Gloria walked upstairs with Daru behind her.
"You can have a bath and take some rest. I will see if I can find some clothes for you. And don't worry about meeting with family. They are lovely, and you would love to meet them, and they would like to meet you too."
Following Gloria up the stairs had its own charm and allure. Watching her sway her hips, like a pendulum, was mesmerizing. Hypnotized, he could capture only some of what she said—bits of her sentences.
Well, he did get the gist, and he was smart enough to fill the gaps.
Just as they reached the room, Gloria took a sharp turn, now faceing towards him while his gaze was on her crotch.
Well not so good to be caught like that looking at her ass.
A bit embaraced he looked up at her.
Not expecting he saw, Gloria had her eyes closed.
taking a deep breath, and then opening her eyes sharply, she closed in to point a finger at his chest, with barely an inch away from poking it.
"And you are gonna tell me all that you have been up to since you... left."
With her being so close now and looking up at him even while wearing stilettos, his heart almost skipped a beat.
He doesn't know how he could have he ever left her. But for sure never again, never ever gonna leave her again.
He could never have the courage to leave her no more. Then remembering the others he left behind in Colombia.
'Let's deal with that after I settle my revenge,' he sighed internally at that thought.
He knew he was still avoiding it, while the situation with them is a bit more sensitive. And all he could do I push it to the future him.
He brought his attention to gloira again.
With how close they were, Daru didn't even need to take half a step to embrace Gloria into a hug, and hug he did. He knew that she was still in mild shock, having just met someone she thought she lost for good. So, he did what he thought was the right thing to do.
"I missed you."
At the sudden hug, Gloria was startled but soon relaxed her stiffness with the warmth and comfort Daru's broad chest brought her.
Unballing her fist, she now rested her hand on his pecs.
"Me too," she said softly.
They each rested there, feeling the silence of their embrace. Even though the two are experts in communication and talking, it is such a wonder to see how this is the second time in such a short span that they just pause in the silence of the other.
With a mountain to tell and ask each other, they let it be, for they just want to be in embrace with each other. It was more than enough for them. Just being there in the other's presence had a soothing effect on them.
In Daru's arms now, Gloria lightly circled her willowy finger on his chest. While the heat and the feel of his ever heartbeat melted all the sorrow she had once buried.
'It would not be bad to stay like this forever,' she thought.
Just in his arms, while his chest might have become harder than she remembered it to be, the comfort has not diminished at all.
In fact, due to longing for it for such a long time, she finally feels a bit of peace, almost enough to forgive.
The last she remembers having this comfort was also the last time she had ever seen him. Her eyes fall down below his waist, and she remembers her deep memory of her and his first. She sure was happy that day. Not so much after that for a long time, but now remembering only the instance of the act, she comes to a slight blush.
It was not much different for Daru too. He may have drowned in pussy, but this feeling of having her, maybe just in embrace, there is only one other that gives him this comfort.
For he could stay like this forever. He swears that he will never lose her again.
'And her too, I will come to you soon,' Daru thought while a dark-haired stoic girl that still might be waiting for him came to memory.
Not might, he knows for sure she is waiting. He has been such a fool all these years, hurting himself and also letting them be hurt too.
He might have thought that they would have moved on, and Gloria might seem she did, but he knows her, and he wants to believe that her love for him is still strong.
And for Sonia, he didn't know what would have happened, and he had thought and hoped she would find someone. But he knows not just from the show but also from his depths that she would not have forgotten him forever.
He tightened his hug just a bit.
But then feeling Gloria fidget a bit, looking down, some part of his heart hurt a bit. He didn't want to know what she was thinking.
Biting down whatever might come up from the dark corner of fear, he lightly came out of the hug and sought to divert her attention.
"Will you be comfortable in introducing me to your family?"
He liked how confronting the statement came out. Guess there are cracks in his hold too.
*Smack*
Gloria slapped his chest and looked at him with a glare.
"I will always be proud of you," she said.
Daru didn't know what he was expecting, but he was sure not expecting to see her eyes with sharpness as the veil with hints of fear.
She reached out to hastily catch his hand in a firm grip, as if he would run away.
"You will not leave again, right?!" she asked him.
While he was taken aback for a sec, he saw the mild fear in her eyes start swirling into something more with new urgency.
At that instance, Daru knew that now all she needs is a confident reply to her plea.
And so he did.
Brushing her hair and tucking it behind her ear, he lightly caressed her cheek.
"Never."
AN: I will be making a few changes in Chapter 1. Originally, I had planned to completely redo the entire beginning, but now I've decided to add just one more scene to it. Please revisit Chapter 1 tomorrow for the updated content
Ps: I don't know why this chapter got all poetic at certain places, tell me if it bothers and doesn't match the vibe.