Chapter 47

‎Seeing her laugh so freely, almost mockingly, made something twist inside him, annoyance mixed with insecurity. He had braced himself for this moment, half-expecting it to end in rejection. Her laughter only confirmed his fears, but he had come too far to turn back now.

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‎“I truly love you,” he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “If you can just give me a chance to prove myself…” His eyes searched hers, his tone devoid of hesitation. He didn’t care that she was laughing; what mattered was that she heard him.

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‎The humor slowly faded from her face as she caught sight of his expression, serious, vulnerable, yet determined. She paused, the corner of her mouth dropping as the mood shifted between them.

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‎“Even though I’m… pursuing Edward,” she began carefully, “that doesn’t mean you can’t pursue me too.” Her eyes flicked over his face, trying to make sense of the emotions there,longing, stubbornness, maybe even hurt. “You don’t get to decide that.”

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‎He blinked, unsure how to respond. Her words hadn’t been a rejection, but they hadn’t been a yes either. Still, it was more than he had hoped for.

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‎“I didn’t confess earlier because… I thought you’d reject me,” he admitted quietly, his voice softer now. He didn’t want to miss the way her expression changed, how her eyes narrowed slightly in thought, how her lips pressed together, unreadable. It was all he had, that fleeting glimpse of something unspoken.

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‎As she looked back over the years, the countless moments he had been there for her, the way she had leaned on him more times than she could count, an unfamiliar emotion stirred deep inside her. It wasn't something she could name, not easily. It was soft yet overwhelming, a quiet warmth that caught her off guard. Her heart trembled as the realization dawned, slow but undeniable.

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‎"Okay... let's give it a try," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes met his, deep and searching, and she wondered how she had missed it all this time, how blind she'd been to what had always been there.

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‎Sebastian blinked, stunned by her response. His lips parted slightly in disbelief. "Really?" he asked, needing to hear it again, as if the moment might vanish if he didn’t anchor it with her words.

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‎The look on his face made her chest tighten, a smile tugging at her lips. She lifted her hand instinctively, wanting to touch him, to reassure him—but halfway there, she hesitated and pulled back, suddenly shy. "Yes... of course," she said softly, trying to steady her voice. His surprise, the raw emotion in his eyes, it was endearing, almost too much to bear.

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‎Sebastian noticed her aborted gesture, and he understood. He knew why. The tension from earlier still lingered between them, fragile and unspoken. But he didn’t want it to hold them back, not now, not anymore.

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‎"Okay," he said, his voice low and steady as he closed the space between them.

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‎Then, without waiting another second, he leaned in and captured her lips with his. The kiss was urgent, filled with years of longing he had never dared to express. It was hungry, desperate, and full of all the words he hadn't said. She melted into him, breathless, her hands clinging to his shirt as if afraid he’d vanish.

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‎Only when he felt her gasp for air did he finally pull away, reluctantly, his forehead resting gently against hers. They were both breathless, hearts pounding, eyes locked.

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‎And in that shared silence, everything finally made sense.

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‎The kiss had taken her completely by surprise. One moment, they were talking, just talking and the next, his lips were on hers. It was brief, soft, but electric enough to still leave her heart pounding in her chest. She froze for a second, unsure of how to react. Her mind raced, trying to catch up with what had just happened.

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‎When she finally calmed down and managed to gather her thoughts, she found herself unable to meet his eyes the same way as before. Something between them had shifted. The easy, casual comfort they’d shared just minutes ago now felt fragile, tense, charged with something unspoken.

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‎He noticed her hesitation immediately. Her awkward expression was hard to miss, and it made his smile falter for a moment. He scratched the back of his neck, trying to find the right words.

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‎"I'm sorry... I guess I got a little too excited," he said, offering her a sheepish smile. There was a hint of nervousness in his voice, but mostly he was just hoping to break the tension that had settled between them.

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‎For a moment, she didn’t respond. Then, suddenly and without warning, she stood from her seat. Before he could ask what she was doing, she moved onto his lap, straddling him with surprising confidence. Her arms wrapped around his neck, anchoring herself close.

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‎“Well,” she began with a slight grin, her tone playful but laced with sincerity, “since we’re officially dating now, there’s no need to feel awkward around each other, right?”

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‎She adjusted herself on his lap, settling in comfortably, her legs on either side of his thighs. Her closeness, the warmth of her body against his, it sent a jolt through him.

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‎He blinked, stunned. This wasn’t the reaction he had expected from her. She had already surprised him once today, and now she was doing it again. The boldness in her actions caught him completely off guard, and for a moment, he was speechless.

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‎Then his hands moved instinctively, wrapping around her lower back to steady her. His voice dropped slightly, more playful now, edged with a warning tone.

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‎"Are you sure you want to stay in this position for too long?" he asked, his eyes darkening slightly. “Because if you do, I might get ideas.”

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‎She could feel the tension in his arms, the slight shift in his posture and, unmistakably, the way his body responded to her proximity. Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t move. Instead, she gave him a teasing smile, letting the silence linger, heavy with possibility.