Estranged lovers

Chapter 40

ANNIKA

"That... that was... incredible."  Annika whispers, breathing heavily, her voice soft

She moves to closer to him seeking his closeness.

 "That was... beyond anything I could have imagined." she says her voice soft.

She rests her head against his chest, her hand gently tracing his skin.

"I'm so glad you feel that way." he says his fingers gently brush through her hair, his voice calm and reassuring "You've let yourself experience something real, something you deserve. You're amazing, Annika." He says, his hand lightly resting on her back.

"How do you feel now, truly?"

"I feel... open. It's like there's this weight lifted off me, like everything's just... more alive." She lifts her head to look at him.

Closing her eyes, she takes a slow, deep breath

"I've always been afraid of that... of feeling so exposed. But now, I feel like I understand myself more than I ever have."  she says her voice a little shaky

"It's powerful, isn't it? To feel in control of yourself, of your own pleasure." he says his tone tender, eyes locking with hers. 

"You're strong, Annika. Don't forget that."

She touches his chest lightly. "Thank you, for showing me that I can feel... this way. Free. Alive."

"Just know that whatever you need, whenever you need it, you're not alone." He says kissing her forehead

Annika lifts her gaze to meet Siddharth's eyes, feeling an unfamiliar warmth spread within her chest.

There was something about the way he looked at her, calm and steady, yet distant, that made her feel both safe and unsure at the same time. She had never expected him to be the one to show her this side of herself.

She hesitates for a moment, tracing the lines of his shirt with her fingers as she tries to make sense of the storm inside her. "Siddharth," she whispers, her voice unsure. "I... I don't know what to make of all of this. I feel like I've uncovered something I didn't even know I was searching for."

His expression remains composed, almost unreadable, but there's a flicker of something beneath his cool demeanor. He doesn't pull away as she leans in closer, his eyes scanning her face, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

"Not everything needs to be understood, Annika," he says quietly, his tone still measured, almost detached. "Sometimes, the beauty is in the moment, in how it changes you without explanation."

Annika always notices the shift in his behavior everytime she tries to talk about him, his past.

Annika frowns, the confusion lingering in her chest. She wants to believe him, to feel as certain as he seems, but something about his coldness makes her question the depth of his connection to her.

Was he just saying the right things, or was there something more to what they shared?

"Why are you so distant?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. The question feels like a weight, yet she can't bring herself to look away from him. She needs to understand.

Siddharth's eyes shift slightly, a trace of something darker passing through his gaze. He leans back slightly, his hand still resting on her back but no longer as comforting. "I told you, Annika," he says, his voice steady, "I don't let people in easily. Not because I don't care, but because... I can't afford to."

The words hang heavy in the air, and Annika's chest tightens.

She doesn't fully understand the walls he's built around himself, but she feels them now, thick and unyielding. It's as though every part of him that once seemed open has turned cold again, like an unspoken boundary she's crossed too far.