Love Persist

Kabanata 41 - And in the wake of it all, perhaps a pause... a renewal.

I stirred awake, feeling the sun's warmth on my face. My eyes fluttered open, and I smiled when I saw Heaven beside me, still sleeping peacefully. I traced the outline of her face gently, taking in every detail. My eyes landed on her neck, where a prominent mark stood out against her skin—a mark that I had put there last night.

I let out a sigh and placed my hand on my forehead as the memories of last night's activity came flooding back. I couldn't believe I had lost control like that. I was supposed to be the responsible one, but when it came to her, all that went out the window. But judging from the way she had reacted; she certainly didn't mind. I could still hear her desperate moans and feel the way her body had trembled under my touch. The way she had come undone, just for me. It was intoxicating.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I moved closer to her and pressed a soft kiss on her temple. She stirred slightly but didn't wake. I glanced at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it was almost nine in the morning. I should probably get up and make us some breakfast. I carefully extracted myself from her embrace, careful not to wake her.

As I stood up, I winced slightly, feeling the ache in my muscles. I chuckled softly, realizing that maybe I had gone a little too hard last night. Oh, well, it was definitely worth it. Wrapping a robe around myself, I quietly grabbed my phone from the nightstand before I pulled the comforter up to cover her body. I felt relieved knowing I had taken care of her while she slept. Before I succumbed to exhaustion last night, I cleaned her with a damp cloth and dressed her, also taking care of our clothes. She seemed at ease and unaffected by the air conditioner, likely thanks to the clothes I put on her.

With one last look at her on the bed, I headed to the kitchen, already planning what to make for our meal. While preparing the ingredients, I dialed Javi's number, and after a few rings, he picked up. I just let him know that I would be taking the day off and to handle any urgent matters that might come up. He was a bit surprised by it, as I rarely took personal days, but I didn't give any more details. I was about to put the phone down when it buzzed with an incoming call. Slightly frowning, I checked the caller ID and saw it was my Simeon's number.

["Hey, Scylla! Good morning!"]

"Hey Simeon, what's up?"

["I apologize for the unexpected call. Did I catch you at a bad time?"]

"No, I'm just preparing breakfast. What is it?"

["You know how to make breakfast now?"]

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see it as he rambled on.

"Cut it out, Simeon. What's so important that you're calling me this early?"

I heard him laugh heartily before he spoke again.

["Well, I just wanted to remind you about the event tomorrow."]

I paused what I was doing as I tried to recall if I had any pressing matters with him. And then a sinking feeling hit me as I realized what this call could be about.

"Oh, is it the gala tomorrow?"

The memory of the gala event he had been urging me to attend for weeks floated back. He had been quite insistent that I attend, stressing the significance of our respective family charity foundations' partnership. Though I had agreed with some hesitation, knowing my family was abroad and needed representation, I viewed it as an excellent chance to network.

Simeon's voice was a distant murmur as my attention was abruptly stolen by the arms that wrapped around my waist. His words faded into the background, replaced by the sensation of the sudden, warm embrace.