When Love & Hate Collide [Completed]

Chapter 100 - Looks Like We Made it

"Something other than me?" he asked bewildered.

"Yes."

"And other than what I told you just now. My delayed yet honest confession of love?" He continued.

"Yes. In fact that's thing that told me first that you loved me even when you never said those words. In fact even before you even agreed to give us a shot," I explained with a grin, enjoying his confusion too much.

"I am not sure I understand you. What are you talking about?" For someone who had always had an upper hand between, he was not very bright that morning. But I was loving every moment of this morning. Getting a declaration of love and also having a secret gave my legs a swing.

"Come, I'll show you," I dragged him to quickly grab on a cotton summer dress, while he put on his sweatpants.

"Where are you taking me?"

"You will know soon," I kept holding his hand, guiding him towards the studio.

Once inside the studio, I quickly moved towards the small door. Coming to stop in front of that door, I turned around to face him. "I was never allowed to enter this room, remember?"

He looked at me as finally he could catch the thread of my thoughts. Before he could respond, I continued. "But surprisingly, you never locked this room. Obviously I never knew this when I worked here with you because I never had the nerve to go against your word."

"But once you reach the last vestiges of your control and self respect, you forget how to be afraid," I said as I stared deep in his eyes, while my hand pushed the door knob open. "And how that last sip of bravery, that last attempt of finding your life, makes you find love."

We were standing inside his secret room. Room that was filled up of paintings of me in every nook and corner. Room that had my face painted across it walls. Room that was screaming of his love and his true emotions even when he stood there silent in the middle of the small room.

"You knew about this room?" Norberto asked with a blank look on his face.

"I came to know about it recently. The night I told you for the first time that I love you."

Norberto was speechless hearing I had known about his secret since so many weeks. His face was blank as a sheet. I didn't know what he was thinking. As usual when taken by surprise he was retreating into his shell, not knowing what to do. He had turned around facing the face the on wall. But I had decided I wouldn't let that happen to us again. Embracing him from behind, I wrapped my arms around his waist and placed my face on his back.

"I had just recently discovered my true feelings and how deep they ran in my veins. I wanted to tell you about my love but you kept pushing me away, with or without Greta. That night of party when I saw you again with her, I was completely broken. I thought there was no future for us."

"That bitch was was blackmailing me! I couldn't stop her or say anything because she was threatening me that she would tell you all that Chris had done or worse, she would feed lies into Chris and turn him against you. As my luck would had it, Chris had been having me followed and therefore he knew about me moving to Ireland and through me he got to you as well. I cannot stand that woman but knowing Chris was capable of anything, I didn't want to take any chances. So I just played along with her so that none of them would think of causing you any harm." Norberto explained but he still didn't turn around.

"If only you had known that by saving me from one pain, you were causing me another one. One that was too much to handle. That's the reason I lost all control and ended up confessing to my deepest desires even though I believed you wanted nothing to do with me. So I walked out of there only to leave you again. I rushed back, booked my return flight to Ireland and was sitting here waiting for the time to leave for good," I explained feeling the same deep anguish as I remembered that painful night again.