IT HAD BEEN two days since the last time he had talked to Laavanya. He tried texting, calling, he left her voicemails and visited her place thrice on both days. She wasn't home so he visited Julie too. But she refused to tell him where she was. He tried everything he could and the last place he knew she could go was hometown—but she never mentioned her parents. She ignored their calls every single time so there was no way she would go there.

He was drenched. The rain outside hadn't not been kind to him. But he couldn't care less. He wasn't going to give up on Laavanya. He fucked up and he had to make things right. He ran to her apartment complex despite the pouring rain. He reached upstairs and began banging on the door.

"Laav, please. Open the door!" He continued to bang on the door. "Please. Hear me out." He was about to call her again when Julie texted him back.

Jules: She is still not home, go back. It's not just you.

Jules: She is going thru a lot rn Ryker

Jules: Leave her alone for now

Ryker turned around and leaned on the wall. He brushed a hand through his hair and pushed them back. His knees began to feel weak. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Laavanya again and his apartment reminded him of her too much. He can't go home. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor, wet and cold. He wasn't going to leave her alone. He will fight for her. And if she is going through something, he is going to be there for her.

He was going to stay—like he had promised.

He waited for an hour or more. It was past 4 p.m. The last thing she had told him was her email that said she was taking two days off for personal reasons but he didn't care–he was ready to wait for as long as he had to. He would do anything to win her back. He made a mistake and he was ready to own up to it. He pulled his jacket off and sat there, scared of where she might be.

"Ryker?" He looked up to find Laavanya towering over him. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was low. She looked tired–like she was carrying the weight of the world. He quickly stood up on his feet.

"Laav," he called her out softly. "Where were you?"

"Why are you soaking?" She pulled the keys out of her bag and unlocked her apartment. "Get inside. God, you will catch a cold." He followed her inside and watched her run towards her small closet. She pulled out a towel and rushed towards him. "Pull out your t-shirt. Wrap this around you."

He held the towel in his hand but didn't move at all. "Laav, I am sorry."

She met his eyes and gulped. She closed her eyes and breathed. "Not now, Ryker." He pulled out his t-shirt and threw it towards the bathroom. He put the towel aside and took a step towards her carefully. He stretched his hand to reach her arm. As soon as his hand reached hers, it was like she cracked open. She pushed herself against his dripping chest and sobbed softly. "They didn't want me."

"What are you talking about?"

"My parents," she murmured against his chest. "My ma wanted to abort me but dad convinced her otherwise. But neither of them could handle it. My mother ran away back to India and dad started drinking. Neither of them wanted me anymore."

"Baby." He kissed her forehead. "I am sorry you had to go through that."

She sniffed and stepped back. Her eyes were red and somehow she looked like she had given up. Her eyes weren't glowing anymore. All the shine seemed to have disappeared. "It hurts to exist today."

Every breath from Ryker's lung escaped. "Don't say that."

"It's true. I–I am so done with everything. My parents didn't want me, my previous boss tried to take advantage of me, I pushed Cameron away and now—" She turned to him with a strained expression. " You doubted my potential."

"Laav, God, no. Listen to me." He cupped her face and made her look at him. His chest flared at the distance between them. He searched for the light in her eyes but it wasn't there. His breath hitched–knowing that whatever she went through these past two days, he was one of the reasons why. "That was not my intention. It's the exact opposite. I am a graphic designer myself and I know skill when I see it. The fact that I asked George to consider you had nothing to do with my feelings."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! The condition wasn't to hire you. It was to consider you again. If he had decided not to hire you, I wouldn't have bribed him to. I didn't want your skill to go to waste. I just wanted the best for you."

"But I hated you," she cried.

"I didn't," he whispered. "I never did, I never could. I liked..." He took a deep breath. "I have loved you for a long time, Laavanya. There was never another woman whom I had so hopelessly loved."

"You love me?" Her lips quivered at the words.

"Laav, don't you get it?" Ryker inched closer to her face. "Loving you wasn't something that happened all of a sudden. It was there. It was always there. But it grew. The more I was with you, the more I loved you. I knew you hated me but I didn't care. As long as you felt something for me, I didn't care. I didn't understand why people were ready to do anything for someone until I met you. I'll do anything you want. I'll let you do anything you want to me. I'll kneel down and kiss your feet. Beg you. Let you strangle me. But just don't be mad at me. Please, don't."

"I don't want to be mad at you." Between tears, she kissed him softly. "But I need time to say it back."

"Of course. I just wanted you to know that." He pressed his lips against the edge of her lips. ."I love you. I love you. I love only you." He kissed her again. She smiled. He kissed her tears away. "Do you want to talk about what happened in the last two days? You can scream the pain, cry it out. Anything you want. I'm here."

"No, not today. But you should take a shower," she said after breaking the kiss. "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure." He loved coffee more. "Am I forgiven?"

Her lips twisted in a grin. "Jury's still out."

He began walking towards the bathroom. "Would the jury change their decision in bed?"

She was already in the kitchen but he could hear her laughter echoing straight into his heart. "Maybe." With a smile on his face, he went into the bathroom for a short hot shower.

He had things to do once he was out.

***

"My neighbours definitely heard us." She laughed as they fell on the bed, breathless.

"Good," Ryker whispered. "Let them know my name." He turned to his side and looked at her as she giggled. The beads of sweat glowed under the dim light of her room. It was almost past 3 a.m. He was not ready to let go of this moment yet. He moved closer and wrapped his arm over her stomach. He pulled her closer towards him so their hot skins were still touching. "So, am I forgiven?"

"Ryker Morris, are you seducing me into forgiving you?" She turned her head and looked towards him.

He leaned down towards her boobs. "I don't know, Laavanya Shaw." His tongue ran against her hard nipples. He looked at her from below and a moan escaped his mouth. "Am I?"

"Ryker..." she yelped. "I am still sore."

His hand slid from her stomach to her clit. His finger rubbed against it, slowly and carefully. "Tell me." His mouth found her ear. "Should I stop, baby? Do you not want this?"

She arched her back and nodded. "I do."

He smiled. "That's my girl."

She clutched his hand and squeezed it as his fingers slowly did the work. With every moment, with every touch, with everything he did and wanted to do—he wanted to tell her just one thing:

I love you. I love you. I love you.

More and more—everyday. 

probably one of fav chapters <3