One month later ...

It was a fine Sunday morning, and I unlike others woke up early and way too excited because I will be able to spend my entire day with Kiara and the other kids.

I got up from my bed, and headed towards the bathroom to take a quick shower got dressed in my yellow sundress, and walked towards the kitchen to fix my breakfast.

I prepared Blueberry Pancake for the both of us. After I devoured mine, I penned a small note for Emily's.

"Emm,

I hope you enjoyed your party last night, I know you'll have a major headache when you wake up and you will end up skipping your breakfast. So, I made your breakfast, and I have also placed a tablet next to your plate. I'm expecting you to finish everything in it. No, excuses.
- A."

I made my way towards the bus stop, quickly got inside. I was scrolling through my Instagram, when I got a message from, Ted.

'Bri..I'll see you this evening. You know where.'
-L

'Okay, Ted.'
-A

I reached my destination and started walking towards the entrance of our NGO, and that's when I noticed a familiar black car standing there.

Knitting my brows together, I walk towards it. Just then the door clicked open and Liam walks out. Like every other time, my heart starts beating erratically.

When he neared me, I was engulfed into a warm hug and I couldn't help myself from inhaling his scent.

It took everything thing in me to pull away from his embrace.

I thought staying away from him would be easy. But I was wrong, so wrong. It did nothing but kindled my hidden feeling for him. The realization of having actual feelings for him this deep scared the shit out me.

But it also made me think that there are many women out there lined up for his attention, and yet he chose me.

I stare into his beautiful emerald green orbs, all I wanted was to get lost into them. But an invisible force is stopping me from doing so.

"Hi, Buttercup." He decides to break the silence.

Snapping out from my realm of thoughts, I answer him. "Hi, Le-. I mean Liam."

"Why are you running away from me Ashley." He directly comes to the point.

"I'm not," I reply not looking into his eyes.

"You've been doing that for weeks now, do you have any idea what I am going through. It breaks my heart that the girl to whom I confessed my feeling is running away from me." My heart lurched in pain hearing him.

I couldn't muster up the courage to look into his eyes for I fear that I might spill out the truth. He placed his finger under my chin making me look into his eyes.

"Am I that bad, don't I deserve you or your love." He asks me in a broke voice, my lips quiver and he was breaking me and the walls that I've created.

"I don't deserve you," I whisper in a voice barely audible, but I know he heard it as he shook his head in disagreement while a small yet very sad smile graced his lips.

"You are everything that I'll ever need, ever since our date and my confession, my love for you have been increasing day by day and you running away from me like a plague did nothing but awakened this new feeling of wanting to keep you captive in my arms forever."

"You don't understand! it's not that easy. I was never loved by anyone, my very own parents left me, it took years for me to build the protective wall around my heart and you are not just anyone but Liam Roberts and if by any chance we'll have to part away, it would simply mean the death of me." I spill out all the pent-up emotions with tears running down.

He wipes away my tears while cupping my face. "And this Liam loves his Ashley," he took my palms and pressed it against his chest where he houses his heart. "This heart beats for you belongs to you. And believe me, all those people who spoke nonsense about you have been put to their place, I'm sure they've learned their lesson. I've personally made sure they did."

My heart swells in pride and I look at him in awe.

"You did that!" He just nods his head with a mischievous smile.

"Anything for you buttercup, now tell me, will you give me a chance? give us a chance?"

I look into eyes, this is it, I'm giving us a chance, I'm giving my heart a chance to be loved, to belong to someone. I too deserve a chance to be happy and not to be locked in this darkness where I don't have anyone to give me their hand and pull me out when I'm lost, when I'm sad when I'm lonely, to wipe my tears away.

I nod my head ever so lightly with a delicate smile on my lips, though a part of me is petrified of my decision thinking about all the possible negative outcomes.

"You made me the happiest man, I love you so damn much and I'm never letting you slip out my hands ever again." He says in a tone laced with possessiveness. A smile crept in my face as it gave me the feeling of belongingness, made me feel home.

I closed the distance between us and placed my head on his chest enjoying his warmth while listening to his heartbeat with my eyes closed. He immediately circled his arms around me, caging me into him as he kisses the crown of my head with so much love and tenderness in them.

His crisp white shirt was drenched in my tears of love as it escaped my eyes. I never knew the feeling of love is so beautiful, so surreal, so peaceful.

I pulled away putting some distance and he lets go of me reluctantly.

"I'm will be legally adopting Kiara as my daughter, whatever is in between us will work out only if you accept her."

"I respect your decision and remember one thing, I will always support you in everything you want to do. She will be mine as much as she's yours." He his giving reasons after reasons for me to fall for him deeper.

I couldn't stop myself from attacking him with my bear hug, he chuckles in response as he once again wrapped his hands around me.

"Thank you so very much," I mutter while snuggling into his chest.

"Would you like to go out with me?" He asks me with uncertainty like he feared that I might reject his offer.

My heart was jumping in joy

"I would love to Lee," I whisper-yell. "Would you like to meet Kiara and the kids?"

"I would love to meet my princess." He says, with a sweet smile playing on his lips.

I rewarded his sweetness with our first kiss.