One and Only

4

(those who saw the reel and came to read, I love you all)
Liya's pov

"Liya, we're 1 hour late..." I heard Kaleb groan making me sigh as I inhaled deeply. Wait. Why does Kaleb smell like the guy that night...?

It was as if the cologne made me sleepless, making me open my eyes. I looked up at him only to find him staring back at me. I blinked as he passed me a lazy smile. "We're an hour late. I got a text from Mahima and Jake. They're already there." He spoke sighing deeply as I kept staring at him. I've never been this close to him, have I? I gulped. It feels different...a good type of different. I kept staring at him.

He's handsome...and still has a light scar on his cheek from that night. I don't know what possessed me to do it...but I lifted my hand, brushing my fingers on his scar as he adverted his eyes away from me. "Kaleb," I mumbled as I cupped his cheeks before making him face me, "Please talk to me, I want to know. Don't you think I deserve to know what made you leave me all alone for all those years?" I muttered as he stared at my eyes, making my eyes well up with tears.

It wasn't easy all those years, you know? He was gone, and I felt as if my life was completely wiped out, my color wiped away. Forever. Until I met him in the club.

"Liya, I told you I had to move overseas for studies-" "Look at me and say it." I cut him off, my voice cracking halfway making him look at me. "Liya...I just...I had to go. I had to go because I couldn't bear the guilt of leaving you inside that day...I couldn't face it." He voiced out as I felt tears run down my cheeks. "You're still lying to me!" I cried out.

This hurt way too much. "You want to know?" He mumbled, wiping my tears away as I nodded. "I do," I replied, his eyes welling up with tears. "Your father had threatened me. My father worked in his company at the time, and he said if I hadn't left you alone...He would do something terrible to my father. Upon contacting the police, my father came home covered in bruises all over his body that same day. I couldn't tell you about it...I didn't want you to hate your dad..." He burst out, his tears cascading down his cheeks making me sigh as I felt my tears run down non-stop.

This. I hate him. I hate my father so damn much. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry Kaleb." I sniffled making him shake his head. "No, don't be. You didn't do anything nor did you have a say in any of it, so don't blame yourself." He muttered, wiping my tears away.

"There's more to it, isn't it?" I spoke pulling his hands away from my face. "You were there that night. You were there even after you left me alone in the cabin." I confronted him. It was as if he had been caught.

"You waited for me to pass out, you did. And you took me out of the burning cabin. You left me a piece of paper," I hastily fished the paper out of my wallet, showing it to him as he gulped and tried to maintain his composure, "You smelled like rosewood, and you still do. I remember gaining consciousness. You gave me this piece of paper and left me, forever. Why?... Answer me!" I yelled out getting away from him as I found it hard to breathe.

"Stop...Don't do this to yourself, Liya." He spoke, his feet trying to bring him closer to me. "Come any closer and whatever we've planned comes to an end." I spat making him freeze. "Liya-" "Answer my question." My voice quivered. "I'll answer it, let me come a little closer...Please?" He sniffled, and tears ran down his cheeks. I hesitantly nodded, making him move closer to me. His posture was hesitant and careful. Slowly yet hesitantly, he made his way closer to me before hugging me tightly.

And that's all that took for me to break down. His embrace. He wrapped his arms around me tightly as I sobbed trying to fight my way out of his arms. "You want to know why I did all that, right?" He whispered as he cupped my cheeks before making me look at him. He leaned in and pressed his lips on my forehead before kissing it softly. I sniffled as he wiped my tears away.