Hidden Flames [The Ludovicas: Second Generation Book Three]

Nine | Lost

IRENE

"He may act tough but I know he is secretly a softie. I just have this feeling."

My teddy bear stared at me the same way Kian stared at me and remained silent.

Lying on my stomach on the bed, I swung my legs in the air as I talked to him.

"And you know what? I can feel my crush coming back. It's so stupid. I know I shouldn't even think about having even the slightest bit of a crush on him but I can't help it. I know he would never even look at me in that way but what can I do?"

"He got my dress fixed even though he was the one who accidentally broke the zipper, then he had kept you for all these years instead of throwing you out even though he could have. He arranged a car for me to take me to work every day, I know it was easy for him to do that but the thought counts, okay?"

"What else...yes, he brought chocolate for me. He prevented me from hitting my head. Hm...what else...oh..." I blushed. "...he called me 'wife'. That's not a quality but still, I am adding it because it was a butterflies-inducing moment."

"Also I was thinking that yes, I am not his type--well, I am no one's type, lol--but what's wrong in hoping that maybe, just maybe he will start to like me a bit? Like after spending a few years with me maybe he grows to like me because it happens you know, if you spend a long time with someone, you eventually start to care about them--"

I groaned, burying my face into the bed. I was being pathetic and desperate again.

Yes, I had low standards but I didn't want him to like me because we spent a long time together and he eventually started to care about me.

I composed myself when I heard the door open and Kian walked in going over to his bookshelves.

It was Saturday and we both were home. Armano, Alamea and Alyona were planning to go to their parents' house and maybe even spend a night there.

Even though it was Saturday, Kian was still working from his home office, this time he had ditched the suit and was dressed in a sky blue shirt and beige coloured pants making him look slightly boyish.

I didn't realise that I was staring at him for long until his eyes flicked to me making me look down at my teddy bear and I resumed my talk to him, this time in a low voice and on a different topic.

He grabbed a book and sat down on his chair and I glanced at the wall clock. Four in the evening. If he's home, he always reads at this time.

I looked back at my teddy bear and murmured, "I wish you were bigger. I mean I still love you but had you been bigger I would have been able to cuddle you properly instead of smothering you."

"Also, what do you think I should do today? Talk to you more or use my phone or complete my pending work?"

A deep, smooth voice replied instead, "I believe it won't be answering you back."

I glanced up at Kian as he flipped a page of the book, reading silently.

"I know it won't answer me back but now I am familiar with not being talked back to." I smiled tightly.

He simply lifted his book higher, covering his face.

"Can you tell me why you kept my teddy bear till now? I do appreciate it but I wanna know why."

I thought he might not reply but then he did, "I forgot it was even there."

"Oh? It was in your closet, surely you must have seen it now and then."

He didn't say anything.

He lowered his book enough that his eyes peeked over it and he held my gaze. "Why did you give it to me?"