Guilt was beating me, but my love for him made me withstand the remorse in shame. Each passing second I contemplated what to say, but every time I thought of something, the words hindered. While fixing his wound, I glanced at his face. The sadness was etched to him, but I was sure it wasn't from the pain, he didn't flinch even once under my care.

"I'm sorry, " I finally managed to say.

"For which cause?"

"For..." I trailed off, unsure where to start. I stirred my gaze away, then shifted my body sideways from him, hoping courage would appear.

Howbeit, I didn't get far when his hands caught hold on my shoulders, spinning me to face him. "I loved her, " he began. The words were enough to cut me deeper than what I'd done to him. I wondered was it his way to pay me back.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"So you'll know why I wouldn't do it. How could I kill someone I love. Is that what you wanted to hear from me?" He said blandly.

The irony of pain was that it didn't need physical damage to happen. I was sure no blood came out of me, but those words wound my heart. My eyes started to tear up.

His cold palm touched the side of my face, "She was a friend of yours, compare to me who is just something that your kind says to be a menace. Would you believe me if I first hand told you she abuses me?"

Shock hit me. His lidded eyes told the truth, but could I judge honesty by looking on the outside? My lips parted, but I didn't know what to say.

"Would you?" He reiterated.

To be honest, I wouldn't believe him. What the news aired, and the years knowing Amy. His words wouldn't make a stand.

"I knew you grew up with her. I knew I had no chance with my say. I wanted you to see who I am before I could tell you. After days spent with me, I thought I would have a better chance to make you believe me. I was wrong." The hurt in his voice was evident, more stigma to my hasty conclude.

Ripples were visible in his pair of hazel. "In the beginning, I looked at her like how I see you. I couldn't differentiate what was real and what was not. Believing she love me made me see everything she did as right. She did things to me, and I let her" -a tear ran down his cheeks- "I was a fool."

My mind tried to process his revelation. The thought of Amy that I knew was too sweet to be the person he said she was. I was battling with disbelieve. He knew it, and disappointment was painted on his face. Yet I wanted to hear his side of the story. "Tell me what happened."

"Even though I was hurt, I thought my life had no meaning, so I stayed with her. But suddenly I found out she lied to me about you, all these years I believe her that you were dead. I was angry, but the love I once had for her was enough for me to have pity. That night I was ready to leave her without aggression. I knew she would be occupied with her friend, so it was my chance. Then I heard them arguing. When I saw her mother's body lying lifeless in the hall, I rushed to her. She was gone, numb on her bed. Days on my own, I heard the news. FOS investigated the case and my unknown DNA was all over the place. I was a secret they kept for long, it made people scared. That's why I was careful the night I found you here, I don't know what happened to you in the past 5 years. When you tried to hurt me, I was afraid to tell you. I didn't know what to do. It's complicated."

His explanation somehow filled in the gaps for his actions. We have been caution towards each other. I cupped his face, brushing the tears staining his cheeks. "I-I don't know what to say, " I mumbled.

I baffled on should I apologise to him again? Was it the right thing to make the situation better? We were both victims of misunderstanding.

"Say you love me, " he voiced out, hope was beaming from his eyes.

I smiled at him, "I love you."

Words set aside, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. The gentle kiss took my breath away in the instant. Slowly he pulled back, but our gaze continued to entwine. There was something in his eyes, unfathomable to me yet it sent my nerve to overdrive. My conscious begged to understand what the sudden feeling was.

"Stay with me, " he enunciated.

I nodded.

At once, he pulled me to him, and my body turned weak under his hold. He guided me to the bed, lay me down like I was helpless. "Do you know how much I wanted you?" he whispered, putting himself above me with both hands on either side as support. He started kissing me, leaving a trail of warmth down to my neck. I felt the impulse again, the knot in my stomach tightened. My feet felt cold, in contrast to the rising temperature around me.

"I want to make love to you, Charis, " he whispered again.

The whiff of his hot breath was so close to my ears that my spine tingled in an instance. I couldn't react appropriately; it was as if my body had a malfunction. A moan tumbled out of my mouth from each addition of his kisses.

In a swift move, he got up and removed his bloodied shirt. The closeness granted me a full view of him, and I marvelled at his body. The fine tier of muscle on his abdomen looked strange to me because he was different than what I'd used to see, yet he was so beautiful. He got down once more, uniting our lips. His injured hand stayed still, while I felt the other tucked at the side of my hips.

When his hand reached between my legs, my gasped permitted his tongue to enter. I was utterly bewildered, but I liked the new experience. He held the side of my face, manoeuvring us through. A couple of times he released me, looked at my face with a smile turning on his lips. "Am I treating you right, Charis?" He asked.

Reciprocate took charge of me, humming my approval. He smirked then dipped in and buried his lips on my neck, nibbling on my skin, sending waves of the tantalising sensation. The strain grew on; my body was aching for something myself couldn't fathom. When he once again distance us, I yearned for him.

"If you want me to stop, I will." He caresses the side of my face as he said it.

My tongue was tied yet again and I inwardly predicted my disappointment coming. But when he tried to get off from the bed, my hand caught his arm. This time I let my pride maimed, "Don't stop. Finish what you started, " I uttered shyly.

Instantly he spun around, impatient as he removed the obstruction on my body. Still remembering the scene of the movie I once watched, I let him. The next thing I knew, I was naked. Heat rose to my cheeks at his scrutiny. His eyes never looked like it before, deep and alluring, and it made me feel vulnerable. In my peripheral view, he slipped off his pants. Slowly he lowered himself on to me and scooped me up to fit his frame. Upon contact of our bare bodies, the strange sensation built up. I wanted so much to let it ease.

Again I was showered with kisses, his free hand roamed along my body, feeling every inch he had never got the blessing before. I writhed when his mouth latched on one of my breasts, the other gently fondled with soft touches. I couldn't control the sound coming from my mouth, and my breathing got heavier by the second.

"Ready for me, " he whispered to my ears.

However, I was stupefied, it felt like there was invincible thread bonding me. He curled his arms under my thigh, parting my legs while continuing his ravishing. I knew this was the part concealed from view on the movie. An abundance of curiosity filled my mind.

He stopped to look at me, peering into my questioning gaze. Despite still in confusion, I smiled at him. "I'm sorry," he hushed, entering me slowly. A cry erupted from my mouth but sealed with his kiss on my lips. My body arched from the sudden mix of pain and rapture. He too groaned under his breath as he penetrated deeper. The pounding of our heart was erratic.

His lips took fleet, emanating my whimper. "I love you," he recited. His eyebrows drew in together as he cast his eyes to mine. The evident pleasure on his face was the cater for my bliss.

Subconsciously, I reached up and cupped his face, planting a kiss to his lips before hugging him. He started to move as nature took over, push and pulled become a sequence of our lovemaking. I didn't know when the pain had left me, in substitute was euphoria. The whole world didn't matter anymore at the moment, it was just him and me. The soft grunts coming from his lips on each stroke pushed me more and more on edge. Something in me wanted to break free.

"Let it ease. " His raspy voice reverberated, demanding something I wasn't acquainted with. Later he grabbed a whole of my back, pulling me up to meet his lower body. His glide turned rough and wild. Under seconds, the ecstasy turned me rigid, my whole body was trembling in his hold. The shy cries coming from me stopped entirely, my mouth gaped on the suffocation, gasping for air. Until something release from me, a feeling I couldn't decipher.

His thrust slowed down, and he embraced me. "I love you, " rolled out of his mouth, repeated like a recording, yet beautiful and soothing. Without words, I snuggled to him, and let serenity engulfed us.

After what felt to be forever gone, happiness found its way back to me in the arms of my Alfie.

To be continued...

***

Phew, that was somehow longer than the other chapters. I tried to write this scene as 'decent' as I can. My original draft was a bit crazy, so please forgive me.

Thank you for reading. Vote if you like this episode. I love you all.