Chapter 36

“Uhm… I’m sorry. I’ll… I’ll go out now,” said the soft voice. Fear and surprise evident from it as it sounded shaky.

Ryo’s head snapped at the sound of it. He swiveled his chair to face the direction of the door.

“El-Ellie?!?” He looked dumbfounded. His eyes almost popped out of their socket. He rubbed his eyes to make sure she wasn’t an illusion.

Oh, please don’t let her be an illusion.

When he opened his eyes and found Ellie still standing at the door, he jumped out of his chair. He walked up to her in long strides and closed the gap between them.

“Mahal ko?” Ryo asked, cupping Ellie’s face. He still could not believe that she’s standing before him.

Ryo lost it when Ellie nodded and smiled at him. He bent down to capture the lips he longed for so long and cropped up in his dreams. He had to make sure she’s not a mirage.

She accepted his hungry kisses and even wrapped her arms around his neck. The more he kissed, the hungrier he became. He could not get enough of her. They’ve been apart for so long he’s almost at his limits. Earlier he was contemplating about getting on a plane to visit her. He had to see her even for a minute or he’d go crazy. They were both breathless when they let each other go.

“Ellie, you’re here.” Ryo said between breaths. His forehead rested on Ellie’s as he stared at her eyes. His smile was up to his ears.

“Yes.” she responded, caressing his face. Ryo wrapped her in a tight embrace. He wanted to feel her because only by feeling her would he get assured that she’s indeed with him. They had been away from each other for some time, it’s torture.

“Ellie…” he kept repeating her name as his eyes swept her face.

Ellie caressed his face with her hands. She traced his soft cheeks and lips. They’ve been apart for only a month, but it felt like an eternity. Now that he’s standing in front of her, everything felt surreal.

Ellie’s heart beat thumped in her chest. Her endorphin levels were to the roof. As she was drowning in her excitement, she also remembered how Ryo’s stress ball almost hit her on the head.

“You need to take care of that temper, Ryo.” she admonished. She pinched his nose to get her point across. “It’s not right to throw things at people and shout at them.”

It’s a rare occasion that Ellie’s using a stern voice. “Not because they are under your payroll, they deserve to receive such treatment from you. These are people who are with you day in and day out, doing the things you’d rather not do yourself. So treat them better.”

Ellie felt like she sounded like her mom but then she did not care. She wanted to make sure she corrected his behavior right then. She always believed that everyone deserved respect, no matter who they are. Employers have no right to treat their employees like dirt.

Ryo felt happy and shy at the same time. This is the Ellie he misses so much. “Yes, Ma’am.” he said, smiling like a shy schoolboy.

“So, are you done for the day, or do you still have a sequence to shoot?”

“I am done. Let’s get out of here.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They both walked out of the dressing room. His team followed behind them.

Ryo pulled Ellie’s luggage with one hand while his other hand continued to wrap around Ellie’s shoulder. There’s a spring on every step he took, and he smiled or nodded at every person they passed.

His mood took a 360 degrees turn. He’s a ray of sunshine compared to the walking typhoon he was earlier. And all it took for his behavior to change was a surprise visit from the woman beside him.

Seeing her took away all the worries he had earlier when he could not contact her. He forgot about his disappointment for having retakes. The woman beside him eased all his tension and tantrums. She did not need to do much; she just needs to show up.

But then again, thinking about it, showing up, in their context, takes a lot of effort. For sure, she had to close her shop. It explained the volume of work she’s been doing lately. Her arrival also lined up with his schedule. She must have worked with her team to align their schedules. And she did all these on her own and for him.

He realized how great it feels to be at the receiving end of love’s grand gesture. He’s so used to going out of his way, planning surprises and preparing gifts for the people he loves. But it’s rare for somebody to put in an effort to surprise him.

Her actions made her more endearing. At first, he thought of Ellie as a mere fascination. He’s already attracted to her when they were in Paris. And it’s not surprising because Ellie is charming. But what drew him into her was her kindness. It’s refreshing for him. And the more he got to know her, the more he fell for her.

What he found amazing was her actions were all unplanned. Kindness was her default.

He hugged her closer to him. His joy was to the brim because of her visit. He never received this much love before.

Everyone they passed looked at Ellie with curiosity. She’s a new face. He made sure people saw how his arm wrapped around her shoulder. He’s staking his claim and makes it clear to everyone that she is his girl.

Ellie noticed the onlookers’ curious stares. She tried to make herself invisible as much as possible. She bowed her head, so her hair covers her face. Ryo notices her actions. He lifted his brows. He knew she’s probably feeling shy from all the attention she’s getting. But he wanted her to feel proud. After all, she’s dating Ryo Matsuda.

He stopped from walking and had her face him. Without a warning, his mouth claimed hers. She tried to push him away. “Ellie, you’re with me. You shouldn’t feel ashamed,” he whispered in her ear. He gave her a wink and continued their walk.