The April air of Chicago was colder than expected. Emma burrowed herself deeper into her husband's side as they walked down the fairly busy streets, wanting his warmth to while away not only the chill of the night but also all the chaotic emotions going on inside her that made her feel like she was about to lose her mind.

George was saying something but she just couldn't focus. Her mind was replaying all the events of the day that had shaken her to her very core.

Right after the rehearsals, she'd entrusted her daughter, Amy, into Eva's care, then returned to her office. And for the next half hour that'd remained for her to close, she'd cried. Cried with an intensity that startled her, cried without any sensible reason.

Had it been that unreasonable sadness his late return at play or tears of happiness?

She shouldn't be feeling this way; so emotionally wrecked and streaked with such raging uncertain feelings which refused to mingle. And Zain's visit shouldn't be having this kind of effect on her.

Now helping her aunt, Maggie by preparing the evening meal while she rested, Emma realized that the best reaction would've just been to be happy for Zain and his return. For the fact that he no longer had that syndrome by whichever means she sure didn't know.

God, why had she been unable to react rationally? At that moment she felt a lot at the same time; shock, maybe happiness and. . . fear.

“Emma?... Emma.”

It was a slight nudge from George that pulled her back to the present. It startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked at him, feeling her face flush. Fuck, they were on a date for their anniversary, and here she was, thinking about another man.

“Are you okay?” He asked, cupping her cheek. The cold of his palm sent a chill through her. “You weren't listening.”

“I... I'm fine. What were you saying?” She forced on a smile so fake that she nearly cringed.

A teasing smile stretched his lips. “You're doing that concentrating thing aren't you?”

She blinked at him. “What?”

“You know, that thing you do whenever you have an idea for a design and don't want it to slip away.”

Emma forced a chuckle out of herself, hoping she was imagining the cracks in her laughter. “You know me. But what were you saying?”

“You remember Fredrick?"

Emma pursed her lips, trying to recollect.

“From the support group.” George clarified.

Emma remembered, nodding. “What about him?”

“He's getting married.”

Grateful for the distraction, Emma clung to it. “Really? How wonderful.”

“yes, he's finally giving himself a chance to love again. Took him long enough.” George said with a fond smile on his face.

Emma had to smile too. “I hope the guy makes him happy. Hope he experiences something like what we have.”

George paused, and she saw his eyes brighten. “Thank you for loving me, Emma.”

“No George. Thank you.” Emma told him earnestly. She received his lips in a long, passionate kiss, thoughts of Zain buried

**************************

Except that those thoughts didn't stay buried for very long.

Emma had a sleepless night that particular night. After her and George's date, they'd returned and made love deep into the night.

It'd seemed like her thoughts were back to normal until George fell asleep and she couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried. Thoughts of Zain forced their way back in.

She'd tried hard to shut all thoughts out, but the image of Zain remained centre in her mind until she'd realized it was morning and got up to help her aunt prepare breakfast.

Now, in her office, the sleepiness was catching up with her big time.

A hand fell on her shoulder, jolting her from her slumber. Trailing the hand, she found its owner to be Eva, looking down at her with concern. “Hey, Em, are you okay?”

Not wanting to instigate any suspicion in her friend, Emma tried for a smile. “Of course.”

Eva stared down at her for the briefest second. “You know I'm not stupid right? Yesterday you were so detached in the modeling room and barely managed to teach the new models anything useful. You looked so distracted. Lu mentioned that you had a visit from a man which changed your mood drastically. Come on, girlfriend. Tell me what's going on.”

Why couldn't she bring herself to open up to her best friend? “I told you I'm okay.”

“You would've failed that question in an examination. I asked you what was going on, not if you were okay. Now tell...”

Eva trailed off when they both heard an argument, muffled as it passed through to Emma's office. Emma was just about to thank God for the distraction when her breath hitched as Zain barged in with a panicking Lu behind.

All form of grogginess evaporated from her system.

“Emma, I swear I tried to stop him but...”

“It's okay Lu.” She didn't know how she managed to find her voice.

“We need to talk, Emma.” Zain said with a determined expression.

Eva like her usual self immediately jumped to the defensive. “Who the hell are you to think you can just barge in and demand to talk to the owner?”

Zain glared at her but didn't say anything even while his body crackled with impatience.

“Fine. Eva can you leave us alone please? ”

“But Emma...”

“He won't hurt me, Eva, I promise.” It was unnerving how she could vouch for him even when the dark look in his eyes spoke volumes of menace.

Without a word more, Eva threw Zain a disdainful glare and hurried out, shutting the door behind her. Zain immediately turned to Emma and her heart missed a beat as she caught his eyes, but she steeled herself, having a gnawing intuition that she would be needing it for this inevitable confrontation.

“Zain. I'm very busy right now and...”

“Why are you afraid of talking to me? Why are you trying to avoid me.” He cut her off with the question even she didn't have an answer to.

“I don't know what you mean by that. Just why would I be avoiding you or be afraid of talking to you?” She asked, trying to sound nonchalant against her pounding heart.

An incendiary fire blazed in his eyes as he stormed to her side of the table and swiveled her chair to face him, placing his hands on each of the armrest. “If you aren't trying to avoid me, why did you tell your secretary to tell me you weren't around?”

With a sharp intake of air, she met his gaze unflinchingly, this male who wanted to drown her in a sea of emotions. “I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm obliged to tell you how I go about with my schedules and pull through my appointments.”

The sheer intensity of his gaze turned her heart into a jackhammer, pounding erratically against her ribcage, and retaining that semblance of control wasn't so easy when nervousness was making her legs quiver.

He leaned back, and the reduced proximity rescued her heart by just a notch. “Fine then. If that's not the case, then I guess you have no problem with us talking.”

“So what is it you want to talk about?" She asked, struggling to make her voice steady.

“I'm much too overwhelmed to start with pleasantries so I'll go straight to the point.” Then he took a deep breath, never averting his gaze from her face. “Emma. . . I want you back.”

Her heart did somersaults as the confirmation of her suspicions of his intentions shook the calm out of her.

Several seconds passed and she couldn't get over the shock while he regarded her with a held breath. When she finally managed to regain her composure once again, she stood up to face him.

”You want me back?” She nearly laughed at the sheer ridiculousness about it.

Then conjuring a fierce expression, she waved her left hand between them so that her commitment ring was on blatant display. “You didn't notice it or something? Well, if you aren't fast enough to gauge what this ring means. I'll tell you. I am married. Married with a daughter.”

Hurt flashed through his eyes but it was the unsurprised kind, one that made anger tear through her. So he was well aware she was married but still wanted her back, still wanted to wreck more havoc with her emotions?

The hurt was gone from his eyes a second later, and replaced with it was determination. “Yeah. I'm not blind. I noticed that.”

Her blood turned hot with adrenaline as she moved closer and stared knives and daggers into his eyes. “So you noticed, and you're still here wanting to get me back?”

LolThe incredulity mingled with anger formed her next words. “What do you think? That you're so unforgettable and I've been hung up on you all these years even while married that one suggestive sentence from you and I'd throw my marriage and family to the dumps just to be with you?”

In a quick flash move that knocked the breath out of her, he had her flush against his body by her waist.

“What are you doing? Let me go.” She demanded, feeling breathless, her head reeling with the smell of his woody cologne intoxicating her senses.

“Tell me, Em.” Her stupid heart stopped beating for a second at the use of that shortened form of her name coming from him, momentarily sending her back to the cabin five years ago where she'd finally tried to overcome her fears and surrendered to him, body and soul.

His stern voice jolted her back from the reverie of touching skin and straining and pushing hips.

“Tell me you have no feelings for me. Look into my eyes and tell me that."

She wrestled to get out of his firm hold, but the attempt was futile. “I. . . Let me go now, Zain!” She finally managed to jerk out of his hold, wondering why the intended words had failed to tumble from her lips.

This time, his eyes glistened with shimmering swathes of reproach. “How could you have gotten over me so quickly? How could you have moved on so quickly? I thought what we shared was great. Clearly it meant nothing to you."

Something inside her jumped immediately to the defensive and made her blurt out, ”Of course it was great."

She berated herself after realizing what ideas those could create in his mind, then trying to redeem herself, she said. “But you ruined everything remember?”

She'd spent the subsequent weeks in depression, and after months of scrambling to pick up the pieces of herself that'd been shattered by the heartbreak it'd experienced, she'd finally decided to relinquish the past and move on.

“You know my reasons.”

“Of course, I know that. Reasons so strong you had no other choice than to break my heart, right?”

Suddenly, his eyes darkened even further. He gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw, and for every purposeful step he took forward, she took one back, taking deep breaths against the raging race of her heart.

Her back hit the nearby wall, and Emma cussed under her breath. Before she could sidestep him to another corner of the room, Zain had both his hands on either side of her, ensnaring her in the small confine, pinning her to the wall with his intensely heated gaze.

____________________________

What do you think of Zain's new resolve?