionship. I have always appreciated stability and right now, I cannot see any sort of stability in my rtionship with her because it''s not meant to be a forever rtionship.

    "Everything is fine," I say without looking at him, keeping my eyes glued to the screen.

    "Are you sure?" he asks. I hate how he can see through my lies without looking at me.

    "I miss Rosie," I blurt, dropping the controller. "I miss her so much. I know I shouldn''t, but I miss everything about her." I have been trying to suppress my true feelings, but I guess I cannot do that for long. I''m slowly breaking and I''m petrified of hurting Maisie in the process.

    Ever since I learned that Rosie had broken up with Everest, I can''t help but wonder if she can be mine. However, I can''t do anything about it. She has just gotten out of a rtionship and it''s not like she loves me enough to get back with me.

    There''s Maisie in the middle too. I know that what we have is not serious, but the idea of breaking up with her for Rosie''s sake feels so wrong.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    "I don''t know if I should be saying this or not, but I think she misses you too." My heart skips a beat at Knox''s words.

    "What makes you say that?" I wonder, twisting my body towards him to face him properly.

    Before he gets to answer, his phone rings. A frown appears between his eyebrows when he checks the caller.

    "It''s Rosie," he mumbles before picking up.

    Why is Rosie calling him?

    "Rosie, are you all right?" My heartbeats quicken when I hear the apparent worry in his tone. "Of course! Send me your location and I will pick you up."

    Pick her up? Where is she? Is she okay?

    When he hangs up, he quickly stands up and I do the same.

    "What''s wrong with Rosie?" I ask him.

    "She is very drunk and wants me to pick her up."

    She called Knox, but didn''t call me? Why? What have I done to her?

    "I will do it. Let me do it, please," I plead with him. I want to be there for her. I want to make sure she''s safe.

    "You know what? You know her better than I do." I breathe out in relief when he

    says

    that.

    Knox sends me the location the moment Rosie sends it to him. Quickly, I rush to my car and drive to where she is. How is she even drunk at a pub? She cannot order a drink for herself since she isn''t twenty-one yet. Did she get somebody to order for her? Luckily, the roads are empty because it is rtivelyte, so it doesn''t take me long to reach where she is.

    "Could you... y with my hair?" she asks. I still can''t say no to her, even when I''m dating another girl.

    "Of course, Rosie," I reply. I start ying with her hair, hoping it would make her feel better. I hate seeing her in this state. I don''t know how to make her feel better, so if this is the least I can do, I don''t mind ying with her hair all night long. "I''m so sorry, Ss," she murmurs. I look at her face and see her eyes closed.

    "Why are you apologizing?" I ask, keeping my eyes on her face. I missed everything about it.

    "I hurt you," she says in a broken tone. All I want is to hug her and tell her that there''s nothing she should apologize for. I would give up everything to make her feel better. This is not the Rosie I''m used to.

    "Rosie, you were confused, and I don''t hold you ountable for any decision you made." I hate how her conscience is tormenting her. She doesn''t deserve to live like this. Even if she hurt me, I know that she didn''t do it with any malicious intentions in mind. She is better than that. She doesn''t say anything else and I hope that she falls asleep fast. I want her to stop ming herself for everything that has happened between us.

    "Have you... have you done that before with me?" She slowly turns around and looks at me.

    "What do you mean?" I frown.

    "I mean have you yed with my hair before? Because..." she trails off. I want to know what she has to say.

    "Because what?" I softly ask, gently moving my fingers over her soft cheek.

    "Because I have this vision in my head of you ying with my hair like that, massaging my scalp. But I... I was on yourp, and we were at the team''s house." She sounds unsure, as if she''s notpletely aware whether what she is saying has truly happened or not. "It happened, Rosie," I whisper, and she squeezes her eyes shut. "I need you to get some sleep, okay? You''re really exhausted"

    "Are you going to be here when I wake up?" It takes everything in me to stop myself from taking her in my arms and sleeping beside her. The way she looks at me shatters my heart into pieces. It''s like she wants to say millions of things, but she''s unable to utter a single word. I have a girlfriend and I''m not a cheater. I can''t do that to her.

    "I will be here," I assure her. "I won''t go

    until you wake up.

    That''s a promise."

    I''m willing to do anything just to make her feel better, so if my staying will do that, I won''t leave her apartment until she tells me to.

    1:1:

 Chapter 145

    My head is about to explode. It hurts more with the slightest movement. I cannot even bring myself to open my eyes. I let out a groan as I bury my head in the pillows. Memories ofst night flood my mind and they''re enough to make me wish I could disappear.

    With all the power I have in me, I do my best to open my eyes. When I do so, I find a ss of water on my nightstand. I push myself up and find two pills beside the ss of water.

    Ss. He must be the one who has left them for me. I find myself remembering the time I took care of him when he called me while being drunk at a party. Memories are easilying back to me and I''m not sure if they can be considered a blessing or a curse now. I called Knoxst night, but Ss showed up instead. I''m embarrassed that he saw me in that state. I always hear people say that when they wake up after getting drunk, they usually don''t remember anything, but I do. I remember a lot of things. It''s like my memory is intensively active now.

    He was so gentle with mest night.

    Who am I kidding? Ss has always been gentle with me.

    The way he yed with my hair made me think of the memory I had of him at the team''s house. When I first remembered how he was with me at the team''s house, I thought I was hallucinating, but I did ask him about itst night and he confirmed that my mind wasn''t ying tricks on me.

    Couldn''t these memories have gotten back to me sooner? Had I remembered earlier, I would have never let him go.

    I take the pills and force myself to get out of bed. I walk to the bathroom and slightly gasp when I look at my reflection in the mirror. I''m still in myst night''s clothes and my make-up is a mess. I look like death. Washing my face is not enough to make me feel clean and refreshed. I need to take a shower. I take off into the cabin to wash the traces ofst night off.

    myThis is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    clothes and get

    I dry myself once I feel clean enough and wrap my body with a towel before heading back to my room. After putting on Somethingfy, I head to the living room, expecting Ss to be there. However, I don''t find him. He''s nowhere to be found in the entire apartment. I should have expected that.

    He probably felt sorry for me and only said that he was going to stay to make me feel better. He has a girlfriend now. Of course, he''s not going to stay at my ce. Am I the stupidest girl on earth? Did I actually believe that he was going to stay the night? Drunk me had dreams, but they cannote to life in my world of sobriety.

    I walk to the kitchen and decide to make myself some coffee. I don''t remember thest time I ate breakfast. My breakfast now consists of coffee and nothing else. When I''m too hungry in the morning, I just eat an apple and it''s usually enough to fill my stomach. Just when I''m about to turn the coffee machine on, the door of my apartment gets opened Hense, thinking of the worst, but my shoulders sag with relief when I see Ss. He has cups of coffee with him along with two brown paper bags.

    He hasn''t actually left. He was just getting breakfast.

    "You''re awake," he says as he closes the door behind him.

    "Yeah..." I look down, not knowing what I''m supposed to say. I''m embarrassed. I didn''t want him to see me in the state / was inst night.

    "I got us breakfast," he tells me, setting everything on the kitchen counter.

    Q

    3 85%=

    "Thank you." I offer him a small smile as I reach for the cup of coffee. "I''m so sorry aboutst night. You shouldn''t have... I stop myself, fearing that I may make things worse if I say what I really want to say.

    "I shouldn''t have what, Rosie? What new barrier do you n on installing between us?" I suck in a breath when he says that. "Why didn''t you call mest night? Why did you call Knox?" His voice depict the pain he is in and I hate being the reason behind that. "Ss, you''re my ex. You''re dating Maisie now. I don''t want to ruin your rtionship with her," I tell him part of the truth. I''m not going to tell him that I can''t stand being in the same room as him without thinking how stupid I was when he was mine. I''m doing everything in my power to stop myself from kissing him. I''m not strong enough to fight all the urges inside of me to try to win him back.

    "Why do you seem to forget that I''m your friend too? Why am I just your ex now? Wasn''t I your ex when you told Everest that you weren''t going to cut ties with me?" He reminds me of what I said. He''s making it hard for me and I don''t know how to get out of this situation. "It''s different, Ss," I tell him, hoping he won''t pressure me into talking about this.

    "Do you even want me in your life, Rosie?" His question makes it hard for me to breathe. I do want him in my life, but I shouldn''t be in it.

    "What I want isn''t important anymore, Ss. I know it may seem impossible to believe this, but having me in your life won''t do you any good," I try to exin the situation to him.

    "Enlighten me, please. Why shouldn''t you be in my life?" he wonders, taking a seat.

    "Because... I''m always going to hold you back from moving on," I say. It''s so hard to prevent myself from crying.

    "Don''t you think I should be the judge of that? His eyes never dart away from me, causing my anxiety to heighten.

    "Ss, you need to believe that I''m the viin in your story. I don''t know what kind of Stockholm syndrome this is, but you need to let me go." A shaky breathes out of my mouth as I stop talking.

    "I won''t let you go unless you tell me you don''t want me in your life anymore," he deres, and I close my eyes as I gulp. Is this what it takes to get him out of my life?

    I don''t want to tell him that, because I do want him in my life, but I''m aware that he will be better off without me.

    "Fine, Ss." I take a shaky breath. "I don''t want you in my life anymore," I blurt, and I swear, my heart has never experienced this kind of pain anymore. The look he has on his face is full of agony and all I want is to run towards him, take him in my arms and apologize for what I have put him through.

    "Oh wow..." A sad smile appears on his lips, and I want to cry. I hurt him. Again. It seems like I''m now an expert at hurting him. "I''m sorry for imposing myself on your life. I promise I won''t get in contact with you again and if I see you at any event, I will keep my distance." It''s getting hard to breathe.

    I don''t want any of this, but I have to do it. I have to do this for his own sake. If I stay in his life, I''m going to bring him more pain.

    "Bye, Rosie," he says, getting up from his ce. I want to prevent him from leaving. I want to apologize.

    Once he walks out of my apartment, I break down as my body falls to the floor. Loud sobs escape my lips and as I hug my knees close to my chest, I wonder if the pain I feel in my chest will ever go away.

 Chapter 146

    "We should break up, Ss," Maisie catches me off guard when she says that.

    "What?" I look at her, confusion already taking over me.

    "We should break up," she repeats what she has previously said.

    "Why?" I ask, adjusting myself on the couch as I give her my full attention. She is at my ce as usual. We''re both working on our assignments, so to hear her suddenly say that has ine perplexed. "Have you met somebody else?" I wonder.

    "No, I haven''t met anybody else. But we need to break up for your sake." What is it with women in my life abandoning me in the name of doing that for my sake? "Ss, you won''t get Rosie back if you stay with me."

    "Rosie and I can''t be together anymore. She literally said that she didn''t want me in her life anymore," I remind her. I told her about what happened between me and Rosie, sparing no detail. I still can''t believe that she told me she didn''t want me anymore in her life. I expected a lot of terrible things to happen, but I had never expected that to happen.

    "I remember you telling me that the moment you walked out, you heard her sobbing. If a girl wants you out of her life, will she sob after your departure?" she asks me and I think about her words for a moment. Could this be true? "I didn''t point that out when you were telling me about what happened because you looked really hurt, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that Rosie didn''t actually want that."

    "But why would she tell me that she wanted me out of her life if she doesn''t want that?" I ask, exhaling.

    "Rosie feels guilty for everything she has put you through and I swear, she still loves you, but she has been seeing us together. She thinks that by staying in your life, she''s going to ruin it, especially our rtionship," Maisie exins. I don''t know if this can ever be true, but if this is how it is, I will do anything to win her back.

    "How could you be so sure of that?" I wonder.

    "I''m a girl and I know how a girl eyes the guy she is in love with. Rosie really loves you. She always looks like she''s about to

    cry

    whenever she sees us together," Maisie points out. "You do know I''m not gonna get hurt if we break up, right?"

    I give her a skeptical look, because I''m not sure if she is being truthful or if she''s just saying that, so I won''t feel bad.

    "Ss, we agreed from the very beginning that it''s going to be casual. I''m literally standing in your way to get Rosie back and our deal entailed that if you ever found me preventing you from getting back with Rosie, you had to break up with me," she reminds me of our deal.

    Just before I get to reply, my phone rings. I look at it and frown when I find the coach calling me. Why is he calling me?

    "Hello coach," I answer the phone.

    "Ss, you need toe over to my office. There''s something I would like to talk to you about," he says.

    "I will be there in twenty minutes, coach," I tell him before hanging up.

    "Is everything okay?" Maisie asks me as I get up from my ce.

    "The coach said he wanted to see me. I don''t know what''s going on, but it''s probably important," I tell her before heading to my room to chance. I throw some pants and a heavy hoodie since it''s cold outside. ""Would you

    like

    me toe with you?" Maisie asks.

    "Sure." I shrug.

    When I get inside the elevator, it takes us less than twenty minutes to reach the coach''s office.

    G.

    There are millions of thoughts running through my head and they''re giving me an unbearable headache. Maisie''s words have been ying on repeat in my head.

    Should I have been more observant? Maybe I should have never believed Rosie in the first ce when she told me she wanted me to be out of her life.

    I shakeN?velDrama.Org content.

    my

    head, trying to forget about what has been going on as I walk inside the coach''s office after knocking on his door.

    "Good afternoon, coach," I say, walking inside.

    "Have a seat, Ss," he tells me, and I do so. "You want to join the NFL, don''t you?"

    "Of course." My answer is rather quick. I have always dreamt of bing a professional football yer.

    "What do you think about this team?" he asks me as he passes me a picture of a logo. When I see the logo I''m holding, my eyes widen. This is one of the greatest teams the USA has ever known. "They''re interested in having you join their team." "W-What?" I stammer, unable to believe what I have just been told.

    "You heard me, Cromwell," he says, and I catch a hint of a smile on his lips. "If you want to seal the deal, you better give your best performance during the next games. They''ll be watching you."

    "I will do my best, coach! That''s a promise!" I excitedly say, unable to contain my happiness. I want to share the news with my close friends and family.

    I find Maisie waiting for me outside the moment I walk out of the office.

    Her face breaks into a wide grin when I share with her what I have just been told. She isn''t just happy for me; she is ecstatic "This is amazing, Ss! You deserve the best!" she exims as we walk back to my car.

    "I know how great this is, but I''m so nervous! Maisie, there''s no room for mistakes," I tell her, already feeling anxious.

    "I know this must be stressful, but you''re already amazing, Ss. Just keep doing what you already do, and you''ll be a member of the team before you know it," she boosts my confidence. "I feel like we need to celebrate!" "Not yet. I won''t celebrate before officially joining them," I say.

    "Fair enough. But can we at least get ice cream?" she wonders, and I agree. "However, we''re going to get it as friends, Ss, not as a couple. It''s time for you to work on getting your girl back."

    I''m thankful for Maisie''s presence in my life and I know that without her, I would have probably been at a much darker ce in life.

 Chapter 147

    0

    147

    Christmas ising soon, but I''m not excited. I''m not excited about anything at all. I still cannot get over what I have done to Ss. The pain I have caused him is enough to make me hate myself for the rest of my life. The previous Christmas was so much better than this one. Life itself was way better and I wish I had a time machine to bring back time. "Hey, Maisie." I smile at her as I sit down in the empty seat. She asked me to meet yesterday, saying that she wanted to talk to me about something. She also asked me not to tell Ss anything. I''m not sure why she made that request since I''m already not on speaking terms with Ss, but I assured her that I wasn''t going to mention anything to him about our meeting. I don''t know what she wants to talk to me about since there''s nothing we have inmon now. Ss is her boyfriend and I did my best to turn myself into nothing but a memory for him. "Hi! You look good," she says, smiling at me. The thing about Maisie is that you can never hate her. She is awfully nice and incredibly cheerful. It is very hard to hate someone like her. I don''t hate Maisie, but I envy her because she has Ss. I know that losing him is my fault, but I regret walking away from him. I regret choosing Everest over him. I don''t know what I was thinking, but I do know that my decisions have been wrong. "Thank you," I say, trying to hide to hide how nervous I am. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something. What is it?" I can''t help my curiosity. "I broke up with Ss," she announces, and my eyes go wide. Why? I won''t lie and say that part of me isn''t d to hear that, but I also hate to learn that both of them are going through heartbreak. I have already broken Ss''s heart before. He doesn''t deserve to experience another heartbreak. "Can I know why?" I cautiously ask, not sure if I''m crossing a boundary or not.N?velDrama.Org content.

    "Because I know that he loves you and you two should be together," she replies so easily that my breath gets caught in my throat for a moment. How on earth does Ss love me after what I have done to him? What makes her so sure of something like that? "I''m not blind, Rosie. I have seen the way you look at him. I don''t think the word love is strong enough to describe the feelings you have for him." I look down, not knowing what I''m supposed to say in such situations. To be honest, I''m in shock. I can''t believe that Ss still has feelings for me after what have done for him. Actually, I don''t think it''s true. Maisie is probably imagining things. Even if he had traces of love in his heart for me, I bet they''re now erased after telling him I wanted him out of my life. ththink this isn''t true. Maisie, I have caused enough damage. What I put him through should make him hate me for the rest of his life. You shouldn''t have broken up because of me," I try to reason with her. I hate being the reason behind their breakup. I can''t do that to them. I hurt him once. I continue doing that. "Ss and I had a casual rtionship, Rosie, What we had wasn''t serious at all. We just needed some sort of support, that''s why we ended up dating and it was my suggestion, by the way. But it was never the kind of love that makes people be in rtionships. It was never had. Actually have," she tells me. I''m speechless. I don''t know what to tell her.

    the

    I

    "My mind refuses to be convinced by what you''re saying," I tell her after spending a minute thinking about what I''m supposed to say to her. "I put him through hell. I took advantage of him, then tossed him aside. I was surprised that he still stayed my friend and... guilt was getting the best of me, Maisie. I needed to stay away from Ss for his own good. He should have kicked me out of his life a long time ago, but Ss, being the amazing person he is, didn''t do that. I had to do something."

    I want to cry my eyes out, but I''m doing everything in my power to stay strong in front of her.

    "So you''re telling me that you cut ties with him because you thought being in his life would cause him more pain?" I slowly nod and I see a faint smile on her lips. "I knew it!"

    "You did?" I ask, unable to hide my surprise. "What made you so sure?"

    08.17 Tue, Oct 29

    G

    "I just knew it. You looked so in love with him to kick him out of your life like that without thinking that it would be the best for him," she tells me. "Ss understands well what you''ve been through. He knows how lost you were and how you couldn''t think clearly. He doesn''t hold any of what happened against your "Lately, I have been feeling like I''m doing nothing but use him. I hate taking advantage of him, Maisie," I admit, looking down. I''m d that the tables around us in the caf¨¦ are empty; this is giving us more privacy. "Do you still love him?" she asks. How am I supposed to tell his ex-girlfriend that I still love him? How do I tell her that he''s all that I keep thinking about day and night? It doesn''t feel right. "Rosie, you can tell me. You won''t be a b***h," she says with a smallugh, causing me tough as well.

    "I do love him," I whisper, unable to look at her. "But I''m not the right person for him. He deserves to be with someone who doesn''t treat him the way I did." stop with this nonsense." She groans. "Did you get back your memories? At least the memories of the two of you together?"

    "You

    need t

    m not sure if I can now remember everything, but I remember enough to remind me how in love we were," I reply. For a while, I have been remembering a lot of things. Everything I have remembered is enough proof for the way I was in love with Ss. I''m actually still in love with him. "I know there are a lot of thoughts in your mind, but I need you to think calmly about everything. Don''t let go of the love you two have. You''d be making a huge mistake like that," she advises me. "Don''t you think I have messed up enough?" I can''t help but ask as my shoulders sag.

    "Even if you have, you can still extend an olive branch," Maisie tells me. "Ss has a very important game in exactly five days. It would mean the world to him if you attend."

    It''s been so long since Ist attended one of his games. Although I''m usually on edge during his games because I hate the amount of collision included in each one, I miss cheering for him.

    "I''m sure Sabrina is going and so are the other girlfriends. You won''t be alone," she encourages me.

    "I''m not a girlfriend, though." I shrug a little.

    "Doesn''t mean you can''t attend. And it''s only a matter of time." She offers me a nice smile.

    Maisie has a strong belief that Ss and I will end up together and I truly wish I had the same strong conviction. However, what''s preventing me from being hopeful is the way I see myself. Simply, I see myself unworthy of Ss and being away from him like that is a pun

 Chapter 148

    I have been at the gym for the past forty minutes and I''mpletely and utterly out of breath and out of shape too. I used to be stronger than that. The tremendous amount of weight I have lost doesn''t escape my notice. I have gotten so weak over the past couple of

    months, and I need to change that.

    The game is in two days and I don''t know if I''m going to attend it or not. His family is going to attend and mine too. Apparently, it''s thest game in the season and Ss is expecting an incredible offer from a prestigious team, so they''re all going to attend to support him. After taking a shower, I put on my heavy hoodie and another jacket. I''m starting to get cold easily, so I need more than one heavyyer to keep myself warm. "Long time no see, Rosie. "I stop in my tracks as I recognize the voice. I turn around and find Caroline in front of me. It''s been so long since Ist saw her.

    "Hello

    here." I smile at her. I miss her so much and I miss Alexa and Natalie too.

    "How have you been?" she asks me. She is

    "I stop, unable to say that I''m fine. "I''ve baking normally, as if I hadn''t abandoned all of them.

    better."

    I''m actually meeting Alexa and Natalie in fifteen minutes. Why don''t you join us? We can catch up." she invites.

    I shift my weight between my legs, not knowing what to say. "Haven''t I messed up enough, Caroline?" I hate how defeated I sound, but I don''t have any energy left in me to act strong.

    "No, you haven''t. Come with me." Not giving me the chance to say anything, she links her arm with mine and guides me to a restaurant nearby.

    "I''m not well dressed, Caroline," I say before we get inside as I look at what I''m wearing. I''m in leggings and a hoodie- Ss''s hoodie.

    "Luckily, this

    me

    this isn''t a fine dine restaurant." She grins, pulling me inside with her.

    Knowing I cannot run away from this, I follow her inside. Alexa and Natalie are already here. My heartbeats quicken when I see them and all I want to do is run. They take me by surprise when they smile widely at me. The two of them practically jump from their seats and For a second, I find myself frozen, but I quickly snap out of it and hug them back. I miss them so much. Not only do I miss them, but I need them too. I need the friendship we used to have.

    "We miss you so much," Alexa says when we pull apart. This group hug was free therapy. I needed it so much.

    "I miss you more," I

    e." I admit, taking a seat. "I... I didn''t think you''d want to see me again after I abandoned you." I shamefully look down. I don''t understand the kind of forgiveness they''re granting me.

    "While we don''t understand why you thought it would be better to walk away from us, we don''t hate you, Rosie. We may be upset, but we don''t hate you," Natalie says with a small smile, managing to put me at ease.

    I don''t know what to tell them. I don''t think there''s anything I can say to them to make up for what I have done. I realize that I have turned into somebody I don''t recognize anymore. Somebody who pushes people away and is on the verge of giving uppletely on themselves.

    A waiteres to take our order and I find myself at a loss, not knowing what I''m supposed to eat, especially since I don''t have the appetite for anything. I decide to take Caesar sd although I know I won''t be able to finish it. "We haven''t seen you in a while, so fill us in! What''s new?" Caroline asks, initiating a conversation.  GO

    D

    86% 86% +5

    "Nothing much." I shrug, not knowing what I should exactly say. "I broke up with Everest," I start and allow myself to look at them instead of avoiding their gazes. The wide smiles on their faces indicate how they weren''t fond of him either. "I''m d I did."

    "It was obvious that he was a jerk, but why did you break up?" Natalie asks me. She is the only one who had a close encounter with him on the day we all went to the team''s house.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    "He was using me. He was only dating me to get my father to give him a nice job," I tell them.

    "I heard that he was an a***le, but I never thought that he would stoop that low," Alexaments.

    "When I was with him, I always had a feeling that something was off, but I never knew what it was until I heard him talking about me with his friend," I tell them, shoving my hands in my pockets.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, is your memory back?" Natalie cautiously asks, and quickly adds, "You don''t have to answer if you''re notfortable."

    "I''m not sure if I remember everything or not, but it is mostly back," In

    "I reply.

    "That''s great! So, you now have a better memory of us, right?" Caroline joyfully asks and I nod with a real smile on my lips. I cannotprehend how they''re going this easy on me. Shouldn''t they give me a hard time for what I have done? "Are we going to see you at the game?" Alexa wonders. It''s a question I don''t have an answer to. "Why are you hesitant?"

    "I messed up really bad with Ss. I don''t think he''d want to see me there." Even after what Maisie has told me, I don''t think Ss can look past what I have done and said.

    "Ss loves you so much, Rosie. Stop being hard on yourself," Caroline says, and I find my eyes brimming with tears. told him I wanted him

    "I

    him out of my life, Caroline, after he

    "Why did you do that?" Natalie asks as she reaches for rought my drunk a**home and spent the night taking care of me. I''m a terrible person." My tears betray me as they roll down my cheeks. I quickly wipe them and ce my hand on the table.

    s for my hand to give me moral support.

    *Because he was with Maisie, and I didn''t want to ruin their rtionship. I also felt like I was using him, and I couldn''t just do that to him. Add to this the fact that I''m in love with him and I regret leaving him even though I''m the one who dumped him, but I can''t just walk back into his life and be like ''Oh hey, Ss, maybe we should give each other another try!'' I have caused enough damage." I rest my head against my palms as I let all that I have done sink in.

    "Ss and Maisie broke up, so there''s no rtionship that you may ruin now. You weren''t using him at all. You were going through a lot and ?s wanted to be there for you just like all of us. Even if you dumped him, I can assure you that he totally understands all that you have been through. Don''t waste what you both have because of a hard time you experienced," Caroline says.

    What she has just said resembles to a great extent what Maisie has told me. I can''t help but wonder if the universe is trying to send me a message.

    "Listen, if you really love him, you shouldn''t give up. It''s better to try than spend your time wondering what would have happened if you tried. First things first, attend the game with us Natalie tells me. Part of me wants to agree, but the other part is petrified. "And to make sure that you''re not going to bail on us, we''re going to have a sleepover the night before and get ready together. We will tell Sabrina of course!" Alexa grins, and I find myself nodding as I smile.

    Would you like to have a sleepover at my ce?" I offer.

    "It''s either your ce or Caroline''s ce since Natalie and I dont have enough space where we live," Alexa says.

    B BO

    "Are you guys friends with Maisie?" I ask them.

    "We''re not that close to her, but we do get along," Natalie says.

    "Maybe we should tell her too. I don''t want her to feel left out. She is such a great person and I don''t think it''s right to leave her out of this sleepover," I speak truthfully. I still cannot believe that she met me to try to mend things between Ss and me. She is an amazing person. "We can definitely tell her," Alexa agrees and so do the others.

    "So which ce? Yours or mine?" Caroline wonders.

    "Mine is closer if you don''t minding over." I look at them, trying to see if any of them isn''t fond of the idea, but they all seem fine with it.

    "Your ce it is. Wait for us tomorrow!" Caroline smiles brightly

    It''s been a while since Ist felt excited like that.

 Chapter 149

    Agitation is threatening to take control over my whole body. I don''t know what to expect, but I''m hoping for the best. For the past few days, we have been watching Rosie, making sure that she is okay. After Maisie met her, she told me about their conversation. I was surprised that they met since Maisie didn''t tell me anything about seeing Rosie.

    Being the amazing friend she is, Maisie decided that we needed to orchestrate a n to get Rosie and me back together. She asked the girls for help, and they immediately agreed, saying that they wanted us to get back together too. They have also noticed that Rosie hasn''t been okaytely and they have been worried about her. I''m worried too. It kills me to see her in this state and she''s not giving anybody a chance to help her out. I wasn''t sure if she was going out today or not, but luckily, as a resident in the building, I have ess to the CCTV of the garage and the lobby, so when I saw her leaving the e lobby, I quickly left my apartment and dec and decided t to follow her. When I saw her at the gym, I informed Caroline and she waited for her until she left the gym and acted like she met her by total coincidence. Maisie was the one who set the whole n.

    I was relieved when I learned from Natalie that Caroline managed to convince Rosie to join them for lunch and right now, I''m waiting for the updates. I''m currently at the team''s house with Sabrina, Knox, Dave, Justin and Maisie. I''m not sure if to convince her toe to the the game or not, but I''m hoping for the best. I want my lucky charm to be there.

    will be able to

    I can''t believe that she thinks I don''t want her back. I want her more than anything in my entire life. She is the love of my life and I cannot bring myself to forget her. Her love is deeply rooted in my heart and I want it to stay like that. When she first told me that she wanted me out of her life, I was incredibly hurt. Not once in my life have I ever imagined such a terrible moment. The idea of losing her forever made me unable to breath.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    But then I I heard her sobs and my heart broke into a million pieces. I wanted to knock on her door and tell her I didn''t believe a single word she had said. I wanted to make her feel better in any possible way. Yet, I walked away with a heavy heart and right now, I me myself for for not being persistent. Was my pain stronger than the desire to hold onto her at that moment? Did I walk away because I was thinking about how Maisie would feel?

    "They

    I don''t know the answer to these questions, but I do know that I regret giving up so easily. Maybe if I hadn''t given up, we would have been back together by now. say peppermint t helps to ease one''s nerves," Sabrina says, handing me a hot cup of peppermint. "Thank you," I mumble as I take it from her. I need anything to calm me

    down.

    "We''re back!" Alexa sing-songs and I quickly set the cup I''m holding on the nearest table I can find. My heartbeats elerate to the point of pain, not knowing what to expect. "Please tell me you have good news," I plead, looking at the three of them.

    Even if they failed to convince her toe to the game, I won''t give up on her. I will do whatever I can. I''m just hoping luck is on my side this time, because I''m tired, but not tired enough to give up. I don''t think I can ever give up on Rosie.

    "She''sing to the game!" Caroline exims and cheers erupt from behind me as I sigh in relief.

    "She

    T

    was hesitant at first, thinking that you wouldn''t want to see her there," Natalie tells me and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. How could she think like that? Of course, I want her there. She is my beautiful lucky charm and I will always want her to be at my games. Knowing that she''s going to attend gives me a bigger incentive to work harder and y better.

    BBO

    0000 86%

    "To make sure that she''sing, we''re all having a sleepover at her ce tomorrow and we''re going to get ready for the game together," Caroline fills me in.

    "And you''re invited to the sleepover, Maisie," Natalie quickly adds.

    Suddenly, I''m hopeful. I have a feeling that she''s going to be mine again. I have a feeling that things may suddenly work in our favour.

    "Did she say anything about me?" I nervously ask as I take seat beside Knox.

    "She still loves you, ?s. She loves you so so much. She is just convinced that she''s bad for you because she has hurt you and that''s why she''s pushing you away," Caroline tells me and I shake my head.

    "I hate what she''s doing to herself," Sabrina murmurs. I hate it too. I hate how her conscience has been tormenting her. She needs to go easy on herself and if she doesn''t know how to do that, I''m going to help her out. "Tomorrow, don''t let the day pass without making her yours again," Dave tells me.

    I''m determined to do that. It feels like I have wasted so much time and it''s finally time to make up for it.

    ***

    I wish I had time to see Rosie before the game, but the timing wasn''t right. I have been busy all day with training, meeting with the coach to strategize how we should y and everything else rted to the game.

    When I look at the crowd once we walk into the field, I try to spot her. I know where the girls will sit and I also know where my family and hers will be. Luckily, it''s easy for me to see her and I can''t help but smile when I see her happily interacting with the other girls. It''s like I''m finally seeing glimpses of the old Rosie again.

    I miss how beautiful she used to look when she was happy, but I''m determined to make her happy again. I want to collect all of her broken pieces and glue them back together.

    When I move closer to where they all are, I notice how she''s not wearing the team''s jersey like the other girls. She has a jacket on. Although I want to see her in my jersey, I don''t care that much that she''s not wearing it today. I wasn''t expecting her to wear it anyway. She looks at the field for a second and I can tell that she notices me. Shyly, she waves at me and I do the same with a big smile on my face before running back to the team to continue our warmups before the

    The game starts before we know it and I have to admit, it''s not an easy onere''s win. This is myst game with this team and I want it to end in our favor.

    game.

    much at stake and I''m determined to

    During the halftime, I steal a quick nce at where she is and I love how she looks like she''s having a good time. I always want her to be this happy, because she deserves this.

    The game stays for longer than expected and by the end of it, I was exhausted. Thankfully, we won. To say that we''re happy would be an understatement. We''re over the moon. My teammates carry me over their shoulders as we celebrate. I know that a huge party is going to be thrown at the team''s house tonight and as the captain, I must be there.

    I look at my family and the pride I see on their faces makes me forget the exhaustion I''m feeling. They have given me so much and making them proud feels like the least I can do. I try searching for Rosie, but I fail to see her.

    When the coach calls my name, I rush back to him.

    "Congrattions on the good game, Ss. Your performance was outstanding," a man I don''t recognize tells me.

    "Thank you, sir," I politely say.

    "Expect a call from me next Monday," he informs me before walking away, leaving me confused.

    B BO

    "Who is he?" I ask my coach,

    1.86%=

    "This is the manager of your dream team, Ss. You''re going to make it big, son." My eyes widen upon hearing that, unable to believe what I have just heard. This feels too good to be true. It''s time to celebrate and have fun." He pats me on the shoulder before hugging I can''t believe that this was myst football game as a college student. Although the academic year isn''t over yet, it feels like I have suddenly grown up.

    me.

    !

    I head to the lockers to change, then I call Dad to find out where they are. I make my way to where everybody is and as I approach, I could feel that something is wrong.

    "Congrattions, honey," Mum say, hugging me. Dad, Tristan and Aniyah do the same and when they pull away, look around, trying to spot Sabrina, Caroline, Julian and Emily. Rosie isn''t here too. Why did they leave?

    "Why don''t you guys look happy? Did something happen?" I ask worry already filling my body.

    Before they get to answer me, Caroline shows up and says, "She''s fine. She''s awake now." Who is she talking about?

    "Is everything okay, Caroline?" I ask her. She seems startled, as if she didn''t expect to see me.

    I watch as she looks at everybody, anxiousness evident on her face. I was losing my patience. I have a feeling that something is wrong, but I''m trying not to think of the worst.

    "Can somebody please answer me?" I huff, throwing my hands in the air.

    "Everything is fine now, but something happened to Rosie." My heart sinks at Caroline''s words.

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 Chapter 150

    150

    My head is so heavy, but I''m better than how I was thirty minutes ago. Everything seems foggy and thest thing It remember is somebody putting something over my mouth and hose while I was on my way to the bathroom, then everything went ck. I woke up after God knows how long at a doctor''s office with Aaron and Caroline by my side. Apparently, I was lucky enough because Aaron''ste arrival made him see that I was about to get kidnapped, and he stopped the guy who wanted to kidnap me at the parking lot. He had to choose between helping me out and chasing the guy, so he chose the former.

    I didn''t see who tried to

    He took me to the doctor''s office at the stadium to check on me and called Caroline to be with me. Soon, my parents followed. When they arrived, Caroline left after making sure that I was fully awake and somewhat okay. She said that she needed to assure the rest that I was fine. Dad is I is currently standing outside, making a phone call, but it''s easy to tell that he is very worried. I to kidnap me and ording to Aaron, it was a bit dark in the parking lot. When he shouted at the guy who was carrying me, while rushing to his car, he panicked and dropped me on the ground before rushing away. "I have already informed the police, and somebody ising to take your statements, then they will check the cameras and coordinate with the university''s security," Dad says as he walks back inside the room. "Can I leave? 1 Can ave? I feel fine," I "I ask, looking at everyone.

    "Let''s just wait for the police to take your statement first, then we can leave," Mum tells me, and I nod.

    Can

    He seems out of eck and see if we won?" I request, looking at them. As if on cue, the door opens and Ss walks inside the room followed by Caroline.

    you please

    of breath and anx and anxious. What has Caroline told him exactly? hoping the answer is yes.

    "Did we win?"! n?" I ask,

    "We won," He breathlessly says as he approaches me. "Come here." It takes him less than a second to hold me in his arms. I take in a shaky breath as I wrap my arms around him. He tightens his hold around my body, and I smile, longing for the sense offort his embrace has always given me.

    I look at my Mum and she winks at me before taking everyone out of the room, leaving me alone with Ss.

    "You should be ould be celebrating with your teammates, Ss. I''m fine," I tell him. I don''t want him to miss out on anything because of me.

    I want to leave, but we''re just waiting for the police, then I will leave," I try to convince him, but it looks like he''s not having it.

    "Do you think think I will be able to celebrate while knowing you almost got kidnapped?" he says as we slowly untangle ourselves from the hug. His hand is still on my back. "I''m okay, Is I swear. He looks down for a moment and stares at what I''m wearing. I look down too and blush, realizing that he can now see my jersey. It has his number on it. I had it covered with a jacket at first, but when I first woke up after Aaron brought me here, my body was so hot, so I took my jacket off.

    "You''re wearing my number." He grins, making meugh.

    "I''m wearing your number." I nod. "Good game, captain." His smile grows when I say that, and I wonder how stupid I was to ruin

    my rtionship with him. I wish I had been there to witness the celebrations. I should have never gone to the bathroom. Had I stayed in my ce, I wouldn''t have caused any hassle to everyone around me. "Thank you.

    I knew we were going to win anyway." He shrugs with confidence, causing me to roll my eyes.

    "I just love how humble you are," I point out, making him chuckle.

    "But it''s not about my humbleness, Rosie. I simply knew we were going to win when I spotted you, because I never lost a game you attended," he says, making me look down as I smile.

    "I remember." My voice is low. I remember a lot of things now. I''m not sure if I have remembered everything or not, but I do know that I remember enough. Enough to make me regret every single d¨¦cision I have made ever since the ident. Enough to make me wish I could turn back time and never let Ss go.

    "You got your memory back, right?" Ss asks with a change in his tone. I don''t know how to describe it, but I do know that it sounds warm and soothing.

    "Why haven''t y

    "I remember a lot of things now." I bring myself to look into his eyes again. When my eyes lock with his eyes, my heartbeats start to quicken. t you told me?" he asks. I can lie to him. I can tell him that I didn''t find the right time to do it. I can tell him that I have been busy. However, I can''t convince myself to do that. I''m tired of hiding a lot of things from him. It doesn''t feel right. "Because I have caused you enough damage and I''m trying to do anything I can to help you move on from what I have done," I whisper, looking down. My heart is already heavy, and my eyes are watery.

    He starts to say something but gets interrupted by a knock on the door. My parents walk inside with a police officer.

    "We will talkter." Ss kisses my forehead, before standing up. "I''ll wait for you outside." I nod and watch him as he exits the room.

    Luckily, it doesn''t take long for the police officer to take my statement and once he''s done, I get out of bed, ready to leave. When I walk out of the room, I find Ss waiting for me. "I''m all good now. You should go party with your teammates. The girls already told me about the party that gets thrown when the team wins at the team''s house. You shouldn''t miss it," I tell

    him.

    Are

    you

    all good now?" he asks, and I nod. "Do you think you cane with me for a little while?"

    "We were nning on taking her home with us. We don''t think it''s safe for her to be on her own after what happened," Dad

    says.

    "I promise I won''t leave her on her own," Ss tells them. "If you want me to bring her home afterwards, I can do that. I just want her to have fun."

    ium and Dad look at each other for a moment and I see Mum giving Dad a small nod.

    "She''s safe with Ss. He won''t leave her on her own." Mum assures Dad who finally nods. "It will bete to drive her to our ce at night. Maybe you guys cane over tomorrow. Just lock the door of your apartment well."

    I can stay with her and sleep on the couch," Ss offers. If we end up fully making up, he won''t be sleeping on the couch, and I think my parents aren''t na?ve to believe that he will take the couch.

    "Sounds like a good idea." Mum nods, but the sly smirk on her face doesn''t escape my notice.

    After hugging me goodbye, my parents leave, and Ss and I make our way to his car.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    I put on my jacket on my way out and Ss doesn''t miss the chance to wrap one arm around my shoulders as we walk together.

    say

    these

    "Ss," I reluctantly say, and he looks at me. I don''t know if we''re officially together or not, but even if he decides that we''re better off apart, I want him to know this. "You''re the best thing that has ever happened to me." My heart races as I words, but he deserves to know that he is one of a kind.

    Sat, Nov 2

    @X 2.95%

    He stares at me for a second and I worry if I have crossed a line then swiftly, his arm falls to my waist and he lifts me up like I weigh nothing and brings me in front of him. I wrap my legs around his torso like we used to do and he brings his other arm around my body. "You don''t know how much I miss you cupcake," he whispers before crashing his lips into mine.

    so much better.

    It takes less than ten words for life to get

    0

 Chapter 151

    "Do you want to go?" I ask Rosie while we''re all sitting together in the backyard with our friends. Nobody expected to see her tonight after what happened and when the girls realized that she was here, she was practically tackled into a group hug. "I''m tired, but I''m having so much fun," she says, looking up at me. Currently, she''s on myp and we''re all sitting around the fire. She has my jacket on because she got extra cold a while ago.

    Rosie didn''t I use to get cold that easily, but I know that since she has lost a lot of weight, this is normal.

    "That''s enough for today." I kiss her temple. I don''t want to exhaust her so much. Not after what happened. "Everybody is already leaving." We haven''t talked about anything yet, but it doesn''t take a genius to take the hint. Everything is finally working in our favor. She is my girl again and I will do whatever it takes to keep things like that. "Okay," she whispers, and I I catch the small smile that gets drawn awn on her lips.

    She gets up and I do the same. After saying goodbye to our friends, we both head to my car. It doesn''t take us long to reach the apartment building since the streets are rtively empty. "Do you want to spend the night at my ce?" I ask her as we get inside the elevator.

    She presses number 7 on the elevator as she murmurs a quiet ''yes'', making me smile.

    "I think I''m gonna fall asleep in a minute." She yawns, wrapping her arms around my arm.

    "That makes two of us," I agree with her.

    Having her at my ce as my girl again feels different. Everything is finally normal again. My life feels great and I have everything I want.

    "Do you think I can wear one of your t-shirts?" she shyly requests.

    "Go to my closet and pick whatever you want, cupcake," I tell her, making her smile. "I will take my clothes and sleep on the couch to give you space." Her smile falls when I say that, and a frown appears between her eyebrows. "There''s a question I need to ask I to ask you." The shakiness in her voice is quite evident.

    "Of course, Rosie." She can ask me

    anything.

    "Are we..... back together?" For a moment, she looks younger than she already is.

    "We''re back together if you want us t to bel back together," I reply

    I

    "I want you to be my boyfriend again. I want to fix everything I have done and show you that I really love you," she confesses, causing my heart to dance with joy.

    I close the space between us and ce my hands on her waist. "I''m yours, Rosie. I don''t want to be anybody''s boyfriend but yours."

    "I love you, ?s. I love you so much," she mumbles and stands on her tiptoes. I lift her up like how we used to kiss and enjoy the taste of her lips that I have been craving for so long. I don''t think I can get enough of her.

    "I love you too. More than you could ever imagine," I say when I force myself to let go of her delicious lips. "I''m assuming you''d like us to cuddle, huh?"

    "More 1

    07:2 07:29

    than anything." Her bright smile lights up my entire world

    Mon, Nov  80% +5

    She takes a hoodie from my closet and goes to the bathroom to change while I change in the room and lie down on the bed, waiting for her.

    I can''t believe that Rosie is going to spend the night with me again. To say that I''m ecstatic would be an understatement. It''s been so long since the two of us slept in the same bed and I miss everything about this. Waiting for Rosie toe around has been a tough challenge. Every day, I asked myself whether I was supposed to make a move or let her have more time to process all that happened. At some moments, I felt like time was too slow, especially when I used to see her with Everest. It was like I was being murdered in slow motion. I longed for her day and night, and that longing tore my heart apart.

    "This is so warm. I''m never taking it off." I hear Rosie before I see her walking out of the bathroom in nothing but my hoodie.

    The sight of her in nothing but my clothes is enough to bring me down to my knees. I''m thankful that I''m lying down in bed because if I had been standing, my knees would have probably buckled.

    "Why are you staring at me like that?" She asks with a beautiful smile on her face as she fiddles with the sleeves of my hoodie.

    "My clothes look so good on you, cupcake," I say, trying to take her in. How can someone look this beautiful?All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    "Good thing you like like

    it on me because you''re never going to get it back!" she beams, making meugh. "I can''t believe I''m saying this, but I miss having you call me cupcake."

    "Come here." I extend my hand to her, and she shyly walks over to me. The moment her hand touches mine, I pull her on top of me. She giggles as I lock her in my embrace. She intertwines her fingers around the back of my neck and leans down to kiss my lips. God! She''s actually mine again. It still feels surreal, and I can''t help but wonder if one day I''m going to wake up and find out that I''ve been dreaming.

    "It was so hard seeing you every day without being able to hold you or kiss you. Everything was iplete without you and no matter what I did to fill the void in my life, I always knew that something was missing. More like someone," I say, caressing her long hair. My girl''s s eyes glisten with tears and she hides her face in the crook of my neck. "I''m so sorry," she whimpers, and I shake my head. "Rosie, sweetheart, didn''t tell you this because I want you to feel bad. I won''t tell you that this is thest thing I want, because it''s not even on the list of things I want. It''s what I want to avoid for the rest of my life. I told you that because I want you to know that youplete me. Without you, I''m lost."

    "I learned the hard way that I can''t just be without you anymore she says as her fingers y with my hair. I tighten my embrace around her and kiss her temple.

    I gently make her look at me and cup her soft cheeks between my hands. "Let''s not think about that, okay? Not now at least,"

    I say.

    "I just want you to know that I''m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. When I told you to get out of my life, I thought I was doing you a favor because I knew I hurt you a lot and caused enough damage. I wanted you to have a better life," she eyes. exins herself and another tear falls from her

    I gently wipe it with my fingers and tell her, "Not once had it crossed my mind that you did anything out of bad intentions. I know you, Rosie."

    She doesn''t say anything else and I carefully turn on my side, while keeping her in my arms. She nuzzles herself in my embrace and I refuse to let go of her.

    07:29 Mon. Nov 4

    86

    I don''t care about what happened between us. She was in a dark ce and I''m not going to hold that against her. All that care about is that she''s mine again. I''m grateful that I get to hold her in my arms again and introduce her as my girlfriend. "Sweet dreams, cupcake." I kiss the top of her head. "Goodnight, icing," she murmurs. I miss this adorable nickname so much.

    0

 Chapter 152

    !

    I stir a little when I start waking up and for a second, confusion takes over me. I look around me and smile a little when realization dawns on me. I''m in Ss''s arms. We''re back together. I don''t know how I got so lucky, but I''m d that I''m his girl again. Everything feels right and just being held by him makes me feel like I''m home. All the worry that had my heart under its control has vanished and I feel safe. I was the stupidest person alive when I let go of him and I''m never repeating this mistake.

    up.

    Ss

    I stare at him for a couple of seconds and kiss his cheek before trying to get out of his embrace without waking him isn''t a light sleeper, but he''s not a heavy one either. Luckily, he doesn''t wake up when I manage to get out of his embrace.

    I I walk inside the bathroom to freshen up, then make my way to the kitchen to make him some breakfast. When I had a sleepover with the girls, it was my first time having breakfast in ages. When I first told them that I hadn''t had breakfast in a while, they didn''t judge me acted like it I was all right. They didn''tment on my tremendous weight loss or anything. However, they sneakily tried to get me to eat by asking me to try things out and before I knew it, I was eating as we chatted about the most random things. I guess being surrounded by the rightpany has its positive effect on me.

    and

    I look into his fridge and find some eggs, so I decide to make some scrambled-eggs. I also find boxed pancake mix, so I make some. I put on some music and hum quietly as I move around the kitchen. It''s been a long while since I felt happy like this and I''m grateful that I''m finally feeling better. "I''ve got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby

    Come with me Friday, don''t say maybe

    I''m just a teenage dirtbag, baby, like you," I sing along as I turn on the coffee machine.

    "I missed this." I squeal as two strong arms haul me up, making meugh. Ss puts me on the kitchen ind and gives my lips a quick kiss. "Hey there, gorgeous."

    I smile like an idiot when he calls me that and I wrap my armszily around his neck. "Hey there, handsome." I beam, letting my hands y with the back of his hair. "Slept well?" *Perfect." He steals another kiss. "I miss your breakfast," he tells me, and I smile.

    Thank

    you like it. It''s not much because your fridge is a bit empty, but I can make you a better one tomorrow," I say. He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses it, making me blush.

    you, cupcake," he says. I hop off the counter and pour the coffee into two mugs before we both sit down. I''m still not used to eating breakfast like I used to, but I''m trying to work on regaining my healthy eating habits.

    My phone dings and I reach for it to check if there''s something important, but when I look at the message, my heartbeats increase.

    "What''s going on?" Ss asks, probably noticing the change in my facial

    word,

    setting my phone down. I have suddenly lost my appetite.

    ons. I pass him my phone without saying a

    "You''re not as safe as you think you are. Who would send you this?" Ss''s tone shows anger.

    "I don''t know," I whisper. I''m scared. I don''t want what happenedst night to happen again.

    "Listen, cupcake," he turns his full body towards me and I also turn to face him, "I swear, I don''t want to control you or anything, but I want to ensure your safety. Please, until we''re sure that you''re safe again, don''t go out on your own. Last night, you almost got kidnapped and now you''ve received this chilling text. Somebody is targeting you and until we find out who he is, we need to be careful.

    "I understand. I don''t want anything bad to happen. ¨ª have had my fair chair of drama already and I just want a peacefulAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    life." I sigh, looking down.

    Why does my life have to be dramatic? I just want a normal life. finally have my memory back and Ss and I are okay again, so why does something need to appear out of the blue like that and make me live in fear? After finishing breakfast, Ss and I pack some of his belongings since we''re both going home. We head to my apartment afterwards and pack some of my things.

    I head to my bookcase to pick a couple of books to read while I''m home, but Ss stops me and says, "Why don''t we pass by the bookstore instead? You can leave those here and read them when we''re back."

    My heart warms at his words and I''m instantly reminded by Everest who used to make fun of my love for books.

    "You''re perfect,''" t," I mumble, wrapping my arms around his torso as I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek.

    After leaving our stuff in his car, Ss takes me to the bookstore, and he doesn''t get me two books only. He ends up buying me six books, bookmarks, and tabs.

    "The special edition ising next month, right?" he asks, making my heart swell.

    "Yes, would you like to pay for it in advance and have it reserved for you?" the cashier offers, and he agrees.

    "Ss, we don''t have to get it now. You''ve already bought me so much," I tell him, but I guess he''s not having it, because he hands the cashier his credit card and tells her to reserve a copy.

    "I want to pamper

    he wrapping his arm around shoulders.

    "You''ve already pampered me." I giggle as I point towards all the things he has bought me.

    "Then let me give you extra pampering, because you deserve it. He kisses the top of my head, making me smile.

    As we walk out of the bookstore, my phone screen lights up with a new notification. I gulp as I take a look at it and take a heavy breath. Another message that makes me want to crawl into a shell and hide forever. Enjoy spending time with your lover boy, because there''s a e''s a high chance you''ll be taken away from him''

    "Another text from that unknown number?" I nod at Ss''s question and frantically look around. I can''t see anything abnormal in the street. My breathing quickens as I look around. Am I about to have a panic attack? "Rosie, deep breaths, cupcake," Ss says as he brings himself in front of me and ces both of his hands on my shoulders. "Breathe like me, yeah?" I slowly nod and try to do the same.

    The wind is strong and although I now get cold easily, I can feel my body burning up out of pure anxiety. I''m trying to blur out my surroundings and focus on Ss''s voice, but it''s hard. It''s hard to do that when I know I''m being watched.

    "Nobody is going to hurt you, Rosie. That''s a promise," Ss whispers, closing the space between us. I close my eyes as t ce my head on his chest and take a shaky breath. I know that Ss is not the one to break promises, but I''m scared that

    this

    may be the first one he breaks. I''m aware that if this happens, it will be out of his hands.

    0

 Chapter 153

    3

    For the past month, I have been getting threats and they''re increasing, making me fear for my life. I''m not the only one who is scared. My family and Ss are also scared for me too. They don''t leave me on my own and extra security has been installed in my apartment. The only time I''m without Ss or my family is when I''m in ss and I have to give them constant updates that I''m okay or they will freak out.

    The police haven''t been able to track the messages I have been receiving, saying that the location keeps changing and other excuses I don''t remember. I''m too stressed and want nothing but to put an end to this mess.

    "Rosie," Dad says as he takes a seat beside me. I''m currently home for the weekend and so is Ss, but he''s spending some time with his family since he hasn''t seen them in two weeks.

    "Yeah." I look at him. I have a feeling that he has something new to say about the whole stalker thing.

    "I hired a private detective to look into the messages you have been receiving and he ising in a couple of hours," he informs me and I deeply inhale. "I''m done with depending on the police. I should have taken this step weeks ago." "Do you think he will be able to help?" I ask, pulling my knees to my chest.

    "He''s the best at his job, Rosie," Dad assures me. He opens his arms for me and I instantly crawl into his embrace. I have always been a daddy''s girl, even more than Lily. "I promise I will put an end to this." Dad kisses my head, making me smile. "Please/do, because I''m super done with all of this," I heavily sigh.

    "If you want Ss to be here when the detectivees, you can call him," Dad tells me. Part of me wants to call him; however, another part

    doesn''t want to disturb his time with his family. Lately, he has been spending a lot of time with me more than anybody else and I don''t want to monopolize his time.

    I have talked to him about that, but he always tells me that he wants to make up for the time we lost and he doesn''t want to leave me alone when my safety is at stake. But, I''m with my family now. I''m safe here, so he can have a break from me. A well-deserved break if I may say.

    "I think it''s better to let him spend some time with his family," I decide and

    my

    dad nods.

    I get up from my ce and head to the kitchen to help Mum out a bit. Lily is already with her. It''s been a while since Ist spent time with the two of them.

    "Can you find a role for me?" I say as I approach them.

    "Take care of the sauce while I season the chicken," Mum immediately gives me something

    1. do.

    Although I have a stalker who is disturbing my peace of mind, I''m grateful for the positive changes that have taken ce during the past month. Ss and I are back together. My memory is finally back and I guess I now remember everything. Whenever they talk to me about something, I find myself aware of what they''re talking about. I''m starting to hang out more with Caroline, Alexa and Natalie again. Not only them, but I have actually hung out with Maisie too.

    As for Ss, he has been treating me like a princess. Despite everything, he has been trying to make the most out of the time we''re spending together. From movie nights to all sorts of dates, he has spared no effort to make me happy. I''m so lucky to have him in my life and I''m luckier because he didn''t give up on me when I almost gave up on everything.

    An hourter, the detectivees and checks everything he needs to conduct his investigation. He looks like he knows what he''s doing and I''m hopeful, but I''m trying not to get my hopes up; I want to avoid any sort of disappointment that can be avoided. When he leaves, I call Ss to give him updates. "Why didn''t you tell me? I could have been there for you," he tells me. I have already expected to hear that from him.

    IP

    "Because I want you to spend some time with your family," I give him my reason. "And here I am, telling you everything he has told us, so no need to worry."

    "When should I pick you up tomorrow?" he asks. I''m d that he has changed the subject.N?velDrama.Org content.

    We''re going back to our apartments tomorrow. Each of us still has their own apartment, but we always stay together, whether it is at my ce or his. I have gotten used to sleeping in his arms and it has be my best sleeping position.

    "Maybe seven. Mum will kill me if I leave before having dinner with them." He chuckles, knowing how Mum has been focusing on my eating habits to make me reach a healthy weight again. I have already gained six pounds, but I''m supposed to put on six more. "I miss you, cupcake," he tells me and I smile.

    "I miss you too. I''m used to sleeping next to you now," I mumble. I need to get used to not having him around because he won''t be around next year with me at uni. Luckily, the team he has signed with is in California, but that doesn''t mean that he''s going to be near. "I will give you the best cuddles tomorrow night," he promises me and a foolish grin gets drawn on my lips. We keep talking for another hour, disussing anything and everything.

    "Go get some sleep, cupcake. Goodnight," Ss says when I yawn. I''m getting sleepy.

    "Yeah. I need to go to bed," I murmur, already closing my eyes. "Goodnight." It doesn''t take me a lot of time to fall asleep.

    ***

    Ss and I have been working on our assignments for the past hour while munching on the snacks in front of us.

    Since the football season hase to an end, Ss has been focusing more on his sses. I love that about him. He is very responsible and doesn''t want football to be the only thing he knows in life. He is aware that if he ever needs a good job, he has a position in his family''s business, but he hates getting handed things on a silver tter. That''s why he has been working hard and focusing on his degree. As we''re studying, my phone rings. Dad is calling me. "It''s Dad," I tell Ss before answering.

    "Hi Dad," I say, doodling in the notebook in front of me. "You did? So are youing now?... Okay, I''m waiting for you." I hang up and look at Ss who is eyeing me with curiosity.

    "Looks like the detective is really good. It''s only been four days and he has important information," I fill him in. "He''sing with Dad in two hours."

    "I guess we gotta brace for impact."

 Chapter 154

    92%1 +5

    "I don''t like this," I mutter, watching Rosie as she puts on her jacket. My heart is racing to the point of pain and I keep pacing back and forth in her bedroom. She sighs and turns towards me causing me to stop moving around.

    "I will be careful." She wraps her arms around my neck. "And I know there will be a lot of security around," she reminds me, attempting to make me feel better and more at ease, but my nerves are all over her ce.

    We found out who her stalker is. I wish I could say I was surprised to learn that it was Everest, but I kind of expected him to do something as sick as stalking and terrorizing Rosie. He couldn''t get over the fact that Rosie humiliated him in front of a lot of people at the party. I wish I was at that party. I wanted to see her put him in his ce.

    "I just want you to be safe," I mumble, holding her close to me.

    "And I will be safe. Dad won''t put me in danger and the detective has many security guards discussed as pedestrians around. Let''s not forget the police," she reminds me. I should be convinced, but I''m not. I''m not saying that I would care about her safety more than her father would, but I saw the n as a risk. When ites to Rosie, I don''t take risks. I always prefer to y it safe whenever she is involved.

    We now know that the stalker, who happens to be Everest, follows her actively during the days she goes to sses. When she was at her parents'' ce, he didn''t send her any message that indicated that he knew her location. However, whenever she is at college, the tone of his messages changes. He even sends her pictures of herself while she''s sitting with me or any to freak her out.

    friend

    Today, we''re trying our luck. We don''t know if he may follow her or not, but we''ve given him enough signs to make him believe that Rosie is going out with the girls tonight. She has posted stories on Instagram, showing her ticket to an event she''s supposedly going to with the girls.

    We''re certain that he wants to hurt her and since she''s going to be on her own, this will make him think that she''s an easy target. We have already installed a GPS in her car to track her lest anything bad should happen. She is also wearing a very small earpiece that allows us to talk to her in case we need to give her a warning.

    The two of us walk to the living ro

    Julian, Emily, and the detective are waiting for us.

    "We will be able to catch him red-handed tonight. He''s already around the apartment building," the detective informs us the moment he sees us. I clench my fist when I feel Rosie tense beside me. I need to control my anger for her sake. I''m usually the calm partner in our rtionship, the rational one who calctes all his steps, but today logic has no ce inside of me. want to kill Everest with my bare hands. I want to rearrange his face for what he has put her through.

    I know she''s trying to act tough in front of me, doing her best to convince me that she believes she is going to be okay no. matter what, but I know her so well. She is an open book to me that I can easily read in allnguages of the world.

    I ce my hand on the small of her back and start rubbing small circles to calm her down. I''m done seeing her nervous and scared because of him. I want her to live her life normally. She deserves to live in peace.

    Before finding out who has been stalking her, Rosie had a nightmare twice. I was asleep beside her both times. Her whimpers and pleas tore my heart into pieces. Her trembling body didn''t calm down easily and her cries only subsided after repeatedly assuring her that nobody was going to hurt her.

    "When is she supposed to leave?" I ask, looking at them.

    "Now would be good," the detective replies.

    I take a deep breath and kiss the side of her head. "We''re gonna celebrate getting rid of him tonight, I mumble, looking at her with a small smile I manage to draw on my lips. Even if I don''t feel so confident about the whole thing, I need her to be confident. I want her to trust herself.

    "You''re going to be safe. I don''t want you to worry at all," Julian assures his daughter as he stands in front of her Julian loves her so much and I''m certain that he''s never going to risk her safety. w.

    The while purpose of this-trap is that we don''t want to give him room for iming that he has done nothing. If we catch him while he''s attempting to attack her, this will be enough to throw him in prison for a while. "I know." Rosie nods, looking at her dad.

    We all take her to her car and the detective makes sure that the GPS is working onest time before she drives off.

    Quickly, we get in the SUV waiting for us and the driver takes us to where the ambush is taking ce. The car is already equipped with enough tools to allow us to hear anything Rosie may want to tell us in addition to a tracking device to monitor her movements. Once we arrive, we park the car slightly away from where Rosie is parked. She has already been instructed to park the car slightly away from the pub to give him a chance to follow her on foot and initiate the attack. There are two dark side streets in the path she is taking and while she isn''t going to enter these streets since the pub is on the main one, we suspect that Everest may use these streets to hide or pull Rosie into any of them.

    "He''s already following her," one of the security guards informs us through the microphone he''s wearing; all of the security guards are wearing microphones and earpieces tomunicate with us. My heart ms against my chest and I wonder if our n is too dangerous.

    "Rosie, he''s following you. We need you to act normal. Don''t look around you," the detective instructs her. I''m worried about her. No, worried isn''t a strong active to describe what I''m feeling

    I look at Emily and realize that her state is just like mine. I steal a nce at Julian and see himposed. Knowing Julian, he may beposed from the outside, but falling apart from the inside.

    I gasp upon hearing my girl''s scream through the speakers. What has he done to her?

    **

    "Is she safe? Confirm her safety!" the detective demands through the microphone as he contacts the security guards.

    We wait for a couple of seconds, then somebody confirms she''s okay and they have caught Everest. We all sigh in relief and rush out of the SUV.

    I run towards her, desiring nothing but to see with my own eyes that she''s okay. The moment I see her, I wrap my arms around her body and kiss the top of her head repeatedly.

    "Are you all right?" I ask, looking at her. She looks fine, but I don''t just care about her physical well-being. Her mental well- "Are you all right?" I ask, looking at her. She looks fine being is also a priority.

    "He didn''t hurt me," she assures me. She doesn''t seem to be shaken up which is a good sign.

    and like

    Emily, Julian and the detective appear the protective parents they are, Julian and Emily check on Rosie, making sure that there is no scratch on her. I raise my head and look over Rosie''s head. Everest is held by two security guards. I want to smash his face against the wall for what he has done to my Rosie.

    "He''s not worth it," Rosie''s soft voice brings me back to reality. I say nothing, but I pull her close, knowing that holding her is enough to calm me done and instill logic in me. I want to shield her from every terrible thing. She is too good and too soft for this world.

    Soon, the police arrive and they take this asshole away. They were aware of the n and on board with everything. They have enough proof that he has been terrorizing Rosie for long and the moment he found an opportunity, he wanted to hurt her. We''re sure that he''s the one who tried to kidnap her, but his face wasn''t visible in the CCTV cameras.

    Finally, Rosie is going to be able to sleep peacefully without worrying. Hopefully, the nightmares wille to an end now. "Ready to go home, cupcake?" I ask her after she is done wit answering the police''s questions.N?velDrama.Org content.

    "I can''t wait till we cuddle in front of the TV and watch some ros," she says, looking at me with a dazzling smile.

    07:57 Wed, Nov 6WW.

    I know I''m going to give her whatever she wants tonight.

 Chapter 155

    Five monthster...

    We''re on a ne now that is about to take us on our dream vacation. It''s a trip that we were supposed to takest year, but due to some incidents that werepletely out of our hands, we couldn''t go.

    I''m so excited to explore Italy with Ss. It''s not just Italy that we n on exploring. We decided to expand our trip and we n on going to Italy, Spain and France.

    When we started to n for this trip again, I was scared that something else might happen and it would be ruined for me forever. To get me to be optimistic, Ss decided to add France and Spain to the list, so the big change would erase any bad luck I unintentionally connected the trip to in my head.

    "You really love pampering me, don''t you?" I grin as we both step inside his family''s private jet. I have been on private jets before, but this is my first time on a private jet with Ss. We have it all to ourselves.

    When Mum first learned that Ss and I were going to use his family''s private jet, she was anxious. To this day, she prefers travelling first ss to taking private jets because of the ident my dad was involved in when I was six years old. His private jet caught on fire and it was a miracle that they managed to get him out of the jet.

    "You deserve to be pampered, cupcake." He kisses me on the cheek and we both sit down beside each other. Like the little kid I am, I take the window seat because I love watching the ne as it takes off. There''s something about the way everything gradually gets smaller that leaves me in awe every single time.

    Ss could have taken the seat in front of me, but apparently, sitting beside me seems like a better option.

    "Do you still n on giving me all of the cheesy kisses you promised me?" I wonder with a cheeky grin on my face. When I first mentioned those cheesy kisses to Ss after my memo won the biggest championship of the century. He told m d that I finally remembered

    it.

    was restored, he hollered and cheered as if his favorite teamN?velDrama.Org content.

    one of his favorite things about our rtionship and he was

    "Each and every one of them," he says with a smirk that I find incredibly sexy. "Is kissing you on a private jet considered a cheesy kiss?" He leans towards me, reducing the space between us.

    "I don''t know." I shrug with a sly smile as one of my hands rests on his chest. I love the dark blue T-shirt he''s wearing and how it just looks perfect with his white sweatpants. "Maybe you should kiss me and we can be the judgeter whether it''s cheesy or not." "Good idea." It takes him less than half a second to smash his lips against mine. Without breaking the kiss, he pulls himself up, bringing himself on top of the armrest separating our two seats and smoothly, he moves my body until it''s rested against the window. A moanes out of my lips as the kiss deepens and his hands slide under my top.

    "May you- oh, I''m so sorry." The flight attendant''s mortified voice makes us break the kiss and I realize that we''re not alone. Well, I do know that there is a small crew on the private jet with us, but I thought they''d leave us to our devices and just announce through the speakers that we need to fasten our seatbelts.

    "Is there an issue?" Ss casually asks as if he weren''t on top of me two seconds ago.

    "You need to put on your seatbelt as we''re about to take off," she tells him with a nice smile on her face, actingpletely unfazed by what she has just seen. Is she used to this?

    "Got it," Ss replies and I avoid looking at her, feeling embarrassed about the whole thing. I can already feel the heat rise up to my cheeks.

    She walks away and I hide my face with my hands as my shoulders shake withughter. "Were we that bad?" I ask Ss betweenughs. 15:50 Thu, Nov 7 7

    "Not really." Ss says and 4 give him a side nce. His tone may seem normal, but the smile he''s trying to fight back says otherwise. "So... should we continue where we left off?" he turns his body towards me and I immediately shake my heart. "First, I haven''t recovered yet from this embarrassment. Second, I want to watch the take-off." I excitedly look towards the window once the ne starts moving and keep my eyes glued to it.

    I hate the pressure I feel in my ear the more the ne goes up, but there''s a unique beauty about this moment of transition. While many people are scared of the idea of being in the air, I find it fascinating I love the idea of flying and when I was young-like many children- I wished I could fly. It''s also beautiful how there''s this method of transportation that covers huge distances in mere hours.

    "Is it just me or does this cloud look like a book with wings?" I blurt out, looking at my boyfriend.

    He chuckles a little, but entertains my idea and looks at the cloud I''m pointing at. "Apart from how you see books everywhere, you''re right. I can see the wings." He stays silent for a few moments before eventually saying, "And this one looks like a dagger."

    I look at the cloud he''s pointing at and I indeed manage to see the dagger. We spend around ten minutes, imagining what the clouds look like. I have a feeling that this trip is going to be a special memory that will always live in my heart and I''m excited to embark on this new adventure with Ss, because there''s nobody else I would rather have this experience with.

    Ss and I decide to take a nap, but not in our seats. There is a veryfortable bed in this private jet that we n on using I change into some shorts and a tank top, then get under the soft covers. As for Ss, he simply takes off his sweatpants and t-shirts and stays in nothing but his briefs.

    We end up spooning, which is a position we have been sleeping in a lottely. Ss loves nuzzling his face in the back of my neck and I love the way he holds me throughout the night. The thing is, even though we fall asleep like that almost every night, when we wake up, I usually find half of my body on top of him or find myself facing his chest.

    There''s one thing I have learnt after sleeping beside Ss for months which is, that I tend to move a lot in my sleep. He is a calm sleeper who barely moves.

    He may be a calm sleeper, but before he falls asleep he loves to nt ki heated make-out sessions.

    my body and usually these kisses turn into

    Three months ago, I lost my virginity to Ss. I have always believed that virginity is a sacred thing that should be given to the right person and there''s nobody else who feels more right than Ss. He is not just a green g; he is a green forest. When dinner is ready, the flight attendant wakes us up and we decide to have it in bed. Finally, I have reached a healthy weight again and honestly, I love the way my body looks now. I have curves in the right ces and my cheeks no longer look hollow.

    I know I shouldn''t be thinking about this, but sometimes, I find myself thinking about my life with Everest andparing it with how Ss treats me. He makes me feel like I''m a queen, like I''m the only girl in the world.

    Everest is now in jail, serving four years in prison. I didn''t attend the hearing of his case, but I knew that I had to. I cannot forget the re he gave me once the judge announced his sentence. It was a threatening re; I felt like he was telling me that he wasn''t going to forget that I threw him in jail.

    I try not to think about it, but I have a feeling that once he gets out of jail, he won''t leave me on my own. I still attend therapy, but not as much as before and I mentioned that to my therapist. She told me I needed to enjoy my life for now and not waste the good days worrying about the bad ones I''m not sure whether they are going to happen or not.

    "I think we need to get out of this bed," Ss says after we finish eating.

    "I agree, but it''s toofortable," I mumble, getting more under the cover, but he hauls me up with the arm he has around my waist, making me whine. "Don''t be annoying." I squirm, but he doesn''t budge. This is a fight I know I''m going to lose.

    "Come on,zy-head." He kissed my temple before pushing the duvet off our bodies and I shiver, hiding myself more in his

    embrace. He gets out of bed, pulling me with him despite my protests. I don''t understand how he doesn''t get cold easily. Mum told me that she had always wondered the same thing with Dad. Are men blessed with internal heaters?

    "Come on. Put this on." He grabs a hoodie that he has brought for me with him and helps me wear it. His hoodies always bring me a sense offort that l''absolutely adore. His hoodies have be mely. Good thing I have never heard himin because even if he does, I won''t stop wearing them.

    We return to the main area of the private jet and watch a movie. It''s more than a twelve-hour flight and despite sleeping, we still have a lot of time to kill.

    Like usual, Ss starts ying with my hair while we''re watching the movie. It''s a habit that he has developed and I''m very fond of. I lean my back against his chest and look up for a moment to steal a glimpse at his handsome face. He is too immersed into the movie, yet he doesn''t stop ying with my hair.

    While we''re watching the movie, the flight attendant brings us two flutes of champagne, which is something I consider weird. I''m not twenty-one yet.

    "You''re in Europe, cupcake. You can legally drink," Ss reminds me and my mouth forms into an O shape for a second. I take the flute and thank her. I have tried champagne once and loved it.

    I take a sip and let myself enjoy the rich taste of this brand. "This is nice," I mumble, making myself morefortable against Ss

    "Are you having fun so far?" Ss wonders as he ys with a loose strand of my hair.

    "So much fun," I murmur, looking up at him with a genuine smile. He pecks my lips before looking back at the huge screen before us and we continue watching the movie.

    Once the flight attendant informs us that we''re about tond in forty minutes, Izily get up from my ce and head to the irt. I decide to keep his hoodie on, liking the way room to change. As for Ss, he''s already dressed in his sweatpants an

    it looks with my outfit and head back to him.

    The moment we''re told we''re allowed to get off the ne, I practically jump from my seat, all excited to start this amazing trip with Ss. I know it''s going to be one of the best trips I have ever been on in my life.

 Chapter 156

    I have many ns for us. I want this trip to be memorable for her and me too, but she is my priority. I know that she was very excited about this trip when we first nned it, then the ident happened and everything went downhill. When we started discussing going again in Summer, she was hesitant despite wanting to go. She even suggested going in winter to avoid repeating a pattern that might have turned into a bad omen: Somehow, she connected the trip to something negative. That''s why I suggested adding France and Spain to the list.

    I know that Paris is known for being the city of love, but I know my girl has always been in love with Italy, so my big surprise for her is going to take ce in Italy. Sometimes, I wonder if maybe I''m taking things too fast, but at the same time, I feel that we know each other well enough and our love is strong, so why should I wait?

    Mn is where we''re staying, but today, I''m taking her to a ce that is around an hour and a half away from Mn.

    "Do 1 look good?" my gorgeous girl asks me as she twirls, showing me her beautiful light pink dress. I didn''t tell her to wear pink, but I''m d that she is. Knowing her, she''d want to wear her favorite colour because she loves associating it with all her favorite memories. I''m hoping that today turns out to be one of her favorite memories, because if not, I will be utterly devastated.

    "More like perfect," I say, grinning. I close the space between us in just two strides and give her a peck on her lips.

    "You still don''t want to tell me where you''re taking me?" she wonders, cing her manicured fingers on my chest.

    "Honestly, no." I smirk and she throws her head back in exasperation. "It''s gonna be worth it, you impatient girl." Thope my tone is as promising as I intend.

    "Luckily, I trust you." Her smile makes my legs go weak. It is captivating in every single way. It brightens her face and brings joy and warmth to my heart. I don''t think I could ever get tired of admiring the beauty of her smile.

    "You''re not going to regret that." My tone may be confident, but I''m not confident. My heart is racing and I''m not sure whether she can feel it or not. While one of her hands is still on my chest, I''m holding the other one in mine.

    My nervousness isn''t at a low level, but I won''t let it hold me back. I''m determined to take this step and if her rejection hits me in the face, I''m going to handle it.

    We both leave the hotel suite and head downstairs to the lobby. A fancy car is already waiting for us in front of the hotel, bur she doesn''t know that. When we step outside the hotel, I stop her.

    "We''re getting in this car, cupcake," I tell her. I love the way her eyes widen in surprise. I know my girl quite well. She''s not amazed by the fancy car as she has been into a lot of them, but it''s the surprise itself that she likes.

    The driver opens the door for her and we get in. Two flutes of champagne are already waiting for us inside.

    "I''m liking this already, Cromwell," she says. I can feel the smile in her voice. As much as I want her to enjoy every single moment today, this isn''t the part I care about exactly.

    "Are we going to spend the whole day at the ce you''re taking me to?" my curious girl wonders

    "We will leave after sunset." I reply. "Don''t you want to watch the sunset from a high ce in Italy?"

    Rosie has always been fascinated by sunsets. She says that their beauty is one of a kind and they make her feel warm. She also loves the way the sky turns into different shades of orange, pink and yellow. She told me before that sunset always resembled a gorgeous watercolour painting and each time, the painting came out with different shapes, yet they were all beautiful in their own way.

    "Tin so excited!" She ps her hands as she looks at me, causing me to chuckle. She looks out of the window once we leave the city. She is muesmerized by the view and looks at everything with great admiration. The way she looks is breathtaking. and I''m afraid that when I''m grey and old, I won''t be able to remember exactly the way she looks. That''s why I take my

    07:47 Sat, Nov 9.

    6

    phone out of my pocket and sneakily take a few pictures of her. Most of them are side profile pictures, but her side profile is stunning.

    "Hey, Rosie," I say, wanting to snap a picture of her whole face. At first, she looks surprised, then her surprise morphs into a gorgeous smile.

    I love taking pictures of her and us together. I like to keep memories of everything we do together. If possible, I want to recreate whichever ones we can recreate five years from now.

    After an hour and twenty minutes, we finally arrive at our destination.

    The magnificentndscape around us has my girl inplete awe. She looks speechless as she admires everything around her.

    "Wee to Parco dell''Alto Garda Bresciano," I say, opening the door for her.

    "How can a ce look this beautiful?" she whispers as she takes my hand while stepping out of the car. I wonder the same thing when I look at her. How can someone look this beautiful?

    I ce my hand around her waist and guide her to where our pic is. When I first started nning this date, I had a lot of things in mind. I want this date to always be remembered by the two of us. I tailored it ording to her liking, because I honestly don''t care much about what we should do during our dates as long as she''s happy.

    By the look on her face, I can tell that she''s in love with this ce, which means I have done well so far. After a ten-minute walk, we reach the pic and a gasp escapes her mouth as she brings her hands to her mouth.

    "How did you even prepare this?" she squeals, looking at me. "This is amazing!" She jumps into my arms and I hold her tightly, kissing her cheek.N?velDrama.Org content.

    "You deserve the best, baby girl," I murmur, gently rubbing her back.

    "Have you called me baby girl before?" she wonders, leaning backwards to look at my face.

    "I''m honestly not sure. Don''t you like it?" I ask, still holding her in my arms.

    "I like it," she says, pecking my lips before pulling away.

    The two of us sit down and start eating because we''re both starving. As the time passes, my anxiety increases. Until now, everything is all good and she loves everything about our date, but I''m not sure if she''s going to love what I n on doing.

    We have been dating for less than a year. Well, If I count the first six months before the ident, then we have been dating for exactly a year, but there is a six-month gap between our first six months and our second ones.

    "Look!" she eagerly speaks, catching my attention. "The sun is about to go down!"

    This is the moment I have been waiting for. It''s now or never. Technically, I still have time, but I''m impatient and Ldon''t want to wait any longer.

    "Let me take a few pictures of you with the sunset," I say, standing up. She enthusiastically nods and quickly stands

    1. up.

    I put my phone in my pocket after taking a lot of pictures of her and a few selfies of us together.

    I deeply inhale and take the ring out of my pocket, but keep my palm fisted to hide it. "Rosie." She looks at me when I call her name. "I have loved you for years and I used to wonder if I could ever make you mine. Now that you''re mine, it''s a dream that has finallye true and I''m truly blessed that I get to wake up beside you. You light up my entire life and you make me look forward to trying new things. I love everything about you and I cannot imagine being in this life without you. I guess

    what I''m trying to say is," I kneel on one knee in front of her, causing her to gasp as she brings her hands to her chest, "will you marry me?"

 Chapter 157

    "Will you marry me?"

    I can''t believe what I have just heard. This proposal is totally out of the blue. I know that Ss is in love with me and I''m equally in love with him, but I didn''t expect him to propose to me this soon.

    Things have been moving fast between us and every part of me wants to say yes, because I know that Ss is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. We have been through a lot in a short period of time, yet I believe that all that we have experienced has strengthened us and made our love stronger.

    "Yes," I gush as tears cascade down my checks. A mesmerizing smile takes over his lips and I swear, I can see how relieved he now looks. I had a feeling that he had been unnecessarily nervous today, but now I know why. I would be nervous too if I were in his shoes. I extend my shaky hand and he gently pushes a beautiful ring onto my ring finger. I haven''t even paid attention to how gorgeous the ring is until it is on my finger, because I''m busy thinking about how crazy we both are. I''m not even twenty yet, but here we are taking a huge step in our rtionship. I know that we are ready for it though.

    "I can''t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, my gorgeous Rosie." He closes the space between us and wraps his arms around me as he kisses my lips. Despite being in June, the weather is absolutely magnificent. It''s not scorching hot or humid like how it usually is in Summer. There is a soft breeze that keeps blowing, making the weather enjoyable.

    His hands fall to my waist and I smile through our kiss. Neither of us wants to let go. I want to keep this memory carved in my heart forever. Everything about this moment is simply perfect; the orange, purple and pink hues of the sunset behind us, the cool breeze that keeps messing with my low ponytail and the way he is holding me like he is never ready to let go

    I want to savour each and every second of this day. Part of me is certain that we''re going to make a lot of beautiful memories through the years, but I''m sure that this one is just like no other. We have been together for long and we have kissed millions of times before, yet each time is full of sparks and butterflies fly in my stomach like the first time.

    We are so lost in the moment and I''m loving everything about it It''s like we''re the only people on the and nothing can harm us or take the magical feeling of this moment away from us.

    "I have a question," I say with a smile as we pull apart.

    "What is it?" he wonders, ying with my hair.

    "Do my parents know or are we gonna drop the bomb on them? I can''t help but ask.

    He sits down and gently pulls me with him, letting me sit on hisp. "I think we need to establish the fact that Julian will cut my head if he finds out I have proposed to his daughter without asking for his permission first." Iugh at what he says, but I know that it''s true. Dad won''t simply ept the idea of my marriage that easily let alone without his blessing first, but this is Ss we''re talking about. He loves Ss and considers him his son.

    "What was their reaction?" I wrap one arm around his neck and let my body fall between his legs and I rest my his leg. I''m so curious about how they reacted upon hearing about the proposal.

    back against

    "Well... At first, they were hesitant given the fact that you''re not even twenty yet. You''re going to be twenty in three months, but that''s not the point. They can never see you as a grown-up. Anyway, I did my best to convince them, telling them that I already love you and you love me, so there was no point in waiting. They agreed after making me promise them that I will take good care of you. Oh, and they don''t want us to get married before you graduate," he fills me in about his meeting with my parents.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    That sounds reasonable. I want to get married after graduation too." I cannot imagine myself being busy with wedding preparations while fussing over my finals and all the designs I''m supposed to get done in such a short time.

    "Is it too early to think about our dream wedding?" Ss grins, making meugh. I think I have never seen a guy as excited as Ss about discussing wedding preparations.

    OF

    "I sincerely hope that we can be on the same page," I say with a wide smile on my face. "Do you want a big wedding?"

    "Big enough for our family and friends," he replies and I nod, agreeing with his answer.

    "Indoor wedding or outdoor wedding? And which time of the year?" I throw more questions at him. I''m enjoying this so much!

    "Outdoor weddings are the best!" he exims. I love that we have the same mindset. "I know that you love Fall, so maybe October can be good," he suggests. It''s true. I love Fall so much. cannot imagine myself moving freely and dancing around at an outdoor wedding in Summer because I hate how sweaty I get. I also don''t want to freeze to death in Winter, so Fall and Spring are the best.

    "Spring can be nice too," I suggest, keeping our options open a bit.

    "Do you like the ring, cupcake?" Ss asks after spending more than ten minutes talking about wedding preferences as if we''re getting married in a month.

    "I love it!" I beam, flexing my hand, admiring the stunning oval diamond on my finger. On each side, there''s a way smaller diamondpared to the size of the main one. The band itself is in and gold. I''m in love with it.

    "How did you know my size?" I tilt my head as my fingers y with his soft hair.

    "I stole one of your rings," he admits, making me giggle. "I chose one of your favourites to make sure that it''s something you wear a lot."

    "Wait a minute! Did you take the one with the emerald stone? Is that why it disappeared for two days, then it suddenly resurfaced in my jewellery box?" I raise my eyebrows at him.

    "I thought I wouldn''t get caught," he mutters and I yfully punch his shoulder.

    "You were looking for it with me!" I exim and he just gives me a cheeky grin.

    "I just wanted to get my girl the perfect size. Can you me me he dramatically says, making me roll my eyes at him.

    "You''re lucky I love you," I whisper as I lean in and kiss him on the lips. He doesn''t waste the chance and immediately starts kissing me back. In one swift motion, he twists my body andys me down on the grass before he brings himself on top of me without crushing my body with the weight of his own body. It doesn''t take a lot of time for our kiss to turn into something more.

    This day is beautiful in every possible way and I know that until myst day on earth, I will remember it and smile.

 Chapter 158

    Two and a half yearster..

    Nervous is such a weak adjective to describe what I''m truly feeling. My heart is hammering and I''m not sure if this is out of nervousness, excitement or fear. Perhaps it''s a mixture of all of them? I don''t know.

    Today is my wedding day and until this very moment, there''s, thankfully, no drama. Everything is going ording to the n. However, I haven''t even walked down the aisle yet. Ss ar I wanted our wedding to be private, and to achieve that, we hired a top-notch securitypany to keep away paps and reporters.

    Ss is now a very famous football yer. The sess he has achieved in a short period of time is almost unprecedented. I''m really proud of what he has achieved so far and I know that there''s more toe.

    I graduatedst July. It still feels surreal that I''m no longer a college student and, to be honest, I''m really excited to start working. Well, I have been working with my mum since Summer of my junior year, but being an intern is not like being a full-time employee.

    In my third year, Mum suggested I could design a few dresses and have them sold at an auction to donate the moneyter for charity. At first, I was skeptical, because I thought nobody would want to buy dresses from a beginner, but I was wrong. All of the dresses were immediately snatched and many people even asked me if I could design more dresses for them. To say I was stunned would be an understatement.

    I''m supposed to start working with Mum as a full-time designer after I''m back from my honeymoon and I''m really stoked. I can''t wait to see people wearing my designs. I know that it''s not going to be easy, and a lot of people will call me nepo-baby, but I don''t care anymore. I learned to ignore all of that. It wasn''t an easy process, but I''m proud of the stage I have reached. I won''t lie and say that what I hear or read doesn''t bother me anymore, but the effect on me isn''t as strong as it used to be.

    "You look absolutely gorgeous," Mum says from behind me. She is the one who has designed my wedding dress and I''m simply in love with the gown I have on. It is a long-sleeve off-the-shoulder dress with a lot of studs and pearls on its sweetheart top. The skirt of the dress is long, and it also has studs and pearls but only at the top until theypletely fade. It is not very puffy, giving me freedom to move. Mum has put so much love into this dress and I love every single thing about it.

    My hair is pulled back in a half updo and it no longer reaches my waist. One day I decided to cut it, and I feel like I can now deal with it better. It now slightly passes the middle of back.

    my

    For my something blue, I have a simple hair piece that has blue gemstones in it. For my something borrowed, Mum gave me one of her diamond earrings and for my something old, I have a ring that my grandma gave me when I was eighteen.

    "Come here. Let me look at you," Grandma says, and I make my way towards her. Sadly, Grandpa died two years ago and the toll his death has taken on Grandma is still visible to this day.

    "Do you

    like my dress?" I ask her as I twirl in front of her.

    "You look wless, Rosie," she tells me, and I see the tears brimming in her eyes.

    "Oh, please don''t cry," I say, bending down to hug her.

    "I can''t believe that you''re getting married," she whispers, and I just smile. I can''t believe it either, but I''m ready to continue the rest of my life with Ss.

    A knock on the door makes me pull back from the hug. Kendall, my maid of honor opens the door. It''s my dad.

    Are you ready?" he asks as he walks inside. He stops the moment his eyes fall on me, and I just smile at him. "Maybe you should run away." Iugh at hisment.

    "You know I love him." I chuckle as I approach him. I wrap my arms around him and he does the same "But I will always be

    Mon NOVI

    your little girl," I remind him.

    "If I stay here much longer, I won''t be able to walk you down the aisle," he jokes, making usugh.

    Quickly Mum and Grandma leave, then my maid of honor and my bridesmaids follow them.

    The wedding is an outdoor one. Ss and I were involved in alle details. I loved how he shared with me all of the special moments rted to preparations. I thought that he might not be involved in everything due to how busy he has been with the football season, but he proved me wrong. He was with me while we picked the flowers and during cake tasting. He was patient with me when I couldn''t make up my mind regarding a few things here and there.

    Each day, I feel thankful that I ended up with him, because Ss is simply the best partner any girl can ever wish for.

    The music starts ying and everybody starts taking their ce. Once it''s my turn, I take a deep breath as Dad walks me down the aisle. All my nervousness vanishes once I see Ss waiting for me at the end of the aisle looking as handsome as

    ever.

    My eyes never dart away from him and the smile never leaves my face. I catch him wiping a tear quickly before we reach him and all I can think about is that I want to kiss it away.

    "Take care of my little girl," Dad tells him as he gives my hand to Ss.

    "She is in safe hands," Ss assures him. "Hello gorgeous," he murmurs as he kisses my

    forehead.

    The two of us stand in front of the officiant and he immediately starts the ceremony. I''m lost in my own world and barely paying attention to what he''s saying. I can''t believe that in less than two minutes, Ss and I are going to be husband and wife. I married the person I thought I would never end up with when I was eighteen. But twenty-two-year-old me is absolutely in love with him. She cannot wait to spend all of her life and make a big family with him.

    "Do you have

    your own vows or are you going with the traditional ones?" the officiant asks us.

    "I have written my own vows," I say and turn around to take the paper from Kendall.

    the

    "I have also written mine," Ss says with a smile, taking a paper out of his pocket. I know he wasn''t going to say traditional vows. Nothing about us is traditional. Our start wasn''t traditional, but I won''t change a thing about the way we both fell for each other.

    "My sweet Rosie, I still remember the first time I saw you when I was barely sixteen years old. I was stunned by your beauty, and I kept telling myself, ''Wow! I have never seen such a gorgeous girl like that before. But sixteen-year-old me was stupid. He didn''t know how to act around you or even talk to you. Simply, I thought you were out of my league." Tears well in my eyes as I listen to every word he says. "As the years passed, my love for you grew, but I didn''t know how to tell you. Then fate decided to be on my side when you joined my university, and I promised myself I would do anything until you were mine. Here we are today. Looks like I have fulfilled my promise to myself."

    The proud smile on his face makes me let out a shortugh. His eyes never leave mine as he reads the rest of his vows. "Rosie, I vow to take care of you and to be your best friend for the rest of your life. I vow to cherish and love you until my veryst breath. I vow to lift you up when you''re feeling down and to match your energy when you''re singing at the top of your lungs in the car." Everybodyughs at what he says, including me. "You will forever be my girl and I will always love you."

    I unfold the paper in my hands and look at Ss one more time before looking at the paper I''m holding. "I have always been a bookworm and my speciality is romantic novels. For so long, I had always had this belief that finding the kind of love I read about in books was impossible, but then you came, Ss, and you made me live a beautiful love story that is so much better than any novel I have read. You have shown me what true love feels like. At my darkest times, you were there. When I gave up on us, you never let go. I never thought that one day, I would be getting married to you, because thirteen-year-old- me would rather jump into a freezing pool in winter than have a dance with you." I manage to make the attendeesugh and Ssughs too.

    "But can you me her when pulling her hair was your favourite thing to do?" I smirk, looking at him. He yfully rolls his eyes, and I continue. "I''m d I''m not that girl anymore, because you are the best partner anybody could ever ask for. I vow

    IVIOTT, INO Chapter 158

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    to always be there for you whenever you need me. I vow to atter as many games as possible, even though they make me anxious. I vow to love you until myst day on earth. Even then, I vow to find you in the afterlife and fall for you all over again.

    By the time I''m done, I''m already breathless. I stare into Ss''s eyes and the sparkle I see in them makes my heart flutter. I don''t need him to say anything to make sure that he loves me. The way he looks

    at me is enough. An overwhelming sensation of affection takes over me and my heart races.

    The love I have for him is overwhelming and beautiful and I pray with everything in me that we stay like that until we''re grey and old.

    After sharing "I do", the officiant announces us as husband and wife. As his lips meet mine, time stands still. His kiss is just like his touch, full of love, passion, warmth and assurance. Butterflies dance around in my stomach as if it''s our first kiss. The world around us fades away and I squeeze his arm as the kiss deepens.

    Finally, we pull away, not wanting to give the audience a longer show. Cheers erupt around us and a wide smile forms on my lips.N?velDrama.Org content.

    Officially, I''m Rosalie Kensington Cromwell.

 Chapter 159

    I married her.

    I married Rosie and she is now a Kensington Cromwell.

    This is a dream that has definitelye true. I can''t believe that I married the girl I have always been in love with and we''re going to have our own family. Well, we''re not going to start trying for babies immediately. We n on waiting for three years first because I''m at the peak of my career and Rosie is about to start her career, so we''re not ready for such a big step yet. However, we definitely want to have kids. I want to see mini Rosies running in our house.

    I know that Rosie is going to make an awesome mum. I have seen the way she used to treat her siblings and Aniyah when they were young.

    "How does it feel marrying the girl you are absolutely head over heels for?" Tristan wonders with a smirk as he stands beside me. He is asking a question he knows the answer to.

    My brother spent years in love with his wife in silence because she was married to another man. He was an abusive prick and Tristan helped her to get rid of him. Even After she finally got rid of her awful husband, Tristan didn''t say anything for a year, fearing that she might think that he only helped her out to marry her. He wanted her to know that she was totally free to choose whether she wanted to be with him or not.

    They have been married for almost two years now and I have never seen my brother this happy before. I''m d that Scarlett has this effect on him. It''s just like Rosie''s effect on me.

    "I feel like I''m having a beautiful dream and don''t want to wake up from it," I reply as I look around the hall and politely smile at whomever my eyes fall on.

    When I saw Rosie walking down the aisle, my knees threatened to give up on me. She looked like a goddess in her wedding dress. My heartbeats quickened the more she approached and all I wanted was to get the officiant to pronounce us husband and wife. The way her eyes never left mine until Julian gave me her hand made my heart flutter like a high school boy.

    It took me a week to bring myself to write my vows, because there was so much I wanted to say, yet there were a lot of things that were meant to stay between us. I rewrote them seven times until I settled on thest version.

    "And you''re going to feel like that for a long while," he says.

    "Then what happens?" I wonder. I have heard a lot of people say that after a few years of being married, love loses its spark, but I refuse to believe that the spark between me and Rosie will fade away one day. "Currently, I''m in the ''being grateful'' phase. I''m grateful that this is actually my life and Scarlett is my woman,"

    Fairy lights illuminate the reception hall and everything looks just like how Rosie wanted them to be. I''m d that we managed to bring our dream wedding to life. Pink flowers beautifully decorate the hall just like the inspiration pictures we have shown the wedding nner.

    I look at the dance floor and find my stunning wife dancing along with Kendall, Sabrina, Caroline, Alexa and Natalie. The whole gang has made it to the wedding. The glittery fabric of her gown glistens under the fair lights as she dances around. The look I see on her face is my absolute favourite. She is truly happy. She is not just happy; she is on cloud nine.

    That wide smile on her face has my heart. It lights up my entire life and makes my day ten times better. She catches me looking at her and her smile widens as she motions for me to join her on the dance floor.

    "Can''t really say no to her." I chuckle, handing my brother the ss of champagne I''m holding.

    "No won''t even be a word in your vocabry anymore." Heughs as I make my way to my wife.

    "Hey there, gorgeous." I grin, snaking my arm around her tiny waist. She instantly wraps her arms around my neck andAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    ww.

    Chapter 159.

    pecks my lips as I hold her close to me.

    "We''re married!" she happily exims and I chuckle, holding her close. I still can''t believe that we''re married too. This feels too good to be true.

    "We are, baby girl!" I pick her up and twirl her around, causing her tough as our friends cheer for us. I put her down and take a couple of steps back, extending my arm for her. She takes it and wraps her body against that arm. I slightly dip her back, then bring her back up. She looks into my eyes in a way that makes my heart swell with the overflowing love I have for her, and I can''t help but cup her soft cheeks and kiss her plump lips.

    This step is a huge milestone in our rtionship. It is an affirmation for the love we have for each other. I know that no matter what, I will always have Rosie''s back and be there for her. I know that my heart will always beat for her. She is everything I have wished for and the fact that she is my wife now makes me want to pray to every mighty power to keep her mine forever.

    She is my other half. She is the one whopletes me and understands me like no other. I spent a lot of nights wondering what I was supposed to do to make her mine and at my lowest moments, I epted that I could be nothing but her friend. If somebody had told me that Rosie would end up being my wife one day, I would have called them crazy, because the odds were not in my favor. I''m thankful for how things have turned out to be and I wouldn''t change a thing about our rtionship.

    There are a lot of mixed feelings inside of me, but the love and excitement are the dominant ones and I really can''t wait to see what life has in store for me and Rosie.

 Chapter 160

    He''ste again.

    I don''t want to be the annoying wife, who doesn''t give her husband a chance to breathe, but disappointment is tearing me apart and I''m not sure if this is considered an exaggeration or not.

    Ss and I have been married for a year and three months. Our one-year anniversary was amazing. In fact, our first year together was too good to be true, but I don''t know why there''s a negative feeling in my gut whenever I think about our second year.

    On our one-year anniversary, Ss decided to take me on a three-day vacation to Hawaii where he made every moment memorable. He organized a majestic beach date that was literally as beautiful as the romantic gestures I read about in the novels. It wasn''t just the fact that he booked an entire beach for us. He gave me my own beach cinema that night.

    He pulled a few strings and managed to get me a copy of a movie I wanted to watch even though it hadn''t been released yet. We cuddled onfy schezlongs for the whole time, wrapped up in a warm nket, savoring every second of that unforgettable night. I know that life isn''t supposed to be a fairytale all the time, but I can''t help but notice some changes that has been going ontely. The thing is, I don''t know if there''s something I''m doing wrong or this is just marriage.

    But I have seen my parents and how beautiful their marriage is. I know that they did not have an ideal start, but as I look at them now, I always pray to end up having the same marriage they have. They do have their disagreements like any other couple, but I have always appreciated how they always put their love above anything else. Neither of them cares about winning an argument as their main worry is not hurting each other.

    If anybody looks at my marriage with Ss from the outside, they''re going to think that everything is perfect, but I can tell something has been going on for the past three months. At my darkest moments, I think that Ss has grown bored of being with me, but I try not to give in to these thoughts.

    Career-wise, we''re doing great. He is getting the attention he deserves for being the great football yer he is. My designs are getting recognized and my first fashion show was two months ago. It was a huge sess.

    Before that show, I had a couple of dresses disyed at one of the shows Mum hosts every year for all the designers who work with her. Mum''s fashion house is a safe ce for all aspiring designers. She has four collections that get released annually. Each one is a collection of outfits that are designed by others under her supervision. None of the designs has her signaturebel, but they have thebel of the fashion house. There are two collections that she releases yearly where the dresses are all designed by her and they have her signaturebel.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    The amazing thing she does is that she hosts a fashion show annually where all designers get to showcase two dresses of their designs and although they have thebel of the fashion house, each design has the name of its designer. She has helped a lot of aspiring designers and she''s widely known for appreciating everybody who works for her.

    As her daughter, she wants the world to know that I''m the heir to her brand. That''s why she allowed me to have my own fashion show under the fashion house''s name. Nobody has this privilege but me, and while I was really hesitant about taking this step, she was the one who pushed me to do that. She said that she wanted me to be prepared and make a name for myself from a young age, because she wanted to make sure that the fashion house was in safe hands when she would decide to step down.

    I don''t think the world will ever be ready for the moment when Emily Kensington steps down. She has dressed queens and princesses and everybody trusts her impable taste. Being her daughter, I know I will always getpared to her and honestly, I don''t know if anybody can be as good as Emily Kensington.

    Ss and I have been busytely, but when he told me a couple of days ago that he would finish practice early today, I told him toe home as soon as possible because I was going to cook for him.

    He promised to be here on time, but he broke his promise. It''s already nine at night and Ss is nowhere to be seen and he''s not replying to my texts or answering my phone calls. Two months ago, I would have thought that something bad might

    <3

    have happened to him, but this isn''t the first time to face something like that. This is the second time this month and we still have nine days to reach its end. He did it oncest month.

    The food I cooked is cold now and I have blown out the candles because what''s the point of a candlelit dinner if there''s nobody to have the dinner with?

    I look again at my phone, hoping to find a new text from him, but there''s not a single text or even a missed call. I take a deep breath and pour myself some wine from the expensive bottle I bought today.

    One ss turns into three and when I look at the clock, my eyes widen when I notice that it''s almost midnight. I push myself up, feeling my body weighed down by the major disappointment I''m feeling. I feel everything swirling around me for a couple of seconds before my world steadies again.

    I don''t bother with cleaning the dinner table, wanting him to notice that he has forgotten about our ns. I make my way to our bedroom and change after taking off my clothes and washing my face.

    Not wanting to sleep next to him, I make my way to one of the guest bedrooms we have in our huge mansion. I close my eyes the moment my head hits the pillow and soon, I fall asleep with a lot of negative thoughts in my head.

    I don''t know when Sses back, but at some point at night, hees back home. I think he has looked for me, I feel him opening my door, yet I act asleep, not wanting to talk to him.

    because

    "I''m sorry," he murmurs and his lips kiss my head. His empty apology hurts a lot because I have a strong feeling that this is going to happen again.

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 Chapter 161

    93% +5

    I know I made a huge mistake and I need to make up for it. I don''t know how to fix what I have ruined, but there must be something I can do to make it up to Rosie.

    This isn''t my first time to stand her up, but I understand quite well that this time is the worst, because this is her first time to not sleep in our bed. Something about not finding her in our bed made my heart shake with fear. I''m used to seeing her small figure in our huge bed, balled up and covered with our beige duvet.

    I looked for her in all the guestrooms. When I opened the door to the one closest to our bedroom and didn''t find her, my heart raced, thinking that she wasn''t home. I found her in the furthest guestroom. I was relieved to find her still in the house, but not seeing her in our bed like I''m used to felt awful.

    My heart sank when I saw the dinner she had prepared for us. She made my favorite dish, but I let it all go to waste because of my stupidity and forgetfulness. She reminded me of the dinner she had nned for us a day before, yet I don''t understand how I managed to ruin it all.

    I told myself I would go out with the guys for a while and then make it back home on time. But I didn''t make it back on time. I stayed untilte as we shared pints of beer and recounted stories. I made it home around one in the morning and the first thing I noticed upon walking inside our house was the turned-on lights of the dining room that we barely use.

    I didn''t go to sleep without boxing whatever could be boxed of the food and cing it in the refrigerator, not wanting a meal she made with love to go to waste. I know that cleaning up is not enough to make it up to her, but it''s the least I can do.

    Today, I have woken up early because I don''t know if she''s going to work from home or ns on going to the office, but I have woken up early enough to catch her in both cases.

    I have made her breakfast and I''m hoping with everything in me that it can pave the way for apologizing for what I have done. I wasn''t nning on waking up early since I sleptte and I have a charity event to attend with my team today, but the mess I have made must be fixed and nobody should fix it but me.

    Eventually, the moment I''m scared ofes and I find Rosie in front of me. She is all dressed up, and ready to go out. She doesn''t even acknowledge me and this is enough to make the fear inside of me grow. What did I expect? Did I expect her to kiss me upon seeing me when I bailed on herst night? Did I expect her to jump in my arms?N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Good morning," I say, looking at her. She stays silent and I look down, already giving in to the idea that she''s going to give me the silent treatment. But then she murmurs an almost audible ''morning''

    "I made us breakfast," I tell her hesitantly, unsure of her reaction!

    "I''m having breakfast with Kendall," she says, without looking at me, I don''t think she''s looking for something in her bag; she''s probably avoiding my gaze.

    "You can invite Kendall to have breakfast with us. I think all of this is enough for three people," I suggest.

    "I don''t want to have breakfast with you, Ss," she bluntly informs me. I know I deserve this, but this doesn''t make her words hurt any less.

    "Rosie, can we please talk?" I request, but the look on her face is an adequate answer. "I''m so sorry for standing you up. Let me make it up to you." I take a couple of steps towards her, but she moves back.

    "I need space, Ss." Her heavy sigh tells me that she is already loaded with stress and that taking a step back is a wise decision. Something about those four words makes my heart stop for a moment. I don''t understand what she means by space. Does that mean that she wants me to leave the house for a while? Does she want to leave for a while?

    I want her to talk to me. I don''t want this silent treatment. I want her to fight with me and let out all the pent-up negative energy she has inside of her because of me:

    GT.

    "Can I take you out for dinner?" I ask, not wanting to entirely give up. I also try to ignore the whole space thing, because it includes many possibilities and I''m trying to ignore the worst ones.

    "Then what? Wait for you all night only for you to bail out on me?" She bitterly throws what I have done at my face.

    "I won''t do it, I promise," I quickly say. She stares at me, not saying anything. I hate that I can''t read her mind. If there''s anything she wants me to do to make it up to her, I will do it in a heartbeat, but I know that she won''t say anything. "I will wait for you here, okay? If you feel like having dinner with me, you''ll find me waiting for you."

    She nods at me but keeps her silence before leaving the house. I have a feeling she is going to make it hard for me to earn her forgiveness, but I don''t mind going the extra mile for her.

    Lately, I have gotten a lot busier than I used to be. Between the games I y, training, attending events, and spending time with my teammates, I barely find time to spend with Rosie and this is upsetting her. She has everything right to be upset.

    I take a deep breath and sit down, munching on the breakfast I made. I don''t know what I''m supposed to tell her to make her forgive me, but Rosie has a big heart. She''s not going to stay mad at me forever.

    After finishing breakfast and cleaning the dishes, I make my way to our bedroom and take a quick shower before getting dressed. This charity event is quite important and we all must attend. As far as I know, it won''t take more than a couple of hours, so this will give me enough time to get Rosie a nice bouquet of flowers and pass by her favorite ce to get us dinner.

    I arrive at where the event is and walk inside the venue. We''re here to support kids who suffer from cancer. Today, we''re going to hang out with them for a while, then we''re going to have ate lunch or an early dinner. As far as I know, we will be done by 5:00 PM. We''re also going to have a friendly game with another team and all of the profits of the tickets will go to this organization. It''s going to be in exactly a month and the children are really excited.

    I try to give to charity as much as I can, but as I look at these children, it pains me to see that money isn''t enough to help them out. Some of them are in thete stages, so it''s sadly only a matter of time for them. At least I can contribute to making the time they have left good

    "You''re my role model! I want to be a great football yer like you when I grow up!" a child who cannot be older than ten years old excitedly tells me as I sign the t-shirt he hands me.

    "I''m sure you''re going to be better than me." I give him a nice smile.

    "Man, can I talk to you for a second?" my teammate and new best friend, Mateo, calls for me.

    Unfortunately, Knox no longer lives in California as he moved to Colorado a year and a half ago, because he received a good offer from a team there. Mateo is the first person I got close to when I first joined the team and when Knox moved away, our friendship got stronger.

    Rosie and I are going to Colorado in seven months to attend Knox and Sabrina''s wedding. As a gift, Rosie is already working on Sabrina''s wedding dress. Sabrina''s family still lives in California and she lives between Colorado and California for the time being since her job allows her to travel.

    "What''s going on?" I ask, approaching him.

    "I can''t make up my mind," he tells me as he shows me his phone screen. "Which one is better?" he asks. He shows me pictures of two rings that may seem identical when you first look at them, but on looking closely, there''s a slight difference between them.

    This one is better," I finally decide. "Are you finally proposing?" ask him and he happily nods.

    *Our second anniversary is in fifteen days and I want to make sure that everything is perfect," he informs me with a look on his face that I know very well. I know what it feels like to want everything to be on point when ites to proposing to the girl you love

    GT

    I spent a lot of time, preparing for my proposal to Rosie. I love that this day is one of our favorite memories with each other.

    "If you need help with anything, let me know," I tell him.

    "My sister is helping me out and she also chose the ring you have just chosen. I just want to make sure that it''s the better option. Knowing Pe, I''m sure she''s going to love both of them, but I want to give her the best," he says.

    Unfortunately, the event isn''t going to end at five as expected. When I ask one of the organizers when it''s supposed to end, they tell me it has been extended for two more hours.

    I heavily sigh after learning that and shoot a text to Rosie, apologizing for not being able to make it on time. I''m going to exin everything to her, but I just hope that she gives me the chance to do so. I snap a picture of the children and tell her that I''m at a charity event, hoping this will make my situation better.

    When she starts typing, my heart clenches, already expecting the worst. However, she surprises me when she hits me with a simple ''It''s fine! Have a good night x.

    I''m not sure if this is a good sign or a bad one, but I guess I will find out when I''m home.

    FUT

 Chapter 162

    At least this time he is at a charity event, right? He didn''t stand me up because he was partying or hanging out with his friends, so I shouldn''t feel bad or disappointed. But why do I feel like that? Why am I scared? A voice inside of me keeps telling me that I''m exaggerating, but my gut feeling says otherwise.

    It was hard to stay mad at him in the morning, because as far as I remember, I have never stayed mad at Ss for more than two hours and our fights are usually silly. I don''t think what happened between us can be considered a fight, but couples don''t need to fight to be mad at each other. Some things may happen out of the blue like the change of behaviour my husband is currently going through.

    I talked to Kendall about what happened and she advised me to forgive him but not without making him work hard to earn my forgiveness.

    I don''t want to be the kind of mncholy wife who is always upset with her husband and making things hard for him. However, I need him to respect me when we both agree on spending some time together.

    I''m used to Ss prioritizing me andtely, I have been feeling like I''m not one of his priorities and it hurts so much..

    Not feeling like cooking, I decide to make myself some canned soup because it is the fastest thing I can do. I put on one of my favourite films and watch it while eating the soup.

    Sometimes, I regret that Ss and I decided to get such a huge house at the early stage of our marriage because when I''m here on my own, I feel like it''s too big for me. There''s a lot of space and I can''t upy all of it.

    Maybe I''m just feeling emotionally under the weather. I know that if I decide to go to my parents'' ce to spend some time with them, they will think that something is wrong between Ss and me. While this may be true, I still don''t want to worry them. I also don''t want them to know that things aren''t exactly well with us.

    I should probably keep myself busy with the new collection I''m currently working on to avoid any negative thoughts. I remember how Mum buried herself in work when she ran away while being pregnant with me. She spent five years working like there''s no tomorrow to make a name for herself. Sheter told me that work was one of the things that kept her sane during those years, because if she had given in to all the dark thoughts that had roamed her mind, she would have gone

    crazy.

    I end up falling asleep on the couch while the movie is still on. I don''t know when Sses back, but when he does, I feel him as he gently lifts my body in his strong arms and kisses my head. "What time is it?" I sleepily murmur, barely opening my eyes, yet I manage to catch a glimpse of him.

    I''m too tired to fight my way out of his embrace. I feel like I''mpletely drained. His alluring scent hits my nose and unconsciously, I find myself nuzzling my head into his chest as he climbs the stairs.

    "It''s around ten," he says. "Are you

    tired?"

    I hum without saying anything, closing my eyes again.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    I feel my body as it sinks into our bed and I debate getting out of bed and sleeping in the guest bedroom for the second time in a row. Should I stay mad at him while sleeping in our bed? Do I give him the silent treatment? How do I even stay mad at him for long? It''s something that we have never experienced before.

    Well, at some point in my life, I ghosted him when I thought that staying away would be the best thing I could ever give him, but that was a period in my life that I don''t want to repeat. The agony, we were both in was something I wouldn''t wish on my worst enemy.

    Not giving me the chance to contemte leaving our bed, Ss gets in bed beside me and wraps his arm around my body, pulling me close. He nts a kiss on my temte and murmurs, "I love you so much."

    "I love you too, but Inrineredibly mad at you, I tell him, not wanting him to think that what happened is a page I have turned. But I don''t have to be cruel while being mad at him, right? I can be gently mad at him. I honestly don''t know how to stay mad at Ss. "Stay mad at me all you want," he whispers, pushing my hair away from my face as he gently turns my body and I let him because even when I''m very mad at him, every inch of my body calls for him. "But maybe you can love me extra tonight. Do you think you can do that?"

    I can''t help but smile at what he says. "I think I can," I mumble before pecking his lips.

    "Do you have anything to do tomorrow?" he asks.

    "No," I reply, sitting up for a couple of seconds to remove my t-shirt, leaving myself in my soft bra. I lie back down and ce my head on his chest.

    "Can I take you out?" he wonders.

    How do I expect him to make it up to me

    I keep refusing every olive branch he has extended? Maybe I should give him a chance to exin himself. At the end of the day, I won''t stay mad at, him forever.

    "You better make it good if you want me to forgive you," I yfully warn him, making him smile.

    "I will keep that in mind. Can''t have you mad at me forever. That will be the death of me," he says, gently scratching my

    back. back. He is trying to get me to forgive him in any way. He knows how much I enjoy it when he scratches my

    And Just like that, we both head to sleep, holding onto each other. I sincerely hope that things get better between us, because I love him so much to stay mad at him for long.

    0

 Chapter 163

    Ss told me to dress nicely, so here I am in a midnight blue sat dress with a slit that goes slightly above my mid-thigh.. I''m not sure where he''s taking me, but I trust his taste, because always takes me to beautiful ces. He has the ability to

    make

    date he takes me on unique in its own way. every

    I apply lipstick and make sure that my hair looks nice enough before I step away from the vanity. I take my silver clutch and make my way out of our bedroom.

    I''m excited. It''s been a while since west went on a date together We do go out together, but most of the time now we visit our families or attend social events that we''re obligated to attend

    I walk down the stairs and make my way to the living room where my husband is waiting for me. I notice that he''s on the phone, but the moment he hears the clicking sound of my heels against the tiles, he hangs up and looks at me with a smile I absolutely adore. My sexy husband is dressed in all ck. He has probably dressed like that because he knows I love this style on him. The

    on earth. first two buttons of his shirt are undone, showing how toned his chest is. A wave of jealousy takes over me upon thinking about other women eyeing him while he looks like the most attractive

    man

    "You make me wonder how I ended up getting this lucky." I blush at his words as he ces one hand on the small of my back. "Maybe we should stay home and enjoy each other''spany in a different way." His smirk makes meugh.

    "No." I shake my head. "I wanna go out with you. Maybe if you give me an amazing date I can end up rewarding you tonight." Now it''s my turn to smirk.

    "Such a great incentive to make you the happiest woman alive tonight." He kisses my lips and I enjoy the moment as I ce my hand on the back of his neck.

    His hand slip into mine and we both walk to his car. When he takes me on dates, Ss likes to drive the car instead of letting his driver do so, because he likes us to enjoy the privacy of being together without anybody else.

    It doesn''t take us a lot of time to reach our destination. We stand in front of a very tall skyscraper, and I wonder where the

    restaurant is.

    "Today, we''re going to dine while enjoying the view from a very high point," my husband answers my wondering mind.

    He leaves the car to the valet and the two of us walk inside the building. Everything looks elegant, but I love how they don''t use any exaggerated style to prove that this ce is expensive. There''s a fine line between elegance and luxury. I prefer the former.

    We reach the top floor and Ss guides me to where the entrance of the restaurant is. This is a restaurant I have never been to before, but from the name, I can tell that it''s Italian; my favorite cuisine.

    A man in a suit wees us as he opens the door. The ce ispletely empty. Has Ss booked the whole ce for us?

    Everything around me looks immacte. The ck marble floors have a slight shimmer in them. The lighting looks perfect, not too strong, but strong enough to make me see everything around me clearly. The ck leather seats fit perfectly with the d¨¦cor of the ce. Even the music sounds suitable to the atmosphere.

    "Would you like to sit inside or on the terrace?" the host asks us,

    Ss turns his head to look at me, waiting for me to decide. "The weather seems nice, maybe we can have dinner on the terrace," I tell him.

    We sit down at a table close to the ss railings that allow me to see the city even when I''m sitting. We''re at a really high spot, so the view is perfect.

    memrand

    We get handed the merr and the man walks away, leaving Ss and me alone.

    "Have you booked the whole ce for us?" I wonder.

    "The owner of this ce is an Italian chef who has a Michelin star. The restaurant hasn''t opened yet. It''s supposed to be open to everyone in ten days, but I thought my girl should try it first before anybody else," Ss takes me by surprise when he says that. He knows how to make me feel special.

    Ss is the king of grand gestures.

    "Wow... you really want to make it up to me. I sinile, resting my forearms on the table.

    "I hope I''m on the right path," hements.

    "You are," I say, reaching for the menu. Everything looks delicious and I don''t know what I should order. "Maybe you can order for me." I close the menu looking at $s.

    Soon, the waiteres and takes our order, then he quickly disappears.

    "How''s it going with the new designs you''ve been working on?" he asks,

    "Well, it''s harder than thest time, to be honest. I know that there are a lot of expectations from me due to the huge sess of thest collection and I want to meet these expectations," I tell him.

    "Is there a specific theme you''re following?"

    "Pharonic," I reply, earning a smile of admiration. I know that this theme has been implemented a lot, but I believe I can add my own touch.

    "I''m sure you''re going to rock it. Is the date for the fashion show decided?"

    "Not yet, but I will tell you once everything is set," I tell him. "What about you? How is the season going? I know that you guys have won most of your games, but is there anything new?" keep up with the performance of his team by asking him or reading articles about them.

    "There''s a charity gameing up in less than a month and I want you there if you can attend," he says. If there''s any game Ss wants me to attend, I make sure to free my schedule for him.

    "Sure. Tell me the exact date and consider me already there," I say with a smile. I take a deep breath and decide to rip the bandage, decide to know why he didn''t pick up. "Why didn''t you answer my calls or texts, Ss? I called and texted a lot."

    "My phone died, I swear. The vibes were so good and I got caught up. We truly didn''t feel the time and when somebody pointed out howte it was, I tried to call you, but my phone''s battery was empty," he quickly replies.

    "It''s like the first year of college all over again, huh?" I mumble, remembering the time he promised to have pizza with me for dinner, but he ended upingte because he was with the guys.

    "You''ve got a strong memory." A half smile appears on his face. I''m really sorry, Rosie."

    The waiteres with a fancy ss of wine in his hands. He turns the crystal wine sses and pours the wine for us. This isn''t just any type of wine; it''s my favorite. My husband has surely outdone himself.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    A song starts ying and I smile to myself because I love it so much. Ss gets up from his ce and walks over to me, extending his hand. "May I have this dance, my gorgeousdy?" he says, making me smile.

    "I would love to dance with you, my handsome husband." I ce my hand in his and he gently pulls me up to my feet.

    Our bodies sway to the song and I savour every moment of this beautiful night, not wanting it to end

    "Am I forgiven yet?" he asks in a a quiet voice as he stares into my eyes.

    "You''ve already been forgiven sincest night, but I didn''t want to tell you because I didn''t want you to cancel our date, I reply, giving him a sheepish smile, making himugh.

    "You sneaky little thing." He brushes his nose with mine and I whip my arms tighter around his neck as he dips me back. "You liked seeing me all worked up, didn''t you?"

    "I just wanted to teach you a lesson, so you wouldn''t stand me up again." I smirk as he pulls me back up. I ce my hand on his cheek as my lips meet his. "I love you, Ss."

    "I love you more, Rosie," he whispers, making me smile. We have been married for fifteen months and we were engaged for two years. Before all of that, we dated for a year. However, despite all of this, butterflies still dance in my stomach whenever he tells me that he loves me.

    We sit down when the songes to an end and the waiter brings the appetizers. It''s like he has been waiting for us to sit down to bring the delicious food in front of us.

    As we''re sitting, enjoying our food. I hear the loud sound of a helicopter, making me look towards its direction. My mouth parts in surprise when I notice the huge banner attached to it.

    With bright gold against the ck banner, ''I''m sorry, my beautiful Rosie''. Augh escapes me as I look at my husband only to find him eyeing me with a smile on his face.

    I get up from my ce and walk towards him. I sit on hisp, not caring if the host or the waiter can see us and kiss the hell out of him.

    "You''re the love of my life, Ss Cromwell."

 Chapter 164

    Today is the day for the charity game Ss told me about. It''s been a while since Ist attended a game for him. Although I have been to numerous games by now, I still get incredibly anxious whenever I see him on the field. My mind always thinks of the multiple injuries

    he may suffer from and the mere idea of seeing him in pain puts me in so much agony.

    I wish he had one of those office jobs that would not put him at risk, but I know how much he loves American football, so all I can do is be happy for him while praying with everything in me that he stays safe.

    "Hi Rosie." I turn around when I hear a familiar voice. Pe, Mateo''s girlfriend, takes a seat beside me. Mateo and Ss have grown close to each other, especially after Knox moved away. We''ve been to their ce before and they''ve been to ours too. While Ss and Mateo are very close to each other now, Pe and I are not. We are friendly and usually hang out together when there''s a game, but our friendship isn''t more than that.

    When Sabrina told me that they were going to move to Colorado, I cried for two hours, because I had grown very close to her over the years. She cried too when she saw me cry and both of us were unconsble for a while. Fortunately, we''ve gotten used to being away from each other, but we talk regrly

    "How have

    you

    been?" I ask her.

    "I''m all good. What about you?" she replies with a smile.

    "I''m fine. Very busy with work though," I tell her, taking a sip from the drink I have in my hand.

    "Same here. Paris fashion week is approaching and I''m already fully booked for the whole week," she fills me in. Pe is an amazing make-up artist and she has a long waiting list.

    "So, if I want you to be on my team during my fashion show, which is in five months, what can I do?" I wonder, smiling at

    her.

    "Just give me a specific day three months in advance and I will be there," she replies, opening a can of diet soda.

    We spend the next thirty minutes chatting about various topics and I learn that she has just gotten engagedst month. The happy look she has on her face while delivering the news reminds me of how happy I was when Ss proposed to me. I felt like I owned the world and didn''t want anything else in life. I felt that all that we had been through did not go in vain. In fact, it made us stronger and more appreciative of one another.

    Soon, the game starts and as always, my heartbeats quicken the moment the collision begins. Every time, I keep telling myself that I won''t be nervous and Ss always makes it home safe and sound, but seeing him on the field makes me forget all the soothing words I always tell myself before each game. How am I supposed to stay calm when I see my husband get tackled by a two-hundred-pound yer? How am I supposed to convince myself that the helmet is enough to protect his head and face? The first half ends peacefully, and by peacefully I mean without anybody getting injured.

    I chat with the other wives and girlfriends while we all wait for the other half to start. Our team is three points behind, but we all know that three points are basically nothing since we still have half of the game left. A lot can happen in just one quarter.

    ''m concerned there''s no drama going around. Whenever I''m not close to any girl here, but we''re all friendly and as far as the club holds a dinner or lunch gathering, most of us show up with our partners.

    I''m supposed to be meeting my cousin, Gabbie, after the game to hang out with each other. She hasn''t been doing welltely because she has been going through a rough time with her boyfriend.

    From the very beginning of their rtionship, Gabbie has been open about what she wants in life. She wants to make a family and get married. Apparently, her boyfriend''s views have recently changed. He doesn''t want either thing and I know my cousin well, this isn''t something she''s willing to give up.

    Tue,

    She wants to make a big family like the one she has been raised in. She wants to wear a wedding dress and have her father walk her down the aisle. At some point, her boyfriend wanted the same things too, but it seems like some things suddenly change. The second half soon starts, and anybody can tell that our team is doing its best to make up for the lost points. It doesn''t take them long to score a touchdown, but there''s something about the attitude of the opposing team I don''t like. They are getting more aggressive, and I have a bad feeling that things won''t end well.

    I have seen a lot of football games and when a team acts this way, somebody always gets hurt. I''m not entirely sure what has fueled them to act like that at a charity game. At the end of the day, there''s no cup to take home. This is all about raising money for sick children. "Is it just me or they''re getting slightly aggressive?" Pe asks.

    "1

    "They''re getting very aggressive," I mutter, looking at her. Her eyes are glued to the field, and I think she is as worried as I

    1. am.

    My heart hammers in my chest as I silently wish for the game to end as soon as possible. I cannot see the number of each yer clearly from my ce, so I don''t know where Ss is exactly.

    "Do you want to take a look?" a footballer''s wife asks me as she hands me the binocrs she''s holding. I''m usually opposed to using binocrs because when I brought mine with me once, I kept looking for Ss the whole time and my anxiety intensified. However, I want to know how things are going, so I thank her and take them from her.

    It doesn''t take me time to spot Ss. He is doing well and running at full speed. Just when I''m about to give her the binocrs back, my eyes catch a yer speeding towards my husband, making my heart skip a beat in fear.

    In the blink of an eye, Ss gets tackled, but the sh is rather strong. I jump up from my ce when another yernds over my husband.

    "Leave the damn ball, Ss," I mutter. My heart is about to stop. When the referee approaches and tells them to move away, I wait for my husband to stand up on his feet, but the moment neveres.

    BW-Why is he not getting up?" I mumble, looking at everybody around me. I''m not sure why I''m asking them, but I want anybody to assure me that he will be okay.

    I feel somebody''s hand on my shoulder and with trembling hands, I bring the binocrs to my eyes again. He is still on the ground. I gasp upon seeing paramedics making their way towards him.

    "I need to go to him! I can''t just stay here!" I say, and turn around to run out of the premium seating area, but end up stumbling.

    "Rosie, wait." Pe holds me back before I fall. "I need a bottle of water." I hear her say. A yer''s dad helps me sit down and another person gives me a water bottle to drink.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Is he up on his feet? Please tell me he''s okay," my voice cracks, already thinking of the worst.

    "The paramedics have taken him," somebody informs me and my eyes widen. I jolt from my seat and rush out of the whole ce. I find a security guard and quickly tell him who I am.

    "He''s my husband. I need to see him," I sa

    tears rushing down my cheeks.

    tackled "Okay. Come with me." The security guard guides me to where they take the yers when they get injured. There are a lot of terrible scenarios in my head and no matter how hard I try, they don''t go away. I saw it all. I saw the way he got and how more than two yersnded on top of him to snatch the ball from his

    grasp.

    Maybe it''s not as bad as I think. Maybe it is just a minor concussion, and we will both go home together tonight. I shouldn''t be pessimistic, right?

    I don''t know how long it takes me to reach the clinic, but when I do, my heart threatens to jump out of my chest. I''m afraid to ask about him. I''m petrified of the possibility of him being gravely injured.

    "Is Ss okay? Can I see him? I''m his wife," I dump my questions on the first person I see who happens to be a paramedic.

    "Ss Cromwell? He has just been transferred to the hospital." My blood runs cold upon hearing that.

    I just know that my husband is far from okay.

    44 0 00 00 0000 0

 Chapter 165

    The entire world knows that Ss is in hospital and they expect that I have answers to their questions, but the truth is, I''m just as clueless as they are. I just happen to be at a nearer distance. As if this can make the situation any better. My phone hasn''t stopped ringing and I''m incredibly overwhelmed. I only answer calls from our immediate family and friends.

    I''m in the waiting room, hoping anybody would tell me anything. I want somebody to assure me that he''s okay. I want to take him home and keep him away from the field for a couple of months- as if I have to power to do that.

    "Rosie." I look up when I hear somebody calling my name. I look up and find Scarlett, Tristan''s wife and Tristan is with her. "Are you okay?" Her question takes me by surprise, because everybody is asking about Ss; however, nobody has checked on me. I haven''t even checked on myself.

    "I... I don''t know," I tell her, still surprised by her question. Or maybe I''m overwhelmed. I honestly don''t know how I''m feeling right now, and I don''t care about that either.

    "Come here," she whispers and pulls me into a gentle hug. Iply, feeling the need for some support.

    If Ss is seriously hurt, I don''t know what I would do without him. He has been there with me during every big major event in my life. He is my number one supporter and the person I run to when everything turns ck.

    "I saw it all happen, you know," I tell her in a quiet voice. "I had a pair of binocrs in my hands and I was watching the game because it got really intense. I saw the way he got tackled and they piled on him to get that fucking ball."N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "He''s going to be okay." She''s only saying this to calm me down and ease my aching heart, but nobody is sure of that. Nobody can guarantee that he''s going to be okay.

    "Has anybody told you anything?" Tristan asks me when I pull away from his wife''s soothing hug.

    "No. I''m waiting for any news," I take a deep breath and look down. The three of us sit down and wait. There''s nothing else we can do.

    I want to break down, but now is not the time to do that. I need to be strong for everyone, including Ss. I have a strong belief that he is going to make it. Has any football yer died because of something that happened on the field? I don''t even want to search about that, because I''m scared of finding an answer I won''t like.

    Tristan is the first to notice a doctor making his way towards us. We all stand up and for a moment, I feel dizzy because of how fast I stand up. I thought my heart would never be able to beat faster than it''s already beating, but I''m wrong, because its beats have increased to the point where I''m almost unable to breathe.

    "Is Ss okay?" Tristan asks the doctor. I don''t think I have the ability to form a coherent sentence.

    "He has a very strong concussion, so we will need to monitor him. Unfortunately, he has torn his ACL and will need to have

    surgery,

    but not at the moment. In two weeks, he can have it and the recovery time is from six to ten months," the doctor gives us updates.

    "Is there anything you''re worried about that may result from this strong concussion?" I finally manage to find my voice to ask a question.

    "Well, there are a lot of things that may happen, but we don''t want to expect the worst. He may have some nerve damage. His vision may be affected along with other issues, but let''s not get ahead of ourselves. He is currently asleep and we n on keeping him asleep for a couple of days until we''re sure that his brain is okay," the doctor answers me.

    "Can I please see him?" I plead. I want to see him with my own eyes. I don''t care if he is not going to go on a field for ten months. I don''t care if he stops ying American football. All that I care about is that he''s okay.

    "Yes, but only for ten minutes." I quickly nod and follow the doctor, eager to see my husband.

    A nurse gives me protective garments and I put them on before walking inside the ICU. I don''t think I have ever seen Ss in such a state before. He has a huge bruise under his right eye and a stitched gash over his right eyebrow. It looks like the right side of his face got the worst hit.

    His head is wrapped up and I wonder if there''s a wound underneath.

    me a

    "Can I hold his hand?" I ask the nurse who gives small nod with a smile. I bet she is used to seeing wives worried about their husbands. I know he has a strong immune system due to the healthy diet he follows, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

    "Hey there," I whisper, reaching for his hand. One of his fingers is wrapped in a cast. Has he broken a finger too? A broken finger is the least of my worries to be honest. "You scared the shit out of me." A tear rolls down my cheeks. "But it''s okay. All that I care about is your recovery. I can''t wait for you toe home with me. I''m going to take a few days off and we can spend them all at home, watching movies and munching on our favorite food. I will even cook for you all the dishes you like."

    I spend the next ten minutes with him, then the nurse tells me that I need to leave. I hate that I cannot stay with him, but there''s nothing I can do.

    After taking off the protective cover-ups, I head back to Tristan and Scarlet. They''re no longer alone though. Mum is here and so are Ss''s parents.

    I know that they''re waiting for me to give them an update and for the sake of all of them, I need to act strong. I don''t need them to worry about their son. They don''t need to know that this is the worst state I have ever seen him in. I can keep that to myself. With fake strength, I move my feet towards them with a n to ease their nerves.

    SEND

 Chapter 166

    I''m in so much pain. I feel like I have been hit by a truck. With all the strength I have in me, I open my eyes but instantly close them due to the blinding lights. Where am I? We don''t have such strong white lights like these in our bedroom. I try to move my neck, but it seems like something is hindering my movement. I bring my aching hand to my neck, trying to figure out what''s wrong. My hand touches a hard stic thing, causing me to frown. Is it a neck brace? Why the hell am I wearing

    it?

    I try to open my eyes again, but this time, I do it slowly, not wanting to be blinded again. I can hear the beeping of a strange machine that I''m certain we don''t have at home. I look around me after my eyes get adjusted to the bright lights and my frown deepens. Surely, this is not our bedroom. Our bedroom isn''t this white. It''s a mixture of beige, gold and pastel green. It''s green to me, but Rosie told me that it''s called pastel green.

    Rosie.

    Where is she?

    "Wee back, champ. How are you feeling?" I look at the man who is talking to me. He must be a doctor, because it''s clear that I''m in a hospital.

    "Like a train has run over my body," I rasp, looking at him. I want to know what happened to me. "What happened? Was I in an ident?"

    "No, you got injured during one of your games," he tells me, and instantly, memories of the charity game flood my mind. The game was going at a normal pace, but then something happened between the two teams during half-time which made the game more aggressive. What happened that made the game that aggressive? Oh, I remember. Zack, our teammate, is dating the ex of a yer from the other team and that yer made a badment. They almost had a fight on our way to the locker rooms, but the captain of our team had to hold Zack back since we didn''t want to start a fight at a charity game.

    "Can I please see him? I swear I''m not going to exhaust him." I hear my wife''s voice. I try to find where she is and due to my

    position on the bed. I manage to catch of glimpse of her through the half-open door and the moment her eyes meet mine she lets out a small smile.

    "Can you please let my wife in?" I ask the doctor as he checks my pulse.

    "Sure." He nods at the nurse, giving her the green light to let Rosie in.

    My wife walks inside, and I can tell that she has been crying.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    "Hey, cupcake," I mumble, looking at her and reaching for her hand.

    "Hi," she whispers, taking my hand in hers. One of my fingers refuses to bend and I don''t understand why./

    "What''s thest thing you remember?" the doctor wonders, looking at me.

    "We had a charity game, and I had the ball with me. I was close to scoring a touchdown, but all I know is that I never made it. One moment I was running, the second everything went ck. I take a deep breath and ask the question I''m afraid to know its answer. "Are my injuries bad?"

    I want to ask if I will ever be able to y football again or not, but it''s so hard to form the words for such a heavy question. There''s still so much I want to achieve, and I cannot imagine not being able to y football again.

    You had a strong concussion, so we had to keep you asleep for two days to monitor your brain activity. Luckily, nothing is wrong, but you need to be careful, because if you get another concussion, the consequences will be bad." Just a concussion? Well, that''s good,

    right?

    17:1 Tue, Nov 19 R B

    "Anything else?" I just need to make sure that my future as an American football yer is safe.

    "You tore your ACL." I close

    my eyes upon hearing the words and I feel Rosie giving my hand a light squeeze.

    "You''re going to be okay," Her soothing voice prates all the dark thoughts in my mind. "You''re going to be okay," Her soothing voi

    "You''re going to have surgery in two weeks, then your recovery journey will start," the doctor fills me in.

    "What''s the expected time for recovery?" I ask. I know the answer, but part of me hopes for a different answer.

    U

    "From six to ten months." Am I really going to spend all of this time without ying football? I remember having a sprained ankle once that kept me away from training for a month and during that time, I was close to losing my mind. How am I going to spend ten months without training? "It''s okay. We''re going to spend that time together. We will make the most out of it," Rosie tries to make me feel better. I know this isn''t going to happen.

    "You have your job, Rosie. You''re not going to spend all of your time with me," I quietly say.

    I have never stayed away from a football field all of that time. How am I going to survive? How am I supposed to spend all this time? Should I y video games all the time? Am I going to watch every single movie on every tform? "When can we go home?" Rosie asks the doctor, not letting go of my hand.

    "We''re going to keep him here for two more days to make sure that he''s okay, then he''s free to go home," the doctor says. The moment he leaves, my wife looks at me for a second before bending down and cing a kiss on my forehead. "I''m so d you''re okay. I was hysterical when I saw those yersnding on top of you," she tells me.

    "I''m far from okay, Rosie," I''mutter, looking away from her. I''m not used to her seeing me this vulnerable. She has always seen the strong version of me who is ready to protect her against everything in the world. Right now, I''m just a useless man who won''t be able to walk without limping for the foreseeable future.

    "I know how hard it must be for you, but I want you to know that none of us cares if you never step onto a field again. We''re all d that you''re okay. You are our priority, not you as a football yer," Rosie says, keeping her eyes on me.

    "I care, Rosie!" I snap, causing my poor wife to flinch. "I''m sorry I sigh, putting the hand she''s not holding over my eyes. don''t know what I am without football, Rosie. It''s my whole life. I don''t think I can ever do anything in my life except for being a footballer."

    friend and you can "You''re a great person without football, Ss. You''re a loving husband and an amazing son. You''re a great frie do a lot of things in your life." Again, she tries to make me feel better. I really appreciate her attempts, but all that she''s saying isn''t helping at all.

    think you can leave me alone for a little while?" I know my wife well and I understand that she is hurt by my "Rosie, do you sudden request, but right now, I can''t make her feel better, because I need somebody to help me make me feel better

    "Okay. I''m going to inform our families and friends that you''re awake." She lets go of my hand and offers me a small smile before walking out of the room, leaving me to my own devices and horrible thoughts.

 Chapter 167

    15:49 Thu, Nov 21 G 68%1

    us,

    "Wee home!" I cheerfully say as Ss and I walk together inside our house. We''re not alone. Sabrina and Knox are with

    and they were with me when I went to bring Ss from the hospital today.

    I''m d that Knox is here because Ss needs somebody to help him feel better. Frankly, I need some help too because I don''t really know how to make him feel better. Ever since learning that he won''t be able to y football for a long time, he has been feeling down. I hate that I''m helpless. I wish there was something I could do, but I can''t. I have already informed Mum that I won''t be able to go to the office for the next month and I will work from home because I don''t want to leave Ss alone.

    I have never seen him in such a state, but I want to cheer him up. I want him to know that this isn''t the end of the world. I wish I could read his mind to help him deal with all the atrocious thoughts running through his head. I want him to know that he can lean on me. "Thanks," he mumbles, giving me a smile that I know is fake. I know how his real smile looks like. It''s beautiful and bright and reaches his eyes. This one is dull and barely noticeable.

    "Let''s get you to the living room," Knox tells him as he walks towards him to help him, but Ss stops him.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "I want to get used to these crutches. I''m going to be using them for a long time," he says. The doctors suggested using a wheelchair for the next ten days, but Ss was strongly against the idea and insisted on using the crutches instead.

    Most of our family members are already here. It''s a small gathering for weing Ss home. We''re all d that he''s okay, and wish that he can understand that; however, all he''s focused on is his inability to y football.

    He already knows that our family is here. They suggested to make the whole gathering a surprise for him, but I was against that. I know that he is not in the best state and any surprise may result in a negative effect. "We made your favorite dishes," I say, looking at him.

    "Thank you." He ces a soft kiss on my cheek before taking a seat on the couch.

    "Are you feeling better?" Naomi asks him.

    "Yeah." I''m not used to this version of Ss. He gives short replies, avoids eye contact and doesn''t smile. This isn''t the Ss I''m used to. I want the smiley one who is chatty and sociable.

    I will do everything in my power to get that version back. I love seeing his beautiful smile and I will do my best to see it again.

    Lily, Aniyah, Holden and I head to the kitchen to bring the food to the table. Since it''s a lunch gathering, we opted for making various types of sds and sandwiches. Honestly, I haven''t made anything. I just bought the ingredients yesterday and left everything for Mum, Naomi, Aniyah, Holden and Lily to make food that Ss likes. Kendall brought dessert and Knox and Sabrina decided to apany me.

    We all nned to work together to help him get over what happened. We are aware that it''s going to be a hard task, but Ss deserves the effort. He has always been there for us one way or another and it''s time to take care of him.

    "Is he still in a bad mood?" Lily asks me and I nod.

    "It''s only a matter of time. He won''t stay like that forever." Aniyah offers me a gentle smile.

    I can''t get over the fact that my siblings and Aniyah are teens. I still can''t seem to forget how little they were one day and how Ss and I used to y with them.

    "I hate seeing him like that. And I don''t mean injured. I mean the way he''s feeling. This isn''t my Ss." Vinhale, arching my

    @68%

    neck back. I look down at the mini sandwiches on the te for a moment. "Let''s just go," I murmur as I carry the te to the dining room.

    The four of us set the door on the dining table and make sure that everything looks good before calling everyone to eat.

    "Do you want me to make you a te?" I smile at Ss. He is forcing himself to stand on the crutches. I know how he looks when he''s in pain and I understand that he doesn''t want to feel disabled, but I don''t want him to torture himself. "Sure," he tells me. I''m used to Ss maintaining eye contact with me, so to have him talking to me without looking at me feels wrong.

    I start making tes for the two of us and make sure to put everything he likes on his te.

    "Why don''t we sit? I need to sit down. My feet are killing me," I lie. My feet are fine, but I want him to sit down. Maybe if I sit down this will encourage him to sit too.

    and the two of us head to the He stares at me for a second and I wonder if he catches my lie. I sigh in relief when he agrees couch. I feel like there''s a wall between us and I''m willing to do anything to bring it down. I want him to talk to me. I want him to tell me what he''s thinking about.

    My thoughts get interrupted when I feel Ss''s head on my shoulder. This is his first time to initiate any move ever since he woke up. I still can''t get over the fact that he asked me to leave him alone after hearing that he had to stay away from the field for ten months. I look at him and reach for his free hand, hoping that he''d say anything.

    "Is it too bad that I want them to leave?" he whispers.

    "No." I smile at him. "Do you want me to sneak you to our bedroom?" I smirk, trying to lighten up the mood.

    "Please," he murmurs, hiding his face in the crook of my neck.

    "In five minutes, I''m going to say that your meds are starting to kick in and you want to get some sleep, yeah?" I set a n. If he wants to be alone, I will give him that. I will do anything to make him feel at ease.

    "You''re a life-saver. I love you," he whispers before kissing my cheek.

    "I love you more." Maybe, just maybe, he''s not nning on pushing me away too. Maybe I''m the one he''s going to open up

    1. to.

    0

 Chapter 168

    No matter what I do, nothing seems to be working. The grumpy mood Ss has been in doesn''t go away. He had his knee surgery two weeks ago and ever since then, he has barely talked or interacted with anyone.

    He shuts me out, but this doesn''t apply to me only. He has shut everybody out and none of us knows what we can do to help him out. I suggested therapy, but he didn''t like the idea, iming that he knew what would make him get better. Football would make him get better, but the thing is, should his entire life revolve around football?

    There are a lot of things in life we should be grateful to have and if we lose one of them, we shouldn''t let that destroy us. He didn''t even lose football. He is just on a temporary leave until he gets better, but he doesn''t seem to be able to wrap his head around that fact. Currently, he''s sitting in front of the TV, ying video games in the living room. This has be his new usual. He doesn''t do anything else. He doesn''t even want to spend time with me. Whenever I suggest watching a movie together, he either refuses or acts like he''s watching the movie with me, but in reality, he stays on his phone. He doesn''t even cuddle with me while we sit in front of the tv like we used to do.

    It''s like he''s punishing me for what happened to him even though I haven''t done anything wrong to upset him. The ident wasn''t my fault in any way, so I don''t understand why he''s treating me like that.

    I understand how hard it is to get used to a new reality after an ident. I have been there myself and I know I was unbearable. I pushed everyone away and acted like it was the end of the world. That''s why part of me understands what he''s going through. I know he cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, but at some point I''m sure he will see it once again.

    have prepared a small surprise for him and to be honest, I don''t know which reaction I should expect from him. I pray that he won''t get angry because my main goal is to make him feel better. I''m not sure if he may consider what I have nned as overstepping or not, but I''m hoping for the best.

    I called Mateo and asked him to gather all of his teammates. I invited all of them over to spend the day with Ss and I sincerely hope that this could lift his spirits in any way. I''m not sure if he has noticed or not, but I have been cooking for the past two hours. I don''t know if Ss has already noticed what I have been doing in the kitchen, but I hope that he is lost in his own world, because I want all of this to be a surprise.

    They''re supposed to be here in an hour and I have already prepared various tes for lunch for them. If they stay for dinner, I''m going to order pizza or anything they''d like.

    I''m already way behind regarding work. There are many designs I''m supposed to submit soon, but the thing is, I''m drained. However, I try not to show that to anyone, especially Ss. I don''t want him to think that he has turned into a burden because he could never be a burden to me.

    He

    Whenever exhaustion takes over me, I tend to remind myself that Ss didn''t give up on me when I lost my memory. was the best boyfriend any girl could wish for. He stayed by my side and refused to give up on me when I gave him every reason to do so. The way he

    I owe it to him. I owe a lot of my happy moments to him. I will forever be thankful for what he has done for me. stayed by my side and fought for me taught me what true love is, and I know the love I have for him is real and strong. It''s so strong that I''m willing to move mountains for him.

    I won''t lie, though. This all has a negative impact on my creativity. I cannot find the will in me to design, because Ss is my main focus. But I know that I can''t postpone the fashion show, so I need to get my shit together and start working as soon as possible. I pour a ss of strawberry juice, knowing that Ss likes it and take it to him.

    "Hey, do you want some juice?" I ask, taking a seat beside him. He takes the ss from me without looking at me while muttering a quiet ''thanks.

    A pang hits my chest, and I take a deep breath before saying, "Have I done anything to you, Ss? Are you mad at me?" If I

    1639 Fit. Nov2 LT-

    Chamer 108

    made a mistake, I would want to know to apologize or fix what I had doneN?velDrama.Org content rights.

    No you haven''t, he says. Again, he doesn''t look at me.

    "Look at me, Ss!" I huff. Apparently, this is enough to get him to finally acknowledge me. "You have been treating me territsly. It''s like you''re ming me for your injury

    "I don''t me you for the injury, but I hate being like this! I hate that you have to see me like this!" he snaps, and I frown. What does he mean by ''see him like this? What''s wrong with hid?

    "What do you mean? What''s so wrong about seeing you injured? I''m your wife. I should be by your side during your dark times and great times." I try to reason with him.

    "You should be by my side during my dark times because you''re my wife, but the question is, do you want that?" The crease between my eyebrows deepens at his question.

    "Why won''t I want that?" I calmly ask. I want him to open up to me. I''m not used to Ss pushing me away.

    "Because I have never been weak, Rosie! I have never been dependent before!" His voice cracks and my heart clenches in my chest at his tone. "I have never been like that, Rosie. Especially not in front of you." He looks down in shame. I''m shocked that this is the way he thinks. Why would he even feel like that? Why would he think that being injured is something to be ashamed of

    "Ss," / start, reaching for his hand as I look into his

    "we''re all humans. We break down and get up. We get inured and recover. This is life. What happened to you is because you''re simply a human. Seeing you hurt doesn''t make me think any

    hurt." less of you, but it pains me to see you

    "I may be stay crippled for almost a year, Rosie. Are you going to handle than?" His eyes brim with tears and a tear rolls down his cheek. Gently, I wipe it away.

    "So what? Do you think that I only love you because you''re all handsome and strong? Do you think my love for you is that superficial?"

    He reaches for my other hand and gently wraps his hand around mine. I miss his touch so much.

    "When I look at myself, all that I can think about is how I won''t be able to protect you if something happens. I won''t be able

    mind." He adventures. I''m not used to this, Rosie. I''m going out of to y football for an entire year. I won''t go on new opens his heart for me.

    my

    "Maybe it''s a sign for you to slow down, baby. Think about you. You''ve been exhausting yourself for years. Perhaps we can take this time to rest. I promise, after the fashion show, we can go on a vacation. How does that sound?" I want him to find any positivity in what happened.

    TALE

    I''m not sure if he is convinced by what I said or not, but he pulls me into his embrace and I sigh in content when he does that. I miss being held by him so much. I''m not used to Ss keeping his distance and I have been going out of my mind.

    He gently ces a kiss on my temple and I close my eyes for a couple of seconds, letting this beautiful feeling of being embraced by him consume me.

    "I will always love you, Ss. No matter what, you''ll always be the best man any woman could ask for." I''m not sure if he needs to hear that or not, but I need him to understand that my love for him is unconditional and never-ending.

    For a while, he doesn''t say anything, but his hold on me doesn''t weaken for even a second. I don''t know what I should do more than what I''m already doing to make him see this whole ordeal in a different way. I just hope that whenever he feels weighed down by all the negativity he has been drowning in, he chooses to talk to me instead of bottling everything in.

    Only when the doorbell rings do we pull away. A frown appears between his eyebrows, depicting his confusion. "Are you waiting for someone?" he asks me and I shake my head.

    PAT, NOV Chapter 188

    "This a little surprise 1 really hope you like." 1 reply, standing He reaches for the crutches and follows me towards the door "Maybe it''s better if you open it 1 smile at him. He still looks confused; however, he does as he is told. Surprise takes over his face when he opens the door and finds his teammates before him, cheerfully greeting him. For a moment, I think that I messed up, but then be lets out a stile. A real one. This adorable smile that I''m in love with is enough to tell me that I made the right decision.

 Chapter 169

    "I can''t do it," I hiss. I never thought physical therapy could be this painful. It''s already been seventeen days since I had the surgery and today is the first day in my rehabilitation journey.

    I thought nothing could beat the coach''s rigorous practice, but apparently, this is a new level of pain I never want to get used to. For the past few days, I have been icing my knee and working on regaining the slightest bit of movement. Now, I need to work on gaining more movement, which is a step I never thought would put me through that excruciating pain. "Just five more minutes," my physiotherapist pushes me, but I shake my head. Not even five more seconds. I don''t have that kind of strength in me. I just want to throw my body on the bed and sleep that pain away. "Are you sure you can''t do more than that?"

    "I want to leave," I mutter, looking away, already hating every moment of this. I have never felt this weak, but I also have never been put through that kind of pain. Not once in my life have I felt this vulnerable.

    Three days ago, I vented to Rosie about all that I had been feeling. I''m thankful for her presence in my life. I admit that I have been treating her poorly, which is something I''m not proud of. I have taken out all of my anger on her when she

    of doesn''t even deserve an ounce

    my anger.

    I guess I had taken all of my anger out on her because she was the closest person to me. Or maybe it''s because all I wanted was to push her away. Part of me wanted her to leave because I didn''t want her to see me in that state. I hate that she gets to see me like this. I have never been this weak in front of her. I''m used to being her protector and rock. How am I supposed to provide her with protection when I''m like this?

    My mind likes to y tricks on me. A few days ago, I had a nightmare about her. In my nightmare, Everest was holding her against her will, preventing her from moving or running away from her. I was in that nightmare too, but I was unable to move because of my injured knee. I couldn''t protect her from him.

    I was thankful that I didn''t wake her up in the middle of the night when I woke up from that nightmare. When I woke up, I

    wife. looked at her sleeping figure beside me in bed and thanked God that she was my

    Rosie is everything any man would want. She is supportive and know that in my darkest moments, I can lean on her. I know I can pour out my heart to her and she would never judge me. Her efforts with me aren''t going unnoticed and I don''t know how I can ever repay her for all that she''s doing for me.

    I can tell that she is starting to get tired, and I don''t know how to get her to take a break. Between taking care of me and working on her new collection, she doesn''t have a moment for herself. I see the way she looks when she gets in bed to sleep every night. It''s like she cannot wait to close her eyes to forget about her exhaustion.

    Mateo told me that she was the one who organized the gathering at our ce. Having the guys at the house put me in a better mood. We spent the whole day together, ying video games and even board games while drinking beer. Rosie made lunch for us, and I honestly don''t know how she managed to keep the entire football team satisfied. They were all enjoying themselves and some of them expressed their liking for her food, telling me I was lucky to have a woman who knew how to make such delicious food.

    "All right. I will see you in three days," my physiotherapist tells me, and I put the brace around my knee again before reaching for my crutches. I''m supposed to ditch them in two weeks and start using a cane instead.

    When I walk out of the room, I find Rosie waiting for me in the waiting room. A bright smile takes over her face upon seeing me as she stands up. "Hello there! I got you your favoritette!" She grins, raising the cup she''s holding to show it to me. "Hey gorgeous," I say before pecking her pink lips. We make our way to the car and get in, then she hands me my cup. "How was the session?" she wonders as she starts the car.

    "Can''t exactly say that it''s a sess," I admit, taking a sip from my

    drink.

    "What happened?" she asks.

    Chapter 169-

    "Nothing much, but as you can tell, I finished ten minutes early couldn''t handle the pain," I fill her in.

    "Which is totally normal. Didn''t the physiotherapist expect that? We''ve got nothing to worry about or feel down because of," She reminds me. I love how she''s always there to lift me up when I''m feeling down. She doesn''t even miss a beat to remind me of the conversation we had with the physiotherapist one week before I started.

    "I bet you''re jealous of me now because I''m the passenger prince now, right?" I joke, changing the subject, which makes herugh.

    "I miss being in control of the music." She pouts and I kiss her cheek.

    "I promise I will do my best in physiotherapy to give you your ce back as soon as possible," I tell her. "Do you think we can watch a movie together tonight?" I find myself asking her. "Maybe we can get popcorn, cotton candy or whatever you like and watch one of those ros you like." I want to do something I know she will enjoy, and I know that she adores ros. She deserves a break, so if watching a movie she loves with her is the only kind of break I can give her, I''m willing to watch ten movies with her, not just one. To be honest, I enjoy these movies too, but I will never tell her that out loud.

    "I would love that." The excitement I can sense in her voice brings joy to my heart.

    "And maybe you should call Kendall or Scarlett and go out," I add, hoping she wouldn''t catch on what I''m trying to do. I badly want her to have some time for herself. "You have been holed up at home for quite a while."

    "I''m working and spending time with you. I''m enjoying my time at home," she says, but I shake my head.

    "No, Rosie, you haven''t been spending time with me. You''ve been taking care of me, cupcake. You need a break," Nell her truthfully. I''m worried about her.

    "I''m not tired of taking care of you, Ss. And it''s not like I do a lot for you." Her tone is soft and loving.

    "Reminding me of my medicines, helping me cover up the wound when I shower, and bringing me food and drinks all day long while I do nothing. Let''s not forget the day you organized with the team. Are you sure you''re not doing a lot while working on a new collection?" Her cheeks redden when I remind her of all that she has been doing for me.

    "Please, cupcake, take a day off. You need it. Do it for me," I say, reaching for her hand. She stays silent for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and giving me a gentle nod

    At least I managed to convince her to do something for herself

    J

    [[00 p 80Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 170

    3

    "Is there anything missing?" I ask Ss as I double-check that he has everything he needs in his suitcase. We have packed his clothes, underwears, meds and toiletries. I don''t think we''re missing anything.

    "I think so," he replies as he fixes his hair. "Thank you, cupcake." He ces a soft kiss on my cheek, making me smile.

    He ditched the crutches a while ago and currently, he''s using a cane. At first, he was pretty insecure about walking with it, but I''m d that he is getting used to it now. One day, we were both going to an event together and he seemed pretty down since it was his first time attending a public event after the ident. He didn''t like how people were going to see him walking with a cane. To boost his self-esteem, I told him he looked like those sexy mafia bosses from my dark romance novels because, in many of the novels I read, the MMCS used canes. Since he''s aware of how much I love dark romance, he liked thepliment.

    "Enjoy your time to the fullest," I say, wrapping both of my arms around his torso. His team has an away game in Kansas City and Mateo suggested that he should join them. He doesn''t need to be able to y if he wants to join them and the coach has always invited him to join the team during their training if he has time. This is his first time to ept the offer and honestly, I''m d that he has epted it.

    Ss has been spending a lot of time at home, stuck in a routine and I want him to do something new. I want him to have fun, so this is a good opportunity for him to do that.

    "When do you think we can go on our own vacation?" he asks, cing one hand on the small of my back.

    "The show is in July. Maybe we can go on a long vacation in August," I tell him. It''s only March and I know how far August is, but I need to get the designs done. A lot is expected from me in this collection and I don''t want to let people down. Most of all, I don''t want to let Mum down.

    "That''s far, baby girl. Can''t I steal you away for three or four days?" The way he pouts is adorable. It makes me want to ditch every task I have and go on a long vacation with him. I stand on my tippy toes and peck his lips.

    "If it''s for three or four days, we can do that," I tell him. I will just need him to tell me beforehand when he wants to go exactly to free my schedule.

    Mateo picks Ss up on his way to the airport, leaving me all alone in the house. To be honest, I need this, because I know that I will end up finishing a lot of things while Ss is away. It''s not like I''m taking care of a baby while he''s here, but I always find myself putting him first when he''s around. I think about what he wants and needs before I think about anything else.

    I go to my office and get out the sketches of thetest designs I have been working on. I have three designs that I have started during the past few days, but I haven''t finished them yet. It takes me two hours to finally be content with one of the designs. I smile to myself as I look at the sparkling white and blue dress I have designed. I like it, but it''s not my favorite in the collection. In fact, I haven''t designed my favorite yet.

    Around eight at night, Ss messages me, telling me that he hasnded in Kansas. I know that he''s going to enjoy his time there. He likes spending time with his teammates. I just hope that seeing them y while he''s still unable to y won''t trigger any negative thoughts.

    His text makes me realize that I haven''t eaten anything after he left and my growling stomach confirms how hungry I am. When I''m working, I usually forget to eat, but I can''t even hold a pencil anymore. My hand is aching and I need a break.

    While I''m making myself a sandwich, my phone rings and I see Gabbie''s name on the screen.

    "Hi Gabs," I say, putting her on speaker.

    "H-Hi, she stammers and I immediately know that she''s not okay. I know that things haven''t been the best with her boyfriendtely. During ourst conversation, she told me that she wanted to give him one more chance, but the way she sounds tells me that her attempts to reconcile with him have failed.

    III

    <

    "What''s going on? Do I need toe over?" I quickly say.

    "Actually, do you think I coulde over?" She sounds hesitantAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Of course, you cane over, Gabbie. I''m waiting for you," I tell her.

    5

    "Thank you." After she hangs up, I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the long night. I know that any break I nned on giving myself for the rest of the night isn''t going to happen.

    But I can''t turn my back on Gabbie. Not when she has chosen to call me instead of anybody else. Although it is now past eight, I end up making myself some espresso to keep myself away for a while. However, I''m not sure if coffee is strong enough to provide me with the energy I need or not.

    It doesn''t take her a lot of time to show up at my doorsteps and this makes me wonder if she called me while she was near my ce. She doesn''t like that near me to arrive this fast.

    "Hey girl," I murmur as I hug her upon seeing her tear-stained cheeks. "It''s going to be okay."

    "We''re over," she whispers and I inhale, knowing how hard this is for her. They were together for long, but because of the changes in his points of view, they could no longer stay together. I know that Gabbie must have tried her best to understand why the sudden change of heart.

    I take her to the living room and give her a ss of water before taking a seat beside her.

    "Did you guys break up today?" I ask her.

    She nods and says, "Around a month or so ago, I told him we both could take time to think about what the other wanted and today he came and told me that he had been thinking and came to the conclusion that marriage and kids could never be the things he wanted to settle for."

    "I''m so sorry about that, Gabbie, but maybe it''s for the best," I tell her, handing her a tissue to wipe away her tears.

    "How could it be for the best?" she sniffs.

    Think about it. If you stayed with him for longer, you''d have wasted more years waiting for someone we both know quite well that he would never be able to give you. Yes, you''re going to be heartbroken and sad. You''re going to cry and think about all the memories you both made together, but I''m sure that realization will hit you one day and you''ll realize that him breaking up for you has always been for the best," I tell her.

    "What if this realization you''re talking about neveres?" She heavily sighs.

    "I''m sure it wille, because you''re not stupid, Gabbie. You''re smart enough to know what''s good and what''s bad for you," I assure her.

    Honestly, I''m not even sure of what I''m saying, but she needs to be given hope, so this is what I''m doing. She needs somebody to assure her that breaking up with the man she dated for the past three years isn''t the end of the world.

    "I''m so sorry, I must have messed up your ns bying here" She looks at me apologetically

    "My ns included a turkey sandwich for dinner while watching a couple of episodes from my favorite TV show. Ss isn''t here, so we''ve got the house for ourselves. Would you like to join me for those ns?" I grin, trying to lighten up the mood. "That sounds great." She smiles at me through her tea

    I guess girls night can help out a bit.

 Chapter 171

    My heart sinks when I see my husband walking inside our home all drunk and barely able to stay on his feet. This isn''t the first time for him to do that this month.

    Ever since that trip to Kansas, something has changed in him and I don''t know what to do. He has been drinking a lot and going to bars more than usual. This has never been him before.

    I haven''t said anything, because I don''t want to be obnoxious, but I don''t like this version of him. I need to talk to him, but I won''t do that tonight. It''s still his birthday after all. He told me that the guys nned on taking him out to celebrate it with him. Although I was disappointed because I was used to celebrating that day with him, I urged him to go because he seemed pretty excited to party with them.

    "Hello, birthday boy," I wee him with a smile as I make my way towards him, knowing he won''t be able to make it to our bedroom on his own.

    "My beautiful baby," he loudly cheers, throwing his arms around me. "I had a st with the guys! We drank and yed darts and... what else? What else did we do?" he slurs.

    "I wouldn''t know, Ss. I wasn''t there," I say, pushing his hair away from his forehead. He needs a haircut. I will tell him

    tomorrow.

    "Why weren''t you there, cupcake? You''d have had fun." He pouts as he attempts to look at me while trying to keep his eyes

    open.

    "It was a guys'' night out, Ss, remember?" I remind him and apparently, my words seem to register since he nods. "Come on, let''s get you upstairs." I wrap his arm around my shoulders as I take him upstairs.

    When we reach our bedroom, I help him sit down on the bed and he winces due to his injury. "Sorry, baby." I smile at him apologetically. "Arms up." He does as he''s told and I help him take off his t-shirt. Hezily rests his head against my stomach and I y with his hair, knowing he enjoys it when I do that.

    "Cuddle with me," he murmurs, looking up at me. I have to admit, drunk Ss is adorable, but I don''t want him to find sce in alcohol. I don''t want him to enjoy being detached from the world.

    "Okay. Get in bed," I gently say, helping him get under the covers. I wrap a hair tie around my hair and get under the covers beside him. Instantly, he closes the space between us and it doesn''t take him long to fall asleep.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    I don''t fall asleep fast like him though. I stay away for a while, thinking about a lot of things. I''m going to talk to him. tomorrow about his new habits. A lot of people may think that I''m exaggerating, but I know my husband well. This is not him. He has never been the kind of person who finds fun in getting wasted, so when he ends up getting wasted three times in one month, I cannot just ignore that.

    up at nine

    It doesn''t take me by surprise when I wake up the next day and find Ss still asleep. Of course, he wouldn''t be when he came home drunkte. I slowly get out of bed, making sure not to wake him up. I ce a ss of water and two- pills beside him on the nightstand, knowing he''s going to need them once he wakes up.

    I need to go to the office today, so I leave him a note beside the ss of water, then start getting dressed. I make my way downstairs and grab an apple on my way out. I''m not in the mood to make myself anything. Not even a cup of coffee. I''m just going to buy one on my way to work.

    "Hi Mum," I say as I walk inside her office. She doesn''te to the office every day either, but we both agreed toe today to finalize a few things.

    "Hello, sweetheart." She gives me a hug and I smile, feeling the need to be held by her. "Is everything okay? You look exhausted," she wonders as she pulls away. I haven''t said anything and when I walked inside, I made sure to have a smile on my face. Do mothers have internal radars?

    "Nothing is wrong, but I''m a bit exhausted," I tell her half the truth. I don''t want to tell her about Ss and his new habits. I''m

    trying to keep my life with him private as much as I can.

    "Maybe you need a couple of days off. The world won''te to an end if you take a break, Rosie," she says as we both sit down.

    45

    "I''m not done with the designs yet. I still have two dresses to make." I sigh, looking down. I have never been a procrastinator and although I still have three months until the show, I feel like I''m way behind and running out of time. "I will take a break after the show." "Rosie, there will always be something going on in your life. You''ll always be busy one way or another, but you need to understand that your health should be your priority. How are you going to keep working if you suddenly fall sick?" I know that what she''s saying is right, but it''s just hard to implement what she''s telling me. "Take tomorrow off at least. Can you do that?"

    It''s just one day. Would I be able to do that? Would I be able to stop my mind from overthinking about everything that has been going ontely? I hope I can.

    "Maybe I can do that." I nod, not sure if I would be able to do this or not, but even if I don''t, this is just a little white lie.

    "Why don''t youe over for dinner next Saturday? Ss and you haven''t visited in a while," she tells me. That sounds like a really good idea. I miss spending time with my family. I think I haven''t been to their ce in almost three weeks, which seems pretty long for me. "Okay, but you gotta cook my favorite meal!" I grin, making herugh a little as she nods.

    "You got it."

    I spend around four hours with Mum at the office as she goes over the designs of my fashion show and the collective fashion show that is bound to take ce next month. Luckily. I''m already done with the two dresses I was supposed to make for that fashion show. This is going to be myst year to participate in it. Starting from next year, I''m going to focus on my fashion show only, in addition to supervising the newbies in the fashion house.

    I''m d that Mum started to teach me everything when I was only fourteen, because that provided me with great experience. Many people may think that my experience doesn''t exceed two years, but they''re so wrong.

    On my way home, I decide to get Ss and me some Mexican food. He hasn''t called or texted me all day, but maybe he assumed that I would be busy and wanted to give me time.

    However, when I walk inside our home, I learn why he hasn''t called or texted. It''s not because he has been busy with video games or because he has a friend or two over. It''s because he''s drunk.

    I no longer recognize the man sitting before me in front of the couch, aimlessly watching TV. This is not the man I fell in love with.

    "Ss, we need to talk," I blurt, knowing that this conversation cannot be dyed any longer.

    0

 Chapter 172

    "Ss, we need to talk." I look up from my phone and find Rosie in front of me. When did she get back from work?

    45%

    "About what?" Izily ask. I''m not in the mood to talk at all. I don''t feel like talking about anything. I told myself I was going to drink one can of beer, but I don''t know what made me drink three instead.

    "Your state." Her answer is short and her tone is stern. It''s rare for Rosie to act like that, so she must be pretty pissed off.

    "What''s wrong with my state?" I ask, attempting to sit up.

    "Are you really asking?" She scoffs and I roll my eyes. I don''t have the energy to fight with her.

    "Yes, Rosie. And I think it would be better if you say whatever you want to say and get it over with," I mutter and I think her eyes go wide for a moment. Is it because I don''t usually talk to her in that way? Maybe she should get used to the new version of me.

    "You came home drunkst night, which made it the third time you came home drunk in one month. Apparently, that wasn''t enough for you because here you are, drunk before it''s even seven. What the hell are you trying to do to yourself?" She snaps and I inhale. Goodie good Rosie will never understand what I''m going through. She doesn''t understand how hard being unable to do the thing you love the most is and it''s all because of a charity game. I was trying to do something good for sick kids and that''s how I got repaid. I thought karma was fair. Why hasn''t it been fair to me? What have I done to deserve that?

    "I''m trying to adapt," I mutter, looking away from her. I don''t want to meet her gaze. I cannot handle the look of disappointment I know I will see if I look into her eyes.

    "Adapt to what exactly?" My wife sounds genuinely confused.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "To my new reality, Rosie!" I raise my voice at her, which is something I''m not really proud of.

    "Stop with the goddamn self-pity! This is not your new reality! This is temporary! Why can''t you understand that?" Rosie raising her voice? Now this is a first, I guess I have just brought out the worst in her.

    "Says the girl who pushed everyone away and chose a douche over the man who was willing to do anything for her when she lost her memory." The moment I utter these words I regret them. I have stooped too low. I take a look at her face and I be sure that I have made a deep wound. "Rosie, I didn''t mean that." I try to stand up but fail. I don''t know if this is because of my knee or how drunk I am. Nevertheless, the result is still the same.

    "At least your recovery is certain, Ss. Mine never was," she quietly says before leaving me in the living room.

    I call her name more than once, but she doesn''t stop or turn around. I try to get up again and it takes me time to finally stand up.

    My movement is already slow because of the surgery and although the cane helps, it doesn''t bring me back the movement I have permanently lost. Being drunk is also slowing me down, but I need to make it to our bedroom. I need to apologize to her. When I make it to the door of our bedroom, I try to get inside, desiring nothing but to fix what I have done; however, the door is locked.

    "Rosie, open the door, please," I plead. How could I do this to her? Why did I have to throw something from more than five years ago at her like that? What was I thinking? "Rosie, I''m so sorry, cupcake. Open the door and let us talk."

    No matter how many times I beg her to open it, she doesn''t answer. All that I can hear from behind the door is her muffled cries.

    I slide against the door and listen to my wife''s cries. I groan loudly, feeling the urge to break something.

    45%

    What have I done? What was I thinking? Why am I treating her like a punching back? This is the girl that I love, for the love of God! This is the girl I spent years loving in silence. She is the one who has my heart. Why am I doing this to her? What I have just done is enough to sober me up, but I need to drown myself in liquor. I need to put an end to that pain.

    But when Rosie gets out of the room- because she''ll eventually get out- I don''t want her to see me drunk. I don''t want to disappoint her more. I don''t want to see her looking at me with disappointment. I can''t take letting her down. She doesn''t deserve that from me. What am I supposed to do?

    How do I fix this mess?

    Last time, I took her on a date, but I have a strong feeling that a date won''t be sufficient. I need to do something thoughtful. Should I stop drinking for her sake? No, I can''t stop drinking. I don''t want to be connected to reality in any way. Yes, time is passing by, but it is very slow and I cannot take the state I''m in anymore. Time bes so slow when you want it to pass. I don''t think I have the needed strength to just be patient and wait for this period of my life to be over. The season is going strong and the team is making great progress. I should be with them, but I can''t. I can''t even climb a flight of stairs without feeling the need to take a break halfway. I have turned into a pathetic creature that I don''t know. I don''t know how long I have been sitting beside our bedroom door, but when I hear it open, my body quickly jerks and I wince at the sudden movement of my knee.

    "R-Rosie," I manage to stand up, but I don''t do it fast. My wife, being thepassionate person she is, patiently waits for me, probably because I''m not capable of chasing her. "Rosie, I was drunk. I was bbering. I didn''t mean anything I said." I try reaching for her hand, but she takes a step back.

    "I don''t want to talk to you, Ss," she quietly says, but even in her quiet tone, I can sense how stern she is. I can tell how much she truly means those words.

    "When do you think you can talk to me?" I pathetically ask. This is the consequence of my actions. I should be strong enough to bear them, but I can''t. Not when ites to staying away from Rosie. Not when ites to realizing I have caused her a lot of pain. "I don''t know and I won''t be sleeping in our bedroom either," she coldly says.

    "No, you stay in our room. I will sleep in the guest room," I mutter. I don''t know what to expect from this. I know that if I keep drinking like that, I will put our marriage at risk, and this is thest thing I want.

    But if she needs time, then I''m going to give her that. I''m going to give her enough time to cool down. Maybe she can overlook what I said and attribute it to the stress I have been feeling.

    I watch my wife go downstairs and I take a deep breath before walking inside our bedroom to collect my stuff, not wanting to bother her for as long as she needs.

    Maybe what happened today is a sign I should pay attention to.

    Maybe I need to be smarter.

    0

 Chapter 173

    "Rosie, wake up, please." I hear Ss''s voice and feel him shaking ine gently. I open my eyes, wondering if I have slept in, but everything seems so dark to be morning.

    "What''s going on?" I sleepily ask as I lean against my forearm.

    "Do you think you can take me to the hospital?" I frown at his question. Why does he want to go to the hospital in the middle of the night?

    He turns on themp on my nightstand and motions to his knee, I gasp the moment Iy my eyes on it. It is very swollen and red.

    "Okay, give me ten minutes. I will wash my face and get dressed I quickly get out of bed. "Do you need me to help you out?" I ask, looking at him.

    "Do you think you can bring me a pair of shorts?" he requests and I immediately nod. I head to the dressing room and grab him a pair of ck shorts. I also bring myself a T-shirt and some sweatpants.

    I help him put on the shorts, then he sits down I help him with putting his sneakers on. "I''m so sorry for waking you up the middle of the night." He truly sounds sorry and I hate that he thinks he needs to apologize for asking for help when he is in great need of it. "I thought about calling Tristan."

    "That wouldn''t have been wise. I''m your wife, Ss. You should turn to me," I say, staring into his brown eyes for a moment. He should know that even if we''re not on the greatest terms, I will always have his back whenever he needs me.

    It''s been two days since our fight and other than sharing ''good morning'' or ''good evening, we said nothing to one another. I''m d that he''s respecting my wishes; however, I don''t know what I should expect in the end.

    It takes me less than ten minutes to get ready. Helping Ss down the stairs isn''t easy, He cannot bend his knee at all. I''m worried that this may be a side effect of the surgery. He was fine and as far as I know, he has been attending his physiotherapy session, so seeing his knee triple its normal size almost eight weeks after the surgery is scary.

    I move the passenger seat backwards to give Ss enough space to sitfortably. It takes us twenty minutes to get to the nearest hospital and another thirty minutes for a doctor to see him.

    Luckily, the doctor tells us that it''s something normal to happen after an ACL surgery and there''s nothing to worry about. However, Ss needs to stop physiotherapy for the next ten days, so his knee can recover. And of course, icing it is very important.

    Apparently, he cannot sleep upstairs because taking the flight of stairs daily won''t help with the swelling. Ss needs to limit his movement for the next ten days to be able to attend physiotherapy regrly afterwards.

    While the doctor is delivering the news to him, I keep my eyes on Ss. He may seemposed from the outside, but I know that he wants to scream at the top of his lungs. He is already not doing well, so the mere idea of more limitations is certainly going to drive him crazy.

    When I offer him my hand as the doctor is talking, he immediately takes it. At this moment, I know how vulnerable my husband must be feeling and I''m aware that he hates it so much. He doesn''t take the idea of being vulnerable well at all.

    "Ready to go home?" I quietly ask after the doctor clears him to go.

    "Yes," he murmurs and attempts to stand up on his own. Part of me wants him to do it, because I know how he is going to view any sort of help provided to him; however, another part can''t see him struggling or in pain.

    "Should I get you a wheelchair to take us to the car?" I cautiously ask, not sure how he may take this.

    "I don''t care," he mutters in defeat. This is a tone I''m not used to when ites to Ss.

    00000 45%

    A nursees with a wheelchair and he wheels Ss to our car. The car ride home is silent and I''m not sure if there''s something I''m supposed to say. I hate the state he is in. I may be upset with him, but that doesn''t mean that I enjoy seeing how hurt he is. When we reach home, I help him get to the couch, but before he sits down, I turn it into a bed, so he can befortable.

    "Ss, is there anything you want to say?" I ask softly after he lies down.

    He stays silent for a couple of seconds, not looking at me. Eventually, his eyes meet mine and I swear, the look I see in them breaks my heart into a million pieces. "I''m sorry," he whispers and closes his eyes. "I''m so sorry for holding you back and exhausting you. I''m so sorry for turning into a burden. I''m incredibly sorry for hurting you. I''m so sorry for a lot of things, Rosie." Thest few words almost get caught in his throat. The change in his tone is killing me.

    What am I supposed to tell him? Do I tell him that he is forgiven? Am I supposed to forgive him just because he is hurt? I know that he is sorry, but I''m hurt too. I can''t believe what he has said to me. He threw at my face something I''m not proud of. I hate what I did during that period of time. I hate not choosing him and pushing him away. He spent a lot of time assuring me that all was forgiven and he didn''t hold that against me, but then he said what he said and now I''m rethinking everything.

    "Please, don''t hate me," he murmurs as he pulls himself up. "Listen, I will cut down on drinking. I will do anything you want to make it up to you. Just please, forgive me. It feels like I''m losing everything and while losing football is hard, losing you is way harder and more painful." When he reaches for my hand, I don''t pull it away.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    I give in and bend down to hug him. He doesn''t waste time to hold me with all the strength he has in his body. I tighten my hold on him too, because it is obvious that he needs to be hugged.

    My heart clenches in my chest when Ss sniffs and I turn my head to kiss his cheek. He doesn''t cry a lot, but when he does, he makes me want to swim oceans to stop his tears.

    "Please, don''t cry," I whisper, gently pulling myself away to wipe his tears with my fingers. "I promise you won''t lose anything. This is just temporary, Ss."

    "It may not be temporary. I read a lot of articles about ACL injuries and ording to them, the knee may not get back to its original strengths. A lot of athletes retired aftering back from an ACL injury. They stayed for one season after recovering, then they retired. I don''t want this to happen to me, Rosie. I''m not even thirty yet. I don''t want to retire this early." I''m thankful that he''s speaking to me about his fears.

    "But ording to your doctors, you''re expected to make a full recovery, so maybe we need to focus on that for now. Don''t expect the worst, baby. You''re still young and you have a healthy body. You should keep that in mind," I say as I run my fingers through his hair. He looks down and chooses not to say anything. "Tell you what? Let''s just forget about everything for the night and get some sleep, yeah? I will go get us some nket or duvet." I get up from my ce, but he stops me by holding my hand.

    "Are you going to sleep beside me?" His tone is hopeful.

    "I am." I smile at him before going upstairs to fetch a nket for us.

    When Ie back downstairs I find Ss waiting for me. Since his left knee is the injured one, I sleep on the outside of the couch. The moment my head touches the pillow, Ss carefully pulls me towards him.

    "I don''t want to hurt you." I look at him, but he shakes his head.

    "You won''t." He kisses my temple and keeps me close to him. "I love you so much, Rosie."

    "I love you too," I mumble, closing my eyes.

    I really hope things can get better for Ss.

 Chapter 174

    3

    44% +5

    "This is a masterpiece, Rosie," Sabrina gushes as she twirls in her dress that I have designed for her. I''m in love with her reaction. I can''t believe that my best friend is about to get married and I''m the one who got to design her wedding dress.

    Today''s is thest fitting and it looks perfect on her. I spent a lot of time designing this dress, but the happiness I now see on her face is enough to make me forget the exhaustion I felt while making it.

    Knox and Sabrina''s wedding is in two months and she is really excited. I remember being this excited too when I was busy with my wedding preparations.

    "I''m d you love it." I grin, looking at my best friend. I wish I had it in me to vividly share with her this moment, but I haven''t been okaytely. Between working on her dress, taking care of Ss and working on the dresses for my fashion show, I don''t have a moment to breathe. I''m so tired. I have never felt this tired in my entire life.

    Ss isn''t making things any easier for me. After that night at the hospital, he didn''t extensively drink for almost a month, but then he rpsed and now, we''re back to square one. I don''t even know what I''m supposed to do anymore. While I understand how hard it is to lose something, I don''t understand why he''s acting like that.

    He is not the first athlete to endure such a hard injury and he''s not going to be thest. His recovery is guar know why he''s acting like it''s the end of the world. I tried so many times to talk to him, but he didn''t liste

    1. so I don''t

    The self-pity he''s drowning in is pretty foreign to me. He has never been like that. The Ss I know has a strong stamina. He is strong-willed and determined. He doesn''t give up upon facing hardships. The man I''m living with is a stranger. "Thank you so much!" she exims, making her way towards me. She pulls me into a hug and I smile, hugging her back. Maybe this is my first real smile in a while.

    I sometimes try to convince myself that this is how marriage is supposed to be, but then I look around me and I be sure that I''m wrong. Marriage is not supposed to be like that at all. My parents are a happy couple. Tristan and Scarlett are happy. Even Ss''s parents are happy.

    I know that there are happy couples around. I''m aware that all couples have their disagreements, but it feels like I''m running in a vicious circle and cannot put an end to my struggle.

    "Rosie, are you all right?" she wonders after changing back into her clothes.

    "I am." My answer is rather quick. It''s like I have programmed myself to give this answer even if I''m not feeling well. I don''t want to bother anyone with my problems with Ss and I''m trying to keep our issues inside the building we call a home.

    "I don''t believe you." Sabrina''s frown is deep and I look away, afraid that if she pushes more, I may end up telling her everything. "Is everything okay with Ss?"

    I want to shake my head and tell her that nothing is okay, but / do the opposite. I simply nod and tell her, "Of course."

    The look she has on her face tells me that she doesn''t believe me.

    "I won''t pressure you to talk, Rosie, but if you want to talk, you know that I will always listen." She gently rubs my arm as she says that and I take a shaky breath and give her a small smile. The thing I love about Sabrina is that she respects people''s needs and privacy. I''m d that she decides against pressuring me until I tell her what''s wrong, because I don''t think I have enough energy in my body to talk about what has been going ontely. "Are we meeting Kendall for lunch?" she asks.

    Yes, she is at a restaurant nearby," I tell her.

    "Knox has just texted me. He''s going with Ss to a pub to meet some old friends," she fills me in and my heart sinks a little. A pub. This means that they''re going to drink and Ss no longer knows how to control himself when ites to alcohol.

    111

    I''m trying to deny all the signs before me, but it''s crystal clear that Ss is an alcoholic.

    "Can you do me a favor?" I hesitantly ask her. "Sure," she quickly says.

    44%

    +5)

    "Please tell Knox to make sure Ss doesn''t drink a lot," I tell her. She gives me a questioning look and I fear that she may ask why I want her to do that, but fortunately, she doesn''t. She sends the text to Knox silently, probably sensing that I don''t want to talk about this now.

    Kendall and Sabrina aren''t close, but they enjoy each other''spany. They understand how important each one of them is to me and I''m d that none of them is childish enough topare my friendship with her with the other one. Kendall has always been there for me ever since I was a child and the only time we spent apart was during college. Sabrina was the one who always had my back during college and stood by my side whenever I needed her. I''m d that I''m blessed with such amazing friends like them and I''m certain that without them, life would have been so much harder.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

    "It''s been so long since Ist saw you!" Kendall exims when she sees Sabrina as they both kiss on the cheeks.

    "I have been so busy with wedding preparations." Sabrina sighs as we all sit down.

    "I remember the preparations for Rosie''s wedding. I bet yours is harder since you don''t have all your friends with you." Sabrina nods at Kendall''s words.

    "But the wedding nner is a goddess. She''s handling everything so well," Sabrina replies. Soon, the wa. our order. I''m not that hungry, but I usually get the appetite to eat when I''m with my friends.

    omes and takes

    "Your bachelorette party is already booked, but I won''t tell you where we''re going now," I tease my best friend after the waiter leaves, knowing how impatient she is. I booked her a four-day bachelorette party in Puerto Rico. I know that she has always wanted to go there, but never got the chance to go there, so I''m nning on taking her there along with the whole bridal party.

    "No, tell me! You know I''m the most impatient person in the world," she whines, making meugh.

    "Stop teasing the poor girl." Kendall yfully rolls her eyes at me.

    "You know too?! This isn''t fair!" Sabrina throws her head back, making me giggle. I haven''t had that much fun in a lot of time.

    "Puerto Rico," I finally tell her, making her gasp loudly that a lot of people turn to look at us.

    "Oh my God! Rosie, this is too much!" Her eyes brim with tears as she leans in to hug me. "Rosie, I can''t let you pay for all of that. Please let me pay for half of it at least," she murmurs.

    "Not going to happen. You deserve the best," I tell her. When she first told me that she got engaged I agreed with her that her wedding dress and bachelorette party were my wedding gifts for her.

    "But this is too much. I can''t let you pay all of that," she argues as we pull apart.

    "You can and you will," I insist.

    She''s about to say something, but her phone rings, interrupting her. "Hey, Knox," she cheerfully says. "Okay... All right, I will let her know." Her eyes meet mine as she says that. I have a bad feeling in my gut, but I''m trying not to believe it. "What''s going on?" I ask her, already having a strong feeling that she wants to tell me something.

    "Ss is... wasted and Knox is taking him home," she says, looking at me apologetically.

    Just when I think that a day can pass without any drama, Ss decides to change that for me.

 Chapter 175

    I put the key in the lock, ready to open the front door of my home. I''m full of reluctance. I know that Knox and Ss are already inside, but I''m not sure to what extent my husband is intoxicated. Sabrina is right behind me and I''m praying with everything in me that Ss isn''t that drunk because I don''t want to exin to her all that has been going ontely.

    The moment I open the front door, I''m met with Ss''s loud voice. Why is he shouting like that? Quickly, I rush inside, not knowing why he''s acting like that.

    "What''s going on?" I ask, looking between him and Knox. The two of them are standing in front of each other and anger is obvious on their faces. There are two bulky football yers in my living room who are one step away from throwing punches. This is truly unprecedented. I have never seen Ss and Knox fight before.

    "He thinks he can prevent me from drinking!" Ss shouts. His voice indicates how drunk he is. The more I stare at my husband, the more I realize that if Knox gives him the slightest push, he will fall. It''s not because of his injury, but Ss is swaying due to the amount of alcohol in his body.-

    "Maybe it''s because you need to stop drinking," I tell him, but he scoffs, rolling his eyes.

    "You can''t tell me what to do and what not to do, Rosie." He limps over to me. He is starting to ditch the cane nowadays, which is a good step.

    "I can when I see that all you''re doing is destroy yourself," I challenge him, feeling sick and tired

    vicious circle.

    "I''m Ss Cromwell. I have made a big name for myself that I no longer need others'' guidance," he proudly slurs. He isn''t even making any sense. How is that logical?

    "Apparently you need someone to knock some sense into you if this is how you talk to your wife," Knox jumps to my defense. I wish it didn''t reach that state with Ss, but the situation keeps getting worse.

    "And you think you''re fit enough to teach me how to talk to my wife?" Ss turns to Knox. He looks like he''s fishing for a fight and I don''t want him to fight with his best friend. He''s already losing too much, and I don''t want to lose more because of his own stupidity. "I think you need to go upstairs," I say, trying to pull Ss away from Knox.

    "Stop!" He yanks his arm hard away from me that I end up stumbling. "I want to know what he has to say!" Ss shouts at

    1. me.

    "I don''t know what''s going on with you, but you need to get your shit together! I can''t even recognize you anymore!" Knox snaps at Ss, maybe expecting that he may be able to get him to think clearly.

    "And I can''t recognize myself anymore either!" Ss yells, looking at all of us for a moment before his shoulders slump and he makes his way to the stairs.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    I watch as he gradually disappears and once I can no longer see him, I break down in tears, not caring if Knox and Sabrina are here. They don''t need me to exin anything, because everything is crystal clear.

    "How long has he been like this?" Sabrina quietly asks as I feel the couch dip when she sits next to me.

    "He hasn''t been the same ever since he got injured and I really don''t know what to do. I''m so tired," I break down and she pulls me in her embrace. I allow myself to finally break down as she holds me. I have been trying to push myself for the past months and I think I have reached my breaking point.

    "Why didn''t you tell me anything? I would have listened to you, she tells me, and I take a shaky breath.

    "I have been trying to fix things between us. I keep telling myself that marriage has its ups and downs and this is normal, but

    I think... this isn''t normal, right? This doesn''t feel normal at all." look at my best friend with tears in my eyes.

    "No, Rosie," Sabrina rubs my arm, "this isn''t normal at all and this doesn''t seem like the Ss we know."

    "You shouldn''t bother yourself with any of this. Your wedding ising up," I say, wiping my tears with the heels of my hands. I can''t add more to her te. Her wedding should be her priority, not me.

    44%

    0

    "Rosie, you shouldn''t deal with all of this on your own," Knox finally speaks to me. "This isn''t something you should handle alone. You need to seek help."

    Tell

    "What am I supposed to do? Tell his parents? Tell my parents? Shouldn''t these issues stay between us?" I ask, feeling incredibly lost.

    "Not when it''s more than what you can handle," Sabrina chimes in. "This isn''t something you can deal with alone."

    "Rosie, I hate to ask you this, but I need to. I just want to make sure that you''re safe," Knox starts talking and I look at him. "Has Ss physically hurt you?"

    "No, he hasn''t," I reply. I want to tell him that Ss would never do something like that, but I don''t know Ss any more. I don''t know what to expect from him. I''m afraid that I may wake up one day and realize that Ss has turned into the total opposite of the man I have fallen in love with.

    "But you''ll tell us if he ever tried to do anything, right?" Sabrina stares right into my eyes. It takes me a moment to give her a small nod, trying to prevent myself from thinking about the possibility of Ss hurting me

    "Are you going to be okay on your own?" Sabrina asks. Something inside of me sinks when ys that. The four of us nned on spending the day together, but of course, they wouldn''t want to spend the day here after what had just happened. Why did I expect them to stay?

    I think I don''t know what okay means, and honestly, I don''t know what she means either.

    "I''ll be fine. I have been dealing with this for a while, so I''m used to it." I give her a small smile.

    My best friend and her fianc¨¦ leave after spending ten more minutes with me, making sure that I''m all right and there''s nothing I need.

    When they leave, I find myself staring at the stairs, willing myself to go upstairs, but I don''t want to. I don''t want to be in the same ce as him. I don''t want to see him drunk or hear his meaningless apologies. I''m sick and tired of all of this. I''m so close to giving up on our marriage even though I cannot imagine myself leaving Ss. My love for him is so strong, but maybe love alone isn''t enough.

    0

    0

 Chapter 176

    I haven''t seen Knox in a long time and I''m d that he is here. miss spending my time with him andtely, he has been busy with the football season like every other yer. I thought about visiting him in Colorado, but I know how full his schedule is, and he needs the few days he gets off to prepare for his wedding. I can''t just take him away from Sabrina on those days. I remember how busy I was when I was preparing for my wedding with Rosie while being in the middle of the football season.

    We''re going to a pub where we''re meeting our friends and I''m pretty excited. All my friends are football yers and they''re very busy with the season, so managing to go out with some of them in their free time is a great opportunity I don''t want to miss. If I were ying during this season, I wouldn''t feel lonely.

    It turns out that beside spending time with Rosie and ying football, I don''t have a life, so losing football even if this loss is temporary has a deep impact on me. I''m not proud that I find sce in getting drunk, but I''m trying to detach myself from reality as much as possible. I understand that what I''m doing is far from healthy, but right now, this is the only effective painkiller.

    "For the first time in a long while, you''re not the designated driver," Knox points out and I chuckle. It''s funny how I used to be the designated driver, because I didn''t enjoy getting drunk, but now I''m the one who gets wasted.

    "I get to drink as much as I want!" I exim as we both walk inside the pub.

    B

    "Yeah, but don''t go overboard. We''re supposed to spend the night with Rosie and Sabrina. They''re going to kill us if we get to your ce all drunk and wasted," he reminds me.

    Ithink Rosie is starting to get used to seeing me drunk. I''m certain that she''s not fond of that version of me, but there''s nothing she can do. Even if she hides all the liquor in the house, I can easily buy other bottles. I see the way she looks at me when I get drunk and I hate the look of disappointment I always catch in her eyes, but currently, this is how I cope. At least, this is better than getting addicted to drugs.

    We spend three hours at the bar and while Knox only drinks a pint of beer, I end up drinking three. When I go to order whiskey, Knox stops me, making me look at him in confusion.

    "You''re the designated driver, remember?" I remind him, nodding at the bartender to get me the ss of whiskey.

    "This is too much. You shouldn''t get this drunk, Ss." He looks at me with disapproval, making me roll my eyes. Rosie is already giving me a fair share of looks of disapproval. I don''t need more from Knox. "Knox, I want to have fun. Don''t be a party pooper," I say and chug the whiskey ced in front of me.

    "It''s a good thing we''re leaving," he mutters before pulling me away from the bar, causing me to wince due to the way I suddenly move my knee. He stops and gives me an apologetic look as he says, "Sorry, man." I nod, not saying anything and follow him to my car. I get in the passenger seat and Knox takes us to my ce.

    "Do you have a drinking problem, Ss?" Knox breaks the silence.

    "I don''t," I lie. I know that I have a drinking problem, but he doesn''t have to know about that.

    "Ss, my dad was an alcoholic. You''re my best friend and I only want the best for you, so I''m only saying this because I care about you. I think you should seek professional help," Knox tells me, and I scoff.

    "I''m fine, Knox. I don''t need help." It''s funny how everyone is giving me pieces of advice as if they were in my shoes. Nobody understands what I''m going through. They don''t know how painful the void I''m feeling is. They don''t know what it feels like to wake up one day and find out you''ve been deprived of doing something you love for almost a year.

    "No, Ss. You''re not fine," he mutters. "You''re not the same person you used to be. The Ss I know didn''t drink like that. You were more rational and responsible."

    III

    <

    17:02

    My blood is boiling. He keepsparing how I am now to how used to be before getting injured, and this is not fair. I was useful. I had a whole team depending on me because I was the king of touchdowns, but right now, I''m nothing. I can''t even stand for long because of my fucking knee. I can''t drive because I need to keep it stretched. Fortunately, I can now walk around with the cane, but I still have a limp that is gradually disappearing. Talking with Knox reawakes all the dark thoughts I tried to suppress by drinking at the pub, so the moment I walk inside the house, I make my way to the kitchen and grab a bottle of beer from the fridge.

    "Hell to the no." Knox snatches it from my grip the moment he sees me about to sit on the couch with the bottle in

    "What the hell is wrong with you?!" I shout, trying to get the bottle back from him.

    my

    hand.

    "What the hell is wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with you? You''re the one who doesn''t seem to get enough alcohol. You''re destroying your body!" he snaps at me.

    "I know what I''m doing. Giving me that!" I argue with him. Sadly, this is thest bottle I have, so I can''t go to the fridge to fetch another one.

    "What''s going on?" Rosie''s voice catches my attention. Has she just arrived? Has she been in the house all this time?

    "He thinks he can prevent me from drinking!" I yell, looking at her. As expected, she looks at me like she doesn''t know who I am. Honestly, I don''t me her. I know I''m not the man she married, but I don''t think I can go back to the man she fell in love with easily. I need a strong incentive to go back to how I used to be and I don''t know where to find this incentive.

    "Maybe it''s because you need to stop drinking." I scoff at what she says, knowing she is going to side with Knox. She hates how much I drink. We fought a lot about this, and every time, I promised her to get things under control, but each promise became unfulfilled. Another thing I''m not proud of.

    "You can''t tell me what to do and what not to do, Rosie." Despite the shooting pain in my knee, I walk over to her.

    "I can when I see that all you''re doing is destroy yourself," she fights me back. Sometimes, I feel sorry for my wife. She has been trying to get me back to how I used to be, but all her efforts have gone in vain. Her love is not enough to put some sense into me.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "I''m Ss Cromwell. I have made a big name for myself that I no longer need others'' guidance," I remind her of who I am. Or maybe I''m reminding myself? Maybe I''m trying to convince myself that I''m still relevant.

    "Apparently you need someone to knock some sense into you if this is how you talk to your wife," Knox quickly defends my wife. Why is he defending her? Does he think that I''m going to hurt her?

    "And you think you''re fit enough to teach me how to talk to my wife?" I challenge my best friend. I don''t know what I''m doing exactly, but I have a strong feeling that I''m messing things up.

    "I think you need to go upstairs," Rosie tells me in defeat as she holds my arm. I hate that I made her reach this state, but I feel powerless. There''s nothing I can do to fix myself. I think I will get better once I step on the field again.

    "Stop!" I forcefully yank my arm away from her grip, making her stumble. "I want to know what he has to say!" I raise my voice at my wife. What the fuck has gotten into me?

    Am I an abusive husband? No, I have neverid a finger on her. But does what I''m doing count as abuse? My judgment is clouded and I don''t know what to make of all of this.

    "I don''t know what''s going on with you, but you need to get your shit together! I can''t even recognize you anymore!" Knox snaps at me. I want tough at what he says. As if I can recognize myself!

    And I can''t recognize myself anymore either!" I yell in despair, looking at all of them, waiting to see if somebody has something to say to me.

    When silence prevails, I turn and make my way upstairs. Sometimes, I find myself hoping to fall into aa for the

    III

    §à

 Chapter 177

    My fashion show is next week. I''m so nervous and insanely busy While I''m really excited that the world is about to see my new collection, I can''t wait for the show to be over. I need a long break. I need to disconnect from the entire world. I think I need to take a few days

    off on my own. I need to get away from everybody, especially from Ss.

    But before getting away from him, I need to talk to him first. I have been postponing this conversation, but I have had enough. I have had enough of covering for him in front of our families. I have had enough of trying to find excuses for him. I have reached the point of no return and it''s all because of him

    There''s nobody to me for what I''m feeling except for him. He is the one behind all of this.

    "Ss, we need to talk." He is in front of the TV in the living room, ying video games. At least he is not drunk. It''s rare these days to find him sober. Ss needs professional help, but he is being stubborn.

    "Can it wait?" he asks, without looking at me.

    "No, it can''t," I say, keeping my eyes glued to him.

    "If this is about the dinner I missed with my parents, Rosie, I''m sorry." I want tough at his apology, because I know it means nothing. Another empty promise that means absolutely nothing.

    "No, Ss. It''s about us," I reply, feeling incredibly impatient that I end up turning off the TV. "It''s not every day I see you sober." I don''t want to throw any jabs at him, but maybe I need to do so.

    "Don''t you get bored of saying the same thing, Rosie?" He has the audacity to sound like he is fed up with me. He is the one who is fed up, not me! I''m the one who has been putting up with his bullshit for the past months, yet he dares to sound like bullshit. he is done with my

    "I''m done with getting bored, Ss. I''m now sick and tired and what I''m trying to do is hold on thest bits of hope I have for this... this marriage." I think thest two words are strong enough to have an effect on him, because he looks at me in confusion. "This marriage? Are you talking about our marriage?" he asks, and I nod, taking a seat far from him. I don''t want to sit by his side, and I don''t want him to touch me. I need to keep my distance from him.

    "Well, why would I mention anybody''s marriage? Our marriage is the only one I''m currently concerned with," I reply, trying to appear cold even if I''m breaking from the inside. I want him to know that I have reached my breaking point,

    "What''s wrong with our marriage? Why are you talking about it like it''s on the brink of falling?" He has the audacity to ask this question. I''m not sure if he is really oblivious or if he''s just faking it.

    "Are you seriously asking these questions, Ss? A lot of things are wrong with our marriage. Let''s start with the fact that

    alcoholic. you''ve turned into an alcoholic," I point out. The way he clenches his jaw doesn''t escape my notice. He is in denial and doesn''t want to admit that he has be an

    "I''m not an alcoholic, Rosie." I look down and shake my head when he says that.

    "You get drunk almost daily, Ss. Do you really need me to tell you how many times you''ve ended up getting drunk this week?" I tell him, causing him to look away.

    "It''s my way of coping," he defends his actions.

    "And I''m done with this unhealthy way of coping. I''m done with you getting drunk in the middle of the day. I''m done with covering up for you in every family gathering you end up missing because you were too drunk to leave the house. I''m done with the self-pity you''re drowning in. I can''t do this anymore." Lay out all my cards. Sugarcoating how bad I''m feeling won''t do our rtionship any good.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

    16:22 Fri, Nov 29 B BO

    70%1

    "Can''t you be patient with me? I don''t know what else to do until these ten months are over. I have never stayed away from football for that long and it''s driving me insane." He starts with the same excuses, and I just shake my head, feeling incredibly tired of all of this shit. "It''s not about me being patient, Ss. It''s about what you''re doing. You barely go out or talk to me or anyone else. You refuse to attend therapy. You have missed a lot of physiotherapy sessions which is setting back your date of return," I remind him of what he has been doing. "It''s not like you''re here." He rolls his eyes, and I sharply inhale.

    "Actually, Ss, if you were sober enough, you''d have noticed thatst week, I made sure to finish work by five every day and even took Saturday off. You were too drunk to notice, so don''t try to gaslight me." I stand up, already feeling that this conversation is utterly useless. "What do you want, Rosie?" he asks in defeat, probably sensing how done I am. I hate that we''ve reached this stage, but this isn''t my fault. I tried my best. He is the one who decided to give up on every single thing in life because of a setback.

    "I want you to stop getting drunk. I want you to show up. I want my old husband back," I tell him bluntly what I want, hoping he''ll understand what I''m feeling.

    "I will try, Rosie, but I need time. You can''t expect me to quit drinking right away," he tells me. I know that he cannot quit drinking immediately, but he can, at least, show me that he''s trying.

    "My fashion show is next Saturday, Ss. I think it''s a good chance to show me that you''re truly trying," I tell him, staring at his face for a moment, before going upstairs to our room.

    I don''t know if he''s going to take what I have told him seriously or not, but I hope that he does. I''m not bluffing. I''m done with this version of him and I want to put an end to his alcohol problem. Next Saturday is going to be a decisive day. With just his actions, Ss is going to tell me what he wants.

    I

 Chapter 178

    Chapter

    178

    Today is my fashion show. I''m scared and excited at the same time. There are a lot of people in the hall, waiting to see the dresses I have spent a year designing. I''m petrified that I would bring shame to Mum''s fashion house. I know that she would never reprimand me if I fail. She would actually try to make me see the positivity in such a terrible situation and do everything in her power to get me not to give up on designing. However, I don''t want to do that to her fashion house. Her brand has been a sessful one for decades and I don''t want to ruin the name she made for herself because I''m not good enough.

    "The dress looks so good on you," Mum says, looking at me with admiration. Although I designed sixteen dresses for this fashion show, I asked Mum to design the one I''m going to wear. I love wearing the dresses she specially makes for me. Over the years, I have worn many dresses of her design that were specially made for me and all of them didn''t have replicas. Those dresses were one of a kind, just like the one I''m currently wearing.

    It''s a sleeveless ck dress with gold pharaonic drawings on the front. It has a high neck, and the drawings go up to the neck. It perfectly hugs my body andplements my body type, making me feel confident and beautiful.

    "You designed it. Of course, it''s going to look good on me." I smile at her.

    The show is about to start in fifteen minutes and thankfully, everything is set and we''re all ready to go. The models have the dresses on and their make-up is done. Everything seems fine and I have already received enoughpliments about the design from my close friends and family.

    Everybody has said something nice to me, except for one person. My husband. He is nowhere to be seen, and I hate to say this, but part of me expected that. I reminded him yesterday that my fashion show was today, and he promised that he was going to show up. I should have known that it was another empty promise that would break my

    heart.

    "You look so beautiful!" I hear Naomi''s voice, and I smile as I turn to look at her. "I''m so proud of you!" She pulls me into a deep hug, and I hug her back. "Thank you!" I murmur as I hold onto her for a couple of seconds before pulling away.

    "Where''s Ss? Is he sitting outside?" Naomi asks, expecting her son to be a supportive husband. He used to be a great husband, but the situation has changed a lot. He is no longer like that. I bet he has already forgotten about the fashion show even though he knows how important this day is for me.

    "He''s not here... yet." I only add ''yet'' because I''m giving Ss the benefit of the doubt. I''m still hoping that he will show up, even if he shows upte.

    "Come on. We need to go to our seats," Mum tells Naomi and I mentally thank her for taking her away because Ss is thest person I want to talk about now. The thing is, I haven''t told my parents a thing about Ss, but I bet they can sense what''s been going on. Maybe they''re staying silent because they''re giving me the choice to either talk or stay silent. Maybe they''re waiting for the right moment to talk to me, but the question is, when is the right moment?

    The show starts with an opening act and while I enjoy the artist''s music, my mind is elsewhere. I''m thinking about Ss and hoping with everything in me that he walks through the backstage door, apologizing for beingte. I won''t even care about his beingte. I just want him to show up. I want him to be there for me. Am I asking for too much?

    After the singer finishes singing, the models start walking on the runway, one after the other. For a few minutes, I manage to stop myself from thinking about Ss and the disappointment that is eating me alive. I watch the audience''s faces as they look at the dresses I designed. I can tell that they like the dresses and pride prates my heart.

    Thest model returns backstage, then the models form two lines and walk back on the runway with me in the middle. Everybody stands up and ps for me, making my eyes glisten with tears. I didn''t fail. They liked my designs.

    I look at the front seats and find my family apuding me with so much pride that my chest threatens to explode with happiness. Kendall is also here with her boyfriend, even Sabrina s here. I can''t believe that she has made it despite how busy she is.

    Everybody hase. Everybody except for Ss. The one I have been waiting for the most.

    I make my way backstage where my team starts congratting me. I feign happiness and act like nobody is as happy as I am even though my heart is broken. I told him what not showing up meant and he chose not to show up. It''s like he''s telling me to do whatever the hell I want. "Congrattions, bestie!" Sabrina hollers as she tackles me in a huge hug, making meugh. "I want to wear them all!" She grins as she pulls back.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Pick whatever you want and it''s yours," I reply. I scan the faces of everyone around me to make sure that he''s not here and indeed, I fail to spot his face. "He''s not here yet, right?" I ask Kendall. It''s a question I know its answer; however, I hope that she has something else to say. I want her to tell me that I''m wrong and he''s waiting for me somewhere.

    "Maybe he''s stuck in traffic," my best friend tries to find an excuse for my husband''s behaviour. But I know that he''s not stuck in traffic. He''s probably drunk and isn''t even aware that my fashion show is today even though I told him about it more than once. He told me he would be there, but he lied. He''s not here for me.

    "I''m calling him, but he''s not picking up," Tristan tells me, but I shake my head.

    "Yeah, I tried to call him too, but he didn''t pick up," Naomi adds.

    I covered for him a lot. I didn''t want to worry them, but maybe I was wrong. I wasn''t strong enough to handle this issue on my own and now I''m paying the price.

    It''s toote to save our marriage and I know what I have to do. I made this decision the day I talked to him and it seems like I need to showmitment to the decision I made. But before doing so, I need to fill them in. They have to be in the know. How should they deal with him if they''re oblivious? "He''s not going to pick up. Don''t bother." I take a deep breath. "He is either drunk at home or at a bar."

    Tristan gives me a look of confusion and I give him a sad smile.

    "There''s a lot we need to talk about," I say, looking at my family. I''m about to drop a bomb that was supposed to be dropped a long time ago.

 Chapter 179

    COMMENT Chapter 179

    C

    70%

    The fashion show is over and so is the after-party. My husband is nowhere to be found. I''m certain that he is drunk at home. I don''t have the slightest bit of worry inside of me, because this has be a recurring event.

    "Rosie, is there anything that you''re keeping from us?" Dad asks me as we all sit at our table, having dinner. By all, I mean my parents, my siblings, Ss''s parents and his siblings. Knox, Sabrina, Kendall and her boyfriend have already left, sensing that it''s a family matter.

    "Yes, I have been keeping something from you, hoping that I''d be able to take care of it on my own, but I failed." I look down for a moment. The words are too heavy to say. It''s like I''m airing my dirtyundry to our family. I never wanted to tell them anything, but I have to. "Is it concerning Ss?" Naomi quietly asks and I nod.

    "Ever since his injury, Ss hasn''t been the same at all. At first, he locked himself in the house and didn''t want to leave, then things started to get slightly better. I thought he epted what happened and was ready to move forward, but I was wrong. One time, he went with the team to Kansas City and when he came back, it was like another person walked inside our home." My heart is breaking as I tell them this. I never thought I would have to resort to our family. "He started to get drunk a lot and I tried to talk to him about it. Every time, he promised to stop and get everything under control, but that never happened."

    "When was this trip?" Tristan asks me. He doesn''t look either shocked or surprised, which makes me wonder if they all have their suspicions and I''m only confirming them.

    "Last March," I reply. "The situation kept getting worse. Actually, it''s still getting worse and as I''m telling you all of this right now, I realize that I''m also at fault. I shouldn''t have stayed silent. Every family gathering or event he didn''t show up to was because of being drunk or simply not wanting to socialize." I tell them. I feel ashamed for lying to them time and time again, but I thought I was supporting my husband. I thought I was doing the right thing.

    ""Why didn''t you

    tell us earlier, Rosie?" Mum asks me.

    "I thought I could do it alone. I thought Ss and I could work it out together. I gave him an ultimatum a week ago and I think he has made his choice," I say, taking in a shaky breath. "What do you mean, Rosie?" Scarlett asks me with confusion mixed with fear.

    Before I get to answer, my phone buzzes and I look at it. It''s Ss Has he just woken up? Is he now sober enough to realize that he has chosen to abandon his wife on an important night for her?

    "It''s Ss," I say, making my phone''s screen face the table. I''m not going to answer him. I don''t owe him anything to say or do.

    "Would you like me to answer him?" Naomi asks.

    "If he calls you, feel free to answer him if you want. But I don''t want to see him. I don''t want him toe here. God only knows how hard it is I''m going to get back home to him after all of this," I reply. There''s some sort of coldness inside of me that is very unfamiliar. I have never felt this way towards Ss, but I guess there''s a first for everything. He has made me reach a point I never thought I would reach.

    "What do you n on doing, Rosie?" Ss''s dad asks me. Look at everyone at the table and their eyes are fixated on me, waiting to know my decision.

    "I''m not sure, but I do know that I''m not going to be as present in his life now as I used to be. He''s going to need your help," I tell him. I don''t want to tell them that I have made my decision. I''m certain that neither my parents nor his parents are going to take it well. "What do you mean you''re not going to be as present as you use to be?" Naomi frowns as she asks this question.

    1

    "I''m not sure, but I do know that I need some space," I keep my answer slightly vague. They don''t have to know anything about my n now. They will try to talk me out of it, and this is thest thing I want.

    "You do know that he loves you, right?" I don''t know why Scarlett feels the n even if I''m no longer sure whether he loves me or not.

    to remind me of that, but I simply nod,

    As expected, Ss calls Naomi when I don''t answer him. "Hello, Ss... Yes, she''s here... No, she doesn''t want to talk to you." Why on earth would I want to talk to him after what has done to me? "There''s no need toe over, Ss. We''re already done with dinner." I want to cry. I want to scream at him for ruining our marriage, but it''s all pointless. Why would I even bother? There''s no need for that. I don''t think he cares about us like he used to do.

    "Rosie, Ss really wants to talk to you." Naomi looks at me. Does she expect my heart to soften? He is her son. It''s in her nature to be more forgiving towards him. But I can only take so much. I have tried so hard to look past his actions, but I''m done with it.

    "And I really wanted him to show up. I guess it''s only fair we both don''t get what we want," I reply, looking away. "Excuse me. I need to go to the restroom." I get up from my ce and walk fast to the restroom, unable to handle being with people.

    It feels like I''m being suffocated. Every memory I have with Ss is being reyed in my head, as if my heart is telling me to give him one more chance. However, my mind has another say in this, because every event he has missed and every time he hase home drunk is also being reyed.

    My eyes well with tears, but I close them and look up, forcing them not to fall. I cannot handle this anymore. I need to step away if I want to preserve thest bits of sanity I have inside of me.

    "Rosie." I take a deep breath and open my eyes, "It would be stupid to ask you if you''re okay because I understand that you''re not. But... is there anything I can do to help?" Scarlett asks me.

    "I''m going to be okay, Scarlett," I assure her with a smile. At some point, I know I''m going to be okay. I know I''m going to feel relieved or rxed, but I understand that this time isn''t now "I just... I needed a moment to process what happened and what''s about to happen."

    "I know that you''re hurt and you have every right to feel this way, but... try not to make any decisions while you''re in this state," Scarlett advises me. I feel like she knows what I want to do.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not gonna do that." I give her a tight smile. The thing is, I made my decision a long time ago and I don''t regret it. I have been thinking about it for a while and today, Ss has proven that I have made the right one.

    ***

    I walk inside the house, knowing I''m going to find Ss awake. He called me ten times and I didn''t pick up. There was no reason for me to pick up. I knew what he was going to say, so why did I have to waste my time?

    "Rosie! Please, let me exin," he pleads, standing up from where he is. His exnation will be pointless to me.

    "It''s not going to make a difference, Ss." I smile sadly, feeling heartbroken. All those years we''ve spent together are about to go

    down the drain.

    "No, you don''t understand. I had the suit ready and I even got a haircut! I just... I wasn''t ready to see people and socialize, so I thought if I had a couple of sses of whiskey, my nerves would ease a bit, but..." he starts talking fast, but the words stop at the end. I know what he wants to say.

    you, Ss. I''m really tired." All the exhaustion of the past few months has "But you got carried away, right? A ss turned into a whole bottle, huh?" I look down for a second, before looking at him again. "I don''t have enough energy in me to talk crashed into me and I feel like I''m about to faint.

    "Rosie.. I love you. Please, give me another chance. I''ll do anything you want," he begs, closing the space between us. His

    16:23 Fri, Nov 29 G GO

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    tone adds more salt to my cuts. I hate the hint of fear in it. I hate the way he''s looking at me. I love him too much to ept seeing him in this state, but... I need to harden my heart. He has walked all over it more than once and it''s time to pay price. "Goodnight, Ss," I whisper, walking away from him, but I stop at the first step of the stairs and say without looking at him, "Please let me sleep alone in our bedroom tonight."

 Chapter 180

    Chapter

    180

    Ten new novels, her favorite chocte, a vacation to a ce she loves and a paper that proves my enrolment in an alcohol rehabilitation program. I know that this isn''t enough, but this can be a good start, right? I love Rosie so much to let her go and for the past months, I

    made one mistake after the other. They''re all big enough to drive her away from me and I can''t let this happen.

    It''s been two days since the fashion show I didn''t attend. It kills me that I wasn''t there for her. I wasn''t with her to celebrate her sess. Mum told me that she waited for me for the whole damn night and I, being the disappointment I am, didn''t show up for her. I made her upset on a very important night for her and I''m willing to do anything to fix that, but I can''t turn back time. If I could, I would be there three hours early.

    She hasn''t said a word to me during those two days and while I understand how terribly I fucked up, I miss her. I miss her voice and the way she bickers with me. I miss eating our meals together. I miss sleeping beside her. I miss everything about my wife and there''s nobody to me but me. Is it weird that I miss the way she admonishes me whenever she sees me with a beer in my hand or any alcohol? T

    But I''m going to fix it all. I''m going to make her see that she means the world to me and I''m not going to watch as she slips away from my fingers.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    I had physiotherapy this morning and after I was done, I went to a bookstore and bought her some novels I knew she''d like. Luckily, I still have ess to the books she hasn''t read yet. Since know how busy she has beentely, I bought all the new releases she added to her ''to be read'' list.

    My beautiful wife loves chocte so much, so a basket full of her favorite types can help me out a little. I have dug my grave too deep and I''m trying to do everything in my power to get out.

    I remember having a conversation with her about going on vacation after her fashion show. Now that the fashion show is over, we can go on this vacation. I''m going to take her on a new honeymoon. I''m going to give her a wonderful time because she deserves the best. She has been by my side and I have stupidly taken her for granted. However, this stops now. I''m not going to mistreat her ever again. I''m going to show her what she means to me.

    may

    We

    not be on speaking terms, but I''m going to show her that she''s the love of my life and I''m done being a stupid prick. I went to a therapist yesterday and we talked for almost two hours. I told her about the dark thoughts that had been taking over my mind. I told her about my new coping mechanism. I was honest with her from the very first moment. I told her I only sought therapy because I needed to make it up to my wife. I needed to save our marriage, because I was petrified of losing my girl.

    Honestly, I haven''t been thinking about myselftely. I feel like I have turned into a lost cause, but the way Rosie looked at me the night of her show after she came back was a wake-up call It made me realize that I was ruining everything with my stupidity. I was not going to let alcohol take Rosie away from me and even if she''s my only motivation to get better, so be it. I don''t need a bigger motivation. She is more than enough.

    "Rosie!" I call her name, refusing to let go of the choctes basket and the new novels. Inside the basket, I have also put the document that shows I enrolled in the program. I want her to know that this time, I''m serious. "Cupcake!" When was thest- time I called her with her nickname?

    I''m not sure if she''s not here or if she is giving me the silent treatinent. I look for her everywhere downstairs and she''s nowhere to be seen. I make my way to the backyard, yet she''s nowhere to be found. Where is she? Is she upstairs?

    My knee starts hurting a little, but I don''t care, I need to find Rosie. I have to make her talk to me today. I want her to know that I''m ready to change. Part of me is excited to share with her the steps I have taken, but the other part is scared that she may show indifference. I know that I have caused all of this, but that doesn''t mean that I''m strong enough to handle any sort of indifference or rejection from Rosie.

    I''m aware that my actions have proven otherwisetely, but Rose has a strong hold on my heart. Whenever I upset her, my heart aches, and when she smiles, my problems lessen.

    I reach the second floor and make my way inside our bedroom after knocking, yet she''s nowhere to be found. I''m about to

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    look for her in her office even though I''m sure she''s not there. After fashion shows, Rosie prefers to take a few days off, away from the office and any sort of work. Just as I''m about to close the door, something catches my attention. A letter is ced against the sage green vase in our bedroom and beside it, there is a file.

    Why do I have a strong feeling that I''m not going to like whatever is written? I set the basket and the books aside and make my way to the table. I reach for the letter and open it, trying to convince myself that nothing bad is written in it. Dear Ss,

    I need you to understand that this isn''t an easy step for me to take, but it''s important for my well-being. For months, I put you first. I endured yourshes and your drunken state. I kept telling myself that all of that was nothing but a phase, but as the days passed, I realized that it was all too much for me to handle. I''m not strong enough to continue living this life.

    Not showing up for me when you knew how much that day meant to me was the final straw. I told you how important it was, yet you chose alcohol over me. I''m done admonishing you. I have done that for months and nothing seemed to work. I''m giving you the freedom to do whatever you want. This marriage cannot work anymore. You''re no longer the man I fell in love with andtely, I have been hurting so much, so I need to walk away, Ss. I need to put myself first because this type of life you''ve been giving metely is going to be the death of me. You''re going to find divorce papers in the file beside the letter. I have already signed them. You can sign them and give them to me at Sabrina and Knox''s wedding because you won''t see me before the wedding.

    I wish you the best, Ss.

    Your ex-wife,

    Rosie

    I read the letter three times to make sure that my mind isn''t ying any tricks on me.

    No, she can''t do that.

    She can''t give up on us.

    I know that I have been a pain in the ass, but all of that is about to change. I''m ready to be a better person. A better person for her.

    I pick up the file and gulp when I check the divorce papers in my hands. Surely, her signature is there. How could she sign them? How easy was it for her to deem me unworthy of another chance? Doesn''t she love me? I know I have taken her for granted, but I learned my lesson. I swear, I learned it. Another thing catches my eye in the file. I take a deep breath and reach for the object inside. I close my eyes, trying to let this new reality sink in. I know what I''m holding. I know this object by heart. I spent a lot of time, trying to pick the perfect one for her.

    She left her wedding ring behind and made sure to mention that she''s now my ex-wife in the letter even though I haven''t signed the papers yet.

    I''m not going to sign them. I''m not going to lose her. Rosie is smart, so does she really believe that I''m going to give up on her without a fight? In her fucking dreams!

 Chapter 181

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    I have been trying to call her, but I''m not sure if I''m blocked or her phone is off. Rosie is going to be the death of me. I still can''t believe that she wants us to get a divorce. I thought that she considered me her forever just like I have always considered her mine. I know that I have given her a hard time, it why did she have to leave now? Why couldn''t she just wait for a little bit longer? I was going to tell her the news today. I just needed one more day.

    Emily is home today, so I quickly drive there. I know I''m not supposed to drive for long distances, but my health is the least of my concerns now. I need to find my wife. I''m not going to give up on finding her.

    1 practically jump out of my car the moment I reach her parents ce. I ring the doorbell and wait for anybody to open the door for me. Maybe Rosie will open it for me, but I don''t think Rosie is here. If she were, she would have taken her car. Instead, it''s still parked at our house.

    Emily is the one who opens the door for me.

    "Emily, is Rosie here?" I frantically ask her.

    "Come in, Ss," she says. She steps aside, giving me way to walk inside.

    The two of us head to the living room. I half expect to see Rosie inside, but disappointment fills me when I don''t find her. I thought I would find her curled up on the couch, refusing to face me and I would beg and plead until she''de back home with me. I just want to see her face. I want to take her in my arms, apologize for everything I have put her through and take her home.

    Do you know where Rosie is?" I ask her, taking a seat.

    "I do," she says, keeping her answer short.

    "I have been trying to reach her, but her phone is out of service. I don''t know how to reach her," I tell her.

    "Ss, I believe my daughter has already told you what she wants. She is clearly stressed and needs to be away from you. Why can''t you understand that?" This is my first time having Emily this cold towards me.

    "I''m not going to give up on my wife, Emily. I love her. I love her so much and I can''t let her go. I made a mistake and I''m going to fix it. I went to a therapist yesterday and today, I enrolled myself in an alcohol rehabilitation program. I booked a vacation for us and I... I''m ready to change for her. I''m ready to do anything she wants." Not having Emily on my side feels weird, but I messed up a lot. I hurt her daughter and she has every right to hate me for doing that.

    "Where''s my wife, Emily?" I plead with her. "Let me make things right, please. Tell me where she is and I won''t make her regret forgiving me."

    "She wants to be away from you, Ss. Give her that," Emily replies.

    "So you know where she is?" I ask with hope. I want to make sure that she''s okay and safe.

    "Of course, but she doesn''t want you to know. As her mother, I''m inclined to respect her wishes." I bury my face in my hands at her words. "You have caused enough damage, Ss. She needs to be away from you to heal." The fact that her words are the do not make them any less painful.

    "I know I hurt her, but I want to fix everything. Emily... she left me divorce papers. I can''t let her go." The mere idea of having Rosie away from me tears my heart into pieces. I can''t ept this.

    "Divorce papers?" The frown on Emily''s face tells me that she knows nothing about what her daughter has done. "Rosie left you divorce papers?" I nod at her question. Did Rosie tell her that we were on a break?

    "She even signed them," I add, looking down. I understand that have been a terrible husband, but why did she firmly

    believe that I was a lost cause? Were my actions that unforgivable? I didn''t mean for things to get that bad.

    1

    0

    She told me that she was going to keep her distance from you til Sabrina and Knox''s wedding, but I knew nothing about divorce." Emily admits and 1 sigh heavily, not knowing what to tell her.

    "I want to talk to her, Emily." Theg. but she looks at me apologetically

    "I promised her I wouldn''t tell you where she is, but if there''s anything you want to tell her, you can let me know and I will deliver the message," Emily offers.

    For a moment, I feel like maybe telling Emily anything is pointless, but the state of despair I''m in reminds me that I need to cling on to whatever opportunity I can find to bring Rosie back me.

    "Tell her I''m so sorry and I love her so much. Tell her that I have already enrolled myself in an alcohol rehabilitation program and I''ve been sober for two days. They may not be much, but they count, right?" Emily nods before gently rubbing my back.

    "I will tell her everything. I promise," she assures me.

    "You do know that I love her more than anything in my life, right?" I feel like I need to remind Emily of that. Maybe I need to remind Julian too. Maybe if they''re certain that I''m head over heels for their daughter, they will support me.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    "I know, Ss. I know you love her." She smiles at me.

    I get up from my ce and make my way to my car. I have a strong urge to drink, but I cannot give in to my demons. Not now. I need to prove to Rosie that I''m still the man she fell in love with. I''m not sure if she still loves me or not I''m not sure if my actions have pushed her away to the point that she can no longer stand me.

    Idrive straight home and the moment I arrive, I get rid of every type of liquor I have. I need to have a fresh start. I need to

    be a better person.

    I''m not going to take her leaving the ring behind and signing the divorce papers seriously. I understand her anger and pain. I understand that I made her reach her breaking point, but I have a firm belief that I can change, that there''s still light at the end of the tunnel. I''m certain we can get through this together.

    I open my Instagram ount and decide to message her. The media scrutinizes every move we make and I''m sure she doesn''t want any sort of negative publicity, so she probably hasn''t blocked or unfollowed me. Luckily, I''m right. I quickly send her a message, hoping that she replies, but I know that the chances are slim.

    The media has already been talking about my absence from her fashion show. They have already published many annoying spections, stating that this could be the downfall of our marriage. I hate that strangers managed to see what I failed to see.

    I have been so blindtely, thinking that she is a constant in my life, but it turns out I have been wrong. It was a mistake to take her for granted, but I''m sure that this is a mistake I can fix and I won''t stop until Rosie is back home.

 Chapter 182

    COMMENT Chapter

    182

    It''s been less than a day since 1 left home, and I already mice it. Emiss it so much. Despite how cold that ce has beentely, I still miss sitting on the couch watching movies and sleeping in my bed. I miss designing in my office. I miss everything, but I cannot go back This decision was hard to make, and I knew that the moment I guld take it, part of me would regret it. Maybe it''s because I still love Ss with everything in me. Maybe it''s because I know it will take me a lot of time to get over him, if it''s even a possibility. I''m not sure how one can get over somebody they have loved for more than five years.

    Ss spent the two days after the fashion show trying to prove to me how sorry he was. He made me breakfast and tried to talk to me, but I ignored him. He got me flowers and tried to get me to watch a movie with him. I almost gave in due to the efforts he made, but I stood my ground.

    I learned my lesson. I forgave him more than once. I gave him more than one chance and every time, he made me believe that he was going to change. I was stupid for allowing myself to be fooled more than once. Maybe love blinded me and made me believe the false hope I had in my heart.

    I''m d I woke up. I should have woken up earlier, but maybe it''s good that it has taken me some time, so I won''t regret walking away from him after making up my mind.

    When I took off my wedding ring, I felt cold for a few minutes. We have been married for more than a year and a half and that was my first time to go out without my ring ever since he ced it on my finger. During our engagement and marriage. I loved looking at the ring. It was a reminder that I was married to the man who owned my heart. However, the feeling has changedtely, because the man I was in love with went somewhere and never came back. For the past few months, whenever I looked at the ring, I always felt some sort of heaviness in me. It became a symbol for something that no longer existed.

    Despite all of that, when I took it off, I felt something was wrong. Maybe that feeling could be attributed to how I never took it off and I simply wasn''t used to going out without the ring. Maybe it''s because Ss still owns my heart and I still love him, but love isn''t the only necessary thing that keeps marriage going. There are a lot of factors and love is just one of them. It feels like all of them suddenly disappeared and love was all that was left.

    I''m still in California, but I''m nowhere near Ss or my parents. I thought about leaving California, but there''s no point since I will be leaving for Puerto Rico soon with Sabrina and Knox.

    Sabrina knows that I left, but like everybody else, she doesn''t know where I am. I didn''t tell anyone, because I know how much they all love Ss and I''m well aware of how convincing he can be.

    My phone rings and I answer upon seeing that it''s my mum. I blocked Ss because I didn''t want to receive any calls or texts from him. I love him and I cannot fully trust my heart. It may give in if he talks to me in that sweet tone of his. I may pack my suitcases again and go back home if I hear him crying.

    "Hey, Mum," I say. I bet Ss has already paid her a visit.

    "Did you leave divorce papers for Ss?" Yup, he paid her a visit. I didn''t tell anybody anything about leaving him divorce papers because I know they will talk me out of it. They will remind me of how much I love him and how everything can be fixed. But they weren''t there to see him gradually change for the worse. They weren''t there during the mornings when he''d rush to the bathroom to empty his stomach after getting drunk the night before. They weren''t there to see him treat me with indifference as if he forgot how to love me. "Yes, Mum. I left him divorce papers," I tell her. It''s a decision I''m still not sure about. Did I take it too far?

    "Rosie, I know he hurt you, but he... he seemed really sorry. He was frantic and nervous. He told me he had been sober for two days and even enrolled himself in an alcohol rehabilitation program." My heart clenches for a second, but this isn''t his first time to try being sober before rpsing. He once stayed sober for four days and rpsed. Another time, he stayed sober for ten days, then rpsed. Why should this time be any different?

    "Did he tell you that he tried to get sober before and failed?" I wonder, looking down at myp

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    "I didn''t know that," she says in a quieter tone.

    I know that she may think my heart has turned into a block of ice, but the thing is, I have been through a lot during the past few months. I have tried many things with Ss and nothing really worked. Don''t I have the right to look for my own happiness? Shouldn''t I try to fix what has been broken?

    I never stopped loving Ss. Walking away from him doesn''t mean that I don''t love him anymore. Yes, I left, but I''m still worried about him. I want to text him to make sure that he''s okay. I want to have a conversation with him about my decision, but I also know that he won''t take it well. "Listen, Mum. I know my decision may seem irrational, but trust me, it''s not. It''s far from that. I have been thinking about it for a while and I need you to understand that leaving him was never an easy decision to make, but some decisions have to be made even if they''re going to cause us pain at first. Don''t you already know that?" She knows what I''m referring to. She made herself disappear for five years after proving that she was innocent to the whole world. She made Dad regret not believing her.

    I think I also have the right to walk away when I see my husband mistreating me. I have the right to leave when I no longer be one of his priorities.

    Did I have to leave so that he could realize what he had done? His realization came toote.

    "Yes, I do know that, but I don''t want you to regret your decisionter," she reasons with me.

    "I think I would have regretted staying more," I say, arching my neck back.

    "Do what you think is right. I will be here for you if you ever need anything," she tells me, making me let out a small smile despite the darkness clouding my mind.

    "Thanks, Mum. I will talk to you soon," I tell her before hanging up.

    I have a strong feeling that Ss doesn''t n on signing the paper easily.

    §à

    COMMENT

 Chapter 184

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    We have all just arrived this morning to Puerto Rico and by all, I mean the bridal party. I''m so happy for my best friend and I can tell that she is excited for her bachelorette trip. Despite the happiness I''m feeling for her, it pains me that I''m not fully happy. I thought that by leaving I would be able to keep Ss out of my mind, but it looks like I was wrong.

    Ss is pretty resilient. He hasn''t stopped messaging me on all my social media ounts and he has even sent messages with Scarlett and Mum. I admire his persistence, but I hate that it appeared after I left.

    I should use this trip to unwind. I should do everything in my power to stop thinking about Ss. I exhale, taking in a long shaky breath that barely reaches my lungs. I need to make the most out of this trip.

    Leaving Ss is my choice. It''s a decision I made after thinking for too long. Why am I questioning everything now? I sometimes feel like I''m going crazy. But I also think that what''s going on in my head is normal. I have ended a rtionship thatsted for more than five years. Why am I expecting myself to forget everything in the blink of an eye?

    "Rosie! Aren''t youing?" Sabrina excitedly hollers. I take a deep breath and look at her with a big smile on my face. I should be a good friend and refrain from ruining her trip.

    "Coming!" We''re going to spend at least three hours at the spa. There are six of us and luckily, the group is bitches free. We''re all amicable with one another and our main goal is to make Sabrina happy.

    The atmosphere of the spa is quite soothing. I can feel my tense body gradually rxing just by smelling the nice aroma that fills the air. Even the music is calm and rxing.

    "Would you like a masseuse or a masseur?" The receptionist asks us.

    "A masseuse please," Sabrina quickly says, making the girls snicker beside her.

    "It''s your bachelorette trip, Rina! You gotta loosen up a little!" Ava, one of her close friends, encourages her.

    "Still, I want a masseuse." Sabrina shrugs. I know that she won''t pick a masseur. She has already asked me to not surprise her with a stripper, stating that she felt it was some sort of cheating.

    I understand her way of thinking. When she threw me my bachelorette party, I told her I didn''t want the stripper to touch me if she nned on getting me one. I was thankful that she honored my wish. "I want a masseuse too, please," I tell the receptionist. I''m not ready yet to feel another man''s touch on my body. I may have taken off my ring, but that doesn''t mean that I''m ready to ept anybody else.

    In a way, it feels like it would be a betrayal to Ss, and betraying him is something I can never do. At the end of the day, I''m still his wife. I''m his wife until he signs the papers and gives them back to me to file them.

    I lie down on the bed and the masseuse immediately starts working. My body is tense due to the thoughts running in my head. However, it rxes under her touch. She is skilled and knows what she''s doing.

    I don''t know when Ist felt rxed, but I can tell that her touch is doing wonders. A moan escapes my lips when she starts massaging my scalp. In some way, the thoughts stop for a few moments, giving me the chance to enjoy the music in the background. The session is supposedly an hour, but when the masseuse announces that the session is over, it feels like I have only been here for five minutes. She has done wonders. She has managed to make me rx even if there''s a war going on in my head.

    The next day, we spend it by the beach, but make sure not to get any sunburns, because none of us wants to look fried in her dress, especially the bride.

    "Thank you for giving me the trip of a lifetime." Sabrina looks at me with so much gratefulness writterf all over her face.

    "Can you please stop thanking me? I say, doing up. "Yow bever this, Kate and I''m at far you''re happy

    "Are you happy though? Her tone is a theaks.

    b

    It may seem like a simple question from the stude, but in a bed. I dont kanne brow to town. Well, I know from 1 feeling and it''s surely not happiness. I have experienced hugg Asher on users asions. I have d''on experiment partial happiness. And what I''m feeling ww dot emblem

    of them

    If I''m going to describe how I''m feeling right now I would say I

    pry Box priness at the only feeling here. I thick

    I can say I''m lost. I don''t want to voice out my thoughts to age, but sometimes I feel like I made a manice by walking away. Thest time I felt as lost was when I woke up from the wadent able to remember thest two years of my life However, I feel like the feeling is way more aggreined co

    "I think I will get there." I offer her a smile.

    "If you still love him, maybe you should give him another chance my best friend ways. I sometimes find myself thinking about the same thing too, but to say I''m scared would be an vadernemers

    "I''m afraid, Rina. I hate to say this, but I no longer trust St I can''t bring myself to believe it whenever he says he''s ready to change. I heard him say that a lot and do you know what happened every single time? He let me down" Ishaklly inhale and look down.

    "I get it, Rosie, but I don''t want you to be too hard on yourself or him Don''t let your marriage go to waste because you''re trying to prove something to yourself," Sabrina tells me. I''m not going to y oblivious with my best friend. I know what she means by that, so I simply nod and open the book I have been reading for the past couple of days

    Am I ruining my marriage with my stubbornnew?

    Am I doing the right thing?

    I don''t know how to find the answers to such questions. I don''t know what I''m supposed to do to make sure that I''m making the right decisions.

    After spending a few hours at the beach, we all head to our rooms to rx. Sabrina and I are sharing the same room. It''s actually a su¨ªte, not a room.

    "I think I''m going to sleep for a long time," Sabrina murmurs as the gets under the soft white duvet

    "Me too. I don''t know why I always get tired after spending time at the beach. I didn''t even swim for long," I say as I do the same thing. "We should be at the club at ten, so we have a lot of time to waste on sleep."

    And that''s what we do. We end up napping for two hours and when we wake up, I call room service to bring us dinner to our suite. I also make sure to get dinner for the rest of the girls.

    After eating, we start getting ready for the party. I don''t n on getting drunk tonight. In fact, ever since Ss started getting addicted to alcohol, I started to be averse to it. It has be my enemy because it has taken away from me the man I love.

    As we''re getting ready, Sabrina''s phone starts ringing. A crease appears between her eyebrows when she looks at the screen.

    "What''s going on?" I ask, setting down my mascara on the vanity.

    "It''s Ss," she tells me. Why is he calling her? "Should I answer?*

    "It''s up to you." I shrug and move away from the vanity. I open the closet, keeping myself busy with picking my outfit for the night.

    "Hi Ss," she says and I close my eyes. What does he want? "Wait, what?" Her tone catches my attention, forcing me to turn to look at her. "All right. I will tell her, but I don''t know how she may

    react."

    B

    00025%0

    She hangs up and looks at me. Is something wrong? Worry starts to gnaw at my gut.

    "Is there bad news?" I ask, not knowing what to expect.

    "It all depends on how you''ll see this actually," she says, taking a deep breath. "Rosie, I think you may need to go to the lobby. Ss is down there and he wants to see you."

 Chapter 185

    Chapter

    185

    I''m nervous. I haven''t seen Knox since he was in California to attend Rosie''s fashion show. The fact that my best friend attended my wife''s fashion show and I didn''t proves how much of a fuck-up I am.

    It''s not only that, but I made him question whether my wife was safe with me or not. I spoke like an empty-headed asshole who was full of arrogance. When I got drunk while we were hanging out together, I revealed to him a side of me he had never seen. Frankly, that side was new to me. It didn''t exist at college and neither did it exist before the ident.

    As I look at all that I have been doing for the past few months, shame fills me. How did I allow myself to turn into that atrocious version of me?

    "Hi Knox," I say when he opens the front door of his house. I''m not sure if I''m still the best man at his wedding or not. I messed up big time and I never apologized. I''m here now to do it though. He seems surprised to see me. Maybe it''s because I haven''t told him I will being. I was scared of telling him because I didn''t want to hear him tell me that he didn''t want

    to see me.

    I can''t take the loss of another important person. I''m hanging by a thread.

    For the past few days, that''s all that I have been doing. I have been trying to fix my mistakes and pick up the mess I made. I have my doubts and sometimes, I tend to think that I have already lost everything and nothing I do will fix what I ruined, but I would rather try than keep thinking about the what-ifs.

    "Hi, man. Come on in." He wees me into his home, which is a good start. He would have kicked me out if he was mad at me, right?

    My heart is beating fast. I guess this is how one feels when they terribly mess up. I have been friends with Knox for more than seven years and it would really crush me if I lost him because of my own stupidity.

    "Do you want something to drink?" he asks me, as I follow him to the kitchen.

    "Just water," I reply, taking a seat on the kitchen chair.

    "I''m d that you stopped drinking," he tells me. I like the fact that Knox doesn''t beat around the bush. He has been vocal about his dislike for the new terrible habit I picked. Now that I''m trying to recover, he also lets me know how he truly feels about this. "I have been sober for ten days now. I know it''s not much, but I like to believe that it''s a good start," I tell him, taking a sip of my water.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    "You won''t be sober for a month without being sober for ten days first and you gottaplete your first month before reaching your three months of sobriety. Everything counts and I''m proud of you for finally realizing that you need to act quickly," he says, managing to make me feel better about myself

    fax

    "I came here to... apologize for the way I acted when you were at my ce." Apologize seems to be too small express my true intentions. "I was at a really dark ce and frankly, I''m probably still there, but I''m doing my best to not give in, and I mistakingly took it out on the people I love the most, so I''m here to tell you that I''m sorry and I... understand if you no longer want me to be your best man." I''m not even sure if I''m still his best man.

    Knox stares at me for a couple of seconds before he startsughing, bending down and clutching his stomach. What''s so funny about what I said?

    "I''m sorry man, but did you actually think that I would stop being your friend because of that one incident? You''re such a moron," hements, taking me by surprise. Have I been overthinking?

    "I thought I messed up big time," I mutter.

    "You did, but it''s not something unforgivable," he assures me. "Unless you''re trying to back out of your duties as my best

    18:40 Mon, Dec 2 GO.

    Chapter 185-

    man." My best friend smirks, making me chuckle.

    "Wouldn''t dream of it," I tell him with a smile. A heavy load I have been bearing has just been lifted off my chest.

    I wish it was as easy as that with my wife, but what I did to her is way worse than what I did to Knox.

    "You still know nothing about Rosic?" Knox asks as the two of us head to the living room. We take a seat on the dark grey couch, and I lean back to rest my back.

    "All I know is that she''s okay, but I don''t know anything about her whereabouts. The thing is... her birthday is in two days, and this is the first time I don''t get to spend it with her." I have already bought her gift, but I don''t know if she is going to ept it from me when we see each other.

    I can''t believe I need to wait for twelve more days to see her. I don''t think I have the required patience for such an impossible task. If I know where she is, I''m going to get to her and do whatever it takes me to get her to talk to me.

    "Maybe you will be able to get in contact with her before the wedding," Knox says.

    I nod, hoping for that too, but for a second, his words do something to my brain.

    "Sabrina is away for her bachelorette party, right?" I quickly ask and he nods, looking at me with confusion.

    Quickly, I unlock my phone and view Sabrina''s profile. As expected, she has posted a story. I open the story and a smile appears on my lips.

    "Why are you smiling like that?" Knox wonders.

    38%

    "I know where my girl is and I''m going to travel to where she is," I say, standing up. They''re all in Puerto Rico. Now that I think of it, I realize that my wife has told me before about where she nned on taking Sabrina. Was I barely paying her any attention or my mind has also been conspiring against me?

    "Are you sure it''s a good idea?" Knox sounds unsure.

    "I will go there and ask her to talk to me. If he refuses, I will leave. I just want her to know that I''m willing to do anything to get her to listen to what I have to say. I want her to understand that I''m willing to go the extra mile for her," I exin to my best friend. "Don''t worry. I won''t ruin Sabrina''s bachelorette party."

    Sabrina is a close friend of mine and I would never want

    to upset her.

    Maybe if I go there, Rosie will understand what she means to me. Maybe this can be proof that she is my priority and I''m ready to do anything for her sake.

    She has always been a sucker for the grand gestures she reads about in her novels. I can give her billions of them if it means that I can win her back.

    My beautiful girl is worth the effort and I''m going to show her that.

    0

 Chapter 186

    17:19 Tue, Dec 3D Chapter 186

    I can''t believe that Ss is here. I know that he is persistent and doesn''t easily give up, but I didn''t think that he would follow me to another country. How did he even know that I''m here?

    I quickly put on a T-shirt and some shorts before making my way to the lobby. Has he already booked a room here? Is he going to stay for as long as we''re staying? We''re leaving in two days, and I bet there''s Knox''s bachelor''s party he should be preparing for by now. Has he hired somebody to do the preparations while he busies himself with following me to another ce?

    When I reach the lobby, I take a deep breath and look for him. I don''t know what he wants to say and I''m not sure if I can listen to him without giving in. It doesn''t take me long to spot him. I can easily spot Ss wherever he is.

    His eyes meet mine and a small smile appears on his lips. I haven''t seen him for ten days and I have to admit, it looks like he has cleaned up well. He has shaved his beard and his hair looks good. I remember that he got a haircut before the fashion show. He told me that. Something about his face seems different in a good way. It looks brighter and generally, he looks more handsome.

    "Hi, Rosie." He sounds nervous in an adorable way that almost makes me smile. No, I shouldn''t be thinking like that. I''m mad at him. I left him divorce papers.

    "Hi, Ss." It''s so hard to prevent myself from smiling at him. "What are you doing here?" I ask although I know the answer.

    came here for you. I need to talk to you," he says. He''s staring into my eyes, making it hard for me to have control over my own feelings. My heart is beating quickly.

    "There''s nothing to talk about. I left you the papers and I just need you to sign them." Why do I suddenly have this feeling that I''m going to break into a million pieces if he does that?

    "I''m not going to sign them, Rosie. I''m not going to let you walk away," he argues, and I shake

    my head.

    "Are you going to force me into staying with you?" I fold my arms over my chest.

    "No, I''m not going to force you into anything. I''m simply going to show you what you mean to me. I will show you that I regret everything. I love you, Rosie. I never stopped and I''m sorry that we needed to reach this point, so I could realize how horrible I had been, but I will fix it all." He sounds sincere. My heart flutters at his words and I curse that organ for beating for nobody else but Ss.

    "You shouldn''t havee. I don''t want to ruin Sabrina''s bachelorette party by causing any drama," I change the subject, looking away from him.

    "I''m not going to ruin anything for her. Don''t worry about that. But your birthday is tomorrow, and I''m not used to spending that day away from you. I just wanted to tell you happy birthday," he tells me, managing to take me by surprise. "Why do you seem, surprised, Rosie? Did you think I would forget your birthday?"

    "No, it''s..." I don''t even know what to tell him. He has managed to render me speechless. I know that he has never forgotten my birthday, but this year is different. Everything has changed between us.

    "I''m twelve days sober," he lets me know, and I smile.

    "I''m proud of you? I hope I sound as genuine as I feel.

    "I''m also doing well in physiotherapy and the doctor told me that I might be able to y again in two months," he gives me more information about his life.

    "I''m really happy for you, Ss. I''m d that you''re getting back on track." I hate that it took my leaving for that to happen

    DAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    17:19 Tue, Dec 3.

    because I never wanted to leave in the first ce.

    "I''m sorry the

    you had to walk away for me to realize the mess I made." Why is he reading my thoughts? "But we can fix this, Rosie. Just give me a chance to prove to you that I can fix what I broke."

    45

    "I still need time, Ss. Maybe we can talk after the wedding," I tell him. His shoulders slump and the expression on his face tells me that he''s disappointed. I hate disappointing him when he''s doing so much to get his life back on track, but I''m also still confused. I need time to think about everything.

    Even if I''m going to take back my decision about divorce, I need some kind of security that would guarantee I could trust Ss.

    "I''m not going to sign the divorce papers, Rosie. I''m not giving up on you easily. I need you to keep that in mind," he tells me. I don''t know what to tell him. I''m not sure if I want him to sign the documents or fight more for me.

    I don''t know anything anymore. I thought that I wanted a divorce but seeing him in front of me after he cleaned up his act is messing with my brain. I''m one step away from asking him to spend the night with me.

    "We will talkter, Ss." That''s all that I manage to say.

    "Do you think I can hug you? I miss you, Rosie." The look in his eyes forces me to give in. I only give him a small nod, but he catches it and doesn''t miss the chance to hold me tightly in his embrace. It takes me a second to react and do the same. For the first time in a while, I feel like I''m with the man I fell in love with. I feel like I can see the man I married.

    "I''m greedy when ites to you, Rosie, so I''m just going to shoot my shot and hope for the best. Do you think I can take you out on a date tomorrow to celebrate your birthday?" He sounds so hopeful, but I cannot ept this. I cannot let him take me on a date now, because this is going to cloud my judgement more than it''s already clouded.

    "I don''t think it''s a good idea, Ss," I say, stepping away.

    "I figured you''d say no, but I just needed to ask." He gives me a sad smile. "Happy birthday, beautiful. Take care of yourself." He kisses my forehead before walking away, leaving me more confused than I have already been.

 Chapter 187

    Sabrina''s wedding is today. I''m so excited for my best friend. She looks absolutely gorgeous in her wedding dress.

    It''s been exactly ten days since Ist saw Ss. Ever since he showed up in Puerto Rico, my emotions have been all over the ce. I no longer know what I want. I would be a liar if I said I don''t love him anymore, but I know what the problem is. I''m simple scared. I''m scared of trusting him. What if I get back together with him and he ends up getting back to alcohol? I don''t want to get disappointed again. I don''t want to be met with the indifference he showed me before.

    "Where are my shoes? Oh my God! I''m gonna be sote." Sabrin is freaking out. We are fifteen minuteste because the makeup artist got stuck in traffic, but they''re only fifteen minutes.

    "Here you go. We are ready," I tell her, cing her heels in front of her.

    "Is my dad waiting outside?" she asks.

    "I''m going to call for hing, I announce and walk out of her room to fetch her dad. Just as I close the door behind me, I find Ss in front of me in the hallway. He looks absolutely breathtaking in his blue suit. His hair is perfectly styled, and his beard is shaved. way

    "Hello there, gorgeous," he says, making his way towards me. Automatically, my heartbeats quicken the closer he gets. My heart will never stop beating for him..

    "Hi, I breathe out, keeping my eyes fixated on him. "We''re all ready to go. Do you know where Sabrina''s dad is?" I ask, wanting to get away from Ss as soon as possible. How am I going to spend the whole day around him?

    "You can go back to Sabrina. I will tell him Sabrina is ready." I nod at his words, giving him a small smile. This isn''t the same man I left twenty-two days ago. This one looksposed and reliable. He is just like the man I fell in love with. "You look absolutely gorgeous, cupcake."

    "And you look handsome," I tell him. I''m not evenplimenting him. I''m simply stating the truth. My husband looks like a delicious piece of cake.

    Sneakily, he steals a kiss from me as he ces his lips on my cheek, making me smile. If only I can trust him again...

    If only I could let go of my fear.

    I return to Sabrina''s room and just like Ss has told me, he manages to find the bride''s dad fast.

    The groom and his men walk down the aisle first and take their ce at the end of it. The bridesmaids follow them, then it''s Sabrina''s turn. I''m walking behind her to make sure that her veil looks good behind her. As she takes her ce at the end of the aisle right in front of Knox, I also take my ce behind her.

    I should be focusing on my best friend. I''m the maid of honour and I should be attentive to her needs; however, I''m a bit distracted. I''m distracted by the handsome man who is still legally my husband. For a moment, his eyes meet mine, causing me to quickly look away. The audience''s cheers bring me back to reality and I smile widely when I see Knox and Sabrina kissing. They''re officially married, and I couldn''t be happier for them.

    The newlywed couple make their way out of the church and we follow behind. It doesn''t escape my notice how Ss keeps himself close to me. To be honest, I want to be close to him. I want him to touch me despite everything.

    "What''s that band?" Ss asks. I look at him with a frown, not knowing what he means, but I follow his eyes and notice that he''s looking at my ring finger.

    4

    "Oh, I decided to put on a wedding band because this is a wedding. I don''t want people to think I''m open for any rtionships," 1 exin. Something about what I have just said makes a ghost of a smile appear on his face for a second before disappearing. 00%

    "I have this if you want it." My eyes widen when he takes my wedding ring out of his pocket. Has he been carrying it around? "If you put it on, I won''t take it as a sign of reconciliation," he assures me.

    I stare at the ring for a moment, debating whether I should wear it or not. I decide to wear it, because I don''t want anyone to get the wrong idea at the wedding. A sense offort and familiarity takes over me when I put it on. I miss having it on. It gives me a sense of belonging.

    "Wearing it doesn''t mean anything, okay?" I feel the need to tell him that. I don''t want him to think that wearing it means I''m going to let him take me home.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Don''t worry, Rosie. I won''t get the wrong idea." He attempts to seem indifferent, but I know him. I understand that he doesn''t like what I said, but that doesn''t stop me from reminding him that things aren''t okay between us.

    We reach the venue after thirty minutes and before the party starts, the bridesmaids and groomsmen take a lot of pictures with the bride and groom. I love how the photo session is fun, and we all get to take vivid pictures with Sabrina and Knox.

    "Come here, my gorgeous maid of honour," Sabrina mutters, pulling me towards her, and making me giggle. The photographer snaps a few pictures of us together before Knox joins us. I take a few pictures with the two of them, then the photographer calls for the best man, who happens to be Ss, to join us.

    "Can you snap a couple of pictures for me with my wife?" Ss asks the photographer, making me snap my head towards him so quickly that it aches.

    "Oh, you two are married? That''s great! Perhaps I can take a picture of you two kissing and the bride and groom kissing?" the photographer suggests.

    I''m about to protest, but my husband gently pulls me towards him while saying, "Excellent idea!" I re at him, but he just gives me a cheeky smile, making me roll my eyes at him. Ss has always been yful and cheeky, so I don''t think I''m going to easily get rid of his antics. "I''m going to kill him," I whisper to Sabrina when I find her close to me.

    "No, you won''t." She smirks and I mentally groan. Knowing my best friend, she doesn''t want me to get a divorce, because she firmly believes that Ss and I love each other too much to let go.

    "In case you haven''t noticed, my dear wife, I''m extremely desperate to kiss you and if this is the only way for me to do that, I''m going to shamelessly seize this opportunity," he tells me before smacking his lips against mine. Truthfully, I miss the way his lips feel.

 Chapter 188

    I''m not sure if what I''m doing is right or not, but here she is, standing in front of me, looking at beautiful as ever in her burgundy dress. How am I supposed to resist her? How am I supposed to act like I can keep myself under control? I don''t have the slightest bit of control

    when ites to her. I want to back her against a wall and remind her how we perfectly fit each other.

    But I know Ro?ie well. If she didn''t want to kiss me, she would have found a way out. She kissed me, though. And it wasn''t a short kiss. It wasn''t for pictures. She kissed me like she wanted te like she had been longing for my lips just like I had longing for hers. When she put on the ring, a sense of content andfort washed over me. I''m well aware that she''s not ready to go home with me, but I know that this can also be a step towards winning her back.

    I have a strong feeling that Rosie isn''t exactly certain about the whole divorce thing, which is a good sign, because this means that I still have a chance. I know that I broke her trust, but I''m willing to do anything to win her back.

    "Do you happen to have a virgin mojito?" I ask the bartender, feeling thirsty. We are at the reception. The vibes are awesome, and everybody is having fun. It looks like my girl is having the time of her life with her best friend. back

    We haven''t talked ever since the kiss we shared, and I don''t know if we''re going to talk again tonight or not, but I want to. I want to talk to her all night long if it''s possible.

    I thank the bartender as I take my drink from him. When I turn around to walk away, I almost bump into Rosie. Her eyes travel to the drink I''m holding and the doubt that fills them doesn''t escape my notice.

    "It''s a virgin mojito," I answer her wondering mind. "Try it." I hand her the ss, knowing that she likes it.

    The moment she takes a sip from it, her eyes go wide. "This is not virgin mojito, Ss. It has alcohol," she tells me, making me look at her in confusion.

    "Come with me," I calmly say and take her to the bartender, wanting to kill any sort of doubt she might have. "I asked for a virgin mojito, right?" I tell the bartender.

    "Yes," he confirms

    my

    order.

    "This doesn''t look virgin to me. Give it a go," I tell him, setting the drink on the bar. He hesitatingly takes a sip from the drink and his eyes go wide upon realizing that the drink contains alcohol. "You were about to ruin twenty-two days of sobriety for me!" I hiss before storming away. The only thing that prevents me from picking a fight with that moron is the fact that this is my best friend''s wedding and thest thing I want to do is cause a scene.

    "Ss." I hear Rosie''s voice, making me stop walking. Currently, I''m outside the venue, attempting to calm myself down. Had it not been for Rosie, I would have drunk the alcoholic beverage and ruined the twenty-two days of sobriety I managed toplete. Does she believe that I didn''t order the alcoholic drink? Did that asshole ruin any chance I had with her?

    "Are you okay?" she asks, bringing herself to stand in front of me.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I will be eventually, but I''m just angry," I tell her. She looks concerned, making me feel like she truly wants to make sure that I''m all right. "You do know that I didn''t order an alcoholic drink, right?" I feel the need to tell her that. I don''t want her to think that I intended to fool her. I need her to believe that I never intended to lie to her. I''m trying to make amends with her, so I''m not going to tell her such a big lie and ruin everything with her.

    I know." She offers me an assuring smile that eases my nerves. "You gave me the drink to try and I know it when you lie. You didn''t look like you were lying when you told me which drink you ordered. Unless you have gotten so good at lying, which is something I doubt." The yful tone and adorable smile do not leave her face as she speaks to me.

    15:4

    Fri, Dec 6

    "Burgundy looks so good on you, Rosie," I change the subject. It slightly dark, so I don''t get to see her blush like usual. However, she ends up looking down for a second with a shy smile on her face before lifting her face, allowing her eyes to meet mine again. "It''s been a while since Ist wore this color. I love it on me," she tells the. I''m d that we''re talking. I want to hear her voice and have a long conversation with her. I miss cuddling on the couch with her while watching movies. I miss the way I used to rest my head on herp while she yed with my hair.

    "Now you might use me of flirting with you, which is what I''m doing, but all colors suit you, Rosie. You dull the beauty of every girl whenever you walk inside a room." I''m ying with all the cards I have. Flirting with her is one of them.

    She giggles at what I have just said and I chuckle as I keep my eyes on her. Before I get to say anything else, a song I know she adores starts ying, catching her attention.

    "We may not be on the best terms, but I miss dancing with you. Do you feel generous enough tonight to let me dance with you?" I wonder, extending my hand for her, hoping she''d take it.

    "I feel generous tonight, so maybe we can dance." She ces her hand in mine and my heart does a backflip. Am I on the right track? Am I close to getting her to tear the divorce papers into a thousand pieces? "Let''s dance here." She ces one hand on her back while hold her other hand. She fits so well against me, as if we''re made for one another. I cannot let her run away from me.

    I wonder if she wants us to dance here because she doesn''t want anybody to see us together. Nevertheless, I''m willing to ept anything she gives me.

    "Aren''t you going to give me a chance, Rosie?" My tone is pleading. I don''t want to leave this wedding today while knowing things are still bad between us.

    "I''m scared," she admits, keeping her eyes on mine. "I''m scared that if I put everything behind you end up going back to the things that made me leave in the first ce."

    I shake my head. I would never go back to such things. No, I can''t do that to her. I can never put her through that amount of pain ever again. "I won''t. I promise I won''t. Why can I do to make you believe me?"

    "I honestly don''t know," she whispers, looking down.

    "I

    show

    mean to me," I suggest, you what you "How about this?" We stop dancing and I hold her chin by my index finger and thumb, making her look at me. "You don''t need to fully forgive me now. Give me time to show you that I changed. Let me looking at her.

    She stays silent for a moment before slowly nodding, making a wide smile appear on my face. "But we won''t be staying under the same roof, Ss. You can take me on dates. We can attend events together. We can do anything you want together, but I still want to maintain some distance to assess everything." I''m dying to take her home, but if this is what she wants, I''m going to give her that.

    "Okay. We can do that, but can you please stay at our home? I will stay somewhere else, but I just want to make sure that you''re safe and sound," I request, hoping she agrees.

    "Where do you n on staying?" she asks, as if I''m not going to find a ce for myself.

    "I think I may stay with my parents. I haven''t spent a lot of time with themtely," I tell her.

    "Okay, Ss. I will move back to our ce," she says.

    I don''t know why Rosie is agreeing with almost everything I''m saying tonight, but I''m thankful for that. I''m thankful that she is giving me mother chance. I''m certain that I''m not going to let it go to waste.

 Chapter 189

    I''m in my office at home, working on some new designs. I have been thinking about the new fashion show I''m supposed to prepare for. It''s a year away, but sometimes a year isn''t enough.

    It''s been a week since Ss and I agreed to make amends. Some may think that he had me under his spell that night, but I wasn''t. Lately, I''ve been thinking about our rtionship and all that has been happening. When I left the divorce papers for Ss, I had a firm belief that we weren''t going to make it. I thought that we had reached a dead end; however, things have changed.

    I can tell that Ss is trying his best and I''m not going to walk away from him while he''s doing his best. I still love him with everything in me and if he manages to get it all together, I''m not going to walk away from him.

    As I''m thinking about the best colour for the design I''m working on, my phone rings. This is Ss.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    "Hey there," I say while eyeing five different shades of orange.

    "Hi, Rosie. Do you have time to meet? It''s kinda important." I can tell from his tone that something is wrong. I can imagine the look he has on his face and I''m not fond of it.

    "What''s going on, Ss?" I ask, pushing the colours away. Is he in trouble? Is something wrong? Is he hurt? Does he want to tell me that he has rpsed?

    "Well, my alcohol addiction has been outed to the media. We need to meet with my publicist. Do you think you can do that? The anxiousness in his tone makes me forget all the designs I''m thinking about and working on.

    "Where is the meeting? Can you send me a location?" I ask, already making my way to the bedroom to change since I''m in a pair of sports shorts.

    "I will send you everything. Thank you, Rosie." He sounds grateful and relieved. Did he think I''m going to refuse to help him out in such a dire situation?

    I''m about to tell him something, but the inte rings. "Hold up, Ss. I think the guards want something."

    "Hello, is everything all right?" I say, picking up.

    "Ma''am, we need to call extra security. A lot of reporters are outside, and they want to talk to you." My eyes widen upon hearing that.

    I take a deep breath before heading to a window that allows me to see the front of the house. My office is on the other side of the house and the windows overlook the backyard, so I barely get to hear anything if the windows are closed. Surely, there are at least ten reporters, and the guards are doing everything in their power to keep them away.

    "Ss, I may not be able toe as quickly as you want me to. I''m sorry, but there are a lot of reporters outside. I need more time," I apologize. I know that he''s already stressed, and I hate that I''m currently adding more to that stress, but this is out of my hands. "Reporters? I wille pick you up, okay?" he tells me.

    "No, Ss. If youe, they will get wilder, and this is thest thing we want. We want them to leave. Listen, I will just tell the guards to call the securitypany to get me more guards, so I can leave, yeah? I promise it''s nothing." I''m trying to calm him down even though I''m not calm at all. Reporters freak me out because they tend to act like wild animals, hoping to get thetest news even if they''re going to put somebody else in danger.

    Ss is aware of how they make me feel. "Are you sure you''ll be all right until the guards arrive?" he asks me. I love how he treats me with so much care and love. I miss this side of him. I''m not saying that he stopped caring, because I know Ss. He will never stop caring about me. He never stopped. He simply stopped showing me that he cared and I''m a person who

    III

    <

    58%

    prefers actions over words...

    "Yes, I''m sure, but..." I stop myself from talking, feeling stupid.

    "But what, Rosie? What do you want, cupcake?" he speaks softly.

    "Do you think you can stay on the phone with me until the guards arrive?" I hesitatingly ask.

    "of course, cupcake," he says, making me smile.

    He stays on the phone with me for more than thirty minutes, giving me thefort I''m looking for. While waiting for the guards, I try to force myself to stay away from the windows. I know that my anxiety will worsen if I keep looking at the reporters and I think Ss also knows that too, so while being on the phone with me, he keeps reminding me to stay away from them.

    Thankfully, the guards don''t take too long to arrive. I stay on the phone with Ss as one of the guards take the driver''s seat while I take the backseat. There''s also another guard in the passenger seat and a car behind mine that has three other bodyguards. I''m not sure if this is an exaggeration, but I don''t want to take any chances. I won''t be leaving on my own too; Ss will be with me. This is enough for our protection.

    When I arrive, I find Ss waiting for me by the building''s entrance inside the garage. Once I''m near enough, he takes me in his protective embrace and kisses the top of my head.

    "You''re okay, right?" he softly asks, and I nod while smiling at him. I know that he doesn''t mean to check on my physical health. He wants to make sure that my nerves are under control. "Let''s go." He takes my hand in his and we head towards the elevator. "Should I worry about this meeting?" I can''t help but ask as the elevator door closes.

    "No, cupcake. Nobody is going to force you to do anything you don''t want. Whatever you''re going to hear is nothing but suggestions, yeah?" he tells me, and I slowly nod. Something inside of me tells me that Ss knows what his publicist is going to talk to me about. We reach his publicist''s office and sit down beside each other. Andrea, his publicist, is well-known in the field and she knows how to help her clients maintain a good image. No, scratch that. She doesn''t help them, she makes them maintain a good image whether they like it or not. And she knows how to clean up messes, no matter how huge they are.

    "Rosie, you''re aware that having news about Ss''s addiction surfacing out of thin air while he''s close to returning to the field is quite bad and a kind of attention we don''t want, right?" she tells me.

    "Of course, I''m aware of that." For all my life, I have been surrounded by cameras and shlights. I know how ruthless reporters can be and how nosy the media is when ites to big families and public figures.

    "We''re going to need your help," she says, which is something expected. When Ss asked me toe, I knew I had a role to y. I just don''t know what that role is and apparently, Andrea is going to fill me in.

    "I don''t mind helping. Do you want me to issue a statement? Should I make an appearance at a press conference with Ss?" I wonder, but she shakes her head. I look at Ss and the worry I see on his face indicates that he knows what she''s going to ask of me.

    "We need more of you," she starts then inhales before continuing, "I know that things haven''t been good between the two of you, but I need the two of you to put your disagreements aside and act like a united front."

    What does she mean by that? Aren''t we already showing a united front in front of everybody?

    But we''re already doing that," I point out. Again, she shakes her head.

    "Reporters are nosy, Rosie. They have their way to find out everything. We don''t want them to find out that the two of you aren''t living together." I can already feel where this is going, and don''t like this.

    19:15

    Sat, Dec

    7

    3

    58%

    ""What

    are

    you

    exactly trying to

    say?" I ask

    even

    though

    I know

    the answer,

    but

    I just

    want

    to make sure that

    I''m

    not jumping

    to any conclusions.

    you

    "I need to live under the same roof, go out

    on dates

    social events together. You may also need to

    attend a few of his games once he makes aeback. This should go on for at least six months." She drops the information

    on me.

    regrly and

    attend

    I

    look at Ss and find him looking away,

    as if

    he''s running away from my eyes.

    "Did you know she''s going to ask this of me?" I

    "I calmly ask him. .This is not what we agreed on. He told me he was going to give me the time I needed. This isn''t him giving me time. This is asking

    me to rush my ns.

    "I told you you''re not obligated to agree to any do," Whe says.

    of this, Rosie. I''m not going to force

    you to do anything you don''t want to

    Andrea rushes to say. The look she shoots

    "But of course, your help is incredibly needed, and it will make a huge difference,"

    husband the moment he reminds me that I have a choice doesn''t escape my notice.

    at my

    "I need time to think this through," I tell them, standing up.

    "It''s his reputation that is at

    stake, Rosie," Andrea reminds me.

    "Stop pressuring her. She is free to do whatever she wants," Ss tells her in

    I appreciate the way choice at all. I I know

    him first without a

    Ss has my back, underscoring that I will what I need to do, because when ites second thought.

    a

    stern tone.

    always have a choice, but the thing is, I don''t. I don''t have a

    and the way the media portrays him, I''m going to put

    to Ss

    SEND

    ww

    0

    O GIFT

    COMMENT

    NEW

 Chapter 190

    you don''t have in do this, rosie Sils wits me ofed ham able as four ago and bed him to our mer. We weer pist a to publier''s offer a few hours ag

    I have just informed him that I''m going to go through with wh Andres has fold us My mind hum already been marte

    Jum morning, but I needed to be stone to think about everything before telling Sitas my declin

    "I know i don''t, but I want to," Lreply. I don''t want him to be the Tople of the hour in the most negative way I''m not going t let the media harass him. If we need to show a united front tire then leave him alone, then we''re going to do that

    F''m also aware that it''s not just the media that I have to care alw here. His entire future may depend on what''s going to happen in the next few months. If his life appears to be falling it, this may affect his future as a yer He may be dropped by his favorite team and if this happens, he''s going to be crushed. It may also be hard to receive a good offer from any reputable team. I''m not going to stand there and watch his ficure fall apart

    "Thank you, Rosie. This means a lot to me. He offers me a genuine smile.

    "But I do have condition Ss." I still need to protect whatever sort of privacy I need to assess my whole rtionship with

    him

    "Understandable. What are they?" he asks.

    because

    "We won''t be sleeping in the same room, and I will need you to leave me to my own devices from time to time. Just we live under the same roof, that doesn''t mean that we''re going to spend each passing moment together," I say, earning a pod from him. "Does that include having meals together too?" he wonders. I honestly haven''t thought about that.

    "Well, we don''t need to have all meals together, but if we''re both around at the same time, I think there won''t be a problem if we eat together." I shrug, "I can take the guest room, and you can take the master one," I suggest, but he shakes his head. "Stay where you are. I will take the guest room." I don''t fight him on this one because I like sleeping in our bed. "I guess I need to go fetch my clothes from my parents'' ce."

    "I can go with you if you want," I offer. I haven''t seen them in so long.

    "Sure." He agrees with a smile..

    I know that part of me may be giving him mixed signals, but right now, I don''t want to pull myself away from his life. If anything, I want to reintegrate myself into it because I want to make sure that he has truly changed.

    I have a feeling that Ss and I are going to be back together, but I don''t want to rush it at all. He has been sober for almost a month, but a month can never be enough to ce my whole judgment.

    After changing my clothes, we both head to his car. There are now more security guards in our house. After today''s events, we decided to have more security, because we don''t know what to expect from reporters.

    It doesn''t take us a lot of time to reach his parents'' home. I have a feeling I haven''t been here in so long. I don''t actually remember thest time I came here.

    "Rosie! It''s so good to see you!" Naomi exims the moment she sees me while flinging her arms around me.

    "I miss you," I say, wrapping my arms around her too.

    "Are you staying for dinner? Please tell me you can do that," she says as we pull apart.

    I look at Ss, not knowing if he has other ns for the rest of the night. He shrugs, giving me the green light to agree.

    Chapter on

    1 hvert even though she having dinner with the pau even afready, I thought they would bake Mitrary

    Why haven''t you had dinner wall secrets the queune maskContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Var sad er stuck in a mating and he writer wen

    have dinner together," she cheerfully says, making me wale.

    I join them at the table and takes sent brede Sa

    "I''m moving back to our home. Ss announces at the table, exthing a look of surprise from his parents and even Aniyat

    The media has found out about my addiction and Andrea, my pudicit, surd that it would be best for my image to shows the media that what happened didn''t affect my marriage with Rodie We need to keep a fa?ade for around me months." he exins the situation to them. "What fa?ade?" Don wonders. I''m letting Ss do all the talking. I don''t feelfortable telling his family that our marri is now a mere act. We''re going to act like a happy couple even if we''re not. Our marriage has taken a weird cycle, and I don'' what stage ising next "That we have a happy life and what happened doesn''t have any effect on us," he answers his father.

    "But aren''t you two already working on fixing your rtionship?" Naomi wonders.

    "Yes, which is why we thought we could make the most out of it. Maybe this is a chance for us to fix what has been broken," 1 reply, feeling the need to help him out. I don''t want him to feel like he''s at a loss. I want him to know that I fully support him and won''t let him face anything alone. The most important thing is, I don''t want Ss to believe that he''s the only one who wants to fix this marriage.

    Luckily, we change the subject after a while. As I''m talking to Naomi and Aniyah, I manage to catch a glimpse at Ss and find him a bit zoned out. I don''t know what''s going on in his mind, but I don''t like the look on his face, so I do the only thing I can do at the dinner table. I reach for his hand and intertwine our fingers together. It takes him less than a second to snap out of it and he gives me a small while while gently squeezing my hand.

    "Rosie, can I talk to you?" Aniyah shyly says.

    "Of course." I smile at her.

    "Can you do me a favor?" She sounds hesitant, making me feel that she''s in trouble and need my help in some way.

    "Anything," I say in a heartbeat.

    "I''m... I''m getting bullied at school," Her voice is low and shy, and she keeps looking around, probably because she doesn''t want anybody to hear her. "It''s mainly because of my braces and they say I don''t have a nice style. Now, they''re talking about Ss being an alcoholic.... Do you think you can take me shopping? I thought... maybe if I dress nicely, they can stop for at while."

    She is close to tears, and I hate seeing her like this. I take her in my arms and gently rub her back. "If you want to cry, you can do that." And as if she has been waiting for me to say so, she explodes, and I tighten my hold on her.

    "Is everything okay?" I hear Ss''s voice.

    I turn around and nod. "Yes, we just need to be alone to talk," I assure him. He seems hesitant; however, he eventually nods and walks away.

    "Let''s go to your room to talk, yeah?" I tell her, wiping her tears. She takes a shaky breath and nods. I take her to her room, and we sit on her bed. I still can''t believe that Aniyah is getting bullied. She is an amazing girl and beautiful inside and out. Why would other kids pick on her?

    B

    "Aniyah, I need you to be honest with me. Do Holden and Lily ake part in this whole bullying thing?"

    "Holden has his own friends now. We are not as close as we used to be, because you know.. boys will be boys." She shrugs as she looks at me, then her eyes drop. "As for Lily, when the bullying started, she walked away, telling me she didn''t want to get bullied too." I''m relieved that my siblings aren''t Aniyah''s bullies, but I''m still mad at them for not sticking up for her, especially Lily.

    "Listen, Lily, I need you to know something. You don''t need to change your style if you feelfortable in your own style, yeah? You''re amazing and beautiful. You don''t need to change to please anyone," I say, cing a hand on her cheek.

    She smiles through her tears, breaking my heart. "Thank you, Rosie, but I... I still need a little change."

    1 understand a teenager''s need for a change and if this is going to make her feel better, then I''m going to give her that. I also know how ruthless other kids can be and I''m not going to let them walk over her. "Then we can do that." I beam and she throws herself in my

    arms.

 Chapter 191

    "I''m leaving. Do you want me to get you something while I''m out?" I ask Ss. I''m taking Aniyah shopping today just like I promised her. She''s looking forward to buying new clothes and can''t wait till I give her the make-over she has been pretty enthusiastic about. "Where are you going?" Ss wonders. I haven''t told him anything about my talk with Aniyah, sensing that she wants to keep the whole thing private.

    "I''m taking Aniyah shopping. You don''t mind, right?" I suddenly feel cautious, not sure if I''m overstepping. Yes, we''re still married, and she is my sister-inw; however, I don''t know if Sas has any concerns about my hanging out with his family without him now since we''re technically evaluating our whole rtionship.

    "Of course not," he quickly says. "You''ve always considered Aniyah your little sister and I know you love her so much. You don''t need my permission to take her out."

    "I was also thinking... maybe she can spend the night with us. She has been feeling downtely, and I want to make her feel better," I suggest. I''m already nning on paying a visit to her school and having a serious talk with her bullies. This is in addition to the talk I n on having with my siblings who have let me down.

    "That sounds great. We can even have a Harry Potter marathon. She''s a sucker for this series," he agrees with me, making me smile.

    "I will see you around dinner. Don''t eat on your own. I will bring food with me," I cheerfully tell him and make my way to the door.

    "Rosie," Ss calls my name, causing me to stop. I turn around to look at him and he says, "Thank you for everything you''re doing for my sister. It means a lot to me." I blush, suddenly feeling shy.

    "She''s my sister too," I tell him before leaving the house.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

    It''s been three days since I made the decision to help him out. He has officially been away from alcohol for a month and I''m super proud of him. During the past three days, he went to therapy once and to physiotherapy once. We watched a movie togetherst night and he was the one who prepared all the snacks. For a moment, I felt like we were back to the first six months of our marriage.

    We''re getting close to our second anniversary and honestly, I''m not sure how things are going to be. It''s less than two months away and I know that despite the state of our marriage, I want to buy him a gift; a thoughtful one if I might add.

    I love the gift he bought me for my birthday. It was really thoughtful of him. He bought me a rotatingmp that turns the whole room into a night sky full of stars and a salt moonmp. I ced the moonmp on the table I have in front of the enormous bookcase I have and as for the rotatingmp, I move it around the house wherever I want to read. I sometimes turn it on when I''m not reading because I love the vibes it gives me.

    Ss and I don''t buy each other expensive gifts because we''re both aware that each of us can get whatever they want. That''s why we opt for thoughtful gifts, something that we know the other will truly love no matter how simple it is. At the end of the day, it''s not about how expensive a gift is. The love and care that one puts in a gift counts more

    When I make it to Ss''s parents'' ce, I ring the doorbell and wait for somebody to open the door for me. Aniyah opens the door for me with excitement written all over her face.

    "Ready, beautiful" I ask her and she enthusiastically nod. "I have been thinking. Do you want to spend the night at our ce? We can have a Harry Potter marathon if you want."

    Her eyes widen and a wide smile appears on her face. "I would love that!" she exims, making me chuckle.

    "Then let me ask Naomi." I grin.

    T

    1/2.

    T

    It doesn''t take a lot of convincing to get Naomi to agree.

    "I forgot something in my room! I won''t take time!" Aniyah quickly says before dashing upstairs.

    "I want to thank you for what you''re doing for her," Naomi tells me, making me smile. I''m not sure if she knows what''s going on with her daughter or not, but maybe she can sense that something is wrong. "It''s nothing. You know I love her as much as I love Lily," I say.

    "I can tell that something is wrong with Aniyah, but she has been so excited ever since your call yesterday. I haven''t seen her this excited in a while." It brings me joy that Aniyah is excited about our day, but it also breaks my heart that she has been feeling down for a while.

    "I''m going to cheer her up. That''s a promise," I assure Naomi, earning a smile from her.

    It doesn''t take Aniyah a lot of time toe back and once I see her, the two of us head to my car. "Since you''re the passenger princess, you can y whatever you want," I tell her before I start driving.

    During the whole way, we jam to the songs she ys and chat together. It doesn''t take us a lot of time to reach the hair salon. I also want to change my hair colour. I want it blonde as it is but a darker shade. The split ends need to be trimmed, so I n on leaving the hair salon with healthy and shiny hair.

    As for Aniyah, she spoke to me about wanting turquoise at the end of her hair. I asked Naomi about this and luckily, she agreed. Aniyah was reluctant about asking Naomi as she thought that she wasn''t going to agree, but Naomi surprised us when she gave us the green light, saying that it was her age to do such things.

    We both walk inside and get seated beside each other. I know what Aniyah exactly wants, but I give her the opposite to talk to the stylist and tell her everything she wants to do. I want to work on restoring the girl''s confidence, because I''m not going to stand aside and watch her spirit die.

    We spend around two hours at the salon, then we both leave with new hairstyles that we absolutely adore.

    When we reach my car, I frown when I find a piece of paper on my windshield. I pick it up and suck in a breath reading what''s written.

    upon

    gonna regret everything you''ve ever done to me.''

    I crumple the piece of paper and ce it in my bag, feeling the need to keep it. Is someone messing with me? Thest time that happened there was a crazy stalker who wanted to take revenge because I humiliated him me didn''t let him use me.

    Should I tell Ss about this? He is going to be very worried and may not let me leave the house without any bodyguards.

    "Is everything okay?" Aniyah asks me with a frown.

    "Yes, let''s just go." I ster a smile on my face as I get in the car. For the sake of Aniyah, I''m going to do my best to act like nothing is wrong.

    COMMENT

    =

 Chapter 192

    Rosie and I are going to attend a party tonight. This is the first party to attend with her ording to Andrea''s instructions. Rosie doesn''t seem to be all right. She has been like that since yesterday and I don''t know what''s wrong with her. All I know is that I hate seeing her in this state...This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    "Rosie, if you don''t want to go, we don''t have to," I tell her when I see her standing in front of the mirror. She has been staring at her reflection for more than thirty seconds and I can tell that she is zoned out. I came to our bedroom a while ago to get dressed since the suit I wanted to wear wasn''t at the guest room. I was going to take the suit back to my new bedroom, but she told me I was wee to stay and get dressed in our bedroom.

    "W-What? No, I''m good." She turns around and smiles at me, but just like she knows me like the back of her hand, I know her too. She''s an open book to me and right now, I''m seeing a troubled version of her, which makes me feel that she''s hiding something from me. "Is there anything you want to tell me? Did something happen? I ask, approaching her. I don''t want her to think that I''m forcing her to talk, but at the same time, I don''t want her to suffer in silence. I want her to be sure that I''ll always have her back no matter what. She used to tell me that I was the shoulder she could lean on; however, I''m not sure if I''m still that shoulder.

    "Nothing to worry about," she insists, keeping that fake smile on her face. I sigh and nod, not wanting to pressure her. I just hope that she turns to me if it gets too much.

    "Okay, cupcake. I just want to make sure that everything is fine," I tell her with a smile.

    We head to my car. We have a security guard and a driver with us tonight in the same car. I know that there will be many reporters tonight, so I don''t want to divert my attention away from Rosie. There is also another car that''s following us where three other guards are inside. I''m worried about Rosie. I don''t want anything to threaten her sense of peace, so I want to provide her with enough protection.

    After forty minutes, we arrive at the venue where the party is being held. The moment we step out of the car, we get blinded by camera shes. I reach for Rosie''s hand and hold it tightly, not wanting her hand to slip away from mine. She''s not in her best state already, so I don''t want to make her feel worse.

    "Is it true that you two are getting a divorce?"

    "Are you going to quit football, Ss?"

    "How are you handling Ss''s addiction, Rosie?"

    "Do you feel ashamed that your husband is an addict, Rosie?"

    My wife stops in her tracks upon hearing thest question. She looks mad as hell and it''s rare to make her reach this state. I want to stop her before she says anything she may regretter, but I also know Rosie. She is rational and knows exactly what to say. She is not the one to be controlled or tamed. I trust her judgment.

    "I will never be ashamed of Ss. I love him and I suggest you bury whatever ill thoughts you have six feet under," she confidently says before she gives my hand a gentle tug and we continue walking until we arrive inside the venue. "You didn''t have to answer any of their questions, you know," I tell her once we reach our table.

    "But I wanted to. I wasn''t going to let them talk like that about you." I love that defensive side of her. She told the reporter that she loved me, and I want to ask her if she really meant it, but I''m scared of the answer.

    "Thank you," I say with a smile before kissing her cheeks. It''s been a while since I kissed her lips. I''m not sure if I''m allowed to do that or not, but I want to kiss her. I miss the sweet taste of her lips and how soft they feel.

    "Should we go say hi to some people?" she wonders. Not seeing the point of sitting. I agree, and we both get us. We greet some people and spend some time talking to others. During the whole time, I keep my hand or Rosie''s back. I''m not doing is because I''m putting on a show, so everybody believes that we''re okay. My hand is on her back because I want to feel her skin against mine. I want her to stay close to me because I miss how close we used to be physically and figuratively

    "When are you returning to the field. Ss?" Somebody asks me

    "In two weeks," I reply.

    "I bet you''re excited." hements and I nod with a smile.

    I can''t wait to be back. I miss being with the team. I want to be back on the field and y as many games as I can. But as much as I''m excited, I''m also scared. I''m scared of getting a concussion again, because if that happens, the consequences will be grave. I''m dying to return to the field, buttely, I have been wondering if football is really the thing I want to do for at least the next ten or fifteen years of my life. I want to have a family with Rosie and if I want to be a parent, I need to put my children first. If I''m going to put them first, then I need to get a safe job. I don''t want to be injured again in a way that would hinder me from ying or enjoying life with them.

    "Do you want to dance?" Rosie asks me after we finish eating.

    "Only if you want to," I say. She smiles and slips her hand into mine, then we both head to the dance floor.

    Rosie loves dancing so much. Julian told me that she took that love from her mother.

    "Are you feeling better?" I wonder, not forgetting how she looked when we were at home.

    "Yes, better." She smiles at me. "I was just nervous about something, but all is well now."

    I have a feeling that all is not well; however, I''m going to give her the time she needs until she''s ready to talk.

    When we get back to the table, she checks her phone, and the sudden change of her facial expressions tells me whatever she has just read is not pleasant.

    "What''s going on?" I ask.

    "It''s nothing. Forget it." Her answer is rather quick. I know that it''s not nothing, but she doesn''t want to talk, and I can''t force her to do so. I don''t know if she trusts me enough to tell me, but all I can do is keep my eyes on her and make sure she''s okay.

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 Chapter 193

    <b>Chapter </b><b>193</b>

    A wave of unease <b>moves </b>in my stomach, forcing me to open my eyes. I look towards the window <b>and </b>find a not¨Cso¨Cbright <b>beam </b>of sunlight prating the curtains. Something doesn¡¯t feel right at all. My body is heavy<b>, </b>and every movement increases the pain I¡¯m already feeling.

    A sharp churn twists my stomach and suddenly, my breath gets caught in my throat. An unwanted taste of nausea finds its way up my throat<b>, </b>and it doesn¡¯t take a genius to know that I don¡¯t have time to waste.

    I throw the covers and jump out of bed, almost falling. My legs are barely carrying me, and I hardly make it to the bathroom without falling. My chest tightens and a shooting pain makes me clutch my stomach tightly.

    Thankfully, I seed in preventing myself from vomiting before I reach the toilet, but the moment I do, I bend over<b>, </b>and vomit starts toe out of my mouth rapidly. I was all rightst night, so I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening to me. Just when I think that I¡¯m done vomiting, I bend over again and empty my stomach for the second time.

    My throat is burning, and tears are falling from my eyes<b>. </b>I hate this feeling of difort that <b>has </b>conquered my body<b>, </b>and I wonder when it¡¯s going to stop.

    ¡°Rosie, what¡¯s going on?¡± I hear Ss¡¯s voice. Has he heard me all the way from his bedroom? Have I been in the bathroom for so long

    I motion for him to stay away without looking at him, not wanting him to see me in that state.

    ¡°<i>Stay </i>away. I¡¯m puking my guts out,¡± I mutter before whatever is left in my stomach hurls out of my mouth. It seems like Ss decides to ignore what I told him because I feel his hand on my back as he pulls my hair away from my face.

    I don¡¯t know for how long I keep pulling, but when I feel like nothing is left in my stomach, I rest my back against the wall and close my eyes, feelingpletely drained, When I try to open them, everything dances in front of them, which makes me close them again.

    ¡°Rosie, you look very pale. Maybe I should take you to the hospital.¡± I can¡¯t see Ss¡¯s face, but his voice isced with concern. ¡°What are you exactly feeling?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Like a train has run over my body,¡± I murmur. I feel him move from beside me, making me wonder where he ns on going.

    I hear the water running and force myself to open my eyes. He <b>is </b>standing in front of the sink. He turns off the running water then kneels in front of me. He touches my forehead with the back of his hand and gasps.

    ¡°Shit! You¡¯re burning up,¡± he mutters, then starts to move the wet towel over my face. But why am I feeling so cold if I¡¯m burning up? I open my eyes and catch a glimpse of Ss, but he seems to be blurry in front of me. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t wait until you get worse,¡± he whispers, and I feel him hauling me up.

    ¡°I need to brush my teeth, first,¡± I manage to say, my voice already groggy. I¡¯m not going to the hospital with vomit breath.

    He nods and helps me brush them before he takes me to the closet. He wraps <b>a </b>jacket around my body and then carries me downstairs. My head is already resting on his shoulder. It feels so heavy that I can¡¯t even move it.

    ¡°Thomas, take us to the hospital,¡± Ss tells our driver before he gets me inside the car first, then he gets inside right after me. During the whole way, Ss has his arm around me. My arms are around my stomach<b>, </b>clutching it from the excruciating pain.

    ¡°It hurts so much,¡± I whimper, raising my head to look at Ss.

    ¡°Come on. Lie down,¡± Ss tells me, and I nod. I ce my head on his thigh, and he gently starts rubbing my stomach. ¡°Have you eaten anything other than what we atest night?¡± he asks, and I shake my head as tears fall from my eyes.

    <b>We </b><b>spent </b>the entire day together yesterday and we ate the same bod. Maybe he has a better immune system than mine<b>. </b>I¡¯m d <b>that </b><b>he¡¯s </b>okay<b>, </b>though. He¡¯s going to join the team in ten days to start training with them again and thest thing he needs <b>is </b>a setback.

    <b>Once </b>we reach the hospital, Ss carries me inside where the nurses take me from him. The pain is getting worse and <b>I¡¯m </b>unable to push myself to stay awake. Thest thing I remember seeing before losing consciousness is seeing Ss¡¯s worried face.

    ***

    I have a strong headache, but it¡¯s not as bad as it used to be, Slowly, I open my eyes, and I find Ss lying down on a small dark green leather couch that looks very ufortable, especially due to his size.

    ¡°Ss<b>.¡± </b>My voice is raspy, yet my husband manages to wake up almost instantly, and in the blink of an eye, I find him by my side.

    ¡°Hey, cupcake. You¡¯re awake,¡± he says, moving his hand over the top of my head.

    ¡°What was wrong with me? Was it a bug?<b>¡± </b><b>I </b><b>ask</b>, looking into his <b>eyes</b>.

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a bug. You¡¯ve been poisoned.¡± My eyes widen upon hearing that. Poisoned? Who would poison me? ¡°They found traces of poison in your blood. It doesn¡¯t kill<b>, </b>but it causes extreme sickness.¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t eat anything other than what you ate yesterday, and we cooked together, right?¡± I frown<b>, </b>trying to sit up.

    ¡°You were given this poison a few days ago,¡± he exins, helping me sit up. ¡°It¡¯s the type of poison that its effect doesn¡¯t appear right away.¡±

    ¡°When can I leave? How long have I been here?¡± I have a lot of questions in my mind, but these ones are the <b>easiest </b>to

    answer<b>. </b>

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here for the past three hours, and you can leave tomorrow morning,¡± he replies, and I nod. ¡°I¡¯m going to get the doctor to check on you, yeah?¡± Again, I nod and watch him leave.

    When we get back home, I¡¯m going to tell him about the messages I have been gettingtely. I have to tell him before it¡¯s toote. I¡¯m not sure who might want to hurt me like that, but whoever wants that has managed tond me in hospital. They managed to poison my food.

    Ss returns with the doctor who runs a check¨Cup on me. After confirming that I¡¯m going to leave tomorrow, he exits the room, leaving me with Ss.

    ¡°I wanted to report this, but the thing is, we don¡¯t know when exactly you could have been given that poison or where. You might have taken it two days or five days ago and this week has been pretty eventful. We only stayed home yesterday,¡± Ss tells me.

    ¡°I ate out at the event we attended together and once at the fashion house. Maybe we should check with the organizers of the event, and I can ask Mum to see if somebody else got sick,¡± I suggest, and he nods in agreement. Speaking of Mum, I don¡¯t know if she is aware of what happened to me. I hope the reporters are oblivious as to what is happening.

    Yes, I n on telling Mum; however, I want to tell her after I¡¯m discharged. This will take the edge off a bit.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the best cook, so I¡¯m going to call either my mum or yours to prepare food for you. I don¡¯t trust you eating something that has been prepared away from our eyes now,¡± Ss tells me, making me smile. This caring side of him makes my heart swell with love.

    ¡°I kind of didn¡¯t want to tell them until I¡¯m out of the hospital,¡± I tell him, but then add, ¡°But I understand where you¡¯reing from. I think telling Naomi would be better than telling Mum.¡±

    ¡°Emily and Julian will freak the hell out, so is my mum, to be honest. But I think telling Mum will have a calmer effect,¡±

    54%

    Julian tells me with a clnuckle. ¡°I will go get you a few things from home and pick up the food from Mum¡¯s ce, yeah?¡± Ss says then kisses my forehead.

    My heart starts beating fast at the mere idea of him leaving. I¡¯m scared of being alone, because I don¡¯t know what may happen to me if he¡¯s not with me, but at the same time, I don¡¯t want to appear whiny or needy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take a lot of time, please,¡± I smile at him.

    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t,¡± he assures me.

    He walks out of the hospital room, and I patiently wait for him toe back. While waiting, I end up falling asleep since there¡¯s nothing to do. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    I don¡¯t know how long I stay asleep, but at some point, while I¡¯m alone, I flutter my eyes open<b>, </b>and the moment I do that I find somebody wearing ck standing over me. I do the only thing I can do in this situation. I scream at the top of my lungs.

    SEND <b>GIFT </b>

 Chapter 194

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    <b>19:21 </b><b>Thu</b>, <b>Dec </b><b>12 </b>

    <b>Chapter </b><b>194 </b>

    <b>When </b>I reach the hospital, I find many people at the door of Rosie¡¯s room, causing me to rush there. What¡¯s going on? <b>Is </b>she <b>okay</b>? <b>She </b>was okay when I left her, so I don¡¯t understand <b>the </b>reason behind this chaos.

    ¡°I¡¯m her husband,¡± I tell the nurse who first tries to prevent me from entering the room. She gives me a reluctant look, but then somebody <b>else </b>opens the door and my wife¡¯s cry catches my attention as she calls my name, stammering.

    1 quickly rush to her side and take her shaking body in my arms Shetches her arms around my body, and I tighten my embrace on her. There are two police officers inside, which is not a good sign at all. There are also two doctors and two nurses. Why are there many people here? This can¡¯t be a good sign.

    <b>¡°</b>What happened?¡± <b>I </b>ask them, knowing that she¡¯s not in the best state to talk. I gently caress her hair in <b>an </b>attempt to get her to calm down.

    ¡°Everest Jackman attacked her tonight at the hospital,¡± one of the police officers tells me, making my eyes go wide.

    ¡°How the hell did he manage to reach her room?¡± I ask angrily, not addressing anyone in particr, but I¡¯m looking at the four medical staff in front of me. ¡°She¡¯s supposed to be safe here! Don¡¯t they have security here?¡± <b>I </b>ask them.

    <b>¡°</b>We don¡¯t know how that happened,¡± one of the doctors says. The anger I have inside of me is enough to give me the strength to bring that hospital to the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking my wife out of this ce immediately!¡± I hiss, trying to have control over myself for Rosie¡¯s sake.

    Mr. Cromwell, she needs to be here for the night to make sure she¡¯s okay,¡± the other doctor tries to convince me to leave my wife here, but I won¡¯t do that. I won¡¯t put her life in danger.

    ¡°Have you taken her statement? Can she leave?¡± I ask the police <b>officers</b><b>, </bpletely ignoring the medical staff. I¡¯m going to sue this hospital for putting my wife¡¯s life in danger.

    ¡°Yes<b>, </b>she can leave if she wants,¡± one of them answers me. We will keep you updated once we have any news about him.¡± They exit the room, leaving me with the medical staff.

    ¡°Do you want to leave, Rosie? Do you want me to take you home?¡± I ask Rosie who immediately nods. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    ¡°I need you all to leave this room. My wife needs to change her clothes,¡± I tell them.

    ¡°If she leaves, she will be under your full responsibility should she develop any side effects<b>,</b>¡± a doctor warns me, causing me

    to scoff.

    ¡°I know how to provide her with the medical care she needs without putting her life in danger.¡± That shuts him up and makes him leave the room along with the other three people in the room.

    Once they close the door behind them, I take a look at my wife¡¯s <b>face</b>. She has tears streaming down her face, causing my heart to tighten in pain. I hate it when she cries.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left you. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I whisper, kissing the top of her head. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get you out of here.¡± She nods and I move the nket away.

    I help her get dressed and collect her blonde hair in a low ponytail. There are faint bruises on her small body, and it makes me wonder what he has done to her. She <b>is </b>silent and I¡¯m scared that she may be in shock. Well, of course<b>, </b>she is shocked, but I don¡¯t know the extent of her shock. She goes to put on her shoes, but I motion for her to stay where she is. I kneel and help her put on her sneakers.

    I hate that she was alone when that happened. How did he even attack her? Is she hurt in any way? I have so many questions in my head; however, I can¡¯t ask her anything. Not when she is shaken up like that. Not when she looks petrified.

    <b>19:21 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b>Dec <b>12 </b>

    Rosie, I <b>don¡¯t </b>want to <b>know </b>what happened now, but I <b>just </b>want <b>to </b>make <b>sure </b>if he physically <b>hurt </b><b>you</b>. I <b>can </b>see the bruises, <b>but </b>I don¡¯t <b>know </b><b>the </b>extent <b>of </b>what <b>he </b>has done to you,¡± <b>I </b>cautiously ask her.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>don¡¯t know what he wanted to do to me, but when I <b>saw </b>him, screamed. At first, he managed <b>to </b>shut me up but pressing <b>his </b><b>hand </b>on my mouth, but I bit it.¡± That¡¯s my girl. ¡°He was trying <b>to </b>press my body down, but I fought back and when <b>I </b>managed <b>to </b>scream out loud again, he got scared and ran away, he tells me. My blood is boiling. My mind is portraying images of her thrashing and squirming while that asshole is trying to <b>get </b><b><i>her </i></b>under his control.

    ¡°Just take me home, please,¡± she pleads, looking up at me. <b>I </b>take her hand in mine and head <i>out </i>of the room with her. The moment we step outside, people start looking at us, causing my wife to move closer to me, as <b>if </b>she¡¯s hiding herself from everybody.

    <b>I </b>wrap my arm around her shoulders and kiss her head. I text Thomas and tell him to wait right in front of the back entrance. I¡¯m not sure if there are reporters waiting for us and I don¡¯t want to take my chances when the quietest sound is causing her to jump.

    We get in the car the moment we see it and Rosie keeps herself glued to my side. My arm is still wrapped around her. I don¡¯t know what else I can do for her. I just want to provide her with thefort she needs.

    ¡°When we get home, we can do whatever you want, yeah? We can watch any movie you want. I can heat up the food Mum made for you. I bet you¡¯re hungry.¡± I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m trying to distract <b>her </b><b>because </b>I know what she must be thinking about.

    I¡¯m also thinking about the same thing. I can¡¯t believe that Everest is back. I thought we were done for good, but it seems like he either escaped from prison or got released.

    Pm hungry,¡± she whispers.

    ¡°Then we can eat.¡± I smile at her.

    ¡°I want to cuddle with you until tomorrow morning,¡± she shyly says, making me smile.

    ¡°We can cuddle for the rest of the week if you want.¡± I reach for her hand. I catch a small smile on her lips and find myself pecking them.

    She may not be in her best state, but she¡¯s doing well. I¡¯m proud of my girl for being strong. But just because she¡¯s strong, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to let her face any of this on her own. We are a team, and I will always have her back.

    I wish she could let me fight her battles. The urge to protect her with my life is increasing and the bruises on her body are aggravating that thought.

    COMMENT

 Chapter 195

    <b>Chapter </b><b>195 </b>

    I¡¯m on the couch, waiting for Ss <b>to </b>bring me the food his mut prepared for me.

    but he kicked me out, saying <b>I </b>needed to rest. I¡¯m not even tired yet I don¡¯t know tried to stay with him in the kitchen,

    that.

    <b>to </b>convince my stubborn husband of

    When I woke up and found Everest in front of me, I thought I was going to die. He was masked, but when I screamed, he panicked and tried to shut me up by cing his hand on my mouth. Since he got close to me, I was able to w the mask off his face. That was the moment I saw him and knew that he had be one behind the scary messages and threats I <b>had </b>been receiving.

    I need to tell Ss everything tonight. I¡¯m certain he is going to be mad at me for not telling him earlier, but betterte than never. I didn¡¯t want to worry him at first, but he has to know. He has to know a lot of things, not just about Everest.

    When I saw a masked man in my room, I thought I was going to die and the only thought I had in my mind was the people f love with everything in me. I thought about my parents and my siblings. I thought about my best friends. I thought about Aniyah, Naomi, and Don. But most of all, I thought about Ss. If I ever am to die soon, I don¡¯t want to leave this world without him knowing what he truly means to me.

    I want him to know that I still love him with everything in my heart. He has to know that I can never stop loving him. He needs to know that I¡¯m proud of everything he has achieved so far and I truly regret leaving him the divorce papers. I love him and I want to be with him. I want to grow old with him just like we nned. I want to make a big family with him.

    ¡°Here is your food, cupcake.¡± My doting husband sets the tray in front of me on the coffee table and takes <b>a </b>seat beside me. Boiled chicken and some soup. This <b>is </b>going to be my food for at least <b>a </b>week, ording to the doctor¡¯s instructions.

    Ss doesn¡¯t waste time at all. While we were on our way back, he called Naomi to tell her what happened. He asked her to send the family doctor to our home to check on me and make sure I didn¡¯t need constant medical care for the next <b>few </b>days. I tried to convince him that I was fine, but he didn¡¯t listen to me.

    The doctor left about thirty minutes ago, and he said the same thing I was told at the hospital. I¡¯m going to spend next week at home because I need to rest. I¡¯m d about that since Ss <b>is </b>going <b>back </b>to the field in ten days and I want to spend as much time as possible with him.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smile at him. I don¡¯t want to smile at him. I want to throw myself in his arms and let him hold me while I hold onto him until our arms go numb. I want to kiss him and apologize for walking away. I want to go back to how we used <i>to </i>be during the first six or seven months of our marriage. I look again at the food and frown when I notice that he¡¯s going to eat the same food. ¡°You don¡¯t have to eat the same food, Ss. Order something tasty<b>.</b>¡±

    He shakes his head and says, ¡°I also need to detox. A little bit of healthy food is actually good for my body.¡±

    But I know that this isn¡¯t just about detoxing. I know that he doesn¡¯t want me to watch him as he eats something delicious while I¡¯m stuck with tasteless food.

    Knowing that it¡¯s hard to convince him to do something else, I just nod my head and start eating. There are a lot of things- on my mind, but my main priority now is telling him about the messages.

    ¡°Ss, there¡¯s something I need to talk to you about,¡± I say after finishing the soup. I already feel full. I was really hungry, so to be full after a small bowl of soup is weird for me. Maybe it¡¯s because my stomach isn¡¯t in its best state. I don¡¯t know why, but he tenses for a split second before he quickly recovers when I tell him that. Why did he react like that?

    ¡°What is it?¡± he wonders, trying to act allposed. What the hell is going on?

    ¡°Why are you nervous?¡± I can¡¯t help but ask.

    K

    He stays silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m scared that you might tell me you want to go on with the divorce<b>.</b>¡±

    My mouth parts in surprise when he says that, Does he really think I¡¯m going to talk to him about divorce while he¡¯s here doing everything in his power to take good care of me?

    <

    Chapter 193-

    43.78<b>% </b>

    ¡°I¡¯m not.<b>¡± </b><b>My </b>voice <b>is </b>weak Um keeping my head down because I¡¯m trying so hard not <b>to </b><b>cry</b>. It seems like I broke a lot of things between us, and I don¡¯t know <b>how </b>to fix them.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Rosie</b><b>, </b>look at me,¡± Ss softy <b>says</b><b>, </b>reaching for my hand, but I shake my head. <b>It¡¯s </b>so hard to prevent my tears from falling and right now, I feel too vulnerable and don¡¯t want him to see like that. ¡°Let me look at you, Rosie.¡± His tone is pleading.

    It takes me a couple of seconds to do so. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I took a shaky breath, looking into his brown eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I made you feel nervous in this marriage<b>.¡± </b>

    Ss frowns, as if he doesn¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying. ¡°God, Rosie,¡± he mutters, pulling me into his embrace. I wrap my arms around him and let my tears fall. Truthfully, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m exactly crying about. I¡¯m scared and stressed, and I need him. ¡°Rosie, I need you to talk to me. I want to know what¡¯s going on in that mind of yours because I don¡¯t want to jump to any conclusions.¡± He rubs my back, and I tighten my hold onto him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say first,¡± I mumble, looking down <b>as </b>we pull apart.

    ¡°Say whatever you want, cupcake. I¡¯m here to listen,¡± he says, taking my hand in his.

    I inhale and close my eyes for a moment. ¡°For the past few days, I have been receiving messages. Some of them were on the phone, while others got left on my windshield. I thought somebody was messing with me and I didn¡¯t want to worry you, but¡­ now that I think about it, I know it was wrong of me to keep this to myself,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to worry me, so you decided to put yourself in danger? What were you thinking, Rosie<b>?¡± </b>He looks like he¡¯s disappointed in me. ¡°We tell each other these things, Rosie, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°You have been making good progress and I just¡­ I didn¡¯t want to be the reason for you to get <b>stressed </b>and drink again,¡± I say, not looking at him. ¡°And I didn¡¯t think that Everest was behind those messages.¡±

    ¡°Do you still have them?¡± he calmly asks, and I nod.

    ¡°I will go get them for you,¡± I say. As I¡¯m about to get up from my ce, he stops me.

    ¡°We can check themter, cupcake.¡± At least he¡¯s still calling me cupcake. He is not that mad at me.

    I reach for my phone and unlock it, then hand it to him. ¡°These are the texts he has been sending me. they¡¯re not a lot and <b>as </b>you can see. Some of them are sent to my social media ounts and another one is sent to my WhatsApp.¡± I watch as he checks my phone, and I know my husband when he¡¯s trying to control his anger. That¡¯s what he¡¯s doing now.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re going to be okay.¡± He sets my phone aside and <b>kisses </b>my temple. I consider this gesture as my chance to lean against him and he doesn¡¯t hesitate to assure me that he¡¯ll always hold me whenever I need him to by wrapping his arms around me. ¡°What else is bothering you, cupcake?¡± he wonders, pushing my hair away from my face.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I don¡¯t know how to tell him that I don¡¯t want to proceed with the divorce anymore. I don¡¯t know how to tell him that I¡¯m too in love with him to leave.

    ¡°Rosie, it¡¯s me. You can tell me anything,¡± he says<b>, </b>tightening his embrace around me without hurting me.

    ¡°Can you sleep with me tonight? I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± I don¡¯t know why I can¡¯t bring myself to tell him what I really want

    can tell him what¡¯s in my heart. to say. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m embarrassed and I¡¯m oblivious as to how I

    ¡°Of course<b>, </b>Rosie. I don¡¯t even want to sleep away from you, but I¡¯m giving you the space you asked for,¡± he replies.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whisper<b>, </b>smiling at him and he kisses the tip of my nose.

    ¡°And Rosie.¡± I hum, keeping my eyes on him, waiting to know what he wants to say. ¡°You didn¡¯t make me nervous in our marriage. I ruined a lot of things<b>, </b>so don¡¯t feel guilty for having a valid reaction just because I¡¯m fixing what I ruined in the first ce.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Something about the words he says puts my heart at <b>ease</b>.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 196

    <b>Chapter </b>196

    65%

    It¡¯s been a while since Ist slept with Rosie in the same bed. Waking up with her in my arms again is officially one of my favorite things in life. Last night, she fell asleep on me while we were watching a movie. The doctor told me that the poison <b>was </b>going to make her a bit weaker for the next few days.

    I have physiotherapy today and I don¡¯t want to go because I don¡¯t want to leave her alone. I think I can call her mum or mine to stay with her because going to that session is important I¡¯m returning to the field in mere days. I thought I would be more excited than this, but apparently I¡¯m more excited about waking up next to my wife again. Is this because I was on the verge of losing her?

    I take a look at her and smile to myself. Her face still looks innocent and beautiful, as if she¡¯s still a college girl. My stunning girl looks so good with her head on my chest and her arm draped around my torso. Her blonde hair is covering half of her wless face, and I fail to resist the urge to kiss her cheek.

    The sides of her mouth curl into a small smile and she murmurs a quiet ¡®morning¡®. Her <b>eyes </b>are still closed, but I know that she¡¯s awake. I y with her hair, and she moans <b>as </b>she moves her head slightly.

    ¡°Did you have a good sleep<b>, </b>cupcake?¡± I wonder.

    ¡°Yes. Best sleep I had in a while,¡± she whispers, nuzzling her head in the crook of my neck as her arm moves around and half of her body bes on top of me. ¡°Ss.¡± Her voice is <b>so </b>low, but I manage to hear her.

    ¡°Yes, cupcake,¡± I say.

    my neck

    ¡°Hove you,¡± she murmurs<b>, </b>causing me to smile. I am now sure that she hasn¡¯t stopped loving me, but hearing her say these words means the world to me. They give me hope and make me believe that this isn¡¯t the end of us. At some point, I had this fear inside of me that she no longer had any love in her heart for me, but thankfully, my fears are baseless and not true.

    ¡°And I love you too<b>, </b>cupcake. More shoulder.

    than I can

    ever put into words,¡± I tell her and ce a kiss on the delicate skin of her

    I feel her y with my hair, making me smile. I love this version of us. We are holding onto each other despite everything. We are both in love and we don¡¯t care about anything else in the world even though the atmosphere isn¡¯t that calm.

    ¡°You have physiotherapy today, right?¡± Rosie asks, pulling herself away from me slowly.

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not leaving you alone. I¡¯m going to call either my mum or yours,¡± I tell her <b>as </b>I pull myself up and pull her with

    <ol>

    <li>me. </li>

    </ol>

    ¡°I can stay on my own, Ss. Nothing will happen to me. I¡¯m safe here.¡± Her tone is assuring.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re safe here, but I don¡¯t want <i>to </i>leave you alone because I¡¯m worried you may get sick again or anything. I don¡¯t know if there are any unknown side effects to that poison.¡± I still can¡¯t believe that she got poisoned. I know that the poison wants strong enough to kill her, but that doesn¡¯t make the idea any easier. I saw her waiting and turning in pain, which is a sight I never want to see ever again. I was helpless and didn¡¯t know what to do to take her pain away.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be okay,¡± she attempts to reassure me, but I shake my

    head.

    ¡°I¡¯m notpromising when ites to your well¨Cbeing.¡± I <b>kiss </b>her forehead. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s have breakfast.¡± I get out of bed and pull her with me. I love how sleepy andzy she always <i>is </i>when I <i>try </i>to take her out of bed whenever she doesn¡¯t have anything to do.

    After brushing our teeth and washing our faces, we head to the kitchen. I look at the list the doctor left for me yesterday and try to find something she likes that she can eat.

    ¡°Okay, you can eat bananas<b>, </b><b>toast</b><b>, </b>cereal and saltine crackers. Which of them do you feel like eating now?¡± <b>I </b>ask her.

    <b>14:57 </b>Sun, Dec 15

    <b>65</b>% This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

    <b>¡°</b>Cereal sounds good.¡± She shrugs and hops off her seat. The doctor said that she can move around the house as much <b>as </b>she wants so long <b>as </b>she doesn¡¯t exhaust herself; however, I don¡¯t want her to do anything. I know I¡¯m probably being insufferable and overprotective, but she was poisoned while we were together. I feel like I have failed her in some sort of

    way.

    ¡°Stop looking at me like I¡¯m about to faint, Ss. I¡¯m okay I promise. Pouring milk and cereal in a bowl won¡¯t hurt me,¡± <b>she </b>tells me. I have been watching her without even noticing.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I give her a sheepish smile.

    ¡°<b>I </b>will call Mum and tell her about what happened. Can¡¯t wait for her to freak out,¡± she jokes, making me roll my eyes. She is trying to lighten up the situation although it¡¯s not light at all.

    Over the past few years, I learned that Rosie sometimes has unusual reactions <i>to </i>serious situations. I remember how she managed to render me speechless with the way she reacted when I told her about the lie I told my teammates at college that we were dating.

    I watch as she unlocks her phone and dials her mum¡¯s number. I take <b>a </b><b>seat </b>beside her and wait for Emily to pick up.

    ¡°Hey, sweetheart. How are you?¡± Emily¡¯s voice indicates that she <b>has </b>been up for a while.

    ¡°Hey, Mum: Well, I¡¯m sort of good,¡± Rosie sounds nervous.

    ¡°What do you mean by sort of?¡± Concern instantly takes over Emily¡¯s tone.

    ¡°I got poisoned and Ss took me to the hospital yesterday, but I¡¯m okay now,¡± Rosie¡¯s words are rushed that I¡¯m not sure if Emily understood what she has just been told.

    ¡°Let me make sure that I got this correctly. You¡¯re saying that you got poisoned? What do you mean by that? Like food poisoning?¡± Emily inquires<b>, </b><b>as </b>if she is waiting for confirmation to react correctly.

    ¡°Not food poisoning,¡± Rosie replies and looks at me for help.

    ¡°Everest is back, Emily. He managed to find his way to Rosie¡¯s food or drink one day and put poison in it. The poison he used doesn¡¯t kill<b>, </b>but it causes extreme sickness,¡± I exin. She is going to explode.

    ¡°I¡¯ming over because you two have a lot of exnation <i>to </i>do,¡± she tells us in a stern tone before hanging up.

    Rosie and I look at each other for a second because we know we¡¯re about to get heavily scolded.

    ¡°Do you think we should run away?¡± Rosie suggests, making me chuckle..

    <b>¡°</b>Unfortunately, Rosie<b>, </b>your mum will find us if we do that. I think it¡¯s better to wait for her,¡± I reply, and she shakes her head at me while giggling quietly. ¡°By the way, I want to thank you for taking care of Aniyah when she needed you.¡±

    ¡°You already thanked me before, Ss. There¡¯s no need to do that again,¡± she says, tilting her head to the side.

    ¡°I heard you two talking. I heard her telling you that she was getting bullied.¡± Her mouth parts in surprise. It killed me to know that other kids were bullying my sister because I developed an addiction. This is one of the incentives I have to prevent myself from drinking ever again. ¡°I wasn¡¯t eavesdropping, but I was passing by when you were talking with her before taking her to her room to talk.¡±

    ¡°Aniyah is my little sister too. I won¡¯t <b>see </b>her hurt and just watch I really care about her,¡± she replies with a smile on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the living room and watch an episode or two of Friends until Mum arrives.¡±

    Whatever is going on between us now says that we¡¯re not heading towards our end, and I love everything about that. I love that Rosie is still mine and it seems like she¡¯s going to stay mine.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 197

    <b>Chapter </b><b>197 </b>

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me Everest is back,¡± Mum <b>says</b>, and I slightly nod.

    ¡°<b>I </b>have already demanded extra security for the house, Emily. I promise you, Rosie¡¯s safety is my priority,¡± Ss assures my

    mum.

    ¡°Don¡¯te to the fashion house until all of this <b>is </b>resolved, okay? I don¡¯t want you to make any movement that we may regretter.¡± Mum tells me. I don¡¯t want to be confined within this house. I remember how they all used to breathe down my neck when Everest was stalking me during college.

    I regret befriending him, let alone dating him at some point in my life. He is one of the biggest regrets of my life.

    ¡°I have to go now, but <i>I </i>won¡¯t stay out for long. I will be back once I¡¯m done with the session, yeah?¡± Ss says, standing up. He ces one hand on the back of my head and bends to kiss my head then goes to kiss Mum on the cheek.

    ¡°Bye Lily.¡± He also kisses my sister¡¯s cheek before he leaves the house.

    When he closes the front door behind him, Mum looks at me with a smile. ¡°I have a feeling that you two are working on fixing your rtionship,¡± Shements, causing me to blush.

    ¡°Yeah, you can say that. We haven¡¯t really talked about anything yet, but I no longer want a divorce<b>. </b>If <b>he </b>still wants this marriage, we won¡¯t be getting a divorce,¡± I tell Mum.

    ¡°It¡¯s so good to hear that. I know that Ss loves you with everything in his heart, so I¡¯m d that you two managed to get over what happened,¡± she says. What makes <b>her </b><b>so </b>sure now that Ss won¡¯t be the one to ask for divorce now? Maybe <b>he </b>doesn¡¯t want to stay with me anymore.

    ?

    I refrain from saying anything, because I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything I should say. I have to wait and <b>see </b>Ss¡¯s decision.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare us lunch. I will make you something light. Ss has already shown me the list of what you can <i>eat</i>,¡± Mum tells me, getting up.

    ¡°Okay, Mum. I¡¯m going to the backyard with Lily because there¡¯s something I want to talk to her about.¡± Mum and Lily both give me a look of confusion, but Mum just nods and walks away.

    ¡°What do you want to talk to me about?¡± Lily wonders.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the backyard and I¡¯ll tell you everything,¡± I answer her. The two of us get up from our ces and walk to the backyard. I haven¡¯t forgotten about what Aniyah had told me, but I didn¡¯t find the right time to talk <i>to </i>my sister about her abandonment of her best friend.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asks me<b>, </b>taking a seat on one of the chairs we have under the light brown gazebo we have in the backyard.

    ¡°I¡¯m really upset with you,¡± I start, and <b>a </b>crease appears between her eyebrows.

    ¡°What did I do <i>to </i>you?¡± She sounds genuinely confused.

    ???

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to me, but you surely did something to Aniyah,¡± I tell her. Surprise takes over her features when I say that, and she looks down.

    ¡°What did she tell you?¡± my sister hesitantly asks.

    Let¡¯s forget about what she told me. I want to hear your side of the story,¡± I reply.

    ¡°Things haven¡¯t been the best at school for Aniyah. She has been getting bullied and at first, I tried to be there for her, but the bullying kept getting worse. So much worse<b>.</b>¡± I don¡¯t get how <b>a </b>girl like Aniyah <b>is </b>getting bullied. She is really nice, kind

    <b>and </b>beautiful. ¡°A bully once told me in the bathroom that I was nothing like Aniyah and if I didn¡¯t want to get bullied, <b>I </b>had <b>to </b>stay away from her. That girl was basically the head of the clique.¡± She looks down in shame. I can tell that my sister is not proud <b>of </b>what <b>she </b><b>has </b>done.

    ¡°So you stepped <b>away</b>, huh?¡± <b>1 </b>conclude and she nods. When she raises her head to look at me, I see tears in her eyes.

    ¡°I really love Aniyah and I miss her so much, but I¡¯m scared of getting bullied too.¡± She finally breaks down in tears, so I pull her into my embrace and hold her as she cries. ¡°I know I¡¯m a terrible friend, but I¡¯m scared, and I don¡¯t know how to be her friend without getting bullied.¡± She shakes in my embrace, and hold her tighter..

    She¡¯s only fourteen. I know how hard it is for her to make the right decision, so I don¡¯t n on being harsh on <i>her</i>.

    ¡°Well, we need to help Aniyah out first. We can¡¯t just let them continue bullying her,¡± I tell my sister. She pulls away<i>, </i>nodding her head at what I said as she wipes her eyes.

    ¡°The bullying lessened a little after she got a makeover,¡± Lily informs me, making me smile. At least I managed to help in any way. ¡°It was you, right? You¡¯re the one who gave her that makeover, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It was me.¡± I nodded.

    ¡°A lot of boys are now calling her beautiful and her main bully is jealous.¡± I chuckle at what my sister <b>says</b>. That bully is probably doing that to Aniyah from the beginning because she¡¯s jealous of her.

    ¡°I can call Naomi and see if she can bring Aniyah over. We can all spend the day together,¡± <b>I </b>suggest, but my <b>sister </b>immediately shakes her head. ¡°Why not?¡±

    don¡¯t know how I can talk to her again after abandoning her. She will never forgive me.¡± My <b>sister </b>sounds truly remorseful.

    ¡°Let her be the judge of that. She may forgive you. You never know,¡± I tell her with a smile. She sighs and looks down. I can tell that she¡¯s thinking about the whole thing.

    ¡°Okay, but maybe we shouldn¡¯t surprise Aniyah. We should tell Her that I¡¯m here to let her make up her mind,¡± Lily says, I nod.

    I reach for my phone since I have it in my pocket and dial Aniyah¡¯s number. I take a look at Lily and find her chewing her nails nervously <b>as </b>she keeps bouncing her right foot.

    and

    I take her hand in

    ine and give <b>it </b><b>a </b>light squeeze. The fact that she <b>feels</b>:

    <b>sorry </b>

    and

    regrets

    her actions

    tells

    me

    that

    my

    sister

    is a good person at heart.

    ¡°Hey Aniyah,¡± I <b>say </b>once she picks up.

    ¡°Hello, Rosie. I heard what happened. I <b>was </b>nning on calling you today to check on you,¡± Aniyah tells me.

    ¡°I¡¯m good. Don¡¯t worry. Do you have anything to do today?¡± I ask her. <b>It¡¯s </b>a Saturday, so I¡¯m sure that she doesn¡¯t have school, but I don¡¯t know <b>if </b>she has anything <b>else</b>.

    ¡°Not really.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

    ¡°Great. Why don¡¯t youe over? Lily is here and she misses you<b>,</b>¡± I say. I look at Lily and it¡¯s easy to <b>see </b>that her anxiety is way <b>worse </b>now.

    ¡°She sees me at school every day. I don¡¯t think she misses me.¡± Aniyah¡¯s voice <b>gets </b>slightly lower.

    I promise she does. If you feel likeing, I can talk to Naomh, I tell her. ¡°But you¡¯re definitely not obligated toe. You can do whatever you want.¡± I want to make sure that Aniyah understands that nobody is forcing her to forgive <i>Lily</i>. My sister made a mistake and hurt her. Aniyah has total freedom to do whatever she wants. Just because I promised to help <b>her </b>out with the whole bullying situation, that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m going <i>to </i>force her into forgiving my sister.

    16:44 Mon, Dec 16 <b>OG </b>

    ¡°Okay, I cane. I will tell Mum. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not going to say no,¡± Aniyah finally makes up her mind, causing me to smile.

    ¡°See youter, Ani,¡± I cheerfully say before hanging up. I look at my sister and say, ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯re going to get your best friend back.¡±

    The grin I see on her face is enough to prove that she cannot wait until everything between the two of them is fixed.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 198

    <b>Chapter </b><b>198 </b>

    ¡°Good morning, sunshine.¡± I feel Ss¡¯s lips on my check, making me smile. ¡°Happy anniversary.¡± He ces another kiss on my check before pulling me on top of him, making meugh.

    <b>This </b>whole poisoning thing has been nothing but a blessing in disguise. Ss and I have spent thest five days <b>at </b>home, doing nothing but enjoying each other¡¯spany. He only left the house to go to his physiotherapy sessions and he made sure toe back home to me right afterwards.

    ¡°Happy second anniversary, baby,¡± I mumble, nuzzling my face in the crook of his neck. ¡°I would kiss you, but my morning breath <b>is </b>awful.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t really smell anything, but I think a peck won¡¯t kill me<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>he says, giving me a scalp massage<b>, </b>causing me to moan.

    ¡°This feels good, but you surely deserve a peck on the lips,¡± I say slowly moving my head. I look into his <b>eyes </b>and say, ¡°Hello there, handsome.¡± I lean down and peck his lips.

    ¡°Hi gorgeous,¡± he says, brushing his nose against mine, causing me to smile. ¡°So, there were many things I wanted to do with you today, but Everest is still out there and I don¡¯t n on risking your life at all.¡± He reaches for a strand of my hair and twirls it around his fingers.

    ¡°I¡¯m sick and tired of this,¡± I whine, cing my forehead on his chest. ¡°I just want to live a normal life without needing to worry about having a freaking stalker.¡±

    ¡°We got rid of him once. We can do it again,¡± he reminds me and <b>kisses </b>my head. ¡°I have a fun n for us, though.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask with a grin on my face, sitting up while I¡¯m still on top of him, so I¡¯m basically straddling him.

    ¡°With that position? I think my ns will change to spending the whole day in bed and making love to you.¡± He smirks, making meugh. Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Nobody is stopping you.¡± I smirk back. He looks surprised for a second and I totally get it. Ss and I haven¡¯t slept together in so long and to be honest, I miss his touch. I miss the way he makes me <b>feel </b>whenever we have <b>sex</b>.

    <ol start="5">

    <li>5. </li>

    </ol>

    ¡°Rosie, I¡¯m going to ask you something and I want you to bepletely honest with me, yeah?¡± He intertwines our hands. together and I slowly nod. ¡°Are you still thinking about getting <b>a </b>divorce?¡± he asks.

    ¡°The only thing I have been thinking abouttely concerning this topic is how to tell you I don¡¯t want it anymore,¡± I admit, ying with his fingers. I look at him and I swear, it¡¯s <b>easy </b>to spot the relief on his face<b>.</b>¡±

    Not giving me the chance to react, Ss brings both of his hands on my waist and holds them tightly for a moment before turning me to the side, causing me to squeal as I suddenly find myself lying down on the bed with my husband on top of me. Well, I can¡¯t really feel his body weight, because his knees are ced onto the bed and his body isn¡¯t touching mine.

    ¡°Best thing I have ever heard in a while.¡± He bends down and pecks my lips.

    ¡°I have been thinking about it for a while and to be honest, I have been wanting to tell you that I know I made a mistake, but I wasn¡¯t sure how you¡¯d react. I was scared that you might be the one who wanted to get a divorce after everything,¡± I confess, staring into his brown eyes<b>. </b>

    ¡°Why on earth would you think like that<b>, </b>cupcake? I didn¡¯t want the divorce in the <b>first </b>ce,¡± he reminds me. His voice is soft as he speaks to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about mistreating you. I¡¯m sorry about neglecting you and not sharing your moments of <b>sess</b>. I promise I won¡¯t do that ever again.¡±

    I love you, Ss. I love you so much,¡± I mumble, moving from under him. I sit on my knees too in front of him andtch my arms around his neck.

    ¡°And I¡¯m in love with you, Rosie. I¡¯m <b>so </b>d that I get to call you mine again,¡± he <b>says </b>and kisses my cheek. ¡°I never got to

    174

    tell you what we¡¯re going to do today.¡±

    I totally forgot about that. All that I care about now is that we¡¯really back to how we normally are. It feels so good to have the life that I love with everything in me back. I¡¯m thankful that he managed to get over his addiction. Now, we can move forward.

    ¡°Tell me.¡± I <b>say </b>with a grin on my face as we both finally decide leave ourfy bed.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to cook breakfast together. I asked the doctor yesterday and he told me you can now cat whatever you want. After that, we¡¯re going to try to put together a five¨Chundred¨Cpie puzzle I bought. I know you¡¯ve always wanted us to try that. Then, we can cook dinner together and have it under the stars in our backyard. How does that sound?¡±

    ¡°Perfect. It sounds perfect.¡± I kiss his cheek before walking inside the bathroom.

    Suddenly, staying at home doesn¡¯t sound too boring and it¡¯s all because of my brilliant husband.

    I catch his wrist before we descend the stairs. <b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>your knee all good now?¡± I wonder.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He nods.

    ¡°And can you lift 130 pounds without hurting it?¡± I shoot another question.

    ¡°I can lift more than that without hurting it,¡± he replies. ¡°What¡¯s with these questions?¡±

    ¡°I feel like I want a piggyback ride to the kitchen.¡± I beam, making himugh.

    ¡°You got it, cupcake!¡± I p happily and hop on his back. He ces his arms under my knees as he descends the stairs and Itch both of my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek.

    I hop off his back when we reach the kitchen and we decide on making a mini breakfast banquet because we just love pampering the hell out of yourselves on our anniversary. I¡¯m also sure that this <b>is </b>going to be breakfast and lunch since <b>it¡¯s </b>already 11:30.

    ¡°I want to take you on a vacation. How does that sound?¡± he asks while whisking the eggs.

    ¡°But you¡¯re going back to the field in two days,¡± I remind him.

    ¡°I know, but we¡¯re going to have two weeks off between thest week of January and the first ten days of February, so I thought I could kidnap my wife and go on a vacation with her,¡± he says, making me smile.

    109

    ¡°I would love to be kidnapped by you.¡± I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his lips. Today feels like a fairytale and I pray with everything in me that most of our days be like this one. I know that each rtionship has its ups and downs, but I can¡¯t help but hope for the ups to be dominant.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget we¡¯re going to Lily and Aniyah¡¯s school tomorrow, I remind him as I take a seat beside him.

    ¡°I remember. I can¡¯t wait to put that teacher in her ce,¡± Ss says, and I hum in agreement. We told Aniyah to tell one of the teachers about the bullying when the girls spent the day at our ce and to my surprise, the teacher dismissed her. Lily was also with her when she went to report the bullies to the teacher to tell her how bad everything was, but she didn¡¯t give the girls the chance to talk.

    ¡°Same here. How can she be that irresponsible? Doesn¡¯t she know that some kids lose their lives because of bullying? Doesn¡¯t she know that school is supposed to be a safe environment?¡± I¡¯m already angry just thinking about what she told the girls. She should have taken some action to make them feel that their problems <b>were </b>valid, but no, she decided to make them feel that what they were going through meant nothing.

    When I look at my husband¡¯s face I notice a faint smile on it. ¡°What?¡± <b>I </b>ask, frowning in confusion.

    ¡°I just imagined how protective you¡¯re going to be when you¡¯re a mother and something about the idea makes me smile. I

    just know that you¡¯re going to be an amazing mumm.¡± I smile at the thought too. I also know he¡¯s going to be a great dad.

    ¡°And you¡¯re going to be a wonderful dad, Ss. I¡¯m sure of that, I tell him.

    59%

    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re ready to be parents?¡± Ss¡¯s question catches me off guard. I have never thought about whether we¡¯re ready or not to be parents, but I do know that I want to be a mum, and he wants to be a dad.

    If he asked me a month ago, I would have told him that we were nowhere near ready, but as I think about it now, I feel like we can take this step.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re ready,¡± I reply, keeping my eyes locked on his brown ones.

    ¡°Should we start trying?¡± Sudden excitement erupts inside of me at the thought. Ss wants to be a father and the more I think about it, the more I feel that I want to be a mother too.

    Ss has this look in his eyes that is speaking a thousand words. I can see it in his eyes that he wants to build a family. I can see how he wants to take our marriage to the next step.

    ¡°I would love that, Ss.¡± He closes the space between us and presses his lips against mine. I can¡¯t help but smile through the kiss. I¡¯m currently in love with everything about our rtionship. I love how we¡¯re both truthful and vulnerable in front of each other. I love the way he makes me feel and how my heart dances whenever he kisses me. I¡¯m thankful <i>that </i>we can now put the past behind us.

    This version of us is the one I¡¯m absolutely in love with. This is how we used to be for years before everything went downhill. Perhaps what happened was necessary to remind the two of us what we mean to each other and how much in love

    we are.

    Our kiss turns into something more heated and passionate. It¡¯s something that is full of love, lust, and longing. It¡¯s like we both are missing one another to the point we can¡¯t keep our hands to ourselves.

    I don¡¯t know how and when we made it to the bathroom, but here I am lying down on bed with Ss cherishing every inch of my body, making me feel loved and cared for.

    I¡¯m naked and vulnerable, yet he makes me feel protected. As his lips move down my neck, I be sure that no man in this universe can make me feel the way Ss makes me feel. He is my drug, and I¡¯m happily and hopelessly addicted to him.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 The Accidental 199

    Chapter <b>199 </b>

    65%

    It¡¯s been three weeks since our anniversary and surprisingly, Everest hasn¡¯t made another appearance. This worries me because I can¡¯t feel safe while knowing that he is out there, wishing to inflict pain on me. I¡¯m trying to live my life normally; however, it¡¯s hard to do so. Everest managed to poison me and because of him, I haven¡¯t eaten out <b>ever </b>since the incident.

    Ss is back on the field, and he is really happy. But honestly, Ss has been happy for a while, even before returning to football. I thought he would be happier, yet for some reason, he¡¯s not. I¡¯m not saying that it¡¯s making him miserable, but I can tell that the effect it once had on him no longer exists.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t want toe to my game?¡± Ss asks and I shake my head. I can¡¯t bring myself to watch him y <b>ever </b>since the ident. It¡¯s been more than a year, yet the image of him motionless on the ground while people were trying to get him to wake up refuses to leave my mind.

    In some way, my mind is convinced that if I attend, I¡¯m going to watch him get hurt again and that¡¯s thest thing I want.

    ¡°But I want my lucky charm there,¡± he says, pulling me on hisp, making me smile. We¡¯re in the living room. I¡¯m working from home today because I¡¯m just working on finalizing some spreadsheets. Ss has a game today that he has been preparing for. This <b>is </b>going to be his third game since his return

    I¡¯m trying not to show him how scared I am about him whenever he tells me that he has a game. I haven¡¯t forgotten what the doctor said. I know that if he gets another concussion, the consequences will be terrible, but I¡¯m trying not to channel these negative thoughts to him. I want him to be confident while ying.

    ¡°And your lucky charm is still traumatized. Give me time, please I tell him and kiss him on the lips. ¡°You¡¯ll do great whether I¡¯m there or not.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯reing to the big game, okay?¡± He sounds disappointed that I¡¯m noting today, but I know that he understands how hard it <b>was </b>for me to watch him get hurt.

    ¡°I wille, I promise<b>.</b><b>¡± </b><b>I </b>smile, pushing a fallen strand of his hair away from his forehead. ¡°And I¡¯m making you dinner tonight. What do you fancy eating?¡±

    ¡°Stir¨Cfried chicken and veggies in white sauce.¡± His reply <b>is </b>rather fast<b>, </b>making meugh.

    ¡°Have you been craving this or something? Because your answer was really quick,¡± I wonder.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>saw a video of somebody making it a couple of days ago, and have been craving it ever since,¡± he admits.

    ¡°Your wish is mymand, icing.¡± I beam and he <b>kisses </b>me. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I gotta go. I will call you once the game is over. Do you n on watching it on TV?¡± he asks as I climb off hisp.

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I will <i>try </i>to watch a quarter or something to get used to watching you on the field again before the big game,¡± I reply. Some people may think that I¡¯m exaggerating but I swear I¡¯m really scared of seeing him get hurt again.

    ¡°Okay<b>, </b>cupcake. See youter.¡± He smiles at me before walking <b>away</b>.

    I¡¯m d that we both understand each other¡¯s fears and respect them. I don¡¯t mind eating out again, but I noticed the way Ss would act whenever I would mention eating out. He always seemed to break out in cold sweat whenever the topic was mentioned, so I made the decision to stick to homemade meals until Everest was caught. If eating at home is going to give him the peace of mind he needs, I¡¯m going to do that in a heartbeat.

    I spend <b>a </b>couple of hours working before deciding to make myself something to drink. The game doesn¡¯t start until two hourster, but Ss had to go earlier because the team is used to training before each game.

    While making myself some <b>coffee</b><b>, </b>my phone rings in my pocket so I take it out to check who¡¯s calling. An unknown number.

    <b>1/3 </b>

    HI

    ¡°Hello,¡± I answer.

    ¡°I have two girls here that you care about so much, Rosie.¡± I still, knowing quite well who this <b>voice </b>belongs to.

    ¡°What did you do, Everest?¡± I gulp, fear already gripping me by the throat.

    ¡°I think you might want to hear their voice,¡± he says, and I wait, hoping my thoughts aren¡¯t correct.

    65%

    ¡°Rosie, it¡¯s Lily. Aniyah is here too.¡± My eyes widen upon hearing my little sister¡¯s voice. He kidnapped my sister and <b>sister- </b>inw. He did that to get to me.

    ¡°Lily, are you both okay? Listen, don¡¯t be scared, okay? I promise I will get you back home,¡± I try to <b>assure </b>my sister even though I¡¯m petrified. I don¡¯t want them to get hurt. If any of them got hurt, I will never forgive myself.

    ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t expect that to happen, hun?¡± Everest chuckles.

    ¡°What do you want, Everest? The girls have nothing to do with anything between us. Do not hurt them!¡± I¡¯m going out of my mind. I love these girls with everything in me, so I can¡¯t just imagine anything bad happening to them.

    ¡°Oh, Rosie. I wonder what I want. I lost a lot of things because of you.¡± His tone is bitter. I¡¯m scared that he might hurt them out of his utter hatred for me.

    ¡°Everest, we can talk things out, okay? Just let the girls go. What do you want me to do?¡± I try to get him to reason with me for the girls¡® sake.

    ¡°I want ten million dors in a matter of three hours,¡± he replies, and my eyes go wide. ¡°In cash.¡± My stomach sinks. How can Isecure this amount of money in cash in just three hours?

    ¡°How am I going to get you this amount of money in just three hours, Everest?¡± <b>I </b>exim, running my fingers through my hair.

    ¡°This is a problem you gotta solve. You¡¯re talking to someone who has nothing to lose, Rosie. I won¡¯t hesitate to kill the girls if the money isn¡¯t ready in three hours. Wait for another call from me in three hours and remember<b>, </b>I will find out if you call the police and if you do that, you won¡¯t like the consequences at all.¡± I don¡¯t get the chance to reply as he hangs up right after he¡¯s done talking.

    I¡¯m out of breath and my heart is beating so fast to the point of pain. Tears well in my eyes and I ce my hand on my chest, trying to calm myself down. I don¡¯t have time to waste. Only three hours to secure the money to save Lily and Aniyah.

    Quickly, I pick my phone and make a call to the manager of the bank. I¡¯m going to do everything in my power to get them back home, even if this <b>is </b>going to cost me my life.

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Burton, I want ten million dors to be ready in cash in the next two hours. This is urgent,¡± I repeat my words. ¡°<b>I </b>want them all from my ount, not the one I have with Ss,¡± I quickly add. I don¡¯t want anybody to find anything about this. I want to call my parents and Ss¡¯s parents and tell them everything; however, I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m scared because I don¡¯t want Everest to do anything to the girls.

    ¡°They can be secured, Mrs. Cromwell.¡± I breathe out a sigh of relief as my body falls on the couch

    ¡°All right. I¡¯m on my way. Thank you so much,¡± I say and hang up. I run upstairs and change my clothes into somethingfy because I don¡¯t know what to expect from this day. It <b>was </b>supposed to be a good day. I had simple tasks to do from home for work, then I was going to cook to my husband the meal he had been craving. How did it go wrong like that? How did Aniyah and Lily¡¯s life suddenly be at stake?

    I have <b>a </b>strong feeling that the odds won¡¯t be in my favor, but I don¡¯t care<b>. </b>I don¡¯t want them to be in my favor. I want them to be in Aniyah and Lily¡¯s favor because they¡¯re my priority.

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