Chapter 38 "So, what do you say?"
“What if I can be the person you need?”
Mr. Mattias took a deep breath, turning to face me. My heart raced as his eyes met mine, and then he turned back to her.
“Emily, how can you be the person I need when you weren't there when I needed you the most? How can you be the person I need when I don't need you anymore?” Mr. Mattias said calmly. Emily gasped softly, her expression one of shock. I mean, what was she expecting?
Unexpectedly, Mr. Mattias took my right hand in his.
“I'm sorry, Emily, but my heart belongs to someone else. And trust me, leaving me for some rich guy in college was the best decision ever,” Mr. Mattias said, a smirk plastered on his lips as he looked down at me.
Now my heart wasn't just racing faster; my breath was ceasing—not because Emily was glaring at me with so much anger and hate, but because Mr. Mattias was showing me off to his ex. Oh gosh!
I forced out a smile, looking up at Lucas. Suddenly, the door to my office opened. It wasn't Emily leaving; it was Lucas, his eyes landing on Mr. Mattias's hand that held mine. Then he turned to Emily, then to me.
“Emily, what are you doing here?” he asked, a frown settling on his face. Emily cursed under her breath before storming out of the office…
LUCAS'S POV
I sat in my chair, slouched back, my head tilted toward the ceiling as my mind raced with thoughts.
She didn't seem alright. Even at the meeting we just had a few minutes ago, I watched her, studied her closely. I wanted to know what really went wrong. Did Mattias hurt her?
Dammit! I knew he was no good for her. He wouldn't love her because he had sworn never to fall in love again. After what had happened to him back in college, he vowed never to love again, and he stuck to his word. After his breakup with Emily, he became a playboy—the guy who would just have fun with whomever he pleased and then dump them when he got tired of them.
No! Shimma needs to know. She needs to know that this is not just about my feelings for her. Okay, maybe it is, but still, I need to warn her. He might pretend to love her, but he doesn't. I didn't grow up with him, but I know him—especially when it comes to relationships.
I couldn’t just sit there; I needed to talk to her. I scooted back, stood up, and then headed to her office.
I opened the door because it was slightly ajar, and I could hear voices—Mattias's.
When I opened the door, my eyes first caught sight of Mattias holding Shimma's hand. I felt a hard sting in my chest. Looking away quickly, I turned to glance at a ginger-haired lady. Wait! Not just any ginger-haired lady—Emily! The one who made Mattias the demon he was. Okay, maybe that's too much.
I turned to Shimma to see her reaction. She seemed relieved, maybe because Mattias was holding her hand. I tried to figure out what was going on, but I couldn't.
“Emily,” I called, surprised to see her. She had grown so much. But what was she doing here?
I expected a response from her, but she murmured before walking out of the office, not even acknowledging me.
Shocked, I turned back to Mattias, his hands still holding Shimma's. Shit!
I couldn't speak to Shimma while Mattias was there. In fact, it was surprisingly scary to think about Mattias's ex, and here she was.
What really transpired? Why was she here?
Lost in my thoughts, Mattias's voice broke me from it.
“Lucas, what do you want?”
What do I want? I couldn't say anything, not to Mattias. I cleared my throat and scratched the back of my neck.
I turned to Mattias; he lifted a brow, waiting to hear from me. I looked down at their hands held together. (That sting again!)
I hissed softly and turned back to the door, then back at Mattias, his brow still raised.
“Uh, I— I heard voices, so I came in to check on— you know what, never mind,” I said, turning to leave.
I returned to my office, wondering why I acted so stupidly. Was I scared of Mattias? Did his threat get to me? I can't let that happen…
MATTIAS'S POV
After Lucas walked out of the office, he forgot to close the door, so I left Shimma's hand and walked over to lock it.
I turned back to her; she hadn't moved from her spot. Looking down at her beautiful face, I planted a kiss on her forehead. I felt her body vibrate a little, and it gave me pleasure.
“Shimma,” I said, looking straight into her eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
“Sorry for what? It's clearly not your fault that she came,” Shimma said. I smiled and nodded.
“I know, but I'm not just sorry for her. I'm sorry for everything—everything I have put you through. I know this isn't how a relationship should go. I love you, Shimma, so much that I can't let you go,” I said, hoping she understood my feelings through my words. I really don't know how Shimma got me to fall for her like this.
“I love you too, babe,” she said, and I felt my tummy tingle. Did she just call me babe? Gawd! That felt amazing.
A smirk escaped my lips as I watched her continue.
“And I understand that a lot has been happening these last few days. But I believe we will get used to this,” she said. I shut my eyes because she wasn't really getting my point.
“Shimma, you're right, but…” I paused, taking one more step that closed the gap between us.
“I want us to tell your parents. Maybe that way we won't have to hide this anymore. Please,” I said, hoping for a yes, maybe even a nod, but…
“Uhmm,” she said, taking a step back.
“Babe, I'm scared. I swear, my parents won't allow this.”
“Why? Why do you think so? Your father is clearly older than I am. Our age gap…”
“It's not that,” she cut me off. “It's not about our age gap. You're not that much older than I am, I know that, but I'm scared my father won't allow this. You're his best friend; he might take this the wrong way.”
“Shhhh,” I said, placing my finger on her lips.
“Shimma, we don't know that yet. We just have to tell him, and if he doesn't agree, I'll still be with you because you're mine, now and forever,” I said. I watched her cheeks redden. She was blushing, and I don't know why, but it made me feel good to see her blush.
“So what do you say?” I asked.