Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

73. A Familiar Face Is All One Needs In An Unfamiliar Territory

The silence in the room stretched on, with only the sound of Ryan tossing and turning breaking the stillness. Clearly, he was struggling to sleep, and it didn’t take long before he finally spoke, his voice cutting through the quiet.

"Sarah, are you asleep?"

I was on the verge of drifting off but his voice pulled me back. "Almost," I murmured.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "How can you sleep? This is really awkward for me. You should be the one feeling insecure. Doesn't it bother you that we're... you know, in the same room?"

"Just pretend I don’t exist," I suggested, barely audible.

He huffed. "I can't. I’m sensitive to every little noise. And you’re definitely not invisible."

I yawned. "Then just treat me like I’m one of the guys." I said, tiredness in my voice.

He let out a soft groan, his frustration clear. "I can’t do that either. What if I get too comfortable and start babbling things you shouldn’t hear?"

I took a heavy breathe and said, "Don’t overthink it. Just imagine you’re on one of those trips with friends. No big deal."

He tossed the blanket in my direction, the fabric landing softly on me. "Cover it up," he muttered, a hint of irritation in his voice. I pulled the blanket over myself.

I woke up in the middle of the night, my stomach growling. Unable to ignore it any longer, I approached Ryan, who was fast asleep. Leaning closer, I called softly, "Ryan... wake up."

No response.

I sighed, grabbed my phone, and wiped my face with the sleeve of the kurti I was wearing. Scrolling through my contacts, I found his number and called him. His phone rang on the nightstand, and after a few moments, he lazily reached for it. Squinting at the screen, he answered.

I immediately hung up and whispered, "I’m right here."

He blinked at me in confusion, his brain still foggy with sleep. Slowly, it dawned on him. He wiped his face quickly, sitting up, and asked in a half-asleep voice, "What’s going on?"

"I’m starving," I admitted, feeling a little embarrassed but too hungry to care.

He glanced at the wall clock hanging above the couch. "It’s 2 a.m.," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "You’re hungry now?"

"I didn’t eat anything all day," I said, the hunger gnawing at me. "Please, I’m really hungry."

Ryan sighed deeply, a mix of exhaustion and resignation. Without another word, he dragged himself out of bed and headed toward the kitchen. I followed him, the dimly lit hallway feeling quieter than usual.

Once in the kitchen, he rummaged through the cupboards and muttered, "So... do you want me to cook Maggi, or will cup noodles be okay?"

"Cup noodles is fine," I replied quickly, not wanting to trouble him more.

He nodded, filled the kettle with water, and set it to boil. As the steam rose, he prepared two cups of noodles, his movements slow but steady. The soft sound of boiling water filled the silence between us as we stood there, waiting.

We settled down at the dining table, both too tired to say much at first. The warmth of the noodles filled the air, and Ryan broke the silence while taking a bite, "You’re such a trouble. I’ve never gone out of my way like this for anyone."

Blowing air on my noodles to cool them down, I replied, "You should’ve just refused the marriage, then. Why didn’t you?"

He looked at me, pausing for a moment before saying, "You could’ve stopped it too, you know."

I sighed, "I wasn’t in a position to refuse. Even if it wasn’t you, my dad would have married me off to someone else. At least marrying someone I know is better than being with a complete stranger."

Ryan leaned back slightly, his eyes distant. "You know I can’t say no to my parents. And this time, it wasn’t just about me. It was about a girl's life. Moreover, I didn’t want to be known as the guy who strung along two women -- marrying Nitya after everything, after all that happened between us."

I took a deep breath, collecting my thoughts before speaking. I set my fork down, my voice barely above a whisper as I said, "Thank you, Ryan." I focused intently on my cup, avoiding his gaze as a wave of vulnerability washed over me. "I really mean it. I know this is all my fault... I shouldn’t have confessed that day. We were just kids then, but now we’re adults, and I shouldn’t have toyed with your feelings. Your support now... it frightens me. What if I had ended up with someone else who wouldn’t understand?"

He softened his expression, his voice gentle as he replied, "You’ve helped me with a real big problem. You have no idea how much I owe you for that. Honestly, if it weren’t for you, I might still be trapped in that fear. So, if we’re talking about debts, I’d say we’re even."

I hesitated, feeling the weight of my curiosity. "Well, there's something I've been meaning to ask... Can I?"

He nodded, his curiosity piqued.

"Did you really fall for my words?" I asked, my heart racing as I waited for his answer.