He was just there inside the closet, changing his clothes. I breathed a sigh of relief. I had feared something bad had happened to him.
“Hey,” I called out.
Japen turned around to face me. My eyebrows raised when I noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt, revealing his muscular chest. I kept my eyes on his face and gestured for him to turn around again. And he did.
“Simmy was here,” I said, crossing my arms. “Tell me she didn’t see you.”
“Yeah,” he replied, reaching for my oversized shirt and putting it on. “She didn’t see me.”
I nodded. Japen turned around again. A smile crept on my lips seeing him in my favorite pink shirt. “You look like a girl,” I teased.
He narrowed his eyes at me, and before I could react, Japen was towering over me. “Like a girl?” he trailed off.
I looked up at him and smirked. “You seem to love wearing my pink shirts, don’t you?”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. “Kiss me,” he said.
I pouted, untangling his arms from around my waist, and stepped out of the closet. I walked straight to the bathroom and closed the door.
I hadn’t expected to see Japen in the bathroom. I took a deep breath. “You scared me!” I exclaimed as I walked past him.
I drew the shower curtain closed and began to undress. Suddenly, Japen pulled the curtain aside, stopping me from undressing and pinning me against the wall.
“Do you have something to tell me?” he asked, staring directly into my eyes.
I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”
We stared at each other for a few minutes before Japen stepped back, sighing. “Go take a shower,” he said quietly, then walked away. I heard the door close behind him.
I took another deep breath. I didn’t understand why he suddenly asked if there was something I wanted to tell him. I wasn’t sure what he expected me to confess.
Closing the curtain, I quickly showered. Afterward, I entered the walk-in closet and put on a dress before returning to the bedroom.
I glanced around and saw Japen sitting on the bed. He was leaning against the headboard, engrossed in a book he held. He didn’t even glance up at me.
I sighed and walked closer to the bed, climbing in beside him. I sat on the edge next to Japen and glanced at the book he was reading.
It was one of my novels. Leaning back against the headboard, I studied Japen’s profile. He seemed serious.
“You read pretty well,” I commented. He turned the page without saying a word, something he often did when displeased with me. I sighed. “Are you avoiding me?” I asked.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at me. We locked eyes. I lost track of time as he leaned over and kissed my cheek.
“Is there something you want to say?” he asked again.
I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”
He sighed and resumed reading. “Never mind.”
Then I remembered what was supposed to happen that night. Leaning towards Japen, I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. Neither of us said a word. We remained silent, feeling each other’s presence as time passed.
Around noon, Anya entered the room and her eyes widened when she saw the untouched food on the bedside table.
“You didn’t eat, Miss?” she asked, surprised. She set the tray down on the tea table.
“Just take it away. Simmy left it there, so I haven’t touched a thing,” I replied.
Anya glanced at the person sitting beside me. Right, I hadn’t hidden Japen in the closet since he was leaving me that night. He stayed by my side and didn’t complain about it.
“You may go, Anya. Prepare everything,” I instructed her.
She looked at me, nodded, and carefully left the room.
“Let’s eat. I’m starving,” I said, then climbed out of bed.
We enjoyed our lunch together, then spent some time reading novels on the balcony. Our hands intertwined as we both read the book Japen had picked up.
Time seemed to slip away. I gazed at the horizon as the gentle sunlight warmed my forehead and the afternoon breeze gently caressed my face.
My eyes took in the golden rays stretching across the horizon. Birds chirped in the distance as they flew by. Trees swayed in the breeze, and the distant hum of car engines reached my ears.
It was a peaceful afternoon.
Japen placed the book back on the table when he reached the end. He squeezed my hand. “Azora?” he called out.
“I’m awake,” I replied.
He chuckled softly. “I thought you had fallen asleep.”
My lips curved into a slight smile. “It took you hours to finish that novel.”
“I didn’t skip any pages. I read every single word,” he reasoned.
I grinned at his reply. “I could finish that novel in two hours.”
He released my hand and gave a slow clap. I gasped at his playfulness, then burst into laughter. That man…
Standing up straight, I looked at Japen’s face. He turned to look at me, and we locked eyes again. The soft sunlight touched the side of his face as the sun began its descent below the horizon.
My hand reached up to softly caress his cheek. “Japen,” I whispered.
He smiled and took hold of my hand resting on his cheek. “I love you,” he whispered back.
A bittersweet smile curved my lips. “I love you too.”
He gently pulled me closer, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead before pulling me into a warm hug. I hugged him back tightly, closing my eyes.
I wanted to savor this moment, to feel his touch, because I knew… I knew…
“Is there something you want to say?” he whispered again.
I bit my lip, burying my face in his chest. “I want you to go.”
I felt his embrace tighten around me. He didn’t say anything, but I knew he understood what I meant.
“I love you. I love you so much, Azora.”
I couldn’t help but sob softly at his repeated words. I simply stayed in his arms, crying silently.
A few minutes passed, and I gently pulled away to look into his eyes.
The sun was nearly hidden in the west. The afternoon breeze grew colder with each passing minute, and I knew our time together was drawing to a close. My limbs felt weak as I held his face in both of my hands.
“Japen, listen,” I swallowed hard, my voice trembling. “After dinner, you need to get ready. Anya will help you leave, and someone will be waiting for you outside the gates. Promise me you’ll leave this mansion and never come back.”
“Azora…”
“Promise me!”
He leaned his forehead against mine, gently stroking my cheek. “Come with me.”
“No.” I sighed. “I know Dad’s men are outside the gates. If they see me outside, they’ll soon discover I’m trying to escape. They’ll search for me.”
“Azora, I’ll take you-”
“Japen, please!” I pleaded helplessly. “I don’t want to escape. I don’t want to leave Dad. If you’re worried about my safety, you don’t need to be. I can take care of myself.”
He stared at me for a long moment, until I heard footsteps entering the room. By the sound, I knew it was Anya bringing us dinner.
I had asked her to prepare a hearty meal for that night because I wanted Japen to leave with a full stomach. It was the least I could do after he had been with me for weeks.