Even though they had planned for a week long stay but now due to some urgent business matters they had to leave the next day. Aaron's shoulder had healed and their car was also repaired. So it was their last night in that house.

"Aaron." Livia said while resting her head on his shoulder. He was playing with the silk threads of her hair.

"Hmm.."

"Why do you want to buy this house?"

"Did you not like it here?"

"I do like this place but I was just curious."

There was a few minutes' silence before she finally heard Aaron speaking.

"When I ran away from the orphanage, I came here once and it was at this place that I experienced calm and peace for the first time." 'and safe' he wanted to add.

"So because of this reason this place is close to me."

"What about the old couple if you bought this house?"

"They can stay here and we'll come once in a month or a week or maybe you can decide it."

"Aaron..."

"Hmm.."he replied.

"Did you try to find out about your mom?" she asked and then regretted when she realised she had crossed an arbitrary line she shouldn't have.

She looked at him when he didn't respond to her.

"I am sorry I shouldn't have asked. I-"

"She was a drug addict, Livia. After I was born she left me in the orphanage. Later she died due to drug overdose. There is nothing more to say or talk about her." he said with his gaze fixed on to the ceiling.

She kept her hand on his chest. Even though he was looking calm from outside but his heart was racing wildly. His body had turned cold. She felt as if someone was squeezing her heart mercilessly. She wanted to scream and cry for him, for his pain to ease but she had no idea what exactly she should do to comfort him. An unwanted image sprang up in her mind. Image of a little boy in rundown streets of London... scared and terrified... Her heart squeezed with pain.

She got up on her elbows and looked at him. He was still staring into a blank space.

She bent her head and kissed his forehead, then his eyes, then cheeks...his attention was now focused on her and finally she placed a small kiss on his lips.

She had meant to give just a small kiss but he held her there...demanding more from her and she too just surrendered to him because in this surrender she felt the liberty. She offered herself to him again that night.

He had understood what she was trying to do. He hated pity in someone's eyes for him but what Livia was offering to him was not pity but understanding and compassion and her own self.

That night they made love again. That night she offered herself to him ...once again and there were no second thoughts and definitely no regrets.

***

The four days of Livia and Aaron's stay at the old couple's house had passed quite quickly. But a lot of changes had occurred during those past four days. Livia had learned a lot about Aaron during those four days - his past, his ambitions, his aspirations, his desire and certainly his demands in bed and out of it.

She too had shared the bits and pieces of her past which she had never shared with anyone before. Livia realised past for both of them wasn't very different. He never had a family and she even after having one was raised like an orphan. His past had shaped him the way he was today. Because of his past he didn't want to believe in anyone or trust someone. Even the smallest actions of love and concern aroused doubts in him. He neither wanted love nor a family.

Whereas she, even after being deprived of parental love and even after being forced to marry a person she didn't know, she still had faith in love. She still wanted a family.

Livia was well aware of the fact that if Aaron realised what was going on in her mind, that she has fallen for him then he would run for the hills.

During these four days they had not only shared their bodies, the intimacies but also their past. They had healed each other's wounds which they once thought were incurable.

They both had learnt a lot about each other. About each other's likes and dislikes, about each other's bodies and now it was finally the time to bid goodbye to the old couple.

"Livia, Mr Rodriguez, you both can come and visit us again anytime you want." Mrs brown said smiling at them.

"Of course, and next time I will make my special recipes for you."said Livia.

"Livia, if Mr Rodriguez ever did something wrong or if you felt like you need a break from him then you can always come here. The doors of this house will always be open for you." said Mr Brown.

Even though Livia never had the chance to feel the love of her parents, her mom had passed away when she was only 6 and her father had never really cared for her but this old couple, in just these four days, had showered her with the love she had always craved for.

Livia and Mrs Brown laughed at this but Aaron pursed his lips and pulled Livia towards him.

"You don't have to worry about this Mr Brown. We both will come and visit you sometime again."

All three had laughed at his reaction but Livia had no idea if it was just a pretence or was the thought of her leaving him really made him angry.

***

The sun was setting down by the time Aaron and Livia reached their villa. Just as they ascended the stairs Mrs Goodwill was already waiting for them.

"Welcome Mr and Mrs Rodriguez."

" I have some work in the study." Aaron told Livia. "So call me after the dinner is ready."Livia nodded.

As soon as Aaron was out of earshot, Mrs Goodwill turned to Livia and knowing that she was going to be interrogated now, Livia decided to run for her room but alas! she was late.