Chapter 29: Chapter 29

So promise me darling, you will always take care of you. You won't be cruel towards yourself ever and you will always let go of things that hurt you. You need to always remember, no matter wherever , I will always watch over you.

Celeste smiled remembering those words and looked straight into Liam's smokey grey eyes which were already staring at her intensely.

"What a surprise! I didn’t expect to see you here. How are you?" She asked in her usual soft voice while smiling like finding there after more than a year didn’t bother her at all.

Liam got out of his thoughts and smiled at her a bit which seemed forced but Celeste didn’t notice it at all.

"Me neither.I'm fine. How have you been?" Liam asked, still looking at her. She had become more beautiful or what he couldn’t tell clearly. She had gained a little bit more weight than before. Her hair was a few inches longer than the last time he had seen her. Her skin became more pale and her light blue eyes had different sparks than before. She was the same Celeste yet she seemed really different to him.

"I've been good. When did you come back from the US? I didn’t expect you to come back so soon." Celeste asked while putting a strand of hair which was bothering face, behind her ear. Liam looked at her doing this and couldn’t help remembering the scene when she used to work on the sofa and did this when they were together.

"Just came back a few days back as Rafael is handling everything there." He said while putting his left hand on his pant's pocket. He was wearing a blue colour business suit with a black shirt underneath.

"Oh I see. How is everyone in the house?" Celeste asked remembering the Rodriguezes and their love. She couldn’t help but smile sadly at the memories.

"They are all fine." Liam said with a small smile. He wanted to add that they missed her but then kept mum. Celeste nodded and then looked at the files in her hand.

"Here's the sale's report. Do you want to check them now or later?" Celeste said while handling him the files. Liam took it and put them on the table.

"Thanks. I will check them later." He answered in his deep velvety voice. Celeste nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Okay. I will take my leave then. See you later." Celeste said in a rushed voice and was about to turn around to leave when Liam stopped her.

"Celeste! Wait." Hearing him calling her name after more than a year made her heart race in the familiar rhythm. She didn’t want those old feelings to awake. She desperately wanted to get away from him and stay as far away as possible from him. She knew her heart wouldn’t listen to her if she stayed close to him. She didn’t want the wall she had built around her heart over the year to come crashing down by staying close to him. He was unhealthy for her heart and sanity. He was her weakness. Celeste sighed in her heart and turned around with a fake smile.

"Yes?" She asked while raising her eyebrows. Liam felt as if she looked at him differently than before. She looked at him as if he was a stranger to her and he didn’t like it. He sighed and ran his finger through his hair making it more messy. Looking at the old familiar scene, Celeste's mind made her remember some old memories. How much she used to love running her finger through his soft silky locks. How much she missed his touch. Celeste shook her head to get rid of those unwanted thoughts focused on the present.

"How about we go out to grab some lunch together? It's almost lunch time. Do you know any good restaurants here?" Liam asked after a moment of hesitation while checking his watch to see the time.

Celeste sighed. When she was planning to escape his presence, he was inviting her for lunch. How ironic! Celeste wanted to say no. She wanted to say she didn’t want to stay near him but she couldn’t. She knew Liam was now her boss and she had to work in the same office with him so she didn’t want to make things complicated and awkward between them. She couldn’t afford to lose this job at this moment.

"Sure. Let me just bring my things." Celeste said after a moment of silence. Liam nodded. Celeste smiled and turned around to get out of the office. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice the door in front of her and bumped directly on it.

"Ouch!" She let out a painful yelp while rubbing her forehead and taking a step back. Liam, who was busy grabbing his phone and car keys, instantly turned around and rushed towards her.

"Careful. Where did you get hurt?" He asked in a concerning voice while grabbing Celeste's face in his both hands. He carefully looked at her now swollen forehand and softly rubbed his fingers on there while blowing hot air on it with his mouth. Celeste looked up at him with a shocked gaze as her heart started beating even more faster. His smokey grey eyes were completely focused on her while taking care of her small injury.

"How could you still be so clumsy, Celeste?" He asked unconsciously while blowing air on her injury. Celeste bit her lips unconsciously while looking at his handsome face which was filled with small stubbles. Suddenly Liam looked down at her eyes while still holding her face in between his hands. At that moment Celeste realized she was still very much in love with him and her heart still beat like it was in fire like it used to. Nothing had changed and this thought scared her. How could she survive in the same office with him? How could she protect her heart from falling for him all over again.

Then again she remembered her grandma's words. She needed to let go of things which would hurt her in the end.

It was true that she still loved Liam Rodriguez but it was also true that he didn’t love her. Not in the past, not in the present, not in the future and she would be a fool if she didn’t know it already. She knew it and had already accepted it.

Loving him didn’t mean she had to stay with him. Loving him didn’t mean he had to love her back. Slowly Celeste looked away from Liam and took a step back from him before clearing her throat.

"I'm fine. Thank you." She said with a smile while without looking at him. Liam nodded but didn’t say anything instead he moved forward and held the door open for her. Celeste smiled and exited the office followed by Liam. She then went directly to her desk and grabbed her things before making her way towards Liam, who was waiting for her in front of her desk. She smiled at Liam and he gave her a small nod. Celeste could feel many eyes on them but she didn’t dare to look at their direction.

"Let's go." Liam said while leading her to the familiar exit. Celeste quietly followed him behind without knowing that this exit was again taking her back to the road she had started her journey more than a year ago…