Back Once Again

~Kai

I waited on the rooftop, nerves twisting in my stomach like never before.

The candles flickered softly, the vinyl played low jazz in the background, and the city lights stretched out below us. I had everything ready, the pasta which I’d actually managed not to burn this time, her favorite wine, and the gift.

Then I heard the door open.

I turned around… and my heart stopped.

Rhea was walking toward me.

She was wearing the dress I’d bought for her, a sleek, elegant midnight blue gown that hugged her body perfectly, with a tasteful slit up one leg and a neckline that showed just enough to make my mouth go dry.

Her ash blonde hair was down in soft waves, and she looked… breathtaking. Strong, graceful, and so beautiful it almost hurt.

I couldn’t stop staring.

“You look… incredible,” I said, voice barely above a whisper. “Seriously, Rhea… you’re stunning.”

She stopped a few feet away, arms crossed lightly, one eyebrow raised in that familiar way.

“Stop looking so surprised,” she said dryly. “Like you didn’t set the dress up for me yourself.”

I let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. “Yeah… guilty.”

For a moment, silence settled between us. Then I did something I’d never done before in my life.

I went down on one knee right there on the rooftop, looking up at her. “Rhea… I’m sorry.”

She stiffened, but I kept going, voice thick with everything I’d been holding back.

“I’m sorry for everything. For treating you like a game. For calling you my fuck mate to Trent. For being a headache and of course a womanizer. For being an arrogant, selfish asshole who didn’t deserve even one second of your time. I hurt you. Badly. And I hate myself for it.”

I swallowed hard, eyes never leaving hers.

“I’m not that guy anymore. I've changed. I don’t want the games. I don’t want other girls. I just want you. The real you, the one who fights me, protects me, calls me on my bullshit, and makes me want to be better. I’m in love with you, Rhea. Not the sex. Not the thrill. You.”

I stayed on my knee, heart pounding, waiting for her reaction. “I know I don’t deserve a second chance… but I’m begging for one anyway.”

The rooftop was quiet except for the soft jazz playing in the background.

I waited, completely vulnerable for the first time in my life, hoping the woman I loved would give me one more chance.

She stood there for a long moment, staring at me on my knee.

Then she looked away, first behind her toward the city lights, then back to the front, biting her lower lip. For the first time since I’d known her, I saw a faint blush creep across her cheeks.

Rhea Kane… blushing.

She finally reached down, grabbed my hand, and pulled me up to my feet.

“Get up, you idiot,” she muttered, voice softer than I expected.

I stood, heart still racing. She didn’t let go of my hand immediately. Instead, she looked at the small table I had set up, the candles, the food, the vinyl player and let out a quiet breath.

“Let’s see what you’ve got here,” she said, almost shyly.

I couldn’t stop the smile that broke across my face.

We sat down together. She tasted the pasta first, raising an eyebrow. “You cooked this?”

“I tried,” I admitted. “It’s probably not as good as yours, but I didn’t burn the kitchen down.”

She took another bite, then another. The blush on her cheeks hadn’t fully faded. For a while, we ate in surprisingly comfortable silence, the soft jazz playing between us.

After a few minutes, she looked up at me. “You really did all this… for me?”

I nodded. “I meant what I said, Rhea. I’m sorry. I want to do better. I want to deserve you.”

She didn’t reply right away. She just looked at me for a long time, like she was trying to decide whether to believe me.

Finally, she reached across the table and took my hand again.

“This doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you completely,” she said quietly. “But… I’m willing to see where this goes. Slowly.”

I squeezed her hand, relief flooding through me. “I’ll take it slowly,” I whispered. “As long as it’s with you.”

For the first time in weeks, the heavy weight in my chest started to lift. Rhea was still here.

And maybe, just maybe we had a real chance.

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, the soft jazz playing and the city lights twinkling below us. I watched her quietly, gathering the courage for one more thing.

“There’s something else,” I said, a little nervous. “I don’t know if you’ll be interested, but… I want to take you to the beach tonight. I booked the entire private stretch, just us. No people, no noise, nothing. We can see the moon from there. It’s supposed to be a blood moon tonight.”

Rhea looked at me for a long moment, surprise flickering across her face. She searched my eyes like she was trying to see if I was being serious.

Then, slowly, she nodded. “Okay,” she said softly. “Let’s go.”

My heart jumped. I stood up and offered her my hand. She took it without hesitation this time.

I led her downstairs, straight to the garage. I opened the door of my Ferrari for her, the sleek red one I rarely drove. She slid in gracefully, the midnight blue dress shimmering under the garage lights. .

I got in the driver’s seat, started the engine, and we pulled out into the night.

The drive to the private beach was quiet but comfortable. The city lights faded behind us as we took the coastal road, windows down, cool sea breeze blowing through the car.

Rhea leaned her head back against the seat, hair dancing in the wind, looking more relaxed than I’d seen her in weeks.

When we arrived, the entire beach was empty, just soft sand, gentle waves, and the massive blood red moon hanging low over the water, painting everything in deep crimson and silver.

I parked right at the edge of the sand, killed the engine, and turned to her. “Ready?”

She looked out at the view, eyes softening with quiet wonder. “Yeah,” she whispered. “I am.”

I took her hand again as we stepped out onto the cool sand. For the first time in a long time, everything felt… right.

The sand was cool under our feet as we walked along the private beach. The blood moon hung low and massive over the water, painting the waves in deep crimson and silver. The only sounds were the gentle crash of the waves and our footsteps.

I kept her hand in mine, afraid she’d pull away if I let go.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, I spoke first.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” I admitted quietly. “Booking a whole beach. Trying to cook. Actually caring this much about someone. It feels… new. Scary. But good.”

Rhea glanced at me, the red moonlight making her eyes look almost silver. “You’re really trying, aren’t you?” she said softly.

“I am.” I stopped walking and turned to face her, holding both her hands now. “Rhea, I know I’ve been a mess. I’ve been selfish, arrogant, and stupid. I chased thrills and girls because I never had to care about anything real. But you… you make me want to be different. You make me want to deserve you.”

She looked down at our joined hands, quiet for a moment.

“I never planned for this,” she whispered. “I never planned to fall for anyone, especially not a spoiled twenty two year old who drives me insane. I told myself I’d never be weak again. Never let anyone in. But you… you got under my skin. You made me feel things I thought I buried a long time ago.”

I gently squeezed her hands.

“I don’t want you to be weak,” I said. “I want you exactly how you are, strong, fierce, stubborn as hell. I just want to stand beside you, not behind you. Not as your boss. Not as your client. As your man. If you’ll let me.”

Rhea looked up at me, the moonlight catching the vulnerability in her eyes.

“You really mean that?” she asked, voice barely above the waves.

“I do.” I stepped closer, resting my forehead against hers. “I’m crazy about you, Rhea Kane. Not just your body. Not just the fire between us. I’m crazy about the woman who saved my life, who calls me on my bullshit, who makes me laugh and lose my mind at the same time. I want this. Us. For real.”

She stayed quiet for a few seconds, then let out a soft breath.

“I’m scared,” she admitted. “I don’t do this. I don’t trust easily. But… I feel like I want to try. With you.”

I smiled, relief and warmth flooding through me.

“Then we’ll take it slow,” I whispered. “One day at a time. No more games. No more other girls. Just you and me.”

I leaned in and kissed her softly under the blood moon, slow, deep, and full of everything I couldn’t put into words.

When we pulled apart, she rested her head on my chest, listening to my heartbeat as the waves rolled gently beside us.

“Happy Birthday, Rhea,” I murmured into her hair.

She smiled against me, small, but real.

“Thank you, Kai.”