His words send a fresh wave of heat through me. But then, I feel his hands begin to slip under my shirt, his fingers brushing my bare skin, slowly creeping up my stomach. The sensation sends a shock through me, and suddenly, I’m jolted back to reality. My eyes fly open, my breath still uneven, but my mind finally catches up to what’s happening.
“Aditya… stop,” I stammer, pressing my hands against his chest.
He freezes, his hands slipping out from under my shirt as he pulls back just enough to search my face. His eyes, dark with longing, now hold something else—concern, even guilt.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have lost control,” he says, his voice softer now.
“It’s fine. Just… let’s forget it happened and leave it here,” I murmur, looking away, my hands still resting against him, as if the contact is the only thing keeping me grounded.
His fingers gently hook under my chin, tilting my face back up to his. “No. I won’t forget, and I won’t let you either.” He exhales slowly. “You know there’s something between us. Then why are you so scared to give us a chance? What more do I have to do to prove that I truly want you?”
I swallow hard, my chest tightening as I struggle to find the words. “Because this… this is wrong. We just can’t…”
“Don’t you dare say that,” he says firmly, his eyes burning into mine. “It’s not wrong. And you know it.”
I blink rapidly, emotions warring inside me, but he doesn’t let me pull away.
“Sana, I won’t push you,” he continues, his thumb grazing my skin in slow, soothing circles. “I’ll give you all the time you need to catch up, to figure this out. But don’t tell me this is nothing. Don’t tell me you don’t feel it too.”
My heart clenches painfully at his words, because I do feel it. I feel it in every stolen glance, in every heated exchange, in his every touch.
“I’m scared,” I admit, shakily.
His eyes soften, and he leans in just enough for me to feel his breath against my lips. “Then let me be the one thing you don’t have to be scared of,” he murmurs. “I’ll wait. For as long as it takes.”
The sincerity in his voice leaves me breathless. And in that moment, it hits me. Aditya isn’t the one I’m afraid of. It’s me. It’s what I feel for him. It’s what happens if I give it a chance.
Before I can open my mouth to say that I don’t know if I have it in me to give whatever this is between us a chance, Aditya beats me to it.
“I’m going for now,” he says. “I know lunch is something you won’t be comfortable with.”
I part my lips, about to say thank you for understanding, but before I can, his hands move to cradle the sides of my neck, his thumbs brushing over my skin with a tenderness that completely disarms me. My breath catches as his gaze holds mine. Then, without another word, he leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead. A kiss that speaks of patience, restraint and emotions—letting me know he’s here, that he’s willing to wait, even if it hurts him to do so.
When he pulls away, his fingers linger for just a second longer before he steps back and walks toward the door. He doesn’t look back. He just shuts the door behind him, leaving me standing there, staring at the door, my heart pounding in my chest.
As I stand there frozen, a terrifying realisation hits me.
Can I really walk away from the one person who’s actually willing to stand by me?
Chapter 16
Aditya
I pull up in front of my house, utterly drained. It’s been five days since Sana and I shared that kiss—a kiss I never imagined could tilt my world off its axis, but damn, it did. And what’s more, every second with her solidifies that she truly isthe onewho makes my heart race in a way no other woman ever has or ever will.
But since that kiss, Sana has done everything she can to avoid me. Deep down, I know pushing her won’t help. She needs space. She needs to come to terms with it on her own. At the same time, backing off completely and letting her forget me is not an option. That’s why, even though I haven’t shown her my face, I’ve called and messaged over a hundred times—yet every time, there’s been nothing but silence.
Fuck, this feeling of being ignored is nothing but a pure torture. How I desperately want her to think of me the way I’ve been missing her.
Grabbing my phone from the dashboard, I dial her number, hoping she’ll answer this time. But once again, there’s no reply. A slight pang of disappointment hits me, but I refuse to let itdeflate me. Instead, I open the messenger, my fingers hovering over the keyboard as I start typing.
Me:Hey... I know you’ve been avoiding me, and I get it. Things got complicated, and I don’t want to push you. But I can’t pretend like that kiss didn’t mean something to me. I miss you, Sana. Probably more than you want to hear. But it’s the truth. Whenever you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here. Just... don’t shut me out completely.
I stare at the screen for a moment, my thumb hesitating over the send button before I finally press it.
Knowing she won’t reply, I get out of the car and walk towards my house, wanting nothing more than to hit the bed. I need to figure out a new strategy to win Sana over. This distance between us is eating me alive, and I can’t keep playing this waiting game. I need to find a way to reach her, to make her realise that what we have is worth giving a chance.
I let out a huff and step inside, only to come face-to-face with my parents. They’re seated on the couch, their faces hard, disappointment radiating through them as they fix their gazes on me. I know why they’re here, and judging by their expressions, they’re ready to give me a piece of their mind for not showing up for dinner.
