Viona was still sitting on the table, her breath not fully steady after the kiss. The room felt silent, with only the sound of the kitchen fan spinning slowly. Steve stood in front of her, looking deeply into her eyes, his own filled with something he could no longer hide.
"I love you, Viona."
The words slipped from Steve's lips without hesitation or barriers. He could no longer hold it back; he didn't want to hide behind confusion or pretend not to know. Viona deserved to hear this directly from him, not from anyone else.
Viona swallowed hard, her heart feeling heavier. She had suspected it. She had heard it from Sharone last night. But hearing it directly from Steve—seeing the sincerity in his eyes—made it harder for her to ignore.
"Steve…" Viona whispered, her voice barely audible.
Steve rubbed his face in frustration. "I know this is wrong. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I can't lie anymore. I've been honest with Sharone. I told her that I…" he looked at Viona, their eyes meeting, "...I can't stop loving you."
Viona fell silent.
She remembered the conversation with Sharone from the night before. Theresia's older sister had initially said little, only occasionally smiling as she listened to Viona and Theresia talk about Frans and James. But as the night grew late and they began to feel sleepy, Sharone suddenly murmured softly, as if speaking to herself.
"I know Steve loves you, Viona."
That sentence made Viona flinch. She turned to Sharone, who was still staring at the ceiling, and then Sharone looked back at her and smiled slightly—not angry, not crying, just tired.
"He finally told me the truth," she continued in a calm voice. "I tried to maintain our relationship, but in the end... I can't force something that's no longer the same."
Viona recalled Sharone's expression at that moment—no anger, just deep sadness. She didn't know how to respond. She had never wanted to be the cause of someone else's relationship falling apart, but now she found herself in a position that made it increasingly difficult to avoid.
Now, in front of her, Steve waited for her answer.
Viona shook her head gently. "Why are you saying this now?"
Steve laughed softly, but there was no joy in his laughter. "Because I'm tired of pretending." He sighed, then looked at Viona with the most honest gaze he had ever given. "Every time I'm with you, I feel like myself. I can laugh, I can speak freely; I don't feel like I have to be someone better than I should be. And I realize... I've never felt that way with Sharone."
Viona bit her lip. She could feel the warmth from Steve's words, could sense the sincerity. But something inside her still hesitated, still afraid.
"I..." Viona looked down, her fingers gripping the edge of the table. "I can't."
Steve frowned. "Why?"
Viona stared at him, her eyes filled with doubt and mixed emotions. "Frans."
That one word was enough to render Steve silent.
Viona took a deep breath. "I know my feelings for you, Steve. I know that I… also miss you more than I should. But Frans has always been there for me. He's been with me when I was struggling, when I felt uncertain about myself."
Steve clenched his fists. "And I'm here for you too, Vi."
Viona looked at him. "But Frans never made me question my feelings. He loves me sincerely, and I love him. I can't betray him."
This time, Steve didn't respond immediately. He just looked at Viona with an expression that was hard to explain—there was sadness, there was frustration, but also understanding.
"I understand," he finally said softly. "I'm too late, aren't I?"
Viona didn't answer. She just stared at him, and in that gaze, Steve found his own answer.
Silently, in his heart, he already knew how this would all end. But at least this time he had been honest—and he no longer had to hide his feelings.
Steve froze.
The kiss came so suddenly, so urgently, filled with the feelings they had both been trying to ignore. Viona pulled him closer, her fingers gripping the collar of Steve's shirt as if afraid he would leave if she didn't hold on.
Steve could feel his own lips trembling, not from shock—but from how much he had wanted this for so long.
"Viona…" he murmured softly between their kisses.
But Viona didn't stop. She pressed her body against his more, pouring out all her confusion, all her guilt, and all the feelings she had kept buried deep inside.
Steve should have pushed her away. He should have stopped this before it got any more complicated. But his whole body resisted. Instead, his hands moved up to Viona's face, gently caressing her cheek, as if wanting to engrave this moment in his memory forever.
When Viona finally pulled away, both of their breaths were ragged.
Their eyes met.
Steve wanted to say something, but what came out of his lips was just a whisper, "Why?"
Viona weakly shook her head, looking at him with eyes full of complex feelings. "I don't know…" her voice sounded hoarse, as if she had just been holding back tears. "I don't know, Steve…"
Steve closed his eyes for a moment, calming his racing heart. He wanted to believe that this meant something, that it wasn't just a mistake made by Viona in a moment of emotion.
However, he also knew the reality was not that simple.
Viona was still with Frans.
Steve took a deep breath, then pressed his forehead against Viona's, whispering in a voice barely audible.
"You shouldn't be playing around like this, Viona."
Viona bit her lip, holding back tears. "I'm not playing around."
Silence.
They just stood there, too close yet also too far from one another.
Until finally, the sound of the front door opening broke the tension.
They immediately pulled apart.
James and Theresia had just returned.
James and Theresia entered cheerfully, bringing bags of snacks. They were completely unaware of the tension that had just occurred in the kitchen.
"Hello, hello! Is your cooking ready?" James exclaimed as he set the shopping bags on the table.
Steve, still feeling the warm trace of Viona's kiss on his lips, quickly pretended to be busy arranging the food on plates. His hands trembled slightly, but he tried to appear as calm as possible.
"Yeah," he replied briefly without looking up.
Meanwhile, Viona had already rushed to the bathroom. She closed the door quickly, then leaned against it, breathing heavily. Her hand touched her lips, still buzzing from the earlier kiss.
"What did I just do..." she murmured to herself, feeling guilty, confused, and at the same time—experiencing something she couldn't deny.
Outside, Theresia looked around in confusion. "Huh? Where's Viona?"
Steve cleared his throat softly. "To the bathroom," he replied flatly, then busied himself pouring broth into bowls.
James, who was opening one of the snack packages, looked at Steve with a scrutinizing gaze. "Uh... I mean, are you alright, Steve?"
Steve nodded without looking up. "Yeah. Why?"
James glanced at the bathroom, then turned back to Steve. The expression on Steve's face was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes that made James a little suspicious.
Theresia didn't pay attention to their conversation. She was busy taking plates and helping arrange the food on the dining table. "Viona must be tired, that's why she went to the bathroom. She looked really quiet earlier."
James shrugged, then joined in setting the table. "Well, then let's just wait."
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Viona turned on the faucet, washing her face repeatedly, as if she wanted to erase the traces of feelings that still lingered.
But no matter how much water she splashed on her face, one thing remained unchanged.
She couldn't erase those feelings.
She couldn't forget the kiss earlier.
And more than that…
She didn't want to forget it.