The Man I Left at the Altar (English)

Chapter 9: Secrets

Chapter 9

"Hey, baby." I greeted Dark as I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. It was a friday and my Integrated Accounting Class was cancelled to my relief.

When you're an Accountancy major you have only one subject which is the Integrated Accounting class which is a series of compressed lectures and quizzes. It was like a review class hence, the pacing was really fast.

Often times, I would go out of the class with my head pounding due to all the information. They say you have to keep all the lectures and lessons by heart, so it would be easier for you to retain and recall the information thought in your 5th year.

I knew I studied really well for the past 5 years but it still shocked me when I'm faced with the realities of review class. Add on to the pressure is the 88 passing grade. I swear I'm about to pass out from the intensity.

To my relief, they cancelled our class for today due to the teacher's retreat. So, I planned on hanging out with Dark in his office during his lunch break.

"Hey." he said kissing my lips as his eyes lightened up "I thought you'll stay at home and review?"

I pouted at him "I don't want to review today. I feel my head is about to explode from all the information." I stood up from his lap and opened the lunch box "I want to eat with you. Good thing Donna told me you were free this time. I can't believe you still work even when its lunch time

"It's a lunch meeting, baby." he chuckled while I glared at him.

"Still. It's work." I pointed out "When its lunch time, you rest and you relax."

"I can only relax when I'm with you." He softly said on my ear as he stood behind me and caressed my arm. The frown on my face fell and I'm overwhelmed again by the feelings I have for Dark.

It was true. We both can only relax when we're with each other. Dark grew up in a challenging environment. He was always on guard even when he sleeps.

I remember sneaking in behind him when he was asleep and I ended up beneath him with my arms above me. When he found out it was me, he was really remorseful. Ever since then he was careful with me and broke down his walls. As long as it was me, I can sneak up and surprise him.

Turning towards him, I wrapped my arms around him. "And I'm honored to see everything about you."

He smiled but the light in his eyes darkened. I frowned at him in worry "What's wrong?"

"Does it repel you? To see the monster and broken pieces in me?" He dejectedly asked. His eyes filled with pain. I knew Dark had his insecurities. He was afraid of being left behind and not being accepted. For years, he had to fight on his own. No one took care of him because he had to take care of his sick mother and brother.

I remember the shocked in his eyes when I dabbed his wound when a drunk man punched him for no reason. Or the time I took care of him when he was sick. Or the time I kissed his forehead before falling asleep. Simple acts of kindness and love were new to Dark that he had to slowly take it in until he was giving back every affection and love I have for him.

Smoothening the lines on his forehead, I made him look into my eyes "I love you Dark. Every single bit about you. Your past shaped you to become the man that you are. And I'm thankful to be loved by a man who had the biggest and most compassionate heart."

Tears glistened in his eyes and his arms tightened around me. "I love you. Please don't leave me. Everyone else have left me."

"I wont." I assured him, tears in my eyes at the depth of his pain. He always thought he was broken for everyone to leave him. He thought he was unworthy of love for he had a dark past, and his name was a reminder of his past. And it pains me to see the moments he would think he wasn't good enough. "I'll never leave because I love you. Baby, you're more than good enough. You're every inch the dream I prayed for and I'll forever be thankful for having you in my life."

His eyes glittered with unshed tears. Cupping my face, he tilted my chin up and kissed me.
It will take more than his past for me to leave him.

We were merrily eating and chatting with each other when Blaise, Dark's bestmate, came in.

"I can smell the scent of love from my office." Blaise wiggled his eyebrow at us as he flopped in the vacant seat.

"Hello to you too Blaise." I greeted him. He and Dark and grew up together. I'll always be grateful for him when he took care of Dark.

"You want some?" I asked him as I gave him some fried shrimp.

"You let her cook?" Blaise asked in amazement while I glared at him. Dark laughed and shook his head.

"No you dummy." I snatched the shrimp away from him. He knew I was a lousy cook. The last time I cooked for them, they ended up in the toilet for hours. Ever since then, Dark made it his mission not to let me near the kitchen. But he failed. I tried cooking everytime I was there and I had him taste my meal.

"We'll be having a business pitch later, so I wouldn't want my bestmate stuck in the toilet."

"It was one time!" I exasperatingly said "I'm actually doing better, right babe?"

Dark coughed and nodded "Y-yes she's doing better."

"See!" I pressed on. "He didn't go to the toilet."

"Yes because I went to the hospital." Dark added which made Blaise howl in laughter.

I groaned as I remembered the time I had to rush Dark in the hospital. I didn't know the tomato sauce was expired. It was sitting in my cupboard waiting for it to be used when Dark visited me in my condo and I thought of cooking him a meal.

"You're supposed to be in my team." I grumbled at Dark who was grinning cheekily at me. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me on the cheek.

"I was kidding. But your cooking did got better." He honestly said, his eyes twinkling in merriment. "Try not to use expired food next time."

I rolled my eyes at him and eventually nodded. Dark gave me a slow kiss while pulling me on top of his laugh. I grinned when I heard Blaise gagged.

"Please stop with the PDA." Blaise grumbled.

"Maybe you should get a girlfriend." I chuckled at him as Dark and I pulled away. He shook his head like the thought abhorred him.

"I'm happy being a bachelor." he smirked as he leaned his arms on the chair "Since my bestfriend is off the market, the ladies turned their heads to me."

I rolled my eyes at him. He was a ladies' man. If Dark was the brooding Dark Prince. Blaise was the ladies' man. He had women in his arms every single night. And I wouldn't blame them.

Blaise had the easy-going, sexy and playful vibe. With his light brown hair and hazel eyes, he was a bachelor. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a line of women in his doorsteps.

I just hope my sister's crush on him would fade. I would hate to see my sister crushed because of his playful ways.

I felt my phone vibrated in my pocket. Dark and Blaise were talking, so I surrepticiously opened it.

From: Luke Daniels
Hey babydoll! I finished the report. Would you like to go over it tomorrrow?

I hovered over the message before replying.

To: Luke Daniels
I can't :( Just send me the file and I'll give my comments.

Then, I quickly hid it on my pocket. I should tell Dark about Luke. But I couldn't seem to do so.

"Are you okay?" Dark asked. I didn't noticed I was chewing the botttom of my lip and Blaise took our leftovers in his office.

I plastered a smile on my face "Just some stuffs at school." It wasn't really lie

"Okay." He said not believing me. He sighed "Do you want to tell me something?"

"No." I quickly said and inwardly cringed.

He slowly nodded his head, "You're not keeping something from me, are you?"

"Just school stuff Dark." I told him and I stood up packing the lunch boxes "I should go, you're break is almost over."

He nodded. Thankful he dropped the subject. But his eyes knew I was hiding something from him. And I didn't know why I was keeping it from him.

Published 4.18.2020