"You know what? I don't wanna know."

"No, Rach! Please, don't go." I stand up and swallow hard. I didn't expect to see her and now I'm panicking she's gonna leave. I need her to stay. I need to make this better. It's not optional anymore, it's a necessity. Like breathing, and I've spend a lot of hours these few days underwater. I need to breathe again. And she's the only one that can make that happen.

"Why? So you can lay your cheap excuses on me hoping I'll believe you? Yeah, I don't think so." She spits aggressively but I don't back down. I'm quick on my feet and reach her in no time.

"They are not excuses. I didn't do anything with that girl. I would never. I was waiting for you. Can't you acknowledge the fact that you had me waiting for over half an hour and still I didn't leave?" I'm looking straight in her eyes, silently pleading she will believe me this time. Felt dumb to keep apologizing for something I didn't do but still. The things you do for love..

God, I didn't just think that!

I wanna slap myself for quoting Jamie Lannister. She scrunches her nose and I know she's thinking what I said.

"Look, I don't need to fool around with any other girl. I just want you! No one can compare with you anyway." I take a deep breath and stop for a moment to see her reaction. She's looking at me suspiciously but at least she is listening.

"Go on." She urges me to continue.

"You know I can make a list for all the things I hate about you.."

"Great, I'm going." She interrupts me filled with irony.

"But they are a million things more that I love. You know you have five different smiles? You have a friendly smile, a sneaky, a cheeky one, a naughty and ,my favorite, childlike pure one. You are the perfect combination of saint and sexy, funny if you think about it since you don't look innocent at all. You are smart and witty and funny. It's inevitable for someone to know you and not fall in love with you, believe me, I've tried. But I'm drown to you ,so help me God, like a magnet!" I pause and take a good look at her before continuing. She tries to keep her cool but I know the signs in her face. Her walls are a minute away from crushing down.

"You tried so hard to wore me down when we met. You had to fight every step of the way. Well, this is my turn. I'll do whatever it takes for you to forgive me cause I'm the luckiest son of a bitch on earth to have you." I sign relieved leaving a huge weight leaving my shoulders. I've never felt so vulnerable, laying all my cards down on the table. I hear her sniff and raise my sight.

"You got all softy on me Cooper?" She smiles and I can finally breathe. I move closer to her slowly and place my hands on her waist.

The moment she touches me electricity runs through my veins.

"You're worth it." I say as I pull her closer, resting my chin on her head, breathing in her familiar scent. She nuzzles her head on the crook of my neck feeling her smile on my skin. She places a small kiss before raising her sight. I take my time to look at her. She looks younger and happy right now, her grey eyes sparkling. I stroke her cheek with my thumb and she leans into my touch closing her eyes delighted. I cup her face and lower my head to her.

"I'm sorry," she whispers and I shake my head. "For thinking the worst of you and for yesterday..."

"Hey, don't. It's already forgotten." I whisper back never leaving her eyes. She gives a small smile and the only thing I want to do now, is kiss her.

The moment our lips touch everything around disappeared. I get lost in her taste, in the shape of her lips,in the heat of the moment. She granted access and when our tongues met I swear I heard the fireworks going off in my head. I wanted to freeze time so this moment could never end.

"God I've missed you."I whisper breathless when we stop.

"I missed too, pot." She almost purrs. "So what are you going here anyway besides stalking me." She jokes and I chuckle.

"If that was the case I'd be outside your bedroom door not inside the library." She raises her brows and looks at me with mischief written all over her face.

"So you didn't come to my door?"

"About three times." I admit dropping my face embarrassed. "Chickened out and left. I couldn't bring myself to knock."

"Wouldn't take you for a coward."

"Yeah, well, I couldn't imagine how scary you can be but still yesterday you scared me shitless! You looked like a lion ready to attack." She laughs and roars playfully making me grin.

"Seriously though, what are you working on?" She says and grabs my hand dragging me closer to the desk so she can see. I quickly block her way.t

"It's just a theory but I don't want to say anything that can screw things up again." She crosses her arms in front of her and crooks her head.

"Are you blaming dad again?"

"No but..."

"Then it's fine. Just steer clear of my father, cause you know daddy issues, and you're good." She moves closer to look at the papers I'm looking.

"How come you can say stuff like that and it's fine, but when I even imply it I'm a jerk?" I ask annoyed and to look at her only to find her ruffling through the paperwork.

"Life is unfair nerdy boy. You just have to deal with it. Why are you going through the stock percentages?"

"Oh, kettle, really could you please leave this up to me? I have a feeling that if I tell you, you'll go all lion on me again." I plead but she's not even looking at me.

"Lioness. They are prettier and fiercer. Now spill. What did that brain of yours thought about this time?" Her voice might have been mellow but her glare was commanding.

"Ugh, fine. As you probably know your company is owned by roughly 60% of your father and roughly 40% of Jeffry Novac." I stand next to her and I lean on the desk behind me.

"Why roughly?" She asks curious.

"Cause there's a 2 percentage missing and I can't find who it belongs to. It's driving me mad."

"Okay. Calm down, you'll find it eventually. Now go on." She sounds calm but she is looking at me like I'm crazy, which may be true.

"Ok, so when Dan started working at the company your dad transferred a 10% of the stocks to your brother leaving him with 50%, well 49% to be exact and Jeffry with 39%. It got me thinking that if and when you start working there as well your father might do the same thing to you, leaving him with 39%, same amounts as Novac's." I pause to let that sink in but she looks puzzled.

"Yeah, okay. So they would be equals. I can't see your point."

"I haven't made my point yet. But now with the scandal and all your father's claim to the company is at stake. The Feds froze everything, your brother's share included and since everything seems orchestrated by your father they can't rule Dan out of the scheme."

"I'm getting worked up again." She warns me slowly but I shake my head.

"No, listen to me. That means that if your father is convicted the company will be owned by Jeffry. No one else."

"I don't appreciate you thinking that my father might be convicted for something he didn't do, but according to the law it's logical to go as you said."

"True but that got me thinking a bit. Well, that and a vivid nightmare I had."

"Nightmare? You believe these things?" She asks me surprised wrinkling her nose.

"Normally no but.."

"But what? Suddenly you think you have the gift?" She mocks but I glare at her and she straightens her face.

"As I was saying it got me thinking. What is the one thing that's missing from this whole scene?"

"The 2% of the stocks?"

"God, Rach, really let it go! You're messing with my compulsive disorder. Don't bring it up again, I'm trying to forget it." Annoyed I look at her.

"Fine, ok. Geez!" She says trying to hide her smirk. "So what is missing?"

"Think about it this way. If you and Tina had a company together and Tina all of a sudden ends up in federal prison what do you do?"

"I run to her and try to convince them to let her go."

"Exactly." I smile proudly looking at her as her eyes start moving side to side, calculating, processing the new info. And finally the big gasp when she finally understood what I was saying.

"Son of a bitch!"