*Ryder’s POV
When I woke up which was at noon, I felt less hot than I felt in the morning making me know that I fell so sick to the state that I couldn’t go to office. When I tried to get off my bed I felt dizzy that i sat on the bed and because of the huge headache I had I laid back down. It might be because of drinking iced alcohol in cold weather that I fell sick. If not for Neo I don’t know what I would have done. I have fallen sick before also and I have gone to office then too. I remember the days I used to go to office with big headache. But still I went to office, it was mainly because I wanted to forget Kat, as it was, she who used to take care of me when I am sick, and the only way to forget her was to indulge in work, no matter if I was sick or not.
It was after a lot of protests that I finally agreed with Neo and Gab to not go to office and let my vice president Ryce and my assistant Cooper handle all the work. Ryce and Cooper are good at what they do though Cooper can be a bit bitchy. Hah who am I kidding, a LOT bitchy.
The interesting thing after falling sick was not the fact that I didn’t go to office but I saw a beautiful dream of seeing Kat near me taking care of me and scolding me to take my medicines. With a smile on my face I tried to turn around as I felt somewhat better. Note the term tried. Because I felt something holding me down. When I looked down, I was surprised and shocked to see a lady on top of me. Surprised because after having sex with a woman I never let any woman stay around or at least sleep on the same bed as I am on. Shocked because, not only was a woman on top of me but she was clothed.
And then it clicked me when an addicting scent hit me, that of Vanilla, Woody mixed with citrus. The scent that made me fall more in love. Just so you know, men’s weakness can be a beautiful scent. My Kat’s signature scent. Only she had this scent. Vanilla was from the body wash she uses and woody and citrus with some flower was from her perfume, it is one of my addiction other being her. I feel like this scent is made for her, it has ‘Katherine’ written all over it.
When I realized that what I saw was not a dream and that my Kat was with me, it had put a big smile on my face. But then all those embarrassing moments of me being a kid when I am sick comes rushing to my mind making me embarrassed which made me lean down to hide my face in her hair. Her hair too had a beautiful smell of vanilla which made me take a deep inhale. That stirred her, she was never a heavy sleeper.
She turned her head and kept her hand on my chest and kept her head on it, so as to face me with the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. Her smile has never failed to give me that giddy feeling, which I had missed for 3 years. No women I have been with can compete with her natural beauty. I may sound cliché at the moment but that is the least I care about when I have her in my arms.
“How are you feeing Ry?” she asked softly making me groan lowly because that was my turn on. I know she didn’t mean to sound husky but her voice after waking up was soft and husky which always turned me on.
She furrowed her eyebrows, obviously after hearing me groan and before she could ask me if something was wrong, I said, “I am fine. Actually, better because you are here in my arms.” I said as I kept my face above her head so that I can keep my nose in her hair. I wish we could stay like this forever.
“Hmm.” She said turning so that she could keep her head on my chest and one of her hand on my stomach.
“As much I love for us to lay like this, I think we should get up so that you can eat. Naina has come in with chicken soup when you were sleeping, which was like 10 min ago if I guess correctly. As you are sick it is good for you to have something liquid than solid.” She said trying to get up but I tightened my hold on her.
“Ry you need to get up and before you protest let me tell you the thing you already know that none of your excuses can change my mind. That is making you get up especially when you are sick.” She said reading my mind before I could protest. Like always.
“Kat, I need to-” before I could complete my sentence, she kept her index finger on my lips to shut me. With a serious face on she said,
“I know what you are going to say. We will talk after you have your soup and your tablet.” And that last thing was enough to make me groan again which made her chuckle.
“Ry now get up before you throw tantrums again to not have your tablets.” She said pushing my hands off her and pulling me to sit up.
I half-heartedly sat up and drank the soup which was hot as it was kept in the insulated container. After a lot of her protest and me staying strong on my decision even though I was slightly swayed by her cute annoyed face, I even made Kat eat food after calling Naina to bring her food.
As we were eating, we made small talks of how I got sick and how she was here. Thank god! that it was not Cooper but Kat here.
After we were done with our food, Kat called Naina and she took our plates while I and Kat washed our hands. After Kat had her alone time in bathroom I went in after she came out. And after I washed my face, I took the towel which was hung to the side of the sink and wiped my face getting rid of all the tiredness and looked in the mirror.
With a deep breathe I said to myself this was it and that now I have to talk to her and like I have already decided I am letting her have the choice of forgiving me or not. Though this was not how I wanted our talk to be, that is, in my bedroom with a sick me. It is either now or never. I thought of making her agree to have lunch with me and then at a fancy restaurant we will have ‘the talk’. But now, I think I may never get a chance like I have now.
Again, taking in a deep breath and exhaling, I walked out of bathroom to see Kat on edge of the bed with her chin on her interlinked fingers and her elbows on her knees with a furrowed eyebrow, it looks as if she is in a deep thought. Okay here goes nothing…
I went and sat near her. I have never been this tensed before not even before signing a million-dollar contract. but now, here I am sitting near her trying to get the word out with a sweaty palm. Again, taking a deep breathe I said,
“Kat, we need to talk.”
*Kat’s POV
He seems very tensed, meaning whatever he is going to say is not going to be good but we need to have a talk. I mean he is not the one to be nervous otherwise I don’t think he will reach where he have. He is very confident, composed, on the spot decision maker but calm or to put it simply icy, cold CEO who holds powerful aura. So if he is nervous now it means something.
“Yes, we need to talk.” I too took a deep breathe to say, “Let’s start with what the hell is going on? I mean you have changed a lot. Looking at me as if I am a stranger?” I began asking so many questions. I couldn’t find it in myself to stop me from asking question that have been taunting me in my head for weeks.
He takes a deep breathe which he has been doing a lot after saying we need to talk. He had his head down which looks like him having a battle in his head and again with a deep sigh he looks straight to my eyes with a determined look in his eyes.
“I missed you. A lot.” He said.
“HUH.” I wasn’t expecting for him to say that. He holds my hands in his and scooted closer to me and looked at me intently, because the surprise might have been on my face. He kept one of my hands in one of his hand and cupped my cheek with his free hand. I leaned into his touch without breaking our eye contact. His touches always made me feel giddy.
“I have never stopped loving you. It’s just I needed to be away from you. I couldn’t let myself be near you when I know that I am not right for you. After the death of my parents I just closed myself off. I did things I never should have done. Having multiple partners. Used woman, played with their hearts. Got deals from pleasures. Worst of all, avoiding you. Acting as if I never saw you. When, in first place if anyone seeing you for the first time will never forget you.” His eyes held so much guilt which made me tear up. But then something caught my attention.
“When your parents… uh…”
“died” he said as if it didn’t affect him but little did, he know or he must have forgot that I could see past his masked face.
“Ry-”
“Don’t. I know what you are thinking and it is true I didn’t get over their death, well if the life I am leading now is of any evidence. But I am getting over it and accepting the fact that they have gone and I can’t do anything. Except get my revenge.” He said the last part at low voice for me not to hear. Though my brain suggested me not to ask him on that, I went with my heart,
“What revenge?”
“Nothing. Its better if you don’t know about that. Sometimes not knowing the truth won’t hurt you. Its safe for you if you don’t know about that.” I had to have a battle with myself to not bother him from asking any further on that. I had a feeling that I would very soon know what he is saying.
“Okay. Anyways what I was about to ask you was, where were you? After we heard the news of their demise, we tried to contact you. But all your contacts were cut off. We even gave news saying you were missing. You have no idea how worried we were about you. You didn’t have to close yourself off. You had us. We thought you at least would come for the funeral but even for that you weren’t present. We tried every method to get you. Calls, mails, letters. Name it we have done it. Though we did file a missing case we didn’t get you. Where the hell were you?” I said throwing out all the worries we had on him.
“I knew about the case it was I who diverted the case by bribing, that’s why you couldn’t get me. I did hear all the voicemails you and your parents send me but I didn’t answer them. I felt it was right thing to do at that time. I don’t know what came over me but I felt cutting all the ties off was the best thing to do. I felt being cold, heartless person as they call me, I could grow my father’s business. I felt my emotions were my weakness and only if I be emotionless will I be able to thrive in this business game. Little did I know how much of a monster I would be if I do that. After doing all those things it was my guilt that made me push you away.” He said with tears in his eyes making me teared up.
“I even did something terrible. I made a man’s business go bankrupt.” That made me very confused over the fact if he had changed so much to even go to the length of destroying a family.
“The man because of the shock even took his life.” He said with so much guilt in his eyes. Suddenly I remembered something.
“What was his name. I mean the man’s?” I asked.
“Keith Gardener.” He said confused to why I asked that question.
That made me wipe my eyes and look at him with a smile to which he was more confused. I wouldn’t blame him. I mean who would smile after hearing that the person in front of you is the reason someone died. But I had a reason.
“Don’t fret over that. That family is grateful to you.”
“What?”
“I know you are shocked but that is the fact. I asked his name because I heard a story from my uncle’s neighbor. You know uncle Nat right.”
“Yeah, Nathaniel Colvin your mom’s brother.”
“Yeah after my parents…” I stopped unable to spell the d word to which he nodded understandingly. So, I continued, “Uncle Nat took care of me and I was living in his house. After moving out I used to visit him and there I met his neighbors Mrs. Gardener and their children, it was uncle who told me the story of her husband suiciding. Though it was a shock they were glad because Keith was not a nice man, he used to abuse his wife and children after drinking. And it was his drinking that caused his business to be on the brink of bankruptcy. Even if you didn’t do anything his business would have gone bankrupted. So, it was not your fault.” He nodded understandingly to what I said, but still had doubt.
“but still I made that 48-year-old lady a widow and those two kids, one of 20 and the other of 18 years live without a father.”
“That may be true but the fact is that Keith did get death threats from his debtors, so your appearance was just a coincidence. Not to forget about the fact that you took that already destroyed company to great heights and kept his wife and kids still a shareholder. So, the kids have the power to take over the company and moreover with the profit you got from that company you did a scholarship program and again by coincidence and their hard work they got that money. So basically, you helped the family and not destroyed it.” I said and he was so proud and happy, but had an ounce of disbelief in his eyes.
“How did you know all this?”
“I researched duh! After I heard from uncle that you were the reason he suicided, something in me told that the news was not completely correct and that made me research. Mrs. Gardener is very happy and grateful for you to take over the company and it was Keith’s cowardness that made him take that decision. Anyway, they tried to meet you to express their gratitude but like always you were unapproachable. I think you should go meet them. I know that even after me telling you all this you won’t be satisfied and will still be doubtful. But when you meet them, it will remove all your doubts.” I said to which he nodded.
Now, I desperately want to remove the sadness filled atmosphere and then I remembered something.
“When you pushed me away it hurt me terribly and I wanted a revenge for that.” I said with an evil glint in my eyes and he looked at me with an amused, confused eyes.
“Remember my period days where I used to push you away as I felt very angry because I felt it was unfair for you boys not to go through these pains.”
“How could I forget the cute angry kitten days.” He said laughing after hearing my reason. That kitten word annoyed me as he used it as a nickname for me when we were kids.
“Yah whatever and you would irritate me more by getting into bed with me no matter what all things I threw at you to not come near me, and you would get into bed and cuddle me to sleep.”
“yahhh, but why are you bringing this up now?” he asked narrowing his eyes.
“Well whenever you ignored and pushed me away, I remembered those days and I told Jason, your chief accountant, that you are having your periods and that I saw the blood in your pants. And Jason agreed by saying he felt you had both men and women’s reproductive organs and because of that you only scolded men because you were having your periods and wanted to vent your anger on all men.” I said and began laughing after seeing his horrified face.
“It was YOU!!! I fired Jason after I heard that rumor spreading around in the office, forget about one floor my entire staff in that building knew it. I thought it might be Jason since he is a ‘F. R. I. E. N. D. S’ fan and that rumor was one from it. I forgot about the fact that beside ‘The Vampire diaries’ you also loved ‘F. R. I. E. N. D. S’. Everyone from my security to my vice president was looking at me as if I was an alien. When girls continued staring me, I neglected it because I thought it was them lusting over me. You know how handsome I am.” He said flicking his hair. I scoffed at him. Such a Drama Narcistic Queen.
He quickly changed his narcistic face to that of disgust. “What made me horrified and disgusted was the fact men looked at me. They kept on staring at my pants as if I grew balls. You little brat. It was you all along the time.” He said with a playful glare and an evil glint in his eyes. I was confused why that evil glint was for but that was gone the next second because he started tickling me.
“Say that you are sorry and that you will be the person to remove that rumor.” He said and tickled me.
“Noooooo” I said laughing trying to remove his hands.
“Oh no, you will do it,” he said making me fall on the bed and continued his torture.
“Ryder… no… stop… it. AHHH…. Nooo…” he got on top of me and continued his tickling.
“Say sorry and that you will change the rumor.”
“Okay okay. I am sorry. I will change the rumor.” I said breathless and he stopped his tickling.
“Why am I sensing that there is more to that?” he asked getting off me. I sat up.
“If you take Jason back, I will change the rumor after all it was, he who helped me to take my revenge.”
He kept a pointing finger to his chin showing as if he was thinking but I know this devil has already made up his mind.
“Fine.” He said with sincere face.
“But there might be a small problem.” I said looking at him with amusement clear in my eyes.
“What now.” He said exasperated.
“He is now working in a bar as a bartender. It seems he is loving his new job because he gets all the attention from girls. It seems it is not only you that the girls are fangirling on.” I said with a smirk.
“Well then I am surely going to personally bring him back. Which by the way will be a history. Because once an employee is out of my company he/she no matter how much they touch my leg and beg, will I take them back. But Jason can be an exception.”
“Why is he an exception?” I asked with genuine curiosity.
“Because of three things. One, if he loves his new job then firing him was no punishment but bringing him back will be because then no girls will be fangirling over him.” He said pointing his index finger as one.
“Cruel Ry envious of his employee because Jason is being loved by girls.” I sang.
“Whatever.” He eyerolled and put out his second finger along with first, “Second, He is an excellent employee very good at what he does and that’s the reason why I didn’t blacklist him. It is amusing to know the nerd man who loved the numbers is now a bartender not to mention that he loves it .” He said chuckling.
“Why? He is good-looking.” I said to which he groaned. “And third?” I changed the topic before he asks anything else.
“Don’t think that I didn’t notice you trying to change the topic. But since I know I am way better looking than him I am leaving it.” He said with a smug look that I wanted to smack off him.
“Narcistic look doesn’t suit you Ry.” I said shaking my head.
“And I was saying, thirdly, only if he is there will you be able to remove that atrocious rumor of yours.”
“Yeah Yeah. Thanks.” I said with an eyeroll.
“Speaking of my employee what is your deal with Alex?” he asked.
“Nothing much. We had few lunches together, because he is my friend other than Martha, Jason. Jealous?” I asked with amused face.
“Hah in your dreams.” He said trying to remove the jealous off his face to which I laughed more with my hands on my stomach.
After my laughter died down, I sat straight and wiped my tears off. And looked at him to see adoration, love and something darker. Scared.
That made me let out a deep sigh as I knew I have to reply to his confession but didn’t know what. What he did was hurting for me. I wanted someone to hold me when I lost my parents and it killed me to see him avoiding me. So, do I forgive him? I don’t know. But do I love him? Hell yes.
“Say something please.” He said after a long silence which I didn’t notice because of the decision making going on in my head. I took a deep breathe and exhaled to which I saw his face fell and saw that he was preparing himself for the worse.
“I forgive you.”