Second Chances | Grooms #2 | Slow Updates #WattyLonglist

【 xxiii. right friends 】

Maahi weakly smiled at Parth after pulling back from his embrace. He'd parked the car in one of the open street parking spots and then walked up to the stairs in front of the residential building Maahi was seated on. Looking up, she'd stood up to greet him and he'd instantly wrapped his arms around her as a safety blanket.

Caressing her cheeks, taking notice of her cold skin, the color having drained from being outdoors, he asked. "Talk?

She shook her head, lowering her eyes. "I don't think I can talk without becoming an emotional mess."

He nodded, not pushing her to share. They walked back to sit on the stairs.

He understood that she wasn't ready to share. Tonight had been tough as was. But, if anything, she also learned one thing from it all. The only thing that was remotely 'good' that came out of her fight with her mother. She learned just how deep her feelings for Parth were. The way she had defended him, she came to that realization in the time since Parth ended the phone call to tell her he was coming to her.

If she were to be honest to herself, it had rattled her there for a second because she didn't feel ready. Then, she reminded herself to stop thinking with her head and to start feeling with her heart. It wasn't taking her in the wrong direction. So, why must she be afraid of what was to come in their relationship?

Here she was, not sharing, but still, here he was. Ready to listen whenever she'd composed herself enough to be able to talk.

Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Loosening the tension in her shoulders and back slowly. Then, she exhaled. Repeating it once more, she reminded herself to not stress and just be present in the moment. Even if things were a mess, Parth was in front of her and for now, that should be enough.

Reopening her eyes, she expressed turning her head to face him, "Thank you for coming."

He tilted his head to the side in judgement, conveying she was being formal.

She sighed, "I know, I know. It's just... this isn't your mess, you know?"

He reached for her twiddling hands on her lap and entwined their fingers. "If it's your mess, it's my mess too."

She glanced up again, a hint of smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Too cliché?"

She nodded breaking into a smile and using her other hand to show along with her words, "Just a little."

He smiled along, not caring because at the least, it made her smile. That's the thing he cared about. He then added after a brief pause, "The point is, we're in this together. You have dealt with a lot of things over the last few years on your own, but you're not alone anymore."

She inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly again. He waited for her response, unable to understand what he'd said for her to breathe deeply. Flickering her gaze back to his, she said, "You make it too easy."

"Too easy?" he questioned, still confused on what she was trying to say.

She didn't know how to explain... he made it very easy to catch feelings for him. Who wouldn't? He'd molded himself into someone entirely different from the guy she had first met all those inexperienced years ago. Someone with character. An intense personality. And yet, there was one thing that had stayed constant. He was still the guy who wore his heart on his sleeve and when it came to Maahi, he'd lost that heart since the first second their eyes had met.

Back then if asked, he would have laughed over the thought of 'love at first sight'.

He kept searching her eyes for an answer even after she shook her head to say, 'nothing'. He knew it wasn't nothing. She meant something with those words. He was getting a vibe off her and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or bad. "Maahi?"