The elevator dinged and the doors opened onto the floor of her office.

Larisa made sure to walk towards her office making sure Isaac doesn't gets to know that she is here.

As soon as Joshia saw her, he got up immediately and went to her saying, "Isaac said that you won't come today."

She shook her head lightly, "That's what Isaac said Josh. But I am here because I wanted to come to office. Ever since I told him about my pregnancy he doesn't even let me do anything...as if that something will happen even if I take a single step."

"He is just worried about you, Thera. And he will be very angry to see you here."

Larisa was well aware of the fact that Isaac will be furious when he will see her there inspite he told her, no, he actually ordered her this morning to stay at home and rest.

"He is not my boss, Josh. I am the CEO too and I am capable of taking decisions."

"But...", Joshia trailed off making Larisa confused when his eyes widened a fraction as he looked at her shoulder.

Noticing that he was looking at something behind her, she turned around to come face to face with an angry looking Isaac who stood there with folded arms.

Before she could say anything, Isaac spoke, "I think I gave you a clear instruction about not coming to office. Didn't I, Mrs Grayson? Or was I speaking Spanish?"

Isaac's tone was intimidating and Larisa was surely scared because Isaac's anger is not a good sight to see.

Despite that, she stated confidently, "There is nothing wrong in working while I am pregnant."

She again opened her mouth to speak more but Isaac grabbed her hand and started dragging her to his office.

She glanced at Joshia and looked at him hopefully, thinking he might help her but Joshia just shrugged in return.

Once inside, Isaac locked the door and backed her up against it.

"I told you not to come."

"Please Isaac, you can't expect me to spend the whole day at home alone and do nothing...and I am just pregnant for God's sake! I am not dying."

At her last sentence, Isaac's demeanor changed, the word 'dying' bought back some horrible memories which he didn't want to happen again.

Larisa noticed it as he was staring at her with blank eyes as the flashback of what happened with Serah flashed infront of his eyes; what if something happens to Larisa due to the pregnancy or during the delivery?

Flashback:

Isaac paced back and forth infront of the hospital room of Serah. It's been two days since she met with an accident and since two days he has been drowning himself in guilt.

He couldn't even bring himself to meet her. If only he had not confessed his feelings, if only Serah had not left his home furiously and drove back recklessly.

He somehow gathered some courage and taking a deep breath he entered her room.

There she was lying on the bed, looking all pale, the once cheerful girl looked so dull and weak.

Her eyes were closed but as she heard someone enter, she slowly opened her eyes.

Lowering his gaze, Isaac walked upto her and quietly sat on the stool next to her bed.

Tears brimmed his eyes as he muttered, "I am so sorry."

"Why are you sorry for?", she asked in a weak voice.

He looked up at her to see her staring at him, he couldn't even look in her eyes so lowered his gaze again.

"Because of me...you got so angry and...and you met with an accident...I am so sorry. I didn't even have the courage to come meet you here, I am so sorry", he said and by now tears were flowing down his cheeks.

Serah didn't reply, she was quiet and then after a minute she said, "It's not your mistake."

This time he again looked up and he didn't lower his gaze, instead they were fixed upon her face where he could see some hair growing.

He got up, leaning towards her he brushed his finger over the hair that was growing on her face. His eyebrows furrowed, "What happened to your face?"

Though she had been looking at him all the time but at his question, she looked away trying not to meet his gaze.

"Serah?", He turned her chin towards him, "you are hiding something."

"I am fine", she mumbled but she wasn't sure herself.

Isaac sat down on the stool and held her hand in his, "Please...tell me..."

"I have a cancerous tumor", she whispered.

Cancer was the only thing Isaac was able to register.

He was beyond shock because he didn't expect her to say this.

"Wha-what?!"

"I have a cancerous tumor, Isaac", she said a bit louder.

"H-how? How long?"

"Three years."

"Three years? You...you never showed any symptoms!"

"It's a rare cancer...all those irregular periods I was having and the unusual growth of hair on my face that I somehow managed to hide...those were the symptoms..."

"But...but",he was lost for words.

Serah placed her another hand over his and gave a light squeeze, "I will be fine...I am getting operated in a few days...I will survive..."

But...she didn't. She didn't survive the operation as Isaac watched her coffin lowering down into the ground.

The tears were long gone... having cried all night dried his tears.

He lost her; he lost his best friend, he lost his love and he lost a part of himself.

He felt numb, the numbness was slowly taking over his body, and covering his heart as he felt devoid of any emotions.

Even when Nyle rested his head on his forearm and was shedding tears, he felt nothing...

She was gone...

Larisa extended her hand and lightly touched his cheeks making him snap back to the reality.

"Isaac?"

He shook his head lightly trying to clear his mind as he took a step back but it wasn't helping.

Going over to his desk, he pulled out a cigarette but before he could light it, it was snatched away by Larisa.

"What are you doing? You said you won't smoke."

He wasn't in a mood to argue, "Give it back, Larisa."

"No. What happened to you suddenly?"

He closed his eyes for a few seconds trying to control his emotions but it was hard; the memories he thought that he have finally forgotten came crashing down to him. Memories hit hard and not once. They hit everytime; and hurt everytime.

He spoke gently, "Please Larisa...I need it..."

Larisa threw it on the floor and grabbed his face in her arms, staring into his eyes that looked so dull.

"Tell me what's wrong..."

"You can't die, Larisa", he whispered and he wasn't even sure what he was saying, "you can't leave me...you are not dying."

She was confused at first...but then she understood what he meant and it really hurted her to see him looking so vulnerable, so broken...he was so afraid of losing her.

"I am not leaving you, Isaac. Nothing is going to happen to me. I will always be right next to you...", she whispered.

Grabbing her waist, Isaac pulled her forwards and engulfed her in a hug, holding her in his arms fearing that he might lose her if he won't hold her tight.

Pulling away, he cupped both of her cheeks with his hand and kissed her forehead, then both of her eyes, then kissed her cheeks, left one and the right one, then he kissed the tip of her nose as Larisa closed her eyes; he then kissed every part of her face, cherishing her and then he finally kissed her lips, softly, slowly, gently, just for a few seconds.

Larisa slowly opened her eyes, his eyes were still closed.

When he was sure that he finally has some control over his emotions, he opened his eyes.

"I told you not to come to office", he said all of a sudden.

Larisa sighed...back to the angry Isaac. He is having more mood swings than me, she thought.

________________________________________

Isaac and Larisa were cuddled together on the couch, as they watched a movie.

The end credits started to roll down and she switched off the TV.

Snuggling closer to him, she asked randomly, "What's your favourite word?"

"Favorite word? Is that even a thing?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes it is. Don't you have a favorite word, a word that inspires you always?"

"Nope. What's your by the way?"

"Believe and hope", she said, "those two things are very important. Cause hope, it's the only thing that keeps us alive. A hope that the future might be better...that the future might be beautiful no matter what is happening in the present."

Isaac looked at her in admiration, "If that's so...then you are my hope."

Isaac's eyes were twinkling as she looked up at him and he continued,

"You are my hope...a hope that you will make me forget what all happened in the past. A hope that I might just spend a single day without thinking about her."

Isaac didn't mention Serah's name but Larisa understood as she got up on his lap, her legs on the either side of his waist.

"Umm...I wrote something a few days back...wanna hear?"

"Go on."

She took her phone and opened the notepad where she wrote a few lines, even though she knew those lines by heart, she just wanted to avoid looking into his eyes while reading it.

She cleared her throat softly and then said in a very gentle tone, "Let me mend your broken heart, so that it swells with love again...so that it falls in love again..."

She stopped for a second glancing at him to see him looking at her in confusion making her question whether she should continue or not.

But she had to continue anyway, "So that it fall in love...with me...cause I...cause I love you."

She kept her phone aside and gulped audibly before looking back at him, he had a blank expression on his face.

She pressed her palm against his heart, "I love you, Isaac. I love you so much...I love everything about you...each and everything."

"Larisa...", he tried to say something.

She pressed her palm harder against his heart and placed her forehead against his, "It's okay... it's okay if you don't love me back. But just let me love you, let me mend you, let me take care of you..."

The palm that was pressed on his heart slowly folded into a fist as she shed a few tears.

"I have already surrendered myself to you, Larisa; I am all yours."

She kissed him, hard pouring all the emotions into it as he kissed her back with equal fervour...

________________________________________

It was mid night when Isaac came back home, he already told Larisa that he would be late.

Instead of going to their bedroom, he went into his study and slumped down on the chair.

She told him that she loves him, how he wanted to say those words back to her, how he wanted to tell her that how much he loves her. Those words were on the tip of his tongue but something was holding him back, fear.

The fear that something similar might happen to her just like it happened to Serah.

He was out with Nyle and told him everything that happened and Nyle gave him a nice piece of scolding asking him why he didn't say it back when he loves her so much. And again his answer was same, fear.

It's the fear that stops us from grasping the opportunities in our life just like Isaac let the opportunity to confess his feelings go away.

Isaac opened a drawer pulled out the photo frame and looked at Serah's picture for a minute after which he said to her, "I am sorry, Serah...but I guess I am moving on. It's not that I am forgetting you but I am moving on from the past, moving on from those sad memories because I want to tell Larisa that how much I love her. Of course those memories will still be there but I am letting go of my fear from now on.

That girl is crazy and fiesty, just like you and she has captured my heart, my body, my soul and each every cell of my body. She is the one to keep my heart beating, she is my hope, she is like oxygen to me. Makes me feel alive just like I was before; sure we didn't start on good terms but now I can't even think of leaving her..."

He trailed his finger on her picture for one last time before he kept it back in the drawer and locked it, forever.

_______________________________________

Larisa was crying, when she said that it's okay that he doesn't loves her back, she was lying. Of course it was not okay...of course it pained her, it made her soul ache when he didn't say it back, she was dying to hear those words from him but she can't force him...

It was past midnight when she wiped away her tears and was about to lay down to sleep since Isaac said that he would be late.

But the door opened and in came Isaac, she avoided looking into his eyes.

And the next moment he was infront of her, grabbing her face in his palms scrutinizing her.

"Were you crying?"

"Umm...I am okay, Isaac."

With that she slowly removed his hands from her face and decided to go inside the bathroom to get a hold of her emotions but Isaac's words made her stop.

"I love you, Larisa Grayson."

She thought she was dreaming, her whole body tensed at his words but everything turned out to be true when she turned around and he said it again, "I love you...I love you Thera Mallay Grayson, I love you Larisa Grayson. You just seem to possess my soul and heart. I am sorry I couldn't say it earlier...I was afraid but I am not anymore cause I know you will be with me forever and ever..."

Larisa let the tears fall as she moved closer to him and fisted his shirt in her hand, "Say it again."

"I love you, sweetheart."

Burying her head in his chest, she whispered, "I love you too, Isaac..."

She wanted to say more but Isaac didn't let her as he ducked his head down and captured her lips in a kiss which was different from the previous ones that they shared.

It was fierce, rough, hard, passionate and slow at the same time...as everything just blurred cause in that moment it was only they that mattered.