Chapter 58

Chapter 58
Elisa’s POV
“Elisa,” Roman called softly from across.
I turned. He was standing near the small wooden cabin behind the stage. It was his private space during competitions. He used it to plan, rest, and store instruments.
“Come here,” he said.
My heart skipped. I followed him quietly. The forest was warming up, students waited for the results to be announced. I left Sylvia, teaming with jealousy and walked up to him. 
He pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Close it,” he said gently.
I closed the door slowly. The cabin smelled of wood and his cologne. It was warm inside. A small lamp sat on the table, lighting the room softly even though it was day because inside here was a little bit dark. There were music sheets stacked neatly in one corner. His coat hung on a chair.
He turned to me. His eyes were softer than usual.
“Sit,” he said. He pointed at the small couch near the window.
I sat down, holding my hands together nervously. He walked toward the table, poured some tea from a flask, and brought me a cup.
“Here,” he said.
“Thank you,” I whispered, taking it carefully.
He sat opposite me, watching me quietly for a moment. It made my chest feel tight.
“You were amazing today,” he said finally.
I looked down at the tea. “I just tried my best.” My lips curled with a smile. 
“No,” he said firmly. “You did more than that. You saved the performance. If you hadn’t acted fast, Sylvia’s stunt would have ruined everything and we would have gone a long way behind, that’s what the judges just told me.”
I bit my lip. “I didn’t even think. I just played.”
He smiled a little. “That’s what made it beautiful.”
His words made my cheeks warm. I looked up slowly. He was still staring at me. There was pride in his eyes. He was proud of me. 
Still, there was something deeper too, something soft.
“I called you here because I wanted to thank you properly,” he said. His voice grew quieter.
“It’s not a big deal, what I did,” I whispered, blushing. I tried to deny it even though I did that to make him proud of me.
“It is. It really helped us.” he replied. “Elisa, this competition is very important to me. And you… you stood there and took over when everything almost fell apart. That means more to me than you might think.”
I swallowed hard. “It’s because of you. You trained me. You believed in me when no one else did.”
His face softened even more. He leaned forward slightly. “And you proved me right.”
We sat in silence for a moment. The forest wind brushed against the window. My heart was beating so fast.
Then he stood up and walked to a small shelf. He opened a box and took out a neatly wrapped item. He came back and handed it to me.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Open it,” he said.
I unwrapped it slowly. Inside was a delicate silver bracelet with a tiny music note charm. It sparkled.
My jaw dropped. My eyes widened. “Roman… this is beautiful.” I stammered.
“It’s yours,” he said. “I bought it a while ago. I planned to give it to the most outstanding performer this season. But tonight, I knew exactly who deserved it.”
But I knew it was a lie. He specially brought this for me and was only looking for the most suitable moment to give it to me. 
It’s my first gift from him. 
I stared at the bracelet, an idea pulled up. I’m gonna test my thoughts and see if it’s true. 
“I can’t take this.” I suddenly said.
“Why?” he asked in a worried tone. 
“This is not a prize from the school. This is from me.”
I got him. 
I looked up at him, confused. “Why me?”
His eyes locked with mine. “Because you’ve worked harder than anyone. Because I love you.” He confessed. Because when I see you on that stage, something changes inside me.”
I froze. His voice had lowered. He wasn’t talking like a professor now. He was talking like my mate. 
He took the bracelet gently from my hands. “May I?” he asked.
I nodded slowly.
He knelt down slightly in front of me and wrapped the bracelet around my wrist. His fingers brushed my skin softly. I felt every touch. My breath hitched.
When he finished, he didn’t move away immediately. He stayed close, looking at the bracelet, then up at me.
“It suits you,” he whispered.
I swallowed. “Thank you, sir.” I teased. 
He gave a small smile. “You don’t have to call me sir. You are my girl. Call me Roman, especially in private like this.”
For a moment, we just stared at each other. The silence wasn’t awkward. It was warm. Heavy. His cabin felt like another world.
Then he leaned back slightly and let out a small laugh. “You make it hard for me to stay professional, you know that?”
My heart jumped. “Roman…” I whispered.
He looked at me with that soft, serious gaze again. Then he leaned and gave me a soft kiss. My heart skipped. 
I didn’t know what to reply. My hands gripped the edge of the couch. The bracelet sparkled faintly.
He stood up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “You should get some rest while waiting for the results,” he said gently.
I nodded. “Yes.” But I didn’t move. I didn’t want to leave.
He walked me to the door. Just before he opened it, he turned to me again. His hand brushed my arm lightly, almost hesitant.
“Elisa,” he said softly.
“Yes?”
“I’m proud of you,” he whispered.