Chapter 134 Hibiscus

Chapter 134 Hibiscus
With my hand in Damien’s, I followed him upstairs. Each step felt heavier than it should have, not because I didn’t want to go, but because I did. Because every step toward him, toward this, meant I was choosing to stay.

Choosing to feel. Choosing to trust.
We passed my room. My gaze lingered on the door for a moment before I tore it away, my fingers tightening slightly around his. He didn’t say anything, didn’t even slow down, but his thumb brushed over my knuckles in a silent reassurance.

Then we entered his room.

I hadn’t been here since I came back.
Something about it had always unsettled me, not because of him, never because of him, but because this space held too many memories. Too much of who I used to be before everything shattered.

Too much of the girl who had loved him so freely, so fearlessly. And I wasn’t sure I was her again. Not yet. Still… as I stepped inside, something softened.

The familiar scent of him wrapped around me instantly, warm and grounding. My eyes moved slowly around the room, taking everything in. The bed. The desk. The window where we used to sit and talk for hours.

A small smile found its way to my lips. “I missed this place,” I admitted softly.

Damien’s grip on my hand tightened slightly. “It missed you too.”

I let out a quiet breath. He led me to the bed and gently sat me down, his movements careful, like I was something fragile he didn’t want to break.

“Stay,” he said, giving my hand a light squeeze before letting go.

I nodded, watching him as he walked over to the table. There was something different about him tonight. Something… deliberate. Like he had thought about this moment over and over again.

He pulled open a drawer and took out a small box.

A frown creased my brow as I watched him return. He sat beside me, leaving a small space between us. I noticed, of course I noticed.

That was Damien. He never pushed. Never assumed, never took more than I was ready to give. Even now, even when I knew how much he wanted me close. He opened the box. And my breath caught.

The hibiscus flower necklace. “My… necklace,” I whispered.

My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for it, relief washing over me so suddenly it almost made me dizzy. I had thought it was gone. Lost somewhere in the nightmare I had barely survived.

“I found it,” he said quietly. “I kept it safe.”

I looked up at him, my eyes stinging. “I thought I lost it.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” he replied, his gaze soft.

“So am I,” I murmured. “I would’ve… I would’ve felt like I lost a part of myself.”

He studied me for a moment, then lifted the necklace slightly.“May I?”

I nodded, turning my back to him and moving my hair aside. I felt his fingers brush against my skin as he fastened it around my neck.
His touch was gentle and reverent.

His breath ghosted over my skin, sending a quiet shiver down my spine. I closed my eyes for a second, steadying myself. When he finished, he didn’t move away immediately.
But he didn’t linger either. He gave me space again.

I turned to face him for a moment, neither of us spoke. Then he reached out, cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing softly over my skin.

“I know the six months are up,” he said.

My chest tightened but he didn’t stop. “The contract…” he continued, his voice quieter now, more vulnerable, “was never really about the contract. It was… a desperate attempt to keep you close to me.”

My heart skipped. “And somewhere along the way…” he exhaled softly, his gaze holding mine, “I found myself utterly consumed by you"

My throat tightened. “I don’t care that it’s over,” he said. “Because what I feel for you isn’t written on paper. It isn’t something that is so fragile that it could expire”

His hand trembled slightly against my cheek.
“I love you,” he said.

The words hit me like a wave. “I loved you a year and six months ago. I love you now. And I’ll love you… for as long as you let me.”

My vision blurred. “I don’t want to trap you here,” he continued. “I don’t want you to stay because of obligation or fear or anything other than your own choice.”

His voice softened even more. “But if you want to stay… if you choose me…” His breath hitched slightly. “I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that you made the right decision.”

Something inside me broke completely. I didn’t let him finish. I leaned forward and kissed him.
Soft at first then deeper because I needed him to feel it.

All of it.

The fear, the relief, the love. The fact that I was still here. He froze for half a second, like he hadn’t expected it. Then his hand slid to the nape of my neck, pulling me closer as he kissed me back. Slow, careful. Like he was afraid I might disappear if he moved too fast.

He sucked on my lips like he would devour me.

When I pulled back, I was breathless. “Sorry,” I whispered.

“Don’t be,” he murmured, his lips brushing mine again.

I smiled faintly, my fingers intertwining with his.
“I want to stay,” I said. “I choose you.”

His eyes softened. "I love you too.”

Relief flooded his features so openly it made my chest ache. I leaned into him, resting my head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close.

Safe, warm, home. Maybe I wasn’t fully healed.
Maybe I still flinched at shadows. Maybe I still checked doors and listened too closely for footsteps.

But I wasn’t alone anymore and for now… that was enough