Breathless ✓

Thirty - Five ✔

Determined to seize the moment, I rose from the edge of the fountain, the raindrops clinging to my hair and clothes. The urgency to find Christian propelled me through the garden, my footsteps echoing the drumming of rain against the leaves. The sprawling estate felt like a labyrinth, each pathway leading to a hidden corner where secrets lingered.

Finally, I spotted him in a secluded courtyard, his silhouette barely visible through the curtain of rain. He stood, seemingly lost in thought, unaware of my approach. As I stepped closer, the rain intensified, creating a soft symphony that mirrored the cadence of my heartbeat.

"Christian," I called, the sound of my own voice surprising me in its urgency. He turned to face me, his expression a mix of surprise and concern.

"I need to tell you something," I began, my voice steadier than I expected. His gaze, a tempest of emotions, met mine, silently urging me to continue.

The rain plastered strands of hair to my face as I took a deep breath. "I love you, Christian Vasquez."

The words hung in the air, the raindrops punctuating the revelation like a gentle applause of nature. His eyes, a complex tapestry of emotions, searched mine as if seeking the truth buried within the downpour. For a moment, silence lingered, heavy with the weight of unspoken confessions.

"Victoria, you can't... you can't love a man like me," he whispered, his voice carrying a vulnerability that echoed through the courtyard.

Without hesitation, I closed the distance between us, my fingers tenderly tracing the contours of his rain-kissed face. "Listen to me, Christian. I see the man you are—the one who's fought against darkness, who's faced fearsome odds. I see the strength, the kindness, and the love you're capable of. And that's the man I love."

His eyes, windows to a tumultuous soul, betrayed a mix of disbelief and longing. Raindrops clung to his lashes, mirroring the emotional storm within him. "But I've done things, Victoria. Things that tarnish any notion of love."

My thumbs brushed away raindrops from his cheeks, a gentle caress to punctuate my words. "We all have our shadows, Christian. What matters is how we face them, and I want to face them with you."

The courtyard, our haven, witnessed the exchange—an intimate dance of words and emotions. Christian's arms enveloped me, drawing me into a cocoon of warmth and security. The rain, an uninvited witness to our confessions, continued its steady descent, an unspoken blessing on our newfound vulnerability.

"I love you too, Victoria. More than I thought was possible," he confessed, his words a tender admission. "I've loved you for a long time, but I was so afraid... afraid of tainting the goodness in you."

In that embrace, beneath the sheltering curtain of rain, time seemed to stretch. Each raindrop, a transient messenger of our shared emotions, blurred the boundaries between confession and absolution. 

I stand up on my tiptoes and pull him for a kiss and it doesn't take him long to drag me to the greenhouse near, I giggle following him until those giggles turn into moans as he kisses he hard. 

The greenery of the greenhouse enveloped us in a cocoon of vibrant life, the air thick with the scent of damp soil and blossoming flowers. Raindrops clung to the leaves like precious jewels, refracting the soft glow of diffused light. In that verdant haven, Christian and I stumbled, rain-soaked and consumed by a shared desire.

Our lips met in a fervent kiss, fueled by the unspoken declaration of love that still lingered between us. The sound of rain played a symphony, a rhythmic accompaniment to the urgency that enveloped us. His hands, strong and warm, traced the contours of my drenched figure, igniting a trail of shivers that melded seamlessly with the cool breeze drifting through the greenhouse.