Always You

Chapter 5 | Love & Coffee

"Okay." I mumbled.

And he smiled and pushing open the door, he opened his umbrella and gestured me to get under it.

Biting my lips, I got under the umbrella and he quickly locked the cafe before we started walking in the direction I told him.

Since the umbrella was a normal size one, I had to stand really close to him, I could feel the heat radiating from his body. I don't think so I have ever stood so close to a man before and my cheeks flushed due to that.

I kept my eyes low as we walked in silence which was a little awkward because I didn't know how to start any conversation.

But then I decided to ask a simple question. "Where's your home?"

I finally looked up at him to see him already looking at me. "Down the road too, just in the opposite direction."

"Oh, I am so sorry you had to walk so much because of me--"

He cut me off with a wave of his hand. "As I said, it's alright, you don't need to apologise for it, Drea. And anyways, I don't mind burning a few extra calories." He grinned.

Oh, how nice it felt to hear someone say my name in a normal way instead of shouting it in anger.

"Thank you, Atlas." I genuinely expressed my gratitude.

"You have been thanking me a lot since morning, you need to stop that", he said playfully.

I shrugged. "But I am genuinely grateful to you."

"It's just day one, Drea. I wonder how many thanks I will be getting from you everyday."

"As many as you deserve." I smiled.

He let our a wholehearted laugh at that and shook his head slightly. "God, you are cute."

Two compliments in one day? He just called me cute! Oh My God!

I blushed hard at that and that made him pull my left cheek lightly.

When I glanced away, I realised that we actually reached my house and I stopped immediately making abruptly stop too.

"W-we are here."

"Oh, okay. Goodnight, Drea. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you so much. And goodnight." I took a step away from under the umbrella and almost ran inside the main gate and inside the front door, so that my clothes don't get much wet.

I didn't even realise that it was quite late and Sorin was already back from his office as he sat there in the living room, leaning back on the couch, his suit jacket lying nearby, the first two buttons of his white shirt open, sleeves rolled upto his elbows, his hair messy, his left ankle resting on top of his right knee, a glass of whisky in his hand and his eyes fixed on me.

I almost gasped.

The sight of him made my heart flutter at the same time ache for him.

"Who was that?" A subtle frown start to form on his forehead.

"Huh?"

"The man who walked you home, who was that? And where were you?" He asked calmly.

I realised that there were CCTV cameras, especially at the main gate and you could see everything on the telivision which was opposite to where he sat.

I didn't want to tell him about me working at the cafe. I just didn't want to.

"Um...he...um...I...was at the cafe and...it...started to rain...I didn't have an umbrella...so...so, he offered to walk me back." I half lied.

He raised one of his brow as if not believing me and took a sip of the whiskey, his eyes staring me down.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't be naive, don't let a stranger walk you home. It's dangerous and atleast send me a text next time when you are going to be late."

Um...

Okay...

Was he concerned about me?

About you? Never.

Yeah...

"I... I... don't have your number..."

He was quick to stand up, placing the glass of whisky on the coffee table as he walked towards me making me take a step back.

He stopped just a few inches away from me. "Phone?"

Anxious at our close proximity, I couldn't understand him. "What?"

He gave me a blank stare. "Your phone."

"Oh...um..." My fingers were trembling as I handed him my phone, and my heart skipped a beat when his fingers brushed against mine.

My phone didn't have a password and when he took it, his brows furrowed in confusion on seeing it then he continued to dial a number and a moment later his phone rang.

He hung up and handed the phone back to me. "There."

"Thank you." I mumbled.

All of a sudden, he leaned closer making my breath hitch. And spoke in a low voice, "I am choosing to ignore why you have my pictures as your wallpaper. For now."

Oh, fuck.

Chapter completion on: 21/4/22
Published on: 11/5/22