Love is what makes the world go around. It's patient and it's everlasting.
A man, dressed in complete black, stood at the entrance of what seemed to be a dark alley, a block away from the one Kiana resided in. The hoodie of his jacket hung over his head and his eyes focused on her and not once did he look away. His hands by his side folded into fists and he wished more than anything that he could end it right here, but instead, he turned and walked away without taking a look back.
* * *
"Are you okay?" Macy asked as she noticed the sad expression her friend has worn around for days.
Kiana looked up to her and tried her best to put on a smile.
"I'm fine. I... I'm just a little stressed out. That's all." She lied and Macy did nothing but build up a warm smile, whilst still staring at her.
"You never really told me your reason for resigning... Is it because of Mr. Vos?" She suddenly asked and Kiana looked away from her into space once more, as they stood on the rooftop. Macy had come to say hello and met her outside her home.
Kiana let out a sigh.
"Not really."
"So he's part of the reason?" She quickly questioned and Kiana gave a light nod. Macy stared at her for a while as she analysed the entire situation.
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" She questioned and Kiana let out a sigh. Well, she couldn't lie to Macy forever. She had somehow become more than a work colleague.
As she thought about the past, tears gathered her eyes and while she nodded her head in reply, the tears came trickling down her cheeks.
"Oh, Kiana. I'm so sorry." Macy apologised in a meek voice, as she drew closer and engulfed Kiana in a warm embrace.
She didn't know what actually transpired between the both of them, but for her friend's sake, she hoped the phase passed quickly.
* * *
Lying on his bed, Enrico's head kept turning left and right, whilst his face furrowed with different emotions ranging from fear, pain and to sadness.
"Kiana." He mumbled and his hands clutched tightly to the duvet over his body. Eventually, he woke up in a startle, sweat all over his body. His heart raced so fast that it strangely began hurting.
* * *
The first loud knock on her door seemed like a dream, but it only felt more real when she turned on her bed and the knocks grew more frequent and louder. Her eyes instantly fluttered open and she sat up to realise it wasn't a dream. She took a look at the time on her phone and realised it was past two in the morning. It made her wonder who it could be. As she stood up to her feet and approached the door, the sound of thunder struck and she startled for a moment. She listened attentively and realised it was raining.
She let out a sigh before approaching the door.
"Who's it?" She asked, as she feared having to open the door in the early of the morning to a total stranger that might harm her.
She listened attentively for a reply, but got only silence. She braced herself and decided to ask one more time.
"Who's it?" She questioned then listened attentively regardless of the sound of the rain pouring down. When she heard nothing, she let out a sigh and concluded the fact that perhaps, the person was gone, so she turned away from the door.
"Kiana." She came to a halt upon hearing her name with the familiar voice. Her brows slowly furrowed, as she stood frozen.
"Kiana, please, open up." He pleaded and Kiana quickly turned towards the door and unlocked it before pushing it to slightly open. There, in front of her and under the rain stood Enrico. She stared at him speechless and he stared back.
"What... What are you doing here?" She finally brought herself to speak up. He was already drenched in the rain and it didn't seem to matter to him. The last thing at the moment was telling him to actually walk into her home.
Enrico stared silently at her for a moment, with an expression she couldn't quite explain, before he eventually opened his mouth to speak up.
"Kiana I... I'm sorry." He stated and her eyes slightly widened at his sudden apology.
"Enrico, it's late and you really shouldn't be here. The rain is pouring down heavily and you might fall sick from standing under it, so please... please go." She stated and attempted to shut her door once more, but Enrico quickly took hold of it much to her surprise.
"I know. I know I'm an idiot. I'm stupid and I'm a coward for not attempting to fight for what we have... I shouldn't have cared much about your past. I should have tried to know you better. I should have swept you off your feet and been there when you needed a helping hand. I should have held you back the last time we spoke and truly let you know how much I sincerely love you." He explained, staring directly into her eyes and she stared back in silence.
"I love you, Kiana, and I really don't want to lose you again. These past few weeks without you have been hell. I miss you very much and I... I really want to be by your side as long as I can. I'm sorry that I ever hurt you. Please, forgive me." He apologised as he took a step closer and Kiana could see the sincerity in his eyes. It made her teary as well. She had not once really expected this. Somehow, she had given up on ever meeting him again. She had made a decision to move on with her life and then, he was there.
"But... You told the whole world that you're getting married. Does that not mean anything?" She questioned halfway in tears. He took hold of her hands in his.
"It neither means anything to me nor her. Cecile understands and she's rooting for our relationship."
"And your family? Your aunt, your mum."
"They'll have to learn to accept my decision." He stated and hoped that would make her feel better, but the look in her eyes told him something else was bothering her.
"You'll never be happy with me. My background will always be a source of shame for you in the future..." He suddenly drew closer and placed his lips on hers for a genuine kiss. Although it was unexpected, she couldn't find it in her to push him away. She knew right there how much she had missed him and how much she truly loved him. She couldn't live without him in her life.
Slowly, he slightly released her lips and stared into her eyes.
"I love you and that's all that matters. The rest will follow, but for the present... it's just us." He quoted and the weight of his words sank within her heart then she finally nodded in accordance. He brought his lips down to hers once more.
* * *
"Here's a towel." She told him as she handed it over to him. He collected it with a smile on his face and she watched as he took off his jacket, before wiping his face and hair with the towel.
The rain had grown heavier by the minute and it was safer, they stayed indoors, so she let him in after sharing a hot and passionate kiss. Truthfully, her body still quivered from the kiss and as she washed him to wipe his hair, she suddenly felt a little different. Emotions that hadn't really taken pride within her attempted taking over and she had to look away to get back her senses.
"Do you feel comfortable here?" He asked and she shifted her eyes back to him.
"Uh, yes. It does look small and stuffy, but it's okay. It's just me and I really don't need that much space, plus, it's pretty quiet up here." She explained at a go and watched as a wider smile surfaced on his handsome face. She shyly smiled back, as she lowered her eyes.
"My home is always open to you anytime." He added and she looked back up at him.
"Thank you, but... I'm truly okay." She told him and he nodded in accordance.
For the next few seconds, they stood in awkward silence, each stealing glances at the other and when their eyes met, they smiled.
"Why... why this time? You could have shown up by morning and gave the same speech as you just did."
"But, it wouldn't be romantic." Enrico added and they both let out a light chuckle.
"Actually..." Enrico started, as his facial expression slowly turned serious.
"...I had a bad dream. I dreamt that I lost you." He explained and surprise slowly drew on her face.
"It felt so real that it hurt a lot, even after I woke up. At that moment, I knew I wouldn't be able to live again if I lost you. Every other thing I worried about suddenly made no sense to me except you... I wanted just you." He explained as he took steps closer to her and only stopped when he was in front of her. Her eyes never left him.
He took hold of her hands in his.
"I love you and I'll never get tired of telling you that." He added and a simple smile curled up on her face.
"I love you too." She confessed as well and a simple smile played on his lips, before he drew closer for a kiss. As he let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, she placed one hand around his shoulder and the other on his chest.
As his body quivered to explore their passion deeper, a thought crossed his mind.
She's not like the rest.
"We... we really don't have to do this if... if you don't want to." He told her nearly in a whisper, amidst loss of breath.
She raised her eyes away from his lips and into his eyes. Her brows slightly furrowed, as she tilted her head a little to the right.
"You would... wait for me?" She questioned, with a different look in her eyes.
He brought his hand to her hair and lightly stroked it, pushing the few strands away from her face as well.
"Yes. I've waited nine years and a few months. A little more waiting won't kill me." He explained, but all she did was draw up a simple smile as she stared at him with something much deeper within her eyes. He smiled back.
That time, she drew closer and placed her lips on his for a kiss. As it grew deeper, she made up her mind not to hold back and he, on the other hand, got a sense of that.
As the waves of passion grew hotter, his lips teasingly left hers and eventually made its way down the nape of her neck, making her crave more for his touch. Staring into each other's eyes, he took hold of a strap of her nightwear and gently pulled it down her shoulder, to reveal a tip of her bare body. Although going slow with each moment they spent together felt like torture, each actually wanted to savour and remember the moment. A clear difference of what he had ever had with any other woman. He took off his shirt to reveal his bare body and she took it all in just in one deep breath.