The Unwanted Marriage

Chapter 26

THEA

I was woken up by some tingling sensation on my jawline. My lips twisted into a smile when I recognize what it was. Opening my eyes, I found Arthur trailing kisses down my neck. Closing my eyes again, I enjoyed the feeling of his lips on my skin.

"I know you're awake."

I smiled, even though he couldn't see me. "How did you know?"

"Your breathing."

"What about it?"

"I just knew you're awake by your breathing. It's just different."

I chuckled. "I'm not sure if I should find it amazing or just weird."

"Whatever you want it to be, darling."

I shook my head. "You keep surprising me."

"Yeah?" he propped himself up and hovered over me, caging me with his hands on my sides. "Do you want to hear another surprise?"

"Give it to me."

He looked down at me with the look of.. no, that can't be. I probably read wrong but I swore I saw..

"I love you, Thea."

I froze. Did he just confess his love to me? That he actually loves me?

"I've been in love with you for a while. I'm not quite sure the exact moment, but I think it was when I found you cried in your parents bedroom, a few months ago. I think it was the moment when I realized that my feelings for you are not just because I care about you. It's the need to make you happy, to make sure I will never see any tears as long as you are with me."

To say that I was surprised was an understatement. It was beyond that. To finally hear that Arthur finally fell in love with me, just like I had fallen in love with me.

Yes, I had fallen in love with him too for a while. I was not sure when the exact moment, but I knew that after all this time, I have always been in love with him.

"I love you," he kissed my forehead. "I love your soul," he kissed my nose. "I love your smile," he kissed my right cheek. "I love your laugh," he kissed my left cheek. "I love everything in you. I love you like my life depends on it. I love you, my Thea." he finally kissed my lips.

Tears escaped my eyes. I had never had someone to love me back, I had never know how it felt to be loved. My husband, who used to despise me, had become the first man who loved me back.

"Why are you crying?" he wiped the tears with his thumb.

"Because I'm happy. Because Arthur.. I love you too. I have, for a while."

"You do?"

I nodded. He smiled then kissed me again. We spent the next hour, kissing like we had never kissed. Kissing him when you finally knew he loved you felt different now. The kiss was more tender, more meaningful that both of us loved each others now.

*

"Hey, is boss calling me?" I asked Patricia in her desk.