Chapter 88

"What are you doing here?" Tristan's question burst into that tension-filled space, unleashing a torrent of long-held emotions.

"I came to lay it all on the line!" the redhead declared, adjusting her tone to convey determination. "And just so you know, no, I'm not drunk, and I'm fully aware of what I'm about to say, so pay close attention." Tristan, relaxed with his arms crossed and leaning against the door frame, kept his gaze focused as he listened attentively. "This whole 'being friends' thing isn't going to work. Sure, I agreed to it at first, but I also said we should let our hearts go where they wanted. And that's the point. My heart only goes to you... even if you are a Mr. Arrogant, cheeky, proud, masochistic, and thick-headed jerk!"

A glimmer of amusement appeared in Tristan's eyes as he commented, "That was the longest one yet."

Aurora scolded him, "Don't interrupt me, or I'll lose my train of thought."

Tristan, with a touch of sarcasm, teased, "Are you sure you haven't had anything to drink?" She shot him a dirty look, which he found quite amusing. "What do you want, Aurora?"

"To get back together, you imbecile. I thought I made that clear."

Tristan, showing a more romantic side, observed, "Not quite. You emphasized the insults more and just did it again. I thought you'd be more romantic."

Aurora looked around, not finding a single flower in the front of the house, only a grassy area. She decided that would do. She crouched down, plucked a leaf, and handed it to him. "Oh, Romeo, feel better now?"

He almost laughed at the pompous way she spoke. "A leaf? Am I worth just a leaf, Juliet?"

"It's better than nothing."

He pushed away from the doorframe and opened the door, silently inviting her inside.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"It's a 'come in.'"

Aurora frowned but accepted the invitation and entered the house. When she reached the living room, she couldn't help but smile a little and feel a strange sense of comfort and nostalgia. She had been very happy there during the short time they had lived together. And she wanted that again.

"You still haven't answered my question," she reminded him, hoping to get a clear response.

He remained silent, looking at her while playing with the leaf between his fingers. Could he still believe that they could make it work? Aurora was fully aware that she had broken his heart, and she still felt guilty about it. The familiar desire between them was undeniable, but what about everything else? Would he believe her if she promised again that she would never leave his side?

These questions troubled her mind. Irritated by Tristan's lack of response, Aurora rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch. "Tristan, please."

"What?" he finally broke the silence.

"Stop this."

"Stop what?"

"This. I said I want you back, and you didn't say anything."

His face hardened as he tossed the leaf onto the coffee table and, in slow and calculated steps, approached the girl who was already expecting rejection. He looked very serious.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice echoing the uncertainties they both carried.

She thought she had misheard.

"What?"

"Are you sure you want this?"

"Me? How can you ask if I'm sure after driving all the way here late at night?"

"Aurora," he crouched in front of her, and his expression softened slightly, "I want this. Really. I want to hold onto this, but I need to know if you're coming with me." He had faced many rejections in his life, and hers had been one of the worst. He didn't want to go through that again. He didn't want to mess it up with her. "You're in a delicate moment right now, and I don't want you to feel pressured." He touched her hands, which were in her lap. "It doesn't have to be now, and don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. When you're ready, I'll be ready too. Just please, don't make me wait another three years."

She chuckled, as cruel as it might seem, but along with the seriousness of his plea, there was a hint of humor.

"I heard you went after me."

He wasn't surprised. That very morning, when he was leaving his father's house and saw Griffin enter, claiming to be there for breakfast, he figured his brother would spill the beans.

"I care about you, Aurora. We can have our worst fight, and it won't change that. I needed to see if you were happy. And you were," he swallowed hard, "at least, that's how it seemed."

She looked at his hand resting on hers.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Suddenly, he saw pure agony on her face.

"I want this, Tristan, and I'm sure of it," she murmured. "But I can't help feeling guilty for the suffering we put ourselves through."

He sat down next to her on the couch.

"What do you think would ease that guilt?"

"Tell me. What can I do to make amends?"

It was only in that split second, waiting for the response, that he noticed a new aura in Tristan, something more seductive.

"We can start," with one hand, he brushed her hair aside, exposing more of her neck, then he brought his lips closer to that area, his movements slow and cautious, and his voice low and seductive, "right here," his lips grazed her skin as he spoke those words, sending a shiver down her spine, "and finish," he leaned up until their mouths were mere inches apart, "right here."

Heaven! He could still easily take her breath away.

"Can't we skip to the last part?"

When he finished speaking, Tristan attacked her mouth without even hearing her question, but that didn't matter anymore. Their lips moved in a warm kiss that could warm any woman's heart.

"Do you feel better now?"

"Not much," she lied. "Maybe you need to up the dosage."

"What do you have in mind?"

She thought for a moment while Tristan caressed her face with his hand and captivated every feature of her face.

"Have we completed the bet?" She asked, and he nodded. "Swear?"

"One location was missing, but it doesn't exist anymore."

"What do you mean?" Aurora asked, perplexed.

Without saying anything more, he intertwined his hand with hers and led her down the hallway. Aurora noticed the difference right away. At the end of the hallway, where there used to be a door to the armory, there was now nothing, just a continuation of the wall.

"You got rid of all that?" Aurora asked, surprised.

"Almost all of it. I left three guns hidden around the house, just in case."

"Where?"

"Last drawer of my office desk. Behind the painting in our... I mean, in the bedroom," he quickly corrected himself. "And the other one is in the living room, under the table."

She shuddered. She would keep her distance from all three hiding spots. Just imagining a gun was disturbing enough; seeing one would send her into chaos.

Tristan noticed her discomfort and felt a great need to change that. Still holding hands, he led her to another room, her old office. Despite being unused for years, Tristan hadn't touched anything and had instructed the maids to do the same, not to move anything when cleaning.

"You kept all of this," Aurora murmured, blinking several times to hold back tears as she looked at each photo on the wall. She smiled at the fond memories and then turned to Mr. Arrogant after seeing a picture of him with dark hair, as he used to have years ago. "I don't think I ever asked why you dyed your hair platinum."

"Let's just say I was a bit altered that day," he replied, leaving a mystery between the lines.

She narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher the meaning.

"How long ago was that?"

"Two years."

"If you haven't gone back to dark hair by now, then you must have liked it."

He shrugged, showing that hair color wasn't a big concern for him.

"And you?"

"I think it made you look more like your father."

He grimaced in disgust.

"I'll change it tomorrow."

"But it was a compliment!" she protested, trying to stifle her laughter. "Your father is handsome, think of it that way."

Tristan rolled his eyes and turned away. She followed him, laughing.

"Enough about the old man," he said when the couple sat in the same spot as before, on the couch in the living room. "Where were we?"

"Right here, I think."

"Wrong. We were," he pulled her close and pressed his lips to her neck, planting kisses on that area. Aurora, who was already laughing, couldn't help but laugh again, and Tristan moved away.

"Laughing while I'm trying to seduce you?"

"It's just that it tickles."

"Tickles, huh?" He raised an eyebrow and suddenly started tickling her stomach.

"No!" she shouted between fits of laughter, squirming on the couch to escape the businessman's playful fingers. "Stop, Tristan!"

"It's so unusual to hear that from you," he commented, pausing to let her catch her breath. "You usually ask me not to stop and to go harder."

"You pervert!" she pushed him playfully. "Who do you think you are?"

"A Mr. Arrogant, cheeky, proud, empty-headed fig."

"Haha! You forgot masochist. That's the classic, how could you forget that?"

"Oh, you're asking for it."

She squealed when his fingers returned to play with the sensitive area of her stomach.

"Okay, that's enough!" she gasped for breath. Tristan heard her this time and stopped, with a smile. "Oh, Mr. Arrogant!" she gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck with a huge smile on her face.

He touched the corners of her mouth.

"You can't stop smiling."

"I'm happy," she whispered, happier than she had been in years. "I love you so much."

He remained completely still. His eyes expressed both euphoria and sadness simultaneously.

"Love?" he asked, incredulous. She nodded. "Is that... is that true?"

"Of course it is," she repeated, wanting him to hear those words out loud, after so long with only a voicemail. "I love you, Tristan, I love you so much."

She wondered if he had ever heard those words from someone before. Maybe from his father? Or his brother? She didn't know about Tristan's relationship with his uncles because he never talked about them. She concluded that the answer was no. No one had ever told him sincerely that they loved him. That's why he looked so broken when she said it.

He leaned towards her until he buried his face in her shoulder, without trying to hide the great torment in his eyes.

"Tristan," she called him, but got no response. She tried to pull away a little to see him, and suddenly his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly, with no intention of letting her go or showing his face.

She stroked his hair, ran her hands over his back and arms, trying to calm him down. He seemed like a little boy who had once gotten lost and now, clinging to the only person he trusted, was afraid of getting lost again.

"Tristan, look at me."

He let out a trembling sigh. He thought he wouldn't do what she asked, but he did. He adjusted himself until his face was in front of hers. Tristan didn't usually show his vulnerable side to anyone, not even to Aurora, but that day he knew he wouldn't hide from her and would let her truly see him. Every pent-up suffering, his deepest fears, and the most sincere tears.

He would also allow himself to feel the magnificent feeling of liberation.

She touched his face gently, running her finger across his cheek to wipe away the tears. He didn't mind crying in front of her because he knew she would keep loving him.

She loved him. Tristan closed his eyes, and his body relaxed. It was too good to be real. He felt the need to hear it again, the need to hear her say it every day.

"Once more," he pleaded.

When he opened his eyes, he saw her smile.

"Haven't you figured it out yet, Mr. Arrogant? I love you, and I'll love you until the day I stop making jokes about you."

"I hope that day never comes."

"Oh, it won't, so get ready."

He reached out to reach her hand, the one that was on his face, and kissed each finger.

"I'm very proud of you. Of what you've become. Of what you've accomplished on your own," he said, with a gentle smile. Her smile disappeared, and her eyes filled with tears. These were the words she had always wanted to hear from Adelaide, and Tristan knew it. However, she realized that he wasn't saying it just because it was her desire to receive recognition for her efforts; he was sincere with her. "I admire you so much, Aurora. I..." He took her hand to his chest, where his heart was beating too fast. "I, Tristan Callahan, love you unconditionally." He bent over until their noses touched. "Mine. My goddess. My woman." Before kissing her, he added, "And I'm yours."

She felt like her heart was going to burst with happiness. She couldn't stop crying and smiling. And Tristan was sure he had never felt so at peace with himself. There, kissing her, he had nothing to fear and no guilt. He loved her, and she loved him. The world seemed so much simpler. He was at peace, and he was... happy.