The Crown in the Storm ✔️

The heart wants what it wants

"How do I fix this?"

"You apologize", Rania said as she handed the soup to Uncle EJ. He nodded to show his agreement. I sighed.

"How do I apologize..."

"You open your mouth and tell him you were wrong" I stared at him. "Ooh, I know what this is. It's character development. Elena was wrong and she has to admit it," Rania said a smile breaking over her face. I made a face and turned away.

"Is your ego worth this?" he said discretely gesturing towards the dagger. I frowned, he was right. "Go... talk to him"

"Now?"

"Now," they said in unison.

Ten minutes later I stood outside his office door chewing on my lip, not having the courage to knock. Ahsan who was the only one who had decided to accompany coughed to hide his amusement. Flustered, I decided to knock and then go in.

He was sitting at his desk reading a book. He looked up, a furrow between his brows and I swallowed. Here goes nothing.

"Hi" My face burned from embarrassment. He could shoot me down right here, right now and I would dissolve into an embarrassed puddle. His face cleared up and he let out a relieved sigh.

"Hey"

"So..." I said, biting on my lip. His gaze darkened at the gesture. "I got your letter"

"Letter?"

"Letters" I affirmed. He stared at me. He was not making this easy. "And it made me think."

"Uh-huh"

"It made me think that it was wrong of me to not let you have your say" the damn word would not come out of my mouth. "And I think while I may have acted out, it was because of my trust in you" amusement flickered across his face but he still did not say a word. "So what I am trying to say is... that I'm sorry" there. It was out. Thank God. "I judged and listened to one side of the story. I should have let you explain. I should not have let Feroze get into my head. I attacked his wife, he attacked my..." his eyebrow rose up in question and I swallowed the word down.

He had proposed. He had proposed. But I was not supposed to say anything yet. What was I supposed to say? Apology...

"Bottom line is... that I was wrong and that you're sorry"

"What?" he asked confused. I closed my eyes at my stupidity.

"I'm sorry" I amended. He looked at me with a blank expression. Seriously? He was not going to acknowledge what I had said? 

"Okay. So... I'll go now. You can carry on with your reading..."I bent to look at the title "Military strategies in South Asia?" My incredulous tone did it. That's what broke him. His shoulders started to shake. The jerk was laughing at me.

I glared at him as he got up and came around the table towards me. Hesitantly, he placed his hands on my arms and pushed me to sit on top of the desk. I glared at him with my arms crossed.

"That was painful"

"For you or me?" I muttered and he chuckled. That boyish sound had me smiling. "I am sorry... really," I said earnestly, tilting my face to look up to him. His gaze softened and he came closer. Our fingers brushed.

"I know. Thank you for saying that..."

"Thank you for accepting it" or else I had no idea of what I would have done. This was completely new territory for me.

"I should have told you. It was just the hardest period of my life. I had no idea it would come back. When you're in the field..." I winced at his tone and placed my hand on his arm for comfort.