Chapter 13: Fragile Trust
Days had passed since Lyla came by, silent almost to an unnerving effect. Emilia dived into work with the heavy silence hanging between them. Every time she would feel they would catch some breathing space, his words made the shadow of Lyla's words hover in her mind. It was as if the woman had sown seeds of doubt, and now they were growing, slow yet sure, threatening everything which Emilia had believed was real.
Dorian had been distant, but there was a hardness to him that hadn't been there before, something cold that made her feel like she was on the outside, unable to break through. Despite reassurances, the distance between them felt like an insurmountable wall.
But Emilia was the kind who would never back down easily. She had come too far, to allow this fear blossoming in her chest, however hard it was beginning to get a foothold. Time had come to face whatever was standing in between them. She just could not be the one to fall apart, not when answers needed to be found.
One evening, after another long day, Emilia found herself standing by the window of her room, staring out into the night. The moonlight bathed the garden in an ethereal glow, and for a moment, she allowed herself to breathe, to calm her racing thoughts.
Just as she was about to turn away, she heard the door creak open. She didn't need to look to know who it was. Dorian's presence was unmistakable. The tension in the air thickened, and Emilia braced herself, her pulse quickening.
"You're still up?" Dorian's voice was low, carrying a weight that made Emilia's heart flutter unsteadily in her chest.
She turned slowly to face him. There was something in his eyes that made her hesitate, something deeper than she had seen before. But even as he stepped further into the room, his gaze faltered, like he wasn't sure how to approach her.
"I've been thinking," Emilia said quietly, her voice betraying her nervousness. "About Lyla, about everything."
Dorian stiffened, but Emilia couldn't seem to shut up. "You said that she meant nothing to you, and yet she is here, constantly trying to crawl beneath my skin." Frowning, exasperation dripped from her voice. "Can't help but wonder in these small silences… is there something left untold? Something you didn't tell me?
The silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable. Dorian stepped forward, his eyes dark and unreadable. He said nothing for a very long period of time, and Emilia's chest constricted. Was he going to deny it again? Would he still be pushing her away?
Finally, he exhaled deeply. "Lyla is part of my past. A part of me I've been trying to bury for a long time," he said, quieter now. "She's always been a complication. A distraction. But that's not what I want with you, Emilia.
The vulnerability in his voice startled Emilia's heart to a skittering stop. "Then why is she still here?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why does she keep showing up?"
Dorian closed the distance between them, his hand reaching out to brush lightly against her cheek in a way that made her breath catch. His touch was so gentle, as if he were afraid of breaking something fragile.
"I cannot change the past," he said, his voice husky. "But I can promise you this: She is not going to be any part of our future."
They were words of promise, and yet they hung in the air with an uncertainty that echoed the turmoil within her. Emilia wanted to believe him, to trust him, to let herself fall into his arms and let the world outside fade away. But the past-his and her own fears-seemed to be an invisible barrier between them.
"I need more than just promises, Dorian," Emilia whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "I need to know that I'm not just something to pass the time. That I'm not just another distraction for you."
Dorian's eyes softened, the hardness melting away as he stepped closer, closing the distance that had felt so vast. He reached for her hand, his fingers trembling as they intertwined with hers.
You're not a distraction, Emilia," he said, firm but soft. "You're everything I've wanted, everything I've been searching for. I didn't realize how much I needed you until you were right here, standing in front of me.
Emilia's breath caught as his words sank in, the weight of them hitting her like a wave. She had always been afraid of this-of letting herself fall for someone so deeply, so completely, that it could shatter her. But in Dorian's eyes, she saw the flicker of something she'd never seen-a vulnerability, an honesty, a wish to make things right.
For the first time, Emilia allowed herself to believe it. She let herself feel the connection between them, the pull that had been so undeniable from the very beginning.
"Dorian…" she whispered, her voice shaking as she took a step closer to him.
And before she could utter another word, Dorian's lips crashed down on hers, silencing her doubts, her fears, everything. The kiss was tender at the start, a slow exploration, as if they were testing the waters of this fragile trust between them.
But then the kiss deepened, and the world fell away. There was nothing except for the heat of his skin, the press of his body to hers, the soft, hot pressure of his mouth as he claimed hers with an insistence that left her breathless.
When they finally parted, Emilia's heart was pounding in her chest, and for a moment, she couldn't say a word.
Dorian's forehead leaned against hers, his breathing coming in shallow bursts. "I want this, Emilia," he murmured, his voice coarse with emotion. "I want you."
Emilia closed her eyes, letting the words wash over her, the tenderness in his voice wrapping around her like a cocoon. For the first time in weeks, she felt like she could breathe again.
But as she looked up at him, she knew there was still a long road ahead of them. Lyla wasn't going to give up that easily, and the shadows of Dorian's past were never far behind.
But in that moment, Emilia made a choice. She would trust him. She would trust them. And she would fight for this connection, no matter the cost.
Dorian reached up to cup her face, his thumb brushing gently across her cheek. "We're in this together," he whispered, his voice full of resolve. "I won't let anything tear us apart."
And for the first time, Emilia allowed herself to believe it.