Sofia’s pov
Zander breathed out an amused laugh. “That’s very insane to be honest. I guess I was too scared to admit it back then.”
“I had no idea about my own cursh until moments later to be honest: I mean, I was very hurt that you moved without bidding ne goodbye but I just felt like the hurt was because of our friendship.”
A regretful look crossed Zander’s face this time. “About that, I honestly wished I had gotten a chance to bid you goodbye properly, you know? But it was all so impromptu. I got got home from school one afternoon and my things were already packed and in an hour, I was being ushered into a private plane and that was it. The fact that I didn’t get to bid you goodbye ate me up for years.”
“Wow.” I breathed out in genuine shock, feeling like I was finslly getting some sort of closure about this situation which I’ve always unknowingly craved. For years, I had just assumed that he hadn’t deemed it important enough to inform me beforehand.
“Yeah.” He murmured.
A long exhale flowed out of me as I sat up straighter. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re here now, at least now we can make up for lost times, i guess?” I offered and he perked up at that at once.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking.” He paused for a moment and leaned forward across the table before continuing. “But, wouldn’t your husband mind, along with the fact that there was a crush between us in the past?”
A laugh bubbled out of me at once. “Of course not. It’s in the past after all so I don’t think he’d mind.”
“Oh good, cause you know, I don’t have any friends for now seeing as all my friends are not here in this country except you, and I’d definitely want us to keep hanging out.”
“Of course, we can continue to hang out.” I agreed at once because this hang out has been genuinely nice and a good change of scene, and also coupled with the fact that I only have a little friends.
We hanged out for a little while longer before Zander finally left after recieving a call which he claimed was from someone important. Not wanting to leave for home yet, I decided to stay here a little longer and just relax all of my muscles.
I was humming a song beneath my breath when a shadow settled over me, causing me to blink my eyes open and focus it on Ryan’s familiar built. A smile tugged at the side of my lips at once as I breathed out. “Oh, here Ryan.”
“Want me to join you? Seems like you’re bored and Ethan went to run a quick errand.”
“I’m actually not bored but now that you’re here, we’re just hang out in the greenhouse I know they have in here. The sun is just setting and we can definitely watch it together.” I offered and got to my feet at once, knowing he wouldn’t refuse.
He gave a nod of his head and I picked up my things, and then we made our way over to the said location, through an elevator.
On arriving there, I placed my bag on a low stand and began to watch the sun set, and then I took a few pictures of it, while deciding that I’m going to paint it when next I decide to pick up my brush.
I was enjoying watching the orange sun slowly disappear when Ryan began to speak.
“Wanna know a secret?” He asked and I perked up at once, a smile tugging at the sides of my face.
“Definitely.” I responded at once. Ryan had an unrecognizable glean in his eyes as he leaned down before proceeding to speak.
“Remember that guy who assaulted you that day?”
I nodded my head slowly, not sure of where he was going with this. “Of course I do, that literally just happened a few days ago but Luca took care of him just fine.”
A dark look settled on Ryan’s fsce in the blink of an eye as the next words left his lips. “Luca didn’t take care of him properly.”
I felt myself blinking in confusion because I could remember Luca breaking his hand, and he said he dealt with him some more. Wasn’t that enough lesson already?
“He didn’t?” I found myself asking, watching as Ryan nodded while letting out a certain hum.
“Which was why I hunted him down and killed him.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, my mouth fell open in shock. The look on his face right now showed that he wasn’t joking like I instantly hoped. The breadth in my chest stuttered to a stop multiple times and my mind began to reel at once.
“What?” I whispered while blinking up at him.
“I couldn’t stand the thought of him getting to touch you and still get the chance to breathe. No one would live should they attempt something like that with you ever again, I promise.” He continued and my mouth fell open even more because I suddenly didn’t know what to say next.
“B- but…” I whispered while watching him shake his head firmly. “I don’t regret it and I’d definitely do it again in an instant.”
So many things were running through my mind at once and I tried to settle on what to say but nothing seem to be coming forth.
A fleeting moment later, Ryan’s hand came up to grasp my chin, tugging it upwards and then to my horror and shock, he brushed his lips atop mine. It lasted for a few seconds and I could barely breathe throughout. Once he pulled away, I blinked up at him in confusion while waiting on an apology that never came forth.
When we headed home sometime later, I poundered over how what everyone has been saying were indeed true. I had barely wrap my head around the fact that he murdered someone because of me, before he went ahead and kissed me.
Ryan kissed me.
I wasn’t sure of what to make of that, but one thing is certain in my mind right now, and it’s that I definitely do not like him that way.
Which made me finally decide on the fact that I definitely need to have that talk with him as fast as possible.