Chapter 24
Please Stay
Emelia’s POV
I stood frozen at seeing Victor right outside of Alexis’s house. He knew her address because we’ve had many dinners, random movie nights, and small get togethers before, so I wasn’t so much surprised about him actually being here.
It was him showing up in the middle of the night that really took me aback.
Once I’d met Victor, I found out that he treasured his sleep and rest a lot. As a CEO, the busy and fast–paced days at work often drained him, so he hardly stayed out late or did anything; in the middle of the night that wasn’t important
Well… Until Lily came crashing back into his life…
So, while it seemed that he was breaking his own rules for Lily, I wasn’t expecting him to also break it for me.
So seeing him here truly was truly surprising. What did he want?
Victor looked up at the window I stood in front of and waved. He pulled out his phone then called me immediately.
“Hey, Emmy, Can you come down? I really want to talk to you.”
Something about his voice sounded off–like it was nasally and he was slurring his words a little.
I stayed in place, unwilling to move my feet forward. I still had no idea how I’d intended to face him. There was so much I wanted to say, but couldn’t. I still needed space away from him so I could get my thoughts together.
However, Victor seemed to anticipate my refusal, so he spake up instead. “The kiss really meant nothing. We were teenagers, and that was right before the homecoming dance. We’d both just broken up with our partners, and so we went with each other since we’d already bought the tickets and new clothes. Lily begged me to kiss her because she wanted to see if there was a chance at us being together, I didn’t want to, but I gave in…”
There were a few moments of silence before he continued. “I’m not proud of it for standing more firm, but the kiss led to nothing. Neither of us felt anything, and it was awkward as hell afterwards. It was a mistake.”
Another few seconds of silence passed until I was the one who decided to break the silence. “And so why did someone take a photo of it? It supposedly meant nothing but it was found hanging up in a random café?”
Victor sighed. “The owner of that café was an old high school friend of mine, and she did photography for the yearbook. She took that photo of us, and clung to it even after all these years. Said it fit the “vibe” of her shop aesthetic.”
“How convenient.”
I didn’t understand how Victor seemed to have all these stories lined up to explain his “friendship” with Lily. It was just mind–boggling at this point. They were so niche and the details were specific enough to where it could’ve been passed off as the truth….
Maybe.
I
But even if I wanted to believe what he said, which I did, I couldn’t shrug off the convenience of these so–called ” misunderstandings“.
It had to have been exhausting to have kept up with so many cover stories.
“Please don’t be so quick to push me away.” His voice rose with a nervousness. “I just want to talk, okay? Please come down.”
It was already so late, and I didn’t want to risk waking up Alexis Reluctantly, I shuffled my way out of the house and into the front yard
As soon as I got remotely close to Victor, he pulled me in his arms, and held me tight. It was then that caught the faintest smell of alcohol on his breath.
Just like me, he was hardly the one to drink. Just exactly how drunk was he?
When I looked at his face, it was like looking at a stranger well, almost.
Victor’s same handsomely sharp features were still there, but the alcohol in his body had softened them. He looked less serious than he usually did. If anything, he looked more sad, almost pitiful. His same gorgeous blue eyes were also recognizable, but even in the dark I could see how bloodshot they were.
Seeing him in his current state made my heart twitch with built.
Victor leaned his forehead against mine and took a deep breath. “I’ve missed you so much, Emmy, I really have.
The smell of his cologne with his arms around me and forehead against mine dazed me. Even though it was hardly a few days apart, I didn’t expect that his physical touch would have this strong of an effect on me.
“I’m sorry,” Victor said in a soft volee. “I didn’t mean to argue with you. I didn’t want to upset you. I’ve never once thought about divorcing you, and I never will. You mean so touch to me.
My heart swelled at his touching words, even if I couldn’t bring myself to believe them fully. As much as I wanted to bring myself to respond, I couldn’t.
“Please..” Victor gently squeezed my waist as he nestled his face in the crane of my neck. “Come home to me. It’s not the same without you.”
The gentleness of his touch and the earnest voice captivated me then. He was telling me the truth, even if he was
drunk.
Icould literally feel his honesty.
I wrapped my arms around hilm and pulled him close.
“I want to come home, too.” My voice was barely above a whisper when I finally responded. Tears fell from my face as I spoke those words.
Victor looked up and wiped them away from my face, as he gently kissed my lips. He took my hand and led me to
the car.
“But you’re too drunk… “I whined softly.
“I’ll be fine. Just sit with me for a little while in the back and I’ll sober up in no time, okay?”
I sat with Victor in the back seat as he pulled me into his arms; then I settled into his embrace like a missing puzzle piece. My lead leaned against his chest, and I listened to the steady beat of his heart.
“I’m so sorry, Em…” Victor murmured over and over. “Please, please don’t leave me…”
