Warning

Please stop!

"I'll see you around. If you want to see me, I am available till next week. It's been nice meeting you." She didn't wait for him to answer. He was clenching the fork a bit too tightly.

"Hey, just ignore her, 'kay?" I placed my hand on top of his and squeezed it lightly, letting him know I was there for him.

He bowed his head and a small smile bloomed over his face. When he looked up, it nearly took a breath out of me. My throat tightened with an unknown emotion. I could see his mouth moving but could not hear a word. I was well aware of his deliciously spicy scent that surrounded me, even though he was sitting across the small table. I could feel his body heat burning through his clothes and reaching out to entangle me.

This is not good.

"I need to use... excuse me." I looked around for the restroom.

"Sure." He answered.

I fled to the toilet and stood near the sink. I rested my hands on the cool tiles. What was that? It can't be what I'm thinking. I can't... Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't think about it. I shook my head at my red cheeks and dazed eyes.

"You like him...?"

Jesus, I nearly had a heart attack. I saw Natalia's reflection in the mirror. I turned around and she took a few steps towards me. Uncomfortable at how close she was, I took a few steps back.

I looked at her and shrugged. "He is my husband ." Something sparked in her eyes and I instantly regretted telling her.

"Your eyes say something else. Don't be offended honey but I must agree you are different than his usual taste." She walked past me and fixed her hair. I turned around, facing the mirror and applying a coat of lipstick.

"My eyes say, you should have gone easier on the mascara. None took sweets, I know what I'm doing." "I replied, pretending to be unaffected whereas my heart was galloping.

You insane psycho!

"Be careful darling, when you try to fix a broken person, you may cut yourself on their shattered pieces! Sophia was, is, and will always be the most important person in his life. Don't you ever, even for a second, think you can replace her. If I couldn't, there's no way on earth, someone like you can." Her whole posture was still, yet her words were venomous.

I twisted my neck around so fast that I was certain I'd be feeling the effects of whiplash later. She walked out with a satisfied smile on her face.

I went back to the table, her words still stuck in my mind.

"Do you mind walking? It's not far, and we can walk along the beach." He asked as he paid the bill, leaving a hefty tip.

I shook my head. "That sounds nice."

A few minutes later, we were walking along the beach in the moonlight. I had my heels in my hand. It was the most relaxed I have ever been with him.

"I was thinking." I hesitated.

"Uh-oh." He grinned mischievously.

"If you really love Carly, why would you sleep with other girls, I know you didn't consider me a your wife and I can understand that too, because you're forced to marry me ?" I blurted.

It was bugging me a lot. If he really loved her as he claimed, than why would he ruin the time he spent with her with some meaningless one-night stands? He shook his head and pressed his lips together, as if he didn't want to tell me.

"I'm sorry, that was totally personal. You don't have to answer me." I added quickly. I watched as his expression softened a little.

"It's not that easy to explain. After she left, I wanted to get rid of the memories that would haunt me everywhere I went. I wanted to shut myself from everyone. I thought girls were easy and I knew what I was dealing with now. They knew to expect nothing from me so they had zero expectations beyond what I offered. It was a just an escape and a mindless release. I never let anyone hold my emotions so they didn't have the power to use my emotions against me, again." He stopped walking and faced me.

His eyes searched mine. I usually see either heat or a teasing light in his eyes, but right now, neither were the case. They seemed...troubled. Like he was conflicted about something. It took every fibre of my being to not reach out my hand and touch his perfect face, to wipe away his sorrows.

"Do you still feel like that?" I asked, searching his face intently.

"I'm not sure but I feel I can face them now, instead of running away."

"Why is that?" His green eyes roamed my face before he let out a breath and answered.

"This girl came out of nowhere and demanded I sort my mess and she broke all the walls I built around myself for years, in just a few months. I can't believe how easy it was for her to do."

I wanted to scoff but held back. It would be rude. But it wasn't easy at all and I still believed there was so much more than what he had told me. The walls might have cracked a little, but they were still there.

"Why me?" I shifted uncomfortably, aware of just how close I was to him. My breath caught suddenly, his eyes noticed my movement and my cheeks flushed with heat.

Crap!

"Because there is something about you. I can't figure out if it's a good thing or not." He reached out to push my hair back over my shoulder. His fingertips lingered on the skin of my neck before they fell away. I tried not to smile widely.

"What's so special about her anyway?" I allowed myself to steal a glance at him then turned away quickly. He stared right at me, piercing me with those brown-coloured eyes.

"She was one of a kind. She stood by me when no one else did. She believed in me. And you know what they say?" He said solemnly, all traces of humour leaving his voice.

"What?" I asked him, feeling a little breathless.

"When a Richardson falls for someone, they fall hard. They get really intense. Not everyone is ready for a relationship." He replied with a wry smile.

"What the heck did she do to you?" My heart squeezed but I pressed further, needing to delve deeper.

He looked up at the sky and squinted down at me but never replied. We stayed quite for a bit, just enjoying each other's presence. Remembering something, I turned my smiling face to him.