Chapter Ny One


    Amber’s POV.


    I sat across the table from Richard, the remnants of our pizza dinnerid out before us. The ambiance


    was cozy, with dim lighting casting a warm glow over the room. But despite thefortable setting, my


    mind raced with thoughts, and my heart was still reeling from the unexpected question


    Richard had posed earlier.


    As I picked absentmindedly at a stray piece of mozzare on my te, Richard’s words echoed in my


    mind, a constant loop that refused to fade into the background. How would I feel if he told me he loved


    me? The question hade out of nowhere, catching me off guard and leaving me speechless-


    jumble of emotions swirling in me.


    Instead of responding in the moment, I excused myself to retrieve our pizza, a simple task that


    provided me with a moment of respite to gather my thoughts. Since then, the air between us has been


    thick with unspoken words, a tension hanging heavy in the silence that settled between us.


    Richard, too, seemed lost in his own thoughts, his depressed and detached expression from earlier


    reced by a quiet contemtion that mirrored my own. The space between us felt charged, and it


    didn’t seem like either one of us was ready to take the first step to speak up.


    Suddenly, Richard cleared his throat, pulling me back from my spiraling thoughts. His voice was


    hesitant and cautious as he broached the subject that had been hanging in the air between us. “Amber,


    did I… Did I make you ufortable with the question earlier?”


    His words struck a chord in me, a rush of panic welling up in my chest at the thought of addressing the


    question head–on. I felt a knot form in my stomach, uncertainty clouding my mind as I searched


    for the right words to say. Swallowing hard, I met his gaze, my voiceing out in a whisper: “Which


    question, Richard?”


    A flicker of nervousness crossed his features as he scratched the back of his neck, his eyes avoiding


    mine for a moment before meeting them once again. He stumbled over his words, a hint of vulnerability


    seeping through his usualposure. “I… I’m not sure if it’s okay for me to repeat myself. I don’t want


    to make you more ufortable. Richard’s tone was uncertain.


    I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation I knew we were about to slowly but surely


    get into. With a resolute nod. I mustered the courage to address the elephant in the room, wanting him


    to know that he could repeat himself without thinking I’d go mute again,


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    Chapter Ny One


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    “Richard, you can go ahead and repeat the question if you want to. It’s okay,” I stated. I watched


    him closely, waiting for his response, unsure of what to expect.


    Richard remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable as he let out a tired sigh. “I can


    tell that my question made you ufortable, Amber. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have brought it up at


    all.”


    1 frowned slightly, tilting my head in confusion at his words. “Why are you apologizing, Richard?” |


    asked. “All you asked was how I’d feel if you told me you loved me. Yes, it caught me off guard, but 1.


    but


    I don’t think it’s something worth apologizing for. I’m just curious why you asked such a question


    out of the blue.”


    Richard ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture that betrayed the uncertainty in his words. “I..


    . I asked without thinking, Amber,” he confessed. “And now, I’m not sure how to exin why I asked


    without sounding… weird.”


    I couldn’t help but chuckle softly at his admission, the tension between us momentarily broken by the


    hint of cluelessness in his words.


    With a shrug. I decided to take a leap of faith, blurting out the words that had been lingering


    unspoken between us. “Maybe you asked because you’re in love with me, Richard, and you wanted to


    know


    how I’d feel if you told me you were,” I said.


    “Amber, are you sure you wouldn’t mind if I was…” His voice trailed off.


    I arched an eyebrow, a hint of exasperation seeping into my tone as I interrupted him. “Richard, just be


    clear with me. Stop overthinking how I’d feel or react to what you have to say. If you have something to


    tell me, just say it.”


    Richard let out a weary sigh at my words, his gaze dropping to his hands as he struggled with his next


    words. I watched him closely, a mix of patience and anxious anticipation churning in me as I waited for


    him to speak. Finally, after a long moment of silence, he met my gaze with a mix of vulnerability and


    seriousness.


    “Amber, as surprising as it may be to you, I meant it when I asked how you’d feel if I told you I loved


    you,” he began. “Because… because I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”


    I froze at his direct confession, the weight of his words crashing over me. My heart raced, but I


    remained silent, giving Richard the space he needed to pour out his thoughts.


    Richard continued, “I’m not… I’m not experienced when ites to falling in love with someone and


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    telling them about it. I… I honestly don’t know what to say, and I’m trying not to say something wrong


    right now,” he admitted. “But I realized that what I feel for you goes beyond physical attraction. It’s


    something… something deeper.”


    As he spoke, a torrent of emotions surged in me–a mix of disbelief, uncertainty, and happiness. His


    next words struck a chord deep in me, his admission taking me by surprise. “Ever since you’vee


    into my life, Amber, contrary to what Elena said tonight, my life has stopped revolving around just


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    wanting to hurt Kayden. Protecting you, making sure you’re safe and happy–that’s all I could think


    about. You consumed my thoughts, and… and it just dawned on me that I had fallen hopelessly in love


    with you.”


    I sucked in a deep breath, processing Richard’s confession with a mix of shock and disbelief. As I


    struggled to find my voice, a question nagged at the edges of my mind.


    “Why tonight, Richard? Why are you choosing to tell me about your feelings now, of all nights? Is


    there a reason?” I finally managed.


    I locked eyes with him, searching for a glimpse of understanding in his gaze as I awaited his


    response.


    His expression softened, vulnerability flickering across his features as he took a moment to collect


    his thoughts.


    “Amber, the thing that has been bothering me the most about what happened at Bianca’s ce… was


    Elena’s insinuation that our rtionship and how we potentially feel about each other weren’t real


    because of our shared hate for Kayden,” he said.


    “You really don’t need to reassure me about that, Richard. Elena’s words didn’t hold any weight in my


    mind. I know how I feel about you, and that’s all that matters.


    Richard’s gaze met mine, gratitude shining in his eyes as he responded, “I appreciate that, but


    regardless of anything, I don’t want you to misunderstand. If what I feel for you now isn’t real,


    then I have no idea what else could ever be real, and I don’t want to know. That’s how serious I am


    right now, Amber”


    ?


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