"Drea." Sorin spoke panting, lifting his head but my eyes were closing. "Look at me."

I forced myself to open my eyes when he once again said, "Look at me."

I made eye contact with him and he cupped my cheek. "I love you."

I was fully awake now. "W-what?"

A small smile touched his lips. "I love you." He emphasised each word carefully.

Butterflies exploded in my stomach. My heart, it stopped beating. All I could do was to stare at him in disbelief. He...Sorin Araimis Zaveri, the billionaire loved me? I was...I was nothing.

Yes, he cared for me a lot in these past weeks, he kissed me, he hugged me, he cuddled with me, he had conversations with me, he got jealous over me, he cooked me breakfast, dropped me off to college everyday. All these signs did point towards love yet my mind refused to believe he would ever love me. Everytime that thought crossed my mind, it was overpowered by other thoughts like how could he love you? Why will he love you? You are not worth him.

He loved me. For how long?

He saw the hesitance in my eyes, all the fears raw to him.

He understood me, whenever I was insecure about myself, he understood it even before I could say something about it.

I didn't realise I was crying until he bent his head and kissed away my tears and taking my palm, he intertwined our fingers and held it against his cheek.

"Drea, I love you. I. Love. You. I know you have many doubts and I know that you might still be angry with how I treated you initially but I need you to know, I love you and I will love you and I am going to make up my mistakes no matter how many days, months or years it takes cause now you are stuck with me till death do us apart."

I closed my eyes and placed my other palm over my mouth to stifle my sobs. "I don't...I...I...am not...worth you."

"God dammit." He removed my palm from over my mouth. "Listen to me. You are worth each and every fucking stars and moons out there. Your insecurities have blinded you, making it difficult for you to see how much I love you."

I cried harder at that and by that time, a tear rolled down his eyes too. "Please, Drea. See yourself from my eyes, you are fucking beautiful. You are so pure, that's what attracted me towards you first, the way you were ready to divorce me."

"I know it will take time for you to realise my love for you but I am willing to wait, willing to worship you each and every day to show you your worth, to show you how you fucking shine."

I loved him too. I always did.

Yes, my insecurities hold me back everytime but not right now. I won't let them hold me back from him. I trusted him more than anyone else and if he says he loves me, he does. And he has shown it in his actions too.

With trembling fingers, I cupped both his cheeks and pulling his head closer, pressed my lips to his.

I wanted to pour my heart too.

"I love you, Sorin." I spoke against his lips. "I love you too."

He smiled widely against my lips. "I know but say that again."

It wasn't a shock to me. I knew he had an idea about my feelings but still...

"Since...how long...did you know about my feelings?"

Chuckling softly, he pulled back and rolled over and laid on his back and wrapping his arms around my waist, pulled me on top of him.

He flicked my nose with his finger. "Since the moment I saw my picture as your wallpaper and you even confessed it once while you slept in my arms."

I blushed. "That's... embarassing..."

He laughed this time and still his laughter was the most beautiful sound in the world.

I laid on top of him, my palm pressed against his chest and his arms around my waist holding me steady.

"Now, mi amor, I want to ask something which I have been very curious about. Since when are you in love with me? I figured it went way before our marriage cause you couldn't have possibly fallen in love with me with the way I treated you."

"Since three years." I answered. "I fell in love with you the moment I saw you feeding those children. I was in a restaurant right across the road and I saw you."

His body tensed for a moment. "You have got to be kidding me! That's the first time you saw me?" He looked so amazed by that information.

I was baffled. "Is... something wrong?"

A wide smile broke out on his face. "Wrong? It's a coincidence! That's the first time I saw you too."

It was my turn to be startled. "What? You...you saw me three years back too?"

The smile just never left his face, his eyes twinkling with happiness. "I did. I was having a shitty day and while walking aimlessly I looked across the road, at that restaurant and there you were sitting next to the window with your face all pressed up to it looking so fucking cute that it brightened up my whole day."

"It wasn't a coincidence, Drea." He added. "It was fate."

"Sorin." A tear fell from my eyes on his chest. "I loved you from that moment onwards. For me, it was always you. You gave me strength, there were many days when I wanted to give up but I didn't cause I wanted to give myself a chance to see your picture a one more time."

Despair etched across his face. "Drea. Did you...ever..." He shut his eyes firmly as if it pained him to say it. "Did you ever try to take your...life?"

My lips wobbled remembering that night and moving a little upwards, I buried my face in the crook of his neck. "The night... before you brought...those children home. I...I...t-tried to...I wanted to..." I took a deep breath to stop myself from breaking down. "But then...I remembered you. And you knocked on the door and I realised how I was depriving myself from hearing your voice once again."

Cradling my head, he cursed. "Fuck. I knew something was wrong that day. Fuck! Drea...God, I am so sorry. Please forgive me, had I been--"

"It's not your fault, Sorin."

"It's not yours either." And something wet fell on my hair and I realised he was... crying. "I want to tear apart each and everyone person who made you so miserable. Who caused you so much pain and I know I am included in that list."

"You never were. No matter what, Sorin, you were the only person I loved so much so all yours mistakes, I overlooked them."

I added. "Yes, their words did scar my soul but I can't hold a grudge against them forever and let it ruin my happy moments."

"Did I tell you how fucking pure you are?"

I smiled against his neck despite the tears. "On many occasions."

"Good. Remind me to keep telling you that. You tend to forget such things."

"Okay."

He pressed his lips to the top of my head. "Okay."

.
.

Sorin gave me the most adorable pout and puppy eyes in the world. "Don't go. It's Saturday and you are leaving me all alone for that fucking owner of the cafe."

I stared at Sorin who laid on the bed propped up with the support of his elbow. And I stood infront of him all ready to leave.

"Um... that's not entirely true. He's my friend and...I...need to work..."

"I know you want to be independent but come on, just tell me whatever you want and it's yours. Just say it."

"Sorin, please. I'll be...back soon. I promise."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. You are not going to listen to me so now let me at least drop you till there."

"No. There's no need... it's just down the road...and if I walk till there... I will also get an exercise..."

His eyes turned darker. "Come to bed and I'll give you a nice exercise."

I blushed. "Um...I...I...um...no..."

Shaking my head, I turned to the door to leave the room when he called me, "Drea?"

"Yes?"

His lips curled up in a smile. "I love you."

Once again butterflies fluttered in my stomach. "I...I love you too."

"Be back soon."

"No promises", I said playfully over my shoulder and dashed away from there before he could react or do something like catching me and keeping me in bed the whole day.

.
.
.

"Well, well, well, you seem to be glowing today." Atlas commented the moment I entered the kitchen. "Any particular reason for it?"

Yes, the person I was in love with just confessed yesterday that he loves me too. Of course, I will be glowing.

"I'm just... happy."

"No shit Sherlock." He rolled his eyes while handing me my apron. "Of course you are happy, I want to know the reason for your happiness."

"I...um...Sorin... confessed that he loves me...and since you are my friend and I trust you that's why I am telling you this that my marriage was an arranged one and the start was not good at all but now everything's okay. I am happy now."

His face fell, he didn't look as happy as he did and was quick to turn away and busy himself with the cookie dough. "I gathered that much when he came here that day, you both definitely didn't look in love. Glad it..." His jaw clenched. "Glad it worked out, Drea. Your happiness matters a lot to me."

I grabbed his forearm. "Something's wrong. Tell me."

He sighed and gave me a smile that didn't look wholehearted at all. "Nothing, Drea. Everything's alright."

"No it's not, Atlas. Please tell me."

He stopped doing whatever he was doing and pinched the middle of his forehead. "Drea." He sighed loudly. "I...I like you. More than a friend. I fell for you the moment I saw you and I also knew you were married, I knew the consequences of my feelings would be a heart break but I fell for you anyway."

I wasn't breathing anymore. Whatever I once assumed was true.

"That day when I saw your husband, I knew something's wrong and I know I am jerk for saying this but I really hoped that your marriage doesn't work since I thought you both don't love each other. And I hoped you would end up with me but... it's okay."

I opened my mouth but no words came out.

He smiled tightly. "It was inevitable, the consequences of my feelings and it's okay."

"B-but...I...Atlas...I'm..."

"It's okay, Drea. It's okay. You are happy, that's all that matters. You are happy so eventually I will be happy."

"I'm sorry, Atlas. I never knew...I..."

He placed his palm over both my shoulders. "Drea. Stop thinking about it, it's okay. I feel better having confessed everything. And it's okay." He squeezed my shoulder gently.

He then grabbed my palm and lifting it upto his mouth, placed a lingering kiss on the back of it. "Thank you for brightening my days. And please continue to do so."

Considering how emotional I am, I couldn't stop the tears from falling from my eyes, even though I just loved him as a friend, I still felt bad for him. Cause I know exactly how he must be feeling.

Pulling me closer, he gave me a quick, tight hug and released me. "Please continue to work here, Drea. Continue to be my friend, please."

I nodded, wiping away my tears. "I will."

And before we could say anything else, we heard someone shout from outside the kitchen.

A familiar, feminine voice. "Where's the owner of this cafe?! Where's Atlas Raith?!"

And footsteps could be heard coming into the kitchen. Atlas and I frowned. What's going on?

Soon, Harlow stepped into the kitchen. The usual glow gone from her face, raw anger was all over her face.

Atlas's eyes widened on seeing her and so did mine. "Harlow", he said in disbelief.

Harlow folded her arms across her chest. "Oh, you remember me, Atlas." She mocked. "How wonderful."

Atlas looked unassured. "What--"

Sarcasm dripped from her tone. "It's good you remember me because it won't be a shock when I tell you this: Congratulations, you are going to be a father!"

Fucking hell!

Chapter completion: 13/5/22
Published on: 15/5/22

Since I haven't written the next chapter so there won't be any update in the morning...I will update as soon as I finish writing it. Sorry.

~Ahlam