"...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you at all. It's just that I'm so frustrated..."
"Why? Frustrated in what?"
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Sebastian couldn't find his words for a moment. He took a deep breath as if searching his soul for his true answer.
"I'm frustrated with you. All I wanted was for you to give me a chance..." He finally told her, showing a bit of sincerity in his words.
"...You...want me to give you a chance? After all...I...why?" Rose couldn't understand why he still desired her after all the fights that happened.
"Because I'm the one that actually understands you. I'm the one who is willing to be with you, with all your flaws and problems. I'm the one..." His voice then slowly lowered to a whisper as he continued to speak. "...I'm the one who is willing to love you unconditionally. And I don't care what anyone else thinks." He finished with a small humble smile at her.
"...You...do...?"
"You heard me. I do..." Sebastian said as he started to lean slightly closer to her. She could now sense his warmth and sincerity for his eyes were looking at her softer than before as if he was willing to give her a small chance to make this work out between them.
"I don't want to rush things..." Rose reserved herself.
Sebastian couldn't help but be more delighted upon hearing her reply. At least he now knows he still stands a chance if he plays his cards right. "That's fine. There's no need to rush anything. I'm willing to start slow and take things one step at a time if that's what you like. Just know that I'm willing to make an effort with you."
But Rose didn't know what to do right now. It's crazy this man wanted to be with her, but he was quite verbally abusive before. Should she even give him a chance?
As for Sebastian, he could sense her hesitation, and he noticed how she was having a hard time making up her mind. Even so, he is still trying his best to act like a gentleman.
"I said it before. I don't know what's the right answer right now..." Rose said.
He leaned back a little from his chair and simply gave her a small but understanding smile. "Look, I understand your hesitation in this. I know I screwed up earlier with the harsh words I said to you before, but I just wanted to ask you one thing..."
"And what is that?"
"Just give me one more chance. All you have to do is just let me show you more of my real self. The one that is not judgmental. The one that knows you are worthy of being loved and treated with respect. The one who wanted everything to just flow naturally without forcing you into anything. Please...just one more chance?"
Rose could see he truly meant every word, but saying 'yes' right now just felt wrong. She looked at him in his eyes with worry. "...I guess...but...I just want to be clear on something."
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"Yes?" he asked her with an awaited patience. He became more focused and prepared to hear whatever she would tell him.
"Even if I give you a chance, it doesn't exactly mean I am already your lover unless it was asked clearly..."
He paused for a moment to process her words and then nodded his head in acceptance. "Of course! I won't force you to be my lover without your consent or making it clear beforehand. But I do want to ask another question before we go any further...would it be fine if we started exclusively dating then?"
Rose nodded her head.
"I see. So...if I understand correctly, you are willing to start exclusive dating with me but not start an official romantic relationship just yet. Does that mean you want to see what happens between us first before making the final call?"
Rose nodded her head. "I don't wanna jump into the relationship officially unless I get to know you first."
A subtle smile appeared on his face when she finally accepted his request and that alone was good enough for now.
"That's perfectly understandable, and I agree with you. There should be no need to rush things and this is what I want to happen: that we will get to know each other more and when we're comfortable and certain, we will then make it official to be a proper couple. Does that sound good?"
"Yes."
A small smile was shown on Sebastian's face for he is now satisfied with the results. He knows that there are still some more challenges for him to overcome in the future in developing a relationship with her, but this progress is more than enough for now. "Good. Good. And...can I ask you one last question?"
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"What is that?"
"May I ask you out on a first date?"
"I will not."
That shocked Sebastian a little, but it turned out she wasn't done speaking. "...Unless you tell me your name. You already knew mine before."
He then smiled playfully at her while he slowly let out a small chuckle. "You're right about that. Fair is fair. I can tell you that my name is Sebastian, Sebastian Moran. And I know yours...Rose." He paused for a few moments before asking her one more time. "So, would Sunday work for you?"
"I guess so."
A subtle smile appeared upon his lips, and his eyes were now beaming with a lot more joy than it was before. It seemed his efforts were now finally paying off. "Well then, I guess that's settled. I'll pick you up at 11 a.m. and we will finally get to know each other in the most romantic way possible." Sebastian's eyes shined with glee as he finally got her to agree to have a romantic date with him.
