|Destined With You|

Chapter 20.

(The chapter is in third person)

"Let's play hide and seek!" Adelaide pulled at Isabella's hand as she stood talking to Julian, making them both tumble along. "Mommy, Daddy! Come downstairs." She yelled louder, making Catalina, Alex and Hannah descend the stairs in a rush.

"What's wrong, baby?" Catalina ran towards her, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Nothing's wrong." Isabella let out a soft laugh, Julian chuckled along. "Your dear daughter wants to play hide and seek."

"Oh...Ade, you can play with the others, Mommy's a bit tired." She was trying to think of all possible ways to talk everything out to Alexander, and right here, right now, playing games with him would definitely not help.

"No! Please play." She gave her the infamous puppy eyes.

"Come on Catalina." Hannah tilted her head towards Adelaide. Another one of her trying to voo Alexander by siding over with Adelaide tricks. "Just a game for Adelaide."

"Just one." Sighing, Catalina crouched down to look at Adelaide, making Alexander bite back a smile. "So, what are we supposed to do?" She tugged a strand of Adelaide's shiny black hair behind her ear.

"I'll do the counting. All of you," She pointed at everyone. "hide when I start." That being said, she more or less skipped her way towards a wall, as she started counting.

Without thinking, everyone ran towards their respective hiding places. Isabella and Julian held hands and ran to the kitchen while Hannah ran towards the store. Quickly opening the door, she stepped inside the dark room.

Catalina just wanted the game to end soon, she tapped her foot anxiously as she hid behind a pillar. Her thoughts were distracted as she heard a sharp breath close to her. "Alex?!" She whisper yelled as she saw him hiding behind the pillar next to her.

"Catalina." He looked at those surprised eyes as she stood straight, and he decided, this was time. They were finally alone, he had done too much of waiting. It was now or never.
Without wasting more of the precious time, he quickly took hold of her hand, dragging her with him into the store room opposite them.

They heaved a sigh of relief as they stepped inside the store room without any intrusion. Allowing their eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room, they whiffed the dusty and old smell. After a few seconds of silence, both of them blurted out simultaneously.

"Listen-" Out of instinct, they both stopped for the other one to speak. "I-" Again, they both spoke up together. Sighing, Catalina gingerly placed her hand over his forearm, making him stop. "You go first."

Her feelings were too confusing, her thoughts too tangled. Even if she decided to speak, she would stutter, making it get awkward. She would rather listen to whatever he wanted to say, and hope it was for the best.

"I...remember." She felt him shift his weight from one leg to another in the darkness. "Last night, the kiss." He felt as if someone just lifted a ton of weight off his chest as he finally let her know.

"So do I." All this while, he remembered it, and there she was, feeling guilty about it. Possibly that was something he felt too? She sighed. Finally, they were discussing what needed to be discussed.

"I do not regret it."

"Neither."

Was this the moment? Were they finally going to speak up, say it all, no more secrets? A strange tension filled the dark room that both of them could sense easily. Catalina rubbed her hands over her pants as they turned sweaty. "Continue." She mumbled.

"I-I just don't think I can-we can, do this anymore. How long are we going to deny each other, Cat?"

"Exac-" Before she could complete her sentence, she was pushed back to the wall behind her, almost knocking off a table as she gasped. As she gained senses, his lips quickly found hers, making her almost yelp out in surprise.

Almost instantly, a thought crossed her mind, he's engaged. Thanking God for helping her realise soon, she gently pushed him away, it was hard considering his muscular body compared to hers, but he understood the hint and stood with a reasonable distance between them.

"I'm sorry for that." He ran a hand though his hair. "After the kiss, I've been feeling like I was trapped thirsty in a desert, and only you can help me with it."

"Alex," She sighed audibly, shaking her head. "you are engaged, the world knows. I can't just walk around kissing you, okay? I cannot do that." She raised her arm in disbelief.

"If I wasn't, would you do it?" Crossing his arms, he walked a step closer.

"Maybe in another world." Her mouth curved into a grieved smile.

"No." Grabbing her hand, he pulled her flush against him. "In this world, now."

It took all her power to not grab his face and kiss him, all of him. But her moral ethics stopped her, fortunately or unfortunately. Whether they would be able to do anything about it or not, they had to make things clear, before it would be too late.

"Listen," She wiped a tear that escaped from her eye. "I'm done playing this-this game of hide and seek. I don't want to wait any longer, I hope you don't either. All I've wanted to tell you is that I have feelings for you, Alexander."

"Why didn't you tell me, Cat?" He ran a hand though his hair for the hundredth time. "I've wanted to hear that from you since what's feeling like ages. With this entire situation going on, I could never say it. If I knew you had-I would've told you long back."

"Yeah...okay now that I've said it, I feel far better." She tried to move but realised she was trapped between a table at one corner and a cupboard at another, while he towered on top of her. "So if you would let me go now..."

"Let you go?" He imitated, just a bit too loud. "What do you mean 'let you go'? We just admitted our feelings and you want to go now?"

"Alex, how hard is it to understand? You are engaged, you are supposed to be married in a few months. I can't do that."

"But I don't-"

"Shh." She placed her finger over his lips. "She loves you, immensely. She relies on you."

"Mommy, I'm hungry!" They straightened themselves on hearing Adelaide from the hall. "I caught Aunt Bella and Uncle Julian kissing under our dining table. Come out please, the game is over."

Without another word, she squeezed her way out from the little space she had. "Catalina." She stopped for a second, hearing his voice behind her. "Like it or not, we're continuing this talk later." And with that he followed her outside.

Hannah finally let go of the sob she had been controlling for minutes as she felt herself break. Nothing could help her now, she was the one who could change all relations now. She had two choices, act like this never happened and getting him to marry her, to finally make him his or take a less expected, but more humane action, sacrifice. Set him free, for he deserves Catalina and loves her the way he could never love her.

What would she choose?

~