Chapter 30

"Love"

Valeria's POV

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The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the warmth. For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't cold, wasn't haunted by nightmares. My head was resting on Ren's chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat keeping mine in check. His arm was draped over my waist, his hold possessive even in his sleep.

I blinked, adjusting to the early morning light streaming through the curtains, and let myself enjoy the peace for a few more seconds. It was the best sleep I'd had in years, and I wasn't about to ruin it by moving.

But then my bladder reminded me that peace wasn't eternal. Carefully, I wiggled out of his grasp, smirking when he groaned softly and shifted but didn't wake.

I tiptoes to the bathroom and did my business. 

I padded across the room, heading toward his massive walk-in closet. If I was going to steal one of his shirts again, I might as well start early.

Sliding the door open, I stepped inside and was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place. Shelves lined the walls, perfectly organized, with his suits, jackets, and shirts all arranged by color. It was annoyingly Ren.

I went straight for the section where I knew he kept his soft, oversized shirts—the ones I loved to borrow. As I flipped through, a glint of something caught my eye. One of the drawers was slightly ajar, and a stack of photos peeked out from the opening.

Curiosity got the better of me.

I pulled the drawer open, and my breath caught.

The photos were... of me.

Not in a creepy, stalker-ish way. I mean it kind was but they were so fucking sweet. 

They were Polaroids, each capturing little moments of my life since I'd been staying with him. There was one of me curled up on the couch with my laptop, another of me sneaking cookies from the kitchen in the middle of the night.

I flipped through them, my chest tightening with every image.

Each one had something written on the back in his neat handwriting. Dates, little descriptions, and—God help me—his thoughts.

"My darling, age 22, June 14th, stealing cookies at 2 a.m. Cutest thief ever."

"My darling, age 22, June 17th, curled up on the couch, pretending to work but clearly watching cartoons. Perfection."

"Vee, age 22, June 19th, glaring at Dante after he called her short. Most beautiful scowl I've ever seen."

"My Vee, age 22, June 24th, sneaking bites of cake when she thought no one was looking. My sweet tooth darling."

And the last one,

"My Ria darling, age 22, June 27th, sleeping peacefully. I feel like creep but finally found my angel."

And then, at the end of every note, a tiny heart.

I couldn't help it. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as I read each note. My throat tightened, and I clamped a hand over my mouth, trying to keep the sobs at bay.

But one ugly sob escaped.

"Ria?"

His voice was groggy but laced with concern, and before I could turn around, I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me into the familiar warmth of his chest.

"What's wrong?" he murmured, his lips brushing against the top of my head.

I turned in his arms, clutching at his neck like my life depended on it. The photos were still clutched in one hand as I buried my face in his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Baby, talk to me," he said softly, his hand stroking my back in soothing circles. "What happened?"

"No one's ever done this for me," I managed between hiccupping sobs. "Ever. Ren, no one—"

"Shh," he whispered, lifting me into his arms effortlessly and carrying me back to the bed. He sat down with me in his lap, holding me close as I cried. "It's okay, Ria. Let it out."

I didn't even care that I was a mess, that my tears were soaking his shoulder. All I could feel was the overwhelming love in those photos, in the way he held me, in the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.

"You deserve this," he said after a while, his voice steady and sure. "You deserve so much more."

I pulled back slightly, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes. His expression was soft, his eyes filled with an emotion I didn't dare name yet.

"Why?" I whispered. "Why do you care so much?"

He cupped my face in his hands, brushing away my tears with his thumbs. "Because you're worth it, Valeria Kane. Every bit of you is worth it."

And just like that, he kissed me.

It wasn't like our other kisses—this one was slow, deliberate, full of unspoken promises. My hands tangled in his hair, and I let myself get lost in him, in the safety of his arms and the way he made me feel like I wasn't broken.

When we finally pulled away, both of us breathing hard, he pressed his forehead against mine.

"Go get ready," he said, his voice a little rough.

"For what?" I asked, still dazed.

"For our mission," he said with a smirk, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "And wear one of my shirts. You know you want to."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "You're insufferable. These are kind of creepy you know"

"I know my love, imagine you have a sexy stalker" he shot back, a smug grin spreading across his face.

I grumbled under my breath but couldn't hide my smile as I slipped off his lap and headed for the bathroom. 

My love. I giggled. 

What the fuck?

As I closed the door behind me, I caught a glimpse of him sitting on the bed, watching me with that stupidly intense gaze of his. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

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˗ˏˋ Author's note ˎˊ˗

Heyy (✿◡‿◡)

I can't with these two. I'll die single at this point.

I WANT A REN

*Slams the credit card*

Please Vote and comment to make another insignificant human happy (^◕.◕^)

Question of chapter:

Pet cat-sized dinosaur or mouse-sized elephant?

mouse-sized elephant

Stop comparing yourself to others <3

Byeeee

Izel

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