Chapter 42: Chapter 42

-40-Kiss

Dear Readers❤

I feel really bad today. Neither any of you are rating nor giving feedback. Please do so guys. I would love to hear back from you.

[Ifveen]

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"When someone is the calmness of your heart, they can be the rage of your heart too, All at once." [Riley Brown]

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Not answering her, he bent down looming at her face thoroughly as the light emitted from candles shined on his mask. Trying to decipher if he was dreaming or not. But when he was sure it wasn't a dream. He forwarded his arm towards her neck and in one swift movement kissed her lips thoroughly without any warning.

The kiss was everything he imagined it to be. Sweet yet addicting.

'My Ril-boo is here. Thank you, God, for your help. I will never let you go now even if it means leaving every penny of my father.' He thought inwardly.

Riley was shocked to the core. she even forgot to stop him from kissing her. Just when she returned to her senses and tried struggling with him. He left her lips. But engulfed her body in his arms. Enhancing her scent by putting his face in her neck and Muttering.

"Finally I found you. My Ril-boo." Making her shiver as his hot breath sprayed on her sensitive areas. But his words made her struggle stop. She stood there motionless hands on each side while he hugged to life out of her.

'Ril-boo? Who is he? Wait. How does he know my nickname? Enchanting Blue eyes, Dimple. Same smile. Now my nickname. Is he, Stuart. How can he be Stuart? Isn't he dead? Her thoughts were confusing her. She didn't even feel it when he had released her from the hug. And has now started kissing her forehead. His touch brought a familiar shiver to her body.

"You! Who are you? Stu. Stuart is that you?"

She asked shakily closing her eyes, Riley didn't want to accept reality. Although, she would be really happy if he was alive but what if it was just mistaken hope. What if he was not her Stuart. She could still remember the pain, of his death. Giving herself wrong hope would shatter her this time. She barely managed to come out of it once.

Grinning, He tore his mask off his face while to Riley it felt he was removing it in slow motion. Every bute of his face was engraved in her memory. His high cheekbones, Long black eyelashes. Rounded brows. As he emerged and the candlelight shined on his face, she gasped and took two steps back knocking over to a couple who then threw some words at her. 'be careful' and 'Look where are you going, lady.' How can she be careful? The love of her life is alive. The man she loved for more than 10 years, The love she believed was dead from the last two years. How would you feel if you see your someone special you assumed was dead just before your eye? Her eyes filled with tears that broke free. 'Am I imagining things? Or is this reality?' Riley pinched herself to make sure she was not imaging things.' But the pain indicated to her it was real. She wasn't imagining anything.

He looked towards her and chuckled at her reaction, She was still the same girl, filled with everlasting innocence. The little Ril-boo who used to pinch every time she found something unbelievable. And here she was still using the same pinching method to prove reality. Grinning he tried to caress her hair, but she moved away from him again.

He knew it was a mistake to not make her aware of his problems, his life. He had isolated her from himself and no one was blamed for it. Not even circumstances. Not his father. But then again he was never supposed to tell her about his life.

However still, there was a scenario in his mind. That he had replayed thousands of times in his head. What will happen when they will meet? She was supposed to come in his arms and maybe a few punches here and there wouldn't have hurt him. She should have been all about him till now. Similar in the past. But now something had changed. Though he knew, he was the one who had forced her to grow up by leaving her. But what was he supposed to do? He was helpless.

Her silence scared him.'Wait she is married now and that to a woman! She even changed her preferences. What are you going to do? How are you going to control the damage you have caused.' His fickle mind reminded him. Irritating him beyond the limit.

Gazing at her again. He saw her crying. Big fat tears emerged from the corner of her eyes. Seeing her tears his heart ached whenever he saw her crying and that too when he was the reason for her tears. Stepping forward he engulfed her in a warm hug. Shooing her by massaging her head with one hand while rubbing her back from the other hand. 'What happened after I left Ril-boo? Why are you married to a woman? Why are you not happy seeing me? What's going on!'

Riley came out of her daze and pressed her face to his chest just near his heart. His rapid heartbeat was mimicking with her. In a rhythm of music fading in her ears. It calmed her enough to face her situations at hand.

She tried to break free from his hold, asking the first question that came to her mind in a hoarse voice while hiccuping.

"Stu. Stu. Stuart! You are alive!"

Just later to her question, he made a sudden jerk of his head making eye contact with her. The blue eyes that were always filled with warmth for her now were just empty. 'What happened to him?'

Raising eyebrows he said, jokingly "What do you think?"

Seeing she didn't take it as a joke and was glaring at him. He swallowed his laugh. And said seriously.

"Yes, Ril-boo. I am very much alive baby. See you can touch me."

Taking her hand, he brought it to his face. Making her touch his eyes, nose, eyebrows. She gasped again and started crying harder.

For a moment he forgot how to comfort her and just took her in his arms. Letting her tears flow wetting his shirt. But he didn't care.